Sleeping Beauty Syndrome

27

Three more months passed without any improvement in sight, but it was also three more months in which I didn't fall ill and I noticed that Lee was looking at me more and more thoughtfully and constantly asking me about my medical history, my family and my general daily state of health. In the meantime, a new government had even been formed that was not limited to one country, but all countries had joined together and a senate had been elected. What we hadn't managed to do for thousands of years had now been sorted out for us by a plague and a united world was formed. Order slowly returned and the looting finally ended, so it was safe to go out on the streets again, as there was an official police force and criminals were brought to justice again. Nevertheless, the security service remained, as the boys were still idols and especially in this difficult time, the hearts of the surviving fans were especially attached to them, as they gave them hope and they prayed for their comatose stars. Unfortunately, there were still sasaengs who thought they had to go and see for themselves whether the boys were OK and tried to get into the building, so they remained under guard.

Even after three months, not a single coma patient had woken up anywhere in the world. However, there were more and more cases of desperate family members simply starving their comatose relatives to death or suffocating them with a pillow, either because they could no longer cope or because they lacked the strength to continue caring for them. As life had to be protected at all costs, there were now life-long labor camps and buildings were set up where relatives could be taken if they were overwhelmed and lots of volunteers to care for them.

More and more new laws came out and then there was the one that pulled the rug out from under our feet. In order to repopulate the earth, as the birth rate had fallen drastically and researchers had calculated that we would halve again within 10 years, it was decided that all people of childbearing age had to marry. They gave us 6 weeks, otherwise we would simply be assigned a partner by the government. Time was of the essence, if Wooyoung didn't wake up within the deadline, I would have to marry a stranger and then move in with him. But I didn't want to leave here, away from my friends, away from the man I loved. Desperate, I sat by his bed again and begged him to wake up... but he didn't and once again I couldn't help the tears that ran uncontrollably down my cheeks.

Then I felt a hand on my shoulder and was immediately hugged from behind.

"Shhh Noona... they won't take you away from us, I promise you that... if he can't marry you, then I will... The main thing is that you stay with us." I heard Seonghwa's reassuring voice. I slowly turned to face him in his arms and returned the gentle embrace.

"Thank you Seonghwa... I wouldn't know what to do without you..." I whispered and heard him chuckle.

"Well, without me, you'd probably marry Mingi." he said, laughing softly and wiping the tears from my cheeks.

When we came back into the living room, San was sitting on the sofa talking on the phone.

"Listen, I don't care, I can't marry a woman, that wouldn't lead to a new population... I'm gay. You could put them naked in my bed, I wouldn't get aroused... What? No... WHAT? I-are you serious? Well, no, I don't have any... what? Wait, how am I supposed to manage that? Oh my god... WHEN? Okay... Yes Bye."

We listened with interest and looked at San, who had gone rather pale.

"So, do you have to get married?" asked Mingi, who was sitting next to him, and San shook his head in confusion.

"No, there's a special rule for homosexuals, I don't have to get married... but... there are too many children who have lost their parents and now I have to adopt a child instead... How am I supposed to teach Yeosang that we have a child when he wakes up? they'll bring the little one to me in a few days... I don't know anything about small children." he said, completely upset, and Mingi couldn't suppress a giggle.

"A cute little mouse like that is sure to lift your spirits and we're all here to help you," he said encouragingly.

Lee came to us from her apartment, the note with the invitation to marry in her hand, she didn't even greet us before she looked at Mingi.

"Mingi..." she began

"Yes Noona?" he asked, still grinning.

"I've made an appointment, we're getting married in two weeks." she simply said without asking his permission.

"Okay Noona." he simply resigned himself to his fate with a slightly irritated look and was now laughed at by San.