Epilogue: Invisible Promises
The sun was dipping low on the horizon, casting a warm glow over the quiet streets as Ju Ha and Do Yoon walked together after school. It had become something of a routine for them, these quiet moments together at the end of each day. They'd talk, laugh, and linger just a little longer before finally saying their goodbyes. But today felt different, like something unspoken was hanging in the air.
As they neared Do Yoon's neighborhood, Ju Ha hesitated, casting a glance down the street as if lost in thought.
"Hyung, you're spacing out again," Do Yoon teased, nudging him with a playful grin. "Don't tell me you're trying to avoid going home!"
Ju Ha chuckled, shaking his head. "Maybe. Or maybe I just like dragging this out so I don't have to say goodbye yet."
Do Yoon rolled his eyes, his smile softening. "Then walk me all the way, Hyung. I don't mind."
But as they crossed the final street to Do Yoon's house, a car came speeding around the corner, swerving recklessly. In an instant, Ju Ha reacted, pushing Do Yoon out of the way. The sound of screeching brakes and a sickening thud shattered the calm of the evening.
The next few days were a blur for Do Yoon. He'd been unharmed, but Ju Ha had been taken to the hospital in critical condition, slipping into a coma almost immediately. Do Yoon visited every day, sitting by Ju Ha's bedside, talking to him, holding his hand. He refused to believe that this was how it would end — that Ju Ha, his pillar, his anchor, could just fade away like this. So he treated Ju Ha as though he were still there, as if the distance between them was merely invisible.
"Hyung, do you remember our promise?" Do Yoon whispered one evening, his voice hoarse from the tears he'd been holding back. "You said you'd be here... that you weren't going anywhere. So don't you dare break that promise now."
He waited, but the only response was the steady rhythm of the monitors, the shallow rise and fall of Ju Ha's chest. It felt like talking to a ghost.
At school, the emptiness was unbearable. Every place, every corner reminded him of Ju Ha — his laughter, his voice, his familiar presence. He found himself visiting the rooftop where they'd shared countless memories. He'd lean against the railing, looking out over the city, imagining that Ju Ha was standing right beside him.
"I know you're here, Hyung," he murmured to the empty air, almost as if Ju Ha were simply invisible but listening. "You wouldn't leave me alone like this. You promised, remember?"
The days blurred together, but Do Yoon remained resolute. He visited Ju Ha every day after school, bringing stories, sharing details of his day, even reading aloud from the books they both liked. In those moments, he felt like he was bridging the gap, like Ju Ha was still there with him.
One late afternoon, exhausted from sleepless nights and constant worry, Do Yoon fell asleep at Ju Ha's bedside. In his dream, he found himself walking the same streets they had walked together, his steps echoing in the empty silence. Ahead of him was Ju Ha, his figure hazy and distant.
"Hyung!" Do Yoon called out, reaching out, his voice carrying all his yearning and desperation. "Wait... please, wait for me."
But Ju Ha only turned back to him with a sad smile, his expression tinged with an emotion Do Yoon couldn't decipher.
"Do Yoon..." Ju Ha's voice was soft, almost like an echo. "I promised I'd be with you, right? But sometimes, we have to face things alone."
"No!" Do Yoon cried, stepping forward, trying to close the distance between them. "I don't want to be alone. I need you, Hyung. You're... you're everything to me."
In his dream, Ju Ha reached out, his hand warm and familiar as it brushed against Do Yoon's cheek. But when Do Yoon reached up to grasp it, his hand passed through like mist. "I'll come back to you, Do Yoon. Just... keep waiting for me. Keep talking to me. Don't stop, okay?"
As Ju Ha faded from his vision, Do Yoon jerked awake in the hospital room, his heart pounding, his face damp with tears. He turned to Ju Ha, still lying motionless in the hospital bed, and took his hand in both of his own.
"Don't leave me, Hyung," he whispered, his voice breaking. "I'll wait. However long it takes, I'll be here."
The days turned into weeks, and though there was little change in Ju Ha's condition, Do Yoon's resolve never wavered. He brought flowers, books, and even a small radio to play their favorite songs, keeping Ju Ha's world filled with the life they'd built together.
One quiet evening, Do Yoon was recounting an old memory, his voice soft and nostalgic. "Remember our last day of summer, when it rained so hard, and we ended up soaked to the bone, laughing like idiots? You were so cold, Hyung... and I remember thinking that I never wanted to see you shiver like that again."
He sighed, squeezing Ju Ha's hand. "But here I am, cold without you. So please... don't make me wait much longer."
Then, for the first time in what felt like an eternity, he felt a faint, almost imperceptible twitch against his fingers. He froze, hope flooding him as he looked at Ju Ha's face. And there it was — a slight flutter of his eyelids, a hint of movement that felt like the first glimpse of dawn after a long, dark night.
"Hyung?" Do Yoon whispered, his voice barely audible.
Ju Ha's eyes opened slowly, his gaze unfocused, as if searching for something familiar. And then, as his vision cleared, his eyes met Do Yoon's, and a soft, weary smile crossed his face.
"Did you... wait for me?" Ju Ha asked, his voice a hoarse whisper.
Do Yoon's throat tightened as he nodded, tears streaming down his face. "I told you I would. I promised I wouldn't let you be alone."
Ju Ha's hand tightened around his, and for the first time in weeks, Do Yoon felt a warmth and lightness that he had thought he might never feel again. They sat in silence, their hands clasped, the bond between them stronger than ever — a silent promise that they would never let each other go.
