fade | jookyun

11

hoseok's phone was ringing. changkyun looked at the caller id. "it's the hospital. maybe it's a wrong number?"

hoseok looked up. "just pick up."

changkyun accepted the call, put it on speaker, and handed it to hoseok.

"hello, is this lee hoseok?" a staticky voice asked.

"sp-speaking." sniffled hoseok.

"you are the emergency contact of chae hyungwon, correct?"

"yes..."

"he has been checked into the hospital. his life is in danger, he got into a car crash. please come to the hospital as soon as possible."

the phone slipped out of hoseok's hand as his mouth formed a little circle.

jooheon and changkyun watched in shock as the man buried his head in his hands and shook. he fell to the floor and screamed silently, his mouth wide open but no sound coming out.

changkyun remembered that pain, when jooheon was hospitalized. but what hoseok was feeling was probably worse — three years ago, changkyun hadn't even known jooheon that well, and it had still hurt. suddenly, a paralyzing fear washed over him. what if he lost jooheon again?

hoseok was still screaming on the floor, agonized tears flooding out of his eyes. the hospital had hung up.

"hoseok," jooheon said his friend's name brokenly. "let's go see him."

hoseok glanced up, his face wet and red and full of pain. "he's in there because of me."

"hoseok if he's there because of you, you have to go!" changkyun tried reasoning with him. "crying won't do anything to help him!"

hoseok looked up again, his sniffles filling the silent atmosphere. "okay." hoseok wiped the remaining tears off his face with the end of his sleeve. "let's go."

the three ran to changkyun's car which was parked outside of the house. changkyun started the car instantly and began to set out for the hospital. when they arrived, hoseok scampered into the hospital and to the nurse's desk. changkyun and jooheon followed behind him. "hello, i'm lee hoseok. i'm here for hyungwon." hoseok said in a trembling voice.

"ah, yes. we've had to take emergency measures on him, unfortunately. he's currently in surgery." the nurse behind the desk replied.

the bags under hoseok's eyes seemed to become darker. "thank you." hoseok uttered brokenly.

they all went to the waiting room, clinging onto their last pieces of hope. it was quiet. no one spoke. suddenly, the doors opened. three doctors came out and approaced hoseok. "are you mr. lee hoseok?" they asked. hoseok nodded. "the surgery went well. hyungwon is being transferred to a room on the third floor." the doctors bowed. everyone bowed back, thanking the doctors. their hope was restored. hoseok smiled the widest smile and looked at changkyun and jooheon, who were also smiling. they took the elevator up to the third floor. it took a while finding hyungwon's room but they found it at last. hoseok ran inside, sitting in the chair next to hyungwon and holding onto his cold limp hand tightly. "i'm sorry, hyungwon." hoseok stated to tear up again.

there was no response from hyungwon because now they had to wait.

hours passed. jooheon and changkyun stayed with hoseok, who did nothing but sit by hyungwon's bed and stare at the bruised, bandaged man.

suddenly, the sheets rustled.
"hoseok." mumbled a hoarse voice. hoseok's head shot up, eyebags formed under his eyes and his hair messy.

"h-hyungwon." hoseok leaned in closer to hyungwon. "is that you?"

"i'm sorry. i'm so sorry. i was afraid you would leave me after we got married. i was scared," hyungwon said in a weak voice. hyungwon sat up with effort and brushed hoseok's hair with his fingers. "but i shouldn't have been. i want to get married. i want to start a family. i want to grow old together. i want to spend forever with you. i love you."

hoseok's eyes lit up and hyungwon leaned in. "i love you so, so much." cried hoseok as he buried his head in the crook of hyungwon's neck. hyungwon lifted his chin and their lips connected. he pulled away and gazed at his soulmate with affection shining in his eyes.

jooheon and changkyun watched the couple with smiles. changkyun clasped jooheon's hand. "i'm glad he's okay."

"me too," jooheon said. he squeezed changkyun's hand. "we'll do the same. we'll be together forever."

"forever."

but fate is a cruel game. jooheon would soon find out that he was wrong. there would be no forever for them.

there would just be darkness.