TO LIVE. jnh ✓

seventeen

say the name, seventeen!

—

"YOU got jun's family to come here?" seungcheol asked me, his mouth opened wide in shock and his eyes as big as an ostrich egg (okay, maybe i'm exaggerating). jeonghan stood next to seungcheol's chair with a startled expression as well. i nodded, a big smile evidently on my face.

"they're coming to at two pm. i asked them yesterday afternoon and it's honestly a miracle they got a flight immediately to fly here today. i just thought it might be nice since it's jun's birthday—"

"that's brilliant, myungho ssi! we haven't had them come here once nor talked to them after they admitted jun into the hospital. this will give jun a chance to catch up with his family as well as us discussing what's going to happen to jun when he's, well, gone." jeonghan cleared his throat to clear up the atmosphere for a bit after his last word. 

i nodded, "i haven't told jun about this. i'm going to keep this a surprise, so i'd appreciate if you two could keep it a secret as well."

jeonghan nodded a subtle smile on his face and seungcheol with a bright smile on his face, "sure. our lips are sealed." he faked the action of zipping his lips shut and throwing the key away, which made me smile. 

—

i walked down the hallway and took a deep breath before entering jun's room. i don't why i'm so nervous. why am i so nervous?

i knocked twice on the door, confused as to why the door was closed. i glanced at the clock next to the door and let out a chuckle. it's 1 pm, their lunch. patients like them (not stereotyping or anything, just in general) don't get to go to the canteen to eat meals since some of them might get infected by other patients. so every day, at 1 pm, the doors get closed so the patients can eat in peace.

a small 'come in' sounded from the other side of the door and i opened the door gently, peering in and smiling at the boy on the left of the door.

"hey, jun, happy birthday!" i exclaimed, a big smile on my face. he looked at me with his doe-like eyes and smiled, "thanks, hao!"

i got the box of chocolate and the card i wrote for him out from behind my back. "surprise!"

jun's eyes grew even bigger — if that's even possible — and he practically jumped out of his bed, causing everything connected to him follow him. i quickly rushed over to him, told him to get back on the bed, and he complied, his eyes big as hell as he anticipated his gift. 

"here's a box of dark chocolate, i heard you liked them from jihoon hyung, and here's a, uh, birthday card i wrote. please don't read it aloud." i scratched the back of my next nervously and chuckled awkwardly.

jun blinked twice and smiled, shaking his head, "of course, i won't, you dummy. but, thank you so much, hao! i never received any birthday presents since, uh..."

i smiled awkwardly, "you don't have to tell me. i'm glad you like the presents."

i looked around his room and frowned, "uh, jun? where's jihoon hyung and mingyu? soonyoung and wonwoo, too."

jun shrugged as he munched on his dark chocolate, "dunno. i think they went to get some fresh air." ("from each other's mouth" jun muttered, to which i smacked him on the arm.)

"anyways," i started, "i have another surprise for you. an even better surprise," i said, looking at him suggestively.

jun giggled, "what kind of surprise would be better than this, hao?"

i went over to the door and opened it, revealing jun's parent and his little brother. "gē!" his little brother, which i learnt his name to be junfeng, ran over to jun's bed and wrapped his arms around his older brother.

jun's expression was priceless. his eyes were brimming with tears as he wrapped his arms around junfeng, a small smile tugging his lips. "hi, feng." he greeted in chinese. "dad, mom." he greeted, nodding his head at them.

i slipped out of the room to give the wen family some privacy to themselves, closing the door after me. but before i went away, i saw jun mouthing "thank you so much" at me, and i smiled at myself, feeling accomplished.

—

"how was the family reunion?" i asked after his family left the hospital. jihoon, soonyoung, mingyu and wonwoo were all back from smooching and the marks on mingyu and soonyoung honestly suggests something i do not want my imagination to wander to.

jun looked up from his dinner and smiled, "it was actually better than i expected. i haven't seen them in ages thinking they forgot about me and hates me just because i have lung cancer. but turns out they've been working really hard to try and pay my hospital bills." he looked at me with his gorgeous smile, "thank you so, so much, hao."

i smiled and waved it off. "it's no problem," i said while fixing his medications and checking his blood oxygen level and such. "i'm glad you're happy."

i turned away from jun to move on to talk with soonyoung, but jun grabbed me by the arm and turned me around, yanking me down to his level, "no, you're doing so much for me. i wish i could do something for you." he said in a low voice, as if he didn't want anyone to listen to our conversation.

i looked down at him and gulped at how close our faces are. we're literally inches away from each other and my eyes flickered down to his lips and i look back up to his eyes. jun smirked as if he saw my eyes. this time, i let my eyes linger at his lips and his smirk grew even wider.

"you know, if you two wanna fuck each other's face—" jihoon started, but i could tell soonyoung clasped his hand over his boyfriend's mouth. "you mother fucker! you just ruined a moment!"

i backed away from jun and cleared my throat. jun let go of his grip on my forearm and he darted his eyes all around the room. "i, uh, i should go. i'll see you tomorrow, jun. bye!"

with that, i went out of jun's room and i closed the door behind me. once i was out, i gripped my chest and felt my face flush with heat. "o-oh my god." i breathed out, "oh my fucking god."