Hearing his words, I instantly froze. I didn't know how to provide a solution for what had been making him disillusioned other than feeling his heartache. Besides, giving him a solution or encouraging him, Chunghee would never think of those kindnesses as something that made him want to fight once more.

Meanwhile, Chunghee looked at me blankly. He seemed to lose hope in his eyes and was walking into the chasm of the darkness that seemed to be a fate line for him to spend the rest of his life. He seemed to be looking at me like a point of disheartening and it hit my heart so badly that I wanted to save him immediately.

Without realizing it, my body moved on its own to embrace him tightly as if this was the best way to express that everything was going to be all right without having to put together words.

I knew how much disappointment hurt him and I knew how his heart went to great lengths to endure the pain from the wounds he suffered. However, since I also couldn't come up with any solutions other than proving it to him, I could only say, "Just for this time, you have to trust me. I will prove my words. I don't want to say many sweet words but I will directly prove everything to you so you can trust me."

I sighed as soon as I finished talking as if I was complaining about why he was so hard to be mine. Now and then he would act like someone who had been numb from the excruciating pain, or maybe there was a limit to the pain that had been pinned in his heart so that it seemed easy for him to endure it all.

However, all of them were just lies to manipulate the world that he could stand with his legs and would go through the pain alone even without any help from anyone else, but in fact, he couldn't.

He just tortured himself by keeping it all in. As a result, day by day, he lost the brightness even more on his face. He forgot how to smile and how to laugh at something cheerfully.

Of course, there was nothing that broke my heart the most apart from witnessing how his soul gradually died because of one person who brought him down to earth.

Even though we lived by breathing, being soulless was also dying. I wanted him to return to how he was before, who liked to smile; sulked when he was upset; laughed when he was happy like he used to be.

When I first time saw him until now, I could feel the change in him drastically. I kind of lost him gradually and I never wanted to lose him completely.

If only I could drag part of his lost soul to return, then I would do it.

However, a broken soul wasn't something that could be forced to return. It would only make it more and more devastated so that there was nothing left.

"Daehyun, let me go," he pleaded in our silence.

Hearing that, I immediately let go of my embrace. I touched his shoulders gently and said confidently, "Look at me, I even never confessed my feelings to anyone else before because I thought you would be the first person to hear my confession. Now, I am delighted because I can make it happen where you become the first person to hear my declaration of love."

I couldn't help but smile happily. After all, I had waited for a dozen years just to express my feelings to him. Although in the end, I only got an ambiguous answer without any explication certainty whether we were lovers or not.

Not long after, we arrived in Busan. Several sedans were already waiting in front of the airport, but as I didn't want other people to interfere with my time with Chunghee, I drove the car by myself to the hospital and told the others to leave.

Upon arrival, I led Chunghee to the place where the doctor who was going to check his condition which was on the fourth floor after taking the waiting number in the reception room.

In front of the doctor's office, there were quite many patients waiting their turn. So, as I didn't want to make Chunghee feel bored while waiting, I took him to the seat near the window to rest while enjoying the city.

I was about to sit there with him, but the voice of someone that was calling me from a distance sounded so familiar. I immediately turned around and saw a figure in a white coat smiling as he walked over to me.

He was one of the doctors I knew here, the son of Dr. Liam, Liam Seok, who was a specialist of orthopedic. We went to the same school in France until we entered the same university. It's just that, after graduating, his father asked him to return to South Korea and work here. He was two years younger than me just like Chunghee. We weren't close enough, but we were still practically close like friends who had known each other for a long time.

I smiled back at him and shook his hand as soon as he was standing near me.

"Brother Kim, where have you been lately?" Liam Seok asked as a greeting.

However, I didn't answer because I knew that it was just lip service from him. I immediately introduced him to Chunghee. I said enthusiastically, "Chunghee, this is Liam Seok, an acquaintance of mine."

Chunghee turned his head briefly to see the figure named Liam Seok before he stood up and smiled in a friendly manner, then they shook hands.

"Nice to meet you, Dr. Liam. I'm Park Chunghee," Chunghee said.

For a moment I was amazed at the expression he showed as if he had no burden at all.

"Ah, just call me Liam as Brother Kim calls me so we can be close. You're a friend of Brother Kim, then you will also be my friend, haha," Liam Seok replied jokingly. As usual, he was always talkative.

Chunghee didn't really respond and just smiled gently that never stopped making me feel amazed. After all, it's been a long time since I saw him smile like that. Even though I knew it was just a trick from him to cover up the burdens he had, that smile was still sincere.

However, Chunghee didn't want to talk to someone too much, so he sat back down, staring at the expanse of skyscrapers behind the window.

Liam Seok, cleared his throat and said, "Brother Kim, want to smoke?"

Frowning, I felt that he wanted to speak privately with me, so I nodded in agreement. "Chunghee, I'll be back for a moment, okay?"

Smiling, Chunghee nodded slowly.

The non-smoking area wasn't far from where Chunghee was, so I could watch him through the glass. I took out a pack of cigarettes, pulled out a cigarette, then lit it before handing it out to Liam Seok.

He asked, "Brother Kim, what are you doing here?"

While eying Chunghee from here, I answered in a low voice, "I'm accompanying him ...."

He paused for a moment before he asked, "Is he sick?"

"Yeah. Glioblastoma. Stage three." I gritted my teeth after I finished saying my words.

Liam Seok was about to smoke a cigarette on his finger. But, as soon as he heard my answer, he immediately stopped and turned to look at me with a surprised look.

I fell silent as I knew what he was thinking right now. Glancing at him, I said, "Don't be surprised."

"Heh." He smoked his cigarette before replying, "Stage three? He's dying, you know."

I smiled resignedly hearing that statement. He continued, "Glioblastoma on stage three. Not many people can survive at this stage. But, he is one of the lucky people. Usually, people at that stage can only spend their time in bed. He is quite physically strong, though."

"So what do you think? Will he recover soon?" I asked hopefully.

"Don't despair. Many people recover from cancer when they are in stage four."

Those words comforted me a little. There was a relief that made me feel calmer.

After pausing for a few seconds, he asked again to make sure, "Brother Kim, is he your friend?"

There was a pause before I answered, "Yes, what's wrong?"

"Are you sure?"

I lowered my head upon hearing a question that seemed to force me to reveal the truth. Smiling, I felt that I was caught falling in love with someone.

Of course, Liam Seok immediately found out the truth. Although I was silent without a word, people would also find out by seeing how I acted.

"You can't hide your feelings. You have always been very indifferent to anyone when it comes to romance. However, as soon as you see that guy, damn it, your eyes really are shameless by showing it all." He laughed lightly, then asked again to confirm it once again, "So, is he yours? Since when did you guys date?" There was mockery in his tone.