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II

People are all in a hurry. There's a nurse coming from the end of the corridor of the hospital running like a cheetah to save someone else's life. Patients are all over the place. Some are crying and the others are calm. Some people are grieving for the lost of their loved ones, and others are rejoicing for another chance to live their life. Doctors keep on passing in front of him while murmuring with each other maybe discussing about their patients' condition.

One place with different people with different stories within them.

It's an overwhelming scenery for Off's sight. Hospitals have been traumatic place for Off because this is the place where he last saw his one and only brother. As he breathe in to collect his thoughts, he smelled a familiar scent that brought him back to the most unfortunate event of his life -the death of his younger brother.

his younger brother...

Off and his brother were like cookies and cream- they blended with each other well. They wouldn't leave each other as well as couldn't live without one another. They were like the moon and the stars - always with each other's side during their darkest times. They were both very close to each other since they were young. They were each other's playmate, companions in everything- in short best friends.

But all of a sudden his brother became aloof at everyone especially at him. He was eighteen and his brother was seventeen when Off started to felt that something's wrong with his brother. Since then, he rarely allotted time to bond with him anymore. He always isolated himself in his room to hide from everyone. Off tried to talk to him but his brother always refused through hundreds of alibis. Bit by bit, his brother started to built a wall and set borders so no one could enter into his own world. Off was so confused on the actions of his younger brother.

One night, Off walked by his brother's room. He was about to knock on the door when he heard someone's voice. He slowly opened the door so it won't make a noise and there he saw his brother crying in front of his windowpane while talking to someone but he saw no one other than his brother. Then, he fixed his eyes on his brother's back physique. His brother was looking up the sky- to the moon in particular- while he's sobbing. His brother was crying silently, he looked so hurt and broken. Off wanted to hug him to console his brother, but then he stopped himself in doing so and just left to give him privacy. He thought that maybe his brother isn't ready to tell him about his problems yet.

maybe.

So, Off went back to his room and lied down on his bed reminiscing what he just saw. His brother is in pain but he cannot do anything to mend it away. His mind and heart were debating whether to go back to his brother and comfort him or just give him time and space.

After minutes of battling, he decided to go back to his brother but he was too late when he heard a gunshot.

a single gunshot that changed everything...

Blood greeted him as he opened the door of his brother's room. He entered the room and the wind hugged him as he slowly sat down on the floor facing his brother. His heart was pounding so fast while looking at his lifeless brother. His brother is dead, his mind repeatedly said. "It's my fault", he constantly blaming himself. He couldn't cry, he wanted to cry but there's no tears coming out. He was so afraid to the point that he couldn't shout out for help. His whole body was shaking and starts to be stoned after the incident sink in his mind.

Suddenly, he heard a scream. He looked at it and he saw his frantic mom rushingly ran towards his brother. Without hesitation, she carried her youngest son while completely ignoring Off's existence.

Morning came, his father went back to their house to fetch Off. His father saw him at the corner of his brother's room -at the exact place where he was yesterday when the incident happened-hugging his knees and looking totally miserable cause he didn't sleep neither cry at all since yesterday.

Next thing he knew, he's in a hospital room looking at his deceased brother's cold body covered with white cloth. His father told him to bid a goodbye to his brother but he didn't do it because he doesn't know how to.

After a while, he then removed the cloth that's covering his brother's face then he gaze at him without blinking. His eyes reflect only two emotions: pain and guilt.

"I'm sorry", he uttered.

There's no tears fell again but his heart is mourning, ripping, and crying. Off heavily breathe and closes his eyes. Then he stepped forward to be more close to his brother's body, he opened his eyes and whispered him,

"Wait for me"

Off lost him when he was eighteen, and now he's twenty and might lose Gun on the exact same day he lost his brother.