"They said- the doctor said I can leave next week," came the soft but warm voice from inside the room.
"That's good, Hyungwonnie," a smooth voice responded. "You've done such a great job."
"Do you really think so?"
"I know so, hyung. I'm proud of you."
"You are?"
"I am." The creaking of a chair as someone stood up. "I have to go now, hyung, but I'll see you when you get out next week, okay?"
"Do you have to go so soon?" Hyungwon's voice turned thin and needy.
"I'm sorry, hyung, I do. But I'll see you next week, okay?"
"Okay." A pause. "Thank you for coming to see me."
"Of course."
The door marked 119W, Chae Hyungwon opened, and a thin figure stepped out, shutting the door softly behind himself before turning to find five pairs of eyes on him.
"We're...Hyungwon's friends," Changkyun said, stepping forward and nodding his head forward respectfully. "We were hoping that we could visit him."
The boy stared at them with unreadable eyes. He was similar to Hyungwon in many ways; like the other boy, he had a tall, lanky frame, and he seemed to possess a quiet, contemplative demeanor. "Chae Kyungwon," he responded after a moment. "Hyungwon is my older brother."
Changkyun gave a tight smile. "It's nice to meet you, Kyungwon-ah."
Kyungwon stared at Changkyun for a long moment. "You're Changkyun, yes?"
Changkyun blinked, somewhat startled. "I- yes, I'm Changkyun."
Kyungwon slowly turned to scan the others, imprinting their faces into his memory. "And you must be Jooheon," he addressed next. "Hoseok. Minhyuk. Shownu."
They all nodded, surprised.
"He talks about you all sometimes," Kyungwon said, but as before, his face showed little to no expression. "And another one. Kihyun. But he's not here, is here?"
Changkyun swallowed, unsure as to how much Kyungwon knew, and he decided to play it safe by diverting the topic. "How is Hyungwon doing?"
Kyungwon thought for a second before shrugging. "I'm sure you understand why it can be hard to tell."
"He said he was being released next week though, right? That's a good sign, isn't it?"
Kyungwon stared at Changkyun for a long time before nodding slowly. "Maybe you think of it that way."
Changkyun hesitated, unsure exactly how to approach this cold stranger. "Um, well...can we see him? We've tried visiting earlier, but they said his room was only accessible to family until now, so-"
"You're the one who admitted him, right?" Kyungwon interrupted, and Changkyun stopped speaking, somewhat shocked.
"I- yes, yes, I...I asked that they accept him into their program," Changkyun admitted slowly before he felt the need to justify his actions. "He wasn't doing well, Kyungwon. We weren't able to help him. He just kept getting worse, and...we just didn't have any other options."
Kyungwon was quiet for a bit. "You know, our parents still think he's at the other institution. They still send a check every month."
Changkyun opened his mouth but had no response.
"Are you the one paying for him to be here?" Kyungwon asked directly, and Changkyun paused before nodding.
"Yes, we all pitch in and-"
