Work Text:
A year passed since Yoo Jonghyuk came back from his journey across dimensions and was greeted by the group members. There hadn't been any news about Kim Dokja's condition getting better yet, but the members all continued to wait for the day he'd wake up and greet them with that stupid smile he always wore on his face no matter what situation he was in. He had to. Because he always did. They all moved into one big house as they had dreamed, and went on picnics to the beach. And they were happy. But they all felt a heaviness in their hearts, no matter how much they tried to cover it up by laughing and playing around. They felt his absence and thought about how he'd want to be there with them. And they always noticed how there was an extra serving whenever Jongjyuk cooked for them.
Another year passed by and they went about their lives while steadily growing older. Their visits to the hospital went from twice a week to once every two weeks as they grew busier along with the rest of the recovering society. But one person never failed to visit twice a week. He always gave off an aura of aloofness, yet everyone knew how much that person's absence pained him. Sometimes he'd stay in the hospital room for hours, not saying a word and just staring at the young, pale face laying on the bed. His expression looked stiff as it always did, but his eyes which used to be filled with such determination before looked pained and conflicted. As if he had lost the meaning of his life. The others couldn't understand him very well as he had always been somewhat distant from the group. But there had been one person who seemed to understand what he was thinking just by looking at those eyes. That person would form a teasing smile which had been annoying at first, until it slowly became an expression he liked to see on their face. And yet, the person on the bed only had a calm expression without a hint of that smile.
At other times ,Jonghyuk would talk to Kim Dokja about what the other members were doing. Lee Hyunsung and Jung Heewon had gotten back together after Lee Hyunsung came back from overseas. Han Sooyoung published their story on a webnovel site and had once again become a famous author. The kids were going to school and Yoo Sangah was working with the government to capture criminals. Jonghyuk himself had decided to give another go at gaming even though he originally gave up, and was gaining popularity as a pro gamer once again. They were all doing well, yet towards this one person, Jonghyuk still had so many questions to ask. He hadn't even gotten to say all the words he had wanted to say. Nor had he gotten to smack this idiot in the back of the head as payback. This idiot who always sacrificed himself and never thought about his own happiness. He'd somehow become a person he adored, and couldn't live without. However, no matter how long he waited, the only thing he heard was his own steady breathing and the beeping of the heart monitor, the person laying down showing no signs of movement.
Another year passed. Lee Gilyoung and Shin Yoosung graduated from high school and entered the same college Yi Jihye was attending. They still bickered with each other and flipped a coin in order to make decisions between the two of them. Another year passed and Jung Heewon and Lee Hyunsung had a small wedding before moving out of their big house. The room next to Yoo Jonghyuk's remained empty. A total of 5 years passed, and as the members one by one started letting go of the small percentage of possibility of that person waking up, they received an urgent text from Lee Seolhwa that read "Everyone! Dokja-ssi is finally.." Even before reading the whole text, Yoo Jonghyuk grabbed his black coat and ran to the street to ride a taxi and 30 minutes later he reached the front of the hospital. Rushing out of the taxi after paying the fee, he ran up to the floor Kim Dokja was in while taking 3 steps at a time. He slowed to a halt outside the room and panted from the long run as he hesitated. He didn't know what to expect. What if Kim Dokja had forgotten about him? About all of the people from Kim Dokja's company? What would he do if he didn't remember anything from their time together? The fear ate away at his heart as countless questions formed in his head, eyebrows furrowed as he stared at his hand trembling on the handle. "Take a deep breath," he told himself. In, out. His heartbeat seemed to calm down a bit. He held in a breath as he slowly opened the door and steeled his heart as he took a step into the room.
The window was slightly open allowing a light summer breeze to come in through the mesh panel, fluttering the curtains. He closed the door behind him as he walked forward, step by step. He approached Kim Dokja's bed, still covered by the waving partition which covered his figure. He could hear this heartbeat clearly, swallowing as he finally reached the partition and placing his hand on it. What would he see behind this curtain? He couldn't think. He slowly pulled on the curtain, revealing the figure on the bed that was staring out the window, no longer the size of a child. He froze. And then before he realized, a tear traced it's way down his cheek as the figure slowly turned around and looked at his face. For a brief second, that face held uncertainty while looking at Yoo Jonghyuk and he thought 'Does he not remember?'. But then that face, still pale from lack of sunlight and lips slightly cracked, formed a small smile. A teasing smile, just like he remembered, and while wiping the tear off Jonghyuk's face, Kim Dokja opened his mouth.
"Jonghyuk-ah. I'm back."