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In-ho was sitting on the hospital chair. It had been hours at that point and the chair was getting more and more uncomfortable each second that passed. His brother was laying beside him, unconscious. The surgery had been a success and the doctors had said that he should wake up any minute now. That was 2 hours ago. He had offered to watch him while the anaesthesia wore off. He was still shaken up from his own surgery but had woken up earlier than him. While the surgery went smoothly, the doctors said he had a semi-bad reaction to the narcosis causing him some complications after surgery.
He looked at him closely, not letting his little brother leave his eyes. He was so close to losing him, a thought that couldn’t even cross his mind a couple years ago almost became true today. As much as he never said it out loud, he loved and cared about him more than anything in this world. He was the only family he had left, he couldn’t bear to lose him. He had sworn to protect him, a promise he made to himself when Jun-ho was born, a promise he was going to keep until his last breath.
The sound of a bird chirping on the window made him look up realising the sun was beginning to set. He had been sitting in that hospital room for hours on this uncomfortable chair. No wonder most of the rooms have no visitors, who would willingly sit here for hours?
He sighed and repositioned himself on the chair so he wouldn’t be as uncomfortable. He looked back at his brother’s unconscious body, who seemed not to be in any pain. In fact this was the most peaceful In-ho had seen him in months. He couldn’t help but smile a little observing his brother’s calming state. It was not often he saw him like this anymore. Months of back and forth in hospitals, months of treatments and hours spent worrying, all gone now cause any minute now he was going to wake up and all that pain and suffering will finally be in the past. They could be happy again like they once were without having to worry about anything.
About an hour passed by, not that In-ho had even realised it, he had left his phone in the car and the hospital room didn’t have a clock in it. The only evidence that time had even passed was the shadows of the room slowly moving and the sky darkening. In-ho was barely staying awake at this point. The only thing keeping him awake was the hospital noises outside of the room but it was only a matter of time since sleep overtook him. A man can stay awake for only so long.
“In-ho?” a familiar voice said, immediately waking him up and shooting him up the chair.
“Jun-ho! You’re awake” he said walking towards him.
Jun-ho sat up straight, turning to face his brother. He looked at him for a minute not saying anything still under the influence of the drugs.
“Did- was the transfer- is everything okay?” he asked, looking at In-ho with pleading eyes.
In-ho smiled before coming to sit next to his brother at the hospital bed. Not too close but not too far either.
“The surgery was a success, everything went smoothly, you are now officially at the end stage of your recovery”
Jun-ho let out a sigh of relief.
“Does that mean-?” he asked, not being able to finish his sentence simply looking down at In-ho’s stomach.
“Yes” In-ho answered, the smile not breaking from his lips, reassuring his brother.
“Oh” Jun-ho said and looked down at the floor avoiding making eye contact with him.
The guilt was obvious in his eyes even before the surgery, when the thought of the transplant was just an idea. In-ho knew that, no matter the countless times he reassured him that he wanted to do this, he wanted to save him, he could still see the way he avoided looking at him in the eyes at every discussion, every doctor's appointment.
“Hey, no sad faces” he said holding his chin up so he could face him “this is a happy day.” he dropped his chin and ruffled with his hair giving him a reassuring smile “Besides” he continued straightening himself up on the bed “now we have something that connects us for life. I’m not sure many siblings will be able to say that they share a kidney?” he joked, softening his eyes to make his brother realise that he meant it.
“I guess we do” Jun-ho said putting on a pitiful smile “we’re kidney buddies” he chuckled at his own joke making In-ho giggle a bit.
A comforting silence filled over what would’ve otherwise be a sad hospital room.
“I love you” Jun-ho finally said after a couple of minutes finally looking his brother in the eyes and smiling.
“I love you too buddy” In-ho responded reciprocating the smile.
The phone rang startling In-ho and forcing him to get up from his bed. He looked down at his hands, his black mask staring back at him. The phone rang again, completely snapping him back to reality. He got up, wiping off a couple of petty tears before putting on his mask. He walked to the main room of his suite and answered the phone.
“Frontman speaking” he said, a little phrase that kept reminding him who he was.
“It’s captain Park” the voice on the other line said “The detective just got off the boat, another unsuccessful day. ”
A lump formed in In-ho’s throat, which he quickly cleared away.
“Good, is he suspicious or anything? He’s smarter than he looks, be careful with him.” he said, picturing Jun-ho on the boat confused and desperate. He tried to keep him out of this, he really did.
“He does suspect a thing,” Park said, “although you have to tell me. Why is he so important to you? Why go through so much trouble for him?”
In-ho took a silent breath not letting the captain hear his humanity.
“Just follow orders. That’s what you’re getting paid for” he said coldly before hanging up the phone.
He stared a bit at the black screen in his room before his vision started to blur and had to take off the mask.
‘You can’t hide your emotions behind a mask’ he thought but not in his own voice, rather in Jun-ho’s looking down at him disappointingly.
He walked to his bar grabbing himself a drink before eventually sitting down in the armchair in the middle of the room. He hated that chair.
There was only one reason he was still sitting there, in a room he hates, in a chair he despises with a version of Jun-ho screaming in his head. The promise. The promise he never broke even after everything. He still protected his younger brother making sure he’s okay before everything else. He was the biggest risk he’s ever taken in this job and it was all worth it. He was all worth it. If anything happened to Jun-ho he wouldn’t be able to live with himself after. He did everything he could to make sure he was away and safe. He protected him. Just like he said he would.
A promise he will never break.
A promise he will keep until their dying breaths.
“I love you, buddy” he said but there was no one around to hear it.