FLPR 1.2

“No visitors allowed? ” Doyul asked, doubtful. He’d woken up early and rushed to the hospital, even buying expensive juice with his meager funds, a gesture he felt was necessary for a hospital visit, even though Woohyun’s room was likely already overflowing with gifts. Since Woohyun himself had texted him, Doyul naturally assumed he could visit.

But the moment he tried to open the door to Woohyun’s room, a man stepped out, blocking his path. In a low, firm voice, he said,

“No visitors allowed.”

Doyul showed him the text message from Woohyun, protesting,

“But Hyung said I could come.”

The man examined the message, his brow furrowing. With a stern expression, he repeated,

“It’s not possible.”

“Can you at least tell me why?”

“He needs absolute rest. Please leave.”

Doyul let out a frustrated breath. It seemed seeing Woohyun today was out of the question. Disappointed, he sighed and offered the box of juice to the man.

“Alright, then at least give him this.”

“The room is already full of juice.”

“Still, please give it to him. I bought it for him.”

The man’s dismissive glance made Doyul flush with embarrassment. He knew the juice he’d bought was cheap compared to what Woohyun usually drank, but it was the best he could afford. He felt small, insignificant. Doyul lowered his outstretched hand. The man wasn’t going to accept it. To preserve some dignity, it was best to give up.

Just then, the door to the room swung open, and a familiar face appeared.

“Is this a visitor? ”

The man, flustered, quickly urged Woohyun back inside.

“Please go back in, sir.”

“Hyung, it’s me! ” Doyul exclaimed, unable to hide his joy. He thought he wouldn’t get to see Woohyun, so he was overjoyed that Woohyun had come out himself. Confirming the seriousness of the accident, Woohyun had a cast on his arm.

Woohyun blinked at Doyul, then asked brightly,

“Are you my Hyung? ”

“You need to leave!”

The man shoved Doyul roughly. Doyul stumbled, nearly falling. Woohyun stepped fully out of the room and grabbed Doyul’s arm.

“Pushing people is bad! The teacher said so!”

“Haah…” The man sighed, annoyed. Woohyun continued to scold him.

“You need to apologize! The teacher said you have to say sorry when you do something bad!”

“Hyung…?” Doyul felt a prickle of unease. This wasn’t how Woohyun usually spoke. It wasn’t how any adult man would speak. He sounded like a seven- or eight-year-old child. Woohyun looked at him with a bright smile and asked,

“Is Doyul my Hyung?”

“Uh… I am Doyul, but… Hyung?”

Something was wrong. Woohyun didn’t seem to recognize him at all. The man sighed and said,

“Let’s go inside and talk.”

“Let’s go inside!” Woohyun said excitedly. Doyul was completely confused, but he couldn’t very well keep standing in the hallway. At their urging, he followed them into the room.

The hospital room was enormous, larger than Doyul’s entire apartment. He admired the size as he sat down on the sofa. Woohyun’s family owned a large electronics company. Not just large, but one of the most well-known in Korea. Doyul placed the juice on the table in front of him.

“This is for you.”

“Thank you.”

“You can drop the formalities. I’m younger than you.”

“But…” Woohyun trailed off. It was clear he wasn’t himself. Doyul glanced at the man who was standing by the door, watching them. The man gave a curt nod and introduced himself.

“I apologize for the late introduction. I’m Lee Sooyeon, Mr. Min’s personal assistant.”

“Hello, I’m Seo Doyul.”

“I know.”

Doyul blinked, unsure how to respond to that. How did he know who he was? He supposed Woohyun’s personal assistant would know him. Woohyun must have mentioned him. They used to see each other more often. Pushing aside his questions, Doyul asked cautiously,

“Um… what’s Woohyun Hyung’s condition? ”

“Due to the severe impact of the accident, he sustained multiple injuries. He’s suffering from amnesia, and his mental age has regressed to about seven years old.”

Doyul’s eyes widened. So this was the amnesia he’d only ever heard about. He’d suspected something was off, but he hadn’t imagined it was this serious. Sooyeon’s face hardened as he continued.

“We’re trying to keep Mr. Min’s condition private.”

“Yes, of course! I won’t tell anyone! ”

“That would be wise. If this information is leaked, I can’t guarantee your safety, Mr. Seo.”

The thinly veiled threat made Doyul gulp. He’d just come to visit out of concern, but things were getting complicated. Sensing the tense atmosphere, Woohyun grew quiet, looking down at his fidgeting fingers. He seemed anxious. Doyul looked at him with concern. His body was that of an adult, but inside, he was a seven-year-old child. He must be incredibly confused.

“What kind of accident caused such serious injuries?”

Sooyeon raised an eyebrow.

“Knowing more about that would be… problematic for you.”

Doyul closed his mouth. He was burning with curiosity, but the warning was clear. Something serious had happened, and they didn’t want him to know.  ‘It’s best not to pry. There’s nothing I can do anyway.’

Turning to Woohyun, who was sitting beside him, Doyul said gently,

“Hyung, get well soon. I’m glad I got to see you today.”

“Are you leaving already? ”

“Yes.”

Woohyun pouted.

“It’s so boring here… I haven’t seen anyone in so long…”

Doyul’s resolve wavered. They were clearly isolating Woohyun to keep his condition a secret. Even adults found confinement difficult. It must be even harder for Woohyun, whose mind was that of a child. Glancing at Sooyeon, Doyul asked,

“Could I… stay a little longer? ”

“Yes! Please! ” Woohyun exclaimed, his face lighting up. Doyul’s heart fluttered at Woohyun’s enthusiasm. In all the years he’d known him, Woohyun had never been so happy to see him. Usually, even after weeks apart, Woohyun would just greet him with a casual, “Oh, hey. You’re here.” Childlike Woohyun seemed to have no such reservations. He was open and expressive. Every time he smiled and spoke, Doyul felt a thrill in his chest.

“Hmm… what should we do?”

‘What do seven-year-olds do?’  Doyul had little experience with children and had no idea how to entertain one. He looked around the room, but there wasn’t anything that looked remotely fun. If they had some paper, he could fold paper airplanes. He felt anxious, anticipating Woohyun’s boredom.

“Hyung, how long have you known me? ” Woohyun asked, his eyes shining with curiosity. The question felt new and refreshing. Even though they’d met when Woohyun was in middle school, he’d always been mature, never asking childlike questions like this. Doyul was delighted to have something to talk about.

“First of all, I’m not your Hyung, Woohyun Hyung. I’m two years younger than you. Just call me Doyul.”

“Okay!”

“We met when I was in fifth grade. You were in seventh grade then.”

“How did a fifth grader and a seventh grader meet? ”

Doyul was impressed. Did most seven-year-olds even know the difference between elementary and middle school grades? He remembered Woohyun often boasting about being smart. He’d scoffed at the time, but maybe Woohyun really had been bright since childhood.

‘How did they meet?’  Doyul searched for his memory.

“You saved me.”

“I did? ”

Doyul nodded. It had been fourteen years ago.

Rumors had spread at school that his parents were gone, making him a target for bullies. The day he met Woohyun was no different. He’d been loitering near the arcade after school, avoiding going home, when he ran into two boys from his class. They often bullied him at school, so Doyul instinctively turned and ran. But they caught him and dragged him into a deserted alley.

They shoved him against a wall, demanding to know why he’d run, and were about to start hitting him when Woohyun appeared.

“Those mean… boys were bothering me, and you chased them away.”

“Really?”

“Yeah! You showed up like a superhero and taught them a lesson! ”

“You’re not lying? ”

“Why would I lie about something like this? ” Doyul smiled. He still didn’t know why Woohyun had been there, but he’d appeared out of nowhere and saved him. He chased away the bullies with sharp words and then asked if Doyul was okay, extending a hand to help him up.

Woohyun looked downcast as he replied,

“Mom sighs every time she sees me… It makes me feel like I’m a bad adult.”

“That’s not true at all! You’re an amazing person! ” Doyul said, surprised. Woohyun’s mother’s sighs must have been born out of concern for her injured son. But with his regressed mental state, Woohyun wouldn’t understand that. Doyul spoke with conviction.

“You’re a really great person.”

“Thank you,” Woohyun mumbled, his eyes welling up. Then he leaned into Doyul’s arms, as if seeking comfort. It was the first time Woohyun had ever hugged him like this, and Doyul froze in surprise. Then, gently, he wrapped his arms around Woohyun and patted his back.

His heart hammered in his chest. He worried his face was flushed. Doyul desperately wanted to hold him tighter. If anyone else had hugged him like this, he would have recoiled, but with Woohyun, it was different. Even though Woohyun was a large man, over 190cm tall, in this childlike state, he seemed incredibly cute and vulnerable.

‘I wish time would stop right now,’ Doyul thought, forcing his lips down when he noticed Sooyeon watching them.

“Secretary Lee, I specifically instructed you not to allow any visitors.” A voice, tight with suppressed anger, came from the doorway. Woohyun’s mother, Lee Hyobin, stood there, her expression cold. Woohyun pulled away from Doyul’s embrace. Doyul felt a pain of regret at the loss of warmth, but he couldn’t show it. He stood up and bowed.

“Hello.”

“Yes, it’s been a while,” Hyobin replied frostily. Doyul had met her before. Hyobin ran a program that provided financial support for children from single-parent families, from elementary school through high school. She selected a few children from public schools in Seoul based on teacher recommendations. She even occasionally invited the children over for meals. Thanks to his teacher’s recommendation, Doyul had been fortunate enough to be one of the recipients.