"Sungmin ahjussi!!!"

From a far distance, Sungmin sees the small figure of a young child running towards him and Kyuhyun. They only just got back from the forest near Seowangmyeong after spending all night there, and now are walking toward the Headquarters.

"Hyunsung?"

Sungmin squints his eyes at the small figure and turns to look at Kyuhyun in surprise. Kyuhyun slightly nods and smiles at him.

"I brought him here when I rescued you from the prison. He's been staying here with the ladies ever since."

Sungmin nods and gives him another smile. He was aware that Kyuhyun had brought the boy along with them that night. He just did not think that he would still be here after all that time.

"Slow down, Hyunsung ah! You'll hurt yourself."

But Hyunsung dashes to where Sungmin is standing and hugs Sungmin's legs.

"I have really missed you, ahjussi!"

"I miss you too, Hyunsung ah."

Sungmin smiles at him and gently ruffles his hair.

"Come with me, ahjussi," Hyunsung pulls on Sungmin's hand and leads him in another direction, "we're all having a study session over here."

Hyunsung takes Sungmin to an outdoor table where five other kids are sitting with their books open.

"Where's Teacher Hong?"

Kyuhyun slowly follows them to the table and looks around for the teacher usually watching the children.

"She is sick today, Master." Hyunsung promptly responds.

"Can you teach us, ahjussi?"

Hyunsung then turns to Sungmin and pulls on his hand.

"Okay, show me where you're at, guys."

Sungmin smiles at him and ruffles his hair.

And for the next week, he would stay on Bukhansan and teach all the kids how to read. Kyuhyun has never seen Sungmin so at peace for a long time.

Today, Sungmin sits quietly watching the kids practise martial arts.

"Doryeonnim," a young girl suddenly pulls on his hand, "I heard you were a master of martial arts! Can you show me this move? I have been practising but have not been able to do it."

Sungmin reaches for his cane and stands up. Only then does the girl notice his limping legs. 

"Doryeonnim! I'm sorry! If you are...tired, then you don't have to."

Sungmin only gives a gentle smile.

"I'm fine. Just show me how you're doing the move, and I'll tell you what you're doing wrong."

The girl slightly blushes, but quickly gets into position and attempts to throw a kick into the air. However, she flops in mid-air and has to bring her leg down before she can finish the kick.

"Stop it right there," Sungmin gently says as he extends one hand to support the girl, "you have to use your core to be able to do that kick. Here, try this first."

Sungmin slightly taps on her knees, "Lower your legs to a squat position, it will help strengthen your core. When I was younger, someone showed me how to do that. Then, I squatted for four hours every day before I could do any moves."

"Thank you, doryeonnim! I will practise that!"

The girl gives him the biggest grin when they hear Hyunsung's nagging voice behind her.

"Ya, Jung Yumi, why did you make ahjussi stand up!"

Then, he pulls on Sungmin's hand to sit down and puts a big bowl of water in front of him.

"Ahjussi, drink this! It's hot today!"

"Okay, thank you, Hyunsung ah."

Sungmin smiles at him and caresses his small cheek.

"Look! Ahjussi!"

Out of the blue, Hyunsung turns his head and points to a pillar of rising smoke on the horizon.

"There's a fire somewhere!"

For a second, Sungmin is surprised at the boy's observantness. Normal kids at his age would not be able to notice such incidents.

Sungmin gives him a soft smile and ruffles his hair, "It's probably some households burning trash."

Hyunsung nods at him and runs to join the rest of his class.

When everything is ready, make a fire to the southeast of Bukhansan. Then, I'll know that you're ready and we'll begin our quest.

Sungmin had said those words to his subordinates when he delegated the tasks to them and left for Bukhansan.

Now, the smoke rising in the southeast of Bukhansan is as clear as the words uttered after a period of consideration and planning.

He turns to take one last look at the smoke, in his eyes, darkness starts to form.

It's time. 

It's time.

It's time.

~~~~~

In Kyuhyun's chamber, Sungmin sits quietly absorbed in his own thoughts for a long while before pulling out a small piece of paper from his sleeve and leaving it on the table.

The piece of paper is crunched up as if it had been through a firestorm. For a second, Kyuhyun feels such familiarity with the piece of paper, even though he cannot recall where he had seen this kind of paper before.

"Do you know what this is, Kyuhyun?" Sungmin looks into his eyes and smiles softly, "This is the wish that I hung onto the Wishing Tree that time." (See again Chapter 7, Wishing Tree)

"It took me almost a day to find it amongst thousands of other wishes on the Wishing Tree. But I wanted to retrieve it, nonetheless. Because there is nothing else that could better describe my love for you."

Kyuhyun slowly picks up the piece of paper and opens it. Kyuhyun could recognise this handwriting anywhere. Each word is written neatly as if the writer had poured all of his soul and heart into it. Some words had faded away over time, but Kyuhyun could still guess the meanings of every sentence.

"Jo Kyuhyun,

If being friends is the only way to be with you right now, I will do it. Even if for five years, ten years, twenty years, I will do it. I know there are things you have to do right now, and you can't just be a schoolboy flirting around. But don't make me wait too long, okay? I will wait for one day when we can walk in the market hand in hand, like Donghae and Hyukjae; when we can do the wedding ceremony together; when we can live under the same roof; when I can call your abeonim and eomeonim my own abeonim and eomeonim, and you mine. I will wait for that day. I can wait for that day, so you don't have to worry about me. Just focus on your mission right now. Because when that day comes, we will both be free of these worries and responsibilities, and we can truly be happy. I will wait for that day, okay, Kyuhyun?"

For a second, the whole world was so silent that Kyuhyun thought he could hear his heartbeat.

"We were such fools, weren't we?" Sungmin whispers as he turns and shifts his gaze to a faraway place out the window, "And I was a coward. I did not have the courage to tell you how much I liked you. I was terrified of getting rejected. And in the end, I broke my promise, too. I couldn't wait for you..."

Sungmin suddenly feels another pair of lips gently pressed onto his own. Kyuhyun slowly pulls him into an embrace and plants a kiss on his forehead, his eyelids, and finally, his lips. He opens his mouth to invite the other's tongue into his mouth and have a taste of the other's palate. Their tongues engage in a passionate dance like the most experienced gisaeng.

Then, amidst their most ardent kiss, Kyuhyun suddenly felt something wet drop onto his own cheek. Another, then another. On Sungmin's face, tears start to fall down uncontrollably. He wants to extend his hand and wipe away those tears, but in a second, everything starts to become blurry before his eyes. The whole room starts spinning, and his eyelids feel as heavy as if they are tied to a hundred stones.

"I'm so sorry, Kyuhyun ah."

He hears Sungmin whisper as he starts falling onto the floor, his entire body feeling like a lifeless rag of clothes. But, to his surprise, he only feels a warm hand behind his head that breaks his fall. Sungmin gently uses his hand to support Kyuhyun's head before grabbing a pillow from a far corner.

"What... did you do, Sungmin...?

"I'm so, so sorry, Kyuhyun ah. But I cannot lose you too. This is my fight. I cannot get you involved."

He says as he wipes the rest of the drug on his mouth onto the sleeve of his shirt. 

If Kyuhyun knew what he was planning, he would follow him to the end of the world, even if it would mean the end of him.

"I love you, Kyuhyun ah. I always have, and I always will. Until my last breath. I hope you know that..."

And those are the last words Kyuhyun can hear before he is plunged into a deep sleep where there is only darkness surrounding him.

"I promised that I would always be there for you. I'm sorry, I have to break this one promise as well. But this will be the last time, okay?"

Definitely. This will definitely be the last time.

He whispers to himself as he buries his head deeper into the other's chest and inhales the scent of chestnut wine he has longed for all this time. And, for the longest time, that is all he does. Until Kyuhyun's clothes are soaked in his own tears. Until his own clothes are drowned in the scent of chestnut wine. 

Only then, does he get up and give the other a final kiss on his forehead, his eyelids, and his dry but warm lips, and embarks on his own journey.

The main road out of the commune seems darker than normal. In the dark and silent night, the sound of Sungmin's cane echoes throughout the forest. As he passes through the orchard, suddenly, he hears a small object drop from the tree to the ground. 

Sungmin turns to pick up the object from the ground. A ripe apple has fallen neatly onto the root of the tree. He looks up at the big and strong tree full of both green and ripe apples. A memory suddenly floods his mind like a hailstorm in the summer. That year, when Kyuhyun first brought him back to Bukhansan, they once helped an old lady pick apples from a tree just like this (See again Chapter 20). The Sungmin of that year wanted to but could not climb the tree due to his injuries, but the Sungmin now can never climb anything ever again.

He slowly takes a bite out of the apple. "It's sour", he thinks to himself while remembering the sweetness of the apples that year. That sweetness and happiness, he will never have the chance to taste again.

Sungmin slowly crouches down to pick up another apple from the ground, then carefully puts both of them in his pocket as if they were the most valuable jewelry. 

"Minnie ah, where are you going?"

Hyukjae's voice suddenly pulls him out of his own thoughts.

"Hyukkie?"

"Are you going somewhere?" Hyukjae repeats.

"Just taking a walk, Hyukkie ah."

But Hyukjae only throws him a doubtful look.

"You're planning something, aren't you?"

"What can I possibly be planning?"

Hyukjae turns away from the other's smile and sighs.

"You have the same look as your father. When he handed everything over to me and headed for the capital. He had the same look as you do right now."

"What look are you talking about?"

"Like this will be your last night on earth."

"That's ridiculous, Hyukkie ah..."

But Hyukjae grabs the other's hand to keep him facing himself.

"Sungmin, six months ago, your father surrendered himself to Choi Oongshik to distract all attention to the capital. That's why Choi Oongshik was not at the prison when Kyuhyun and Donghae came to rescue you. Don't risk your life any further. Donghae also..."

"I know, Hyukkie..."

Sungmin slowly closes his eyes to avoid the tears about to fall down like a stream.

"I don't know if you heard, but three months ago Kyuhyun caught Kim Hongdae after a long time hunting him. He had been in hiding like a little rat. Kyuhyun hanged him on the very wall that your father and Donghae were hanged."

"I heard..."

Tears start to fall down his face no matter how hard he tries to conceal them.

The day Kim Hongdae appeared on the Palace wall, Sungmin had dragged his own bloody and useless legs to the capital to see the scene for himself, the pain in his heart was much more unbearable than the pain in his legs.

Hyukjae sighs and takes out a piece of paper from his sleeve.

"Before your father headed for the capital, he left me this letter for you. Sorry, I'm only giving you this now."

Sungmin takes the piece of paper from him and carefully opens it. On the paper, his father's words are written neatly.

"My dear Sungminnie,

I hope when you receive this letter, you will not be in so much pain because of my fate. In this life, I have loved and been loved. I have been respected and I have dedicated my life to something that I believe in. The only thing I have never done is watch you live your own life...

My dear son, ever since you were young, you have been a good little boy. You never asked for anything. You never even cried when you were sad or hurt. You were the best gift that any parent could ever ask for. But, my child, sometimes I wish that you weren't.

Sometimes, I wish you were only an ordinary young boy. I wish your smile would only contain happiness, and I wish you would scream out when you are in pain and cry to me when you are sad. Sometimes, I wish you could have just an ordinary, peaceful, and happy life. I know it would be really hard, and it would take a very, very long time to truly let go of your pain and your rage. But if there was one last thing I could ask you to do, this is it. Do not worry about me, I have your mother and my partners waiting for me on the other side. I won't be lonely.

My sweet Sungminnie, if there is another life, I hope I can be your father again. Then, I can watch you get married and have kids of your own and live your life in peace. For now, I can only hope the day I see you again remains far in the future.

From your dear father."

Sungmin carefully folds the letter up, his tears starting to soak the paper.

"Sungmin, whatever you're planning, can I help?"

Hyukjae keeps his eyes on him, his voice strong and determined.

But Sungmin only gives him the softest smile.

"If you want to help me, Hyukkie ah," he pulls out from his sleeve a few small black balls made from drugs and herbs, "give this to Kyuhyun in twelve hours. It will keep him in a deep sleep."

"If I don't come back," Sungmin's voice suddenly becomes so low that Hyukjae almost cannot hear him, "Take care of Kyuhyun for me. You only have each other now."

For a second, Hyukjae thought he had seen something twinkling in the other's eyes.

"And stay out of my way, Hyukjae," Sungmin says as he turns away from him and heads out of the gate of the commune, "you will only slow me down."

For the last time, he will have to disobey his father.

For the last time, he will betray his own promises and leave Kyuhyun.

For the last time, he will be the worry of his closest friend in this life.

Just this last time...

Tomorrow, he embarks on a journey that will bring the end of him.