Sorry for the wait guys! Its quad finals at school so I've been bogged down with loads of assignments before spring break. I had a massive exam today and if any of you have taken organic chemistry, you understand why all my time has gone to that class.

Anyhow, here we go. (Oh and spring break is next week I'm hoping to really get things moving along with all my free time!)

Through Muddy Water

Chapter 3: Trust my Judgment

It was taking all of his willpower not to walk out of the restaurant.

JiHoo tried to relax and enjoy the company of his friends, but he was finding it increasingly difficult to maintain composure as the night dragged on. Simply put, it was not the same as it had been four years earlier. Conversation seemed strained at times, the topics desperate. It was as if they had run out of things to say and were eating as a group of strangers rather than friends.

The real problem however, was not the awkwardness within the group; his issue was more personal than that. The discomfort had begun almost the second JunPyo had showed up. It was bad enough that the guy had been missing for the past three days, no doubt off somewhere wooing JanDi, but now JiHoo was being forced to listen to what seemed like endless wedding talk.

He looked across the table at WooBin who seemed to be laying low as well, also uncomfortable with all the talk about love and future spouses. To WooBin's right was YiJung, nodding his head every few sentences as JunPyo droned on and on. He had been suspiciously quiet all night and JiHoo thought he looked like he would fall asleep at the table. Frowning, he resigned to pretending he was still paying attention to JunPyo's latest story. Luckily, he didn't need to pretend for long as the food arrived and there was a pause in the conversation.

JunPyo lifted his glass "A toast, to the return of the F4!"

"And to Guem JanDi and Goo JunPyo!" WooBin offered up in good manners. JiHoo's ears burned at the statement, but he raised his glass with his friends regardless. Glasses clinked and the stifling silence continued as they all fell upon their meals, no one with anything significant to say. Too frustrated to eat, Jihoo's eyes wandered the table and he noticed something peculiar. YiJung had been rolling his sleeves up to eat when the flash of dark had appeared, stark against his skin.

"What's that?"

"Nothing." YiJung hastily moved to roll the fabric back down self-consciously. Unfortunately for him, Woobin was quicker, catching him in the act and snatching hold of his wrist. From across the table JiHoo could see his grip line his fingers up perfectly with the dark ovals. Woobin stared at the marks with a strange look on his face before letting go abruptly, taken aback.

"Did I do that to you?"

"What? You hurt YiJung, hah." JunPyo remarked, mouth full with rice.

WooBin ignored him, still looking shocked. "The other day- when you were sick. I grabbed onto your wrist to help you."

"It's nothing," YiJung mumbled, picking up his fork and poking around his plate. "It's just a bruise. I'm fine."

"YiJung was sick? How come you guys never tell me anything, huh?" JunPyo interjected, looking up and finally joining the conversation. JiHoo wanted to hit him for being so thick, but instead focused on the marks on the potter's arm.

"WooBin, how tightly did you hold his wrist."

"Aish, really guys. It's not that big of a deal, it was an accident." YiJung was still playing with the contents of his plate, trying to divert their attention back to the food and away from himself, clearly uncomfortable.

"How is that even possible? I didn't hold on that tightly." WooBin's tone was changing and he kept looking at JiHoo, concern flickering in his eyes.

"YiJung-ah…-"

"Ya!" JunPyo interrupted once more, laying down his utensils. "Are we going to eat or talk about YiJung and a stupid bruise."

JiHoo could see the embarrasment on YiJung's face, so he let the topic go for the moment, peering down at his own plate. As much as he was annoyed with JunPyo, YiJung was clearly not a fan of the conversation moving along any further.

"Aish…" JunPyo muttered, taking another mouthful. The four of them returned to eating silently, each taking an occasional glance at another in between bites. JiHoo could see WooBin consistently looking in YiJung's direction, still disconcerted.

YiJung noticed, laying down his utensils with an exasperated look. "I'll be back," he muttered hastily, "bathroom."

WooBin jumped up almost immediately, ready to follow the potter. At the same time JiHoo also rose and reached out a hand stopping him.

"Anyo, I got this one."

WooBin looked at him, surprised. They stared at each other for a moment before WooBin unexpectedly nodded, conceding to sitting back down. JiHoo flashed him a reassuring look before striding away from the table. He could still hear JunPyo complaining as he left the table but his thoughts were now elsewhere. His medical mind was overriding his everyday thought process as he followed YiJung. He'd heard the countless warnings against looking for disease in people whilst studying medicine, but his gut was telling him something was actually wrong here. Even though his insides were conflicted, he entered the men's room calmly; there was no need to further fluster his friend.

"YiJung."

"Are you my babysitter now?"

"Anyo." He leaned casually against the sink, facing the door and waiting for his friend to be done.

"How long has it been?"

From behind him came the muffled reply. "I don't know, I noticed it this morning. It's just a bruise."

"But how long since you first began feeling ill? Since before you returned?"

There was a long pause and then a quiet reply. "A week before…"

JiHo looked down as his suspicions were confirmed, thinking before speaking. "Do you trust me?"

"You're going to ask that?"

He smiled, crossing his arms in front of him. "I meant my medical judgment. I have the day shift at the hospital tomorrow. You should come and let someone check you out. You say you trust me, right?" The sound of the faucet turning on was the only reply to his words as YiJung had apparently stopped talking. "I'm not going to tell anyone about this; it's not my decision to. But YiJung-" he turned to make eye contact, "please… trust my judgment on this."

Without another word and without looking back he left the room, door swinging behind him and Yijung standing by the sink alone with his options.

The cold had settled earlier than he anticipated and he was worried that she wouldn't be warm enough and the whole night would be a disaster. As it was, he was already starting to wish he'd worn more layers himself. Shivering, JunPyo dug his hands deeper into his pockets, patiently standing outside JanDi's door. When she finally appeared, her excitement was much more apparent than his as she shyly joined him on the sidewalk.

"Yah JanDi. Don't you have anything warmer to wear?"

"Warmer?" She did that thing where she cocked her head to the side in thought, repeating his words. It made him chuckle a little, he'd missed all those little quirks of hers.

"Yes, warmer. It's cold out here." As he spoke, he shivered a little. If he was already cold, then she definitely was going to be.

"Anyo, I'll be fine." She shook her head, moving closer to him.

"Ya! Your fiancé's trying to look out for you. Can't you listen for once, aish." She looked at him with that stubborn look that usually preceded more back-talk but before she could open her mouth he spoke first. "JanDi-ah." She looked at him, eyes wide. "Please."

"W-W-Weh?" He laughed softly, taking her by the shoulders and turning her around. With a gentle push, he nudged her back towards the door. She obeyed quietly, disappearing through the door once more. He sighed, shifting his weight from foot to foot. He really wanted things to go well tonight. After lunch, he had felt strangely lonely. The F4 had grown distant from him, strange and secretive. JiHoo had been brooding and moody all afternoon and then there was that thing with YiJung…

The door flew open again and JanDi reappeared, her cute face framed by one of those hats with the giant pompom on top. He inspected her from head to toe to make sure that she looked warm enough before he nodded approvingly, taking her hand. "Ga Ja!"

Happily, they set off down the street, JanDi taking twice as many steps to keep up with his longer strides. "How was lunch?"

He almost pulled away but he reminded himself that it wasn't her fault. She was trying to bring up a friendly subject and unintentionally intruded upon an unfriendly memory. "Let's not talk about the F4 right now." He checked his watch nervously. "Aish! We have to get going!"

"Where?" Her feet went a mile a minute as she practically jogged beside him.

"Just keep up." He half-dragged her around the corner and down to the playground where he had once begged her to tell him she liked him. He could hear her sharp intake of breath as the scene came into view.

"Whoa, it's so pretty!" Her eyes shined with the reflection from the lights that shone across the playground equipment.

"You're still easily amused huh." He laughed watching her face.

"Goo JunPyo!" She sounded angry, but her smile was soft and pleasant. He took her hand once more, leading her towards the merry-go-round in the center of the yard. Lights were wrapped around the bars, illuminating the metal circle. Layers of blankets and cozy pillows covered the cold metal and he sat on the edge, motioning for her to join him. She did, settling in front of him, still gazing at all the lights.

"Come here." She looked so warm in her coat and he was practically numb from the cold so he pulled her close. She tried to wriggle away from his hold almost immediately.

"Are you not going to sit still?"

"Anyo, you've got me so tight, I can't move."

"Shh, look." He pointed up at the night sky. She held still for a moment, intrigued.

"I don't see any-"

"Give it a second," he murmured while breathing in her scent. Almost as soon as he spoke the lights turned off. He felt her startle with the change and he pulled her closer to him. "Look now," he whispered in her ear. Together they tilted their eyes up to the black sky, waiting with breaths held for something to happen.

A brilliant star flashed across the sky, leaving a bright tail behind that slowly faded into the night. He couldn't see her face, but he imagined it clearly in his mind. Within a few more seconds more balls of light jetted across the open air, each leaving their own beautiful tails to linger gently until gone.

"Here." He carefully poured and passed her a warm cup filled with coffee. She took in in gloved hands, still watching the spectacle up above. "I didn't pay for this one. Well, the lights and blankets and such but not the stars."

"Meteors."

"What?"

"It's a meteor shower." She leaned back against him contentedly as he stiffened at her words.

"Wha-"

"They're beautiful." Her gentle words stopped his rising belligerence. "Thank you."

He relaxed, feeling her warm body fit perfectly against his. He was no longer cold; everything inside him felt warm and the crappy beginning to his day no longer mattered. It was just him and her and he relished in the moment. Sighing, he buried his nose into her shoulder.

"I'm glad you waited for me… my moon, Guem JanDi."

He awoke tasting copper.

Rolling over, Yijung coughed into his sleeve, surprised at the bright red splatter that appeared on the fabric. Looking down, he discovered that the edges of his blanket stained as well and he felt a familiar slick substance on his upper lip. His nose was bleeding again.

"Aish!"

Stumbling out of bed, he snagged a handful of tissues and pinched his nose tightly. In front of his closet, he stared at his reflection in the full-length mirror, disturbed by the half-dried red line smeared across his cheek and the soiled tissue that was slowly becoming saturated with blood with each second passed.

He grabbed another tissue. The flow wasn't slowing and as he looked back at his bed his heart skipped a beat at the crimson stains left where he had been laying. It was on his face, all over his pillow, in his sheets, and he was frightened.

Breathing heavily through his mouth, he remembered what JiHoo had said just before leaving dinner. I have the day shift at the hospital tomorrow. You should come and let someone check you out. You say you trust me, right? Shaking, he picked up his phone and hit the first number on the speed dial. It rang only twice before there was a soft click and a sleepy voice on the other end.

"YiJung?"

"WooBin." He paused for a moment hesitantly before continuing, still pressing the Kleenex to his nose, praying for it to stop.

"YiJung… Are you alright?"

"Anyo, I need a favor from you. It's important- I need you to take me somewhere."

"Right now?"

YiJung wasn't sure how to reply, his mind too panicked to decide. The sight of the blood -stained tissue in his hand made up his mind and the silence seemed to make up WooBin's.

"I'm on my way."