Lucian's hands were shaking violently as the doctor delivered the final words of Kai's diagnosis. "No, no, this is not going to happen!" he whispered, denial flooding his face.
"Hey, hey, Lucian, calm down," Rowan urged, gripping his shoulder.
"No! No, Kai is in danger because of me!" Lucian cried, pulling away. "First, he got sick because of his mother's death, and now his health is worse because I hurt his feelings! He didn't want me to leave him, and I did! That's why he's trying to hurt himself! No, no!"
He spun back to Dr. Sebastian. "Doctor, please! I'm going to call my dad right now! He'll come to the country! He'll help you! He'll give you how much money you need, but please, help Kai! Otherwise, it will be my lifelong regret if something happens to him!"
Dr. Sebastian sighed, calm but firm. "Lucian, calm down. Your father coming here or giving me money doesn't change anything. But don't worry, I said it will happen if it continues—it hasn't happened already. As long as he's treated well, he'll be okay. But you must take care of him very carefully. Don't hurt him."
"Yes! Yes, sir! Thank you so much!" Lucian nodded desperately.
They left the cabin. Rowan stopped Lucian in the corridor, his face serious.
"Lucian, I need to talk to you," Rowan said.
"I know what you're going to ask. But this is his situation and my situation," Lucian stated flatly.
"But what's the need for you to sacrifice yourself just because you're his friend?" Rowan pleaded. "My father knows so many doctors. Let him go abroad and cure him!"
"If it could be cured by that, I would have tried it already," Lucian refuted, his voice breaking. "But it doesn't help because he doesn't have a physical illness or damage; he has a mental illness. It needs someone to care for him. Please don't interfere in this."
"Then what about you? Will you dedicate your entire life just to caring for him?" Rowan's voice was filled with controlled pain. "Okay, if someday he's cured, he'll definitely tell you to stop following him. Will you handle that? Will your heart take that? I don't want to know what happened between you and Kai in the past. My only concern is that you need to care for yourself!"
Lucian looked him straight in the eye, his expression resolute. "If he wants my life just to cure him, then I'll definitely give my life to him."
Rowan's eyes widened, filling instantly with tears. "Lucian, don't tell me you love—"
"I guess you need to go home now. Thanks for your help," Lucian cut him off, not giving him a second to finish. He turned and strode quickly away, leaving Rowan stunned and heartbroken.
Lucian rushed into a hospital restroom. He turned on the faucet, letting the running water drown out the sounds of his distress. He leaned over the sink, sobbing uncontrollably.
I'm a bad person! I'm a very bad person! Sorry, Rowan, extremely sorry!
He cried, remembering every beautiful, liberated moment he had shared with Rowan—the kiss, the motorcycle ride, the sweet teasing. He knew he was destroying the one good thing that had come into his life, but he had already made his choice.
Rowan stood outside in the corridor, his heart broken into sharp, irreparable pieces.
After washing his face, Lucian dried his tears and walked straight to Kai's ward. Kai was awake, his eyes dull but conscious.
Lucian took Kai's hand. "Sorry, Kai. I'm your terrible friend," he whispered.
"Not you. It's me who's the terrible person. Please, go. Whoever you want, choose them, live happily. It's okay. Whatever happened, this is my life," Kai said sadly.
"No, no! I'm not going anywhere! I'll stay. You're my only happiness. See here? I'm promising you today: I'll never leave you at any time." Lucian squeezed Kai's hand, cementing his devastating promise with his tears.
Standing just outside the door, Rowan heard every word. His resolve snapped, and fresh tears streamed down his face.
His phone rang. It was his father, Steven. Rowan picked up and stumbled down the hall, away from the ward.
"Hey, son! Are you enjoying the bike ride? Tell me, will he agree to give you another beautiful night?" Steven asked, oblivious.
Rowan broke down completely, his sobs tearing from his chest. "Oh, baby! What happened? Don't cry! Where are you? I'll be there in a second! What happened?" Steven panicked.
"Dad!" Rowan cried into the phone. "I guess Lucian is never going to love me! He loves Kai!"