The next day brought a whirlwind of excitement. Poseidon had woken up! Just that single piece of news sent a surge of energy through Helios. It was as if everything had fallen perfectly into place.
School? Done. Homework? Completed. Time with friends? Checked off the list. Reaching the hospital? Clear. And now, only one task remained—the most daunting of them all. Making a friend.
As he approached Poseidon's hospital room, a nervous anticipation crept up on him. Where should he even begin? He had no idea. Peering through the small window into the patient's room, his heart pounded like a drum. Then, the moment his eyes landed on the figure inside, panic seized him. He dropped down immediately, pressing his back against the cool wall as he struggled to steady his breath.
Sahil, having just finished attending to another patient, stepped into the corridor and immediately spotted Helios. He narrowed his eyes curiously, amusement flickering in his expression as he approached with an easy smile. "Well, well, who do we have here?" he asked warmly.
Helios jolted upright in alarm, his head snapping around as if checking for potential onlookers. Before Sahil could react, Helios grabbed his arm and yanked him down, forcing him into a crouch beside him.
Sahil blinked, momentarily thrown off.
"Too loud, Papa," Helios whispered urgently, his eyes darting toward the hospital room.
"Okay...?" Sahil responded, lowering his voice, though his confusion only deepened. But then, he noticed the bouquet of chrysanthemums in Helios's hands, took in his nervous fidgeting, and suddenly, everything clicked. A knowing smile tugged at his lips. "Ah, I see..." he thought, before asking, "Would my little boy like to tell me what's got him so anxious that he's whispering like a fugitive outside a hospital room?" he teased.
Helios exhaled heavily, shaking his head. "I'm just… nervous."
Sahil arched a brow, "Nervous? That's a rare sight from my little superhero. Care to share why?"
Helios hesitated, glancing over his shoulder at the window before subtly gesturing toward the room.
Inside, Poseidon sat on the hospital bed, his gaze fixed outside, the breeze tousling his icy white curls.
Sahil followed his son's gaze before chuckling softly. "Ah… does my little Helios want to make a new friend?"
A faint blush crept up Helios's cheeks. Embarrassed, he ducked his head but still gave a small nod.
"Hmm... so, what's the plan, then?" Sahil mused, rubbing his chin in exaggerated thought. Before they could come up with a strategy, a voice rang out from the hallway.
"Heli—Ah...?" Sehan had just arrived, only to freeze in confusion at the bizarre sight before him—Helios and Sahil crouched outside a patient's room like a pair of conspirators. His gaze flickered between them before he hesitantly pointed., "Sir...?" he asked warily, "What exactly are you both doing here… crouching?"
Helios stiffened. Of all the people to show up right now, it just had to be Sehan. Not now, not now!
Acting fast, Helios grabbed him and yanked him down into a crouch beside them. "Hush...!" he hissed, immediately checking the window to see if Poseidon had noticed the commotion.
Fortunately, there was no reaction.
Sehan gave him a deeply baffled look.
Helios let out a long, exasperated sigh, "Why are you making this harder than it needs to be?"
"Oops, my bad," Sehan replied sheepishly, still clearly puzzled. Then, as his eyes fell on the bouquet still clutched in Helios's hands, realization struck. His eyes widened in disbelief, "Young master... you still haven't given them to him?!"
Helios froze, shooting Sehan a sharp glare, one that carried the deceptive sweetness of a ticking time bomb.
Sehan paled, instantly raising his hands in surrender. "Alright, alright, I'm sorry. Just... don't look at me like that. I can already hear you saying, 'That's exactly what I was trying to do before you just ruined it.'"
Sahil chuckled, clearly thoroughly entertained by the entire situation.
Helios exhaled, staring at the flowers and the tennis ball in his other hand. "Alright, Helios. You can do this. You just have to be brave," he murmured to himself. Taking a deep breath, he stood up and stepped inside the room.
Sehan turned to Sahil, watching the boy's retreating figure, "You're not going to say anything?"
Sahil shook his head with a small smile, "Sometimes, the only person who can give you courage is yourself. Helios needs to find his strength now because tomorrow, he'll need that courage to stand by his side, not just for friendships, but for everything ahead."
Sehan blinked at the thoughtful words before turning back to the window, watching Helios.
Helios tiptoed silently into the room, then quickly ducked down, slipping beneath the patient's bed and settling there.
Meanwhile, Poseidon sat by the window, absentmindedly gazing at the garden outside. His curly white hair rustled lightly in the breeze, his pale complexion almost translucent in the soft light. His body looked frail, his hands thin and weak, and his deep blue eyes held a distant, searching expression. Yet, whatever he sought remained just out of reach. He let out a quiet sigh, lost in his own world.
Suddenly, a faint movement beneath the bed made him flinch. Confused, he turned, his gaze narrowing, only to see a tennis ball rolling toward him. It came to a halt against his leg.
For a moment, Poseidon remained still, but then, a flicker of light crossed his face, as if something had sparked within him. His dull eyes, once empty, now held an unmistakable glimmer. Gently, he reached down and picked up the ball. As he leaned forward to peer under the bed, a hesitant yet urgent voice stopped him, "W-wait... Please. Just a moment. I'll come out on my own."
Poseidon blinked in surprise but nodded. "O-okay," he murmured, his feather-light voice barely above a whisper.
A pause, then from beneath the bed, a hand appeared, holding out a small bouquet of chrysanthemums. Poseidon took them carefully, his fingers tracing the petals with quiet reverence. "T-thank you…" he said, astonished yet curious.
"There's no need," Helios replied from under the bed, "I picked up your ball when you dropped it yesterday. And the flowers… they mean I hope you get well soon."
Poseidon remained silent, absorbing the words. "My name is Helios Zadeh," Helios continued, "I've heard a lot about you from my mother."
"Helios… Zadeh?" Poseidon asked, recognition dawning on his face. Helios nodded.
"Our moms are best friends, but I didn't know about you until recently. I'm sorry for that. And… I'm sorry I didn't come to meet you sooner. I had a lot of homework… and, well, I lacked a little courage too." He hugged his knees, smiling awkwardly.
Poseidon's lips curled into a small, understanding smile, "Hello Helios, nice to meet you too. I'm Poseidon Ageil. I've heard about you from my mom, not just recently, but for a long, long time. I can't believe we're finally talking. I've wanted to meet you for ages."
Helios' eyes widened, "For a long, long time…?" he repeated the words in disbelief.
Without thinking, his legs moved before his mind could catch up, and in the next moment, he had stepped out from under the bed. Poseidon, having placed the flowers aside, turned, and there Helios stood, staring at him in astonishment.
"R-really?" Helios asked, his voice breathless with emotion.
Poseidon blinked, momentarily startled. But then, as he took in the familiar features his mother had described to him so many times, his surprise melted into joy. His face brightened with a beaming smile. "Yeah!" he said, his voice carrying warmth.
Helios' expression softened, his gaze turning gentle. "Ah..." Helios smiled wondering in disbelief, "What was I even afraid of before?" "Then, since I made you wait so long… Would you like to be my friend?" he asked looking at him hopefully.
Poseidon's cheeks flushed slightly, his joy spilling into a soft chuckle, "Yeah! I would very much love to."
As their hands met in a firm handshake, the wind stirred, and the golden sunlight seemed to shine just a little brighter. A new horizon had opened before them.
From outside, Sehan clenched his fist triumphantly. "Yes! Finally," he turned excitedly, raising his palm for a high five, only to freeze when he saw Sahil's unreadable expression.
"…Aha… Sorry," Sehan mumbled, quickly looking away in embarrassment. But to his surprise, Sahil chuckled and then, without a word, gave him a firm high five in return. Then, turning toward the appointment room, he said, "Take care of those two."
Sehan grinned, watching the two boys inside. "Yes, sir!" he replied with a determined nod.
And, so, it began closing of one chapter and the beginning of another.