~Key POV~

My eyes fluttered open and I sat up and stretched, yawning.

I turned to see my son sleeping on the bed beside me. I smiled and bent down to peck his head before walking to the kitchen for a spray bottle.

I filled it with cold water and smiled again at the peaceful boy before spraying him. He jolted away immediately and fell of the bed.

I laughed, but he just pouted at me. “Umma, what the heck I was dreaming!”

I sighed. “I know, sorry Taebaby but you have to get up for school.”

He scowled at me one more time before standing up and pushing his wet bangs out his eyes. “Ever heard of ‘Hey, wake up!’”

“You wouldn’t if I just did that, and you know it.”

“True” he giggled. “Can I just borrow some clothes? I don’t wanna walk all the way to my house.”

“What about your backpack”

“Left it at school.”

“Aish, be more responsible.” I sighed and walked over next to him. “Okay, but umma’s picking for you, got it?”

“Just…not anything too weird.”

I gasped, over reacting, and he laughed at my response. I rolled my eyes. “Sure, sure.”

After nearly an hour and going through six different outfits, Taemin threw his hands up in the air and pulled a black and white v-neck over his torso and pulled on loose jeans. “Umma! These are fine, now c’mon, let’s go. I don’t want to be late.”

I pouted. “But Minnie, those other outfits were so cu-“

“Key, this is your last week at our school, we really shouldn’t be late.”

My heart faltered at the word ‘last’. I can’t believe it’s really happening. I’m actually going to Seoul Academy.

~Flashback~

I coughed and sat up on my elbows.

I wasn’t sick enough to miss school, but my father insisted I stay in bed. I the music and flipped open a magazine, not aware that someone pulled into our long driveway.

All I heard was a car door shut and the front one open. Next thing I knew, someone was talking excitedly downstairs. I perked up and turned off the music to listen to the loud conversation.

All I was able to hear perfectly was, “When should we tell him?”

I beamed and my smile stretched from ear to ear. I knew that voice. I jumped up and ran down the stairs, going so fast I didn’t even notice I was jumping into my umma’s arms in a matter of seconds.

“Umma!”

She smiled down at me and patted my head. I grinned up at her and turned to see my father too. He had his arms stretched out and I immediately responded by giving him a big hug too. “Appa!”

He smiled too and my colorfully highlighted hair. “Kibum, we missed you so much.”

I grinned, so happy to have them with me right here and now. My mother was a professor at a university in South Korea, so she lives there. My parents never divorced though, and she visits whenever she can and or has to. My father is the president of a large company, so he’s rarely home.

I looked at my appa and umma, noticing that the latter was giving him a worried and nervous look. He just mirrored it and looked at me.

“Key, we have something to tell you.”

“What?” I felt a bit scared. Why did they all of a sudden sound so serious?

I sat on the couch and they sat on either side of me. My mother held my hand. “Key… the Academy got your video and letter.”

I gasped. I had sent that almost two months ago, I’ve nearly forgotten about it. A lump grew in my throat. “And…?”

My father gave me a weak smile. “Son, you made it in.”

I did what?

I blinked. And blinked again. It took me five seconds to completely process what he had said, and five more to let it sink in. I didn’t hear him wrong, did I?

“I… I did?”

They both nodded and I jumped up immediately, cheering. It’s always been a dream of mine to be a student at S.A. and I can’t believe it’s actually coming true. It’s so unreal.

After I calmed down and bounced back on the couch, I looked between the two. “So, why are you guys so upset?”

They bit their lip before my umma spoke. “Well, I received a letter, and so did your father. We conferenced with the head master and a few teachers yesterday, and they told us everything we had to know. Which, wasn’t all so well.”

“Wae?”

“Well, of course” my appa said. “You will still be getting the scholarship, but you also have to live in the dorms.”

“Is that what this is about? You know I can always visit.”

“That’s not it.”

“Huh?”

“In S.A., you can’t just ‘visit’. They are very strict, no one gets off campus grounds unless it’s an emergency.”

“… so, in other words, I can’t leave until I finish high school? I have to stay there? I can’t even go see you guys or my friends or anything?”

“I’m afraid not.”

I jumped up again. “B-but, Minnie needs me! I’m his best friend, and his parents died, I’m the only one that can be with him!”

“Shh” my mother pulled me back on the couch and hugged me tightly, resting my head in the crook of her neck like we always did when I was still so young and innocent.

“We know, Kibum, but didn’t you say that Taemin wants to attend the Academy as well?”

“Huh?” I sniffled. “Oh, yeah.”

“Well, why don’t you guys go together?”

What? But, it’s so expensive to apply. When I told them this, they said that you can get a scholarship if they think you’re talented enough. Your parents don’t have to be famous or rich, so long as you’re S.A. material, you can be a student.

I nodded and stood up, taking the letter my parents held out to me.

“Here’s all the information about Seoul Academy. You’ll be there by next week.” My dad told me. I gave them a half smile and ran upstairs into my room. My mind and heart were both racing, yet at the same time, seemed to falter until it finally came to a stop.

I threw myself on the bed and cried into the pillows until I was almost sure I had no more tears left. I’m just going to leave everyone like this? How am I going to tell Minnie?

~End Flashback~

I mostly spaced out the whole day and was relieved when school was over. The teachers knew already I was leaving since the academy called them a while ago.

After school, I walked with Taemin, planning on going home with him and spending my last week here right by his side until that car hauls me away to the academy. We’re both still really bummed about it, but I’m sure I’ll find a way to still contact my son.

“Minnie! Why don’t we go to the mall? Or the amusement park? Or China?”

He laughed at my last suggestion. “Umma, why don’t we just relax at my house and watch movies or something?”

I screwed my lips to the side but agreed. “Which one?”

“Comedies?”

We went out to rent a bunch of movies and it took days to finish them all. Mostly because we got so caught up in laughing that we missed a lot of parts so we had to rewind countless times. We’d rented maybe about 15 in total and before I knew it, we were done with all of them and I was already packing.

Taemin sat on my bed and watched me as I put the last of my clothes into one of my many suitcases. A teacher was coming to pick me up today in the afternoon. It was about 11:30.

I frowned and hung my head, slumping to the floor when I finished my packing. We sat there in silence, and I really missed the times when we were on the ground laughing in the last week.

He broke the silence first. “So, you’re really leaving…”

I nodded and bit my lip as I sat next to him. “Promise me you’ll be okay. And no matter what, never let anyone bully you or make fun of you. I’ll break out and kick their asses.”

He giggled and that lightened the mood a bit. I grabbed his shoulders and enveloped him into a big hug, his forehead resting on my shoulders while soft sobs escaped both our lips.

“Umma, I’ll miss you so much.”

“I know. I’m going to miss you too.”

I patted his back and drew circles on it. I knew for a fact that that always calmed down. His sobs were reduced into hiccups and finally died down into silence after a few minutes.

I can’t cry anymore” he sighed as he pulled back and looked at me. I gave him a half smile and sniffed, holding back all the tears that threatened to spill all over again. “I know, me too.”

“Promise me you’ll visit whenever and if you can.”

“Promise me you’ll at least try to get into the academy.”

We shook on it with our pinkies before falling back onto the bed, fully aware of the little time we had left. But at the moment, we were just too tired to care anymore.

“Tae, just promise me one thing.”

“Mm?”

“Just… never go back to living with your aunt.”

He nodded silently before the silence took over once again.

I felt a bit relieved. After all, his aunt was a cruel person, from what he’s told me.

What ended our silence was the sound of my name being called from downstairs. I turned to my best friend who was now also sitting up on the bed, giving me a sad look.

“Go with me downstairs?”

He nodded and we pried ourselves off the bed. I bif goodbye to my room and closed the door.

~Taemin POV~

We both hurried down the stairs with Key’s countless bags of luggage. His umma and appa helped us too, and ten minutes, everything was in the car.

Well, almost everything. My umma was still in front of me. He gave me a sad look and squeezed me tightly to the point where I could almost barely breathe. I chuckled and told him this, and he released me and pecked my forehead.

“I’ll call you when I have time. If they allow phones. And I’ll write! Well, I’ll find a way. Just, remember umma loves you. “

I nodded. “And don’t worry, I’ll try to get the scholarship. Somehow.”

“Aigoo, you better. Otherwise, I’ll be very disappointed with you.”

I giggled and attacked him with another hug. “I can’t believe you’re just abandoning me like this.”

“How can you even say such a thing?”

“Because it’s true.”

“No, it’s not. I’ll always be with you, just remember my words.”

“Of course.”

Be strong, be brave, and regret nothing.

“Well, Minnie” he sighed as he let go and kissed my forehead once more. “I’ll meet you at S.A.”

I half grinned. “I’ll try.”

I walked with him to the car followed by his parents who said goodbye as well. We gave each other one last hug. They just made me feel so safe and sure that he’d always be with me.

“Remember umma loves you~” he sang as he sat down on the seat. I smiled and nodded.

“Love you too Key.”

He smiled before the driver closed the door and all I saw was his slim figure behind the dark car window. I watched as it wiped his eye and wave as the car slowly pulled away, taking away my best friend with it.

--

Chapter 2~ ^^

Sorry for the late update, and if this chapter seems rushed because I was writing it really quickly to give you guys an update :o
Well, Jonghyun is in the next chapter and I think Minho will appear in the 4th! ^-^

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Until next time c:

Anngyeong (~.^)