Chapter 39         Sacrifice and Salvation…
                            Making It Happen for the sake of Happiness…                               

Point in time:     Last Quarter of the Year…

                            Last Few Days of December …

Location:            KPK Headquarters….

One Deliberation Day with
Onew and Taemin

Weeks after their visit at Minho’s house, Taemin is back at his and Kibums’ place, and they are still together according to the agreement Minho and he had previously discussed. As scheduled, Kibum is currently staying with Minho and the kids for four days straight and the remaining of the days with him – today is the first day of the visit and he really fells lonely and sad about his being alone and but he needs to adapt with the situation for a much better and harmonious relationship.

Sitting quietly while sipping coffee, Taemin thinks of what he remembered he would wish to happen today that was, from last night before they went to sleep, he readied or planned what he liked to do today after Kibum lschedule of going to his brother – Minho and his family, and that, he promised to himself that he will try to make himself busy and preoccupied. Thinking it now, being honest and intouch with the current situation, he can sense himself having a hard time starting the day according to what he had planned and seriously having difficulty coping with it.

He knows he is left with no other choice but to be both willing and cooperating. And deep inside his very core of life like a sharp blow of spear – it hurts really bad, as such he considers it a painful ongoing circumstance for now and the coming days.

Hours pass by, right now at his working area; he is thankful that constantly his job requires him to be surrounded by energetic wonderful and cheerful people, at the hotel’s concierge desk, in one of the top restaurant’s kitchen area, at the stage in one of his theatrical jobs who all work for and/or with him. Everyone has been of great help to lessen his anxieties and worries. They are not substitutes for a real happiness but at least he is feeling a sense of easing and relief.

Suddenly, Taemin eyes catch a girl on the phone talking with her love one and this time it hit him remembering that when it was just him and Kibum; by this time, Kibum would sometime drove him to his work regardless how far it was from his location. Any given time of the day, Kibum would called him jus to ask him if he was doing fine and enjoying his job – it would make him so happy and inspired the whole day. Kibum for him is like his daily drug – vitamin per se.

As he in his moment of trying to fight the seeping in of loneliness in his nerves, he jolts when suddenly, his mobile rings. And thus, hurriedly he gets his mobile but the level of his excitement lowers a bit however not on extreme downscale upon seeing Onew’s name on his caller ID – he still, smiles and feels excited that Onew manages despite of his super busy schedule, calling him…

“Hello Onew hyung…
I am coping with the situation but I am fine…
Thank you for calling though…
Where am I…?

Currently at work… in one of our hotels…
Yeah… making myself busy and preoccupied…
So far so good…
(breathes deeply) for the first day wihtout Key by my side…

Hhhmm… it is tough but I have too…
Sure why not…
Bye…see you…”

Currently; Taemin is at the front desk area which makes him surprised even because as for today’s normal schedule or route, he should have been at the monitor control room – checking the hotel’s activity. However, tonight is rather different, he is presently examining the scene in the lobby, and at times greeting guests discreetly. By heart, he knows exactly what he is going to do even now that he is one of the directors of KPK Enterprises, he would still check the reservation ledgers, would know how many guests a particular hotel assigned to him have.

Like today, he checks and chats with important clients he comes acrossed. He tries to make use of his time to prevent his mind from being invaded by lonely thoughts that somehow have the persistence of creeping if allowed at any given time. No matter what, Taemin wants to overcome the negative feelings.

At his sight, he sees one of his staffs and says…

“Please make sure that our clients are satisfied and happy,
we need to keep our hotels standard as high as possible… alright…?”

“Yes Sir…”
Replies the hotel manager…

“Thank you very much;
you are doing well Mr. Cruz…”
Taemin says politely …

After that he walks back through the lobby, thought of the whole busy day it was, and hopes tomorrow will be a fine day for him just like today.

Driving back to his place, Taemin bites his lower lip not knowing how he can possibly pass the night without being ruffled by Key’s absence. Fully focused on the road, he wishes when he gets back home, he would have other things to do to keep his mind busy and elsewhere. He had previously preferred to stay in the hotel, on the second thought, staffs would suspect that there might be something wrong in him as he normally would not stay long.

Tapping the steering wheel while waiting for the red light to turn green, Taemin takes out his phone and plays the keypads especially focusing on keypad number one – Key’s speed dial number assigned by him; constantly patting it a mental and emotional challenge whether to call Kibum or not.  After several minutes of thinking it while driving; he puts down the phone resigning to the idea of respecting Kibum’s time with Minho especially with his own children – thus, Taemin heaves a sigh but blows air on the wind and quits to just enjoying the peaceful evening.

Soon as he sees the building that is, Key and his home, Taemin begins to feel heavy and anxious and instantly stops the car at a certain area whether to go home or spend the night away in a certain night spots. And from what he feels right now, he is thinking that his actions are quite enough to justify for the withering of such enormous hurting he is underwith at this time. However, in just few minutes, without thinking he presses the accelerator pedal in moderate way and head what the inner core of his heart and mind ask him to do.

 As Taemin steps our of the car, a valet staff takes his car keys to park his car, smiles at the latter and expresses his thanks then suddenly; Taemin hears an angelic beautiful music played on a piano – a melody that somehow is helping him calm his anxiety down. Unconsciously, his mind and body are bringing him closer to the music and stops at a bench under a light post; he calmly sits and lays his tired body and mind due to accumulated angsts and anxieties for the past few days.

Assured of his calm state of mind, he now starts walking with a smile on his face, as he proceeds, he is greeted by one of the people he knows greets them back and continue to move unto he’s supposed destination.

Arriving at his place with his head bend down eyes focused downward while toying with number of keys on his hand, he suddenly jerks up and stops in his track when he sees a pair of feet standing a meter away from him. As naturally as an initial reaction, he raises his head up and gets a shock of lifetime that he automatically jumps in surprise then utters…

“Onew hyung…!!
What in a world brought you here…?”

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