Five Years Later

“Min!”

Sungmin turned to that familiar voice, the voice he loved more than the world itself. He refrained from crying; the tears that didn't slip from his eyes instead turned into the blood that dripped painfully in his heart.

“Kyuhyun,” he smiled, walking into Kyuhyun's embrace, “you look great.”

“You do too,” Kyuhyun answered, kissing Sungmin softly on the forehead.

“Today's your first day back?” Sungmin asked, guiding Kyuhyun into a beautifully built building.

“Yes,” Kyuhyun answered, watching all the little kids running around happily in the yard, “an orphanage... that's so something you would do.”

Sungmin laughed, “of course, I had to prove to Yesung hyung that I could help children lead a life different from that of my own.”

“He told me about that,” Kyuhyun grinned, remembering the nights Yesung spent speaking excitedly about the mails he received from Sungmin. Sungmin never sent him any letters. “Ah! Heechul hyung told me to tell you he will be coming tomorrow, he also told me to warn you he will be staying.”

Sungmin angrily took a seat on a bench in front of the building, “I already told him he can't! He'll be a bad influence to the kids,” Sungmin joked, hoping for a laugh from Kyuhyun.

As expected, Kyuhyun laughed heartily.

“It's weird how some things just don't change,” Sungmin said, looking straight into Kyuhyun's eyes.

“It's weird how some things happen so quickly without any notice,” Kyuhyun said, staring straight back into Sungmin's fox-like eyes.

Sungmin smiled, “indeed, it is.”

“That letter you wrote me... it shocked me.”

A child jumped into Sungmin's lap, “Sungmin appa! Is this your friend?”

A dozen more children followed suit and surrounded them, “he is, this is Kyuhyun ajushi.”

“I've done well without you the past five years,” Sungmin continued, hushing the children, “it was a little lonely at first, but eventually it got better.”

“You told me you would wait,” Kyuhyun replied, grasping onto Sungmin's arm.

Sungmin turned back to Kyuhyun with a smile, “I did.”

Kyuhyun let go of Sungmin, there was a rush of pain running throughout his entire body. The smile stung him like poison.

“I waited, all five years I've been waiting, Kyuhyun, but so has Ryeowook.”

Sungmin tried hard to hold back his tears, he was a strong man.

“Ryeowook...” Kyuhyun sighed, “It's because of Ryeowook?”

“It's not because of Ryeowook. I didn't expect you to turn back when you read my letter, not one day did I sit here expecting to see you suddenly appear before me,” Sungmin explained, taking hold of Kyuhyun's hands, “like you said five years ago, we've all changed.”

It was obvious how hard Sungmin was trying to hold his tears back, it was so obvious that Sungmin was lying to him, but Kyuhyun realized that this was what Sungmin wanted.

“Twelve years ago you made decisions on your own, twelve years later you make another decision on your own, you haven't changed all that much,” Kyuhyun said, tilting his head back, “if I had known, I would have just taken you with me from the beginning.”

Sungmin smiled, Kyuhyun finally understood.

“Ryeowook's been waiting for you.”

“I know,” Kyuhyun sighed.

“It was hard on him.”

“I know.”

“There's something you don't know,” Sungmin stated, placing a letter into Kyuhyun's hands.

“Another letter, huh? This boy sure does like to write letters, all five years I was away I would receive at least one letter a week from him,” Kyuhyun smiled.

“You almost sound like you're complaining,” Sungmin teased.

“To you, I am. Not one, not even one letter from you,” Kyuhyun said as he shoved Sungmin, “even if you dumped me, you could have tried to comfort me. Your letter was pretty harsh, it hurt.”

“It was only three words,” Sungmin countered.

“Let's break up,” Kyuhyun read to Sungmin, “that's probably the worst I've ever had, it was even worse than you just leaving twelve years ago.”

“It was direct,” Sungmin corrected, “hurry and read your letter.”

Kyuhyun opened the letter and read what it harbored.

Kyuhyun,

I handed this letter to Sungmin-sshi a week after you left. I'm grateful to him for being so generous, he's a good man. I don't know when you will receive this letter, has it been a year? Two years? However long it's been, I'm glad you've finally received it. I'll be writing you letters constantly during the time you're gone, but this letter has what I've always wanted to tell you. The violet necklace you bought me, I've found a meaning for it. Perhaps it reminded you of the empty look I used to give you, perhaps it reminded you of the bleeding heart both you and I possessed, but now... I decided to take it off. You never asked me to keep it on. You never asked me to keep it safe, but I have. I've buried it in two places, can you guess where? The first is deep inside my heart and mind, cheesy, isn't it? The second, I've hidden it in your room. Maybe you'll find it. There are three words I really want to tell you, but it's too important to just write on paper. I told you I would always be here when you return, but I lied. I'm not in Korea anymore, but I have always waited for you. Once you find the necklace, maybe you'll be able to find me.

Yours truly,

Kim Ryeowook

“I told you it was hard on him,” Sungmin teased, “he had to give you some trouble to even it out.”

“Why does he think that I'll go to him?” Kyuhyun asked, a grin on his face.

“He doesn't think, he knows.”

Kyuhyun stood up and gave Sungmin a last hug before he left, halfway across the field he turned around and shouted, “Min! I'll- We'll be back!”

Sungmin smiled and waved Kyuhyun away. Somehow, he felt as if a large rock had been swung off of his shoulders. Watching the children, he felt happier than ever. He kept his promise, the secret promise to be happy, and he's glad Kyuhyun is about to fulfill his side of this secret promise.

“Please, be happy,” Sungmin whispered to himself. Sungmin slowly made his way into the building, throwing away his past and advancing towards his future, the future he waited five years to finally approach.

–

“Wow, he's simpler than I thought,” Kyuhyun laughed as he took the necklace out of Eunhyuk's hands, “he actually didn't realize you watched him hide it?”

Eunhyuk nodded, turning to Donghae beside him, “this guy here wasn't going to let me tell you.”

Donghae walked away from the room embarrassed.

“Hyung, you and Donghae have been doing well?”

“Very, Donghae decided to stay for good when Ryeowook told us he was leaving,” Eunhyuk happily replied, swinging an arm around Kyuhyun's neck.

“That's good, you weren't alone.”

“Yup, but as for Ryeowook... do you know where he's at?”

Kyuhyun looked at the necklace, “he studied music, didn't he?”

Eunhyuk nodded.

“He told me the necklace might tell me where he is... violet... music...”

“GaSeo came back too,” Eunhyuk interrupted, “she told me to give you this.”

It was another letter.

“So many letters,” Kyuhyun complained.

Kyuhyun-sshi,

You're probably looking for Ryeowook oppa right now, right? I didn't want to tell you at first, but Ryeowook oppa has lost so much weight, so as hesitant as I am to tell you, I need him to eat! Oppa will be returning on the 24th. Eunhyuk oppa told me you were coming home today, so I gave him this letter. Make oppa eat!

Gaseo.

“Seems like you're not the only one who betrayed Ryeowook,” Kyuhyun laughed, “he's coming back tomorrow.”

Eunhyuk angrily took the letter from Kyuhyun's hands and read it, “tomorrow, huh?”

Setting his items down, Kyuhyun placed the necklace on his desk and organized his clothes while wondering what would happen after he meets Ryeowook again. Slowly, Kyuhyun drifted off into slumber, wondering... waiting...