Chapter 3

 

"Jonghyun!” No answer. "Jong!" still no answer. "Jonhhyun-hyyungg!!" "Yes?" says Jonghyun poking his head in the door smirking. Taemin smiles "Pabo! Does my hat look good?!" Jonghyun glides over to the boy in the hospital bed. "Oh!!! Absolutely! You're very stylish Taemin!" Taemin beams, "Really?" he asks patting his hat that conceals the limited amount of hair he has left. "You know what? I don't think you need any hair to look as good as you do." Jonghyun grins. "Thanks," Taemin smiles, flashing his dazzling smile as Key comes in, the door closing with a click.

 

"Hey" says Key flashing his white teeth. "Hi!" smiled Taemin and Jonghyun. Suddenly the mood in the room darkens as Key’s smile fades fast as he speaks "Taemin....” Key starts quietly " I.. I..." he stutters bringing Taemin into a soft hug. "Key..." Taemin says, grabbing his hand and rubbing it. "Don't worry about me. Please." Key watched as the ends of Taemin’s lips pulled into a bittersweet smile. Taemin looked into his eyes "I promise I will try to stay. For everyone who has helped with the plan" Taemin glanced over at Jonghyun and grabbed his hand " For both of you.” Taemin smiled as Onew, TOP and Sehun walked in 

 

"We brought lunch!" announces Onew carrying a plastic bag with something in it. "Let me guess...."says Taemin pursing his lips, thinking hard. "You will never guess,” says TOP rolling his eyes and winking as they come and sit on the white bed. "Haha I bet I could!' announced Jonghyun, raising his hand. Taemin laughs "Well I'm guessing Onew chose lunch...." he says tapping his lips, staring off in thought over dramatically "Hmmm I'm going to guess... CHICKEN!" he smiled "Wow. How do you ever find out." smiled Key opening the bag revealing their lunch. Sehun stands up from the bed, and walks to the front door pausing. He looks back as Taemin laughs playfully hitting Onew as he teases him with a piece chicken. "Where are you going?" Taemin asks inquiringly. He walks over to her smiling sadly "Uhh I have to go now... I will be back... later..." he says softly patting Taemin’s back" You will do perfect! And Recover 110%" he smiles. "Bye Tae!!" Sehun grins "Thanks! And OH...Hwaiting!" he says. “Taemin Hwaiting!' Sehun smiles as he closes the door.

 

Key noticed Sehun say something to Minyoung then he backed away, leaving. "Ill be right back! OK? “Announces Key as he gets up from the bed, leaving Taemin, Jonghyun, TOP and Onew chatting. Key glances around the hallway finding Taemin slowly walking against the white walls.

 

"Sehun." says Key softly as Sehun pauses. "Sehun-ah…" Key says again. "This is too harsh." Sehun tells Key, who caught up with him. "What?' "This!" Sehun explodes " The lying the sadness, the heartbreak! I.... cant stand here and watch my Hyung get his heart ripped out while I stand here and do nothing." replied Sehun quieting his last words staring at the white walls his face grimacing. "We HAVE to,” answers Key putting his arm on Sehun’s shoulder "Remember? That's the plan. It has to be, Taemin told us it’s his last wish...."

 

"I cant do this..." sighs Sehun turning around, brushing his fingers through his messy hair. "Sehun." says Key his vision getting blurry." Taemin has until tonight, which is the surgery and -' Key stops, his breath hitching as he tried to recover, looking to the white floor

"We… we all know the percentage Tae has of..... Actually surviving." scrunches his face up, tears threatening to fall.

 

"When is his surgery?” Sehun asks firmly, closing his eyes the muscles on his jaw clenching, trying to brace himself for the answer. Key opened his mouth to say something but stopped, closing his mouth looking to the floor with sorrow. "One hour but he leaves to get ready in thirty minutes...." he whispers barley audible, closing his eyes willing himself to stay strong.

 

Hearing the news Taemin shoot his head up as he ran, his vision blurry. Key hollered for Sehun to come back, echoing of the white walls. He had to go somewhere Key couldn't follow him so he ran into the elevator as Key tried to catch up with him. "Where are you going?!!" yelled Key, the elevator doors closing. "What has to be done." replied Sehun as the doors shut leaving him alone in the glass elevator.

 

The sign indicated that he had just passing the fifteenth floor as

Taemin whips out his phone rapidly flashing his thick eyelashes.

Quickly dialing, his heart racing the phone line picks up.

 

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"Please hyung!!" yells Sehun, tears escaping his eyes as the elevator reaches the bottom floor, "Taemin needs to see you! HURRY!!”

 

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Nothing. That's what Minho felt. . Walking down the street in a daze Minho felt nothing. He knew he was nothing, without Taemin. His footsteps grow heavy, like chains holding him to the ground, wrapped around his neck, pulling him toward gravity, slowly tightening its iron grip. Diminishing all the oxygen.  "YAH! Watch where you’re going!" cried a lady as he shoved his way past the ensemble of people. He kept his gaze straight and his eyes to the horizon as he collides with another person. Minho heard words being spoken, but they couldn't comprehend in his brain, so he kept walking. Wobbling as he ran into others and kept walking. Minho suddenly feels a buzz in his pocket bringing him back to reality........... "Yobosaeyo? Sehun? What?"

 

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Minho hears Sehun talking but all he sees is the streets passing by him, people staring as Jonghyun sprinted as fast as he could.

 

"Taemin needs to see you! HURRY!!” begged Sehun as the line went dead.

 

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Faster. Faster. Can't you run FASTER! Minho screamed. He flew by stop signs and ally's, not stopping to breath, his lungs on fire screaming in protest."AHH!" Yelled Jonghyun. 'Why was I so stupid! Why didn’t Taemin tell me?!!!! I HAVE to get to the hospital NOW!!!' Minho’s head screamed as he willed his muscles to reach beyond their breaking point his lungs gasping for air. He suddenly is overwhelmed with so man memories but wills himself to keep them in the back of his head with a wall, blocking them. But then some trickle out escape. Remembering was tearing him down. But reliving them were pure torture, as he ran on to find the hospital.

 

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"You got it?" asked Taemin trying to steady the camera Minho was holding. "Yeah... I think so!" Minho beamed. Taemin stepped into the view of the camera as Minho tried his best not to wobble. "Hi!! Minhooo!" Taemin grinned, "We are here at the river and you are filming!! How do you feel?!"

 

"Uhh fine?" said Minho timidly behind the camera. Taemin pursed his lips and stood back putting his hand on his hips. "No. No. To get over you fears of being in public, you have to be in front of the camera, Pabo!" Taemin walks over to Jonghyun taking the camera and filming him. "Come On!" she instructed him "If you want to get into SM academy you have to audition! GO!" he said as Minho stood shuffling his feet, the quiet rushing water in the background. "Ummm... Hi my name... Is Ahhh" Taemin face-palmed as he strides over to Minho who was biting his lips. "So this is the famous idol Minho before debut!" she smiled and held the camera right in front of his face, bobbing it up and down and spinning it in a circle. "I'm not even famous..." blushed Minho. “Ah ahhh!" said Taemin wagging his finger "Not YET at least!" he laughed shoving the camera to his nose. "AHHH!! Stop it Pabo!!" chuckled Minho flailing his arms at the camera, covering his face with his hands.

 

Taemin pops in the camera frame and stands next to Minho. "Ladies and gentlemen, this is your amazing idol Minho!" she presents, Jonghyuns head still buried in his hands. "Good choice." She laughs sarcastically "Hey!" he says defensively taking his hands away from his face and grabbing Taemin’s waist, the camera bobbing up an down. “Well Taemin’s the worst camera man EVER!" Minho laughs. Taemin sticks out his tongue in response, beaming, still wrapped in Minhos arms. Minho replies by scrunching his face up and doing his aegyo, then Minyoung laughs as they both continue to make funny faces into the camera, care free not caring what will happen in their future.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Taemin’s POV

 

The Bright lights flash in my face as I flinch away from them closing my eyes. "Are you OK?" asks the nurse snapping her rubber gloves on. 'Yeah." I say weakly as I shuffle my legs on the cold operating table. The nurse leans down to my level and grabs my hand "Don't worry sweetie, I'll be here the whole time OK?" she said in a comforting voice. "Thanks" I mumble closing my eyes.

 

Kai rushes into the small room finding me as they briefly sit me up to put the IV in my arm. “Taemin!" he says as he rushes over to me grabbing my good arm. "You will be great OK?! You will do fine and..." he stops to sniffle as he squats next to the table and  bends his head down. "Kai." I say looking down at him. Kai looks up at me and his face widens in shock as he notices my face, slightly amused. I softly snort and look at him "I will be fine OK?" "Tae..." "Shh.." I silence him brushing a tear from his perfect face. "Take care of them for me." I smile as he tries to reassure me I will live. "No! Please don't say that." Kai begs me "You will be fine and then you can be back with our friends and....." he stopped breathing hard as he tried to stop the tears from showing.

 

"Kai." I say looking straight into his eyes "You are one of five of my best friends EVER. Always be happy so I won't ever get a different mind. Even smallest regret won't be left out ever. Please live well as if I should feel jealous. You should always be like that bright sun." I stopped to take a breath as tears threatened to drip out "Yes, you should always smile.... like that...as if

...Nothing happened." Kai looked at me with tears covering his face shaking his head from left to right, denying me. Denying reality. Denying my death. "Kai. You are an amazing actor and you will definitely go far in life with your sweet smile and kind heart. Please tell Onew how much I am going to miss his crazy chicken stories and how warm and kind, tell Jonghyun how sweet and thoughtful he always was and how I'm going to miss his singing lessons, And tell Key how I wish he could design my wedding tux and how I wish he could see me walk down the isle in it. Tell the Big Bang and Exo boys how much they have really affected me. Caring for me… Being there through the tough times and laughing and smiling through the good. Tell them I enjoyed every second of my life because of them.” I stop to smile as I feel water in my eyes. “And…tell Minho how much he means to me...." Kai’s glazed orbs stared at me his face wet with tiny droplets. "Tell Minho I love him... Please let him know.... How this was better... So he won't miss me.... Tell him I'm going to miss him and how I know he will make it far in this world. Tell him how I didn't want to tell him my health because I didn’t want him to be sad. Tell him I love him and always will and tell him when he's ready... to move on." Kai was speechless, so he just wrapped me into a tight hug his warmth spreading through body and his sweet scent filling my nose. I slightly brought the corners of my mouth up  “Bye Kai.” I breathed. He looked at me and squeezed my hand briefly “I will see you later." said Kai letting go of my hand as he walked to the exit doors, the doctors blocked him from my vision. As the doctors moved I saw him look back and smile. I smiled back as the nurse locked the door and then I was alone.

 

The white light flashes in my face as I close my eyes. I heard the unwrapping of plastic, clean utensils flashing in the white lights and rubber gloves. I take a deep breath in and smell the fabric of the doctor’s robe, clean and fresh, like a meadow. I feel my hand down and touch the plastic of the IV that's pumping through my skin. "Ready?" asks the doctor. I look around my senses taking in the last of my life and I smile. Thank you. I think and imagine smiling Minho and the grinning group of boys behind him. "Yes. I am ready."

 

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"Is this the operating floor?!" Says Minho frantically as he reads the signs of the stairs, taking two at a time. He bursts through the door into a white hallway looking for the room. He pauses, never standing still, looking left than right as he races down the hallway to the end and turning the corner.

 

He looks down the narrow hallway and spies Kai at the end. He pauses and then continues trying to brush past Kai. But Kai grabs his hand. Minho stops and turns around. "I'm sorry I lied" Kai takes Minhos hand and places a silver ring in it "Taemin-ah… loved you a lot." he said with a pained expression as he kept walking.

 

Minhos hand started to tremble as he clenched his fist around the shinning band. He felt his legs grow weak as he grabs his face with his hand he bends down in pain as reality rushes over him. Crushing him .The wall in his head to keep the memories shatter like a mirror as the memories come rushing out filling his mind.

 

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"Let's eat now!" declared Taemin sitting down under a tree that swayed in the breeze. Minho just laughed as he took the camera from Taemin and set it in a tree branch opposite from them. Taemin opens his lunch bag pulling out two sodas, a chip bag and some sandwiches. Minho sits down next to her as she hands him a sandwich, which he accepts happily and takes large bites. Taemin throws his head back when he notices Minho had sauce all over the sides of his mouth. "Bwaht?" he said though a mouthful of sandwich. "Come here pabo, ya got something on your face." Taemin laughs as he takes his thumb and presses it softly against the corner of Minhos mouth, sliding his thumb down. "Got it!" Taemin declares happily, all Minho could do was a thumbs up sign because he was too busy eating. Taemin slaps him playfully as he takes a bite of his own sandwich.

 

Taemin turns to the little river with stepping-stones and smiles, closing his eyes, letting the sun hit his face warming it up. When Taemin turns back, to Minho whose rummaging around in his bag for something. "What are you doing?" Taemin asks amused. "Let's play a game!" announces Minho grabbing a bag, its label hidden from Taemin’s view.

 

"OK." Taemin shrugs taking a seat beside Minho. Minho turns around grabbing something from the bag puts something his back switching it between hands and then, palms down and fist closed, showed his hands to Taemin. Minho grins eagerly; challenging Taemin. Taemin scrunches up his face, concentrating. Then Taemin points to the left hand. When Minho opens his palms he reveals a green and white-spiraled mint in the right hand instead, Minho pops it in his mouth as Taemin just stares at him, pouting. Minho grabs another mint from the bag and puts it behind his hand and the shows Taemin his fists. Taemin stares at Minhos hands thinking, biting slightly as the corners of his lip. “Hmm…” stares Taemin “This one!” he states, pointing to Minhos left hand again. Minho grins ad he opens both of his palms, showing Taemin the mint in his left hand. Taemin claps as he picks the mint up and drops it in his mouth, smiling.

 

 

" Ready?" asks Minho.  Taemin nods his head in response. Minho puts the cup behind his back and this time it takes a little while longer. "Ok!!!" Laughs impatient Taemin, almost nagging. "Ok. Which hand now?" asks Minho being sly. Taemin narrows his eyes knowing something’s up. He squints her eyes and picks the left hand but nothing. Then she picks the right hand and Minho smiles. As he slowly opens his hand as it reveals two gleaming silver rings.

 

 

 Taemin smiles and looks at Minho. “Will you be my love and my heart?” he smiles. “Yes!!” Taemin laughs as she wraps him in a tight hug after he slips the ring on her finger, warmth enveloping both of them as they smiled. Minho stands up and grabs the camera from the tree branch and brings it to their picnic spot and sits back down. his head in the frame holding his ring finger up to the camera with the sparkly band on. “Uhh I’m no good at talking in front if a camera but… I just wanted to say that, Taemnnie, You have made me the happiest person alive and I love you, today for the rest of our lives, we will be together!” Taemin smiles as he grabs Minhos hand and holds up her ring to the camera and smiles laughing as Minho hugs Taemin…the battery percentage drains to its final few minutes the camera goes to 3%...2%...1%...0…

 

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Minho bursts though the door as he looks to the end of the hallway and sees the double doors where Taemin lays. “Minho…” says a voice in the room. Minho turns around and notices all of his best friends. Onew, Key, Jonghyun, GD, Top, Seungri, Daesung, Taeyang, Suho, Chanyeol, D.O., Sehun, Baekhyun and Kai. They all stare at him with remorseful eyes and pained faces. Minho stumbles as tears fall freely fro his cheek and Jonghuyn catches him before he falls, supporting him. “I’m so sorry.” Jonghyun whispers as he buries his head into Minho. Minhos contracting muscles tighten and release as silent sobs rack his body. Taemin. Taemin. Taemin. That’s all Minho could repeat in his mind. Like a broken record that had been smashed into a thousand pieces that clattered to the tile, Minho repeated his name over and over as his friends tried to console him.

 

Taemin...Taemin.....Taemin…

 

Taemin heard Minho outside the doors. He heard he yelling. He heard soft voices and incoherent mumbling. He saw the monitor.

Then he heard silence that cut him to the core. Wet tears slipped down his cheek.

 

Taemin saw Minho as he imagined Minho smiling while holding him wityh the camera, pointed at them forever

 

Then Taemin saw white. "I love you minho...."

 

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Oh yeah... I cry cry, You're my all say godbye bye, oh my love dont lie lie, youre ,my heart. Say goodbye

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Oh Taemin I cry, cry
You're my all, say goodbye, bye
Oh my love don't lie, lie
You're my heart, say goodbye......-Minho 
 

Even smallest regret won't be left out ever.
Please live well as if I should feel jealous,
You should always be like that bright sky the flaming charisma I know, Minho
Yes, you should always smile like that as if nothing happened                                                         

It would've hurt less if we didn't meet at all
Hope you will bury our promise of being together forever .....-Taemin

 

 

 

Taemin. I love you Forever. -Minho