Onew loved to smile.

There was always a smile plastered on his face. Could it be happy, mischievous, sly, polite or genuine; his lips always had their corners lifted in any kind of way. To say his life could be summarized in that simple action, was an understatement.

Thus, him being so often complimented because of his smiling-self or his never ending cheerfulness, wasn't something new for him.

What could he ask more?

He had a loving family and friends who cared about him. He had his job, his passions, his hobbies. He had achieved his dearest dreams and had a bunch of new ones to be fulfilled...

Though, something wasn't right.

Something was out of place and his smile so admired by others, had to disappear one day. It just had to, because everything comes to an end, even the most beautiful of things.

He'd always hide behind his trend-mark awkwardness and happiness the real reason for his love for life. The real reason for him to never cry or become mad at someone.

Under his smile, in that deep corner of his mind, that little and lonely dark spot was growing bigger as time passed by. That menacing force that he'd kept under control for years had, unknowingly, been fed by his fear of a breakdown.

Yes, because Onew also had fears.

Onew also had his own dark side.

So, when he had woken up in the middle of the night that day, he knew, he just knew he'd reached his limit.

The bedroom was dark and cold, sweat was dripping down his forehead and he was panting. His head hurt, as if someone was hitting it with a harmer and his eyes were filled with tears.

Lee Jinki had been woken up.

Lee Jinki had been freed of the jail Onew had built for him years before, thinking it would be enough to hold his other-self back.

“Finally...” a whisper was heard.

Suddenly, Jinki came to his senses; he recovered a sitting position on the bed, his eyes wandering around the dark room looking for the owner of the voice, before landing on a darker and tall figure standing in front of the bay window, where the moon light shone brightly behind.

“Hello, Jinki.” the figure greeted him.

“W- who are you?” he muttered, narrowing his eyes in a failed attempt to have a better view of the figure.

“Are you sure you don't know?” the figure asked, a mysterious tone lingering its deep voice.

A deep voice....

It was unmistakable, that low baritone could only belong to one person.

“Why don't you come near?” the person asked stretching an arm towards him in an inviting motion.

Jinki's heart suddenly started to beat fast, the evidence of that person's visit hitting him hard. It was so unfair, it felt like time had passed by too quickly. He felt like he didn't get to enjoy life as much as he'd ever wanted to and so thanks to Onew, for locking him in that infamous jail in the back of his mind.

“Please...” he whispered, fear writing itself on his face. “Please give me more time...”

The person chuckled.

“I already gave you time enough.”

“But other people-”

“You're not other people.” the figure cut him off. “You didn't even deserve the time I gave you.”

Jinki shook his head, refusing to believe the words that were directed to him. Why didn't he deserve life? What had he done to be undeserving of a praise given to everyone? He wasn't other people but he was still a person, he had feelings and dreams, he had the will to live that some people didn't have...

“Why?” he asked. “Why didn't I?”

Though, no answer was given as the figure turned around and opened the bay.

“It's time.”

“But-”

“Come.”

Jinki felt his throat clench around the invisible ball of sorrow that was suffocating him. He didn't want to go, though he knew he was powerless against it. Against that person, that blurry figure, that painful truth, his cruel reality.

He'd known that from the very first second his first meeting with it had ended.

He was five year-old back then, a kid unconscious of various things, curious about a multitude of others. He'd always been clumsy and that wasn't a secret from anyone; but it sure was a surprise when, during his mother's birthday party in the enormous backyard they owned, he'd appeared on the balcony of his parents' bedroom in the second floor and climbed the parapet.

He'd never thought far about it as to whether it was dangerous or not.

He was just a kid feeding his curiosity.

He had seen on TV that hero, he didn't remember the name of, jumping from a building and flying; he was curious as to whether he also could do so or not.

So he jumped.

However, he didn't fly. Instead, his body hit the floor with a loud crush startling everyone there. No one had seen he jump, but sure enough everybody had seen his frail little body, almost lifeless, laying on the grass, a growing pool of blood surrounding it.

He remembered hearing screams and his mother crying, but his body hurt too much and he had the impression his head had just been crushed by something really heavy.

The world around him was dark and he was extremely cold, soon, all his senses had disappeared.

That was when he'd seen that person for the first time.

As a kid, he didn't really understand who that person was. 'Death' they had said, how could someone be called that? It was such an awful name!

He didn't question it however, as Mr.'Death' had told him he had to go with him. Stating Jinki had to follow him.

Though, Jinki had always been told not to follow strangers, and that Mr. 'Death', was definitely a stranger for him, so he disagreed, saying he had to go back to his mother, and that he couldn't follow the man.

Mr. 'Death' had laughed at him, stating he didn't have a mother anymore and that he couldn't go back because he was dead. What a thing to say to a five year-old boy! Jinki had started to cry, refusing to follow the man and telling him he was a liar.

Just then, the kid had felt a comforting hand on his shoulder. His wet eyes had immediately looked up at the new addition to their meeting, a young man was standing by his side.

Different from Mr.'Death', that man – or more like, teenage boy – had a very sweet smile on his face and had a reassuring energy surrounding him.

“Let the kid.” he had said. “Don't be so cruel, he still has a long life before him.”

“He has nothing.” Mr. 'Death' had replied, his deep voice firm. “He's dead and I have to take him with me.”

“Minho...” the teen had said.

“Don't call me that here, Taemin.” Mr. 'Death', or rather, Minho had ordered. “Let me do my job.”

Jinki could remember the shivers running down his spin each time Death spoke as well as he could remind the warm that filled him when the teen's – Taemin's – voice rang in his ears.

“Give him more time.” the kind man had demanded. “Let him discover more from life.”

“It is unfair with the other children.” Minho had replied.

“You know I was against theirs too.” Taemin had said. “Please?”

Silence was the only thing heard after the inquiry for long minutes apart from Jinki's quiet sobs.

“That's why they all love you so much, you're too kind with them.” Minho had finally said.

“And you're too severe.” Taemin had shot back with a smile.

“At least, I show them the reality.” Death had stated before looking down at the crying boy. “Eighteen years,” he had added, bending down to Jinki's eye-level. “I'll give you more eighteen years before coming to get you.”

Jinki would never forget the indifference and coldness on Death's eyes. He nodded fast, though, frightened by the stare the tall man was giving him.

“Come with me,” his defender had said a triumphing smile on his face. “I'll show you the way out.”

Without hesitation, he followed the teen, wiping his tears away with the back of his little hands. He recalled having asked who that person was and the teen had simply replied that he could call him 'Life'. Well, that wasn't a common name either, but he had always preferred 'Life' over 'Death'.

When he had woken up at the hospital after that, Death's promise kept on echoing through his mind. Soon enough, he understood no one would believe him if he told them what happened and he had to find a way to let his mind go over it, because he no longer felt like a kid with a whole life before him, but like a prisoner with his death penalty approaching dangerously.

That was how Onew was born.

“What are you waiting?” Death's voice pulled him out of his thoughts. “Come already, I have other people to get tonight.”

Swallowing his tears back, Jinki slowly got off the bed and walked towards the bay, silently hoping Life would come help him this time too.

But he never came.

“Go,” Death ordered. “I'll wait for you at the other side.”

Jinki shot him a last glance, pleading him not to compel him to do that. However, the man didn't even seem slightly touched by it as he waited patiently for Jinki to climb the parapet. There was no way he could survive this time, both because he was at the 22^nd floor of the building and because Death always kept his promises.

I hate you, Jinki thought bitterly, wondering why Life hadn't come to help him this time.

“Everyone does.” Death's stern voice replied to his thought.

Ignoring the statement, Jinki let go of his last tears and closed his eyes. He stood in equilibrium on the bar, arms wide open and stretched at each side of his body as the cold night wind hit his shivering body.

He took in a deep breathe and once more, he did what he had done eighteen years before at his parents' house.

He knew he had always been fated to provoke his own death; but didn't realize how easy and breath-taking it would be.

He simply jumped.

That was his cruel reality.

The painful truth behind the beautiful lie he had lived.