JAY says: Enjoy~ :D

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He smiled as he took a picture of the magnificent scenery in front of him. It had been long since the beauty of nature had taken over him; it had always been the print advertisements, those pretty Barbie look alike models, that dark spacious studio of his back in Seoul. Not that he does not love those, those were the passion of his life but this, it felt more like being back to his younger carefree self and he is secretly glad that his boss who is also as known as his older brother, SiWon made him to take up a break from work.    

 

Closing his eyes, he took a deep breathe of the salty air before making his way back to the hotel. Just before he could take a step, he was knocked down by a huge fur ball. Taking a closer look at the fur ball, he smiled at the sight of the golden retriever looking sheepishly at him and laughed out heartily when the dog proceeded on to his face.   

 

“There you are, Soda! Bad dog!”

 

Running towards them was a girl, about the age of twenty. She stopped just right in front of them, bending down and panting so heavily that it seems that she is having an asthma attack.

 

“Bad dog” The girl repeated again, her voice hardly audible as she coughed.

“Are you okay, Miss?” He asked.

Still looking down as she cough, she give a slight nod, indicating that she is alright.

“Darling, are you okay?” A feminine guy that looks about the same age him rushed over, helping the coughing girl up as she nodded in respond.

“Tsk, I shouldn’t have agreed on letting you loose, running around, now look at how you have just behaved?” The guy gently ticked the girl off.

 

Recollecting herself, the girl turned to him and bow, “I apologized for my dog’s bad behavior. I hope you are not hurt anywhere” before turning to leave. Even if it is just for a brief second, he finally had a chance to catch a glimpse of the girl’s face. His heart came to a stop when he realized that there was something familiar with this girl.    

 

“JongHee…?”  He called out, praying that the girl would not respond and it is just his eyes playing a trick on him.

 

Unfortunately, the girl turned around and stared straight into his eyes. He let off a sigh, so it’s her, the girl who he tried but failed to forget.

 

Realization finally dawn on her as her confused expression turned into a shocked one as she spoke, “MinHo… oppa?” Then masking her shock with a smiling face, she said in a cheery tone, “How are you? It had been long huh?”

 

“Yes, it had been long. We need to talk.” He replied flatly after letting silence engulf the environment for a minute.

 

She bit her lips at the hurtful tone but quickly masked it with the same smile she had always put on. “Sure, I will meet you later at one in the afternoon at the café in that hotel.” She said as she pointed at the hotel he is staying in.   

 

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The wait for afternoon to come had been long and unbearable. It took MinHo hours of pacing around the room before he could finally gave in to exhaustion and sat down on the black leather one-seater sofa. He wanted answers, answers of their break up, answers of why she left without any trace. Grasping a golden star shaped locket tightly, he recalled what happened two years ago…

 

{Two Years Ago}

December 9 2009

 

Finally 21, MinHo thought as he sat on a near-by bench. It could consider an exciting new start for him – his parents just gave him a car and SiWon, his older brother gave him a digital single-lens reflex camera and now, he’s waiting for the person he had been dying to see ever since he woke up in the morning.

 

A deep frown crept on to his face as he looked at his watch worriedly. An hour had past, he thought. JongHee was never this late for any of their dates. Hearing running footsteps behind him, he turned, hoping that was JongHee but disappointment swept him away when he realized it was just his neighbor.

 

“Hyung, JongHee Noona wanted me to give you this.” The little boy said, ing a cream coloured envelop into his hands.

“What’s inside?”

“I have no idea. I’ve got to go. Bye, Hyung.”

“Thanks. Bye, TaeMin.”

 

Opening the cream coloured envelop, he took out the piece of paper and read the content.

 

“I’m sorry, let’s break up. This is the best for both of us.”

 

Crumpling the piece of paper in shock, he got off the bench and ran to JongHee’s house. Upon reaching, he could not believe his eyes. A ‘for sale’ sign could be found in the yard and the house looks empty.

 

“JongHee… How could you…?”

Giving the house a last look, Minho turned away dejectedly. Before he could take another stop, he felt something dropped out of the envelop he was holding on. Looking down, his heart came to a stop as he bended down to pick up a star-shaped locket necklace – his first gift for JongHee.

 

Grasping the necklace tightly, he whispered heart-brokenly, “So you really don’t want me anymore,” as tears started flowing spontaneously.

 

{End of flashbacks}

 

Closing his eyes for a brief moment, MinHo let off a sigh before getting up from the leather sofa. Looking at his watch, there’s still half an hour before one. Unable to wait any longer, he threw his coat over his shoulder and head down to the café where he will be getting the answers to his questions.

 

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 It was exactly one when JongHee arrived with Key by her side. Giving an encouraging nod to Key who will be waiting outside the café, she took a deep breathe before stepping inside. Scanning the café, it took her a mere second to recognize his handsome face. It had been long, but not long enough to make her forget his face entirely, the face of the one she loved so much.

 

“MinHo Oppa”

He turned away from the window and looked at her, frowning.

“Sit down”

Settling down opposite him, she ordered a cup of water when the waiter came forward to take her order. Silence surrounded them for a moment until MinHo spoke, “why did you left without a word?”

JongHee looked away. She doesn’t have a single idea how to explain the whole matter.

 “Why did you left without explaining?” He repeated staring straight at her, this time in a harsher tone.

“I’m sorry…”

“So this is how much I worth to you, huh? Forget it.”

With that, he took his belongings and ran out of the café.

 

He could not bear it any longer. He wanted answers, her reasons and excuses to lessen to pain he was experiencing but yet, she could not say anything more than just a “I’m sorry.” Don’t the years they had together meant something to her?

 

“MinHo Oppa”

 

He could hear her calling out to him but he couldn’t face her anymore. The pain of the wound is getting more and more unbearable. The thing he needed most now is to escape. Running faster and faster, he came to a sudden stop as he felt this tugging feeling that made him turn behind.

 

A few steps away was JongHee, her tear soaked face so pale that it looked as white as a piece of untainted white paper. She was panting so heavily, just like she did in the morning.

 

“I’m sorry.” She mouthed before her knees gave in and she hit the ground with a soft thud.

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It had been an hour since JongHee went into the operation theater. He had no absolute idea what was going on, except that the same tugging feeling he had just now was still bothering him. Giving the door of the operation theater one more look, he stopped pacing and settled down on a nearby chair.

 

“MinHo.”

 

Turning around to see who called his name, he came face to face with a young man who had similar features – the same brown eyes as JongHee and he was wearing a frown on his face.

 

“JongHyun Hyung” He greeted the young man with a nod.

“How long has she been inside?”

“An hour.”

 

Nodding at the answer, JongHyun let off an inaudible sigh. He should have known this will happen sooner or later once they stepped back in Korea. What his only sister was trying to avoid will still come back haunting her. Giving the situation now, he thought with a mental sigh, there is no way to deceive with a flawless lie but how is he going to break that heartbreaking secret to this man that once really loves his little sister?          

 

 Turning to MinHo who seems to be in deep thoughts, JongHyun thought to himself, “It’s now or never.” Placing a hand on the younger man’s shoulder, he began, “MinHo ah, you got to listen to this calmly and clearly…”

 

 ============================

 

His mind was in turmoil now with the information JongHyun had fed him an hour and half ago. All the questions that had been infesting his brain for the past two years had been answered but instead of finding relief, his heart aches more than ever. 

 

Breathing in a deep breathe, he knocked on the door before stepping into the room. She was there on her bed, staring out of the window while the doctor and the nurse whom he recognized as the same guy that he saw with JongHee the day before were checking on the monitor.

 

“JongHee,” he called out softly as he made his way nearer to her.

 

Turning to face him, she plastered a small faint smile on her pale face and greeted, “MinHo oppa.” 

The two of them fell silent, avoiding each other’s eyes before JongHee decided to break the silence between them.

 

“Let’s go to the roof and continue what we suppose to do.” She said softly. Then turning to the doctor, she asked, “Jinki ssi, can I?”

 

The young doctor smiled and gave a slight nod. On cue, MinHo stepped forward and carried her in his arms. As Minho and JongHee moved out of the ward, Doctor Lee turned to face Key who is beside him. Spotting a worried look on the younger man’s face, he gave him a slight pat and said, “No worries Nurse Kim, she will be fine.”

 

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It took a moment for him to realize that it had been long since they had been this close to each other. With that thought on his mind, he couldn’t help but to feel that his heart is beating faster than usual and he secretly prayed that she would not feel his heart racing despite that fact that her head was lying against his chest. 

 

“Oppa, you can put me down now.” She whispered.

 

Nodding, he placed her down gently on the bench even though he knew he is willing to carry her in his arms forever. She had gotten a lot skinner and lighter, he noted with a sigh. Indeed, her sickness had taken away a lot from her.

 

“Have you been eating? It feels as though you weighted nothing!” He blurted out unknowingly.

She chuckled at his sudden outburst, adding to his embarrassment. “I have been eating well. Don’t worry.” She spoke with a wide smile. Biting her lower lip, she continued, “Aren’t you going to ask me what happened and why?”

 

Sighing, he tore his graze from her and faced the scenery in front of them. “I’m not going to ask you what happened but why? Why did you do it?” He mumbled.

“It’s probably the best way for the both of us… Would you rather face a sick girlfriend that might die of a heart attack anytime any day? The chances of a successful surgery in states were just a mere 10 percent. How am I supposed to break the news to you?” Her voice shook.

 

Turning to face her, he could feel the ache in his heart when he saw her teary face. It was as though someone took a knife and stabbed it straight into his heart.

 

Lifting her chin, she whispered as her voice continues to shake. “What’s the point of telling anyway? So what the surgery was a success then? A relapse still came… Seeing the situation now, I would rather you not know anything from the beginning.  I would rather you remembering me as the bad but healthy girl that hurt you or rather, you erasing me out of your life…”

 

Again, he turned away from her, his own tears threatening to fall any moment. So she thought he will be better without her in his life. But was he? All those years numbing himself with studies and work, locking all the memories of her away, not wanting to remember. Was he happier then?

 

“We have wasted so much time without each other, you bad girl.” He whispered, barely audible to anyone but himself.

 

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{Months later}

 

This particular art gallery was filled with people of different profession. From arts students to famous photographers, all of them gather together in awe of this particular award winning photograph with a story that touched many hearts.

 

This young man of the age of twenty four walked into this gallery. With his handsome looks and perfectly muscular body clad in a smart brown suit, he had indeed turned many heads. What was more was his striking resemblance with the girl in the photograph, recognized by many. With a bitter smile, he walked towards the photograph that caught many eyes.

 

It had been long, those days, he thought with a sigh as he looked at the photograph.

“She’s beautiful, isn’t she, hyung?”

The man smiled and turned, facing the owner of the voice – the man whom his sister loved dearly with her whole life.

“MinHo,” JongHyun greeted the younger man with a wide smile. Taking another look at the photograph, he replied with a chuckle, “of course she’s beautiful. She’s my only sister.” Taking out a cream coloured envelop from the inner pocket of his suit, he handed it to MinHo.  “I found this in her drawer yesterday. Thought you might want this. I’ve got to go now. Got an important contract to sign.”

 

“Thank you, hyung. Good luck for the contract signing.”

With a smile, both of them bid goodbye. Giving MinHo’s back view a last glance as he made his way out of the gallery, JongHyun whispered, “Live your life well, MinHo. She would want that.”

 

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It was a quarter before ten and the gallery was closed from viewing. MinHo sighed as he ran a finger on the photograph, tracing the outline of her face. Remembering the envelop given by JongHyun, he opened it. It was a photograph of JongHee and him four years ago. Smiling, he remembered that was the photograph that they had taken on their first trip to Jeju Island together.  That was those days, when they were still young and carefree.

 

Feeling ache in his heart once again, he reached for the star-shaped locket he was wearing on his neck and closed his eyes as he whispered, “I miss you,” with tears started sliding down his handsome face. Slowly opening his eyes, he grazed at the photograph hanging on the wall.

 

In the photo, she was sitting on the bench in her hospital gown. Despite looking sick, her face showed a huge contrast. The smile plastered on her pale face was so wide and contagious and her eyes shone brightly. Indeed, she was beautiful and glowing at that moment. 

 

“I love you, Kim JongHee.” He cried softly, clenching his hurting heart as he slide down weakly, kneeling on the wooden floor.

 

That photograph was taken by him a day before she passed away peacefully in his arms. That, was her last photograph.