“I’m leaving,” Taemin leaned his forehead against Minyoung’s as they stood at the front door. “Hmm,” she smiled.

               “See you tomorrow…” Taemin trailed off and suddenly he remembered that tomorrow he won’t be in the same school as Minyoung anymore. , he hasn’t told her about it.

               it, he scoffed, he’s just going to stay until someone chases him out of the school.

Taemin stood along the fence as he watched the mansion from the outside. He sighed, he doesn’t want to return but he can’t leave his brother here.

               “Welcome home, young master.” Heehae bowed as soon as Taemin came in through the front door. The younger one flinched as he raised a brow. “You don’t have to call me young master. Taemin is fine.” He said, holding onto the strap of his backpack.

               Heehae didn’t reply, but he nodded with a small smile instead.

               “Why are you still standing around here? I mean, it’s getting kind of late.” Taemin said, landing his foot on the first platform of the stairs when he took a glance at his watch, and it’s almost eleven. “Your brother isn’t back yet. I’m still waiting.” Heehae said, moving from one spot to another. Taemin paused in his tracks. “Hyung isn’t back yet? Didn’t he go for work with her?” He asked.

               “Your brother left the company even before noon.”

               Taemin and Heehae tilted their heads and saw Hyojin coming down the stairs in her nightwear. Taemin turned his head away as he swallowed. “Your brother is not happy with me because I changed his last name.” She said as she crossed her arms. “He’s already twenty yet he’s still leaving home for the slightest thing.”

               Taemin narrowed his eyes, before dropping his bag with a soft thud. “You changed his last name? And instead of feeling apologetic, you’re now saying that he’s immature?” he scowled.

               Hyojin frowned; she bit her inner lip as she avoids eye contact with Taemin. “Are you serious on making your sons detests you? We are back to be your sons, not your toys. You can’t command us like this, changing our school and name as and when you like.” Taemin blurted, before turning his heels and stomped out of the house.

               He dug out his phone from his back pocket, wanting to dial his brother’s number when a car honked at him. Taemin snapped his head at the direction of where the sound came from and he squinted at the headlight of the vehicle shining at him. Taemin raised a hand to block the light as he walked over to the car, and it took him a while to realize it was Joon behind the wheel.

               “What the are you shining at me for?” He snapped once Joon rolled the window down. “Get in the car; I know where your brother is.” Joon ignored him and said. Taemin paused for a while; he tightened his clutch on his phone in his hand as he quickly gets in the car. “How did you know?”

               Joon didn’t respond, instead, he rapidly changed the gear into drive mode and drives out of the province.

Taemin has been living in this area for as long as he could remember. So when Joon started driving into some isolated area with nothing but abandon warehouses and empty containers, he knew something was wrong.

               “Where are you taking me?” Taemin asked, glaring at the guy behind the wheel and constantly looking out of the window. “You got my brother here too?” he asked again.

               Joon didn’t answer; he pulled to an abrupt stop at a certain empty warehouse and Taemin jerked forward.

               “Your brother is in there, do you want me to bring you in or?”

               Taemin glared at the guy beside him, he gritted his teeth and unbuckled his seatbelt. Joon had a small smirk playing on his lips, and he watched as Taemin got off the car and started heading into the warehouse.

               It was when Taemin got hit in his head as soon as he stepped into it, Joon’s smirk got wider.

When Taemin blinked his eyes open, he felt a sharp pain in his head. “…Ugh,” he breathed as he looked around, before spotting a man’s figure not far away from him.

               “…Taemin?”

               He heard as he squinted at the dark corner. “Taemin, is that you?”

               And it took him a while to realize – Jinki.

               “Hyung??” Taemin said almost immediately, struggling at the rope that tied around his wrists behind him. “Hyung!” He called out again, turning his head over at his wrists occasionally to look at the knot.

               “Taemin!” Jinki heaved a sigh, his eyes were covered and his limbs were tied. “Hyung, are you okay??” The younger one asked when he decided to move over to the older one. He leaned back against the wall as he stood up with the support of it.

               “I’m okay, you?” Jinki asked as Taemin walked towards him. But as soon as Taemin reached his brother, the door beside Jinki got slammed open and a guy came in to push Taemin away. He fell on the ground, feeling a shooting pain in his spine.

               “Looks like the both of you are awake.” Joon walked in after that, and Taemin caught the same smirk on his face. “What do you want?” Taemin asked loudly, glaring at the PA from under his lashes as he shifts to a sitting position.

               “I want the both of you out of our lives.” Joon said; fondling with the wine bottle he had in his hand when he came in. He popped the cork and the sound of it startled Jinki who couldn’t see. Joon walked over to the older one, and Taemin watched in cautious.

               “Before the both of you came in the picture, boss and I were having a great time.” He said, tilting the bottle as the red liquid slowly pours onto Jinki who gasped at what’s happening. It was a cold night and the red wine was even cooling. Jinki’s white shirt was slowly stained with red liquid that looks like blood, and he was feeling cold from liquid evaporating on his skin.

               Having a great time? Taemin swallowed, he gets it already – this stupid slave is in love with his boss.

               “You can come at me, why are you doing this to my brother? The last time I checked, he didn’t do anything to upset you.” Taemin said, still fidgeting with the rope behind him.

               When the bottle was empty, Joon hit it against the wall behind Jinki and the shattering pieces came down on the drenched guy, Jinki flinched. “Hyung!” Taemin hollered as he moved forward on his knees but Joon was quicker. Before Taemin knew it, the remaining top part of the glass bottle in Joon’s hand was under his chin.

               “Be careful, the edges were sharp.” Joon said with a sneaky smirk. Jinki’s ear perked at his words and he immediately knew that his brother was in danger. “Taemin!” he called.

               “Seriously, why are we doing this??” Taemin snapped, still in his position afraid to move an inch. What the is happening now? Just because of Park Hyojin, this guy here is trying to kill us?

               “I won’t allow anyone to hurt Narsha.” Joon hissed fiercely, “I don’t care what’s going to happen, I’ll protect her.”

               Taemin’s brows furrowed together as he eyed the sharp object under his chin, it was so close to his skin that if he swallows, it will cut right in. “Joon, we don’t have to do this.” Taemin breathed as he diverted his attention back at the guy. Joon’s eyes were already unfocused, and his smile, it was creeping Taemin out.

                “Joon…” Taemin said low, shrugging the rope off his wrists behind him when he finally unties it. “We honestly don’t have to do this.” He said as he stood up swiftly to push Joon away.

               But all Jinki heard after that was Taemin’s gasping and wincing. His heart was racing and he stopped breathing for a second. “…Taemin…?”

               Taemin fell on the ground with a soft thud.

               But it doesn’t end that way.

               Joon had a small smirk on his face when he kneed beside Taemin, he watched Taemin turning weaker by each second and he was feeling delighted. So he decided to give him a knock on his head –with the bottle.

               And Jinki’s heart almost stopped when he heard the bottle smashed.

Jinki and Minyoung sat outside the operating theatre. The cut wounds on Jinki’s face and several parts of his body has already dried up and he is still refusing to accept any treatment from the nurses. He clasped his hands together and pressed against his forehead, please, Taemin has to make it. Please.

               When Jinki finally got rid of the ropes and the cloth over his eyes, the first thing he saw was Taemin lying lifelessly in a pool of blood in front of him. Joon and the other guy have already left. He was stunned for less than a second before rushing over to his younger brother. The last thing he wanted was to lose his only kin. He carried Taemin on his back, with the younger’s blood staining his shirt as he rushed out to the main road to call for help.

               Minyoung leaned back against the seat; it has already been three hours since Taemin is in there. “Jinki oppa, your wounds…” Minyoung reminded him. When Jinki phoned Minyoung about Taemin’s condition earlier on, she came down to the hospital immediately and when she reached, Jinki was already in dazed state.

               “It’s nothing,” Jinki said softly. She sighed, turning away and silently chanting that Taemin will make it and that he will be fine. Everything will be same as before.

               It doesn’t seem like it but Minyoung has been shivering since before. Her eyes were glassy and she was rubbing her left palm with her right thumb out of stress. She was afraid; her heart was beating so rapidly she thought it was going to stop. She took deep breaths in between, trying to calm her racing heart down but it doesn’t work. It was like her heart was telling her that something bad was going to happen. But she can’t lose Taemin.

               “We are not going to lose Taemin.” Jinki said when he noticed how tensed up she was. He covered Minyoung’s hands with his as he looked at her, Minyoung nodded briefly and she could feel that Jinki’s hand was also trembling.

               Taemin, for me, for your brother, please, you have to make it.

Two months later

Minyoung walked into Taemin’s ward with her hand full of books. She put her bag and the books on the table as she dropped herself on the seat beside Taemin’s bed.

               “Final’s next week,” She sighed, tilting her head back as she closed her eyes. “Aish, can’t believe it, school is ending.”

               She took a deep breath and opened her eyes. It has been two months since the incident and Minyoung still comes here daily after school. She almost couldn’t handle it whenever she saw the empty seat next to her, so seeing Taemin every day after school was her only motivation to continue schooling. She leaned in to him and took his hand.

               “I miss you today, too.” She mouthed with her lips on his hand before bringing it up to her face. He used to be so warm and loving; with his hand on her cheeks, giving her kisses and telling her that she was beautiful.

               Now his hand was cold, like a corpse, and Minyoung didn’t like the idea of Taemin not responding to her. “Taem…” and she felt a wave of sadness taking over.

               It wasn’t an everyday thing that she would come here to cry but each time she cried, she thought of the time she had with Taemin and how he probably won’t come back again.

“LEE TAEMIN!”

             The shouting caught Minyoung off guard and she was once again pulled back into the reality. Lee Taemin?

              “You’re late again,” Ms. Kim said aloud, and everyone was looking at the long-haired guy who just simply walked into the class nonchalantly.

             Minyoung stared at him, looking at his every action, from the way he dumped his bag on the table, to the way he laid his head on it. Lee Taemin, she thought, he couldn’t be the guy that she met twelve years ago right? 

              “Hey,” Minyoung whispered, “I’m new here, and I guess I’ll be sitting here for the rest of the semester. I’m Minyoung.”

             Taemin however did not reply, instead, he turned his head to the other side such that Minyoung couldn’t see him anymore.

Taemin placed his chin on her shoulder, “I’m terribly sorry, I am the Lee Taemin you knew, and I am the mushroom haired idiot who gives you lollipop. I’m the stupid who left without saying a thing, and the bastard who pretend not to know you when you asked about it.”

              “Forgive me for leaving,” was what she heard next.  She blinked, swallowing the lump that formed at the back of . Pulling apart the hug, Taemin leaned in and planted his lips onto hers, and hopefully, his feeling could reach her through the kiss.

              “I love you, Minyoung.”

“So you’re standing on his side now? Like what, I can’t get mad at a guy who just said he will win my girl over?” Taemin retorted.

             “It’s not that, I just don’t like you glaring at people it makes you like a hooligan.” She said, zipping her pencil case and throwing it in her leather tote bag.

             Taemin raised a brow as he nodded his head, “So now you’re disgusted with me being a hooligan? I mean, yeah I’m no longer the young master that you used to know. Are you disappointed now?” He challenged, grabbing his bag and leaving the classroom with Minyoung standing still in her position, puzzled.

“Babe, do you think you could help me open the door? It’s cold outside.”

             Minyong’s eyes widen in shock and almost immediately, she rushed out of her room with her phone still in her hand. Opening the door, she saw Taemin standing there with a red nose.

             “Hey,” Taemin grinned like a fool.

Taemin leaned in, capturing Minyoung’s lips with his. She closed her eyes, hanging her arms loosely around Taemin’s neck until Taemin decided to put her on the kitchen counter. She gasped, and Taemin took the chance to deepen the kiss.

When Jinki opened the door to the ward, Minyoung was already sobbing uncontrollably beside Taemin. With the memories pouring into her brain and the sweet moment resurfacing, Minyoung’s heart was aching so very badly. Jinki sighed. It wasn’t the first time that he caught Minyoung crying in Taemin’s ward either.

               “His condition is stable now but…we couldn’t tell exactly when he will wake up. He suffered a bad injury on his head, affecting his brain. He might wake up tomorrow, next week, next year, or maybe never. It’s better to be prepared for the worst.”

               Jinki lowered his head as he recalled the doctor’s words, he sighed again, pushing the door wider for him to step in. “Hey…” he walked over to her as he placed his hand on her head.

               Minyoung turned away upon hearing Jinki’s voice, she clumsily wipe her tears and sniff her nose. Jinki pressed his lips together as he ruffled her hair, before walking to the other side of the bed to take a look at his brother.

               “Hyung’s…here…” he whispered softly and when Minyoung heard it, she started crying again. “Sorry,” she sobbed, “I just…I miss Taemin…”

               Jinki’s brows knitted together, he brings his hand up to touch Taemin’s brown hair. “We all do.” and he run his hand down the side of his brother’s face.

               It was silence for a few minutes with Minyoung still sniffing her nose, and Jinki watching Taemin.

               “Jinki oppa…” She called, taking a piece of tissue out from the tissue box on the side table to wipe her tears. “I want to get married with Taemin.”

               Jinki paused as he stares at Taemin. And the sound of something dropped on the floor caught their attention when Minho stood stunned at the doorway.

“It’s okay, next time we will get married, and my dad will be your dad.” The little boy grinned, slotting a leaf ring into Minyoung’s finger.