For sofeels' picture prompt.

They've always been together, Jonghyun and Kibum, high school sweethearts, the perfect match, the envy of others, the couple whose wedding everyone is certain they are going to attend. No one sees them as a typical young couple because couples who get into a relationship at 17 seldom or never last. Having been together for 5 years and counting, their love story is one you can only wish for. They are the couple you will think about if you hear promises of forever and always. But that's the thing, when you make promises, you can break them too. And their promise to each other shatters the day Kibum receives a private message from a stranger through Facebook.

Get your boyfriend to stay away from my girlfriend.

Obviously, Kibum doesn't believe what he's reading as he sits in the university's lecture hall and finds himself distracted by the notification on his phone. For God's sake, he doesn't even know the person! And so, Kibum ignores the message and puts his phone away, returning his attention to the lecture that he was currently attending. Kibum resumes taking notes, listens intently to what his professor is saying and forgets all about the nonsensical message. Lecture ends, and he rushes off to beat the lunch crowd by saving a table for him and Minho, his best friend, at the cafeteria. Minho joins him soon after. They both get their food, enjoying their lunch together, until Minho has to leave, because unlike Kibum who has a two-hour break, he only has an hour before his next class.

It is when Kibum is left alone by himself, wondering how he should spend the next hour that he plays with his phone and is reminded of the Facebook message he received earlier. Bored and slightly curious about the message, Kibum decides to entertain the stranger by finally replying him.

Your girlfriend? My boyfriend? You do know that I'm a guy, don't you?

The reply comes in an instant.

Your boyfriend obviously isn't gay when he has his hands all over my girlfriend.

Kibum frowns.

If this is a joke, it isn’t funny.

I can understand why you can be fooled so easily now.

Are you sure you’re talking to the right person?

If your profile picture isn’t photoshopped, yes.

Kibum doesn’t get to reply because the next message instantly follows.

If you still have your doubts... I can tell you your boyfriend is Kim Jonghyun. 
He studies music and performs with his band every Friday night at Woodstock.

Kibum doesn't reply. He doesn't know what to do, what to say… heck he doesn't even know if his mind is even functioning right now. Is he breathing? What expression does he even have on his face? Kibum doesn't know. All Kibum is sure of is that this is getting real by the second. It isn't a prank, and sure as hell isn't something Kibum can brush aside anymore.

Look, I'm sorry that I'm messaging you like this... I know how you feel right now.

I felt the same way when I found out my girlfriend was cheating on me.

But I still love her, and I don't want to let her go...

It doesn’t help that your boyfriend is still in contact with her though.

I told him to back off but he isn't doing much. So this is my last resort.

You need to get your boyfriend away.

Please.

Kibum gets the notifications one after another. He reads the messages, mind absorbing everything the stranger has to say, and then his fingers start typing.

You need to tell me everything.

And the stranger does. By the time Kibum takes his eyes off his phone, the cafeteria is almost empty and unusually silent. It is then he realises the time. It hits Kibum that his class started 15 minutes ago. Although he can rush for the class, Kibum knows there’s no point in attending it anyway. Eventually, he misses the class and leaves the university earlier, making his way to Jonghyun's house.

*

Her name is Taeyeon. Jonghyun and her sing at the music bar called Woodstock on alternate Fridays. They met two months ago when Taeyeon mixed up her performance date and turned up on the night Jonghyun was set to perform. Jonghyun invited her to sing a duet and from then on, they just clicked. From what Taeyeon’s boyfriend got out of Taeyeon herself, music brought them together. Both of them felt an instant connection and one thing naturally led to another. Before they could stop it, they had done more than what normal friends can do… and got caught holding hands in public by a common friend.

At least this is what Kibum finds out from Taeyeon’s boyfriend. Kibum still doesn’t know if he’s worth trusting. A part of him believes that Taeyeon’s boyfriend has no reason to lie. Kibum can sense the desperateness in his voice, so much so that he is convinced his boyfriend is cheating on him. Yet, a voice in his head is telling Kibum that Jonghyun will never do such a thing. Kibum trusts Jonghyun a million times more than he trusts a stranger who he has only talked to today. It isn’t just that. Kibum has been spending so much time with Jonghyun that he knows he would have noticed if Jonghyun is acting suspiciously but as he recounts the last few months they spent together, Kibum doesn’t notice anything amiss. Jonghyun has always been Jonghyun, his other half, his significant other, the love of his life…

True, they may have argued a number of times over the past few months (which couple doesn’t?) and Kibum has stopped going to support Jonghyun at Woodstock (Jonghyun has been performing for more than half a year) but that isn’t enough reason for Jonghyun to cheat on him. Then again, Kibum doesn’t even know what to think anymore. He can only wait for Jonghyun to return home and give him the answers he needs.

As he sits on the edge of Jonghyun’s bed and stares into space, Kibum is so calm that he actually shocks himself with how he isn’t feeling much as he waits for his boyfriend to come home. It’s like he is devoid of emotions. It feels like he is dead. Even when Jonghyun finally walks through that door and shoots him a wide grin as their eyes meet, Kibum still doesn’t know how he feels about this whole situation. He doesn’t even know how to respond or react to Jonghyun. But just as Jonghyun reaches out to touch him, Kibum instinctively shrinks away from his touch and stands up, quickly keeping a safe distance from his boyfriend. Jonghyun doesn’t need to say anything for Kibum to know he is confused by actions. Kibum finally breaks his silence, but what he says next is completely unplanned.

“Are you cheating on me?”

When the question is out in the air, both Kibum and Jonghyun are caught by surprise. But Kibum knows there’s no point in taking the question back… especially when he notices how Jonghyun’s face pales in the next moment. That’s when Kibum knows everything the stranger has told him is the truth. That’s when Kibum’s heart breaks. Losing all energy, he falls back onto the bed, eyes losing focus, as he returns to staring into space, suddenly finding it hard to breathe. At the same time, Jonghyun freezes in his position but he refuses to let silence suffocate them.

“Kibum, listen to me.”

No response.

“Kibum, please, hear me out. I can explain.”

“Nothing happened… you’re still the one I want… you always will be the person I want to spend the rest of my life with.”

“Please forgive me… it was a mistake.”

“I love you, bum, please.”

At that, Kibum finally looks at Jonghyun.

“Tell me… did you kiss her?”

Jonghyun hesitates for a long moment before he nods.

“Did you… sleep with her?”

It doesn’t matter what Kibum asks anymore because his heart is already broken and there isn’t more damage that can be done.

“I didn’t.”

“But I heard that you…”

“We did a lot… that I admit… but we didn’t- no, I couldn’t.”

“Do you love her?”

“I don’t.”

“Then why, Jjong? Why?”

“I… don’t know… I just… I’m sorry, bummie, I’m so so sorry… I made a mistake.”

“Did you even think about me when you were spending all that time with her?”

Jonghyun doesn’t reply but the guilt on his face explains everything.

“I love you, Jjong.” Kibum laughs, shaking his head at himself, “Even right now, I still do.”

Tears streaming down his face, Jonghyun finally walks forward and sinks to his knees when he is in front of Kibum, “I love you too, Kibum, I never stopped loving you. I know nothing I say right now will help me but please forgive me.”

Knowing how regretful and sorry Jonghyun is, Kibum can’t help but reach out to wipe Jonghyun’s tears away as he then smiles weakly, “I can’t forgive you now, Jjong… and although I may forgive you in the future, I can never forget this.”

Jonghyun leans his forehead against Kibum’s knees as he stutters between sobs, “I can’t… I can’t lose you, bum”

Kibum stays silent for a moment long enough for him to think about all the good memories he shares with Jonghyun, their hopes for the future together, how they are meant to be, how he will never find someone else as perfect as Jonghyun to spend the rest of his life with. But when he looks down at Jonghyun who is crying on his knees and realises this scar on his heart will never be healed, Kibum knows he can’t hold on anymore. And so, he the back of Jonghyun’s head and mutters out the words that decide their fate together.

“You already did.”

Author's Note: (/ _ ; ) poor jonghyun... always the bad guy in this series of fics. as requested, i really wrote this without thinking much about it, and i'm posting it immediately after typing the last line, so forgive any mistakes... i'll be back to proof read later but in the mean time, let me know if you spot any errors. thanks for reading! :)