Chapter 4

The Story Of Life

 

A few days has past and Jongup, Yongguk and Junhong are getting more and more overprotective towards Daehyun. Especially Yongguk because he can’t see Daehyun everytime and everyday so he’s easily getting worried.

There were once when Yongguk suddenly came panting into Daehyun’s cafee looking for him. Daehyun startled and confused, walked towards Yongguk while looking at him strangely.

“Hyung, why are you here?” Daehyun asked him with confusion in his face. Yongguk panted as if he has been running a marathon. He sigh loudly to calm his breath. “I’m... I came to your house and you’re not there and then I called Jongup and he said that you’re here so I ran here. Why are you here?” Yongguk explain in one breath.

“Eermm... Working?” Daehyun gave him a strange look because, duh! It’s the most obvious thing in the world. “Oh yeah.. Right. Of course.” Yongguk came into realization and curse himself for being stupid.

“I’m sorry, Dae.. I was worried and I don’t know what was I thinking, I thought something happened to you and I’m.. I just want to make sure..” Daehyun’s face soften, he understand where his hyung’s coming from. “Hyung, I’m fine, don’t worry too much, okay?” he gave him a reassuring smile and told him to go and wait for him in the pantry.

Yongguk wanted to believe his words but he’s glad he’s not when Daehyun collapse suddenly in front of him. Youngjae and Ilhoon ran towards them in panic. Yongguk asked them to watch the shop, carried Daehyun to his car and drive to the hospital.

 

--

 

Daehyun woke up due to the nausea in his stomach. He turned his gaze and find Jongup, sleeping in the chair beside his bed with yesterday’s dress shirt minus the tie. His nausea suddenly kicking in and he make a run towards the bathroom and accidently ripped the infusion out of his hand. The ruffled sound wakes Jongup up and he found a trail of blood.

With a bad feeling, he ran to the toilet only to find his fiancé vomiting in the sink with a deep cut on his wirst. He grabbed a towel and pressed it around Daehyun’s wirst. He caress Daehyun’s back until the latter’s calm.

Jongup carried Daehyun back to the bed and call the doctor to check on his wirst. After a few stitches on his wirst, Daehyun go back to sleep due to the morphine. Jongup slowly run his hand on Daehyun’s hair and stare at him.

“You have to stop scaring me to death, you know. Are you trying to kill me?” Jongup said quietly. He hold his hand and put it on his cheek as he keep his gaze at the latter.

 

--

 

The doctor come to Daehyun’s room in the morning to check on him. Jongup asks the doctor worriedly about Daehyun’s condition.

“His cancer has spread to his spleen, liver, and kidney, that means he's already on the stage IIIC. I’m afraid taking his medicine everyday won’t help anymore.” Jongup feels like God is playing with him right now.

“...then what should we do? What can you do?? You have to do something!!” Jongup yelled in desperation.

“We can do radiation therapy or chemoteraphy, but there's side effects that may occur, like hair falling. And I think he has to be hospitalized so that case like this won't happ-” “No.” Without they notice, their talking woke Daehyuns up. They turned their attention to the latter.

“I don’t want to be hospitalized.” Daehyun said without turning his gaze to them. Jongup walks and sit beside him on the bed.

“Dae.. please-“ “No, Jongup.. I don’t want to stay here.. I wanna go home..” Daehyun look at him, pleading. “Please... you can’t leave me here.. please..” Daehyun cling into Jongup’s dress shirt, his eyes starting to wet. Jongup can never stand Daehyun’s teary eyes. He has no option except saying yes to him.

Jongup turns to the doctor and asks if it’s okay. The doctor said that it’s okay with a condition, he has to take the treatment, wether it’s chemo or radiation. Jongup agreed without asking the latter.

They went home a few hours later. They were in the living room watching TV while cuddling when Jongup decided to break the silence. “Dae, I have something I need to ask you.”

“What is it?” He asked. “Please don’t go anywhere alone.” Jongup said without looking at the latter. Daehyun turned to look at him with a confuse face. “Why?” “What if you passed out again and no one’s there with you? What am I suppose to do then?” Jongup keep his gaze to the TV but Daehyun can tell that he has a hard face.

“.....Okay, but what if I really have to go?”

“Ask Yongguk-hyung or Junhong to go with you”

“What if they can’t?”

“Then ask Youngjae or Ilhoon”

“What if they can’t either?”

“Call me and I’ll go with you”

“What if you’re in middle of a meeting?”

“Then you can’t go”

“Even if it’s very important?”

Jongup started to get annoyed and raise his voice a little. “Well maybe you should stop asking and just do as I say.”

Daehyun stunned at the sudden raised voice. “Maybe I will if you could just talked to me instead of the TV” With that, Daehyun stand up and walked to their room and slamed the door. Jongup sigh heavily as he just realize he didn’t take a single glance to his fiancé while talking. He feels guilty for raising his voice to Daehyun when the latter didn’t do anything wrong.

He walks to their room and knock the door. When he doesn’t get any response, he decided to come into their room and find his fiancé laying on their bed with the blanket covering him from head to toe.

“Dae..” he sits beside him and pulled the cover from his fiancé. “what are you doing here”

“Dae I’m sorry.. I know I’m being unreasonable, I shouldn’t have raised my voice to you..” Daehyun didn’t answer him instead he keep humming to his phone. “Dae”

Daehyun turned his face to the latter, sit up, and give him an annoyed look. “Oh, I’m sorry, I was talking to my phone. You were saying?” Jongup give him a face and sigh heavily. “Dae.. don’t be like this, please.. I’m sorry, okay, I’ll make it up to you”

“How?” Daehyun glared at him, giving him an annoyed look.

“errm.. cheesecake?” Jongup tried, knowing that Daehyun can never resist that slice of heaven. Daehyun scoffed. “You think I’m that easy?” Daehyun give him a look and stared back to his phone.

Jongup growled softly “Fine. Cheesecakes. You forgive me now?”

Daehyun beamed and hold his smile, which is failed. “Aww.. You know I can never stay mad at you” Daehyun  leaned his head on Jongup’s shoulder playfully. “Yeah.. For a cheesecake” Jongup give him a look and Daehyun laugh at the statement. “aaww.. we both know that’s not true” Daehyun pulls on his sleeve jokingly. Jongup only laugh and hugged him.

They stay like that for a while until Jongup decided to break the silence. “Dae,” Daehyun just hummed for an answer. “I’m sorry.. And thank you.” Jongup buried his head on Daehyun’s hair and Daehyun lean in closer and close his eyes before answering.

“Idiot.”

 

--

 

Months has passed and Daehyun’s not getting any better. He’s getting weaker and weaker each week. He’s getting skinnier and his hair started to fall and he always wears a beanie to hide it. He stopped coming to the shop because sometimes his legs gave up on him and he can’t even stand up after that.

The doctor insists him to get hospitalized but being the stubborn one he is, he always refused. Daehyun asked Jongup to stopped his treatment one day and that make Jongup’s heart raced unevenly. Only a few sentences and Jongup give in half heartedly to Daehyun.

“Enough already.. It hurts.. And I’m tired..”

 

-

 

Jongup, Yongguk and Junhong always take turns to accompany him so that he won’t get bored by staying home alone.

Today is Junhong’s turn to accompany Daehyun. “Jun, can you help me with something?” Daehyun suddenly asks. “Sure, what is it, Hyung?” Junhong look at him curiously.

“I want to make something for Jongup, can you go out with me to buy something? But don’t let Jongup know, okay?” Junhong agreed. They went to the store and buy an origami paper. Lots of it.

A few days has passed and Junhong decided to asks.

“Why won’t you let me help you, hyung? And why paper crane?” Daehyun turned his attention from the paper and faced Junhong. Daehyun laugh a little before he answered.

“Don’t you know? There’s myth that says if you make a thousand paper cranes within a year by yourself, your wish will be granted.” He paused, chuckled softly, and turned his attention back to the half-done paper crane in his hand.

“It’s stupid, I know, but I can’t help but hope that even thought the paper cranes didn’t grant my wish, at least maybe God will take pity on me for my hard work and grant my wish instead.” Junhong only looked at him and can’t help but think how could this kind of person has to get through something like this. He keeps on staring at Daehyun, while Daehyun’s mumbling about whether or not to write his wish on every crane.

“It’s not stupid, hyung.” Daehyun turn his head towards Junhong and find him with teary eyes.

“Hey! Why are you crying? This thing’s supposed to bring happiness!” He smiled.

“So don’t cry, okay?”

 

--

 

Jongup’s on his day off and he decided to take Daehyun on a picnic. They played around and when Jongup want to take a picture of Daehyun, he turns around quickly and cover his face with his hands.

“No, don’t! I look terrible..” Jongup stunned at the statement. He walks to him and circled his arms around Daehyun and pulled Daehyun’s hands away from his face.

“No. You’re gorgeous.”

Daehyun stayed silence before turning in Jongup’s arm. He scoffed jokingly and wrap his hands around Jongup’s neck.

“You and your cheesy lines.” Jongup only smiled at the statement and stared lovingly at him.

 

--

 

It took a month to convince Jongup that this is the right time, that there’s no time left, that he’ll regret it if he didn’t do it.

This is it. Now or never.

Jongup keep repeating those sentences while clenching his hand around a small navy box in his pocket. He reached home while making several plans in his head and he decide to propose –yes. Propose.- after dinner.

 

-after dinner-

Daehyun’s cleaning up the table while Jongup’s sitting on the couch in the living room, waiting for him. Jongup keeps opening and closing the small navy box. Inside was a simple diamond infinity design ring. Daehyun always likes simple things and he don’t really comfortable wearing jewelry so Jongup think that this ring is perfect. Just the way Daehyun likes it.

Jongup heard a footsteps coming his way and he quickly hide the box in his pocket. Daehyun sat beside him in the sofa and leaning his head on Jongup’s shoulder. “What are you watching?” he asks innocently.

“Bang Daehyun.” Jongup says suddenly makes the latter turned his head towards him. Daehyun hum to him for an answer. “I don’t like that name. It sounds weird.” He continued. “Excuse me?” Daehyun straighten up on his seat an eyed the latter, feeling slightly offended.

“Hmm.. What makes it sounds weird, I wonder..” he rubs his chin, thinking.

“Yah, Moon Jongup!” Daehyun’s starting to get annoyed. “Moon.. Yeah. Moon is better.” Daehyun scoffed at the statement and rolled his eyes. “Please” He’s really annoyed right now, not getting where is this going.

“Yupp, Moon is totally perfect.” Jongup finished. “Whatever” Daehyun stand up and started walking away to their room.

“Moon Daehyun. Perfect, right?” Daehyun stopped on his tracked and turned around to faced Jongup with widen eyes, staring at him in disbelieve.

“What do you mean...” Daehyun mumbled softly as if he’s talking to himself. He covered his mouth with his hands, gasping softly when Jongup started to walked and kneeled in front of him while holding a small navy box in front of him.

“Bang Daehyun, do you want it? My surname?” he asks jokingly. He looks calm but his heart actually beats so hard he think it’s going to explode.

Daehyun wanted to jump into him and hug him tightly and yelled the word ‘yes’ to him, but he can’t. He knows that he doesn’t has any time left. He doesn’t even sure if he’ll make it tomorrow. He doesn’t want to make Jongup’s hopes up by accepting his proposal. It’ll hurt him more and Daehyun doesn’t want that.

So Daehyun take a deep breath and answered.

“No. I don’t want it.” Daehyun turned his face sideway. He can’t bear to see Jongup’s expression right now. Jongup’s smile drop and he stands up from his position. “Why..?”

“..It’s too fast” Daehyun’s trying to find a good enough reason. He just can’t tell Jongup the real reason. At least, not yet.

“Too fa- it’s been four years, Dae..” Jongup looked at him in disbelieve. He looked hurt and disappointed.

“Jongup, please.. I’m not ready for this.. You kinda freak me out..” Daehyun clench his hand and closed his eyes tightly. Jongup scoffed in disbelieve and hold his head. “I-I.. I can’t believe this.. I.. I don’t understand.. I thought you love me..” Daehyun snapped his head at the last sentence to Jongup. “I am! I just-"

“I’m sorry, Dae. I need some time alone.” With that, Jongup throw the box to the bin in the corner of the room, grab his coat and go out, slamming the door before Daehyun can say anything.

Daehyun can’t hold his tears anymore. He walked slowly to the bin and grab the box out. He open it with shaking hands and started to sob hardly. He fall on his knees while hugging the box to his chest.

He didn’t realize when a red, thick liquid dripping from his nose. He keeps on crying until his consciousness leave him.

 

--

 

Jongup come back that night with a heartache. It was passed midnight when he arrived home. He thought that Daehyun’s already asleep in their room and he still can’t face Daehyun right now so he decide to sleep on the couch in the living room.

He walks tiredly to the living room but the sight stopped him on his track. He find Daehyun lying on the ground with a tears stain on his face. But what scares him the most is the red stain under his nose trailing over his cheek.

He runs to Daehyun and carry him bridal style. Without thinking, he rushed to the hospital and start yelling in desperation for the doctor to help him when he arrived.

 

--

 

“He’s critical. He’s condition is getting worst and there’s nothing we can do. We’re sorry, we can only pray for him to wake up right now.” Jongup felt like jumping out of the window right now. He didn’t answer the doctor and walked into Daehyun’s room.

Jongup sits beside him and hold his hand tightly. He turned his face to the nightsand and find the navy box he threw before. He just realizes that Daehyun was holding it tightly when he found him on the floor.

He reached to the box and open it. He pulls the ring out and he can’t hold his tears anymore. He slipped the ring on Daehyun’s left ring finger. He squeezed his hand slightly and placed it on his cheek.

“Dae.. Please wake up.. I’m begging you.. please..”

 

--

 

Jongup awakened when Yongguk and Junhong arrives at Daehyun’s room early in the morning. Jongup turned to them and smiled to them tiredly. Yongguk rushed to the other side of Daehyun’s bed and caress his hair.

“How is he?” Junhong asks while putting his hand on Jongup’s shoulder, giving him an encouraging squeez. Yongguk faced his way, waiting for his answer.

“They said he’s critical... There’s nothing we can do anymore..” Jongup says while caressing his temple. “This is all my fault... I shouldn’t have left him last night..” Jongup continues and he started to sobbed.

“..What happened?” Yongguk asks softly, not wanting to make the atmosphere worse. Something shiny on Daehyun’s left hand suddenly catches Junhong’s eyes.

“Jongup.. You propose..?” Junhong broke into a broken smile, don’t know whether to be happy or sad right now.

Jongup laughed ironically before he answered. “Yeah... and he said no... and this moron! Instead of trying to understand, he choose to ran off, leaving his fiancé alone, hurting!” Jongup started cursing to himself in frustration and sobs harder. The other couple stared at him in pity, don’t knowing what to say.

“It’s alright, Jongup.. It’s not your fault.”

Suddenly, the beeping machine beeps loudly and they started to panic. Junhong rushed outside, calling for the doctor. The doctor and a few nurses come to the room and asks them to get out.

It takes an hour –the longest hour of Jongup’s life- until the doctor come out of the room. They rushed to the doctor and wait for an explaination. The doctor give them an apologetic face and shook his head.

“He want to see all of you.”

With that, they take no time and break into the room. Daehyun was lying on the bed weakly with half lidded eyes, face towards them. They rushed to his bed with tears stain faced and stand beside him. He gives a reassuring smile while taking his oxygen mask off.

He looked towards Junhong and reached his hand for him. Junhong takes his hand and walk closer.

“Jun... thank you for being my little brother even just for a while.. please take care of my hyung... he can be such an idiot sometimes, but I think you can deal with him...” Junhong only holds his hand and looked down, crying silently with shoulder shaking.

He looked towards Yongguk after and reached out to him. He takes his hand and squeeze it slighty. “Hyung... I’m sorry.. I’ll be off first..” he said weakly. Yongguk squeeze his hand tighter, tears pouring from his eyes. Daehyun took a glance to Junhong and back to his hyung. “Marry him, hyung.. he’s perfect...” Junhong broke into a sobbing mess at the last few sentences.

Lastly, he turned his face towards Jongup. He gave Jongup a crescent smile. The prettiest smile that Jongup used to like the most. Daehyun’s hand reached towards him and caress his cheek. Jongup put his own hand on top of Daehyun’s hand and squeezed it slightly.

“Don’t cry..” Jongup just shook his head and closed his eyes tightly. Tears keep pouring out of his eyes. “Jongup..” his voice was so quiet it's barely a whisper. Jongup open his eyes and look at the latter.

“The ring’s so pretty... I really love it... thank you..” Daehyun’s breath started to get heavy he can barely talk. “Dae.. please.. Stop..” Jongup said in tears, can’t bear to see Daehyun in pain. Daehyun’s breath getting slower and his heart beats too slow. Daehyun’s eyes getting dimmer. He shook his head and apologize.

“Guys.. I’m getting sleepy.. I think I’m gonna take a nap for a while...” The room was filled with sob and machine beeping. Daehyun closed his eyes slowly, breaths getting slower and slower and Jongup hold his hand tighter.

“I’m sorry... I love you guys...”

 

--

 

Jongup sit on the edge of his –their- bed with his head hung low to the floor. He didn’t cry, not even at the funeral. He just stared into spaces, don’t even know what he was thinking. A quiet knock was heard from the door. He didn’t answer but the door squeak opened. He raised his head and find Junhong with puffy eyes standing in front of him while holding a big jar in his hands.

Junhong raised the jar and give it to Jongup. Jongup takes it uncertainly and gave him a confused look.

“Dae made it for for you.. be strong, hyung..” He smiled and walked out of the room. Junhong walked to the living room and find Yongguk standing in front of him. He opened his arms and Junhong take no time to run into it and cried hardly.

 

--

 

Jongup stared at the jar for a while before opening it.  He find a small letter on top of the small paper cranes.

“Paper cranes?” He asks to himself confusedly before he opened the letter.

 

To the love of my life,

I’m so sorry. I love you so much, you know that, right?

-Sincerely, Dae-

 

Jongup’s eyes starting to wet but still no tears coming out. He gritted his teeth and clench the letter tight. He pick a crane up and played with it in his fingers. Suddenly, a hint of ink caught his eyes.

He opened the the paper crane out of curiosity and find a familiar hand writing in it. He read it and pick another one and opened it quickly. He took another one, and then another one, again and again only to find the same hand writing and sentence.

His hands started to shake and tears started pouring out of his eyes. He hugged the jar to his chest tightly and sobbed quietly.

“You idiot...”

 

--

 

Dear a thousand paper cranes, or God, whichever is fine.

Please love him and make him happy.

 

-Moon Daehyun-

 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

it's done! gosh! I can't believe I did it..

I'm very sorry for the long update :( I've been caught up in school since it's almost the national exam and I'm in my last year so...... :'(

 

Hope you all like it!! *hide in the corner*

Like this story? Give it an Upvote!
Thank you!

Comments

You must be logged in to comment
rose_lily #1
Chapter 5: Omg... such an beautiful story.. but the ending just soooo sad.... im crying alot reading this.. so heartbreaking...
seoulsunshine
#2
Chapter 5: Why it need to end like this???
TT
uXknowme
#3
Chapter 5: Yes totally agree with the comment below! Its been awhile since I cried reading the fic..

Sad omg.. Why sad ending T^T
My heart is breaking
hikaruwilly
#4
Chapter 5: It's been a while since I cry reading a fic. Actually Jongup being the dominant one is not my cup of tea, but this fic just totally beautiful and heartbreaking.
T__________T
thanks for the story author-nim
MSnanaii
#5
Chapter 5: This was really sad. Even though the sentence structure was a bit lacking, it really made me cryyyyy :((
bae2suji #6
Chapter 5: nooooooooo ㅠㅠ
Hyrichi #7
Chapter 5: Noooooo, Dae why??? Huhuhuhu its so sad 휴휴 aish idk what to say anymore now i need to find fluffy daejong
DoubleSHINee
#8
Chapter 5: This was a very very beautiful ending:)
st3f4n13
#9
Chapter 5: This is so heart touching, i'm crying now T_T
Aigo-is-Deby
#10
Chapter 4: This chapter is beautiful, literally! Loved this! I really hope Daehyun will be able to make it. But I imagine that because it's cancer he'll never really be safe. Why would Jongup want to hide his illness to him tho? Like won't it break Daehyun's heart when he'll know it?
Anyway, I can't wait for the next chapter and was wondering will the other two members appeared? Himchan and Youngjae? Maybe for a Himjae... :p <3 ?