“I brought everything today.” Hyukjae looks up to see Donghae carrying an armful of bags. He rushes over to help, placing the bags on the table in front of them.

He peers into the first one, and he smiles.

“I remember this.” Hyukjae looks fondly at the watch in his hands. “I had saved weeks of pocket money just to get you this as a birthday present.”

“Yeah, and remember how angry I got because you weren’t eating lunch just to buy this for me?” Donghae chuckles, and Hyukjae laughs as well.

“Yeah,” He brings the watch to the light. It has long lost its shine, but it brings back all of their memories together. “I was always an idiot, I guess.”

“You were,” Donghae agrees.

“But I was always an idiot just for you.” Hyukjae grins, and Donghae smacks his hand away shyly.

Donghae takes out the second item and their eyes light up.

“We went on so many movie dates.” Hyukjae reminisces, as Donghae rummages through the bag of movie tickets. “I remember how you would drag me to the cinema after school whenever a new movie came out.”

“Remember how Umma would scold you when you brought me back home? For bringing me back so late?” Donghae chuckles, attempting to read the words off the tickets that have long faded away.

“Yeah, and I assumed full responsibility every time, even though you were the one who dragged me there.”

At that, Donghae pauses, letting the tickets fall back into the bag.

Yeah… Hyukjae had always been the one to take the blame, no matter what he did.

He was always willing to catch Donghae when he fell.

“You were always behind me, Hyukjae.” Donghae murmurs, lacing their fingers together.

“And I loved to be behind you. To be with you every step of the way.” Hyukjae assures, placing the bag of tickets back to where it came from.

“Look at all of these,” Donghae shows Hyukjae the stack of papers and Hyukjae’s face immediately flushes.

“Remember how you would write me a letter every week? Even though we saw each other every day.”

“They proved useful when we fought,” Hyukjae adds. “I remember folding these letters into paper planes and throwing them into your window, in hopes that you would forgive me.”

“And they always worked.” Donghae ends, tracing every word on the yellowed pages.

“Of course, it’s me after all.” Hyukjae says smugly, earning a pinch in his side.

“And these are the letters you wrote to me,” Hyukjae smiles. “You were a cheesy romantic just the same, no matter how much you deny it now.”

Donghae nods his head in agreement. “You’re a bad influence.”

Hyukjae takes out a bag of his own.

“I have so many copies of these photographs,” he flips through the massive collection, and Donghae’s eyes widen. “I figured I could leave some here.”

“Hyukjae…” Donghae whispers.

There were hundreds, thousands of photographs.

Some of the two of them together, some of the places they had gone to together, but mostly pictures of Donghae.

Hyukjae had captured every moment in Donghae’s life, from his eyes.

“I look so ugly in this one!” Donghae exclaims, as he looks at the picture of him stuffing his face with deokbokki.

“You’re always beautiful, love.” Hyukjae murmurs, and Donghae feels the heat creeping up the side of his face again.

Hyukjae takes out yet another stack of photographs, and Donghae now knows…

He now knows how much Hyukjae loves him.

As Hyukjae sorts through the photographs, Donghae rushes over, almost toppling him over with a backhug.

“Hae!” Hyukjae laughs, but he stops when he feels the tears soaking through the back of his shirt.

“What’s wrong?”

He turns around, pulling Donghae into his embrace.

“Why do you love me so much?” Donghae utters, a part of Hyukjae’s shirt.

“Silly,” Hyukjae says, brushing away the hair that is blocking Donghae’s beautiful eyes. “Why are you asking such a silly question?”

Donghae only shakes his head, burying further into Hyukjae’s chest.

“There’s no reason,” Hyukjae murmurs. “I love you because you are you.”

“So,” Hyukjae says, attempting to brighten the mood. “Where shall we put all of these?”

Donghae pulls away, wiping away his tears.

“Remember this?” Donghae pulls out a dirty shoebox, once pristine white.

“It was the first gift I ever received from you,” Hyukjae breathes.

“Happy Birthday Hyukjae!” Donghae screams, pushing a white shoebox into Hyukjae’s hands.

Hyukjae steps back, gasping in disbelief.

“Hae! These are the shoes I’ve been wanting for months! How did you-”

“You skipped meals, didn’t you?” Hyukjae begins to nag at him, but Donghae shushes him with his lips.

“That doesn’t matter,” Donghae jumps excitedly. “Try them on!”

Hyukjae sighs, shaking his head, but his face brightens as he takes out the pair of shoes he’s been eyeing for ages.

“I love it!” Hyukjae exclaims, pulling Donghae into a tight hug. “I love you so much!”

Donghae chuckles, letting himself melt into the embrace.

“We’ll put everything in here.” Donghae smiles, pushing the shoebox into Hyukjae’s hands once again.

 

Donghae watches as Hyukjae grunts, trying to get the shovel into the hard ground as deep as he can. He chuckles watching him, but frowns when he sees the beads of sweat trickling down Hyukjae’s forehead.

“Are you sure this will work, Hyukkie?” Donghae asks, placing his hands onto Hyukjae’s arms.

“I’m certain,” Hyukjae replies, smiling gently. He continues for another few minutes, and soon they manage to fit the box snugly inside.

“Do you think it’ll be safe here?” Donghae asks, peering curiously at the box that is half covered with soil now.
 

“I hope it will be.” Hyukjae replies, letting Donghae lean on his shoulder.

They fall into silence, and Donghae stares at the box - the box that holds all of their memories.

“I won’t be there to open this with you then, Hyukjae. But I hope even then, you will still remember me.”

“Silly. How silly could you be to think I would ever forget you?” Hyukjae murmurs, watching the tears trickle down the side of the pale face inches away from him.

He leans in, pressing his lips against the other’s.

“You will be with me then, Donghae.” Hyukjae says firmly, wrapping his arms around the shorter male’s waist.

“We’ll open this together.”

Donghae smiles, and he watches as the last bits of soil cover the old shoebox.

What happens to our memories as time goes by? Do they slowly all fade away, as how most memories do? Will you forget, Hyukjae? Will you forget me? I want you to remember me, Hyukjae. Please don’t forget me.

5. Let’s build a time capsule, and remember all our memories eternally.