Minseok never saw himself as anything special. He wasn't smarter than the rest (even though his grades told a whole other story), he wasn't stronger, funnier or kinder. 

Still, if there was anything Minseok couldn't allow himself to do like everybody else, it was letting people get hurt. And people at school knew this very well. If a bully ever got caught red-handed by Kim Minseok, her or she could expect a call from the school's office the following day. Having been bullied himself as a child, Minseok refused to let others suffer the same way he once had. 

But even though Minseok helped quite a few people out, he rarely formed any kind of relationship or companionship with them. He himself just figured it came with the job. Once he had saved yet another victim, the person would thank him and then return to his or her friends for support and aftercare. This bothered Minseok sometimes. He too wanted to have friends to care for, but most people only saw him as a figure of justice, a person to be respected and feared. Nobody really bothered to realize what a gentle and kind person Minseok really was. That was until Luhan came along.  

Minseok had been walking around the school grounds when they first met. His lesson had been cancelled, and having nothing else to do, he had decided to go to the school's gym. But before he even got there he encountered a group of boys, surrounding a guy in a wheelchair. Minseok immediately remembered seeing said guy in the art-room earlier during the week, but they had never spoken to one another. But the guys surrounding him clearly seemed to know him, but as nothing more than a new punching-bag. A punching bag even more unable to defend himself than the rest. 

Minseok, not wanting to get into a fight with the bullies when the victim was smack in the middle, he decided to use one of his old tricks. Hiding behind the closest corner, he began to speak louder than necessary. "Oh hello, Mr. Lee! Yes, I do remember that the essay is supposed to be in tomorrow, I promise you'll have it on your desk by tomorrow morning!" 

He didn't need to fake the conversation for too long before he heard the sound of pounding footsteps running in the opposite direction, and he sighed to himself. That went way easier than he had expected. Idiots. 

He rounded the corner and could immediately confirm that the bullies had left the scene. The guy in the wheelchair was the only one left, clearly struggling as he tried to reach his backback that had been thrown to the ground. Minseok jogged up to him and grabbed the back, handing it back to him with a warm smile. "Are you okay? It looked like they were giving you a hard time?" 

The boy in front of him smiled slightly as he got his bag back, hugging it to his chest before he hung it onto the side of the chair. "I'm fine. It's nothing I'm not used to or haven't experienced before. It was you right? You faked talking to Mr.Lee to get them to go? Thank you. I owe you one." The boy smiled bigger, full of glee. 

"Nobody should have to get used to being treated like that." Minseok murmured. "Do you mind me asking about the chair? How long will you have to use it? It must be hard." 

The guy chuckled and shrugged. "Actually... It'll probably be a permanent thing. I was in an accident when I was 14 years old. Became paralyzed from the thighs and down. I have therapy every week to help me walk, but I don't see the point. I don't think I'll ever walk again. I mean, I'm 19 years old now, meaning I've been going to therapy for almost 5 years now. Still, I can barely take a step. Sorry, I'm rambling." 

Minseok immediately felt saddened by the news. The poor guy seemed to have given up all hope on ever walking again. "Hey" Minseok said gently, putting a hand on the other's knee cautiously, "Don't give up just yet. Some people spend decades recovering from an accident. Just the fact that you can move this much of your body is a miracle in itself, right? Keep on going to therapy okay? That way, you'll never have any regrets." 

The boy chuckled. "Thank you. I'm taking heartfelt advice from you, but I don't even know your name."  

Minseok smiled widely, displaying his pink gums. "It's Minseok." He told the other happily, "Kim Minseok. And you are?" 

The boy smiled back just as wide. "Luhan. Last name Lu, first name Han. You can call me whatever you want." 

Minseok chuckled. "Okay Lu." 

The months that passed were the best ones of their lives. Minseok finally had a friend, a friend who needed him in so many ways, and whom he needed right back. And Luhan had also found a huge support in Minseok, who kept on protecting him from the people who teased an bullied him, as well as offered Luhan a shoulder to lean on when times got tough. It almost felt natural to them both when the semester began to come to an end, and they both applied to the same university. Just as natural was their transition from best friends, to boyfriends, as well as the decision to move in together once university finally began. 

It was their last day of summer-vacation, their final day of total freedom before a new chapter in their life would begin. University, as scary as it seemed, was something they both looked forward to. New subjects to learn, more mature people who wouldn't judge Luhan and best of all, their new life together. But before all of that could begin, thy both needed a bit of time to just relax by themselves. That's why Minseok had taken it upon himself to take Luhan on a small outing to the park that they both loved so much, cooling-box with snack and drinks in Luhan's lap as Minseok pushed him over the grass. Once at the perfect spot under a big tree, Minseok gently lifted Luhan and sat him down on the blanket he had spread out for them to sit on. He then leaned back against the trunk of the tree and pulled Luhan between his legs, so that Luhan could lean on him in turn. He then allowed Luhan to feed him snack over his shoulder, giggling as Minseok peppered his neck with small kisses that tickled Luhan to the core. Minseok sighed as the hours passed by and a gentle breeze ruffled their hair. Life couldn't possibly get better at that moment.  

Luhan suddenly began to untangle himself from Minseok's arms, and the latter jumped in surprise. A little disoriented he put a hand on Luhan's waist. "Hey, something wrong?" 

Luhan nodded and stuck his bottom lip out in an adorable pout which made Minseok want to swoon. "I want ice-cream." Luhan stated childishly as he pointed towards the ice-cream truck on the other side of the park.  

Minseok chuckled at Luhan's babyish behavior and stood up, brushing off some dirt and grass from his jeans. "Your wish is my command princess." He teased, and Luhan pouted some more. "Strawberry?" Minseok asked, already knowing the answer, and Luhan nodded excitedly. Placing a kiss on top of Luhan's fluffy hair, Minseok sprinted off towards the the other side of the park, on a mission to get his princess the best ice-cream he had ever tasted. 

"Luhan! Sorry it took so long but there were so many people and- Luhan what are you doing!? That's dangerous, you're going to hurt yourself!" Minseok had never expected, that when he got back from the ice-cream truck, that Luhan would be standing up, hand leaning on the trunk of the tree.  

Luhan smiled a little shakily, but put his other hand up when Minseok began to speedily walk closer. "No! Stay there!" 

"But-" Minseok began to protest. What had gotten into Luhan all of a sudden? 

"Please Minseok. Juts... drop the ice-cream and stay right there okay? And no matter what, don't move. Please?" Luhan pleaded, and Minseok knew he had no choice but to comply with his boyfriend's request, even though it seemed crazy. Putting the two, thankfully wrapped, ice-creams down on the ground, he then turned back to Luhan, who was still leaning heavily against the trunk of the tree. "Okay Luhan. What now? What is that you're-" 

Minseok's word got completely stuck in his throat when Luhan suddenly took a step away from the tree, hands leaving the trunk so that he was standing on his own. Minseok's mouth hung wide as he watched his boyfriend, his Luhan, who hadn't walked for almost 6 years now, take step after wobbly step towards him, eyes on him the entire time. Tears of pride and hoy sprung to his eyes, but he pushed them back in order to watch every move Luhan made, wanting to remember the moment forever. When Luhan suddenly stopped just meters away from Minseok, his legs shaking like the ones on a newborn horse, he wanted nothing but to sprint forward and grab Luhan before he could fall. But Luhan looked back up at Minseok, determination in his eyes as he took yet another step, Minseok cheering him on quietly in his head the entire time.  

It was with a final surge of power that Luhan took the last step so that he was right in front of Minseok, before he allowed himself to collapse forward into Minseok's arms, completely spent. Minseok held Luhan tighter than he ever had before, kissing Luhan's cheek and neck over and over again. "I'm so proud of you Luhan, holy God I'm so proud." He could feel Luhan's hot, puffy breaths against his neck, and he could see the sweat on his forehead. How tiring mustn't that walk have been for him? Those barely ten meters, which was nothing for Minseok, must've felt like a marathon for Luhan. And Minseok was never going to stop praising him for this.  

Carefully he lifted Luhan into his arms, quickly carrying him back to their blanket before running back after their, now a bit melted, ice-creams. He put them inside the cooling-box and then placed himself behind Luhan once again, this time turning Luhan so that he was facing Minseok where he sat in his lap. Minseok kissed him right on the lips, a short kiss sine Luhan still hadn't found his breath just yet. "You did so well Luhan. I'm so proud of you, I always am." 

Luhan puffed and huffed a bit more before he managed a shaky laugh into Minseok's neck, who kept on rubbing Luhan's back in silent comfort. "I've worked on that for months now." Luhan told him a bit shakily, lungs still not working the way he wanted them to. "It was you who told me to never give up, do you remember? When we first met? So I wanted to show you that I didn't give up, that I could do it. That I could do it for you." 

Minseok smiled as he remember his own words, touched that they had affected Luhan so much. "I'm so glad you did Luhan. I'm really glad." 

They were both silent for quite a while after that as the sun began to set. They packed their stuff and Minseok helped Luhan back into his chair, and they were just about to leave when Minseok realized that he wanted to document this moment in some way. Excusing himself, he left Luhan where he was in order to take a photo with his phone of the place where his first miracle with Luhan had happened, a place he wanted to remember forever. He the tree absentmindedly with his hand, reading through the names scratched onto the tree with hearts all around them when he got an idea. Taking out his keys from his pocket, he took the biggest one and began to scratch away. 

Luhan, having grown curious of what Minseok was doing, wheeled himself over to his boyfriend. When he saw what said guys was doing, he snorted cutely. "Really? I thought we agreed on putting up a lock at Namsan-tower, not cut our names into a tree." He tugged at Minseok's shirt. 

Minsoek only smiled fondly and leaned down to kiss Luhan, taking a photo of his deed and handing his phone to Luhan before grabbing the handles to wheel Luhan away from the park, going home. Even though he couldn't see Luhan's face he could tell that the other was smiling, looking at the photo of the number Minseok had carved into the tree; 10m.   

Whispering into Luhan's ear, Minseok smiled as well. "This year you walked ten. Next year, let's meet at twenty."