I Existed
Tell Me You ExistIndex:
(YJ) – Young Jae speaking
(DH) – Daehyun speaking
(HC) – Himchan speaking
(KR) – Krystal speaking
(JU) – Jongup speaking
(MJ) – Mrs. Jung speaking
(DJ) – Mr. Jung speaking
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“Happy birthday, Young Jae!” (DH) Young Jae let out a small whine as he tried to shield his eyes from the sunlight. It was an early Saturday morning, maybe a little after nine, and he had been up late last night studying. For once, he had hoped to sleep in a little, but it seemed like Daehyun had other plans as he began constantly poking him with his fingertips. “Morning, morning, morning birthday boy! It’s time to rise and shine! It’s too beautiful a day to just stay in bed and sleep the day away!” (DH)
He let out a louder whine as he tried to turn his back towards Daehyun, waving his arm every now and then in an attempt to shoo Daehyun away. Even as he tried to pull the blanket further over himself, Daehyun seemed to not completely understand that Young Jae didn’t want to get up at this time. Daehyun merely pulled the blanket off of Young Jae before he began tugging at Young Jae’s pants. “Come oooooon! We gotta get going!” (DH)
“Going where…?” (YJ) He spoke with a sleepy voice, but he wasn’t necessarily completely awake. In fact, if Daehyun stopped bothering Young Jae for even a moment, Young Jae may end up falling back asleep in an instant. However, Daehyun wasn’t going to be letting up whatsoever. His determination to get Young Jae up and onto his feet was strong, especially since it was his birthday.
“We have to celebrate your birthday! It’s a surprise where though.” (DH) A surprise? Young Jae was tempted to go back to sleep, but the second he realized that his pants were sliding a bit off of him, Young Jae gasped as he quickly sat up, pulling his pants back up as he moved away from Daehyun a bit. “Great! You’re up! So get dressed and we’ll get going.” (DH)
“Y-You’re erted!” (YJ)
“Nooo~ I’m just trying to get you up and changed! Come on! Time’s just wasting away. I’ll go finish cooking breakfast.” (DH) Without another word, Daehyun simply smiled before leaving the room. Young Jae grumbled a bit, his eyebrows slightly furrowed, his eyelids sagging from lack of sleep, and a pout on his face. Now that he was up, he might as well just see what Daehyun had in store for him today. Well, either that, or he could go back to sleep.
Though… he probably shouldn’t. It would be a waste of effort if he did that.
With a small sigh, Young Jae rubbed his eyes a bit before forcing himself out of bed. Maybe what Daehyun had planned would actually end up being worth not catching up on his sleep. Of course… Young Jae still would have preferred to catch up on his sleep, especially since it was a weekend.
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“C-Can we... get something to eat…?” (YJ)
“We already ate!” (DH)
“But it was just a strawberry…” (YJ) Young Jae pouted a bit as they walked along the sidewalk. Daehyun mentioned something about preparing breakfast, but when he got to the kitchen, all that was there were two strawberries on a small plate. He didn’t even get to eat both strawberries. One went to him while the other strawberry went back into the fridge. Though… even if he had been able to eat both, it wouldn’t have been filling at all.
“Don’t worry! We’re almost there. Just be patient.” (DH) A sigh indicated that Young Jae wasn’t necessarily happy with this so far, but he trusted Daehyun’s intentions. If they hadn’t eaten that much, then that meant that they were going to be eating soon, right? Well, that was only if Daehyun wasn’t planning on making him starve. If anything, he could at least buy some food later on.
They walked for another few minutes before they came to a stop in front of large, red pillars that had a large set of stairs leading up a relatively tall hill, or maybe it was a small mountain. There were more pillars, or rather, archways, that lined the stairway while a forest seemed to encase the surrounding area. It was surprising to see a forest in this area, but Young Jae did recall that the temple itself was at the edge of the city. With that thought process in mind, he finally had an inkling as to what their destination may be. “Okay. We gotta head up these steps now.” (DH)
“B-But…” (YJ)
“Let’s get moving!” (DH) Daehyun hadn’t even given Young Jae a chance to voice his opinion as he began making his way up the steps. Young Jae let out a small whine as he looked around for a brief moment. He wasn’t really certain about what he was looking for, but when it became evident that he wasn’t going to be finding that certain something, he let out a heavy sigh before he began following Daehyun up the steps. Though, as he finally looked up, Young Jae realized that the stairway was much taller than he had anticipated.
“D-Do we really have to go up there?” (YJ)
“It’s not so bad! We’ll get there in no time.” (DH) That wasn’t the answer that Young Jae had been hoping for, but he doubted that Daehyun was going to say something else. All he could do was follow Daehyun and hope that their destination would be worth the work to get there.
As they progressed upwards, Young Jae was finding his legs quickly getting heavier with each step. It didn’t help either that his side was starting to hurt and that his breathing had ceased to be calm and even. He wasn’t exactly in shape, being the stay at home all the time type, so it shouldn’t have been a surprise for him to get tired out so quickly.
Looking up a bit, Young Jae took note of the landing that was coming up. From what he could tell, Young Jae could see that they were about halfway to the temple. So, it wouldn’t hurt to have a small rest, right? Young Jae was certain that he needed a break, so hopefully, Daehyun wouldn’t mind stopping for a few minutes. “D-Daehyun…! C-Can… can we rest?” (YJ)
“Huh? Oh… uh, sure!” (DH) Looking around, Daehyun grinned as he stood at the edge of the landing. Placing his hands on his hips, he took this time to admire everything all around them. It was good to take the time to stop and take in the scenery after all. “Isn’t this place beautiful? I’m surprised we didn’t come here sooner!” (DH)
“Y-… Yeah…” (YJ) Daehyun turned towards Young Jae, noticing that Young Jae was panting rather heavily while sitting on one of the steps. He felt bad that he was making Young Jae work so hard, but he was determined to surprise Young Jae with something that he had decided to put together within the past few days. It was a little difficult since almost no one can see him anymore, but he was determined to make this the best birthday ever.
After all… Daehyun didn’t know how much longer he had.
Walking over to Young Jae, Daehyun sat down behind Young Jae before he began massaging Young Jae’s shoulders. Young Jae stiffened at first from the sudden contact, but he somehow managed to loosen up and just enjoy the free massage from Daehyun. He did, of course, feel a bit embarrassed by this, but it was still rather nice of Daehyun to do this for him. “How’s that feel?” (DH)
“I-It feels good… b-but I’m a little sweaty…” (YJ)
“That’s alright! I wanna make sure that you’re comfortable.” (DH) It didn’t matter to Daehyun if Young Jae was sweating or not. He hadn’t known that Young Jae wasn’t going to be able to make it up the stairs with ease and he wanted to make it up to him somehow. It was his birthday after all and he was practically making Young Jae do something that he didn’t want to do, but… he was determined to make certain that Young Jae had a good birthday. Of course, Young Jae wasn’t exactly a sweating mess from what he could see. Although Young Jae was currently wearing a large jacket, Young Jae wasn’t sweaty whatsoever. Plus, it was pretty chilly out from what he remembered. It would take no time for Young Jae to cool down once again. “Hey. When we get up there, we’ll get you rested up and then I’ll show you something special.” (DH)
“Something… special?” (YJ)
“Yeah, but we have to get there first. So we’ll start climbing again when you’re ready, alright?” (DH) Young Jae nodded his head, but he wasn’t necessarily certain if he could make it up the rest of the steps. Even with doubt in his head, Young Jae didn’t want to disappoint Daehyun. He could at least try to make it up the rest of the steps and hope that he made it without having to stop too often.
After resting for a few more minutes, Young Jae got to his feet before giving the okay for them to start ascending the stairway once more. This time, though, Daehyun made certain to walk slowly as they held one another’s pinkies. Even though they said that they would build up to being able to fully hold one another’s hands, they already felt quite comfortable with what they had now.
Young Jae held a smile the entire time, looking around every now and then as he tried to look at the scenery around them. He hadn’t had the time to enjoy the scenery like Daehyun had done so earlier, but now that his attention was away from the slight pain in his side, Young Jae couldn’t help but find the area beautiful.
Even though the leaves had all fallen and the area was covered in snow, he still had a lovely view of the city. With the temple on a hill on the outskirts of the city, he could almost see the entire city from here. Plus, he really liked how the dark wood of the trees contrasted with the bright white of the snow.
“Almost there now.” (DH) Pulling himself from the scenery, Young Jae looked up to see the top of the steps approaching. Oddly enough, he wasn’t as tired as he had been at the landing below, but it may have been because they were actually taking their time now instead of trying to hurry up the steps.
“I-I… um… I’ve never been to a temple before… What are we supposed to do there?” (YJ) Young Jae glanced over at Daehyun, but Daehyun didn’t have an immediate answer. It would be a lie if he said that he’s never been to a temple, but it’s not like he knew what they were supposed to do there. He had only been about six or seven years old when he had gone to a temple and all he remembered was praying in front of a large bell before running around.
“Uh… we… pray for good things?” (DH)
“Oh… Then… I’ll pray for good grades. I-Is that something good to pray for?” (YJ) Daehyun chuckled a bit before looking at Young Jae and nodding. Well, at least Young Jae was being a good boy and hoping for good grades. Daehyun didn’t know if he was being good with his wishes, but it was something that he truly wanted. Of course… all he wanted was to be with Young Jae for as long as he could.
After they made it up a few more steps, the duo finally made it to the very top. Young Jae smiled in awe as he took a few steps forward, taking in the sights that the temple had to offer. He was surprised that the temple looked just like how temples would look in anime and it made him rather happy to know that both views were beautiful. The dark skies and the snow all around seemed to be able to add to the beauty, which seemed to inspire Young Jae with all sorts of ideas for his drawings. “Beautiful, isn’t it?” (DH)
“Y-Yeah…! I really like i- Oh!” (YJ) Young Jae quickly dug into his pockets before producing his phone. Unlocking his phone, he looked through the various apps before activating his camera. Without another word, Young Jae began walking around, taking pictures of what he liked. It was a good way to get references after all and he definitely wanted to show his grandmother when he visited her grave once again.
Daehyun smiled as he dug his hands into his jacket’s pockets. He was glad that Young Jae was enjoying himself, so he didn’t feel all too bad about getting Young Jae all the way up those steps. Though, since Young Jae would be alright on his own, Daehyun looked around for a moment.
He wasn’t going to tell Young Jae, but he had sent out various letters and such to a number of people that Young Jae might consider a friend. How did he do that? Well, when he had the time, Daehyun had followed Young Jae around for a while and whomever Young Jae seemed to speak to in a not so awkward manner, Daehyun would follow them for a bit before leaving a letter either on their desk or in their shoe locker. It was rather easy, considering the fact that no one but Young Jae can see him, but he kind of wished that everyone could still see him.
Well… it wouldn’t matter for much longer now.
“Daehyuuuun! Look! Look!” (YJ) Daehyun quickly snapped out of his thoughts, worry kicking in almost instantly as he looked around for Young Jae. At first, he thought that Young Jae was in trouble. After all, he’s never actually heard Young Jae sound so excited before. However, when he finally spotted Young Jae, he couldn’t help but smile as he saw Young Jae running up to him with a huge smile on his face. “I got a bunch of pretty pictures! I really like this place.” (YJ)
“You’re just like a tourist! You’re so cute.” (DH) Young Jae turned a deep shade of red as he attempted to turn away. However, Young Jae came to a stop as he felt a pair of hands pinching his cheeks. A small whine escaped his lips as he reached up and tried to pull Daehyun’s hands away from his face. Oddly enough, the second he touched Daehyun’s hands, Daehyun had taken hold of Young Jae’s hands before allowing their hands to drop. “Will you… remember to always be happy?” (DH)
The question was relatively random and it confused Young Jae a bit, but he didn’t think anything of it. Daehyun just simply wanted him to be happy, so it couldn’t mean anything bad, right? With a smile, Young Jae nodded happily as he hopped a bit. “I’ll remember to be happy!” (YJ)
“Great! Let’s head into the side building. I hear the caretaker here lets visitors hold events and such there and I wanna see what it looks like.” (DH) Young Jae looked over at the side building before turning his gaze back towards the temple. He wanted to see what the inside of the temple looked like first, but maybe it would be alright to build up the hype by going into the side areas first.
“O-Okay. Let’s go.” (YJ) With their pinkies linked once more, the duo began making their way over to the side building. While Young Jae was attempting to take more pictures with his cell phone, Daehyun was glancing at Young Jae every now and then. He really hoped that everything was ready, but he could only chance it and hope for the best.
Walking up the steps, the two walked up to the door before coming to a stop. Young Jae waited, expecting Daehyun to open the door, but after a few awkward seconds had passed, he looked at Daehyun out of curiosity. When he felt Young Jae’s gaze on him, Daehyun looked at Young Jae for a brief moment before nervously smiling. “Stay right here! Let me make sure that… it’s… uh… safe! Yeah! You know, there might be uh… demons and stuff in there!” (DH)
“O-Oh… u-um… okay…” (YJ) Daehyun was rather surprised that Young Jae believed him, but he decided to take advantage of it before Young Jae figured anything out. Walking up to the door, Daehyun carefully slide it open just a crack before he peeked inside. When he was content with what he saw, Daehyun grinned as he looked at Young Jae.
“Okay. It’s safe! Are you ready?” (DH)
“Uh-huh.” (YJ) Daehyun turned his attention back to the door before pushing the door open and moving off to the side. Just as Young Jae looked inside, he jumped a bit as a number of voices suddenly assaulted him with a cheer.
“Surprise! Happy Birthday!” Young Jae’s eyes widened as he looked around, seeing the familiar faces all within the building. The decorations that had been set up for a birthday party seemed to clash entirely with the inner designs of the temple’s side building, but that didn’t matter all too much. He was still surprised by the fact that people that he knew were here and throwing him a surprise party.
“Happy birthday, Young Jae. Go have fun.” (DH) Young Jae looked at Daehyun, whom was currently leaning against the wall with his arms folded and a warm smile on his face. He wondered how Daehyun had managed to do something like this, but before he could even ask, another voice called out to him.
“Hey! Young Jae! What’re you doing, just staring off in the distance like that?! Come in already!” (HC) In that instant, Himchan stepped outside before pulling Young Jae into the room. Daehyun managed to slip into the room before Himchan closed the door, which was a pretty good thing since he wanted to see Young Jae having as much fun as possible on his birthday.
“U-Um… How did you know it was my birthday?” (YJ) Young Jae didn’t recall telling anyone about his birthday. He preferred not to make too much of a fuss over it despite the fact that he liked the positive attention. Still, besides his grandmother, mother, and Daehyun, no one else should have known when his birthday was.
“Well… um… We found out from our teacher! Now, let’s celebrate and have a good time.” (KR) Young Jae nodded, though he wasn’t necessarily convinced that that was the case. Of course, he couldn’t exactly try and figure it out right then and there. With a small nod, Young Jae gave a small smile as the party commenced.
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From a first glance, it would have seemed like the only thing to do at this surprise party was to eat. However, as time ticked by, it became evident that much more had been prepared. Along with the various types of music that seemed to raise everyone’s mood, Mrs. Jung had managed to prepare a variety of things that the guests could do. Although… it did seem like some of the prepared items were more for little kids than teenagers. Either way, it at least provided the guests with something to do.
Taking a small break from the party, Young Jae sat off to the side, watching everyone else play. He was more comfortable sitting off to the side as opposed to being in the middle of a group of people. Still, he did have to admit that he was enjoying himself here. It helped him get his mind off of things and in a way, he was also thankful that this party was thrown for him. “Hey. Tired already?” (DH)
Young Jae looked up and watched as Daehyun slid down until he was sitting right next to him. With a small smile, Young Jae shook his head as he brought his knees a bit up towards his chest before wrapping his arms around his knees. “Are you enjoying yourself? It’s a fun party, right?” (DH)
“Mhm. I really like it. Um… d-did you… plan this?” (YJ) Daehyun smiled; a bit embarrassed that he had been caught. Regardless, he gave a brief nod as he looked away, his face and ears starting to heat up from the embarrassment. He kind of wanted to look at Young Jae to see his reaction, but decided against it for some reason.
“So, uh…” (DH)
“T-Thank you…” (YJ) Young Jae hesitated for a brief moment, but when he managed to gather up his courage, he reached over and placed his hand on top of Daehyun’s. Both males gazed into one another’s eyes as their faces turned a slight red, neither one really knowing how to react to the situation. However, Daehyun soon drew up his own courage as he began to lean towards Young Jae. When he noticed this, Young Jae bit his bottom lip before shutting his eyes tightly. He pursed his lips, expecting one thing to happen, but something else seemed to occur.
“Hey! What are you doing? Why are you making a face like that?” (JU) Young Jae’s eyes shot open as he turned his head and looked up at Jongup. It was clear that Jongup was confused about what was happening, but all Young Jae could worry about was trying to figure out how to answer Jongup’s question. His face was a deep shade of red and his ears were burning up. It didn’t help that he heard an annoyed sigh escape from Daehyun, but he couldn’t look over at Daehyun without making things even more awkward than they already were.
“I-I, um… I-I was trying not to fall asleep! Y-Yeah…” (YJ)
“Oh… Okay! Can we play more, Young Jae?” (JU) Young Jae briefly glanced at Daehyun, whom gave a quick smile and a thumbs up. He was a bit disappointed that their first kiss was stopped once again, but Young Jae knew that this was probably not the best place to have a first kiss anyway. Giving a small nod, Young Jae pushed himself up to his feet before he found himself being pulled off towards the main area once more.
With Young Jae back with the others once more, Daehyun let out another sigh as he scratched the side of his head a bit. The main thing that needed to be focused on was making sure that Young Jae had as much fun on his birthday as possible. Though… he wondered how much longer it would be before they would have to separate…
No. He couldn’t think about that right now. It can wait until after the party was over. Daehyun didn’t exactly want to end up ruining Young Jae’s big day with his thoughts and possible moods. Yes, that was probably the best idea to go with. Plus, from what he’s seen, Young Jae already had too much on his mind. Why not let Young Jae have this time to just calm down and rest up?
With a nod, Daehyun pushed himself onto his feet before he followed after Young Jae.
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After the party, everyone said their farewells before departing one by one. The Jung family were the last ones to leave since they had been the one to set everything up. Plus, since Young Jae had walked all the way here, Mrs. Jung had decided that it was their duty to drive Young Jae back home safely. It wouldn’t do well to let someone walk home alone at night.
So, once whatever was still needed had been packed up and the trash had been thrown away, the remaining five people filed into the Jung family van before they were off. While Young Jae and Jongup were sitting in the middle seat, Daehyun was sitting in the back. He would have sat in the middle seat as well, but he didn’t want to end up making it seem like Young Jae was going insane.
As they made their way to his home, Young Jae quietly hummed along with the song currently playing on the radio. Taking this time to talk with Young Jae, Mrs. Jung turned around as she gave a small smile. “So, Young Jae dear. How did you enjoy your birthday?” (MJ)
Young Jae’s eyes widened slightly, curiosity and surprise on his face before he began thinking. Well, he did have fun at the party. It was probably the second or third party that he’s ever been to, so there wasn’t really much it could be compared to. Though… it wouldn’t necessarily be nice to compare one party to another since they were usually very different from one another. “Um… I really liked it. I had a lot of fun.” (YJ)
“Good! A true man always has fun at parties meant for them!” (DJ) Mrs. Jung lightly slapped Mr. Jung’s arm, which caused the both of them to start quietly bickering amongst one another. Of course, they weren’t mad or anything. Daehyun assumed that they usually did this to show their love, but it might not be the case for every time they bicker amongst one another.
“Psst…! Young Jae! I forgot to give you my present.” (JU) Just as Young Jae was about to look over at Jongup, he stiffened a bit when he felt something being placed on his lap. Looking down at the object, he blinked a few times out of curiosity before he placed his hands on either side of the box. “I think you’ll really like it! I thought on it really hard so that it'll be the best.” (JU)
“He acts like a little kid still…” (DH) Young Jae heard Daehyun chuckle and just as he turned to look at Daehyun, he saw Jongup shiver the second Daehyun had attempted to ruffle Jongup’s hair. Jongup looked here and there, a slightly confused look on his face, before he looked back at Young Jae.
“Um… you don’t have to open it now. You can open it when you get home. That way, you can see what it is!” (JU) Young Jae nodded a bit before looking forward once more. He wanted to open it now, but Jongup did have a point. Since it was currently nighttime, he wouldn’t really be able to fully see what the present may be. Plus, he felt a bit embarrassed opening up a present in front of people. That’s why he hadn’t wanted to open the presents back at the party.
It wasn’t all that long before they pulled up to the apartment complex. Thanks to Mrs. Jung preparing a large bag for Young Jae, he was able to carry all of his presents without too much difficulty. After saying his thanks and bidding the Jung’s goodbye, he soon began making his way up to the apartment.
Once inside of the apartment building, Daehyun had taken the liberty of carrying the large bag. Young Jae was a bit surprised when he had just taken the bag off of Young Jae’s shoulder, but the second Young Jae saw Daehyun’s grin, he couldn’t help but smile happily. “T-Thank you… for um… a really fun birthday.” (YJ)
“No problem at all! Good to hear that it wasn’t boring.” (DH) Daehyun didn’t want to say anything, but he did wish that he had had a chance to participate in the party as well. Seeing Young Jae having fun was good and all, but he was quite bored just watching everyone else having all the fun. “Hey, uh… I have one more surprise for you when we get back up, but you have to be wide awake before you get it. Are you excited?” (DH)
“Surprise…? Um… yeah! I’m excited.” (YJ) Although Young Jae didn’t say anything, Daehyun knew that he was sleepy now. Young Jae had nearly fallen asleep in the car and judging by the tone in his voice, he was probably trying his hardest to stay awake now. That meant that it probably wasn't the best time to give him his surprise birthday present. If Young Jae was too sleepy, then maybe... it would be best not to give it to him at all. Would that be alright...? Would Young Jae be alright with that? Who knows when he would get the chance to give him his present.
After they were back in the apartment, they made their way straight to the bedroom. While Daehyun set the presents off to the side, Young Jae went into the closet to change into his pajamas as usual. With a small sigh, Daehyun slowly looked around the room. Daehyun regretted a few things, but he knew that there wasn’t anything he could do about his regrets. The only thing he could do now was to spend as much of his time as possible with Young Jae. Since he didn't know how much longer he would have, Daehyun couldn't let this time slip through his fingers.
Sliding onto the bed, Daehyun had just gotten comfortable when Young Jae finally stepped out of the closet. Young Jae eyed Daehyun for a brief moment, slight confusion when he saw that Daehyun was still fully clothed, but he decided that it was probably nothing. With a small yawn, Young Jae quickly went over and flicked the light switch off before making his way into bed. Cuddling up next to Daehyun, Young Jae was about to close his eyes when he suddenly felt a hand take hold of his chin and ease his gaze upwards.
Looking up at Daehyun, Young Jae couldn’t help but feel captivated by Daehyun’s eyes. Each and every time, those warm and loving eyes seemed to draw him in deeper and deeper until he just couldn’t get out. He was glad that Daehyun became his boyfriend and he never wanted to change it. Young Jae couldn’t help but smile as he sat up a bit before laying his head back on top of Daehyun's stomach. “Thank you… for everything, Daehyun.” (YJ)
“You’re… You’re welcome. Just… promise me that… you’ll be happy.” (DH)
Young Jae didn’t understand why Daehyun was asking him to be happy again, but it was something he could promise. With a yawn, Young Jae sleepily nodded as he began to slowly let sleep take over. “Okay… I promise….” (YJ)
Daehyun smiled as he looked down at Young Jae and began his hair. He knew that his time was slowly coming to an end and sooner or later, he would have to leave Young Jae. Today was probably his only day to make Young Jae happy and one way or another, he somehow managed to do just that. It was always best to go out without regrets, right? Sure, he had a few, but he did his best to make up for it. Sadly... he did have one last regret. His hesitance and Young Jae's sleepy state was making him hesitate. So… all he could do now and was just hope for the best.
Quietly, Daehyun whispered something that Young Jae couldn’t hear. He would have asked Daehyun what he said, but he was too sleepy to think straight. Much quicker than he was used to, sleep had taken over his senses and taken him to a land of dreams.
“Good night, Young Jae…” (DH)
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Through the yellow curtains, light shone brightly into the room, illuminating the whole room with a glowing aura. Young Jae stirred a bit from the light before slowly opening his eyes. The light, despite being a bit blinding, seemed to give a sense of warmth and comfort. It was as if the morning was giving him a warm greeting to start the day off and it was definitely welcoming.
He laid there for a moment longer before pushing himself up to a sitting position. Looking around, Young Jae felt like something was missing, but he just couldn’t put his finger on it. However, that thought quickly left him when his gaze landed on the presents that had been left on the floor, by the wall. Getting up from his bed, Young Jae stretched a bit before he went over to the bag of presents and began to open them one at a time.
Each one was something that he found cute or useful, sometimes even both. So far, his favorite present had to be from Krystal, whom had given him a pair of rabbit dolls that resembled the rabbit that was on his sweater. He didn’t necessarily recognize the gray one, but it did feel like it belonged. Of course, Yongguk’s present was nice too. Okay, so it was a set of pencils, but they were artist’s pencils! Young Jae hadn’t owned a set before, so this was definitely something that he felt he could put to actual use.
After opening up all of his presents, he had just gotten back up onto his feet when he noticed another present and a letter on his desk. When had he put that there? It was almost as if someone had specifically set it up on his desk for him to see, but if he recalled… he lived here on his own.
Scratching the side of his head, Young Jae walked up to the table before picking up the neatly folded letter. The writing was a bit sloppy and it felt familiar, but he was certain that it wasn’t anyone’s writing that he knew of. With one hand, he unfolded the letter and began to read it as he used his free hand to unwrap the present.
Dear Young Jae,
You’re the best, ever! Remember that, okay? I don’t want to say too much, but just remember that your life belongs to you. You should take to your mom about becoming a manga artist. It was a manga artist that you wanted to become, right? Ah! I can’t believe I forgot. Still, talk to her about it. I think she’ll understand.
Anyway, I hope you enjoy Jongup’s present! Knowing him, he probably made it himself. He doesn’t have money, I think, but know that it’s still a present that means something!
Well, I hope you aren’t too lonely without me. Remember our promise and I'll give you your present if we see each other again.
Young Jae furrowed his brows a bit as he tried to figure out who might have written those note. No one came to mind, especially since he hadn’t told anyone that he had wanted to become a manga artist, or even just an artist in general. Plus, he didn’t recall making a promise with anyone, so he couldn’t help but feel bad about forgetting the promise already. It made him feel even worse that he couldn’t figure out who may have written this note or even left it here for that matter. Plus, what did they mean by 'if' they saw each other again?
Setting the note onto the table, Young Jae moved the gift-wrap into the trash bin before he began to open up the box. His eyes widened with awe as he reached in and picked up the clay figurines. They were shaped and painted to look just like little pastries with adorable faces on them. The small indentions here and there showed that it definitely had been hand made, but Young Jae couldn’t help but like the outcome of the figurines. If Jongup really did handcraft these, then Young Jae was definitely impressed by his ability to create something like this.
Looking around, Young Jae tried to find something, or someone, that clearly wasn’t there. Who left the note? It was driving Young Jae a little crazy, but he felt like he didn’t have to worry about who had left it. For some reason, he felt like the letter was left only with good intentions and maybe one day… he would be able to find out who left it.
As he set the figurines though, he gasped a bit, as his vision seemed to blur all of a sudden. Reaching up, Young Jae wiped his eyes a bit before looking down at his slightly wet fingers. Why was he crying? Did this letter have a bigger impact on him than he knew about? Sniffling a little, Young Jae got up from his seat before his eyes landed on the gray sweater with a bunny on it. Walking up to it, he lifted it off of his bed before hugging it in his arms.
Why… was he doing this?
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[[ My Own Thoughts:
-/ahem-
I hope you all liked this fanfic!
Sorry that I’ve had long pauses between chapters >.<
But this may mark the end of Tell Me You Exist!
Again, I hope you all liked it >3
So... I don't know if I should edit Ch. 18 & 19 or not. It's pretty angst and I cry.
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