12 April 2014.

 

"Sehun, my boy, happy birthday." Mrs. Yoon smiled half-heartedly. A huge hint of distress and sadness could be seen easily on her slightly wrinkly face. She was dressed black from head to toe, with black stilettos, ankle-length black satin dress, black cardigan, and a black tiny hat to top it all. She was a well-known fashion designer, so it was an untold duty to look stunning all the time. Even in her youngest daughter's funeral.

 

"Thank you, ma'am." Sehun bowed low before meeting eyes with the deceased's mother. His blonde hair was tousled messily, and the eye bag stood out from his unusually paler skin. And he definitely lost some weight. Mrs. Yoon smiled, "You are a family, Sehun. Please, call me mom."

 

Sehun returned the half-hearted smile. "Yes, mom."

 

"I have your present at my residence, dear. Can I give it to you at dinner? I hope the dinner invitation from two weeks ago is still on. Have you heard about it?" Sehun nodded. "I have been informed. Thank you, mom, but gift isn't necessary."

 

"You'll love my gift." Mrs. Yoon winked before turning away, joining the crowd around the decorated white coffin and mingled with the guests. Sehun did too. He slipped his hands into his blazer's pockets and avoided the chatting people while he approached the only one wearing white in this building.

 

She looked too young to die. There were no lines visible on her forehead, or dryness on her plump lips, or wrinkles on her fingers. She was an angel, who was returning to Heaven. Yoon Eunbi, the supposed-to-be youngest heir of Yoon Corporation, was a beautiful young lady -in her own ways. As a famous Yoon, Eunbi should be graceful, stylish, delicate, well mannered, but she wasn't. Even when she met Oh Sehun, the second heir of Oh Tech. on his older brother's twelfth birthday.

 

The Yoon and Oh parents wanted Oh Sungmin and Yoon Eunsang to engage, therefore combining and expanding their business. Sadly they ignored each other all the time -on purpose, and didn't match their parents' expectation in any way possible, so they all turned their expectation towards the cutest couple available. To be honest, Sehun never thought he would be attracted to the chubby, loud, and carefree girl. Fate thought so.

 

They went to school together, Sehun protected Eunbi from the bullies -or enemies, for she was nearly as strong as them, Sehun taught Eunbi math and physics, Sehun bought Eunbi ice cream every saturday at eleven, and Eunbi ate every sweet snack she could found in Sehun's room. Balance? No. But he felt everything was right. Now, everything was wrong.

 

Sehun knelt by Eunbi's side, putting his folded hands on the coffin's side, resting his chin on top, staring at his loved one with a smile. "Hello, Eunbi."

 

She didn't reply.

 

"How's Heaven? Is it home? Like the bible said?"

 

Well, more like she couldn't reply.

 

"You really scared me. All those times passing out during P.E, aren't those enough? Do you really need to pass out during biology as well? You didn't even stick to Kai hyung, like you promised." Sehun lifted his right hand and brushed Eunbi's straight bangs with his fingers aside. "I mean, why biology? You know I'm not in your biology class. Stupid girl." He chuckled dryly.

 

The remaining boys stopped their paces after seeing the heart wrenching scene. Sehun and Eunbi dated for three years, and they also knew the two of them were best friends for more than a decade. "Let's see Mrs. Yoon first," Suho motioned the other four towards Mr. and Mrs. Yoon. He stole one last glance at Sehun, who was now holding her folded hands, before strolling behind his other friends.

 

Sehun pressed his lips to a firm line with a slight tug of smile. "I brought you something." He dug into his pocket and took out two pieces of photograph. It was the same copy, of him and Eunbi's first kiss. "Remember this? Baekhyun hyung and Chanyeol hyung trailed us home and took this picture. You flipped and threw your dad's ashtray towards them." He chuckled, picturing the scene in his mind. "It turns out to be useful, isn't it?"

 

It was winter. Two winters ago, 2012.

 

D.O invited Eunbi to join the boys' annual winter gathering. The doctor allowed her to go as long as she kept warm. Being the protective boyfriend he was, Sehun literally hugged her from the second Eunbi stepped out of her house to the second Eunbi stepped into D.O's majestic kitchen. "This year's food is different. For our love to this monkey-"

 

"What monkey!" Eunbi roared.

 

"Sickly monkey," D.O continued, "And for her future health, I am serving... Drumroll please." Baekhyun and Chanyeol, the troll of the group, started banging loudly on the table, causing the Do's butler flinched and covered his ear. "HEALTHY FOOD!"

 

"WHAT?!" Nearly everyone's face fell into the deepest pit of disappointment seeing endless plate of salad and veggies served on the long table. Everyone except Sehun and D.O, who had a mischievous and victorious smile on his face. "I am tired of porridge and carrots! I have it everyday!" Eunbi pursed her lips and leaned back to her seat.

 

"How about this, you eat and I'll give you a bite of my father's steak later." D.O negotiated.

 

"Hmm..." Eunbi pretended to think. "How about this. You change the menu and I'll kiss you."

 

"Eun-"

 

"Or I'll kill you!" Eunbi quickly corrected with an odd high-pitched note before Sehun could protest any further. "I'll kill you if you don't change the menu to meat." She finished calmly.

 

Everyone burst out laughing, seeing Sehun's shock face hearing his blunt girlfriend offering to kiss someone, with facts like that someone was his own best friend and they never even kissed before. "It's the only way, Sehun, I miss meat." Eunbi gave him her infamous eye smile and pat his cheek twice. At the end of the day, they still ate the salad.

 

Around midnight, Sehun had to drag Eunbi out of the card game and took her to the bus station. He could have ask his driver or hers to bring them home, but she didn't want to rely on her fortune too much. She already did for her medication, and that costs a lot.

 

"If I beg you, will you let me go?"

 

Sehun looked down to Eunbi, his hand was still embracing her side tightly. "No."

 

"I'm not gonna fled or something. I'll stay by your side, just not sticking to you forever." Eunbi retorted. She huffed in annoyance. "I hate you."

 

"I love you too." Sehun laughed out loud.

 

"Not funny! I am a free woman!" Eunbi wriggled and managed to feel the cold air against her bare neck. Sehun smirked, "Too cold, huh, free woman?"

 

"Pssh... Shut up." Eunbi muttered, crossing her arm. They stopped by the bus station sign, right under the lamppost on the sixth street. Eunbi looked elsewhere, hoping the bus came fast or she would freeze to death. Sehun, however, couldn't stop glancing at her. They stayed silent for eternity -at least an eternity for them, for us it was like two freaking minutes, until Sehun couldn't anymore. "Fine. Here."

 

He took off the long striped scarf circling around his neck and wrapped it around Eunbi's, smiling. Eunbi stared at him in silence. However, she noticed he had too much skin in contact with the cold and snow. "Let me."

 

She took the scarf again and wrapped a part of it on her neck. Eunbi approached Sehun and tip toed, taking the rest of the long scarf to warm his neck. Sehun watched her intently until she pat the finished wrapping happily. Patting things was her habit, and it got picked up by Sehun after all these years. "Better," Eunbi grinned proudly, until she realized they were only inches apart. Her face flushed deep red, as her heart rate raced and her gaze turned to Sehun's intense look.

 

Sehun captured the moment. It was winter, they were standing under a spotlight -lamppost, alone, and dressed up. He leaned in and touched her lips with his. For two seconds, before he couldn't stand the heat anymore and leaned back, Sehun felt a dozen fireworks exploding from his inside. And so did the girl, without knowing two figures with cameras were snooping around them.

 

He stuck one photo inside the bouquet of roses and lilies placed on her chest, making sure it wouldn't fall. "There. That way, you won't be so lonely! Maybe, on the way to Heaven, you can put it anywhere you want -as long as it's close by. Maybe, inside the pocket of your favorite ripped jeans, or inside the locket I gave you when I asked you to be my girl. Remember? Your sixteenth birthday? Wherever it is, just remember that I love you and I'll always be there for you. And-" Sehun took the other copy and tucked it safely to his blazer pocket, then pat it twice. "-I'm keeping one too."

 

Silence engulfed the pair. Sehun just stared at the sleeping girl longingly, occasionally combed her hair with his slender fingers and brushed his bangs aside. "If I beg you," he whispered. "Will you come back?"

 

A hand was placed on his right shoulder and squeezed it tightly. EXO-K, the group name for future heirs in Korea were called, had gathered there. "That brat won't be happy if you're like this, Sehun." Kai smiled reassuringly.

 

Baekhyun leaned forward and poked Eunbi's cheek. "Hey, monkey, EXO-M got their flight delayed. They won't be able to see you go, and they're really sorry. Kris hyung, Luhan hyung, and Tao were devastated, you know? They're leaving soon." His eyes were teary. "I miss your sarcasm already, girl. I miss you-" His tears dropped. "Ah, sorry, I don't know why this happen. Don't worry. I'm wearing a waterproofed eyeliner today. They won't smudge, like that one time we watched Insidious."

 

It was an initially nice Friday evening, until Kris asked everyone to celebrate EXO-M's arrival at one of Kim's houses in Korea. Summer, 2013, a little time before Kris and Luhan prepared themselves to left for America to build their own company, and a little more before Tao was prepared to be sent to Europe by his parents. Lay kindly escorted the boys and girl from school by a limousine he owned and picked up their necessities for a sleepover.

 

There were four Kim heirs in EXO, Chen, Suho, Kai, and Xiumin. They were cousins, but they would inherit different things: fashion, sports, cars, or hotels, depends on what their parents owned. And took refuge in different houses. That time, it was Chen's. "MIDNIGHT MOVIE! With ice cream, chips, sodas, and cookies! Now, which film would you like to watch?"

 

"Comedy!"

 

"Romance!"

 

"Action!"

 

"Romantic Comedy!"

 

"Thriller! Gore! Horror!" Eunbi voted. Chen stopped digging through his movie collection and hooted, "And Horror it is!" He took out two CDs, one was Insidious 2 and the other was the Conjuring. Baekhyun and Tao turned to stare at her in disbelief. Baekhyun whispered desperately, "You are a traitor."

 

Eunbi laughed. "Thank you!"

 

She was trying to enjoy her life to the fullest, before the doctors perform a brain surgery with 2% chance of surviving and 0,1% chance of remembering everything in April next year. Besides, she didn't mind watching horror movies. If she's afraid, she could turn to watch Baekhyun's paling face, Tao's trembling, and other's priceless expressions. Or into Sehun's open arms. When the movie was over and Luhan turned the lights on, Tao let out a scream that erupted through the huge mansion. "GHOST! GHOST! KRIS GE THERE'S A FREAKING GHOST HERE! IT'S HUGGING MEEEE!"

 

Eunbi took a look at the one person hugging Tao at the moment and shrieked in surprise. She fell back to Sehun's arm and burst out laughing. It was Baekhyun. His eyeliner was all over his face, dripping black ink to his cheek and up to his forehead, and the back of his hand -which he used to erase his tears. It was horrendous and freakishly funny. Baekhyun ended up trying to wash the smudges for hours.

 

Chanyeol and Suho were frozen in their feet, unable to move. D.O looked lost. Actually, they first knew Eunbi through Sehun. Every time they met, he would complain about the annoying young girl of Yoon Corp. They actually saw her face to face when Sehun decided to ask her to be his girl, so they knew Eunbi for years through Sehun's perspective. But three years were enough to love her in and out. Even though they still yearned for more.

 

"Hi! I'm Yoon Eunbi! You're EXO, aren't you? The all rich and famous kids?"

 

Eunbi was draped in a gorgeous pink knee-length dress, cute matching heels and a ribbon to decorate her hair. Her frown and pout from having to wear such a girly dress turned to a big smile. She greeted them with a bow.

 

"Can I ask you something? Why is Sehun in your group?"

 

"Err..." Lay scratched his head. How to explain? He was rich? He was handsome? Or he was the best heir in Oh Tech. also known as the best technology corporation in the world for creating a robot that could change form from pet to vehicle? "Well..."

 

"It's because you pity him, isn't it?"

 

"We love you, Eun, we'll miss you sooo much." Baekhyun said, patting her head. "Be a good girl there. Don't ruin Heaven before I enjoy that place."

 

"It's time to close the coffin, and send Ms. Yoon Eunbi to her rightful place." The priest announced. "Please say your final greetings."

 

Everyone took one last look at the deceased. Kai could hear someone saying something about Eunbi being a poor girl, having to die from a brain cancer before she could reach her dream. Mrs. Yoon and Eunsang cried a river before letting Eunbi's body go, they were escorted to the side by Mr. Yoon and Sungmin. It was chaos for some minutes.

 

"May I close the coffin now? Young sir?" The priest asked Sehun, who was still sitting by her side.

 

Sehun stood up and stared at her delicate face, taking in as much memories as possible. He put a hand on hers and squeezed it slightly. He leaned down, the smell of her rose perfume dazed him. "I love you." Sehun planted a long, soft kiss on Eunbi's forehead, as her laughs filled his mind and heart like a wave of regret. Unknowingly, a drop of tear rolled down his cheek and fell to her eyes, then rolled down her temple to the white pillow. Sehun straightened his back. He nodded at the priest. "You may."

 

And with that, he gazed at his love until darkness took over her still body.

 

"Sehun-ah."

 

Mr. Yoon looked at Sehun with a sad expression. "I'm afraid my wife and daughter are not in the best condition for dinner tonight. Will you inform your folks?"

 

Sehun glanced sideways. Mrs. Yoon were sobbing silently in the corner and Eunsang were clinging to his hyung like there would be no tommorow. Now he wondered why did Eunsang and Sungmin's engagement was called off. True, they were in no condition for a decent dinner. "I see. I'll tell them." Sehun nodded.

 

"Thank you. We'll plan another dinner soon." Mr. Yoon threw him a smile and was about to turn around when he suddenly stopped. "Ah, wait." He d into his blazer and pulled out a little box. Sehun took a closer look. It was blue, with white ribbon tied around it. On top it said his name in a scribble he knew best. He saw it some place before, but where?

 

"Your birthday gift. It's from Eunbi. Happy birthday, boy."

 

Sehun lifted the lid. It was like a time capsule, filled with photograph from every special occassion he could remember. One where they had family picnic together, several from their birthdays, few from their dates, some with cameos of EXO in it. He dropped on one of the chairs, looking at every page with an empty feeling inside. He felt his heart constricted in pain, a kind of suffering he thought he wouldn't be able to heal. Now he knows how lonely felt like. His hands trembled as unwanted tears rolled down his cheek. Note, Oh Sehun rarely cries.

 

Eunbi was the only thing he ever loved whole heartedly in this world. When nights came by during Eunbi's overnight stay at the hospital, during her recovery from weekly fainting, during Eunbi's preparation for the surgery, during her coma, until the night God called her back to His embrace, there was only one main question appeared on Sehun's mind. Why?

 

That one question then went on. Why Yoon Eunbi? Why brain cancer? Why acute? Why my girl? Why my love? Why now?

 

Sehun closed his eyes and looked up, letting the remaining tears dropped down to his lap. He couldn't even see her face, or hear her laughs anymore. Best he could see was the solid soil burying her body and a decorated rock. He took a deep breath and lowered his chin, gazing softly at the second last picture in Eunbi's time capsule. Now he remembered where he saw this box. The week before her surgery, after their date at an ice cream parlor in Myeongdong. Sehun ordered one chocolate ice cream for him and one choco chip for Eunbi.

 

"Yah, dumb-hun."

 

Sehun deadpanned. "I'm so not giving you ice cream anymore in this life."

 

Eunbi chuckled. She motioned him closer and patted the empty seat beside her. "Sit here." Sehun threw her a suspicious look, thinking about the air balloon she put on his chair back in sixth grade, or the glittery glue in eighth grade. He scooted over carefully, but still eyeing her in case a surprise attack appears. And it did. Eunbi suddenly grinned and craned her neck to plant a kiss on Sehun's cheek, one hand capturing the moment with a polaroid, making Sehun's originally slanted eyes to grow the size of D.O's. Eunbi waited for the picture to appear, while Sehun was gathering his soul from all over the place. Eunbi wasn't a fan of skinship. During their three years of dating, holding hands were the common one, while they only kissed four times -all of them were initiated by Sehun himself, and three were on her forehead.

 

"Look at you!" Eunbi shrieked in joy. "Sehun! You look sooo ugly in here!"

 

"Yah! What do you think you're doing?" Sehun pouted. Eunbi just smiled and reached to pinch his cheek. "Aigoo, such a grumpy little child."

 

"What child?! I am older than you by eight months, and you have no right to call me little- What is that?" Sehun furrowed his eyebrows while watching Eunbi opening a little blue box's lid, placing the photograph inside before sealing it close. "A memory box."

 

"A what?"

 

"Memory box." Eunbi sighed. "If my surgery pass through-"

 

"Oh it definitely will."

 

"-I won't remember anything. Not the way to walk, to eat, to talk, I won't remember who I am." Eunbi looked to Sehun's eyes and sadly smiled. "I won't even remember you. So this is a property to help you making me remember everything. And a property to help you make me fall in love with you again."

 

It wasn't her memory box anymore. It was his. Not to make her remember his existence or her feelings, but to make him remember about his love towards her. He wanted to laugh, seeing his stupid face printed on the picture, but no voice could escape his dry lips. So he flipped to the next photograph.

 

On the very back, the very last, was a picture of their first kiss on winter 2012, under the lamppost back on sixth street -the one he just put between her hands, with a sentence written in black ink.

 

Oh Sehun! I'll wait for you to come home to me!

 

We keep this love in a photograph

We made these memories for ourselves

Where our eyes are never closing

Our hearts were never broken

Times forever frozen still

 

When I'm away

I will remember how you kissed me

Under the lamppost

Back on 6^th street

Hearing you whisper through the phone

"Wait for me to come home"

 

-Ed Sheeran; Photograph