Ryeowook’s POV

Despite knowing that Kyuhyun has already given up on me and moved on, nothing can quell the emptiness in my heart.

Against the doctor’s demand for another two weeks of rest, I decided to get a job at a small coffee shop. Sometimes the longingness for his warm embrace is unbearable, so I decided that I needed to keep myself busy as a distraction. The coffee shop was the first place I saw that was looking for assistance. Located at the intersection of two busy streets, the shop is warmed by a small fire place in the corner lined with bronze bricks and is filled with squashy black chairs. In front of each chair is a considerably less luxurious round cherrywood table that gives the shop a homey feel. On the far end off to the side is a shiny black grand piano tuned to the finest pitch.

When the coffee shop was crowded, I would operate the cash register with utmost diligence, punching in each order exactly as the customer wanted in quick motions without making a single mistake. At times when there were few customers, I walked over to the exquisite piano, gingerly lifting the cover, and playing the tune of the song that Kyuhyun and I had, on a coincidence, found out was a favorite of both of us. It was during these times that I almost felt like I was on a time machine as memory after memory popped up in my head. When the song ended and I was pulled back to reality, the realization that none of it was ever going to happen again and that I would most likely never see him again was like salt to my wound. Tears would sting my eyes and I would forcefully keep them in until I could run home and let them all out under the protection of my covers.

At some point, the tears stopped coming. It was like I’d cried myself dry. Or maybe it was because my tear glands had stopped working.

Sungmin POV

He walked down the rows of the cemetery, looking at every tombstone he passed. Some had flowers, candles, or various fruits in front of it, others were just plain empty. The large bouquet of flowers in his arms began to weigh down on him and the sweat dripping down his back plastered his black shirt to his skin. Wiping the sweat on his temples, he stopped in front of a small marble tombstone. He gingerly laid the flowers down sideways, taking care to make sure that he had not rumpled any of them. Gazing at the fine printing of the words etched on the front of the stone, he pulled out a white cloth and began to polish the surface, tracing over every single letter.

~”The boundaries which divide Life from Death are at best shadowy and vague. Who shall say where the one ends, and where the other begins?”~  

Here lies Cho Kyuhyun, a man with a kind heart who sacrificed himself because he couldn’t get over the guilt of causing his friend to be struck by a car.

“Kyuhyun ah, I hope you are doing well. I haven’t broke my promise yet, Ryeowook has no knowledge of the truth. You better not have broken your promise to me either.” Sungmin sighed as he paused his cleaning, the smooth, polished face of the marker. His eyes burned with tears as he knelt in front of the grave on the moist dirt, dropping the dirtied cloth to the ground.

Cho Kyuhyun’s body had been buried in the most beautiful and calm place Sungmin could find. Isolated from the crowded urban setting, it was perched on the top of a mountain, and overlooked the vast city of Seoul, offering a great view of the Han river. Two months ago, the older had quietly arranged for the maknae’s corpse to be moved from the hospital’s fridge to the place he’d picked and paid for in a ornate casket. Per Kyuhyun’s request, no funeral had been organized and as a donor, his name was kept confidential.

A single droplet of water slid down Sungmin’s cheek, joining the small puddle that his sweat had created along the side of his nose. Tracing the tear track with his dirt covered fingers to wipe it off, a streak of brown-grey color was left on his face. He told himself that this was the last time he would cry for he couldn’t be weak anymore, not when he had promised to be strong for Ryeowook.

Standing up, he brushed his pants of the grime that had tracked onto it from the dirt and took one last look at the marble tombstone. Jamming his hands into his pockets, he turned his head behind his shoulders towards the grave as his eyes lingered on the ornate piece of art for a minute before  stalking off in the direction of the setting sun without looking back a second time.

As he reached the bottom of the mountain, a light drizzle began to come down. He paused his steps, craning his neck upwards to gaze at the greying sky.

You miss him, don’t you? Don’t worry, all you have to do is wait and he’ll come to you one day.

--

No ones POV

Sungmin traced the rim of his coffee cup with his index finger as he stared into the dark expanse of his espresso.

“I just don’t get it. I know he has his reasons for leaving because quite frankly he had every right to, but why hasn’t he even tried to contact me?” A boy with chocolate eyes and dark brown bangs gently covering the majority of his forehead stared back at Sungmin with a troubled look on his face, his own tea abandoned at the side of the table where it had long cooled.

It had been seven years since his operation and the boy had put on some much needed muscle. Slightly taller than before, but still shorter than Sungmin, the pale complexion of his skin had darkened. His jawbone was still very much defined as was his upright nose. Although he still wore a goofy smile, he had opted for clothes that made him look more mature.

After working at the coffee shop for a little more than a year, Ryeowook had decided to open his own music school for his real passion was singing and playing the piano, not making and serving coffee all day. He made more than enough money to live a comfortable life as a teacher at his school and led a more or less normal life, except for his occasional breakdowns at night where he would stare at the photo in the silver frame sitting on his desk for hours, thinking of all the happy memories he shared, or could have shared for that matter,  if Kyuhyun was still there. Over the course of 7 years, the scars gradually healed as he got busier and meetings with Sungmin became scarce. Today was one of the rare times when both were free to grab “coffee” together.

Because he’s dead. Sungmin wanted to say and took everything he had to keep himself from saying it out loud. He sighed and took a sip of his coffee. Maybe it was about time Ryeowook found out about the truth. The bitter taste of his drink spread in his mouth as he frowned, reaching across the table to grab another packet of sugar. The younger watched as he ferociously ripped the paper packaging open and dumped its contents into his cup, swirling it with a spoon.

“Ryeowook-ah, there’s something I need to tell you.”

Sungmin clenched his fist as he played around with the stirring spoon. Although he knew that he would probably regret his actions later on, he needed to tell the latter before he changed his mind again. Ryeowook had a right to know who his donor was. The boy was probably never going to move on if someone didn’t tell him the truth. The former hated it when other people broke their promises and what he was about to do went directly against his morals. But this was an exception right? No it wasn’t. In fact, it was probably anything but an exception. He sighed deeply once more.

Ryeowook’s POV

Kyuhyun

I should have known.

Why was I so ignorant, so stupid all this time?

My heart aches so much and I miss that warm smile more than ever.

I wish I could rip my lungs out and return them to you. I wish I was the one who died. I wish my body hadn’t decided to give up on me.

But alas, all of that’s already happened and nothing can change it anymore.

Kyuhyun ah, I think I finally understand. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to find anyone quite like you, but for you, I will try to be happy, for you I will smile everyday. I will cherish the gift you have given to me because the price you paid for it is way more than I could ever pay to you. What did I ever do to deserve such good person like you?

I’m pathetic, aren’t I? Hugging your jacket and the remains of the frame I so carelessly broke like a lifeline…

Flashback

The familiar of buzz of his phone sounded, waking the boy from his deep sleep. Opening his eyes to a slit, he blindly d around on the bedside table for the rectangular device. As moved his hand to and fro, his fist met the clear surface of a flat object. There was an earsplitting crash as it tumbled to the ground, shattering upon the impact. Groaning, Ryeowook sat up in bed and grabbed the phone as it stopped ringing. A window popped up telling him he’d already missed the call. Too lazy to call back right away, his first instinct was to get out of bed and check what had had just fallen.

His eyes widened as he stared at the shattered glass on the floor next to his bed. It was the one thing he treasured most, the picture Kyuhyun had given him. The thin layer of glass on the frame had cracked and the picture inside had fluttered out; the frame itself seemed to be alright. The edge of the photo had frayed, revealing more sprawled writing on the back. A thin film of water covered his eyes and threatened to spill out. Carefully, he bent down and picked up the fallen item, turning it on its back side. There was another message on the back, written in the same handwriting as the one on the front, but much lengthier.

My Ryeowook,

It seems you’ve finally woken up. I sincerely apologize for not being there when you came to be, but not everything always goes as planned. Who ever knew that your lungs would fail and who ever knew that you would be given a second chance at life when things seemed so hopeless? Anyhow, now that you are well again, please live life to the fullest and find someone else that can give you the happiness that I couldn’t give you. Please don’t hate me for leaving but it was all for the best.  If you ever miss me, just look for me in your dreams. I’ll be there for you.

Your one and only,

Kyuhyun

The scar on his chest tingled as he clutched a handful of the front of his t-shirt. Actually, the shirt wasn’t even his; it was Kyuhyun’s. He accidentally put it on one morning when he was half asleep and never actually got around to return it. Or maybe he purposely pretended to forget. Tears rolled uncontrollably down his protruding cheekbones. He read and reread the note until its contents were embedded in his mind, forgetting about the broken picture frame. The ink used to write the note smudged as droplets of water fell over the words that would be forever etched in his heart.

End of Flashback

The boy curled up behind the covers that he once shared in the bed that seemed bigger than before. Tears continuously rolled down his face as he the sheets on the empty side of the bed. Although it no longer carried Kyuhyun’s scent and was now occupied by a large stuffed giraffe, he could never forget about the person who used to sleep there. His soft lips, his smooth and pearly skin, his warm embrace, his never very muscular but by no means weak body, his defined jawline and collarbone, and his eyes filled with brightness and hope. The boy wept for some time, making no sound and still wearing Kyuhyun’s shirt.

Authors Note: Sorry for taking soooo long to update but this chapter is a bit longer than the previous ones, although I lied, this isn't the last one, the next one will be the last one. Please comment and Enjoy!