Title: For The Very Last Time

Authors: dreamshade

Status: Completed

Tags: Jihoon, Soonyoung, Soonhoon

Link: http://www.asianfanfics.com/story/view/1179927/for-the-very-last-time-jihoon-oneshot-seventeen-soonyoung-soonhoon-woozi-hoshi

Personal Opinion

You never know what you had until it's gone - you've probably heard this saying a thousand times and you probably will hear it a thousand times more. This story tells you exactly this, and a thousand of things more.

I honestly admit I don't know much about Seventeen - I have listened to some of their songs, but I don't know them by names and I certainly don't know how their friendships are all intertwined, nor do I pretend to. Yes, this is a story about two boys and somehow, the author manages to put in the background that simple detail. Even if there are two boys as the main characters, you seem to forget that and all the question that must come after - are they just friends, are they something more? It doesn't even matter at that point when you're immersed into reading the story.

Honestly, it amazed me. Honestly, it made me cry. And honestly, it made me rethink everything. You have this boy, ok? You have this boy and he has this gift, or you have this boy and he has this curse - as he sees it at the beginning. He dreams about people dying and you think to yourself, as you began reading it - when will he dream of someone close dying and will it happen in real life? And the answer is that yes, yes it does happen at some point, maybe at several points - it's mentioned somewhere he dreams about his aunt death and later, it happens. But that does not shake him up as the death of a close friend.

Their friendship is beautifully portrayed, their conversation, their beliefs also. They seem to be polar opposites as each of them admits - one cold, one warm, one smiling, one indifferent and soon one alive while the other one isn't. What would you do if you knew someone was dying? I bet most of us would do the same exact thing - granting his or her every wish until the imminent moment. Jihoon starts out the same way as all of us would; he makes it his mission to fulfill every need Soonyoung has. But the beauty of the story is that, on his path of committing to every desire of Soonyoung's, Jihoon realizes that it isn't the upcoming death of his friend that pushes him to act like that, but the care and affection he holds for him. Jihoon notices a lot of things that went unnoticed, maybe that he didn't want to admit or maybe things that were forgotten over the years of their friendship. He tries to hold on to everything, not because the other one was dying, but because he realizes his importance in his own life, his influence over little things - as happiness. 

The death occurs, it's true, Jihoon couldn't change the course of things, but somehow, Soonyoung's departure is not in vain. Jihoon blooms to his full potential - he doesn't stand by anymore, he doesn't act cold anymore, but transforms his curse into a gift and teaches people that were once like him to treasure the last moment they would never know will go by them.

I recommend you - no, scratch that, I commend you to read this story. It impressed me a whole whole lot and I don't say this easily. The writing is amazing, the grammar is close to perfect and the message is, well, invaluable. I congratulate the author with all my heart!