A rainy sunday morning, 

   People are still running outside, and walking through the sidewalks with a bag of foods on their arms.

 

 There were so many people, people here, people there, humans are everywhere. 

 

 Then, there’s one introvert sitting in the corner of the bench in front of a French bakery. 

 

 He is watching every people’s doing. 

   He watch them over and over until he sensed it. Death. 

 

He always tends to close his eyes whenever he gets to see the person who’s going die. 

 

He has his eyes close by now, tears were forming, slowly dripping down to his face. 

 

“Why it has to be me?”, asked him to himself.

“Why I always need to sense someone’s death?”, he added. He opened his eyes, looking around to see if the person he saw was still around but the guy was already out of sight. He tries to follow the guy in black coat and red scarf with his girlfriend. As soon as he reached the guy, he pats the guy’s shoulder and warned him but the guy would not take it seriously and so the guy just ignored him and continue to walk. 

 

 He was used to it but every time people he warned don’t take it seriously, he felt bad for them and depressed. 

 

  He was anxious by now, and then suddenly two policemen approached him. 

 

“Uh, excuse me?”, the policeman said. He turns around towards the policemen. 

“Yes sir?”, he asked. 

“We have to ask you something really important.. and creepy”, said the other policeman.

“Okay?”, he responded. The policemen called the girlfriend of the guy who have warned a while ago. 

“You, you murdered my boyfriend!”, yelled the woman. 

“Is he dead?”, he anxiously asked the woman, tearing up. 

“Yes! And it’s all your fault!”, the woman yelled at him again.

“Ma’am, please calm down, let him speak”, said the policeman.

“I-I didn’t d-do anything. I...I just warned him”, he said, stuttering. 

“Liar!”, yelled the woman. 

“What did you do?”, asked the policeman.

“Nothing. I..I just could sense it”, muttered him. 

“Sense what?”, asked the other policeman.

“Death”, he said straightforwardly. 

 

 The policemen sent him home and told his parents to take him to a psychiatrist. His parents just nodded to the policemen and closed their door. 

 

“Did it happened again?”, asked his mother. He didn’t say a word and just nodded. 

“Oh God, why are you doing this to my son?”, his mother gave him a hug and kisses his head. 

“Go, get up to your room and take a nap, I will cook for you”, said his mother, flashing a smile. 

“Mm, thanks mom”, he said and goes to his room.

 

 As he reached the door of his room, he slowly opened it. As he gets inside, he leaned his back toward the other side of the door. His knees were weakened, tears were forming and dropping on the floor. 

 

 “Mingi-ya, please overcome these things”,    he said to himself, trying to ease the pain. 

“I can’t stay like this anymore”, he bended down his knees and started sobbing. 

 

 On the next day, his mother and father sent him to a psychiatrist. Mingi was advised to take some medicines and continue going to school and make some friends. 

 

“It would be the best for you”, said the psychiatrist. Mingi nodded to his doctor. 

“You can go now and tell your parents to send to college again”, advised the doctor. 

Mingi left without saying anything.  

 

 

                            .•° ✿°•.

 

A year later, he goes back to schooling as he was told to. But he isn’t making any friends. Not because they don’t like him, it’s completely the opposite. He doesn’t want anyone to befriend him and so no one approaches him. 

 

 2 months passed and still not making any friends. Whenever someone approaches him especially when it’s a girl, he’s always telling them to go away and do not talk to him anymore, none of those people he yelled at make an issue about him and his personality but it always leaves everyone out of curiosity. 

 

 He kept on doing this till the end of second quarter, he kept on pushing people away from him and telling them to not talk to him since he don’t want to sense each student’s death. Not until, an exchanged student from Los Angeles approached him.

 

“Hi there!”, greeted the exchanged student, waving his hand toward Mingi. 

Mingi didn’t even looked at him and just moved away from the exchanged student but the exchanged student still sits beside him.

“Go away!”, Mingi yelled at the exchanged student.

“Why? I just want to be friends”, said the exchanged student.

“Well, I don’t want to be friends”, replied Mingi.

“Why?”, asked the exchanged student.

“It’s none of your business”, said Mingi, not even making an eye contact with the exchanged student.

“I’ll keep asking why if you wouldn’t tell me”, said the exchanged student.

“I don’t care”, said Mingi ending the conversation and left. 

 

On the next day, the exchanged student saw him again at the soccer field. He waved his hand towards Mingi and quickly approached him. 

 

“You’re here... again”, said the exchanged student flashing a smile on his face. Mingi didn’t say anything. He stood up from the bench and was about to leave until the exchanged student grabs his wrist.

“Don’t leave me here again please”, begged the exchanged student.

“I really want to be friends with you”, the exchanged student added. 

“Let go of my hand”, Mingi tried to shove the other lad’s hand but couldn’t.

“Come with me”, the exchanged student faces the different direction and bring Mingi with him.

 

           

                           .•° ✿°•.

 

“What are you doing?”, asked Mingi, trying to get his wrist off from the lad’s hand. 

“Sit there”, said the lad, pointing at the chair behind Mingi.

“I said I don’t want to be friends with you so cut off your hopes, I’m leaving”, said Mingi. The exchanged student pulled Mingi back to his seat and looked at him in the eyes. Mingi’s eyes were widen and cannot breathe well. 

“I’m Kwak Aaron, I’m from LA”, said the lad, hands shaking with Mingi’s. 

“I don’t care, stay away from me!”, yelled Mingi. Mingi pushed Aaron away and left. 

“Wait!”, said the lad but Mingi didn’t even looked back at him. Aaron let out of a sigh and left the basketball court. 

 

Days have passed and Mingi is still the same. He didn’t even bother to talk to Aaron. Not until...

 

 Mingi have sensed his classmate’s death. 

Time is ticking and they need to pass their test papers forward. Mingi tried to focused but failed. Tears were shed while doing the exam, he can’t help it. Mingi then asked their professor to please excuse him. Their professor excused him and Mingi immediately went to the Clinic. While walking his way to the bathroom, he met Aaron at the hallway. Aaron noticed Mingi was crying as soon as he heard Mingi sniffs. Aaron was about to get back to his class but he followed Mingi instead.

 

“Are you okay?”, asked Aaron, arms around Mingi. 

“No”, said Mingi, shaking his head. 

“Why? What’s wrong?”, Aaron was sincerely worried about Mingi, so he gave him a hug.

“You would never understand”, muttered Mingi. 

“How could you say so? I’m a good listener and I don’t dare to judge people, so you can tell me”, said Aaron, trying to convince Mingi but failed.

“No, thank you. I gotta go now”, said Mingi.

“Wait, please tell me your name first before leaving”, asked Aaron.

“It’s Mingi. It’s.... nice to meet you”, Mingi said then left. 

 

Mingi wiped away his tears as he went back to his class. 

 

“Mingi-ya, are you okay?”, asked the professor.

“Yes sir, I’m okay”, Mingi had to lie and flashed a fake smile just to not make people think that he’s crazy. 

“Okay, you may take your exam now”, said the professor. 

 

 

                           .•° ✿°•.

 

Saturday evening, Mingi went to a coffee shop nearby. He’s trying his best not to sense anything. He take a book from the bookshelf behind his seat and start reading it. 

 

 While sipping from the cup, a note from the book suddenly tied Mingi’s eyes.

 

 ❝ ???????????????????????????

???????. ???? ????????????

  ????????????. ??????????????

??????????????❞

         

Mingi heart race, the note from the book gives him anxiety. 

 

  He puts back the book in the bookshelf and leaves the coffee shop. 

 

He started lurking around the park, head’s down, not daring to face people around him until he bumped on someone’s shoulder. 

 

“Oh, sorry mister”, he apologized.

“Mingi?”, It was Aaron who bumped to. Mingi looked up to see if he was really Aaron. It was him.

“Aaron?”, He stared at Aaron’s eyes, heart’s beating fast.

“Come, let’s sit over there, near the river”, Aaron helped Mingi up, pointing at the bench. 

“What’s the matter, Mingi-ah?”, asked Aaron, caressing Mingi’s shoulder. 

“N..nothing”, said Mingi, stuttering. 

“C’mon, I told you already that you can tell me if there’s something bothering you”, insists Aaron.

“I’m okay, really, don’t worry”, said Mingi. 

“But, you seem not okay”, said Aaron, worrying was evident in his face. Mingu didn’t say a word and just flashed a tiny sweet smile yet beyond that is fear. 

“I’m okay, I’ll go now”, Mingi stood up and asked Aaron.

“Want to walk with me?”, smiling at Aaron. 

“Mm!”, Aaron nodded and holds the other lad’s hand. 

“Can I do this?”, he carefully asked.

“Okay”, said Mingi. 

 

          

                            .•° ✿°•.   

 

 As soon as they arrived at Mingi’s house, Aaron holds both Mingi’s hands and he asked the other lad to go out with him. But Mingi won’t say yes and told Aaron that this would be the last time that he could talk to him. Aaron carefully think of it...

 

“If this would be the last time, then I can’t promise that I’ll stop bothering you. So”, he paused.

“So?”, Mingi was left out of curiosity. Aaron met Mingi’s eyes and kissed him. 

 

 Mingi’s eyes were wide open, asking himself, ‘How could this happen all of a sudden?’. Aaron cut the kiss and met Mingi’s eyes once again,

 

“See me at the school’s soccer field on Monday”, said Aaron.

“It’s late, go inside now”, he added, patting the other lad’s head, smiling.

 

Mingi gets inside and Aaron waved him a goodbye. 

 

               

                             .•° ✿°•.

 

Monday morning, Mingi and Aaron meet at the school’s soccer field. 

 

“I thought you won’t show up”, said Aaron.

“You thought?”, asked Mingi, a smirk slipped from his mouth. 

“What’s with the smirk?”, asked Aaron then laughs. 

“Nothing”, said Mingi, scratching his nape.

“So what are we gonna do here?”, Mingi asked eye-contacting Aaron.

“Well, I did kisses you lAst Saturday night, and I felt bad for it. So I’m gonna make up with you”, said Aaron, giving the other lad a pat on his back. 

“You don’t have to, it’s okay”, said Mingi. Aaron was shocked by what just Mingi said, so he asked him something ridiculous for Mingi’s ears.

“Would you like to go out with me?”, asked Aaron.

“Let’s cut classes”, he added. 

“Why not?”, said Mingi and immediately go with Aaron.

 

                            .•° ✿°•.

 

Years passed and they fell in love with each other. They’re contented being together all day so they decided to live together. 

 

“You know what?”, said Mingi.

“What?”, Aaron respond, smiling at Mingi caressing the other lad’s cheek.

“I never thought of falling in love, I’ve never been in love since I was born”, said Mingi, lovingly looking at his lover’s eyes.

“Me too, and I found out that this is the happiest thing happened to my life”, exclaimed Aaron. 

“I love you Mingi”, he confessed, leaving a kiss on Mingi’s forehead.

“I love you too”, Mingi replied and smiles.

 

They’re gone tired as they’ve worked all day at home. Mingi was deeply asleep when a nightmare wakes him up. 

 

“What the?”, he mumbled. 

“What was that?”, he asked to himself brushing his fingers through his hair. He went to bathroom to wash his face in order to think clearly. Facing himself at the mirror, sorrow was evident on his face. 

“Why things that I don’t want to happen always happened to me?”, as soon as he closed his eyes, tears dropped and breathing was hard. He went back to their bedroom and tried to sleep again but couldn’t. 

 

During breakfast, Aaron noticed Mingi’s not eating well and seemed to lost his appetite though his favorite foods were served on the table.

 

“Are you okay?”, asked Aaron, eyes full of worries.

“Please stay with me”, Mingi said, tightly holding his lover’s hands, wiping away his tears. 

“Of course I’ll stay with you”, said Aaron to the lad, smiling.

“For the rest of our lives”, Mingi added.

“Of course honey”, said Aaron, planting a kiss on Mingi’s hand. 

“I love you, okay?”, Aaron caresses Mingi’s cheek to calm his lover.

“I love you too”, confided Mingi.

 

 

                            .•° ✿°•.

 

10th of the month. Mingi received a call from the company where Aaron’s working. 

 

“What?!”, Mingi was shocked by the news he just heard. He immediately went into the company asked Aaron’s boss what hospital did they bring Aaron. The boss said it nearby but the traffic cannot make him to reach over the hospital immediately. So he had to run as fast as he could. 

 

As soon as reached at the hospital, he asked one of the nurses to tell him where Aaron was. 

 

“Excuse me”, said Mingi, patting a nurse’ shoulder.

“Yes sir?”, asked the nurse.

“Can you tell me where was Kwak Aaron’s room?”, asked Mingi.

“Room 521 sir, Third floor”, said the nurse.

“Thank you”. Mingi quickly ride an empty elevator. As soon as he reached the third floor, he anxiously look for his lover’s room. 

 

“Where are you?”, asked Mingi.

“Please don’t die, don’t leave me”, he was crying, tears were dripping down his cheeks. As soon as he found his lover’s room, he quickly opened the door. Aaron is unconscious. A big long tube was plugged in his mouth. 

“What happened to you?”, Mingi asked Aaron, assuming that his lover could hear him.

“No, why this has to happen?”, he asked to himself. 

“This is all my fault, I shouldn’t have been in to this world”, said Mingi. Blaming himself for what just happened.

“Wake up, please, wake up”, he begged. Tightly holding Aaron’s hand. 

 

Hours passed, a doctor and a nurse suddenly entered the room.

 

“Oh, Hi sir, are you his brother?”, asked the doctor.

“No, I’m his lover”, said Mingi. 

“Oh really?”, asked the doctor.

“Yeah”, respond Mingi.

“Well, your boyfriend is comatose. We don’t know when will he wake up, or less he won’t wake up”, said the doctor.

“Why? What’s the matter?”, asked Mingi, tearing up.

“One of his veins near his brain popped, I mean, it exploded and caused internal bleeding which led to being unconscious and fainting all of a sudden. Gladly it’s not directly around his brain. Cause that can cause death.”, said the doctor.

“How’s that happened?”, he asked.

“A lot of stress and fatigue”, said the doctor. 

“For now, all we can do is to wait until he wakes up. He would just wake up suddenly, he would wake up anytime. Don’t lose hope, we will do our best to take care of him”, said the doctor.

“You can visit here time to time or even everyday if you wanted, we can help you take care of him”, added the doctor and pats Mingi’s shoulder then leaves with his nurse.

 

Mingi sits on the chair beside the hospital bed where Aaron was lying down. He grabbed his lover’s hand with his fingers and kisses it.

 

“Wake up, wake up for me, please?”, Mingi rests his head on his lover’s hand while holding it. He couldn’t stop his tears, it gradually sliding down. 

 

“I’ll wait, I’ll wait until you wake up and see me again”, said Mingi. Then he fell asleep.

 

 

                           .•° ✿°•.

 

Months have passed and Aaron still not waking up. Mingi visits his lover everyday after work. Asking and keeps on begging his lover to wake up. His tears were shed each and every time. But he couldn’t get tired and just give up. He loves Aaron’s so much. 

 

One almost fine evening, he got a call from Aaron’s doctor. The doctor told him to go to the hospital immediately after their call, and so he did.

 

Once he arrived at the hospital, he quickly look for Aaron’s doctor. He found the doctor inside Aaron’s room.

 

“Doc, what happened?”, asked Mingi. Anxiousness was evident on his face.

“He’s awake”, said Doctor, smiling toward Mingi unblocking Aaron from her back.

“Aaron-ah”, Mingi’s knees bended on the floor beside his lover’s hospital bed. Fingers were locked between Aaron’s. Starring at his lover eyes, words automatically coming out from Mingi’s mouth.

“M..Mingi-ah”, Aaron is stuttering but for Mingi this is a relief. 

“I missed you”, said Mingi. Aaron was smiling at him with his tears falling. They are happy seeing each other again. The doctor leave them alone to have their time alone.

 

They’ve been talking, chuckling, starring at each other and holding each other’s hands for more than an hour. This make them feel comfortable and happy, not until...

 

“Aaron-ah, Aaron-ah?”, Aaron’s eyes closes suddenly. His heartbeat is racing but his blood pressure is decreasing. 

Mingi called the doctor immediately. 

 

The nurses and doctor are reviving his lover. “What’s happening?”, he thought himself. His tears were being shed again. 

They took 30 minutes inside Aaron’s room, trying to revive Aaron. But they failed. 

 

“We failed”, said the doctor to Mingi.

“W-what do y-you mean, doc?”, asked Mingi, stuttering. He’s full of fears and tears were forming in his eyes again.

“We’re sorry”, said the doctor then leave. 

Mingi entered his lover’s room, starring at his lover’s lifeless body. Tears were slowly slipping into his face. He sat on the chair beside his lover. 

 

“Aaron-ah”, he hold his lover’s cold hand. 

“You remember that time when you asked me what’s bothering me?”, he asked to his lover’s dead body. 

“It was you who’s bothering me”, he complained.

“You know why I didn’t tell you what was it? Because I saw your death. But I’m glad that I still get to be together with you for a long time”, he said teary smiling toward Aaron.

“But that’s so selfish of me. Right?. I’m sorry that I didn’t do anything to stop it”, said Mingi.

“I really wanted to tell you everything. 

But I’m afraid you’d think I’m crazy then you’d leave me”, he murmured.

“I love you, that’s why I didn’t tell you”, he whimpered.

“I’m so sorry. If and only if I could tell you,

I would tell you”, he kissed his lover hand for the last time and leave the room shedding tears away.

 

  

                           .•° ✿°•.

 

Five days after Aaron’s funeral. He was sent to his final end. Kwak Aaron was already buried deep down the soil and rocks.

 

Mingi was left alone at the cemetery. 

 

“I love you, you know that”, he stated.

“Goodbye, see you”, he said his last goodbye and left. 

 

[one week later]

 

It’s raining while walking his way back home. At the front of his house, he saw a guy standing right at the gateway. The guy slowly turn around toward him.

 

“Aaron-ah”, he cooed.

“Mingi-ah”, he heard Aaron calling his name from the other side. Mingi ran fast toward his lover. As soon as they hugged each other happy tears fall from their eyes. After a moment. Mingi wakes up with tears in his eyes. 

 

“I miss you”.