So, now you knew how I ended up in this wheelchair. The doctor said that I have injured my spine that left me paralyzed from waist down, though the doctor was unable to determine whether it would be permanent or temporary. After the crash, Appa’s younger brother’s family kindly took me in. They were nice people and took care of me and even paid for my hospital bills. 

 

A month of physiotherapy passed since the accident.  Today was my birthday, a very gloomy one, I had to admit.  The whole month of therapy seemed futile as I’m still sitting in this wheelchair. I think I should tell you now what the promise that hyung had made with me on his birthday about seven months ago.

 

 

--------

 

-December 19th-

 

 

“Happy Birthday, hyung!” I said, giving him a peck on the cheek. Hyung gave me a loving smile but was quickly turned into a confused frown when I handed him a small paper bag with a red ribbon bow attached on it.

 

“Taemin, I thought I've told you I don't need any gift.” He said frowning but he accepted anyway when I showed him my famous pouty, puppy-eyed look. No one could resist my puppy-eyes, especially Minho.

 

“Open it, open it!” I said excitedly. I heard hyung chuckled seeing my childish behaviour. Anxiously, I watched as hyung untied the ribbon, opening the paper bag, revealing a long, red scarf.

 

“A scarf?”

 

“I-It was suppose to be a pair of socks but I uhh... accidentally knitted the two together...Anyway, you like it?” 

 

I blushed when hyung suddenly averted his attention from the scarf and stared at me with his big, brown eyes. And then, he suddenly burst into laughter.

 

“Hyung!~” I pouted and slapped his arm lightly. Did hyung not like the scarf?

 

Hyung seemed to have read my mind as he patted his hand on the empty space on the bed beside him, gesturing me to sit there, which I happily obliged. He pulled me into a hug and gently kissed my forehead.

 

"I love it. Thank you, Taemin."

 

I smiled and leaned my head on hyung's chest, enjoying the warmth. We stayed like that  for a while before I pulled away and decided to break the silence.

 

“Hyung, will we be together forever?” I fidgeted and focused on my hands as I asked hyung. 

 

“Do you really need to ask me that?” Hyung asked back. He gently caressed my cheek, turning my face to look at him but I was scared to look into his eyes.

 

“I-I’m sorry… I shouldn’t have asked that question…” I must’ve seemed like I doubted his love for me. Slowly, a tear escaped my eye. The truth is, I was afraid. Afraid of what would happen to us if anyone were to find out about our relationship. Sure my family and hyung’s were close but what would they do if they found out that their son was in love with another man? They would try to break us, wouldn’t they?

 

I felt hyung’s thumb wiped the tear on my cheek before pulling me into his arms.

 

“Hey, you don’t have to apologize… Shh, don’t cry. A man should only cry three times in their life.” He tried to cheer me up.

 

“B-But what if your family o-or my family find out?” I couldn’t help but ask him that. I sobbed onto his shirt. 

 

“Taeminnie-" he started but was cut off by my loud sobbing.

 

"I don't want to be separated from you, hyung!...I don't want to..."  I felt hyung pushed me away from his chest, his finger tilted my head upwards, and stare into my eyes.

 

"Hey, Taeminnie, listen. You and I will always be together. Nothing and no one will ever separate us." Hyung said with certainty in his eyes, and kissed the tears on my cheeks away.

 

"Really?"

 

"Really." 

 

I wanted to believe, I really did want to believe him but I guess my face showed the opposite when hyung suddenly stood up and moved to his study desk, opening the drawers, searching for something.

 

Was hyung mad at me? He's mad at me, wasn't he?

 

I heard hyung mumbled something but my mind was too occupied with the thought of hyung being mad at me to register anything outside my head.

 

"...ah, here it is!" I snapped out of my thoughts as I saw hyung turned towards me, approaching with both his hands behind his back.

 

"Hyung-" I begun but hyung cut me off.

 

"I wanted to give this on your birthday but I guess it can't wait."

 

"Huh?" I looked at hyung, puzzled. Hyung took my hand in his and pressed a box in my hand. I looked down only to see a small box tied with a light blue bow.

 

"It's your birthday present, well, I guess it's just a present now since it's not your birthday yet." I had not expected hyung to do this, I was speechless, all I did was stare on the box.

 

"Go on, open it." 

 

"Hyung, wha-" I tried to question but quickly close my mouth after seeing hyung's loving and expectant gaze on me, making me blush slightly. I pulled on the bow to unravel tha box. I quickly took the lid off, almost lost my grip on the box when I realized what was the content of the small paper cube.

 

I carefully pulled the small silvery object out of the box, inspecting it. It was a silver ring with a chain through it. And if I looked closely there were engravings on it.

 

"Minho - Taemin, Yeongwonhi"

 

I read out aloud. I was frozen in place and couldn't help but stared at the words, repeating it over and over in my head. 'Yeongwonhi', 'Forever'... Hyung and me. I felt the words bring warmth to my heart, bringing a smile on my face.

 

"Taemin? What's wrong now? You don't like it?" I heard hyung ask and I shook my head. I looked up meeting hyung's worried gaze then to his neck, noticing that he had a matching ring-necklace. I smiled at that.

 

"No, I love it. I love it, Minho-hyung." Before I could utter anymore words, he pulled me into his arms.

 

"Taemin, I promise, on your eighteenth birthday, I will take you away. We will find a nice place near the sea, like you always dream of. We will walk on the beach hand-in-hand, watching the sunset, just like you always dream of. Anything and everything that you want."  Hyung spoke in our embrace.

 

I pulled out of the embrace and rose my pinky to hyung's face.

 

"Promise?" I looked at him expectantly. Hyung just chuckled at me, making me pout. Before I could whine, Minho-hyung hooked his pinky with mine.

 

"I promise."

 

 

And there you go.

 

The promise that hyung made, and the one would soon be broken. 

 

The promise that was supposed to come true today.

 

I reached for the ring hung around my neck by a thin silver chain. A tear escaped my eye without me noticing.

 

Minho-hyung... If only you knew that I was still waiting for you right here. 

 

Waiting for you to fulfill your promise to me...

 

 

 

 

 

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fufufu~ finally i'm done with chapter 4!!!! *throws confetti*

 

so, the mysterious hyung is Minho!!~ Congratz to you who guessed right~

 

hmm, i have 1 more chappy to this story but then maybe I should just stop the story here~~ huhuhuhuh  *bricked*

 

anyway, plz comment!!~~