When you feel those lonely teardrops
Rolling down your face
Just know my love watches over you
Always, always..

♥

"So.. may I approach you now?" Minho said as he sat on a desk beside me. It's nearly 5PM and I stayed in my classroom, like I usually did. "I mean, come on! I'm your bestest friend in the whole world! Why are you avoiding me?" He complained.

"I'm not avoiding you, Minho. I was just not in the mood these past few days." I replied.

"Or past few weeks." He grumbled. I looked at him and chuckled.

"I'm not done 'getting over Jinki's death', okay? So please be a little more considearte. Thank you." I said then I looked out the window again.

"And when will you finally be?" He asked.

"I don't know.." I replied without looking at him. "Is 'never' acceptable?"

"It certainly is not!" Minho immediately replied. "Why can't you just be happy, _____? Jinki hyung wants that, right?"

"He does. But he's not here anymore, right?" My heart ached again. I wanted to cry, but I guess I've drained out all of my tears.

Minho sighed. "Why can't you just let me make you happy?" He muttered.

"Hm?" What is he talking about? "What do you mean, Minho?"

"Uh.. N-nothing.. So, I better get going. Heh. See you around!" Then he busted out of the room. I looked out of the window again, waiting for Jinki to come. I managed to let out a tear.

"Crying again, huh? Tsk, tsk." A soft voice said.

"Like it's something new?" I replied.

"I told you to not cry anymore. Why are you so stubborn?" He scolded me.

"It's all your fault, you know. You left me and all." I sighed a deep, sad sigh.

"But you're not alone." He replied.

"What do you mean, Jinki?" I wasn't expecting for an answer.

"You have Minho. You just don't look at him, don't you?" He said. "Why don't you see him, _____?"

"Because all I see is you, babo." I chuckled.

"Oh, do you?" He provoked me.

"Okay, okay.. I don't. But I hear you. How can I possibly move on if I can still hear you?!" I exclaimed.

"How can I possibly go peacefully if you still haven't let go of me?" He answered back.

I was silenced. I can't let him go.. I still can't. And why did he suddenly bring up Minho? I mean, he's my best friend, but he can't possibly like me, can he? And if he does, it doesn't matter. Because I can't love anyone other than Jinki.

"Are you even listening to me?" Jinki persuadingly said.

"I can't look at him, Jinki. I love only you and you know that." I sobbed. I wanted to cry in his arms, but instead, I cried leaning on a window pane.

Then, a soft, cold wind brushed my cheeks. "But I can't let you cry any longer." His soft voice said.

"I miss you, Lee Jinki. I miss you so much that it hurts.." I cried harder.

"I'm always with you, baby.." He said. "So, I want you to let me go."

"No!" I yelled. "I'm not letting you go!"

Then, the wind stopped. It's time.. I have to go home. It's 6:30PM and I'm still at school. My mom must be looking for me, as usual. I picked my bag up, and got out of school. I checked my phone, and I received a message from Minho.

"Babo, it's time to go home~"

I smiled as I read the text. I typed a reply and sent it to him.

"I know, I know. I'm on my way home."

I walked along the sidewalk as I waited for a reply. Then, my phone rang. It's Minho.

"Just keep on walking." He said.

"What?" I asked, confused.

"Even if you are talking to me, you have to get home early. Don't stop."

"Wait.. how do you know I'm stopping?"

"I can see you!" He exclaimed. I looked around, but no sign of  Minho.

"But where the heck are you?" I asked.

Then, a tall man poked me to my side. It's Minho. He wore a furry jacket and jeans. I smiled at him, and he turned pink.

"What are you doing stalking me?" I asked him.

"Well, I knew you're going home late, so I'd walk you home." He smiled at me. After Jinki's death, it's my first time feeling.. happy again. I'm happy to see Minho with me.. And I like the fact the he's walking me home.

Wait.. ____, what are you saying?! You can't.. like Minho. You only love Jinki and that's it. Minho is just your friend.. Your best friend.

We arrived in front of my home and he turned to him.

"Thanks, Minho. I appreciate it." I said with a smile.

"No problemo. I'm glad you're smiling again." He replied. I just nodded.

"So, see you tomorrow, then." I turned around, but then Minho called me.

"_____."

"Yeah?" I looked back.

"Will you let me make you happy?" He suddenly asked. I was stopped by his question.

"You always make me happy, Minho." I replied.

"But you still haven't moved on from Jinki hyung, am I right?" He looked down.

"I guess not.." I replied. I still can't move on. He wants me to, but I can't. My heart's not ready, and I don't know when will that time be.

"Then.. will you let me wait for you, then?" He blurted out. I looked at him with confusion.

"What do you mean, Minho?"

"I'll wait for you, ____. No matter how long it takes. Until you can finally move on from Jinki hyung's death, I'll wait for you to notice me, for your heart to be open for me.." He paused for a moment. "I like you, _____. You must have not known it, since I always tease you and such. And I can't tell you, because you have Jinki hyung. In the 3 years you have been together, I must have moved on.. And I must have let you go. But after seeing you cry and get hurt like this, I don't think I can tolerate it. So please, let me make you happy. I'm willing to wait.. until all the hurt and pain inside you is gone."

I was stopped by Minho's speech. I looked at him, and he looked at me as well. I gulped before I answered him.

"Let me think about it first.. I'll decide if my heart's ready or not. Then I'll let you know." I calmly replied, though my heart's racing right now.

"I'll be waiting.. Annyeong." He said with a smile, then he fled. I watched him go, then I got back to my senses.

What did just happen? Did Minho just.. confess to me? I got inside the house and into my room and just laid there. My mom called me for dinner, but I wasn't hungry.

"Then, I'll let you gather your thoughts first." She chuckled and closed the door. I breathed heavily.. thinking my heart finally opened up for Minho. But.. What happens to Jinki?

"Jinki? Can you hear me?" I asked out of nowhere. I must have gone crazy. "Well, if you can, I want to talk to you tomorrow. About Minho. I need you now, Jinki. Like, badly. Okay, that's all. I love you forever."

If someone else heard me, he or she might think I've gone mad, so I tucked myself in and called it a day. Tomorrow will be.. just like how it was lately. Another day without Jinki.

Live your life from this day on
And love again
I know you'd do the same for me
That's the way that love is supposed to be..

♥

"I told you!" Jinki said as he chuckled.

"You're crazy! I'm asking if my feelings are right. I mean, you know, right?" I asked him.

"It's your choice, baby. All I'm ever concerned about is your happiness. Now, if you're happy with him, then go." His voice sounded so happy.

"But what happens to you, then?" I unconsciously asked.

"Okay, so here's the deal. You decide to be happy then I'll show myself to you for one last time." He said.

The last three words pierced my heart. "One last time?" Tears filled my eyes.

"We can't just go on like this. But don't think that just because I let you be happy I'll be miserable and all. I love it when you laugh and smile freely, and I want to see you like that again. I will still love you, you know. I guess a soul's feelings never change." I felt cold air caress my cheeks again.

"But then.. I won't be able to talk to you again?"

"When you let me go." He replied calmly.

Thinking of letting Jinki go is like thinking of dying. My heart hurts so bad, but I knew I had to do it. I get to see him one last time, then he's gone forever. I held my tears back, 'cause if I didn't, they'd flow endlessly.

"Are you ready?" He asked me. I didn't know what to answer. I wanted to be with him all my life, but I have to let him go so he can  rest peacefully. I calmed my heart, closed my eyes, and nodded.

After a few seconds, I felt warm arms wrap around me, and my eyes flapped open.

"Jinki.." I muttered. He loosened his hug and looked at me. Finally, I was able to see him again. His small eyes, his puffy cheeks, his heart-melting smile.. I can see Lee Jinki with my own eyes.

"_____, be happy okay? For me?" He had tears in his eyes all along. His voice sounded calm, but he was crying. "I don't want to see you cry anymore. Please?"

I nodded and cried even harder.

"Now, shh. Stop crying.." He kissed my forehead, then my lips. His gentle lips pressed against mine, then he pulled back. "This will be our last goodbye.. You can always talk to me, but you won't be able to hear me anymore. Promise me you won't cry because of me anymore, okay? Okay?"

I nodded again and he hugged me tightly.

"I will always protect you no matter what, because I love you and I always will. I will hold you like this forever, even if you don't know that I'm doing so. I love you, _____, and I won't get tired of saying it even if you won't hear me anymore. I love you so much, baby. I love you. I love you. I love you. Please don't forget to smile. I'll say this again, and again, and again.. I love you, I love you, I love you."

Then he hugged me one last time. "Goodbye, _____. I know I said this for the nth time, but I love you."

"I love you, too, Jinki. Forever.." I whispered my final words, then he vanished.

He's gone now.. and he won't be back. I fell to my knees and cried. But then, I remembered my promise to him, that I won't cry again. I stood up, looked out the window, and finally, after Jinki's death, I felt happy again. The heavy burden in my heart vanished, and I felt like I can love again.

"Thanks, Jinki." I whispered and ran outside. I stopped in front of the gate and called out Minho's name.

"Choi Minho, come out!"

Suddenly, a tall shadow came running to me.

"How do you know?" He asked puzzled. I just eye-smiled at him and I held his hand. "Wait.. where are we going?"

"You're going to walk me home, right?" I demanded. He still looked at me with confusion, but then he smiled back and walked me home.

"What's with you, _____? I haven't seen you smile like that for like forever." Minho asked.

"Why? Don't you like seeing your best friend happy?"

"It's not like that. It's just that.. you're kind of freaking me out." He slowly said. I just chuckled and kept on clinging onto him.

"Oh! And by the way.." I started speaking as we stopped.

"Hm?" He turned to me.

"Make me happy, Choi Minho." I smiled.

Then, a smile crept up his face, so precious that you just want him to smile and not frown anymore.

"As you wish, madam." He replied, then we continued walking on the streets of Seoul, South Korea.

A/N: Okay, so I seriously cried a liter of tears writing this fanfic, because tons of ideas come to my mind, but I don't know how the heck will I put them into words. But I hope this story affects you like the way it affected me. I love you subscribers and readers.

끝!