48. Legitimum Conclusione

 

Legitimum Conclusione: "Rightful Closure"

 

 

 

"Many things have happened over the course of life and destiny..."

 

 

No matter how painful, one must accept life's legitimum conclusione.

 

 

"... and with the changing hearts, the past darkness draws to a close."

 

 

 

= = = Soundtrack: U-Kiss - Love Of A Friend = = =

 

 

"Shirin-ah..."

 

A male voice calls out to me in the distance, and my eyes widened at how familiar it sounded. I know the owner of this voice.

 

"Shirin-ah..."

 

A recognizeable image begins to form bit by bit in front of me, a familiar man with arms stretched out, and I ran into them in an embrace that entailed recognition and comfort.

 

"Seunghyun Oppa..."

 

I smiled as I revelled in the warm feeling that the man's embrace gave me, but immediately pulled back when I another familiar voice calling out my name.

 

"Shirin-ah..."

 

Knowing who the owner of the second voice was, I turned around to find the another important figure in my life with open arms.

 

"Chanho Oppa..."

 

I quickly ran and held my brother tightly, tears forming in my eyes. In turn, Chanho Oppa just held me in his embrace, kissing the top of my head as he enclosed me in his strong arms. But as the next voice called out to me, I found myself with tears running down my cheeks.

 

"Shirin-ah..."

 

Seeing his figure in the distance calmed of all my fears. He isn't hurt anymore, he's awake and well. He didn't suffer much anymore. With him in front of me, I ran into his open arms and cried.

 

"Taemin-ah..."

 

Tears continued to fall from my eyes, and I found myself looking into my colleague and friend's eyes... and I realized that I wasn't dreaming anymore.

 

"Taemin-ah!" I cried as I trapped Taemin-ah in my arms, more of the water flowing from my eyes as I held him tightly against me. All worry and unsettled feeling dissolved into bliss and happiness as he hugged me back. This is my friend whom I thought would already leave me. But I guess it wouldn't be the case.

 

"Well, I'm glad that you're okay." He told me once I pulled back, a smile already on his lips. I looked at him warmly, my heart warmed by how well he has taken this life-threatening injury.

 

Not knowing quite why, my hand found contact with Taemin-ah's shoulder in a slap, and he winced in pain as I scowled.

 

"Yah! Why the hell did you do that?! You could've died if you weren't brought here in the nick of time!" I screamed at an evidently stunned young man who, from surprise, changed into a normal expression before shrugging his shoulders.

 

"Well, if someone you love was about to be shot, will you not take the bullet to spare him or her from the excruciating pain?" He replied with just as much attitude as I, and I couldn't help but smile once more at his answer. I quickly hugged him again.

 

"But, thank you for saving back then, Taemin-ah. I'm sorry about all this that we have to go through, but I hope we can still be friends." I said in the embrace, and his reply was something that I didn't expect.

 

"It's really nothing though, Shirin-ah. I'm willing to adopt a sister, you know. It's boring being the only child of a wealthy business couple, so I'd rather commit myself into taking care of a very cute little girl such as yourself than stress over so much things." He said before bravely kissing my forehead.

 

"Yah yah yah! You might be injured right now, but that doesn't give you a license to just kiss her so easily, Taemin Hyung."

 

My head whipped to the direction of the door of the receiving area of the Medic Warehouse... only to find a smirking Kai-yah with two plastic bags in hand. Placing one of them on the end table next to Taemin-ah's bed, he then stood beside my sitting figure on a chair on one side of Taemin-ah.

 

"Just deal with it, Jongin-ah. I might have already given you my blessing, but it doesn't mean that I've already abandoned my feelings for Shirin-ah."

 

At this, my eyes widened and I quickly launched my mind into a series of analyses. I already know that Taemin-ah had decided to let me be with Kai-yah, but then he's being so calm about it. And why the heck is Kai-yah not reacting negatively to Taemin-ah's words? It could be possible that those two had reached some sort of agreement and they...

 

"Yah! Shirin-ah! What's wrong with you?" came Taemin-ah's voice and I saw fingers snapping in front of my face. That's when I realized that both half-brothers were staring at me like I was going mad or something. In response, I just huffed an irritated sigh before pouting.

 

"Shirin-ah, Taemin Hyung and I already patched things up. Weirdly, we've already made up now." Kai-yah said before ruffling my hair, stopping only when the door of the receiving room opened and the image of both Seunghyun Oppa and Chanho Oppa appeared in front of us.

 

"Well, you're finally awake, Shirin-ah. Taemin-ah, who's supposed to wake up much later, even woke up before you." Seunghyun Oppa jokingly said before ruffling my hair like what Kai-yah had done, and I just shook my head in disapproval.

 

"Aish. Just shut up if you're gonna tease me. It's annoying."

 

= = =

 

"I still can't believe that you're gonna go to Japan just like that..." My weak and soft complaints still reached Taemin-ah's ears as he slung his travel bag on his shoulder, three weeks and two muscle repairing treatments after he was shot in the stomach. He, upon hearing my words, just took me into his arms and sighed.

 

"I had to, if I wanted to redirect my love for you to a different path. Besides, Appa had asked me to meet up with 4 other sons of media associations and alliances in Japan for a conference. I need to find out which of them is Kim Jonghyun of Kim's Radio Broadcasting Company, Kim Kibum of Universia Magazine, Lee Jinki of Nichiyu Public Relations and Choi Minho of Choi-Jung-Han TV Company. I'll be succeeding the company anyways." He whispered to my ear, and reluctantly, I nodded.

 

"Arasso, arasso. But you HAVE to come back once in a while, though. I'll be missing my best-chingu a lot." I told him, finishing just as the announcement in the airport called for boarding in Taemin-ah's flight.

 

"Oh, don't call me 'Taemin-ah' anymore. I've discovered that I'm actually two years older than you are, so call me 'Taemin Oppa' instead." He smiled at me before beginning to walk off. I shouted my reply to him.

 

"Alright, Taemin Oppa! Take Care!"

 

"Arayo! I'll take care of myself. Yah, Kim Jongin! Take care of Shirin-ah!" He shouted to us, followed by a smile as he pointed a reminder to Kai-yah.

 

From the distance, every single one of us was waving goodbye to Taemin Oppa as he walked away. Seunghyun Oppa and Chanho Oppa was there, as well as F[x], EXO-K, Changjo-yah, Sunny-sshi and RenewedBonds - the newest subgroup under ReapedSouls that was led by L.Joe Oppa, Hyuna Unnie and the Jo Twins. Not long after, Taemin Oppa's figure finally disappeared in the sea of people and we all decided to either split up or head home.

 

"So who's up for group training with RenewedBonds?" L.Joe Oppa [Now, I call him Oppa too because he also discovered that he's the same age as Taemin Oppa and he asked me to call him Oppa too] shouted out to everyone, and not five seconds have passed that six hands were raised.

 

"EXO-K's game for it. What about you guys?" Hyuna Unnie said after identifying the owner of the hands in the air, and five more hands followed.

 

"Of course, F[x] is game for it too." Victoria Unnie said confidently, and at this, I felt an arm draped over my shoulders. I looked to my side to find a smirking Kai-yah with his arm raised. Of course, now that he's part of EXO-K, he doesn't resist joint trainings anymore.

 

"What about you, Aegi-yah? You coming?" He asked me, but after spying a look at a smiling Chanho Oppa, I shook my head and just placed a gentle kiss on Kai-yah's cheek.

 

"Mianhae, Kai-yah. I have a date with Chanho Oppa in the documents section today. Maybe I'll join you guys next time."

 

= = =

 

"So, why did you ask me to help you in the brotherhood documents section when we both know very well that you can handle everything by yourself, Chanho Oppa?" I asked the younger Song brother as we head inside the home office of the Song House. Chanho Oppa just kept quiet when I asked that, but when he turned to look at me, he spoke again.

 

"Well, it's because I'm going to confess something to you."

 

I raised both of my eyebrows to encourage him to speak, but all he did was take out a book from one of the shelves and take out a picture. He placed it in my hand and smiled. I looked on at the picture of a young girl smiling while a younger Chanho Oppa had an arm around her shoulder.

 

"That's Shiyeon-ah. When we were younger, many many years ago, she asked me about what kind of girl I like. I told her that I would like someone like her, but because we were siblings, I will never like her that way. A day before she died, she told me that someday, I'll find someone like her and that I'd love that girl to pieces. Then, you came."

 

My eyes widened at the story that Chanho Oppa began telling me, and as I looked into his eyes, my heartbeats picked up pace.

 

"Well, Shiyeon-ah was right about me finding someone like her and loving her to bits and pieces. But she didn't tell me that the girl I'd actually love will turn out to be our second sister. The moment Seunghyun Hyung and I saw you, I fell in love with you. I kept having this feeling of attachment to you that I couldn't help myself whenever you're around. Even as we grew up, I admitted in myself that I had feelings for you, and that I let myself dote on you. The moment, however, that I finally accepted that I'm in love with my own sister, Seunghyun Hyung came with the news that we must succeed the ReapedSouls. I had to give up my feelings for you."

 

"Chanho Oppa..." I began to say, shocked at another revelation, but this time about my brothers.

 

"The reason why I'm teling this to you now is because I understand what Taemin-ah is going through. I even fell for you earlier than he did, and it took me quite some time to redirect my feelings for you into another path. You should just let him be away for a while so that he could finally build a resolve. Right now, I'm already at the stage wherein there's already no trace of me liking you more than how a brother should. So, don't be afraid of me. I'll always be your Chanho Oppa."

 

With a smile, I nodded before hugging my second Song brother tightly. He, on the other hand just placed his chin on the top of my head and ran his hand along my hair.