Despite the exhaustion overwhelming him, Kyuhyun pushed forward and continued running towards the destination he had in mind. It was the one place he always retreated to in times of need. It was also the place where he first met Sungmin. As he ran, all the happy memories of the two of them together infiltrated his head, fueling his energy tank, allowing him to run through the crowds on the sidewalk at an amazing speed. No matter what, Kyuhyun wasn't planning on stopping. To him, this was a life and death situation; if he didn't get to Sungmin in time, who knows what would happen. He was just a stoplight away from his objective as he panted for air and scanned his surroundings. Suddenly, his eyes widened as the realization hit him; this was where the accident happened; the place where their lives changed. Kyuhyun could feel the tears welling up in his eyes as he recollected the memories, but he wasn't going to allow them to fall so freely. He was so close to Sungmin, he could feel it, so he'll stay strong for him. However, this didn't cease the memories that flooded his mind, causing him to writhe in pain on the inside.

Kyuhyun remembered clearly how Sungmin was where he was standing right now. How he, himself, smiled so brightly, watching Sungmin run so energetically towards him; but, that was short-lived as the worst of the worst happened. Being oblivious of the car racing down the street, Kyuhyun acted on instinct as he bolted towards his lover and embraced him as the car collided with them. Even now, he could remember, vaguely, of how he was lying on the asphalt, Sungmin in his arms. They were lying in their own pool of blood, their white tuxedos soaked in a crimson red. He remembered how his head and abdomen were in so much pain, though he could care less about himself as long as Sungmin was okay. He recalled the feeling of his body losing too much blood, his consciousness fading away by the minute. Kyuhyun returned from his terrible daydream as he reminisced on the last words he spoke to Sungmin, thinking if he didn't say it then, he would never get a second chance. As he fell deeper into darkness, with all the strength he had left, he struggled to utter out the words he's been meaning to say to Sungmin his entire life.

'I love you, Lee Sungmin.' 

Whether Sungmin received his last message or not, Kyuhyun was unaware. He snapped out of his thoughts and noticed people crossing the street, so he followed after. As soon as he reached the other side, he immediately made a dash towards the bench where everything started. 

Sungmin, please be here. 

Kyuhyun finally arrived at the bench overlooking the beautiful lake that shimmered in the sun's rays. To his dismay, the bench was abandoned with no one in sight. Disappointed, he dragged his feet over to the bench and sat down, contemplating his thoughts. 

"Is this the place where Sungmin was talking about?" Kyuhyun thought aloud. 

"If this isn't the place, where else would he be?!" 

Frustrated, he threw his head into his hands and buried them in his lap. Little by little, the tears that he held back came trickling down his face. Kyuhyun was scared that he was too late; too late to see Sungmin; too late to save Sungmin. He choked back his cries and looked up, scanning the area one more time, though it was difficult as he was blinded by his tears still threatening to fall. Suddenly, just when Kyuhyun was about to give up, he saw Sungmin. Though, at first glance, Kyuhyun believed it was a hallucination. Sungmin was sitting down, leaning his back against a tree. His eyes were closed and because he was under the tree, he was shaded by its variety of leaves. However, due to the shade, Sungmin seemed as if he was almost glowing. He was dressed in all white; a white V-neck, white skinny jeans, white shoes, and a white blazer. He looked so peaceful and angelic that Kyuhyun couldn't distinguish between reality and fantasy. However, he had to take this chance. Using the back of his hand, he hastily wiped away his remaining tears and rose from the bench he was just seated upon. Inhaling and exhaling to calm his rapidly beating heart, he strode over to the sleeping figure and stopped just before he could step beneath the tree. Cautiously, he squinted to take a closer look and spoke in a soft, gentle voice as to not startle the latter. 

"S-Sungmin?" Kyuhyun whispered. He recognized those luscious eyelashes, the milky white skin, the perfect m-shaped lips, not to mention his adorable sleeping face. However, a thought crossed his mind, frightening him. He stumbled backwards a bit as he pondered on this thought. If Sungmin had donated his eyes to Kyuhyun, what became of Sungmin? Where his eyes should be, will there be a pit of darkness? Will his eyes not open at all? These thoughts made Kyuhyun anxious, but as he gazed back at Sungmin, he noticed his eyelids twitching, suggesting that he was awakening from his slumber. 

Slowly, but surely, Sungmin's eyes began to open. Kyuhyun, on the other hand, was anticipating what he would see as soon as those eyes did reveal themselves to him. Nonetheless, he wouldn't care; eyes or not, he would love Sungmin no matter what happened to him. Sungmin gave up everything for Kyuhyun, now it was his turn. He stood there, watching as Sungmin raised his hand up and rubbed his eyes cutely while yawning away the sleepiness. From his angle, Kyuhyun couldn't tell if Sungmin opened his eyes yet, but he could tell that the latter indeed was blinking his eyes. Sungmin moved his head left and right, attempting to pinpoint the voice's location, until his gaze landed on Kyuhyun who was staring back with an expression of shock, happiness, and relief. 

Sungmin's eyes were beautiful. They were a light shade of brown with the same sparkle in them. However, for some reason, they looked oddly familiar; only this time, it seems as though they're glazed over, making it appear as though Sungmin was...blind. 

"Kyu? Is that you?" Sungmin stood up from his sitting position and carefully took one step towards Kyuhyun. Seeing his lover after what felt like an eternity caused his tears to fall once again, but this time, a bright smile was plastered on his face. He let out a small shriek and quickly rushed forward in an attempt to embrace Sungmin. However, all he received was a face full of tree bark and a sudden pain on his face. 

"Ow." 

"Kyu?! Are you okay? What happened?" 

Sungmin frantically searched for Kyuhyun, but was unable to find him. Kyuhyun was rubbing his face, trying to ease the pain of running straight into the tree trunk. Though, how he ran into it in the first place was a mystery to him. He knew for sure he had hugged Sungmin, but he didn't know what had happened. 

"S-Sungmin? Is that really you or am I hallucinating?" 

Turning around towards the voice, Sungmin let out a sigh of relief before responding, "Neh, Kyu. It's really me." 

"But, then...Why did I just run into the tree? Did you move out of the way? Sungmin..." Kyuhyun's smile fell from his face, a small frown replacing it. Sungmin shifted his head so that he was looking towards the ground before he walked out from under the safety of the tree's shade and into the sunlight. Kyuhyun let out an audible gasp as he saw Sungmin in the sunlight. It was as though he was a ghost; Sungmin was transparent and now that he was in the light, wings sprouted and extended on either side of him. The wings were pure white, matching his outfit, and the feathers were perfectly groomed. 

"This is why...I'm sorry, Kyu. I'm sorry I had to leave you." 

Tears streamed down Kyuhyun's face as the realization hit him; he was too late to save Sungmin. He tentatively walked over to Sungmin, one step at a time, so he was standing right in front of his lover. 

"M-Min, why..." Kyuhyun couldn't control it anymore. He didn't want to hide his feelings from Sungmin anymore. "WHY?! You were supposed to live! I didn't jump in front of that car for nothing, Min! I did it to save you! I didn't want you to end up like this! Why did you do all of this? Why did you give me your eyes? Sungmin...why? I..I love you..." 

After those three words were said, Sungmin felt an ache in his chest, something he shouldn't be feeling. He felt his wings dissolving from his sides, and he could feel himself materializing, as if he was being brought back to life. He was perplexed; he didn't understand how it was possible for this to happen, until an angelic voice spoke within his head, answering his question.

"You will be given this moment to reunite with him, but afterwards, you must return." 

Sungmin smiled gratefully and thanked the voice quietly. He noticed how the darkness he once saw slowly faded away, the light penetrating through. He felt tears falling from his face as he looked up from the ground and came face to face with a crying Kyuhyun. He didn't wait any longer as he jumped onto the person in front of him and embraced him tightly, releasing all his feelings from before. 

"I'm sorry, Kyu. I'm so sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I didn't want to leave you, but I hated seeing you like that. You seemed so helpless, unable to see. It hurt me so much on the inside. I made my decision, Kyuhyun, so please, just keep my eyes safe. I did all of this because...I love you, too. I always have and I always will. I'm sorry it took me so long to----"

Sungmin was cut off as Kyuhyun crashed their lips together, initiating their first, real kiss. Stunned at first, Sungmin tensed up and was unsure of what to do, though, he soon relaxed and shut his eyes, slowly reaching up and wrapping his arms around Kyuhyun's neck as the latter pulled Sungmin's waist closer to him. It was a sweet, gentle kiss as they were enjoying the moment of being reunited with each other. Their salty lips moved in sync with one another as they both pulled away after about a minute. Their eyes fluttered opened simultaneously, though Kyuhyun still held onto Sungmin protectively in his embrace. 

"No more apologizing, Minnie." Kyuhyun quietly whispered. "It doesn't matter. As long as you're here now, that's all that matters."

"Kyu...I'm sorry, but I can't stay long. I have to go back soon."

Gently pulling away from the hug, Kyuhyun stared at Sungmin's tear-streaked face with a pained expression. 

"Go back...? Go back where, Minnie?" 

"Back to where I belong." Sungmin replied, looking anywhere but at Kyuhyun. 

"Min, you can see now, can't you? And, I can hold you now. No. No. NO! I won't let you go, Sungmin! I've already lost you once; I don't want to lose you again. I can't imagine my life without you. You just can't leave me here!" Kyuhyun screamed, tears running down his face. 

Sungmin felt his heart break after seeing how much pain Kyuhyun's in. He hugged the latter and spoke softly, "Mianhe, Kyu. I never intended to hurt you like this. Please, let's just savor this moment that we're able to spend together, neh? Stop crying. I want to see you one last time with a smile on your face." 

He reached up and tenderly wiped away Kyuhyun's tears with his thumb and kissed his cheeks. He then gazed into his own eyes that were now Kyuhyun's, and asked the question he's been meaning to ask for a while now.

"K-Kyu...D-do you have an answer?" Sungmin stuttered. 

As he was lost in the exchange of gazes, he was brought back to reality by the sweet sound of the latter's voice. However, he wasn't sure what Sungmin was asking about. He was about to shake his head when he noticed the ring on his finger. 

"Y-yes..."

"W-what's your answer?" Sungmin stared at Kyuhyun with a look of hope, a small smile pulling at his lips.

"No, I don't want to be your boyfriend forever." 

Sungmin's arms drooped down from Kyuhyun's neck as his heart shattered into pieces, tears streamed down his face, and his smile replaced with a sad frown. He looked at the serious expression on Kyuhyun's face that demolished all of his hopes of the latter lying and teasing him again. He cried out and whirled around, ready to go back when he felt someone grab his wrist. 

"Min, wait. You didn't let me finish." 

Turning around, Sungmin faced Kyuhyun with a look of confusion on his face. 

"What's there to finish, Kyuhyun? You've already divulged your answer." 

"No, I don't want to be your boyfriend forever."

Kyuhyun stared straight into Sungmin's eyes, pulled him closer, and embraced him tightly. 

"Because I want to be your groom at our wedding. I want to be your soul mate, your love, your everything, forever." 

Sungmin felt his tears falling faster, but he smiled nonetheless. He looked up at Kyuhyun and wrapped his arms around the latter's neck. 

"Lee Sungmin, will you marry me?" 

"B-But K-Kyu. Y-you k-know w-we c-can't h-have a w-wedding...I-I h-have t-to l-leave." Sungmin managed to say in between his sobs. 

"It's okay. I'll wait as long as I have to if it means being with you in the end. I promise my heart will always belong to you and so will my love. I love you, Sungmin. Please?" 

"Of course I will." 

With that, Sungmin tiptoed up and placed a quick peck on Kyuhyun's lips. He felt as though he was the happiest person on the world. He didn't want this moment to end, but, unfortunately, it will have to one way or another. Kyuhyun smiled down at his lover and took off one of the necklaces around his neck. 

"Keep my heart safe, Min. I promise we'll meet again soon." 

He placed the necklace around Sungmin's neck, the charm with the engraving "Kyu," dangling from the chain. Sungmin beamed at his lover, his soul mate, his fiancé, and held his hand. 

"Kyuhyun, I love you so much. I'm sorry I never had the chance to tell you this until it was too late. I didn't know that that day would be our last. And, I didn't know that our love would begin like this. I wished we could have had more time together, I really do. I've never been happier in my life and it's all thanks to you. On the day of your operation, I thought that was the last time I would be able to see you. The last time I would be able to hug you like this. The last time I would be able to kiss you, love you, give you my heart. But, today just proves what love truly is. No matter how far we're apart, no matter what obstacles we'll face in the future, our love for each other will always pull through. Even though, I'm leaving you today, it's not the end. Please don't be sad this isn't a happy ending like one of those fairytales. True love doesn't have a happy ending because true love never ends. Letting you go is one way of saying, I love you, Kyu. Distance, challenges, words, nothing can ever break us apart. Fate caused us to meet, to struggle, to hurt, but after all of that, this is where we are now, and I don't regret going through all of that. Please be happy and go on with your life, Kyu. I love you; never forget that." 

The tears wouldn't stop flowing from both Sungmin and Kyuhyun's eyes as they held one another in each other's arms. They cried silently and savored their last moments together until a voice echoed from behind them.

"Where's our hug, Sungmin?" 

The couple broke apart and whirled around, only to see their friends and family standing there with tears cascading from their eyes as well. Hyukjae, Donghae, Ryeowook, Yesung, Henry, and Zhou Mi stood there with sad smiles on their faces as they witnessed the exchange of words from Sungmin to Kyuhyun. Henry was the first to break into a run towards Sungmin, who let out a choked sob, but happily complied. The two brothers hugged each other tightly while they cried in each other's arms. Sungmin pulled away from the hug and smiled at Henry who was burying his head into his older brother's shirt. 

"Henry~ Don't be sad. Come on, I want to see you smile when I have to go." Sungmin gently said. 

"But, Sungmin, we don't want you to go..." Zhou Mi responded. Sungmin looked up and noticed everyone surrounding him with a sullen look on their faces that only caused his heart to break even more. He didn't want to be the cause of all this pain for everyone. 

"M-mianhe---" 

Before he could continue, everyone hugged Sungmin, suffocating him. Donghae, Ryeowook, Kyuhyun, and Henry were releasing their tears as Yesung, Hyukjae, and Zhou Mi were trying to hold them back to be strong for their boyfriends. Sungmin sadly smiled and attempted to push everyone off. 

"Please, don't make my leave harder than it has to be. Henry, stay strong, neh? I promise to always watch over you. Don't worry, Zhou Mi will always make you happy, and if he doesn't, then that's when I come in. Zhou Mi, please protect my little brother. He's sensitive, but is also very caring. Hyukjae and Donghae, I wish you two happiness. Ryeowook and Yesung, don't make the same mistake Kyu and I made; if you love each other, just confess because you never know when it'll be too late..." 

Sungmin turned to face Kyuhyun and gazed into his eyes. 

"Kyuhyun, I'll wait for you. I'll wait for everyone so that this wedding can be perfect. It will be something that will keep me sane and living without you bearable. For now, I believe this is good-bye." 

Everyone watched as Sungmin closed his eyes, his body becoming more transparent. Kyuhyun rushed over and embraced him one more time, while placing a soft kiss on his lips. 

"I love you, Sungmin." 

Sungmin opened his eyes as his wings became more visible, extending out on both side of him. He smiled sadly as he was unable to locate where everyone was, now that his eyes were glazed over once again. Slowly, he ascended off the ground and into the air, his white wings carrying him higher and higher. 

"I love you too, Kyuhyun. Never forget that." 

"I hope to see everyone soon. Good-bye for now..."

With that, Sungmin disappeared from sight, leaving the other seven morose about his departure. Kyuhyun looked back up to the skies and smiled. He didn't smile because he was happy about Sungmin's farewell; rather the opposite. He smiled because it would be what Sungmin wants from him. Kyuhyun glanced over at everyone else, noticing that they were all staring at him. 

"Are you going to be okay, Kyuhyun?" Donghae worriedly asked. 

"To tell you the truth, I don't know. It's hard to let someone you love go, but I know this isn't the end..." He replied. 

Henry walked over and gave Kyuhyun a hug, shocking the older. 

"It's okay to be sad. I'll miss him too." 

Kyuhyun relaxed and hugged the younger back. 

"I already miss him, actually," Kyuhyun chuckled, "But, he wouldn't want to see everyone crying and mourning over his leave." 

Yesung, Ryeowook, Zhou Mi, Henry, Donghae, and Hyukjae stared at Kyuhyun for a while before smiling themselves. 

"You know, Kyuhyun, even though Sungmin's gone, I think he's still with you." Hyukjae said. 

"But, it's true. Sungmin would want us all happy and moving on with our lives." Ryeowook added. 

"We should all do it for him because he's done so much for us." Yesung supplemented. 

"I think Sungmin is still with all of us, even now. All of you are acting way too nice..." Zhou Mi chuckled. 

"You're not so normal yourself, MiMi." Henry giggled. 

Kyuhyun beamed at the sight of his friends, though inside, he could feel himself breaking. It was going to be difficult continuing without Sungmin, he wasn't sure if he could do it. However, he wasn't going to give up because it was like what Sungmin told him, no matter the distance, no matter the challenges or obstacles that they face, they'll still always be together and face it together. 

Sungmin, you have my heart and I have yours. 

We'll both protect each other from afar and keep our love strong. 

I won't ever forget you, not again. 

Because this time, I have something worth striving for. 

I will continue to live on because I have a piece of you with me. 

The ring, the necklace, and the bracelet, although material items, were given to me from you. 

I love you, Sungmin. 

Don't YOU ever forget that. 

Kyuhyun closed his eyes just as a warm breeze brushed against his face and surrounded everyone in its warmth. It was as if Sungmin was embracing them again, giving them the strength they would need to live on. Soon enough, the seven started returning home, each walking in different directions. 

Up above, Sungmin watched from above the clouds and happily smiled at everyone, especially Kyuhyun. 

Thank you...for everything. 

We'll meet again someday.

And when that day comes, I'll be here waiting for you.

Because even though some things have to come to an end,

From that ending, something new blossoms.

A/N: What a sweet reunion don't you think? I'm sorry if I confused everyone with the whole 'Sungmin being alive or not.' Yeah, the next chapter might be the ending, if not the one after that. 

Thank you for reading! 

And thank you to all of my subscribers and commenters~ 

Saranghae<3