Minho doubted that a single word in the dictionary could descriptively justify the loneliness he felt. Not even a cluster of adjectives could do the trick, so he settled on the phrase “desolate emptiness” with the wish that it could somewhat reveal the true depth of his emotions.

 

 

He read over each sentence he wrote in the letter. Then once it formed a paragraph, he would addictively re-read it again and again; endlessly seeking absolute perfection in his work. 

 

 

This letter was precious to him; it surpassed mere “importance” in his mind, making it more important than the basic human needs in this moment. He desired it to be stunningly flawless. Even the symbols were beautifully crafted as if turning writing into an art form; calligraphy.

 

 

Ample love and affection could be found within each carefully written word. Each elegant arch and line drawn with perfected widths and styles stunningly created a flow of symbols which were filled with longing and love.

 

 

               A love for Taemin.

 

 

Minho read his letter again from the start to finish, finally satisfied. He could at last acknowledge its completion.

 

 

               It was truly perfect.

 

 

The weight of the young man’s love seemed to be measured in the amount of ink laced within the letter. 

 

 

Minho heavily sighed, releasing the harbored breath he held as he had written. Even though there was a great pain in his heart from being so far away from his beloved boyfriend, he was happy he had finally fashioned his gift. 

 

 

Unbeknownst to Minho, it would be his last gift to give. He truly poured the entirety of his soul into the letter- 

 

 

               Though he had never written a ‘goodbye’ once in it.

 

 

Minho addressed the envelop and slipped the letter in with tenderness, taking care to keep the fragile paper’s corners from folding at the tips when shoved inside. After sweeping his tongue across the rim of the envelope to create the adhesive seal, he placed a quick kiss to Taemin’s name on the address.

 

 

The air was heavy with rain, it smelt so fresh. But it was a cold rain on the edge of ice. Minho immediately realized at the front door of his house that he must dress warmer. He slammed the door shut, tucking the letter into his pant pocket. It was going to be a nice walk to the post office, but the weather wouldn’t allow such actions.

 

 

“Hey, mom?” Minho called out as he entered the kitchen searching for both his coat and mother. 

 

 

“Yes dear.” She mumbled warmly, sipping her tea beside the wood stove. It was closer to winter than Minho thought since that stove was heating the majority of the house. 

 

 

“Can you drive me to the post office, please?” 

 

 

Then Minho heard his brother’s voice coming from the living room, “I’ll drive you, Minho-ah. I just got my license remember?” 

 

 

“Oh would you Jonghyun hyung?” Minho asked, dumbfounded he forgot in his brother’s new found independence.

 

 

“Of course! I’m a great driver.” He said confidently, getting up from the couch in the living room and coming over to the kitchen coat rack where Minho was standing. He grabbed his keys and cold weather gear, waiting for Minho to snap out of his daze and finish dressing as well. 

 

 

Once fully prepared to venture into the icy winds, the brother’s kissed their umma goodbye on the cheek and left. The warmth from Minho’s kiss lingered slightly longer on his mother’s skin. It lingered as if it didn’t want to let go just yet... Didn’t want to say ‘goodbye.’

 

 

“Hyung!” Minho chattered through his teeth, “Heat th-the car up f-faster! I-I’m fre-e-z-zing!!” 

 

 

“Yah I just turned it on, give it a minute or 10!” 

 

 

“M-Maybe we sh-should wait inside, huh? Let the c-car heat up?” Minho questioned.

 

 

“Nonsense.” The older brother chuckled as he begun to back out of the driveway, “The post office’s trucks will come in a few minutes to pick up the mail. I saw you gawking at the weather at the front door. You must have lost track of time or something if you thought you were gonna walk there in the first place! It’s Sunday, they do everything early in this town. And I assume you’d like to get your letter out as soon as possible.” 

 

 

“OH! That’s right!” He suddenly realized, still rubbing his arms to make himself warmer.

 

 

“Have whatever you are mailing?” Jonghyun asked.

 

 

“Yes, it’s right here..” He smiled as he slipped the letter out of his pocket.

 

 

Jonghyun was well on the main road, but he spared a second’s glance as Minho held the letter. “It’s to Taemin? The address?” 

 

 

A warm blush naturally heated Minho’s chilled body to the core. His cheeks became aflame and his spirit crackled like a raging fire, “Yeah...” He mumbled shyly.

 

 

“Well damn Minho, by that reaction I’m positive it’s a mushy love letter.” 

 

 

“...Maybe~” Minho hummed in reply, looking out the window to hide his blushing.

 

 

“So you two are still dating huh? I admire your long distance relationship. Don’t worry, your secret is safe with me~” The older brother sang. 

 

 

Minho laughed, “It always was.” Then he realized they were reaching their destination.  “Hey hyung, I wanna deliver the letter by myself so can you pull into the parking lot to wait for me?” 

 

 

“Sure, but you know I could just drive up to the mail box... It’s right on the side of the road conveniently.” 

 

 

“What? I was gonna go inside-”

 

 

Jonghyun cut him off, “Minho-ah the building just closed. Look, the trucks are already here to gather the mail from storage. So hurry up, I know they collect from the mail boxes outside last! Are you sure you don’t want me to drive past it and just slip it in? It’s so cold outside.” 

 

 

“I want to do it my way.” Minho muttered confidently.

 

 

“Okay, okay.”

 

 

“Thank you, Jjong.” They both smiled brightly since Minho had thrown in the tender nickname.

 

 

The icy rain had stopped falling from the sky, but the wind picked up so intensely when Jonghyun pulled into the parking lot of the post office. Minho exited the car as his brother patiently waited, keeping warm inside. 

 

 

Clinging to the letter safely, Minho approached the little mailing box outside of the building.

 

 

“Please make it safely to him..” He whispered softly; thick puffs of his breath outlining each word he spoke.

 

 

Minho could feel his fingertips freezing as he timidly held the letter, debating on rather this was a good idea in the end. He begun to doubt the greatness of his letter.

 

 

After about five minutes, his fingers were numb and Jonghyun was honking. Minho looked and smiled at his way and the elder just rolled his eyes and released the car from its breaks to roll over to the frozen Minho. 

 

 

As Jonghyun slowly creeped out of the parking lot towards his brother on the edge of the road, he rolled the window down inch by inch. 

 

 

“Just stick it in already!” Jonghyun demanded impatiently, a few feet away from Minho.

 

 

“That’s what she said~” Minho joked, turning to smirk at his brother to see if he got the little joke.

 

 

Jonghyun forced a sarcastic laugh, still creeping up to his brother and bored with his time. The letter was at the mouth of mailbox, almost fully inside, but being held back by two frozen fingers pinching it.

 

 

Was it really this hard? Why couldn’t Minho just let go-

 

 

In a split second a harsh, brutally strong wind whipped itself about the air suddenly, startling a passing driver into losing control of their vehicle on the newly iced roads. Before Jonghyun knew what was happening, he felt his body jerk at the impact; his heart pumped forcefully through his body. He had no time to react and his brain was blurred with adrenaline and blood rushing to it while in this high of intense panic and stress.

 

 

He floored the gas rather than the break out of sheer sudden reaction, plowing into the stop sign only a few feet beyond Minho. The break was instantly activated once Jonghyun realized he ed up. The car that had hit his car was a few feet behind but its bumper had hooked with the ripped end of Jonghyun’s car. 

 

 

Jonghyun gained his senses and looked around, “MINHO!! ARE YOU--” The stop sign uprooted from the force of Jonghyun’s car hitting it, added with the force of the wind. Within the blink of an eye, the air current swirled the sign around, its sharp metal edge cracking through the back of Minho’s skull and twisting away from his body as the wind continued to take it.

 

 

It all happened so fast. Everything.

 

 

And in an instant, Minho did let the letter go. All it took was an instant. He let go of everything. The letter fell into the mailbox as the pain closely followed with a numbing sensation traveled through his entire body so fast it almost wasn’t a conscious experience. 

 

 

That didn’t matter anyway. He wouldn’t be waking up to remember it. His consciousness had been ceased. Everything was. 

 

 

“Oh- Oh my God..” Jonghyun desperately scrambled out of the car, stumbling to Minho’s body. “F-ING DON’T DO THIS TO M-ME! M-Minho don’t you d-dare die! DON’T YOU ING DARE!! MINHO-AH! MINHO-AH!!!”

 

 

Minho couldn’t hear his brother calling, it was too late actually.

 

 

There was so much warm steaming blood surging from the back of his head that he was slicked with it, staining Jonghyun’s winter coat as he was held in his brother’s arms. 

 

 

But no matter the pleas Jonghyun cried out to his baby brother, there was no life in the younger’s eyes.

 

 

            

              It was gone.

 

 

                            

                             He was gone for eternity. 

 

 

                                           

 At least his brain damage was so severe that it killed him instantly; he was taken from life so fast that the last thing in his mind wasn’t worry, but...

 

 

 

‘I love you, Taemin~ah~ I hope this letter finds you well!’