I couldn’t sleep a wink. Every hour passed by like a year. I was growing impatient. I needed Kyu by my side, I need to know that he's safe. When morning arrived, I immediately changed and went up to the main meeting room.

“Is Kyu back yet? They found him already right? It’s more than twenty four hours. He’s back already right? He’s in his room?” I asked the director who was sitting there.

“Rae..They have not found him yet.” He said in a low tone.

I blinked back at the director.

“Rae..They have not found him yet.”

Kyu could be dead by now! It’s more than twenty four hours already, and Kyu’s not back safely. My heart squeezed together as I held on to the table for support.

“Rae? Are you alright?” The director quickly got me a chair to sit down but I refused.

I pushed his hands away and ran out of the hostel.

“I’m going to find Kyu myself! I will do all it takes to find him again. I need Kyu!” I shouted as my feet brought me out of the hostel and on to the main street.

I didn’t know what I was doing.

The director called my name but I could only think of Kyu’s voice.

I just ran all the way back to the place where I last saw Kyu leaving me.

In my head, I could hear Kyu’s voice crooning in my ears. The way he would whisper stuff into my ears right before I’ll sleep in his arms when he came over.

I just kept running all the way. Even if Kyu’s dead, I want to see his body. He can’t just leave me like this. He can’t do this to me.

I looked around, the shop houses, some collapsed against each other. My heart ached even further that Kyu could be lying anywhere under those rubble.

There were a few villagers crying by the roadside. They must have lost a family member, a loved one.

I could be like them if I found out Kyu’s dead.

I continued running, trying to throw those bad thoughts out of my head but I could only picture Kyu in my head and it hurts so badly.

I’ve lost him, I shouldn’t have let go of his hand that evening. This was my entire fault.

I ran all the way to the push cart stall.

The stall was nowhere to be seen. I saw the elderly couple who owned the stall, sitting by the roadside. They lost their stall. Thank goodness both of them survived.

Is my Kyu still alive too?

There was a huge amount of heavy rocks and crashed walls in the rubble.

Is my Kyu under all of that?

Tears streamed down my cheek. I walked around, searching for any sign of Kyu.

And then I spotted something.

His shoe.

His blue loafers that he wore on that night.

I ran towards it and picked it up. Kyu might be around here. He has to be!

“Kyu! CHO KYUHYUN!” I shouted, hoping he can hear my voice.

The elderly couple seemed to have recognized me. “Miss? You were here with that boy the other night for dinner, right?”

I turned my head and I saw the couple staring at me. I nodded my head slowly.

“Your friend left this behind. Before anything could collapse on my wife and me, he got us out in time but he was trapped. I don’t think that boy made it. I’m sorry.” The old man said to me.

I looked down to his hand and grabbed the small satchel. My birthday present?

Kyu helped this couple got out safely but him himself? He was trapped? No. Noooo, this can’t be happening. He’s dead?

Kyu is dead? There was nothing for me to hold on to and I fell on the ground, staring at the messy rubble in front of me.

My hand clutched on to the small satchel tightly, my knuckles were turning white but I gripped it tighter.

“CHO KYUHYUN! HOW CAN YOU JUST LEAVE ME ALONE LIKE THIS?” I shouted at the rubble.

“YOU COME OUT NOW!” I sobbed as I buried my head in my palms. And I glanced at the satchel.

Hesitantly, I opened the satchel; there in the bag were tea bags. Peppermint tea bags.

My hand rose to my mouth. He bought me my favourite tea. How did he find these tea bags? I remembered coming here on the first day and regretted not packing my peppermint tea bags with me. When I went around the village, none of the villagers sold peppermint tea.

How did Kyu find it?

In the bag was a small note, I took it out.

It read:

To my beloved Rae,

It’s already been a year, so many things have happened between us but I won’t give up.

Here are your favourite peppermint tea bags that took me a while to find them. Enjoy & Happy Birthday!

Kyu.

P.S: I love you.

I clutched onto the note so hard.

I stared back at the rubble.

“YOU SAID YOU WON’T GIVE UP, KYU. YOU SAID IT. WHY DID YOU LEAVE ME BEHIND?” I cried out.

The elderly couple came forward and comforted me, the old lady hugging me as I cried in her chest.

“I’m sorry.” She muttered.

I shook my head.

“At least he saved you guys.” I said as I wiped my tear away.

“R-Rae…..” I heard someone calling me faintly.

I turned my head back to the rubble.

And the voice called out to me meekly again.

“R-Rae…..”

My eyes widened.

“KYU?” I shouted as I dropped everything I was holding and ran to the voice, picking up the heavy rocks with my bare hands as I tried to move them away.

“R-Rae…” The voice grew louder.

I could see a person’s hand reaching out from under the rubble. “Kyu? Is that you? Kyu?” I shouted.

“R-Rae!” The person’s voice grew even louder, like he managed to use all his energy to call out to me one more time.

I quickly moved the rocks, they were heavy but Kyu was under all that, I need to save him.

Finally, I saw the face that I was longing to see.

“K-Kyu….” I hollered as I helped him out of the rubble.

He was heavy and he was unconscious.

I dragged him out unsteadily.

“Kyu? Kyu? Can you hear me? Kyu?” I looked down and his left leg was bleeding profusely. He must have used that leg to support the rubble from falling on him.

My heart clenched as I saw his face, sweat and blood, my hands quickly brushed his face, wiping all the blood and sweat away. He was in so much pain.

“R-Rae…” He whispered.

“Oh Kyu. I’m here! I’m here! Don’t you worry, everything will be fine.” I said.

I don’t know how I did it but using all my strength, I piggy backed Kyu all the way back to the hostel.

“Oh my goodness! KYUHYUN!” The director called out when he saw me running in to the hostel.

“Q-Quick, we need the medics here! His leg is bleeding very badly.” I said panting.

We had a group of doctors who were with us to help out in this mission trip as there wasn’t a hospital at the mountains so thankfully, they could help Kyu.

He was lying down on the bunk bed after regaining his conscious as I sat next to him while a few doctors were aiding his leg.

I took a bucket of water and a towel and starting cleaning his face. All the dust and mud, sweat and blood were on reflected on the towel as I soaked it in the pail.

I brushed his head to the side as the doctors were trying to stop the bleeding.

“Ahhhhhhhhh.” Kyu screamed.

I jerked, I quickly cupped his face in between my hands.

“Kyu, try to tolerate the pain for a while, okay?” I said, cooing him.

“P-Painnnnnnnnnnn.” He yelled again.

Kyu was fidgeting too much for the doctors to work on his leg.

“He needs to have a distraction.” One of them said.

I stared at Kyu.

“Kyu? Look at me, look at me.” I said, trying to get his attention.

He stared at me for a while, “Rae…”

I was trying to get him into a conversation, hopefully it can distract him.

“Kyu, I saw your birthday pres-..”

“AHHHHHHHHHHHH.” Kyu jerked against the bed, the pain was too much for him to bear as tears started streaming down and he quickly wiped them away.

It was no use, he kept fidgeting and the doctors were having a hard time.

Kyu’s in such pain because of me.

I grabbed his face, making him look at me.

“Kyu..” I said.

I didn’t know what I was doing but I knew I need to get him to stop thinking about his leg so it could heal.

I moved my face closer t to his, inch by inch.

And I pressed my lips hard against him. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hey readers! *waves*

Did I scare you there for a moment? Don't worry! Kyuhyun is fineeeeeeeeeee. He will be fineeeeeeeeeeee. 

Continue to commmmmmmment! :) 

^^

Xoxo.