Taemin opened his eyes and his eyes was temporarily blinded by the sunlight.

 

He got up.

 

“Erugh…”

 

Taemin said and put his hand onto his eyes.

 

He had cried too much last night and this was the result of it: his eyes hurting.

 

But then, after awhile, it got better and Taemin got up and got dressed.

 

Taemin picked up his school bag and began to put the essentials in it, pencil case, books, iPod, dictionary.

 

Taemin took his phone from the side of his table and turned it on.

 

He turned it off last night, after replying to Minho’s message.

 

“Saranghae Taemin-ah…”

 

Minho’s message had circled Taemin’s mind when he went to sleep.

 

Taemin had a sleepless night because of it.

 

Every time he was about to think of something nice, those words would be spoken in Minho’s voice.

 

It was like a nightmare,

 

Taemin walked out of his room, his bang slung on his shoulder, his back pocket filled with his phone and wallet.

 

As he was walking down the stairs, his phone beeped, a sign showing that he had received a text message.

 

Taemin stopped walking and took out his phone from his back pocket.

 

He pressed to see who had sent the message and continued to walk down the stairs.

 

It was his friend from Australia.

 

Taemin smiled and replied back and then walked into the kitchen where Saemin was cooking breakfast and his father was reading the newspaper and sipping coffee.

 

“Good morning.”

 

Taemin said and sat down, putting his bag on the floor.

 

“Morning son.”

 

“Good morning Taemin. Did you have a good sleep?”

 

“Yeah.”

 

-SILENCE-

 

Taemin sat there, his phone on the table and the silence in the kitchen becoming more pronounced as the time on the clock ticked by.

 

Suddenly, his phone beeped again, causing everyone to jump up in shock.

 

“Mianhae…”

 

Taemin said and picked up his phone, excited at the reply of the text message from his friend in Australia.

 

“Who is it?”

 

Taemin’s dad asked before he could open it and read it.

 

“My friend back in Sydney.”

 

Taemin was about to open the text when Saemin put a plate of pancakes in front of him.

 

“You should know that when you’re texting or calling others from overseas, its going to cost us more than when you’re texting someone in Korea okay? Remember that.”

 

Taemin smiled up at Saemin and nodded.

 

Taemin opened up his text with a bright smile on his face but then, his smile froze.

 

Taemin stopped breathing and he felt as if the air around him had been out.

 

He couldn’t breath.

 

Suddenly, he stood up, not having taken even a single bite of his pancake and picking up his school bag, he rushed out of the kitchen.

 

“I’ll be going to school now.” Taemin said in a small voice.

 

“But-“

 

“Let him go Sae.”

 

Taemin heard his dad say and walked out of the door, before hearing Saemin’s protest to him leaving the house without any breakfast.

 

Taemin looked around him and saw, to his happiness, that Minho wasn’t there waiting for him.

 

Taemin began to run off into the direction of his school when suddenly, a voice stopped him cold.

 

“So you got my text huh?”

 

Taemin stopped.

 

“I’ll be out 2 pik u up in a sec.”

 

Taemin turned around to face Minho, a tight smile on his face.

 

“Yeah…I got it…”

 

Minhosmiled and began walk towards Taemin to give him a hug when Taemin took a step back.

 

Minhostopped and looked at Taemin.

 

“What’s wrong?”

 

“I-I’m sorry hyung…I can’t…I can’t do this!”

 

Taemin gave Minho an apologetic smile, turned around and sprinted off into the distance, without even waiting for Minho’s response.

 

Minhostared at the back of Taemin, his figure going further and further away from him.

 

Minho knew what Taemin meant when he said that he couldn’t do this, but Minho wasn’t about to lose the person he loved a second time.

 

So, Minho decided to pretend that he didn’t just hear what Taemin said to him.

 

Because…

 

Minholoved Taemin.

 

Minholoved Taemin more than anything and he didn’t want to lose him.

 

Minhosmiled to himself and began to walk to school, alone, as always.