It was the best day of my life.
I was finally married to Se Kyung.
The ceremony had gone by much too quickly, the party already here. We were both having a good time, not caring much about the others around us. I felt a small tap on my shoulder, and I turned around to see Key standing there.

“I’m leaving now, Jjong...Goodbye.” Was it just me or did he seem like something was wrong? However, I quickly dismissed the thought and replied.

“Okay Key! Have a great night! See you tomorrow!” I swear I saw something in his eyes as I said that, as if maybe he was hurt by it...Nah, can’t be. It’s probably just the alcohol.

He  quickly walked out the door, leaving me to my party. I tried to enjoy the rest of the party, but the thought that something was wrong with Key kept gnawing at my mind. I finally gave in and typed a quick message to him, asking if he was alright.

There was no reply for a while, so I called him. The phone rang and rang, but he never picked up. I tried two more times, each with the same results. Now I was worried.

The rest of the party wasn’t as fun as it should have been, because I was too busy worrying about Key. As soon as it was over, I walked Se Kyung to the car and we both got in.

I quickly tried to call him again.
This is Kim Kibum, and if you’re hearing this, I’m probably out clothes shopping, so don’t bother calling again. I sighed as I brought the phone away from my ear. Once more, my call had gone straight to voicemail. Where is Key? I thought, running my hand through my hair worriedly. Did something bad happen to him? I should go check on him to make sure he’s alright...

“Yeobo, is everything okay?” Se Kyung wondered from the passenger seat.

The house was eerily quiet. Usually, Kibum could be heard throughout the small house, playing music, cooking, or doing anything. The silence filled my ears, becoming unbearable.

“Key?” I called out. No answer. “Kibum, are you here?” My sense of worry became greater as I slowly walked through the house, searching everywhere for any signs of life.

I approached the door to his room, standing outside it for a moment before cautiously pushing it open. “Key?”

The sight that greeted me was horrible, making me freeze in my tracks and my heart stop beating.

Key was curled up on his bed, his face frighteningly pale and his chest unmoving. I was broken out of my stupor by a faint whisper.

“Jonghyun...you came...”  I ran at lightning speed over to the bed, sitting next to him and pulling him into a sitting position. I cradled him against my chest, barely putting any pressure on his body because I was afraid it would break.

“Kibum, no...no no no no no you can’t do this don’t die on me PLEASE!!” My voice raised to a shout at the end, but my efforts were futile. With our chests pressed together, it was obvious that he would never respond. There was no heartbeat, no movement, no life.

My heart felt like it was being torn to shreds, beaten to a pulp and left there to die. The weight of the world was crushing me, excruciating pain ripping through my body. I let out a cry of pure anguish, the hurt and sadness overwhelming my soul and taking over my mind. The tears came and wouldn’t stop, a flowing stream of agony that came from deep within me.

My arms tightened around his limp body, and as they did so, something sharp pressed against my abdomen. I looked down, barely able to see through the tears in my eyes. Key had something in his hands, held loosely now that there was no more strength left in his fingers. I brought one of my hands to my face to wipe away the tears, even though more quickly replaced them. I unclasped his cold fingers from the object and placed it on the covers in front of me. I could barely make out what it was, finally being able to read the title once my eyes cleared up some.

It was a small, pink book, bound in a ribbon with a red heart on the front. Sprawled across it in large, swirling, fancy letters was written:

A Secret Never Meant to be Told

FLASHBACK

“Its perfect!!” Key had been wanting a diary for as long as he had known him, for reasons unknown to me. I had taken the time to search for one that would fit his taste. I watched as he took it in his hands, inspecting it and flipping through the pages.

“Now are you gonna tell me what it’s for?” I asked.

Key smiled (sadly?) and shook his head. “Ani. It’s a secret. But you’ll know soon enough...” I was confused by this, but let it go when Se Kyung walked in the room, and I forgot about Key.

END FLASHBACK

But underneath that, written so tiny it was barely legible, was:

Now you’ll know, Jjong

It was as if Key was still alive, telling me those words, sitting next to me, a pleading look on his face.

I held him tighter, scooting backwards on the bed until our backs were pressed against the headboard. I brought the book and placed it in front of us. “Will you read with me Key?” My voice was shaky and hoarse in the dimly lit room. “Let’s start.” I sat with Key in my lap, one arm around his shoulders, the other turning the page of the book. I got to the first page of writing, and began reading.