Everybody's laughing in my mind
Rumors spreading 'bout this other guy
Do you do what you did when you did with me
Does he love you the way I can
Did you forget all the plans that you made with me
Cause baby I didn't

The students started to get up from their seat and collected their work paper. But Choi Minho didn’t have a desire to leave the class. Instead, he kept staring on his paper, although he didn’t read nor checked his work. His eyes kept glancing to the guy who sat two seats in front of him. That guy seemed struggling to finish the problems on the sheet, so that he didn’t realized he was being watched.

“Hey, Minho! Haven’t finished yet?”

Minho quickly looked up to meet Lee Jinki’s gaze. He shook his head lightly. “No.”

“Alright. I’ll go first,” Jinki said.

Minho just nodded and when Jinki turned around, Minho’s eyes went back to the guy earlier. He played the pen in his hand as he watched Jinki stopped beside that guy and asked, “How about you, Taemin-yah?”

That guy—Lee Taemin—turned his face to Jinki as he pouted. “Mathematic is really not my thing.”

Jinki laughed. “Well…good luck, Taemin-ah. I must go now.”

“Bye, hyung!” Taemin smiled and wave to Jinki who had placed his paper on the teacher’s desk and walked to the door. He wasn’t aware that Minho had been capturing his smile in his mind.

Minutes passed and the class had been empty, except the two guys who kept still on their seats. Taemin was still struggling with the Math, while Minho who had finished it already even before the bell rang still stared at Taemin, observed his movements. Watching how Taemin sighed, how he pouted, how serious his face solving the problem, how he scratched his head with confuse, made Minho’s heart feel both warm and pain. Warm because he had missed Taemin so much, and pain because he couldn’t reach him like he always did.

“Yah, Taemin! Why don’t you go home?”

A voice interrupted. Minho’s face darkened when he saw who had come: Kim Kibum—or well-known as the diva, Key. Key stepped in the class and took a seat beside Taemin.

“What’re you doing, Minnie-yah?” Key asked.

Minho’s heart clenched. Two years ago and only Minho who was ever called Taemin like that. Now, he even couldn’t talk to Taemin.

“Math. Can’t go home before finishing it,” Taemin explained.

Key took a peek on Taemin’s paper and said, “What is this, Taeminnie?” Key grabbed Taemin’s paper and he tried to read what Taemin wrote on it.

“No, hyung!” Taemin yelled, panicked. He reached out his hand to attempt to get his paper back, but he failed since Key held it up. In second, they started to fight the paper.

BRAK!

Both Taemin and Key felt shocked. They looked back to meet Minho’s dark gaze towards them. Minho looked away when he realized how Taemin’s hand on Key’s hand, trying to grab the paper. His heart was like being stabbed hundreds knives. Minho stood up and placed his paper on teacher’s desk carelessly. Without any words, he stormed out of the class.

That should be me holding your hand
That should be me making you laugh
That should be me this is so sad
That should be me
That should be me
That should be me feeling your kiss
That should be me buying you gifts
This is so wrong
I can't go on
'Till you believe
That that should be me
That should be me

From the first time Minho and Taemin met in high school, they had fallen for each other. They might have too many differences. But it didn’t matter, as long as they loved each other. They never thought they would be separated. Minho got a chance to study abroad. Taemin didn’t want him to go. But Minho left, without telling him.

Minho regretted it. A lot.

He left but he never forgot Taemin. He always loved him. He called Taemin right when he arrived at New York to apologize. Taemin ignored his calls and his texts. Minho didn’t give up. He kept calling and texting Taemin, until one day he received a message from Taemin.

Please give me time, hyung.

No news from Taemin after that. When Minho came back, Taemin acted like he didn’t know Minho. No greeting, let alone ‘I Miss You’ from Taemin. Days passed and Minho studied that someone had taken over his place. Minho knew everything was too late.

You said you needed a little time from my mistakes
It's funny how you used that time to have me replaced
Did you think that I wouldn't see you out at the movies
What you doin' to me
You're taking him where we used to go
Now if you're trying to break my heart
It's working cause you know

“Why the hell couldn’t this ball go into the ring?” Taemin cursed as he ran and caught the basketball. He threw the ball, but once again he failed. Taemin felt like crying. If he couldn’t score at least 10, he would fail in PE. He had been practicing for an hour, but he didn’t make any improvements.

Taemin looked around and noticed everyone left already. But he stopped his eyes when he saw a figure on the other side of the court was playing alone. That tall guy was busy trying the ball and he never missed it. What Taemin didn’t know was that guy had been staring at him until Taemin turned to his side.

Taemin argued with himself. He kept glancing to the guy while played with his own ball. That guy threw the ball and it exactly entered the ring. Taemin sighed. He walked over that guy and stopped right beside him.

“Minho hyung,” Taemin tugged on Minho’s sleeve.

Never in Minho’s mind Taemin would approach him. His eyes widened as he looked at Taemin with questioning gaze. Taemin avoided Minho’s eyes as he spoke, “Can you…teach me?”

“Pardon?”

“Can you teach me playing basketball?” Taemin barely whispered.

“Of…course.”

Minho handed Taemin his ball. “You need to hold it like this,” Minho corrected Taemin. His hand accidentally touched Taemin’s, sent a jolt to his body. He really missed this feeling. How he hoped it could be longer, but Taemin quickly moved his hand away from Minho.

“I know,” Taemin said coldly.

Minho’s heart flinched. Taemin never told to him like that. Minho couldn’t tell which one was more painful—being ignored or being treated coldly.

“How should I do this?” Taemin asked in a normal tone as he tried to do the right pose.

“No, Minnie. Like this,” Minho took a place behind Taemin and held the ball over Taemin’s hand. He led Taemin to do the right pose. Taemin could feel Minho’s breath, which made him shiver. The fact that Minho just called his pet name didn’t make anything better. He just let Minho guide him to throw the ball. And it went into the ring smoothly.

“I did it!” Taemin jumped in happiness. He turned to Minho and held his arms, “Minho hyung! You see! I did it!”

Minho smiled widely, felt happy seeing Taemin smiled to him again after a long time. He had this urge to gather Taemin in his arms, hold Taemin tightly and never let him go. But a voice—a very unpleasant voice for Minho—interrupted them.

“Taeminnie!”

Both Taemin’s and Minho’s eyes landed to the owner of the voice. It was Key. He stood on the side of the court, waved to Taemin with smile on his face. Taemin’s face lightened up. He let go of Minho and quickly ran to Key, left Minho behind.

And all Minho could do just watched Taemin hugged Key tightly.

That that should be me holding your hand
That should be me making you laugh
That should be me this is so sad
That should be me
That should be me
That should be me feeling your kiss
That should be me buying you gifts
This is so wrong I can't go on
'Till you believe
That should be me

The night was so cold. Taemin rubbed his hands together to keep himself warm. His tracks immediately stopped when his eyes caught a silhouette that he knew very well. The tall figure who was leaning his back on Taemin’s house gate while staring at nothing.

“What are you doing here?”

Minho looked up and his gaze met Taemin’s. He gave him a weak smile. “Taeminnie…”

“Why…are you here?” Taemin stuttered.

“Minho hy—”

Taemin was cut by Minho’s sudden hug. He struggled. Minho didn’t let go, instead he tightened his hug.

“Minho hyung! Let me go!”

“Please, Minnie. Just a while, I beg you,” Minho whispered. This time Taemin didn’t do anything because he felt Minho’s tears fell on his shoulder. Hesitantly, Taemin wrapped his arms around Minho, felt the warmth he missed so much.

And it ended. Minho unwrapped his arms unwillingly. He looked at Taemin. His tears fell more.

“I want you to be happy, Taeminnie. Even it means I must let you go,” he whispered.

“Minho hyung…”

“I’m sorry. I never got a chance to say it to you, but finally I could.”

I need to know should I fight for love
Or disarm
It's getting harder to shield
This pain is my heart

The class was silent, revealed Minho who was sitting on his seat alone. He had packed his things. He decided to leave. That wasn’t because he didn’t love Taemin anymore, but it was because he realized that Taemin was already happy with Key. And he didn’t want to ruin it.

Hiding his face between his palms, Minho cried.

If he could turn back the time, he’d like to go back to two years ago.

If he knew his selfishness earned Taemin’s hatred, he’d never left Taemin.

If he knew Taemin’s love to him could be faded, he’d never give a chance to that to be happened.

But one thing he would never regret was falling for Taemin, because that was the only thing that made him survive.

Minho stood up and walked over Taemin’s desk. He sat himself on the seat as he recalled all of his memories with Taemin, how happy they were back then. Minho had stopped crying, because he had been numb.

And then Minho caught that. A paper that Taemin hid all along. When he felt helpless on solving math, and he randomly wrote it, his true feeling.

I love you, Minho hyung. Always.

That should be me holding your hand
That should be me making you laugh
That should be me this is so sad
That should be me
That should be me
That should be me feeling your kiss
That should be me buying you gifts
This is so wrong
I can't go on
'Till you believe
That that should be me

Holding your hand
That should be me
The one making you laugh (oh baby oh)
That should be me

That should be me
Giving you flowers
That should be me
Talking for hours
That should be me (that should be me)
That should be me

The breeze blew lightly on Taemin’s face. He lent his back on the big tree in the green meadow, the place where he and Minho used to go. Beside him, there was a carving that Minho made on the tree.

‘Minho & Taemin: Forever’

Taemin could feel the tears welled up on his eyes. How he missed Minho very much. How he was in pain when he left. How happy he was when Minho came back, and how he was afraid at the same time.

Taemin closed his eyes.

“You confessed, didn’t you?” Taemin asked Key happily.

Key just nodded and winked. Taemin jumped onto Key’s arms excitedly and said, “Congrats, hyung! I knew it! Jonghyun hyung also loves you!”

“Thank you, Minnie-yah,” Key smiled.

The two broke the hug. Taemin looked at Key’s serious face confusedly. But Key didn’t look at him, he looked at someone else.

“Hyung?”

“Taemin, tell me. Until when will you avoid Minho?” Key asked as he watched Minho left the court. He could tell that Minho was in anguish, eventhough he just looked at his back.

“I don’t know, hyung. I really don’t know.”

“You know it, Minnie. You can’t avoid him forever.”

Key was right, Taemin realized it. He couldn’t ignore Minho for entire of his life. And honestly, he didn’t want to. But the fear in her heart didn’t go away, preventing him to go near Minho, to tell him how he loved him.

“Minho and Taemin. Forever.”

Taemin’s eyes shot up when he heard the voice he had been longing. Minho was right in front of him, stared right into his eyes. Taemin looked away to hide his tears, but Minho titled his chin so he had no choice except looked back.

“Min—”

Minho had slammed his lips on Taemin’s, shocked the younger. But Minho didn’t care. He grabbed Taemin’s nape and deepened the kiss. Taemin felt his defense broke away right at that time. He kissed Minho back. After awhile, they pulled away.

“Taemin, I love you,” Minho hugged Taemin tightly. “I really love you. I’m sorry I left. I regret it. Please come back to me. Please. I beg you.”

“Minho hyung…I’m sorry but…”

Minho broke the hug to face Taemin. “But what, Taeminnie? You…still love me, don’t you?”

“I do…but Minho hyung…I’m afraid. I’m afraid if you’ll leave me again someday. I…I…I don’t know how I can face it again…no, Minho hyung…I don’t think I can,” Taemin sobbed.

“Taemin…look at me,” Minho said softly. “I’ll never leave you again. I promise. Once is enough and I can’t live without you again.”

“You…promise me?” Taemin’s red eyes finally met Minho’s willingly.

“With all of my heart.”

Then, both lent in to seal their promise with a sweet long kiss.

That should be me
Never should've let you go
I never should've let you go
That should be me
I never shoulda let you go
That should be me

That should be Minho because he was the only one who owned Taemin’s heart.

~End~

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