Reason by Shinee http://www.listenonrepeat.com/watch/?v=YMlPO9xUJ7k&feature=relmfu

He stared lifelessly at the grey plaque with the letters engraved neatly onto its bitter surface. His hand hovered over the indented words that displayed his step-brother’s name; Kris Wu. Carefully, he dusted the odd bits of dirt that had already attached itself to the newly formed grave. His airways constricted with every sweep motion his hand made. Memories crashed into his pitiful mind, urging those delicate tears to plummet from his weary eyes.

His lips quivered uncontrollably, until he could no longer hold back the tears that had been yearning to fall ever since he stepped foot onto the graveyard. It had been a week since his brother was gone and he still couldn’t accept the fact that he was alone again. Their parents disappeared together without a trace a couple of years ago. Kris was his guardian, big brother, and friend.

Without Kris, the boy felt lost. His frail legs plunged onto the merciless ground with a thud as he continued to cry his eyes out. The skies above seemed to sympathise this poor boy, expressing its sorrow through rapid rain. The scent of brine blundered into the mournful atmosphere. His heart paced rhythmically along with the tapping noises the rain produced. The clouds shadowed over him as if they wanted to cover him. The wind wrapped its arms around his body, but made the boy shiver instead.

His eyes squeezed shut, more distasteful fluid poured from his eyelids. He made a pledge to Kris that he would become stronger, but it was clear that after Kris was gone, he couldn’t live up to his promise. The absence of his brother was torturous to him.

An agonising cry escaped his lips and the rain fell harder, ironically reflecting his inner emotions.

“I want to see you again,” he cried helplessly. “I want to hug you again. I want to be able to love you again.”

He felt like he hadn’t done enough for his brother. Kris was ill, and for the past year he had to go around in a wheelchair. It was a sad sight, considering how long his legs were. Everyone admired his height before he was too ill to stand. The boy felt guilty for not treasuring every moment he had with his brother. Death seemed to be miles away when Kris grinned at him from ear to ear.

“C-Chanyeol hyung,” he said between his sobs, trying to force a smile onto his lips. “Wrote me a letter. S-shall I read i-it to you? He’s so old-fashioned! Who sends letters around these days?”

He wiped his tears away with his sleeves before taking out a crumpled piece of paper from his bag that was steadily being drenched by the rain. He took a deep breath before he read the contents of the letter out loud.

-

Dear Tao,

I hope you’re doing well. I’m sorry that I’m unable to visit you, maybe next time. Haha, I’m too influenced by Kris. How is he? Does he still have that face on? Are you still a cry baby? :P

You must be wondering what I’ve been doing all this time since my last letter!

Well, I’ve been travelling to a lot of countries with my parents. I’m able to see a lot of different things because of that.

I wish I can come back to Korea soon. I really missed you guys. Did you miss me too? Hehe. I bet you missed the almighty happy virus!

Be strong, Tao, because I believe you have the strength to overcome whatever obstacles that comes your way!

Don’t forget to eat a lot!

Chanyeol.

-

“His letters are always the same.” Tao chuckled, finally calming down after reading his best friend’s letter. “I think he just switches a few words around and then claim it to be a new letter. So heartless. It’s sad that he couldn’t return to see you one last time. He doesn't know yet because I haven't told him. You'll forgive me, right? I don’t want to bother him too much with my troubles.”  

Little did he know that Chanyeol was right behind him, watching him with two cascades strolling down his face. His eyes rested on the tombstone as he recalled his meeting with Kris just two weeks ago. It was amazing what could happen in the span of two weeks.

-

“I’m going to die soon.”

Chanyeol shot him a look of disbelief. It horrified him how he could talk about death so casually as if it was just any other topic. Kris smiled weakly at his friend’s reaction.  “Looks like I’m going to go before you. Who would’ve thought?”

Chanyeol’s muscles tensed. Those words seemed to be able to crush him on the spot. He didn’t like how the conversation was going. It was as if he’d already lost the will to live.

“What about Tao?”

“I’m worried about him too, but we can’t stop time.” Kris said dryly, and Chanyeol immediately handed him a glass of water.

“Sadly, I don’t have much time left either.”

“You’ve lasted longer than they thought.” Kris chortled lightly whilst he drank his water. “You look surprisingly healthy.”

“I was lucky. I don’t think I’ll be lucky this time. Also, this nurse at the hospital helped me put some make-up on. I look good, right?” He did a v-sign as he tried to pose. Kris merely chuckled.

“You’re good at deceiving people, that’s for sure.” His frail voice instantly dampened Chanyeol’s mood as concern crawled onto his face.

“I’m worried…about Tao.”

“Pray, because that’s the only thing you can do now.” Kris grinned as he shifted on his bed so he could lie down comfortably. “Tao has had a hard life. In fact, we all have; especially you.”

Chanyeol bit his tongue as he remembered the day they announced that he had cancer. They said that he wouldn’t be able to live for more than three years. It wasn’t easy for him to accept that since he was barely sixteen at the time. He then left his hometown with his family to find better doctors, and if he was to die, he wanted to die silently. He didn’t want his friends to mourn over his death; his family had already suffered enough from his illness. After all, he wanted them to remember him as the happy virus, not as the kid that was depressingly counting down his days. Kris was the only person who knew because he accidently stumbled upon his medical documents when he visited his house.

It was upsetting how fragile life was. It only seemed as if yesterday they were all laughing at how they would all grow old together. Now, they were fighting for their lives; fighting for another chance to live.

“Does it hurt? Chemotherapy, I mean.” Kris asked.

Chanyeol’s lips parted, but no words came out. It was as if words weren’t enough to describe the pain he went through. Instead, he gave a brief nod with a bitter smile pasted between his cheeks. Whether it was chemotherapy, or whether it was the tumour in his brain, he didn’t know. All he knew was that the past four years had been a horrendous experience for him.

-

Another week had passed since Chanyeol visited Kris’ grave. Tao didn’t know, but Chanyeol had always been following him around quietly. He didn’t know why, but he had an urge to protect him, even though he was the one who was about to die.

That day, he arrived in his apartment and found a letter by his doorstep. When he bent down to pick it up, he felt his whole world spin. His head thumped like it never did before whilst his vision blurred. He stumbled until he balanced himself against the wall, gasping for air. His eyes squeezed shut and a tear slithered towards his chin.

He could feel it.

His time was ending.

His body collapsed onto the cold, wooden floor. Heat escaped from his core as he struggled to breathe. He gasped involuntary as his temples continued to pound and an excruciating pang hit the back of his head.

Clutching onto the envelope in his hand, he held it close to his chest. He knew he had to read the letter before it was too late. He immediately took the letter out with the remaining strength he had. 

The letter was from Tao, just as he suspected. Chanyeol told him to send letters to his original address and that the maids would send it to wherever he was. His eyes squinted as he compelled himself to focus, even though his hands were trembling.

Dear Chanyeol,

I’m doing very well, thank you. I really missed you. Kris does too, but it is okay. Sometimes, I really wish you were here. I remember when we were young, you would always be the one to help me back onto my feet every time I fell. You always call me a cry baby, but it’s okay. I know you loved me, really.

Hyung, I love you too.

I really want to say ‘please come back soon’, but I think it’s better this way. I need to learn to grow up on my own. I’ve been too dependent on the wonderful people around me. I’m really taking advantage of it, aren’t I? I want to become a stronger and better person before we meet again.

Until then, please give me words of encouragement.

Tao.

That was how it had always been. Even though life had been unkind to him, he would never mention anything negative in his letters. He was just like that; a compassionate child.

Thousands of thoughts roamed around his stressful mind.

‘This pain is unbearable,’ he thought to himself. ‘Strangely enough, I am happy that I’m the one who suffers, because I know that it would hurt so much more if I saw you in my position.’

Chanyeol held the piece of paper close to his heart. Gradually, the letter was soaked with his tears, sweat and blood. Even when the crimson liquid escaped his lips, tainting the lifeless floor, he refused to let go it. It meant so much to him. Tao meant so much to him. Just imagining him suffer in this world with no one by his side, tore Chanyeol apart in a way more tormenting than the pain he was feeling physically at that moment. There were times which he considered suicide as an option. Thinking back, he wanted to laugh at the idea. 

‘I wanted to end this pain, but the thought of you made me think twice. Seeing you gave me strength. Perhaps that was why I was able to live a year longer than I was supposed to.’

An idiotic smile stretched across his pale lips.

Out of the blue, he heard a voice; Kris’ voice.

“Pray, because that’s the only thing you can do now.”

More transparent pearls emerged from his swollen eyelids. His heartbeat escalated drastically whilst he prayed. He prayed for a miracle to happen; anything that would help Tao back onto his feet again.

He prayed until his body felt numb.

He prayed until everything began to fade away from his vision.

He prayed until he could no longer breathe.

His prayers created the exomnia.

-

Tao’s eyes flickered open as he was greeted by the welcoming sunshine that penetrated through his window. He flinched at the blazing light, slowly shuffling in his bed. He groaned when he felt a pair of hands shaking his shoulder. Annoyance erupted inside him until he realised that he lived alone; there shouldn’t be anyone to wake him up.

He immediately shot up with a fist ready to punch the stranger’s face. His eyes almost popped out of their sockets when he recognised the stranger.

“H-hey! Is that any way to treat an old friend? I hope not.” They smirked cheekily as they jumped onto his bed, flaunting their long legs as they kicked the air.

Tao froze in his stance with his eyes fixated on his ‘friend’.

“C-Chanyeol. Is that y-you?” His eyes stung, he could feel the tears welling in his eyelids.

“The one and only, happy virus; Park Chanyeol!” He exclaimed proudly before pointing a finger at him. “Now don’t cry! Don’t you dare cry!” His eyes narrowed playfully, and Tao whacked his finger away.

“So mean.” He pouted.

“You love me, really.” He sniggered heartily, shoving Tao off his bed. “Well, don’t just sit there. Get changed! School is about to start!”

Tao rolled his eyes. “Don’t be silly. Since when did we have school? We dropped out, remember?”

“What planet are you from? How can you drop out when you’re only fourteen? Though you’ll be fifteen soon, if I remember correctly. Anyways, you’re the one that’s silly.”

Tao stared at him blankly before turning his head to see the calendar on his wall. His eyes dilated whilst his mouth hung agape when he saw the bolded numbers of ‘2008’ rather than ‘2012’.

Had he just been dreaming those four years? Kris hadn’t really died. It was all just a dream, perhaps. It felt too real and too long to be a dream. It felt strange and difficult for him to accept.

“Why are you still standing there?! We’re going to be late! Kris won’t be happy if he finds out that you’re late!”

“Kris is still alive?!” Tao gasped. A sense of relief mixed with confusion rushed through his body.

“Well, of course he is.” Chanyeol stated, like it was the most obvious thing on earth.

Dumbfound, Tao headed for the bathroom with his clothes. Chanyeol, on the other hand, stretched his body out onto the bed, gazing at the plain ceiling. His forehead creased as he tried to interpret everything.

“I prayed for a miracle to happen. Is this…the miracle I prayed for?” He was just as clueless as Tao was, but something in him told him to play along.

“This miracle is called an exomnia.” A familiar voice chuckled at the door, disrupting his chain of thoughts.

Without any hesitations, Chanyeol flung himself to the owner of the voice. His breathing hitched when his arms wrapped around them comfortably, telling him that he was real.

“Kris, are we alive?”

Kris frowned as he shook his head.

“None of this is real. This is an exomnia, the miracle you prayed for.” A baffled expression painted across Chanyeol’s face, but resisted the urge to ask when he heard Tao’s approaching footsteps. “The show must go on.” Kris smiled, gently pushing Chanyeol away.

Author's Note: How was it?

Please comment to let me know!!! 

Thanks to all my subscribers for supporting this fic!!! 

I typed this extra quick so I could have more time during the week to work on the rest of it. 

I hoped you enjoyed it~

Until next time :)