Author's Note: ONLY FOUR MORE CHAPTERS AHHHHH! (A little bit of a freak out). I plan on posting the rest of them by this Sunday? Plus I started a new story! Shatter My World ! So Enjoy this update and expect more random updates this week!

Minho sat with his head in his hands. There was so much he had done, but how could he had not seen this coming. Taemin was always fragile in his mind. He never wanted to see Taemin break, but he had broken, multiple times.

[Flashback]

Minho was pacing. He had been sitting staring at the computer screen, but now he was pacing.

Back and forth.

Back and forth.

Being an idol was harder than he thought, the stress of producing good revenue, good music, being funny, but proper, no time off, being watched by the press, netizens, and fans. But this stress, it was from a simple email. The Juilliard end of year showcase. The showcase he would bet money, his life that Taemin was going to be in. He had called the school asking as a “concerned parent” to ask when the first performance was and here it was. In a month. Minho remembered his promise to Taemin all those years ago. He remembered not meeting Taemin at the airport to say goodbye. He remembered Taemin kissing him in the rain. He remembered picking up that box of memories that Taemin had thrown away. He was pacing, because if he sat down everything would explode. He needed to keep moving, to feel like he was doing something.

For days Minho debated back and forth about the showcase. He almost, ALMOST called Key. But the thought of getting chewed out and verbally killed was not something he wanted. He watched from afar Jonghyun to see if he would give up any notion of those three going to America for the showcase. Finally Minho couldn’t take it anymore. He had his manager ask Jonghyun to work with him the week of the showcase. He knew that he would be rejected. His manager told him that Jonghyun was working with Super Junior that week, and couldn’t fit him in. That broke Minho.

“I have to take a few days off from my schedule.”

“Why?” His manager asked him curiously, “you know you are very busy right now.”

“My family in America is sick and wants me to visit them. It is important to me.” Minho watched as his manager hesitated.

“I’ll talk with some people to see what we can do.”

Minho waited, explained, and pleaded. Finally he was given time off to go to America to his ‘sick family.’ He believed it was a good idea all the way up until the plane landed in America. Minho sat in his hotel the whole day, fearful of leaving the room in case Taemin might see him. He wondered if Taemin had changed his hair again. What he looked like, how he acted now. The night of the showcase gala Minho put on his best suit and took a cab to Juilliard. The school was huge and impressive. Minho was proud. He hated that Taemin had left him, but if he had to leave him Taemin deserved to be here.

Walking into the building he was in awe. He took a program from the usher and flipped through it when he got to his seat. The first year dance was the first dance. The program said they lead was the best in the class and a rare talent, Minho beamed as he saw Taemin’s picture. He shouldn’t be surprised, Taemin was always the best. The lights went down, the audience got quiet, the curtains opened. Then Taemin appeared, it was just like the first time he was Taemin ever dance, it was beautiful. He wasn’t sure if the smaller boy was on or off beat or doing the moves correctly but to him it was flawless. He had to tear his eyes away from the elegant boy dancing to get up and leave the auditorium.  At the auditorium door he looked back at the stage and saw Kai come on and something stabbed at his heart.

Minho walked around. Watching Taemin dance was like slowly dying. No one was around seeing they were all watching the dancers. Minho looked around to see that he was at the dressing rooms. He walked down the hall stopping at the door that said Taemin Lee. Minho stepped inside. The lights were off; he recognized Taemin’s dance bag over on the chair. The same bag he had used since he was little, he recognized it from years of seeing it thrown around his house or Taemin's house. He knew the feel of the bag after many times he had taken it from the younger boy to carry. He walked over to it; he wondered if Taemin had thought about him today, if he remembered Minho’s promise he made to the younger boy. Minho pulled out a long stem white rose he had in the inside of his jacket. Carefully he placed it inside Taemin’s bag before zipping it up.

“You were amazing Taemin, I’m so proud of you. I miss you.” He whispered to the bag, hoping that the bag would convey this message to Taemin. He stood up and walked to the door, looking back only once before closing the door. He walked to the reception area, which was still deserted before leaving the building. He went back to the hotel, checked out, and went to the airport. As the plane was lifting off to go back to Korea, Minho started to cry. Would Taemin realize he had left the rose or would it be explained off by an anonymous admirer. Minho didn’t look back as the plane flew away. Maybe if it was their fate, they would meet again someday.

[Present]

They had met again. Minho stood up, he wasn’t going to let Taemin ruin his life. He needed to protect him. He phone rang and Minho jumped.

“Hello?”

“Minho Oppa! I haven’t seen you in forever!” Minho heard Yuri’s voice break.

“I know, I’ve been busy…”

“I miss you Oppa….” Minho felt guilty, with his promotions, Taemin, and schedule he hadn’t had a lot of time for Yuri, and it wasn’t her fault that she wasn’t Taemin.

“I’m sorry, how about we grab lunch tomorrow before my goodbye stage?”