Those couple rings were burned into his mind. That had solidified that he had done the right thing accepting the job in America. It hurt him to see Minho and Yuri, no matter how much he liked Yuri and Minho. Kai being here only increased the pain. There was a rumor that Myungsoo was coming over to Korea to visit and Taemin wouldn’t be able to handle that. He was just getting better and now all of this was being piled on him.

The goodbye performance was a good place to leave. Minho was going off with his other activities. DBSK was going to be touring soon and had the dance performance. It was the perfect time for him to bow out of the entertainment business, or at least the idiol business of Korea. Taemin was looking around to find that he was walking around in circles. His left shoe was untied and he wondered if he tripped and fell if he would crack his head open and die.

Taemin laughed as he felt water hit his face. It would rain now. After Minho was gone, after Kai was gone. He knew he should go home and curl up under a blanket. Instead he kept walking. It felt fitting that it was raining. The first rainfall since he had come back to Korea. A part of him hoped that it wouldn’t rain at all when he was here. But it seemed like the rain Gods had a different plan. Taemin thought back to the last time he was packing to leave for America it had rained. Taemin found himself near a playground. He walked to stand by the swings. He used to love to swing with Minho when they were younger. In American Kai and him would go to the park and just swing in the summer pretending that they could fly back to Korea. Taemin looked down to see pink t-shirt and jeans completely soaked. Taemin walked over to the picnic bench and layed down next to it on the grass. He felt the raindrops fall of his face.

“MINHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO” he screamed with all of the power of his lungs.

“MINHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO”
nothing. Of course. Why would he expect anything less?

“MINHHHHHHHHHHHHHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOoooooooo…..” his voice cracked. “You said that you could always find me when it was raining….is it that you aren’t looking for me anymore?” he whispered to himself. He wondered if he laid here if he would drown. It was raining but it felt as if the drought was still there. Maybe rain wasn’t actually rain unless Minho was there. He remembered rain in America had never seemed real, he attributed that to it was American rain and not Korean rain, but this rain didn’t feel real either.

“Minho….” He whispered to nobody, because nobody was coming towards him in the rain to hold him and tell him that it was alright. He was going to go to America tomorrow, and nothing was going to stop him. Maybe he could outrun the rain.

Taemin stood up and shook from the cold rain he was just starting to feel. The cold was ripping into his bones. Taemin walked through the streets. Passing by his old house, Minho’s old house and finally he stood in front of his place. He slowly walked to the door. Before walking into the warm house, Taemin turned around and whispered,

“Goodbye rain, thank you for all the memories, but it’s time to move on. He moved on so I should too.” He wished he could kiss the rain and hold it. Instead he walked into the house.

“Taemin you are soaked! I know you like to frolic in the rain but you are freezing. Go upstairs and change out of those wet clothes.” Key fussed trying to dry his baby’s hair with his sweater.

Taemin walked up and grabbed a pair of sweat pants and a sweater of Key’s. He walked back down the stairs to see Key and Jonghyun sitting at the table, “Come eat” Jonghyun smiled and pulled a chair out. Taemin glared. He hated Kai. He hated Kai. Because of him he was going to turn fat and have no one love him. Taemin slowly walked towards the table and took a small pile of vegetables on his plate.

“No.” Key picked up his plate and piled it with rice, meat, kimchi, and egg. Taemin was going to have a break down. Rain. Food. Leaving. He couldn’t deal. Jonghyun rubbed his back.

“You haven’t eaten since this morning you need to eat something, especially after the goodbye stage dance performance. Please?” Taemin sighed and picked a piece of egg up and ate it.  Key looked at him.

“You are leaving tomorrow.” Taemin nodded. “What is going to happen when you are alone and you decide not to eat. You are going to die. Then Umma is going to have to bury his son.” Key started to cry.

“Umma, I won’t die.”

“You will be alone. Who will help you stay on track?”

“I bet you all will be texting me every day.”

“You can lie, like you have been doing….” Key sniffed. This made Taemin feel bad, his poor Umma was so stressed over this and it was his fault.

“Umma…. I’m sorry. I promise I’ll try.” Taemin was now crying, he felt guilty but ugly. As if Key knew what he was thinking he snapped,

“You are not ugly or fat Taemin. By baby could never be ugly or fat. You are so thin.” Taemin nodded and looked down. He was ashamed.

“I’m home, guess what I brought home?”

“Chicken?” The other three responded.

“No!” They all turned to look at Onew. “Well yes….But that is not the only thing I brought home!” Onew produced a huge 24 bottle package of banana milk. Taemin watched the banana milk as Onew brought it over. These are protein enhanced banana milks for you Taemin. Onew ruffled his hair and him one. Taemin ripped it open and started to drink it. It didn’t taste any different. “Did you…?”

“Yes we talked to him already.” Jonghyun answered Onew’s unasked question “Don’t let your best friend who is a doctor look bad by not being healthy.” Onew sat down and started to eat his chicken. Taemin laughed and leaned against Onew. Taemin wished he could bring all of this with him to America. Just pick up this house, his friends, their work places and drop them in America. That would be perfect.

That night Taemin couldn’t sleep, he crept out of bed and snuck into Key’s room. He climbed into the king sized bed; Key liked his space, and crawled next to his Key Umma.

“I was wondering when you would come.” Taemin smiled as he felt Key his hair.  “YAH DINO AND CHICKEN FREAK COME IN HERE.” Taemin winced at the loud noise. He felt the bed move and saw Onew was next to him and Jonghyun was on the other size of Key.  It was a perfect ending to a horrible day. Taemin fell asleep to Key and Jonghyun arguing about who got to sleep next to him.