When Taemin tragically died, those surrounding him were left with a series of “what ifs.”

            What if his mother had come home just a tad earlier? She could have been there when he had bounded out to play. She could have been there when he had just not paid enough attention to the speeding cars on the road.

            What if his father had watched him a little closer? The twelve year old boy had gone out and crossed the street on his own several times. But maybe it wasn’t as safe as he had originally thought.

            What if the driver had actually been paying attention? What if he had actually stayed after the accident instead of hurrying off to hide?

            The entire community in which the Lee family lived was shocked, full of questions. How safe really was their neighborhood? Were the other children in danger of having the same fate? How would the students at school react to this?

            How would Minho react to this?

            The day of the funeral, Mr. and Mrs. Lee held their breath as Minho came in the church, following the procession of people to view the casket. His shoes were shiny black, his suit fitting, as he made his way with his parents at his shoulders. Minho had been Taemin’s best friend that the younger had spent almost every spare moment with. Taemin’s whole world. He had even been on the way to Minho’s house during the accident. Would Minho feel guilty? Would he not understand? Would he cry?

            But as Minho approached the casket, where Taemin’s parents stood, Minho’s face was plastered with a genuine smile. He bowed to the two parents before walking up to the casket and rubbing his hand across it briefly. The boy leaned in and whispered to the other inside.

            “I’m going to keep it. Nice and safe. I promise.”

            He then his heel, reached into his jacket pocket, and produced a small book, handing it to Taemin’s mother. “Taemin told me that if anything ever happened to him, I should give this to you both.”

            Taemin’s mother nearly snatched the book from Minho’s grasp, opening it immediately while her husband held her from behind. She scanned the pages, tears pouring from her eyes. It appeared to be a sort of journal for Taemin’s thoughts. He wrote about days at school, field trips, soccer games he attended, and there were many, many pages about Minho. Those were the ones emphasized with hearts around the perimeter of the pages. “Today Minho bought me banana milk at lunch.” “Today Minho pushed me on the swings.” “I love when Minho has solos in our class programs because he has a really pretty voice.”

            Taemin’s father looked up with a warm smile as his wife, reached for Minho’s hand. “He loved you so much, you know that, right?”

            “I know,” Minho nodded, his smile brightening. “I loved him too. And now the love will always be in my heart. As well as his, since I got to keep it.”

            Taemin’s parents glanced at each other, confused, and Minho’s mother bent down to say something to her son, but Minho began to explain. “Taemin and I were talking one day, and he was talking about how he wasn’t afraid to die. I told him that he couldn’t die because I would cry too much. And he told me that I shouldn’t cry, because when he died, he would leave his heart with me to carry inside my own so that one day, when I die, I can bring his heart back to him.”

            Minho took the book from a now stunned Mrs. Lee and thumbed to a page he had read a million times. He handed it back to the parents with a smile, and Mr. Lee read out loud.

            “Today, Minho and I were talking about death. He said he would cry a lot if I ever died, but I told him he could have my heart. I want him to have my heart always because he stole it anyway. He can have it for keeps! When I die, I want Minho to hold onto my heart in a safe place inside his heart so that when he comes to see me after his life his over, he can return it. I don’t want to take it with me, because it belongs to him. Minho-hyung, please take good care of it! I love you so much.”

            Taemin’s parents broke down, and Minho consoled them with pats on their arms. “I’m going to keep his promise. Always.”

            And so he did, through his entire life.  

            When he went through the romantic roller coaster of high school, when he married in his last year of college, when he had children, when he saw them on through their lives, he still held the one heart in his that mattered the most to him. And at the end, as he lay on his death bed with his wife and grown children all by his side, he wore the same smile as he had the day of the funeral so many years ago.

            “Aren’t you scared?” Minho’s wife asked, rubbing his wrinkly hands. “You know, of death?”

            But Minho simply shook his head weakly. “I’m not afraid. Because I know Taemin is waiting for me. And I have something very important to deliver to him.”

            That night, when his lungs gave a final heave and his heart a conclusive beat, Minho felt at peace, flying through an endless warmth and comfort, lighter than he had ever been. He stopped to open his eyes when he heard that adorable, contagious laughter.

            “Do you have it?” Minho merely nodded, and the boy smiled brightly. “I knew I could trust you with it! You’re the best, Minho hyung. The absolute best!”

            And with a kiss to Minho’s cheek, they began their eternity together, their hearts becoming one.

~~~~~

Early last week, a young boy who was best friends with my younger brother was killed in a tragic accident. I attended the funeral yesterday morning, along with my mom and brother. Taemin is loosely based on the boy, however I changed the incident in which he was killed for my own sanity. 

This is pretty sporadic and random, I know. And not very descriptive. I literally wrote it in, like, 20 minutes.

Comments are really nice, though. They help me sleep at night. :)