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Genre: Slight Angst/Bromance | Rate: T | Length: Oneshot

Cast: Do Kyungsoo and Kim Jongin | Pairing: Kaisoo, slight Hunhan

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Proudly present...

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once we loved

 

story by: violetkecil

translated by: amusuk

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Kyungsoo stood in front of a small lodge inside the hospital’s garden. No flowers were in sight, and there were only trees covered in thin snow. It was in the middle of January and the cold air made him tighten his knee-length thick coat. That early evening was just like before, only he wasn’t in his hospital’s suit under the thick brown coat. Finally, he was able to view the outside world after six months being trapped inside four, plain walls.

There was a worn out paper on his left hand, and his right hand was on the doorknob. He took a long, deep breath; thinking over and over again if it really made sense. If it were really and truly going to happen, was this the right decision?

Kyungsoo once again looked at the worn-out paper he found at the porch of the small lodge just one week ago. A lodge he never remembered was there when he first took step on the very garden one month ago. Kyungsoo took a long heavy breath. Again. And his heart was beating fast. His head somewhat ached now, and that was the reason why he was there standing by the small old lodge.

Come on Kyungsoo, he assured himself. He’s not going to regret this. He just wanted to know before he would lie on the surging table with only two possible choices. First, he’d forget everything; and second, he’d leave everything.

Once again, he took in the handwriting carved on the paper. Open the door and one step to your wish.

Kyungsoo opened the door. Just one-step inside the old lodge. His eyes closed when the floorboards squeaked beneath his feet. A line of words escaped his pale lips.

 

 

oOo.

 

 

He opened his eyes. There was no boy in his vision running across the road. There was no car running at top speed. There was no himself running towards the middle of road. There was no horrible sound of tires screeching or someone’s screaming. There was no blood coloring the cold black asphalt. There was nothing.

Sweat trickled down his forehead. For a moment, he’s scared. Standing stiff, he didn’t even know how to move his own body. Everything around him felt like a blur and there’s only him inside the evanescence, until someone tapped on his back.

“Sorry, are you okay?”

He blinked. The man who tapped his back earlier was standing before him face to face. Warm eyes looked at him questioningly. “Are you okay?” He swayed his hand before Kyungsoo’s face.

“I-I-am okay,” he said feebly.

“Good then.”

Kyungsoo froze once more. His time was moving at its own pace he couldn’t fathom. And here he was, standing in front of a campus before he ended up on hospital’s bed in comatose for two weeks, just like six-month ago.

 

 

.oOo.

 

 

The mirrors that covered almost every side of the wall in the room were reflecting the image of a young man with a rather dark skin. His body moved rhythmically with the music, as it flowed through every corner of the room. Every movement seemed to express meaningful things; sometimes mellow sometimes incisive. His eyes were hidden under his bang, which was wet from sweating.

“Jongin-ah!”

He glanced at the owner of the voice who had annoyed his time. With one move, he turned his iPod off. The owner of the voice with doe-eyes sat in the corner of the room. Jongin walked towards him.

“Wassup Hyung? Not coming with Sehun?”

“He’s still having a class.”

“Oh...” Jongin took a small towel from the bag and sat next to him.

“You’ve got his name?”

“Who?” Jongin took a bottle and drank it quickly.

“The boy you’ve talked about on phone just this past. The boy you met this morning in front of campus, and then you saw him again in the library this afternoon. The boy you thought was confused and seemed out of place. The boy who—“

“Oh Luhan Hyung, enough. I wonder how Sehun can stand being with you all this time. How did Sehun put up with your ability to talk as long as railway, huh?”

“Yah Kim Jongin! Because he loves me.”

“I know. I could see the love between you two. Hyung, you stand against the world and the social’s view about that kind of love.”

“You’re gonna be a part of it?”

“Hey I’m not fallen in love with that boy.”

“You’re not fallen in love yet. But you’ve been interested in him.”

“No, Hyung. That would never happen. I’m—“

“Straight as Tao’s wushu stick, huh? You can’t label yourself that before ensuring your feeling.”

“I’ll never fall in love with every ‘a guy’.” Jongin emphasized the last word.

“So many impossible things become possible.”

“But that’s not true Hyung. Even if it did happen, I won’t be as strong as you and Sehun were. I’ll never be able to receive negative view from everyone around me.” He buried his face in his knees. His hands gripped the hair on the side of his head.

“People only accept what had been formed in social’s view and what had been considered as ‘right’ up until now. We’re not just living in what people accepted, because they don’t know what we have gone through and felt. The word right and wrong are just labels, narrowing the world.”

Jongin didn’t say anything.

“Jongin-ah, we have to take our own path of life. Ours, not other people’s. what people’s said if it makes you more alive. Happier.”

Luhan patted Kai’s shoulder and got up. “Sehun is probably done. You know my number if you want to talk. Bye Jonginie.”

Luhan disappeared behind the door, and Jongin was still in his place. He calmed his own breathing before reaching for his bag and leaving the dance room, running. Unintentionally, he bumped into someone till he almost fell. The boy he’d talked about with Luhan just some minutes ago.

“I’m so sorry.” Jongin bowed several times.

“It’s okay.”

“Ah, we meet again.” Jongin rubbed the back of his neck as he felt tingle flowing through his chest.

“Yeah.” A line of smile accompanied that simple word.

“Jongin. Kim Jongin.”

“Ne?” The wide eyes got bigger questioningly, and that only made Jongin’s heartbeat quickened.

“My name. My name is Kim Jongin.”

“I’m Kyungsoo. Do Kyungsoo.” The boy held out his hand and Jongin received it in overflowing happiness.

“Wanna grab some coffee?” Jongin offered.

“Sure.”

They walked side by side towards the coffee shop not too far from campus. The afternoon was just like always; road never quieted down. The cold weather didn’t make some people stay inside. There were some couples walking with holding hands. And there’s also Jongin, whose hand wanted to touch Kyungsoo’s so badly and hold it. But the coffee shop was just in front of him, just ten steps away from the front door which rang when opened.

Somehow, the chiming above the door sounded more melodious to Jongin. Was it like what people are saying about chime and love? Jongin shook his head.

They sat in the corner of the coffee shop and ordered two glass of coffee latte. Kyungsoo held a glass of coffee in each hand and blew the thin smoke billowing from the glass. Jongin never looked away from the face before him, even once.

“So we’re in the same campus? I’ve never seen you.”

Kyungsoo just smiled. “You’re not seeing me yet. We might meet again.”

Kyungsoo knew that—from the feel and the look on those orbs. He knew that the man in front of him was the answer to the line of words ‘let the fate lead me to someone I love and love me back’ he had said in front of the old lodge before. He smiled.

They were quiet most of the time. Not many words exchanged; only one or two queries. Kyungsoo asked what Jongin does and the man told him how much he loves dancing fervently. Mostly, Kyungsoo would ask and Jongin would answer everything. Kyungsoo knew he would forget all of his answers later, but he believed his heart would remember everything when his brain didn’t.

“Do you believe in fate?”

Jongin was taken aback by that statement. No gale no blizzard, they just knew each other, and all of sudden that question popped out of Kyungsoo’s pale lips.

“I do.”

“Do you know the Chinese myth of a red string bound on the tip of one’s little finger? The tip of that red string on one’s finger connects to the other end. The red string, bound two people to meet; at one time; one place and one condition. The bound was loose and twisted, but never be broken. Do you know that?”

Jongin looked at Kyungsoo’s round eyes that gleamed with warmth but holding secret, or maybe sadness, he couldn’t decipher. “I know.”

“You believe in that?”

Jongin nodded. Luhan’s words suddenly rang in his ears and the Chinese myth melted into some kind of love logic for him. “I do believe.” He said.

Kyungsoo just smiled. And I do believe too.

It’s you, they thought simultaneously.

They spent the rest of the afternoon watching the sky turning red slowly from behind the coffee shop’s glass. They stared at each other and throwing smile or laughing lightly from now and then. Jongin didn’t hesitate to pull Kyungsoo’s hand and gripped it.

“I hope we’ll meet again.” Jongin meant every word he uttered as if it was a prayer.

Kyungsoo smiled, held out his free hand, and reached Jongin’s cheeks. “We’ll meet.”

Kyungsoo inched closer and touched Jongin’s face with his cold lips. “I believe and I promise.”

Kyungsoo disappeared from Jongin’s sight before he could even open up his voice. He heard the ringing chimes. Kyungsoo disappeared behind the door, but Jongin couldn’t see his silhouette at all.

Jongin slumped in his chair. Alone. He couldn’t replay what just had happened. There’s a feeling of happiness yet sadness all together. Like there’s an explosion which made him want to let his tear drop. Once again, Jongin turned to the doorway. There’s something left in his heart. There’s something lost from his eyes.

 

 

.oOo.

 

 

“Bye Jonginie.”

Luhan waved before running after Sehun who had walked out of the coffee shop first. Jongin chuckled at the sight of his two best friends. Jongin learned so much from them. About friendship, love, and the meaning of life. Jongin thought over what Luhan often says to him in the dance room.

“We have to take our own path of life. Ours and not other people’s.”

“We’re not just living in what people’s accept because they don’t know what we have gone through and felt.”

Jongin had no doubt that Luhan was indeed a Chinese Emperor’s Counselor in the previous life. He sipped his coffee latte and threw his gaze outside the shop window. He chose to stay when Sehun and Luhan invited him to watch at cinema. He wanted to out sit, spending his time slowly and watching as the afternoon turned red. Maybe he would meet someone who got him fallen in love.

“We don’t need a reason to fall in love. Our heart is fallen even before our brain seeks the answer. So, just let it happen. And you can’t choose. You could fall for someone who stands stiff in front of a campus or maybe someone you saw from behind the coffee shop’s window.”

Jongin stopped his train of thought about what Luhan had ever said. Vaguely, he heard the door’s chime rang and the sound of the door being closed. He saw a glimpse of image, and then his eyes caught the figure of someone he knew well of. Walking with two hands in each pockets of the coat. A dark brown coat. Round eyes. Pale lips.

“We’ll meet.”

“I believe and I promise.”

Those lines were ringing in his mind, and he could see the figure with warm eyes. He reached his cheeks. Jongin was sure he felt a pair of soft yet so cold lips touching his cheeks.

Jongin thought he had too much of daydreaming. That was his final conclusion he thought.

 

 

.oOo.

 

 

Kyungsoo filled his lungs with air. He missed the air of Seoul, not the hospital’s odor. He closed his eyes—enjoying the tingling in his chest cavity contently. He stood with eyes closed there, until someone tapped on his back.

“Sorry, are you okay?”

He blinked. The man who tapped his back earlier was standing before him face to face. Warm eyes looked at him questioningly. “Are you okay?” He swayed his hand before Kyungsoo’s face.

“I-I-am okay,” he said feebly.

“Good then.”

The man turned around, and waltzed towards the campus’ gate, before he stopped all so sudden and stared at Kyungsoo who was staring back at him. Kyungsoo frowned.

“Have we ever met?” the man asked.

Kyungsoo didn’t remember meeting the man in front of him before, but everything about the man felt familiar. He just smiled. “We might haven’t met before, but maybe we’ll meet again.”

Kyungsoo’s smile made his eyes glowed warmly. “I believe and I promise.”

The man returned his smile and walked towards the building, to the dance room on the fourth floor. Kyungsoo fixed his bag’s position on his back, his eyes roamed the campus’ map he was holding. “Library,” he mumbled.

 

 

.oOo.

 

 

Once we loved each other, then we’ll love each other again and all over again...

 

 

.oOo.

 

 

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The End

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t/n: here you go, translation of a lovely fiction from violetkecil. Eonni is so awesome. Hope it turns out well. Comment, subscribe and upvote are loved. Thank you for reading~!