*note: click on 365 to hear EXO's 365 song and Viva to hear TVXQ's Viva

“H-hello?” He answered, dreading what he could feel was coming.

“Eunhyuk ah….” A quivering voice that belonged to Aiden’s mom.

“What’s wrong?” Eunhyuk was afraid to find out. He dreaded it. He couldn’t bear to hear it. But he needed to.

“Eunhyuk ah…he’s….he’s gone.” Mrs. Lee’s voice got choked at the end, as if she couldn’t breathe.

Eunhyuk turned cold. “What do you mean?”

“He was riding to school…on his bike…and…”

Eunhyuk couldn’t listen to the rest of it. He hung up the phone, quickly. Mrs. Lee’s words couldn’t sink in. He didn’t want them to. It would mean that Aiden was dead. No. This can’t happen. This can’t. This can’t. His knees collapsed from underneath him.

Hugging his knees, Eunhyuk’s tears fell hot and fast. There was no way Aiden could be dead. I was with him just last night. There was no way. His fingers clenched his arms that could no longer feel the caress. It was dead and held no recognition that it was ever touched.

Eunhyuk went home early, not having the strength nor care to finish his exam. He didn’t care if he flunked it. School seemed something distant.

He locked himself in his room, pulling the covers over his head to cry alone. The next day, Aiden’s parents came by. Eunhyuk heard their voices for a while before he heard the door shut. His mom knocked on his door later that night.

“Aiden’s parents came today.” She said, waiting for a response.

Eunhyuk could give none.

“They want you to attend the funeral tomorrow.” His mom told him.

His heart tightened in pain. He couldn’t bear to attend the funeral. He couldn’t.

“Eunhyuk, I know you’re hurt but you must go. He had a sister and a brother. They need comfort as well.” His mom said, lastly, hoping there would be a response.

Eunhyuk clenched his teeth, trying to keep his tears from spilling over again. He could give no response.

The next morning, his mom picked the lock on his door and laid black pants and a black dress shirt on Eunhyuk’s bed. He woke up groggily, sitting up. One look at the clothes, he twisted inside at the realization. Aiden was dead. He would’ve cried but he had no tears left. It just left stinging in his eyes.

The funeral was grim. People sobbed and cried Aiden’s name. But Eunhyuk couldn’t. He had shut down. All he could do as stare at the long coffin as they placed it in the ground. It still didn’t seem quite real. It almost felt like a prank. Eunhyuk waited for Aiden to pop out of the coffin goofily or hug him from behind and wipe his tears away, telling him he was alright. But none of those things happened.

The coffin was lowered and dirt was thrown upon it, as if it didn’t contain a human being. Eunhyuk looked at the coffin to the last visible minute, swearing he wouldn’t give his heart to anyone else. How could he?

After the funeral, it was then that Aiden’s mother approached him with a tear stained face. She looked at him for a while, almost in shared sadness, before placing something in his arms. Eunhyuk kept his eyes on Aiden’s mother until she nodded and left to get into her car. Then, he allowed himself to look down at what was placed in his arms.

It was a bouquet of flowers. Or what was left of one. Most of the red flowers were gone or crumpled. The outer plastic wrapping was scuffed and mistreated. And amidst the ruined flowers was a bent note.

He carefully reached and grabbed it with two fingers, opening it.

Even after a thousand years, I will still love you~

~Aiden

It was only then, that Eunhyuk allowed himself to cry. One last time. His tears overfilled his eyes until the note was a mere blur. One by one they fell and splashed onto the note.

8 years passed and it was 2013. Eunhyuk had finished high school and gotten into a decent college. There, he had met his husband. Choi Siwon was the most desired man on the campus, having female’s and male’s hearts fall for him. But Siwon only had his eyes set on the one heart- one that he could never have; Eunhyuk’s.

With persistence, he got Eunhyuk to agree to date him and even though he sometimes felt Eunhyuk’s heart absence from their relationship, he skipped over it. In their last year of college, Siwon proposed to him in front of his family and friends. Feeling pressured, Eunhyuk agreed and they were married just 5 months later in the year 2012.

They lived in an apartment in Gangnam, being able to afford it under Siwon’s new job at Sesang Corporate. Eunhyuk, having majored in dance, became recruited under SM Entertainment as a choreographer for various groups. Everything pointed to a picture-perfect life. Maybe it was in Siwon’s eyes. But for Eunhyuk, it was just like watching life snail by dully.

“You’ve gotten better.” Siwon smiled, looking down at his husband who was busily tying his work tie.

Eunhyuk didn’t look up, still concentrating. “I was bound to catch on some day.” He remarked, finishing.

Siwon took his chin softly in his hand, bending his neck down to kiss him. Their lips molded together as Siwon  took charge, as always, before pulling away.

“Are you still coming tonight?” He asked.

Eunhyuk knew he was referencing to his business promotion party. “Yes. I’ll be there at 6pm sharp.” He told him, straightening Siwon’s shirt collar.

“Promise?” Siwon pressed.

Eunhyuk went on his tip- toes, pecking his lips. “Promise.” He smiled.

And it ended at that, Siwon grabbing his jacket and briefcase before leaving for work.

Eunhyuk got showered and slung his bag over his shoulder, leaving for his job. A one way ticket on the subway to Apgujung got him on their doorstep. He pushed open the door to the cool lobby. He waved at the desk attendant who looked stressed as always, constantly having to yell and chase after sasaengs that snuck in there.

Eunhyuk’s latest project lay with EXO’s comeback that fans tore their hair out waiting for.

                “Annyeonghasaeyo.” 12 boys chimed and bowed their heads.

                Eunhyuk had received respect since choreographing SHINee’s Sherlock, TVXQ’s Catch Me, and EXO’s History. Groups bowed to him much to his uncomfortable self, for his work. He didn’t like the attention but pretended he did, for reasons he didn’t know.

                “Cha- have you guys warmed up yet?” Eunhyuk asked, setting down his bag on the couch and walking to the front.

                The 12 boys looked around at each other with guilty but tired eyes. Eunhyuk had trained with them for 14 hours the day before on just dancing. Eunhyuk looked at them before sighing and cracking his fingers.

                “It’s fine. I know you guys are tired. We can just do 5 hours today.” He told them, much to their delight.

                Warm ups began with stretching their calves, quads, stomachs, and arms. They then moved to warm-up dance moves.

                Eunhyuk took out his USB, putting it in the computer they had and played the music overhead. It was their newest song, 365.

                “Since we practiced and sharpened the title song’s choreography yesterday, we can work on learning the others.”

                He positioned himself, facing the mirror, ready. “Now- FIVE SIX SEVEN EIGHT-!”

                5 hours buttered by and the boys packed up, having dreamy talks of taking naps. Eunhyuk could tell they were tired. He wiped his sweaty forehead on his sleeve and sat against the cold mirror.

                “Bye~!” The last person, Byun Baekhyun, waved before shutting the door.

                Eunhyuk calmed his breathing. He listened to the silence of the room. He loved silence and his lonesome that came packaged with it.

                After sitting and contemplating, Eunhyuk decided to skip lunch. He didn’t have the stomach for eating which felt more like a survival chore than something to enjoy. It kept his heart beating. And that was that.

He stood up, changing the music to TVXQ’s Viva and creating his own choreography as he felt. This was the part of the week that he enjoyed the most. A free practice room to himself, to lose all thought and just dance.

                It was a long time before he thought to even look at his watch. It was 4pm.

                “…” Eunhyuk cursed under his breath. He had to hurry to his apartment to wash up to be able to get to Namsan tower where the dinner party was.

                He grabbed his bag, jamming his feet into his sneakers and running out the door and into the subway. His short subway got him to his street quickly. Being pushed out of the rush-hour filled subway cart, he stepped onto the escalator, bringing him up to the roaring cars of Seoul.

                Buildings slowly peeled in front of him as he got closer to the top. People dashed back and forth at the top, getting from place to place. There was something different this time though.

                Those soft brown eyes. Those lips. Eunhyuk went cold. They were familiar. Deadly familiar. He still held his eyes, staring at the brown haired boy who stood at the top, looking around. That name. That name wanted to come out so badly. But it was stuck in Eunhyuk’s throat. Before he could swallow it, the boy smiled, waving to someone else out of view. He then began walking away.

                “Aiden.” Eunhyuk whispered to himself.