D-8

Minseok may have not stopped Subin from leaving but he couldn’t put his mind at ease until he finds out where you are. And so like a stalker, he followed Subin secretly. Anyway, he’s an expert on this one since he did it with you and Junho before.

His felt heavier inside as he realized where Subin was heading. His hunch was confirmed when he was finally in front of the hospital. He went to the reception area and asked about a certain patient but he was denied with the information saying that the family asked them not to give away anything to anyone aside from them.

No matter how much Minseok wanted to get in the hospital and knock on every room, just to find out where you are, he couldn’t bear to do it knowing that he already caused a lot of problems to the people he cares about – EXO and you. He didn’t want to add anything anymore. And so, he just waited on a bench outside the hospital hoping to see you from one of the windows.

He waited and waited for hours, hoping for a miracle, but nothing came. He didn't notice any of your family members coming out of the hospital that night. He was feeling pain both physically and emotionally. He wanted to go back to the dorm, but the thought of seeing the angry members there made him think twice. He thought of going to his manager’s house but he remembered that none of them knew about what happened. He had nowhere to go. He was ruined inside. He didn’t know anymore what could repair the broken pieces that was left of him. He lost 12 of the most precious people in his life in just one night – EXO and you.

He left the hospital, disappointed with himself, walked in the middle of the night not knowing where to go. He was lost in his train of thoughts while his feet, having a mind of its own, led him to a place he crossed out in his choices before. He stood in front of the gate hesitant to ring the bell. But before he could really finalize his decision,  a tall man opened the gate to take out the trash.

“Minseok. Why are you not in the dorm?”

“Hyung,” Minseok stood there with tears starting to fall from his eyes. His manager was so surprised to see that side of him. He rarely sheds tears, even during the training years. He always thought of Minseok as a strong guy with no tears but during that night, his image of him changed.

He welcomed his eldest ‘son’ in his house and watched him until he stopped crying. He offered Minseok some food but the boy refused saying that he wasn’t hungry at all, even though he hasn't eaten anything at all during the day. The look on his manager’s face was full of worry. He too was starting to form tears in his eyes just by seeing Minseok cry like that.

When Minseok was finally able to get himself together, his worried manager-hyung asked “what happened? Why aren’t you at your dorm?” Minseok looked at his manager with hopeful eyes that his hyung will understand whatever it is that he was going to tell him. Since he knew he needed someone to talk to about everything, and Luhan wasn’t there at that moment, he decided to just let everything out to his manager.

He told him about the disaster he had caused on Mr. Kang’s birthday celebration. He shared to him what really happened at the bar during that same night. And most importantly, he opened up to him the reason why he first hesitated in granting the wish. Throughout the time that he was relating all the stories, his manager was just attentively listening to every bit of information he was getting.

Minseok ended his long and emotional narration with, “I’ve fallen hard and I don’t know how I can get back up to fix everything. I’ve never wanted anything this much in my life before. I want her back hyung. And I’m willing to give up everything just to be with her on the next coming days.”

His manager-hyung only replied with an, “I know. I knew this all along.” An answer that Minseok never expected to hear from the man..

“How can you know? I never shared anything to you voluntarily, until now, during the course of these 30 days.”

“You don’t have to tell me, or any of your other managers, anything in detail. The decisions that you’ve made were enough for us to see how Jiyeon entered your heart without you, yourself, knowing it.” Seeing the confused looked on Minseok, the manager continued what he had observed during the past weeks.

“Remember when we called you 2 weeks after the first day and told you that Mr. Lee Soo Man didn’t allow for your song to be included in the next album?” Minseok nodded in response. “Remember what you answered back then?”

“It’s ok. I’ll continue the wish with or without the song.”

“Exactly! Knowing you, we were all half-expecting that you would ask to end the deal right then and there.”

“Half-expecting?”

“Yeah. Because the other half part was expecting that you had already fallen for Jiyeon. With all the observations we’ve heard from the other members regarding you and her, no doubt something was going on but both of you kept on denying that fact within yourselves.”

D-7

Just after a few hours of sleep, Minseok bid goodbye to his manager and headed immediately to the hospital. He stayed on the very same spot where he was the other day, hoping for the same thing despite his failure before. He barely stretches his neck not wanting to miss a second that he might see you somewhere behind the windows.

And just like the first day, he waited and waited even though he was already getting weak from hunger. And like the first time, he still ended up failed. Disappointed once again, he went back to his manager’s house to take a little rest. But what greeted him inside took away all the tiredness he was feeling. He couldn’t believe who he was seeing in front of him. They were there, at their manager’s house, his beloved 11 EXO members.

One by one, led by Luhan, the members walked towards him. He was readying himself for some brutal punches and some kickass wushu skills from Tao when instead the 11 boys surrounded him and did a big group hug. All sorts of words he couldn’t decipher anymore can be heard by his two little ears. But one distinct sound made his heart softer than it already was, the boys were crying.

After breaking free from the sniffing group hug, Minseok said to s “I’m deeply sorry for everything I had caused to all of you. Please forgive me.”

“You should have been more open to us about your life, you know. We would’ve understood everything,” Joonmyun said.

“We may be noisy kids but we still know how to listen,” Baekhyun remarked.

“They say that action speaks louder than words. But there is a more bonded feeling when you let out things verbally. We’ve noticed every single thing but you were too blind to not see them for yourself, until the day you lost that one important medicine which is approaching near to it's expiration date,” Chanyeol said.

“We missed you. The dorm was not the same without the quiet yet always listening Baozi we know and love,” is what Luhan finally said.

Yixing stepped forward to Minseok and handed out to him a familiar box. “I believe it’s time that you give this to the person worthy of such gift,” he said. “I found it when I was taking your suit off last time,” he explained.

“Go get her hyung. Go get her back.” Chanyeol encouraged. Minseok’s face lit up again after days of being burdened. Miracles do happen, at the right place and at the right time and when you’re least expecting it. 

Happy Birthday Kim Minseok! Yehet! I especially planned on posting this chapter today, on our dear Baozi's day! :D So did you guys like this update? I hope you guys did. Please don't be shy to write your comments below. :)) Oh and if you think that this story is worth an upvote, please feel free to give it one. :D Thank you to everyone who continuously supports this story. Huuu. I love you all! Let's continue spreading Minseok love! <3 Yehet! :D *throws confetti*