“I’m sorry, Taemin.”

 

Taemin applied small force on the door, making it swung open almost noiselessly as the widening crack revealed the sight of a man on bed. Peeking in, his lips pushed in a pout; his habit when curiosity governed him. The figure on the bed was not moving, stationary in his straightened sitting pose and his seemingly long legs were neatly covered in thick sickly white duvet.

 

A small muffled gasp came out of him when he saw the bandage that wrapped themselves around the upper part of the man’s head. Slowly and provokingly, the shocking condition of the patient caused his tiny tears to collect in his widened eyes. He could not move; his body was disobeying him. Everything seemed to be mixing into one in his mind – emotions, the sickening sight, heavy silence and slight disturbance of the light scent of hospital.

 

“We’re afraid that we’re unforgivable for hiding this, Mr. Lee.”

 

Definitely, they were unforgivable. Cruel.

 

“Is anyone at the door?” The man spoke warily, fists clenched around small parts of the duvet.

 

Taemin fortunately recovered from his shock pretty quick. Reflexively, his small fingers that were sited behind his bottom pushed the door close rather loud. The feeling that ballooned in him was uncontrollable. He deeply wanted to shout out the name. That name he had been missing.

 

“Hi.” It came out short and different instead.

 

“Who are you?” The man had asked him so obviously cautious.

 

“Mint.”

 

“Do I know you? Perhaps, you’re in the wrong –”

 

“I’m Mint. I’ll be your caretaker from now on. Hi, again.” Taemin just had a sudden need to rush his talk along with the speeding pace of his heartbeats.

 

“Oh. It must be Mom, isn’t it?”

 

“Nice to meet you.” Taemin bowed, yet still considering the objective of him doing like that.

 

He courageously took a small step towards the hand held out by the man; his legs felt really heavy with hesitation.  He could not help but to slightly shake as he hoisted his hand to meet with the man’s bigger one. Their skin contacted; electrical sensation slit through his body. He missed this touch, this warmth, this man …

 

This Minho.

 

“Please take good care of me, Mint.” Minho greeted as he pulled away his hand casually.

 

“Sure, Minho-ssi.”

 

“Wait, why your name is Mint? Doesn’t it sound somewhat feminine?” Minho itched to ask.

 

“Someone used to call me that. Well, why bother my name? You can call me by my real name if you’re not comfortable.”

 

“I don’t mind. What’s your name, though?” Minho asked curiously.

 

“Taemin.”

 

“Taemin… A sweet name. Nice to meet you, Taemin. Now that sounds more official,” Minho joked as he showed his white teeth.

 

“You can’t see apparently.” Taemin replied while holding his heavy tears, eyes landing on the white bandage.

 

“Well, that’s better than losing my life in an accident, right?”

 

Taemin’s breath hitched, quite audibly loud. It would be a long, long way for him as a forgotten one.

 

---

 

About 4 months later…

 

Though pathetically known as a caretaker by Minho, Taemin still acknowledged every single day he spent with his long-lost lover. Oh, how sinful it sounded to call Minho as his lover. But how could he erase the love that had been intact in his heart, full and complete, even blossoming more and more every moment? His bond with Minho, either old or now, was still strong as ever; in other words, the string that tied them together was unbreakable. Strong, intact and unbreakable.

 

Only recognized as merely a caretaker was not a big problem for Taemin. As long as he could stay by Minho’s side, he would do anything. Simply everything. Nonetheless, pain never stopped being pitiless to him. There were always setbacks in his determination. It was too sadist for him. He was feeling small pain threatening in his heart slow and gradually.

 

Szara.

 

He was not trying, not even attempting, to be irony or filling his questioning train of thoughts with sarcasm, either one was not true. However, the reality was that his own self had started to inquire questions that he called ‘odd’. He did not want to lie to Minho. The things that Minho had gone through were afflict enough; the accident that had caused temporary blind, loss of memories and scars that dressed his body.

 

‘Till when will you lie to Minho?’ There, it rolled on again.

 

Taemin had no answer.

 

Do not ask him. He was afraid of the answer.

 

---

 

“Boo!” A loud husky voice boomed into his ears from his back, pulling him back to the reality.

 

“Ah! You scared me, Minho-ssi.”

 

“I heard somebody coming at the door. I know it’s you.” Minho beamed proudly.

 

“It’ll be truly embarrassing if it’s the nurse. Congrats, anyway.” Taemin looked at the charming visage.

 

“So, what did the doctor say yesterday?” Minho asked, clearly changing the topic of talk.

 

He knew it. He knew Minho would ask him about this, sooner or later. Taemin suddenly felt as if his tongue was being chained by the feeling of something; something that he did not want to admit in him – the feeling of parting away. Yes, parting away, it was. Four months ain’t enough; nothing ever enough for him and Minho. As his heart thumped loudly against his ribcage, he counted the seconds that passed by.

 

“Minho’s eyes have been magically healing. It’s a miracle that he survived the accident. We’ll remove the bandage in two days and I’ll do a test to him. If he pass, he may see like usual again. For the scars, I’ll counsel some medication creams and time will heal them. And finally, the loss of memories, it’s just temporary. We can’t predict when he’s going to gain his memory back. The best way to treat it is to surround him with his loved ones. Therefore, in overall check-up, he can leave in three days, the soonest.”

 

 Minho’s hand reached for him, reaching for the person who in his eyes was just a caretaker. Taemin did not move inwardly, but out of his consciousness, he was already a few steps back with his eyes growing big and watery. Minho called for him, eyebrows joined together in confusion. The older being looked so lost.

 

“Mint-ssi? You’re there, right?”

 

Taemin quickly brought his tightly-balled-up fist onto his mouth. He need to stifle his silently mounting sobs, he thought, and as he bit his knuckles till it left reddish teeth mark, Minho kept intact on his spot and still calling out for ‘Mint’. Both of them grew worried over respective problems.

 

“I can see improvement in Minho. He’s much happier lately. Thanks for your help. Now, the contract will end in 2 days. Again, your help are much appreciated, Taemin-ssi.”

 

It was going to end, either now or sooner, it was all stated in the contract. The thin black file that he had been holding all the time, suddenly fall onto the hospital floor. Minho turned to the direction of the sound; how pitiful it looked that he needed to use his hearing to detect any changes in the surrounding. Taemin bit his red knuckles harder.

 

“Mint-ssi, you’re there. What did the doctor say? I still can see, right?” Minho asked in hasty tone.

 

Silence, interrupted by muffled soft sobs.

 

“I’m not permanently blind, right?!” Minho shouted in stressed voice.

 

Speak, Taemin. Speak, thought the sobbing boy.

 

“No. You can see again.”

 

“Really? Thank you, God! Oh my, Taemin! I can see again. Thank you…,” Minho screamed thanks as a broad smile stretched on his lips like he never smiled before.

 

“Yeah. Congrats.”

 

“Mint-ssi… Wait, are you crying?” Minho asked, trying to reach for the boy.

 

“No. I’m just happy for you. You can see again.”

 

Minho believed in the cracked voice that just spoke lie to him because he trusted Taemin. He broke into a triumph laugh as he hopped around, cautiously in one meter radius. He did not want to have secondary injuries by hitting anything in the room. Taemin grew a tiny smile on his face as he looked at the cheerful Minho. At least, he was happy, he thought as giggle escaped his lips. He ignored the ache of parting and tried to sound more realistically happy.

 

“Mint-ssi!”

 

One second he was standing on the floor and the next, he was in the air and secured in Minho’s arms. Taemin was startled and quickly draped his arms around the elder’s neck, balancing himself in the sudden hug. Things grew awkward around them as Minho swirled on the floor but none paid attention to it. Instead, Taemin rested his head on the broad shoulder and tautened his draping.

 

“You sure like me a lot, huh?” Minho joked when he halted and found Taemin firmly clinging on him.

 

“Eh, no. I mean…”

 

“Nah. I’m just kidding. Why don’t we have a special dinner tomorrow?” Minho suggested, putting the light body down.

 

“Dinner? But your bandage will not be removed until the day after tomorrow.”

 

“I eat with my mouth, not my eyes. We’ll just have it here. Can you please ask my family P.A. to prepare the food?”

 

“Sure.”

 

---

 

The dinner went great. It was appetizing that Minho almost made a call for more order. The nurses helped them to clean the place and Taemin volunteered to throw away the leftovers as he did not want to feel indebted to them. Now that they were free, Minho had asked Taemin to accompany him till he slept. Well, to be honest, Minho asked him to stay overnight but the younger boy refused.

 

“Sometimes, I wonder, what kind of life that I had before…,” Minho muttered.

 

“I’m sure you lived great,” Taemin casually replied, feeling awkward.

 

“Taemin-ssi, do you have family? I mean, you’re always free.”

 

Not that he’s going to remember me again. No harm, Taemin thought. He took a deep breath and prepared to say the secret he had been hiding from Minho, the old Minho. He looked at the calm visage of Minho and a smile blossomed on his young face. He felt guilty and insecure, but better let the heaviness go away.

 

“I’ve a father, mother and … a little daughter.”

 

“What? I thought you’re still 21? That’s too young.”

 

“Well, I probably would call it a mistake. But I’m single at that time, so it’s a blessing, maybe? It’s 2009 and I’m 17 when I have with my classmate, Naeun. On that year too, our baby is born. We had a great fight on the next year over our daughter. She decided to give it to her older sister, Sulli. In the year 2011, I have my first boyfriend. And why am I telling you all this?”

 

“No, it’s okay. I love to listen to people’s life story. So, where’s your boyfriend now?”

 

“We broke up because he got married to Sulli. Sadist, ain’t it?”

 

“What about your daughter? She’s with your- Sulli is her name, right?”

 

“Yeah. I think it’s better if my boyfriend takes care of her. At least, I know a good man like him is going to love her. She’d be happy in their family, rather than this helpless me.”

 

“That’s too bad. What’s your daughter’s name, though?”

 

“Szara.”

 

That was what Taemin planned to do, until the accident wiped away everything and everything was nothing now. At this moment, Minho had totally forgotten him. Sulli had fly with Szara to Hong Kong. And he was a piece of trash. He knew he was going to miss his daughter but naught really matters to him anymore. He felt like no longer a human.

 

“Cute.”

 

Does he even know that he was the ‘boyfriend’ they were talking about?

 

Minho pulled Taemin to lay his body along with him on the bed, bringing startle to the younger boy. He muttered to his caretaker to wait till he slept as he felt drowsiness tried to rule over his tired mind. Taemin obliged and shifted his body to a more comfy position, merely placing his palm on Minho’s bigger one. Somehow, he felt like old times. Minho took his hand in him and played with his slim fingers.

 

“I wonder how your face is.” Minho asked, turning at him.

 

Before Taemin could object, but not that he was going to even if he had the opportunity, Minho already trapped him by locating his hands on either sides of the dazed boy. Bewildered by the sudden increase in their skinship, Taemin simply looked up at the older. Minho trailed his hand over the torso and up and up till he reached the milky skin of the neck. He traced the jaw line and danced the other hand to grab a fistful of the soft silky lock of Taemin’s hair, holding the head intact.

 

“I’m sorry I’ve to do this. I can’t judge without touching,” Minho said but it did not sound sorry at all.

 

It sounded like an intentional excuse; like a hint, someway.

 

The older carried on adventuring the young face, tracing the arched eyebrows and soft skin of the forehead and trailed down the nose. He tapped on the point and smiled at whatever that he found funny. As he used his finger again to outline the round eyes, Taemin felt like weeping at that moment. He missed the touches from the old Minho. The next line that Minho muttered made him smiled, somewhat.

 

“You’re pretty…”

 

Minho played his finger over the smooth skin on the cheeks and drew the no-flaw features with it. He dipped his head down to catch a sniff of Taemin’s scent over the neck and that made the said boy to sigh in anxiety. After muttering ‘sweet’, he continued journeying his finger over the full moist lips and judged the fleshiness of the lips by pinching them a bit. Meanwhile, Taemin held the temptation to nip the finger.

 

“You have kissable lips, I think?”

 

“Why don’t you stop hinting?” Taemin suggested and put his palms at the small part of Minho’s back.

 

He could not help about it.

 

Minho chuckled out of his foolishness and obligated to Taemin’s question enthusiastically. He leaned down and tried to calculate the distance between his lips and the plump ones. He misjudged and sided a bit to the corner of the lips of the younger boy. As he pressed his lips slowly to get used himself of this sudden intimacy, Taemin chained the wilderness in him to stay back. He did not want to shock Minho later.

 

Minho parted his lips in advance, a little surprised by his own confidence and this familiarity feeling in him, and kissed Taemin again. Taemin took the cue and opened up too. He parted his lips and fitted their lips together and kissed the older back. Minho boldly kissed Taemin again and again as the younger moaned into the kiss. He assumed the lovely moans as indication for him to make the first move.

 

As each second rolled on, the kiss became more and more passionate. It was too deep that even the term ‘friends’ did not fit their situation anymore. Memories began to fling into Minho’s injured brain. He seemed to be familiar with the state they were in. It felt as if kissing Taemin so passionately like this was not a novel thing to him; as if they had gone even further than that, almost certainly to .

 

“Ahh….” Minho moaned when his head ache with something.

 

“Why, Minho?” Taemin asked in fear as he stopped kissing and looked at the older.

 

Minho was holding on his head for dear life as he retreated and laid his heavy head on the pillow. Taemin was afraid of the situation Minho was in. He tried to shake the body but Minho did not seem to pay any attention to anything other than his headache.

 

“Taemin, you…”

 

Then, it was all pitch-black in his eyes as he fainted.

 

---

 

Minho woke up the next day to find that Taemin was nowhere beside him on the bed nor was him in the room. The nurse in-charge told him that Taemin went away early in the morning because his task period was over and that confused Minho. He asked for further information and received an explanation that he, somehow, felt betrayed to listen to. He felt absolutely betrayed by Taemin.

 

“Don’t you know? Lee Taemin was here for the request of your mom. Your mom told me that they signed a contract in which Taemin would be your caretaker for four months. According to the contract, he needs to make you happy and cure your temporary memory loss,” The nurse explained.

 

“Cure my temporary loss? Doesn’t that mean he has connection with my past?”

 

“I’m sorry I’ve no idea about that. I’m not allowed to know any more than this. You should ask your mom.”

 

“Never mind. I’ll ask him tomorrow”

 

“Minho-ssi, his contract period is over. He’ll never come back here.”

 

It hurt Minho. He did not know why, but it hurt him so much. He was sure Taemin had something to do with his past while kissing him last night. He almost remembered it but it seemed unreachable. He knew Taemin was something to him before.

 

Perhaps, something more than friends…

 

---

 

Don't hate me. If you've any questions, ask me below. Thanks for reading and please drop your feedback. Have a nice day! ^^ 

 

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