Present

Jonghyun put down his bag on the green grass. He looks around, with both hands on his hip. Looking for Minhyuk, but he’s nowhere to be seen. Jonghyun then sit under the shady tree. He wraps his hand around his knee. He looks across the field. He can see a familiar figure in the tennis court. It’s Meahri. She is practicing hard for the upcoming tournament. She is a delicate girl but at time like this, she can be really determined.

He looks at his watch. It will be a while to wait for Minhyuk. He pulls out a bar of Snickers, his favourite chocolate from his bag. He then took a bite from it. A dried leave fell onto his right shoulder. He looks at his right side when he realized Minhyuk is standing beside him. Minhyuk is staring at his chocolate bar.

“Give me a bite.” Minhyuk extends his hand for the Snickers.

“Snickers isn’t for sharing.” Jonghyun said as he pulls away from Minhyuk.

“Fine then. Just eat it by yourself. Geez, so stingy.”Minhyuk makes an annoyed face.

Jonghyun then got up, brushes away the dirt on his pants. Before he even realize, Minhyuk snatches aways the Snickers from his hand. He takes a bite from it. He grins widely as he waves the chocolate towards Jonghyun. Jonghyun just chuckles as he see Minhyuk’s childish behavior.

“Guys! Wait for me. I am done practicing.” They look towards the voice they heard. Meahri shouted from across the field, waving along with her tennis racket.

“Be quick or we leave you!” Minhyuk shouted back.

“Yah Minhyuk-ah! You owe me an ice cream. Remember ?” she shouted again as she smiles widely, walking away from the field. Disappear from their sight.Minhyuk seems pissed off by her sudden request.

 “This girl always sniffed out my money.” He says with a deflate shoulder. Jonghyun just chuckles as he takes back the Snickers left in Minhyuk’s hand and put it in his bag.

“Why don’t you just confess to her?” Jonghyun asks Minhyuk suddenly. Looking straight at him. Minhyuk seems taken aback by Jonghyun’s sudden remarks.

“When did I ever say I like her? Nonsense.” Minhyuk says as he faking a laugh.

Jonghyun taps Minhyuk’s shoulder lightly and says, “It’s all written in your face.”

“What about you then? You like her too right?” Minhyuk asks in a serious tone. He stares straight at Jonghyun’s face. Jonghyun looks rather surprised this time. He then just smiles, saying nothing and stares back at Minhyuk. They both keep silence, having a battle of mind.

“What were guys talking about? Seem serious to me.” Meahri says as she just got back from the field. They turn around looking at her. Minhyuk just shook his head.

“Nothing.” Jonghyun says, putting a smile on his face.

“Oh..let’s go then” Meahri says as she walks between Minhyuk and Jonghyun. She links her arm between their arms. Somehow that day, Meahri can feel the tension between them. She wonders what they were talking about.

“Hello, Jonghyun-ah. I think we need to talk” Minhyuk says over the phone.

Minhyuk sits on the swing at a nearby playground. Swinging slowly to the beat of the song he listens to. He looks up the sky. He can’t really see the stars. The sky is cloudy that night. He shivers as he can feel the cold wind brush off his body. He pulls the red sweater he’s wearing closer to his body.

Suddenly he feels a warm sensation at the side of his cheek. He turns to see Jonghyun by his side, shoving a can of warm coffee at his cheek.

“Thanks.” He says as he opens the can’s lid. Jonghyun takes a seat on the swing beside him.

“So, what is it?”Jonghyun asks. Slowly, swinging on the swing.

“You really like Meahri right?” Minhyuks asks as he glances at Jonghyun. Jonghyun stops swinging. Looking back at Minhyuk. He sighs for a while.

“I know this will happen eventually. She’s better off with you Minhyuk-ah.” He says, smiling. Minhyuk seems annoyed by his words.

“Are you backing off even before we start fighting? Tsk.”

“Do you know a story of a Little Mermaid?” Minyuk nods.

“I am not the Prince, I am the Little Mermaid who will eventually disappear into foam.” Jonghyun continues.

“What do you mean?” Minhyuk is frowning, can’t comprehend Jonghyun’s words

“I am dying Minhyuk-ah.” Minhyuk is surprised by the sudden news. He looks into Jonghyun’s eyes. He is being serious this time. His eyes look like it’s holding an unbearable pain. Minhyuk changes his gaze toward other direction, forcing back his tears.

Meahri’s POV

“Do you still hang out with Minhyuk and Jonghyun?” Luna asks. She’s one of my classmates back in middle school.

I just nod as I take a bite of the burger. I am holding a burger in my right hand while cola in my left hand. It’s weekend. I am spending my weekend catching up with my friends from middle school.

“Geeez. That’s why you are so un-lady like. Because you keep hanging out with them.” Sulli add, shook her head.

“I am a lady whenever I want to.” I answer with my mouth full of food. They just chuckle at my statement. Luna hands me a tissue as she points towards the left side of my mouth. I wipe it off with the tissue.

“Don’t you find it awkward when you’re with them?” Sulli asks

“What do you mean?” I ask back.

“You guys keep being ‘The Three Musketeers’, not even one of them has feeling for you?” she explains, waiting for my answer. I stop eating for a while.

"Nah~ Our friendship is like, to infinity and beyond" I say as I made a pose just like Toy Story's Buzz Lightyear character always do. They both laugh at my joke.

"And I think I am the one who’s having feeling with one of them.” I say as I blush a bit.

They look at me with wide eyes. Then, they just laugh. They keep teasing me until to the extent I couldn’t even hide my embarrassment. I put the back of my hand on my cheeks, trying to soothe out my already-red face.

“Tsk. Tsk. Look at this girl, acting like this.” I turn to my side as I heard someone said that. I look up when I see Minhyuk is standing beside me. My mouth hangs open, surprised for a while.

“Close your mouth or else there will be a bug flying into it.” He says as he holds my chin. I quickly turn to the other side, biting my lips. This guy never failed to embarrass me.

Minhyuk’s POV

“Here your ice-cream.” I said as I hands it to Meahri who’s sitting on a bench.

“And we are here for this?” she asks, mocking me.

“Are you forgetful lately? You asked for this last time.” I say as I flick her forehead. She cringes in pain.

“What is it do you want to talk about?” She asks as she rubs off her forehead, unwraps the ice cream.

I take a deep breath and say, “I think..I like you.” I don’t even have the courage to look at her.

“HA-HA really funny.” She says, faking a laugh.

“I am serious.” I say again, without even looking at her.

She stops eating ice cream for a while. She glances at me. “Of course you like me. I am your friend, right?” she asks for a confirmation.

I muster up my courage and say, “No. As a guy, I like you.”

She seems taken aback by my sudden confession. She blinks for a while, tilting her head a bit. Maybe it’s hard for her to accept the confession.

“But I..”

“Think about it first. Answer me later.” I say before I can even hear what she wants to say. Because somehow, I know what she was about to say. I got up from my seat. I am about to walk away when I remember, “I am dying Minhyuk-ah.”

“By the way, Jonghyun..he's not his best health. He’s dying.” I say as I turn back to her. She looks more surprised than hearing my confession earlier. 

Flashback;Jonghyun’s POV

“The doctor said, I need a new donor.” I said calmly. I glanced at Minhyuk. He kept being silence for a while now. Maybe he was surprised by the sudden news. Sometimes I heard him sighing.

“You’ll be okay Jonghyun-ah. Like always.” Minhyuk said finally as he took a sip from the coffee can. I smile a bit as he said that. He was always sound convincing. But not this time.

“It’s not that simple. I am really dying this time.” I felt hopeless. Minhyuk glared at me, I could say he was mad as I said that.

“Are you giving up your life now?” he said, raising his voices. I turned to Minhyuk.

“There’s nothing to give up. I don’t even dare to dream in the first place.” I said.

“Why are you being like this?” Minhyuk asked, he looked at me like he never knew me. He got up from the swing.

“I have to go. I am not going to listen to your nonsense all night long.” He added.

“Don’t tell Meahri about this. I’ll tell her later.” I said, in pleading voice.

“Oh speaking about Meahri, do you know she likes you too?” Minhyuk asked. I just kept silence. I was aware of her feeling.

“Isn’t she enough for you to have a desire to continue living? I might confess to her soon.” Minhyuk continued. It sounds like a warning to me. He then walked away without even looking back at me.

I looked up to the sky, it seemed like it was going to rain soon. I quickened my paces to home.

‘I am sorry my friends. I love our friendship so much that I act like this. I can’t put our friendship at stake just because of my feelings. I am sorry than I am being selfish.’

I held onto my chest, when I could feel the pain I kept feeling lately. The pain, it came back. I was panting as I arrived home. I quickly searched for my pills as I was panting heavily. Before I could even reach for my medications, my sight turned into pitch black. No, I don’t want to die yet.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

I am sorry for the long chapter. hee :B 

What will happen to Jonghyun?

Who will Meahri choose?

to be continued.....