(a MinHo story)

The boy looked at the envelope addressed solely to him. He found it odd that he was receiving a letter so far into his service. That is to say, he was days away from being done with his two years of service in the army. He had no one to write to him. His parents had died years ago and the rest of his family forgot he even existed. But there he was, with an envelope addressed only to him, and there was no holiday for months. He carefully opened the letter as to not crumple the edges. This would be his second piece of mail not regarding his birthday or holidays.

His eyes widened as he recognized the handwriting.

Dearest MinHo,

I know it’s been a really long time since I sent my last letter. How are you? Have they been feeding you properly? All of these questions have been filling my head since the day you left. I wanted to write to you every day, but I never knew what to say or write. I started countless letters pertaining to insignificant things. Nothing ever seemed to express what I really felt, or what I thought I needed to tell you.

So I’m writing this to you. When you are finally released from the army, I will be there. Waiting for you. I will be one in the crowd waiting patiently for you to step out of that building a retired solider.

What you plan on doing after you’re released is up to you, but if you like, I now live by myself away from my parents. You’re welcome to stay here as long as you like. It’s not much, but it’s the best I can offer you.

Please return safely.

EunAe.

Ps. I have a surprise for you.

His heart began to ache. This was his best friend from childhood. The only girl that had ever put up with him. And she was his first.

He was never able to tell her what he really felt for her. It was too painful after losing his parents and then making the sudden decision to join the army. But at the time she seemed to have some sort of understanding.

The night before he left she stayed with him, held him in her arms as she fought back tears. He looked her in the eyes questioning why she was able to put up with him. She simply smiled and told him that she had to let her best friend live his life, even if it terrified her. muttered many things that night, encouraging him to be strong and never forget her. But after he joined, he believed she had forgotten him.

She had only sent him birthday and holiday cards wishing happiness and that he you return as quickly as possible.

It killed him every night to fall asleep without her and know that she was most likely with someone else.

His last night with her was the only time they ever became one. Bodies intertwined creating one emotion he had hidden from her all of his life. And he feared that his last, was not hers.

Every card he had received on holidays was sent with the message “We are thinking of you” but who was we? EunAe was his only friend that even made an effort to keep in touch and now she was we?

He took the letter and hid it in a book along with her other things. The cards from holidays that passed without her, her drawing of them she made when they were ten and the pictures that they took together right before he left, all remained in the same book she sent him for his first birthday away from home.

“Minho’s gotten something from his girlfriend,” a solider snickered as he put the book careful back into place.

“She isn’t mine,” he thought to himself and he tied his boots one last time as a member of the army. “She was never truly mine.”

--

A mass of people hung outside a building waiting for their loved ones to be discharged officially from the military. Mothers were crying, men were yelling and girls were checking their makeup for the young men. But one girl was curious. She leaned over the people and craned her neck to see if anyone was being released and sighed as another shoved passed her.

Within a matter of minutes the crowd of people dispersed running to each of the persons exiting the building. She watched carefully scanning the sea of faces for her friend.

“Are you looking for someone?” a deep voice asked tickling her ear.

She turned suddenly to see her best friend in cameo print, hair peeking out from underneath his hat. Unable to speak she grabbed onto him by the waist and squeezed until he had to push her away. He held her face in his hands as she started to cry. “I was scared that you wouldn’t come back,”’ she choked on her tears.

“Why would I leave my best friend,” he laughed resting his forehead against hers. This was as close as they could ever be.

She smiled and dug her hand into her pocket retrieving a key. “This is for you,” she said softly placing it in his hand. “It’s not much, but it’ll just be us.”

His heart started to pound. Would it really be the two of them? No boyfriend he didn’t know about? Just them?

He took her hand and started to pull her away. Everything was perfect. Just the way he had wanted it to be when he came back.

She ripped her hand from his grip. “Wait,” she said breathlessly bending over to pick something up.

“Whose is that?” he asked looking at the small child she now held in her arms.

She rested her nose against the baby and hushed him to stop crying. “He’s mine,” she smiled tickling the baby with her nose. “His name is MinKyung, he’s named after his father.”

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this story is slightly based off of a dream i had. if it seems to reflect anything movie, other story, etc. i'm truly sorry. i had no idea.

i hope you've enjoyed this so far,

meng.