Life is a spider web, filled with threads that link one to everyone around them, with the very first thread being shot out to our parents at birth. However, in the case of Sungmin and Kyuhyun, their threads were shot out at each other, even before their birth.  Love is a spider web, the way it branches out into the different relationships.  There is the love between parents and their children, between siblings, between neighbours and such.

The thread that linked Sungmin and Kyuhyun together was one of love between brothers.

Leeteuk opened his eyes, slowly adjusting to the brightness of the room.  He made to sit up but whimpered as pain as sharp as needles attacked his abdomen area.  “Teukie.  Relax baby, if not the stitches would open.” His husband whispered to him.  Leeteuk looked to his side and smiled as Kangin walked in, pushing the baby cart towards him, missing out the worry stretched upon Kangin’s face.

Leeteuk stretched his neck and looked at the two bundled up infants sleeping away.  He smiled at his partner but the smile disappeared when he saw the worry.  “What’s wrong?” He questioned, his voice strained with tiredness.  Kangin sighed as he looked at the cart before making his way to Leeteuk’s side, gently helping his spouse to sit up.  As he opened his mouth to answer, the door opened again and the doctor walked in. 

“Have you decided?” He questioned the couple.  Leeteuk looked at the duo, confusion running through him.  Kangin shook his head at the doctor before turning to him.  “You gave birth to a set of twins, Teukie…. but… but they are conjoined and they share only one heart.”  Leeteuk gasped.  “The doctor suggests us to do away with one child, so that the other can live a normal life and …” “NO!” Leeteuk gasped out as he painfully made his way towards the baby cart and picked up both his kids, holding them close to himself.

“Teukie… you have to understand that” “No Kangin, I am not going to kill one of my child so that the other can live” Leeteuk gritted out.  The doctor looked at the duo and sighed again.  “It is nothing to be worried about.  Both of them can have a normal life despite sharing a heart but you have to take care of this fact, Mr. Leeteuk, that once they grow up, they might detest the fact that they are joined together, unable to live their own life freely.” The doctor explained. 

Leeteuk continued shaking his head, his babies, held dearly in his arms.  “I don’t care.  Whatever the future, let it be.  As for the present, I want both my kids with me.” Leeteuk stated.  The doctor nodded his head and took his leave.  Kangin looked at the babies and then hugged Leeteuk and his babies.  “It would be ok.  Everything would be ok.” He assured himself and his spouse.

Leeteuk smiled as he looked as his kids.  They were holding hands, both their tiny legs shaking as they attempted to stand up.  Leeteuk clapped his hands as they wobbled towards him.  “Oh my babies” he exclaimed, enveloping them in a hug. “Well done Kyuhyun and Sungmin!” The babies looked at each other and smiled.

Kangin smiled as he looked at the twins.  Sungmin was engrossed reading a cookery book whilst Kyuhyun had his heads buried into his gameboy.  Despite the differences in their characteristics and their interests, the duo got along very well.  They would support each other through their activities.  Kyu would encourage Min as the latter practiced his Taekwondo moves and Min would sit patiently whilst Kyu would be engrossed in a Starcraft battle. 

Kangin prayed for his children to always be blessed with happiness.

There is a saying “We come to this World alone and we die alone”.  Sungmin scoffed as he thought of that saying as he turned his head to his right.  “Kyuhyun!  You are drooling, you ….  and on my pillow!” He screamed in disgust as he attempted to shove Kyuhyun’s head away.  Kyuhyun grunted before turning his head the other side and continued snoring.  Sungmin huffed, before reaching for the glass of water on his bedside table and emptied the contents on the younger.  Smirking, he sat up and pulled the other with him.  “When are you going to grow up, Sleeping Beauty?” Sungmin questioned Kyuhyun, who rested his head on the older’s shoulder, drenching it in the process, and continued dozing off.  Sungmin sat there quietly for another 10mins, as per his daily routine, before finally dragging Kyuhyun off the bed and into the bathroom.  Reluctantly, Kyuhyun opened his eyes and greeted the world as they got ready for another day.

As they stepped towards the front door, they turned to the two portraits hanging on the wall, “Goodbye Mom and Dad”, they wished before walking out.  The day whizzed by filled with classes and finally, as they walked home, Sungmin found himself being pulled back.  He felt their heart thumping away wildly.  He looked to his side and saw Kyuhyun’s eyes fixed at a distance.  Turning his head, he saw the girl whom Kyuhyun was eyeing.  Sungmin sighed.  “Is it time already?” he whispered to himself.

“When are we going to tell them?” Kangin asked Leeteuk worriedly.  Leeteuk looked at his spouse before sighing.  He turned to the back of the car whereby the drunk twins, who got wasted away at a party, were sleeping, or so they thought.  “Leeteuk, they have grown up.  They would be entering University next year.  Don’t you think it is time to let them know the truth so that they can decide about their future?” Kangin questioned, his eyes focused on the road.  Leeteuk sighed as tears welled up in his eyes.  Kangin looked at his spouse and placed his hand on top the other’s. 

It was that one moment of distraction that caused them to meet with an accident, an accident that caused the twins to be on their own from then on.  Of course, there was the support in monetary form from the Insurance that allowed them to continue growing up, without worry.

Sungmin looked at the forms in his hand as he laid on the bed, snoring filled the quietness of the room as he continued looking at the form.  He knew that he should discuss this with Kyuhyun and he also knew that Kyuhyun deserved to know the result of the operation but for some reason, he could not bring himself to tell the truth to the other.  He had overheard his parents talking, when they thought that both Kyuhyun and Sungmin were asleep, about their condition of sharing a heart and he had been shattered when he learnt that should they wish to live a separate life, it would mean that one of them would have to be “put to sleep”.  Sungmin felt the tears stinging his eyes as he recalled the past. 

He recalled the moment he had promised himself that when either of them fell in love, that would be the time to make the decision.

“Hey Kyu.”  The younger looked up at him.  “Don’t you think we should consider getting separated?”  

“You are divorcing me?” The younger joked, shock with amusement dancing on his face. 

“I am serious Kyu” Min said as he placed the forms onto the table. 

Blankness took over the younger’s face as he looked at his brother.  “Min, you are serious?”  Sungmin nodded.  “NO!” Kyuhyun screamed before turning his head.  Sungmin looked at the younger before placing his hands on Kyuhyun’s face and turning him so that they both were looking at each other.  “You know that this is inevitable Kyu.  How long do you want us to go on like this?  Don’t you want the freedom to be able to go free, meet up and love someone?  Do you always want me around you, preventing you from meeting the love of your life?”  Kyuhyun nodded.  “Well, I don’t want that. I don’t want you stuck to me anymore.  I am sick of it.  I am sick of it Kyu.  I want freedom.  I can’t do this anymore.  I am sure you know what it feels like to be unable to do something just because you have an extra baggage hanging by your side.  I don’t want this Kyu.  I want to” Sungmin shouted but was interrupted by the younger.  “I am a baggage to you?” Kyuhyun questioned him, pain creeping all over his face.  The question brought about an end to their conversation. 

Sungmin looked away from the other and turned his gaze onto the document on the table.  He ignored the sting he felt in their heart when he heard a sniff.  Trembling hands soon met his sight.  He looked to Kyuhyun, who signed the documents as tears ran down his cheeks.  Sungmin looked away, desperately blinking back his own tears.  “The operation would be next week” Sungmin announced, taking the form and signing it as well. 

“Yeah well, just drag me when we need to go there.  Anyway, I just have a week more to be a burden to you, don’t I?” Kyuhyun questioned, with a small laugh that was filled with pain.

The week passed by faster than he would have liked.  During that one week, Sungmin had to endure a sulky Kyuhyun throughout.  During that one week, Sungmin pulled Kyuhyun forcefully to accompany him to the market [whereby Sungmin purchased a month’s supply of grocery and lots of ramen packets], to the Amusement park [whereby they played lots of games and despite the sulky face Kyuhyun was wearing, a small smile could be seen on his face] as well as to Beachside [whereby they had the picnic that Sungmin always wanted to have, and they even rode bicycles, with lots of difficulty and pain]. 

Sungmin wiped the tears that formed into his eyes as they rode the taxi to the hospital.  He could feel their heart beating frantically.  He took Kyuhyun’s hand and gave it a tight squeeze, though he knew it was more to comfort himself.  He closed his eyes and leaned back on the headrest as the cab took them to their destination. 

They laid on the bed, silence enveloping them.  The doctor had performed the necessary check-up and left, leaving them to wait.  Sungmin felt tears flowing down freely from his eyes.  He turned to Kyuhyun when he felt the younger wiping his eyes. 

“I… I want this for you to be happy Kyuhyun.” “I know.”  Sungmin turned to the younger, shocked.  “I know that the words you said at that moment were only to rifle me up to get me to sign the papers.  I know that you are doing this so that I would not have a hindrance in pursuing a relationship with her.  I know it all Sungmin and yet, yet I can’t stop myself from being angry with you because I can’t imagine living without you Min.  I can’t.”  Kyuhyun confessed.  “I love you Kyu and whatever happens, I would always be by your side, though not literally anymore.”  Sungmin assured the other, turning to his side and enveloping the other in a hug.

He opened his eyes and closed them again.  He heard crying as well as whispering.  He opened his eyes, slowly adjusting them to the brightness of the room.  He looked to his side and was surprised to see his and Sungmin’s friends there.  “Ho.. How are you guys here?” He croaked out, his throat dry.  “Why are you crying?”  He questioned Eunhyuk, who shook his head before stepping out of the room.  Confused, Kyuhyun looked at the others and was met with sadness painted on all of their faces.  He looked around before turning to his left and seeing a void there.  “Where is Min?”  Silence answered his question.  Kyuhyun attempted to sit up but was stopped by Heechul.. “Don’t move.  The doctor has advised you to rest.” “Where is Min, Chullie?” Kyuhyun questioned again.  Heechul looked at the group before taking a piece of folded paper from his pocket and handing it to Kyuhyun.  Kyuhyun looked at the paper with confusion before he opened and read the contents. 

A cry of pain was heard in the room.

“Min!  I told you not to run, didn’t I?” Kyuhyun questioned.  “Give me a good reason why I should listen to you.”  Sungmin replied.  Kyuhyun sighed before turning to his wife, as he stepped into the house.  “Why is it that he is only like that to me?”  His wife laughed before shrugging her shoulders in reply.  Kyuhyun turned to look at his son and smiled as the latter ran around the garden.  He looked at the photo on the wall.  “You really keep your word, didn’t you Min?” Kyuhyun said as he looked at the portrait of himself and his brother, remembering the promise on the letter.

“Hey my dearest Kyu,

Congratulations on a new life!
I know that you must be feeling confused and all that but please understand that I did this because of my love for you.  You are the dearest person to me Kyu and you know that.  I am thankful for having you by my side because you are the one who taught me how to stand up for myself, or rather for us, when we used to get bullied in school.  I remember how you would tell me that everyone teases us because we are special and they aren’t and you don’t know how happy I have been all this while, for being special, for being by the side of a special gem of a brother.

I am thankful to our parents that they didn’t separate us at birth, giving us the chance to live our life together.  Giving us the chance to experience the ups and downs of life together, by each other’s side.

I know that you are confused about this letter and where I am.  Do you remember the time whereby we questioned about this fact that why my heart was on the right side once during Science lesson and when we asked Dad about it, he diverted the topic?  We never asked them about it again but I overheard them talking about us sharing one heart whilst you were asleep.  We shared a heart Kyu.  An organ that was pumping away, keeping both of us alive.  My decision of us getting separated was to grant you a life so that you can live normally, so that you can pursue the one your heart beats wildly for.

I am sure you must be hopping mad right, wanting to scream all sorts of vulgarities and profanities at me for not telling you before but I had no choice.  If I had told you, I am sure that you would have whacked me for even thinking of separation and would have made us lead an unmarried life for all whole life but please understand that I did this because I love you Kyu.  I love you so much.  Nover think that I have left you.  Even though I am not by your side physically, I would still always be by your side.  And mark my words Kyuhyun-I would be back.  I would come back in the form of your son or daughter, when it is time, and I would trouble you so much just like how you have troubled me all these while.

I love you Kyu.”

Kyuhyun looked up and smiled when he saw a vision of his brother, Min disappearing away before his eyes.

Kyuhyun broke out of his reverie when a ball hit his head.  He looked up and saw his son, Sungmin, smirking away at him.
 

When one chapter ends, another begins.  When one of the thread gets broken, another gets build in its place.