"Minji? Minji, I'm sorry."

She glared at the door, but remained silent.

Outside the apartment, Bang Minsoo sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Please Minji. I know you're mad, you have every right to be mad, but please, please don't shut me out. At least let me try to explain?" His voice was pleading, a soft side that few had ever seen.

Inside, Minji felt herself wavering. She knew well that she might be over reacting a little bit, and she did miss him. It had only been a day since the fight started, and they'd lasted a lot longer apart in the past, but it was getting harder to stay mad at her boyfriend.

Reluctantly, she stood up, and shuffled towards the door.

Minsoo heard her soft footsteps and smiled in relief. The door was dragged open unceremoniously, and he wasted no time in pulling his two-year girlfriend into a tight embrace.

She struggled at first, smacking at him weakly, but she dropped the pretense surprisingly quickly and returned the hug. He smiled into her hair.

"I missed you."

She sighed and leaned in for a soft, sweet kiss. "I know. What would you ever do without me?"

He laughed and pulled away for a moment. With a flourish, he presented the bouquet of red carnations that he'd brought with him. "Forgive me?" His eyes were pleading, and she decided to skip the usual teasing.

She took the flowers in one hand, and then wrapped her fingers around him wrist and pulled him into the apartment after her. He followed her easily, surprised at the lack of grief that he was getting, but decided to just accept it as it was.

"You can sit wherever. Byunghyun moved out this weekend, so we have the place to ourselves." She informed him as she pulled away to put the flowers in a vase.

"Byunghyun finally found his own place? Ah, then you have an extra room now." His smile was teasingly predatory, and she laughed as she re-entered the room.

"Funny, he said that same exact thing." She purred lightly, settling in her boyfriend's lap and wrapping her arms around his neck.

Ten minutes later found them in her bed, her hands tangled in his hair and his wrapped around her slim frame, pulling her close to him as they kissed.

A sharp knocking at the door had them scrambling apart, red faced and grinning.

"I should get that."

"You probably should."

"But I don't really want to."

He leaned in and kissed her collar. "I don't really want you to either."

A loud sigh was heard behind the door. "For Shisus's sake guys, I can hear you! Let me in!"

The lovebirds laughed and Minji slipped out of the bed, idly smoothing her hair and straightening her clothes as she crossed to the front door. Minsoo watched her as she moved, not bothering to button his shirt as he slowly rose to follow her.

Lee Byunghyun stood in the doorway, arms crossed and a light pink coating his cheeks. "I really would not have appreciated it if you two had continued that while I was standing out here." He grumbled in way of greeting.

"Hey Joe, how are you, why are you here?" Minji replied, mocking his tone.

He grinned at her apologetcally. "I left some stuff in my room. Didn't realize it until I unpacked today." He glanced at the older man standing in the doorway of the main room. "Hey Minsoo, how're you doing?" His grin became vaguely brighter. Byunghyun and Minsoo were long-time childhood friends, and they were so close that people often mistook them for brothers.

"Eh, been better. I was having some quality make-up time with my girlfriend when some angry shrimp showed up and interupted." He was rewarded for his snark with a sharp smack across his chest. "Ah, come on, Joe, I'm teasing! You're taller than Changhyun, neh?"

Byunghyun sighed. "Aniyo. Damned brat had a growth spurt over the summer."

Minji laughed. "Ah, poor Byungie didn't drink his milk. Byungie is cursed to remain little forever!"

"Hey! Yoo Minji! You better watch that mouth of yours!" Byunghyun growled menacingly, but Minji only laughed, swinging past her ex-roommate and leaning against her boyfriend.

"So are you just going to stand there all day or do you want to get that stuff you forgot?" She prompted innocently, tilting her head and batting her eyes at the shorter man.

Byunghyun sighed and pushed past them, muttering under his breath.

Minsoo grinned. "You shouldn't be so hard on him. It's not his fault God forgot to give him height."

"Forgot to give him charm too." She joked, tracing one of Minsoo's many tattoos with her fingers.

"Can still hear you, you jackassess." Byunghyun yelled, drawing more laughter from the couple.

"Haha, sorry Byunghyun, we'll stop." Minji called. She looked up at Minsoo. "So... you wanna stay over tonight? See if you like it? If you do, I happen to have an extra room." Her smile was suggestive.

"Unfortunately, Minsoo is going to be busy helping me get all my stuff organized today." Byunghyun had appeared seemingly out of nowhere, and Minji started, bashing her head on Minsoo's jaw, and causing both of them to glare at Byunghyun.

The other man was unabashed. "Much as I hate to break up the lovefest, of course." He added with a slight grin.

Minsoo sighed. "That okay, Minnie?"

She pouted slightly at him. "Wah, you're ditching me for Byungie?" But she pushed him towards his friend. "Go go. But I expect you to make this up to me Bang Minsoo!"

Minsoo gave her a quick, chaste kiss as he left.

"Ugh, you two are far to cheesy." Byunghyun grumbled as they exited Minji's apartment building, shifting his grip on the box he had grabbed from his old room.

Minsoo grinned. "Oh, you're just jealous. Wait until you get a girlfriend, then you'll be exactly the same." He teased lightly. "Hey, you want me to carry that?"

Byunghyun glowered stubbornly. "Aniyo, I'm fine." He protested, despite the fact he was clearly struggling with the heavy box.

Minsoo sighed but let it be. Fifteen years of being best friends with the guy had taught him that if Byunghyun really needed help, he'd (begrudgingly) ask for it.

"Hey, how come you didn't have me help when you first moved?"

Byunghyun shrugged. "Changhyun's in town before school starts, so I made him do it."

Minsoo laughed. "Aish, just because you were roommates with his sister doesn't make the kid your personal servant you know."

Byunghyun shrugged again, unapologetic. "The kid's annoying enough. If I'm going to have to put up with him, he can at least make himself useful."

Minsoo didn't push it. The two boys spent the entire afternoon unpacking Byunghyun's belongings and reorganizing his new apartment, and then relaxed with a few beers. After hours of just talking, Minsoo finally decided to call it a day.

"Daniel's probably wondering where I am, anyway."

Ahn Daniel was Minsoo's current and longest surviving roommate. Most became tired of Minsoo's odd habits and selective, and seemingly random, friendliness, but Daniel had somehow managed to decode the older man and continued paying his rent on time with no signs of wanting to move.

"Speaking of roommates, are you actually going to move in with Minji?"

Byunghyun's voice was soft, and he was turned away from Minsoo, so the man was uncertain as to the emotions lacing the younger's voice.

He hesitated. "I dunno. I mean, we've been together for a while now, and it's the most logical next step." He paused again, gazing at his friend's back. "I want to. And I think she does too." He sighed, a faint smile touching his lips and his eyes becoming slightly distant as he thought about her. "Honestly, I can't imagine life without her, and if living together does work out, I think... I'm going to ask her to marry me."

It was the first time he had admitted this outloud, and the words alone sent a shiver of warmth through him.

Byunghyun didn't respond at first, but when he turned he was smiling. "I'm glad for you. You two make each other really happy."

"Thanks Byung. It really does mean a lot that you're behind me on this." Minsoo nodded his head in the closest he'd ever come to bowing to the younger. "Well, I'm going to head home, okay? I'll call you tomorrow - maybe we can all hang out, you me and Minji, the way we used to."

Byunghyun nodded absently. "Yeah. That sounds good."

He watched his friend leave, his heart clenching dangerously. "Stop it" He scolded himself, closing the door a little harder than was neccesary. You never had a chance with her anyway. If Minsoo makes her happy, then let them be happy.

*M*I*S*S*I*N*G*

Minji was doing the dishes when the phone call came.

"Hang on, hang on." She called, scrambling to dry her hands before picking it up. She checked the caller ID and frowned.

Blocked number? She shrugged and answered. If it turned out to be something weird, she could just hang up. "Hello?"

"Yoo Minji?"

She didn't recognize the voice on the other end of the line. "I'm sorry, who is this?"

"A concerned citizen."

Okay, that couldn't be good. She nervously began drying a dish, a habit she had picked up during her university years. "Concerned about what?"

"I'm afraid there's been an accident."

The scream and the crashing of the dish were almost indistiguishable from each other as the phone dropped and Minji fell to the ground, kneeling on the broken shards and screaming until her voice gave out.

"NO!"

*M*I*S*S*I*N*G*

Byunghyun was about to fall asleep when he got the call.

"Niel? What do you want? Why are you calling at," He check the clock, "2 in the morning?"

The younger man sounded slightly panicked as he responded. "I left my keys in the house this morning, and the apartment is locked, and"

"Woah, slow down kid. Why are you calling me? Just get Minsoo to open the door. I know he sleeps like the dead, but pound the door long enough and he'll answer."

"I know that! That's why I'm calling you! He's not answering! Oh god, what if he's dead in the gutter somewhere and no one knows he's there and we don't realize he's gone and then when we find out everything goes to and everyone's miserable and,"

"I said to slow down! And chill on the crazy theories. He probably just went to a bar after leaving here, okay? Have you tried calling him?"

He could almost hear the other man shake his head. "He never has his phone on, you know that." Thankfully, the blond singer seemed to have calmed down somewhat.

"Ugh, yeah. Okay, I'll be over in twenty minutes, alright? Sit tight."

"Deh. Thanks, hyung."

Byunghyun hung up and groaned. "God damnit Minsoo." He grumbled as he dragged himself reluctantly out of bed. It wasn't the first time one of Minsoo's roommates had called in distress, which was the reason Byunghyun had the aprtment's spare key in the first place. However, despite it's unfortunate regularity, Byunghyun still really really hated his best friend whenever it happened.

He was halfway to Minsoo's apartment complex when the first cop whizzed past him. He didn't think much of it until three more had gone by as well as an ambulance, all headed in the same direction.

He sighed. Some dumb kid probably got into an accident. But Niel's crazy theories came bubbling to the surface of his thoughts, and no matter how many times he told himself that the chances of the worrywart actually being right were practically zero, he still found his feet moving a bit faster, his heart pounding a bit harder.

He arrived at Minsoo's familiar steps five minutes sooner than he normally would have, and found Niel leaning against the wall, staring blankly at the sky. His eyes were wet, but his cheeks were dry.

"Niel?"

"Of all the times..."

"What?"

The singer looked forlornly at Byunghyun, his lips parted. A single tear broke free and idled down his face as the young man searched for the words that seemed to have abandoned him. Finally, a bitter smiled crossed his face, accompanied by more escaped water, and he sunk to his knees. "Of all the times to be right..."

Byunghyun froze. "What are you talking about Niel? Right about what?" He stood frozen, the ambulance lights flashing in his mind's eye.

Niel shook his head bitterly. "Chanhee... you know Chanhee? He's our neighbor. He's the one who introduced me to Minsoo..." He trailed off, his eyes still blank, still streaming tears that the younger seemed unaware of.

"Yeah, I know him. What are you going on about?" Byunghyun was starting to panic. He'd never seen Niel in this state before, and it was honestly terrifying him.

"I... well..." He took a shuddering breath and seemed to come back to Earth all at once, his tears doubling and his face twisting to match them. "Chanhee said... he saw..."

Five minutes later Byunghyun was racing down the street, blinded by restrained tears that he refused to acknowledge.

He's lying he's lying he's lying he's lying...

Because it couldn't be true. It couldn't. Not him. Never him.

The bridge was in sight now, and sure enough, yellow cautions tape decorated it's already golden arches.

"Excuse me, but this is a crime scene. I'm afraid you'll have to take a different route." An officer stepped in front of the desperate man.

"No! No, I have to see. I have to see... It's not him it can't be him..."

The officer quickly realized the situation. "Is the victim a friend of yours?"

"NO! It's NOT HIM! I just... I need to show them... it's not..."

The man sighed, pulling off his hat and running a hand through his hair. "Well, if you think you can ID the body, then I guess I'll see about getting you through. Just hang tight for a minute."

It was a lot longer than a minute that Byunghyun stood there in the middle of the street, shaking slightly and whispering miserably to himself. Eventually, another man returned with the officer and lifted the tape.

"Alright son, the body is this way. But," He gave the man a once-over, "are you sure you can do this? If it is your friend..."

Byunghyun shook his head. "It's not. I just need to show them. It's not."

The man shook his head sadly. "Alright. Follow me."

*M*I*S*S*I*N*G*

He thought that nothing could scare him more than how his friend's mangled corpse looked that night. He had stood on the river bank for hours after confirming that yes, Bang Minsoo was the victim of a hit-and-run, just staring as the black water turned grey, refusing to believe what his own eyes had told him, what his voice had admitted. But his head refused to wrap around the idea.

Then his cell rang. He was honestly surprised that there hadn't been more calls that night. He considered ignoring it until he saw the caller ID.

Yoo Changhyun

His eyes widened as his mind made an all too easy leap over the younger boy and to his sister.

"Is Minji alright?"

Changhyun didn't even react to the non-greeting. "I don't know! I tried calling her but she's not answering, and I'm not in the city anymore, and I'm freaking out! Oh..." He stumbled, panic clearly lacing each word. "Minsoo's not answering either..." His voice wavered. "Is everything okay? Did something happen?"

Byunghyun had stopped listening. "Minsoo's dead. Some er ran him down tonight. I'll go check on Minji." He started to hang up, and then bit his lip. "And um... thanks for calling me. I'll tell you if anything else comes up, okay?"

He hung up before Changhyun could respond and promptly took off, his feet pounding the pavement in a rythm that had become far to familiar that night.

He reached her apartment in under ten minutes, pounding on the door with all he was worth.

"Minji! Minji open up! Minji!"

No response. He hissed, and spun in the hall, his hands his hair. "Damn it!" His fist connected with the wall beside her door. "MINJI! OPEN UP!"

...

With a sudden burst of strength he slammed his shoulder against the door and it flung open. "Minji!"

The apartment was empty.

No... where is she?

He stumbled around the room when he heard a faint sound. His eys traveled towards the master bed, and he uncertainly moved towards it.

"Minji?"

Another muffled sob reached his ears and he dropped to his knees. Slowly, so slowly, he lay down and looked beneath the bed frame.

There, curled up, her legs bleeding from several shallow cuts, was Minji. Her face was tear stained, but he eyes were now dry.

"Minji..."

He reach for her, tenderly. "Come on. You need to get out from under there."

"Minsoo..."

He froze. So she knew. He sighed. Of course she knew. What else could have caused this?

"I think... I'm going to ask her to marry me."

She would have said yes.

*M*I*S*S*I*N*G*

The days leading up to Minsoo's funeral were spent constantly by her side. Byunghyun fed her, laid out her clothes, forced her into the bathroom with orders to shower, though she rarely listened to orders. She was little more than a husk, moving sluggishly through time but not noticing it passing.

Changhyun called daily, but he never visited. The kid was inexplicably twitchy, and Byunghyun figured he just didn't know what to do. For once, the older man didn't blame him. Most of the time, he wasn't sure what to do. But he kept sludging forward.

Finally, the day of the funeral arrived. Minji refused to leave the house, and after an hour of trying to persuade her, Byunghyun gave up and left, being sure to lock the door. He understood her not wanting to go, but he had to. He had to say goodbye properly.

There weren't a lot of people at the funeral - Minsoo had always beena quiet person, never making many friends. That meant that Byunghyun knew almost everyone there, and he wasn't sure if that fact made the whole ordeal easier or harder. He mostly tuned out the people offering empty words of encouragment and comfort, but there was one young man who approached him who Byunghyun didn't recognize.

"Hey. You must be the best friend. I've heard a lot about you."

He stared at the man curiously. "Um, yeah. Byunghyun. And you are...?"

The man chuckled slightly. "I go by Changjo."

"Oh. Unusual name. How did you know Minsoo?"

He shifted slightly. "I didn't really, but... I saw the crash."

Byunghyun felt something inside him drop. "You... you saw it? Did you see who,"

"No. I didn't. I was too far away." Changjo sounded slightly bitter. "But I just wanted to say I'm sorry. I've lost a few friends to dumb driving before." His smile mirrored his tone as he turned his eyes away. "Well, it was nice meeting you, Byunghyun."

Byunghyun thanked that stranger with more honesty than he had his own family. He was almost feeling better as he headed back to Minji's apartment that night.

But of course that feeling couldn't last. As soon as her door was in sight he knew something was wrong. He sped up, bursting into the tiny space, already knowing what he was going to see - or rather, what he wouldn't.

Minji was gone.

*M*I*S*S*I*N*G*

She had fallen asleep after Byunghyun left. Somewhere deep inside of herself she felt remorseful for what she was putting him through, but shock still ran her systems, and any attempt to reconnect with the world ended when the black hole of emotion started threatening to take over.

She dreamed. It was the same dream she'd been having since Minsoo left.

Everything was blue and gray. Blue and gray. Always blue and gray everywhere.

She had complained about it once. Blue and gray are so cold, she'd said. Why not red? Why not gold?

Something caught her eye, and she turned towards it. She gasped.

Do you like it? You said you wanted more color. I know it isn't much but...

It's wonderful. Thank you.

Minsoo smiled.

...

The first time she'd seen him here, she'd screamed at him. Why did you leave me, how could you do this, I hate you, I hate you, I hate you. She'd hit him and shaken him and he had let her. And when she had calmed down he pulled her against him and whispered softly into her hair, like he always did. He'd felt warm, and strong, and real.

She kept coming back to this place, back to him. She couldn't stop. She wouldn't stop.

...

It isn't healthy, you know. You need to let go.

Shut up.

I'm sorry.

No, stay. I'm sorry. I love you.

He never responded to that anymore. He was sad. She could see it. But she clung to him. Don't leave me. Please don't leave me again.

I could never leave you unless you were okay with it. I just want you to be happy.

Then stay. Stay forever.

...

They would just sit together, him leaning against her, her constantly touching him, reassuring herself that he was really there. There was a new tattoo. She didn't like it.

Why'd you get that one?

It's a reminder.

You don't need to remind yourself about that.

Yes I do. Because it's important. I don't want to forget.

You can't forget, I'll always be here.

...

Where are you going?

I'm sorry. I wanted to wait, but you need to let go. I'm sorry.

No. NO! Don't leave, you said you wouldn't leave!

I'm sorry. I'm sorry.

I love you.

Then let go.

...

Waking up was getting harder, but she somehow managed. She stared at the ceiling for a long long time, trying to remember every detail of the dream, tracing his face in her mind.

"I love you..."

Then let go.

She sat up, more alive than she had been in weeks. "Minsoo...?"

She stumbled from the bed. "Minsoo..."

She reached the door. "Minsoo."

For a moment she couldn't figure out how to undo the lock, but it eventually came open in her hands. She tripped out the door and down the hallway, forgetting her shoes. Hold on.

His building looked empty. Chanhee's lights were off. Niel didn't live here anymore. Why was that?

Oh right. Minsoo was going to live with her. They were going to live together so Niel had to find somewhere else to live. That was it.

She almost forgot which floor was his. He always came to visit her. So rare was it the other way around. Why was that?

She reached his door and knocked. "Minsoo?"

He must be asleep. He sleeps like the dead, that's what Byunghyun always says.

Dead.

She stopped. No. No he can't leave her. Not again.

Again?

Her tears came out of nowhere. She didn't know why she was crying. She didn't know what she was screaming. All she knew, with horiffic, heartwrenching certainty, was that she would never see Minsoo again. Never.

Never is a long time.

"Minji!"

"DON'T YOU DARE LEAVE! YOU SAID YOU WOULDN'T LEAVE! YOU LIED! YOU LIED YOU LIED YOU LIED! I HATE YOU BANG MINSOO! I HATE YOU!"

"Minji! Minji calm down it's me! It's Byunghyun!"

But the girl was too far gone. She fell limp in her roommate's arms, her voice going hoarse as she continued to wail, clawing desperately at the door.

"Come on. Come on let's go home."

"NO!"

Eventually, Byunghyun decided, against every instinct in his body, to just pull her into Minsoo's apartment. It was dusty inside from weeks of abandon, but the water and electricity for the month had been paid in advance. Minsoo was always careful to do that in case something came up.

Byunghyun sent his friend a silent thank you as he managed to place Minji in the bathtub. She was filthy from the three kilometer walk to Minsoo's apartment, and Byunghyun quietly rinsed away the filth as she sobbed into her knees.

"He's gone, he's gone, he's gone, oh god he's gone..."

"Gone..." Byunghyun quietly echoed her. And suddenly, it was all far to real. Minsoo was dead. His Minsoo, his best friend, the boy he'd've given his life for in a heartbeat. Gone.

In three weeks, Lee Byunghyun had not cried. Now he made up for lost time.

Minji's fit finished first. She hadn't repressed as much as Byunghyun had. And...

I love you too, Minji.

She'd already said her goodbyes.

Gently, she turned in the tub and wrapped her arms around Byunghyun.

"It's okay to cry. You loved him too." She whispered.

They sat like that for what could have been hours. Slowly, Byunghyun's sobs slowed, and he turned to look at the girl he'd fallen in love with so many years ago.

"Minji..."

She initiated it. That much was certain. But he continued it.

"This is wrong."

"Then should we stop?"

...

"No. Stay."

 

 

 

A/N: So yeah, there it is. It's not quite what I had in mind (that akdfladfkaj dream sequence is nowhere NEAR what I wanted X( ) but it's done. Please feel free to comment below :) Even if you hated it, tell me why! I'm always happy to learn!