When they met they were nine years old.

It was in the summer. Minho and his family decided to go on holiday and they choose Kibum's coastal town.

'Kibummie did you meet the new boy? They came here with a big ship. I'm going to meet him. Maybe he will allow me to ride on their ship. Do you want to come with me?' said Kibum's friend.

'Hyung! In your opinion did he see dolphins?

They went to seaport together and Kibum thought 'this is the most beautiful thing' in his nine years old life. Brunette skin, dark long hair, big deep eyes and tall stature.

The boy was talking with other children. 'This was so fun but, but we saw a shark. It was enormous and I was scared of it.'

And that time Kibum found his soul's voice, his air, his love but he was not aware then.

The next day Kibum got up early and he took his father's fishing tackle from the garage. He went to the seaport running up and he sticked a worm on his hook. In the end Kibum threw his fishing rod in the sea. He settled down on the wooden pier, and waited.

Half an hour later, he heard a familiar voice. 'What are you doing here?' He raised his head and saw the boy. Then, Kibum bowed his head and began to speak in a low voice.

'I'm trying to catch sharks.'

'Why?' the boy frowned.

'Because you said 'I'm afraid of them' Kibum explained with embarrassment.

And this was the beginning of their friendship. This was just the beginning.

-----

When they were twelve years old, they were each other's best friend.

Minho and his family were coming to the same place every year for holiday. He was spending all summer playing with Kibum.

Minho raced down the gravel road on his bike, laughed his head off and lost his cap to the wind. A young boy was driving his bike a few feet behind him, called plaintively.

"Minho, stop!" he yelled. "Minho!"

Finally, Minho obeyed and pushed the pedals backward, skidded to stop. He turned his head to see Kibum closing the distance between them.

'Hurry up Kibum! You're too slow. I think I need to find new best friend.' said Minho.

This sentence broke Kibum's heart but he smiled to him. And after that day Kibum was practicing alone every night with his bike to improve his driving skill. Because he didn't want see Minho with someone else.

-----

When he realizes his feelings for Minho, he was sixteen years old.

They went to the beach together and Kibum thought it was a very bad idea. They were young and they had new adolescent hormones and Minho had a masculine body.

"Hey, could you give me a hand?"

Minho turned, and saw a young beautiful girl in pink bikini. 'Me?” he asked, a little dumbly, although the answer is painfully clear. 

The girl in pink bikini smiled attractively “Yes, you,” she said, and nodded her head.

"Sure," Minho answered eagerly and began to do his task. Meanwhile, Kibum felt a pain in his chest and he tried to suppress his vomiting request. Kibum has never felt so suddenly inadequate before in his life, so worthless, jealous, expendable and useless. 

The first time in his life he thought to himself 'I'm made the wrong way.'

Minho had spent all the day with the girl in pink bikini and he didn't realize that Kibum isn't no longer on beach.

-----

When Kibum confessed his feelings to Minho, they were seventeen years old.

This was their last day in the coastal town and Minho was preparing to go. Minho met with Kibum to say goodbye at the seaport, like always.

Kibum turned his head, abandoning the sight of the ship to look at Minho instead. He often does this, but Minho doesn’t seem to notice, and if he does he doesn’t mind.

'Don't miss me so much, and study hard for exams, ok?' Minho spoke looking at the sea. Kibum nodded and has bitten his lower lip, his eyes were filled with tears.

Minho turned and frowned 'Why are you like this? This is not our first goodbye.' 

Now or never. Kibum wrapped his arms around Minho's neck and whispered in his ear.

'I've always loved you and I still love you. Don't hate me,ok? I'll miss you.' said Kibum and his tears dripped on Minho's neck. Then, he stepped back and began to run. 

Minho did nothing. He just stood there and watched Kibum. He was confused. He felt Kibum's heart beat when Kibum hug him. It was strange and it's was wrong.

-----

When they begin their relationship, they were eighteen years old.

The first time in nine years, Kibum hadn't come to meet him. Maybe, Kibum did not want to be friends with me anymore he thought to himself.

After a few hours, Minho found himself in front of Kibum's house. He knocked on the door and waited, heard approaching footsteps from inside.

Kibum opened the door and he opened his mouth in surprise but he didn't say anything.

'Come to the seaport! I'll wait for you.' said Minho and he began to go.

When the sun was about to sink Kibum came to the seaport. Minho was there and he was waiting.

'You did not come. For the first time in nine years, you didn't come.' said Minho.

'S-sorry, I didn't know you were coming today.' said Kibum in a low voice.

'Are we still friends?' Minho asked and Kibum nodded.

'It is not good. I don't want to be friends with you anymore.' said Minho coldly.

'Ok-okay. I can understand it.' said Kibum with pain.

“Go out with me,” Minho finally said.

'I think it's not good for u-'

“On a date,” Minho interrupted.

'You don't have to do it.' said Kibum and frowned.

'Yes, but I want too.' said Minho smiling.

“Okay” Kibum stated as the sun begins to hide beneath the sea, the sky pink and blue and orange.

Minho laughed next to him, and Kibum looked at him. “What?”

“Nothing.” Minho's smile is beautiful and shy, like secrets he can't keep. “It's just, your skin looked pale before and now it looks pink.”

Kibum made a little noise of indignation from the back of his throat while Minho's eyes crinkled at the corners.

“Excuse me, I'll have you know—“

“You're missing the sunset,” said Minho's quiet voice, his hand wrapped Kibum's. And Kibum fell silent.

-----

When their relationship was over, they were still eighteen years old.

Their relationship was going great. It was the best three months of Kibum's life, until that evening.

'Did you see the dolphins?' said Minho in a low voice.

'What?' Kibum asked.

'Did you see the dolphins? This was the first thing you asked me after we became friends. Do you remember?' Minho asked.

'Yes, but why are you asking?' said Kibum and frowned.

'We need to talk, it is a serious matter. I should have told you this before, I know but, but I couldn’t. Because you were so happy.' Minho began to explain. 

'I don’t understand. What are you trying to say?' Kibum asked anxiously.

'I'm going to be a ship captain. I've been planning this for a long time.' said Minho.

'What? Why didn't you tell me anything?' Kibum asked in surprised.

'I didn’t want to upset you.' Minho said after taking in a deep breath.

Realization washed over Kibum like a freezing cold tidal wave, and he didn't know how much longer he can keep breathing. In that moment, he was devastated, and completely defeated.

'You've let me down. You're my everything Minho! I thought we were on the same page.' said Kibum meekly.

Minho raised a hand to rest on a porcelain cheek, thumbing away the near constant stream of tears, “I’d rather have you fight me from night until morning than see that look on your face.”

'When do you have to go?'

“Tomorrow.” said Minho and Kibum barely suppressed a sob.

“Then give me tonight.” Kibum stretched up to press a soft kiss to his lips. “Please Minho, just give me tonight, and I’ll let you go tomorrow,” Kibum almost begged, “Make me yours for the first and last time.”

That’s all the persuasion Minho needed, and Kibum is breathless when the younger boy kissed him with such passion, such fire and need that it made his knees buckle and his heart split into yet more pieces as Minho lifted him easily and carried him in the direction of the bedroom.

The next morning when Minho left Kibum watched him go with tears in his eyes, the kiss on his hand, the salt scent of sea before he heard the door close, it hurts a little more.  A silent 'Come back, I love you' on his lips as he curled up in the sheets that still smell of intimacy and ardor, yearned for the happy ending that was just never meant to be his.

Hours later Kibum found a piece of paper on the nightstand next to the bed with Minho’s handwriting on it. 'See you next summer.'

-----

When the next summer came Minho didn't return. 

Every day Kibum went to the seaport to meet Minho. He was hoping for him to come. Kibum just waited from June to September.

'He must be very busy otherwise he would come to see me.' Kibum thought to himself.

-----

Then another summer came but Minho didn't come again.

This summer Kibum began to worry about Minho. Is he still alive? Maybe he was kidnapped and he waiting for help in somewhere. Are there still pirates in this century? Maybe it was ship accident and the ship sank. Iceberg or a rocky island? There were too many questions and too many ‘perhaps’ in his mind. He spent his whole summer by watching news and by checking the Internet just to be sure, for him to know that nothing bad happened to Minho. Kibum just cried from June to September.

-----

Another summer came but still there was no sign of Minho.

'He will never come back, you're waiting for vain.' said Kibum's friend.

'No! He'll come back, I know him, he will not leave me.' said Kibum coldly.

'Open your eyes! You're fooling yourself, he was just using you.' said Kibum's friend angrily.

'Stop, stop it!  Minho loves me, okay? I believe that he will come back.' responded Kibum with same anger.

'Is that so? Did he really say 'I love you' to you?' said Kibum's friend in a sarcastic way.

He has nonetheless waited with doubts in his mind. Did he really love me? Was everything a lie? Was this a one-sided love? Did he just trick me? What did I do to deserve this? Kibum tried to console himself while thinking beautiful days he had spent with Minho. Was it all a beautiful dream? While it hurts this much, how can Minho be a dream?”

-----

When he acknowledged 'Minho won't come back to me', Kibum was twenty-two years old.

This was Kibum's last summer at seaport. He decided to continue his life. He didn't want to spend his youth for Minho anymore. Kibum guarded his feelings more close than anything he owns. He’s been abandoned and hurt too many times.

But Kibum was supposed to say goodbye to Minho, to his feelings for Minho, to his beautiful moments with Minho, to his childhood and to seaport.

Kibum sighed. Why is this so hard? Why is he being so ridiculous about it? When he managed to convince himself Kibum quickened his bike. His heartbeat is still a little too loud in his ears.

He told himself he really wasn't disappointed when there’s no one there.

He was settle down on wooden pier and took a deep breath. The sun was shining over the sea. He has always loved this place, and that obviously hasn’t changed, not even though now the feeling is tinged with a shade of melancholy.

Suddenly his whole childhood began playing through his mind. It’s vivid, almost as if he’s witnessing it as it happened, but he knew that it’s all dug up from his memories.

'I don't know where I should start but I have a lot of things to say you.' Kibum took a deep breath and started talking towards the sea.

'Do you remember that lonely pier? I still remember. The anxious days when I couldn't tell you I loved you. Did you know about them? Those beautiful nights of the past when we were child, I still love them. You childish person! You took away my everything, you heartless person.' Kibum raised his voice.

'Maybe you were too shy to say, maybe you didn't like me. I still have no idea.' He whispered in disappointment. 'If you are listening to this, please come find me darling, I'm waiting.' He stopped himself. 'No! I will not wait any longer, I'm here to say goodbye. You childish person! This night is taking away my everything, you heartless person.' Kibum began to cry.

'Tonight, tomorrow night and all the nights to follow. I will not think of you.' said Kibum in sobs.

When his hiccups were diminished, the wind brought the smell of the sea to his nose. It’s a familiar, safe smell, the best smell Kibum knows, because he associates it with these quiet moments with Minho.

After a few minutes, he heard a familiar voice. 'I saw dolphins, I saw dolphins all over the world.' He raised his head and saw Minho.

It only took him a second to recognize that certain shape of his eyes, the curve of his lips. “M-minho?” he tried, and has to clear his throat as his voice is rough with cry.

'As beautiful as ever.' Minho settled down on the wooden pier and he began to speak. 'You are more beautiful than I thought.' said Minho sluggishly.

Kibum straightened and blinked, the tear fell down from his eyes, trying to decide if this actually is real or only a figment of his overactive imagination.

“I wasn’t expecting you.”  Kibum muttered. It’s only partly a lie, since he really hadn’t expected for his to be there. He might’ve hoped. But not expected.

'I know, I heard you. Just I did not expect you to give up so easy.' said Minho in a low voice.

'Didn't expect?' Kibum raised his voice, pulled his face back to be better able to look at him. “Minho, for god’s sake! I came back here the first chance I got the next summer. I’ve come back here every single ing summer. I’ve spent days here, I’ve spent ing ages here, just wishing that you’d show up for once.' He blinked away as the stubborn tears that try to form, obviously frustrated.

Minho struggled for something to say but came up empty.

'I told myself this time would be the last time,” Kibum said. “I promised I’d forget. But then you had to be here and be all unfair and gorgeous and adorable and I just can’t.' he sighed. 'Where have you been? Why didn't you come back all this time? Kibum asked in frustration.

“I’m sorry,” Minho said, then. He looked up, met his eyes straight, and repeated. “I’m sorry. For not coming back. ' He raised his hand and put it on Kibum's chest. He could feel Kibum's heartbeats. 'I have been here always, in your heart.' Minho said gently smiling. And he raised Kibum's hand and put it on his chest. This time Kibum could feel Minho's heartbeats. 'And you have always here, in my heart. I'm sorry for not telling you that before, I love you with my all heart.' Minho spoke in a soft whisper. 

There was a hint of a smile danced on Kibum’s lips, finally. 'Well, How were the dolphins?' Kibum laughed and suddenly Minho hugged Kibum tightly. As Kibum melted in his embrace, Minho couldn't imagine anything that’d make him want to let go.

So he didn't.