-Taecyeon’s POV-

“Oppa! Try this one” Yoona said as she offered me a spicy rice cake. I took a bite on the spicy rice cake that she gave me as I patted her head lovingly.

Before anything else, let me introduce myself first. I’m Taecyeon, Ok Taecyeon. I’ve been in this world for 23 years already…okay, I’m not planning to tell you everything that I have been through for the past 23 years since the most important events in my life only occurred during the last 3 years. You want to know the reason why? Well, it’s basically because of this cute and bubbly girl in front of me. Yes, a girl. The most important person in my life and that is Yoona Jung. We’ve been going out of 3 years already and today, we are celebrating our 3^rd anniversary. Well, what more can I say? Best day ever with the best girlfriend! It may sound a bit cheesy, but yeah, I love her more than my own life and I know she feels the same way too, no doubt about that. I want to marry her, have my own family with her, and just like what every man wants to happen, spend the rest of your life with her…but I’m afraid I can’t. Leaving her alone is the very last thing that I wanted to do. I wanted to take care of her until the time that I have to be buried six feet below the ground comes. As much as I wanted to do that, I simply can’t. I just can’t. But why? It’s simply because I only have a few months to live. Yes, that’s right, I’m about to die. I have a very weak heart. It right!? But I guess that’s what life is all about. I can just have a heart transplant but no, it’s not as easy as I say it. It’s so difficult to find a donor. The only relative that I have now is my brother, Nichkhun. And of course, I would never want him to sacrifice his life just for my happiness. And I know he wouldn’t. He’s my brother and yet he’s my rival. Rival with Yoona’s heart. He’s crazy over Yoona but she never laid her eyes on him. She only treated him as her brother. She only has me. You might think I’m selfish but yeah, I just want to enjoy the last days of my life. I will let Nichkhun have her soon. I know he will take care of my Yoona when I’m gone…

“Yeon-ah! Yeon-ah!” Yoona awoke me from my thoughts. She gave me that nickname. Girlish right? But I don’t care. As long as she’s happy it’s fine with me. She asked me again, “kwenchana?”

“Uhm. Yes I am.” Should I tell her? She’s still clueless about my condition. I’ve made a lot of promises to her and I don’t want to disappoint her by leaving her too soon.

“Are you sure? You look pale” she caressed my cheeks. I held her hands that were still on my cheeks.

“I am. Trust me” I assured her even though I, myself, wasn’t sure if I really am okay.

“Okay then, let’s get going” I’m lucky. She didn’t get suspicious. But how long will I be able to keep this secret from her? I only have a few months left. 2 months to be exact, as what my doctor predicted. But who knows? I can die anytime. But for now, I’ll just enjoy the rest of the day with my princess.

-End of POV-

The rest of the day went well. As the day comes to an end, the couple had to separate. Taecyeon went home and found Nichkhun on the couch.

“Oh hyung, did you eat already?” Taecyeon nervously asked. He’s not in good terms with his brother since he started going out with Yoona.

“Went to see Yoong again?” Nichkhun ignored his little brother’s question.

“Uhm, yes. You know, today is our anniversary…”

“I just asked if you went to see Yoona. I didn’t ask for any further details. What’s your point!? Are you trying to rub it on my face!? That she’s going out with you, and not with me!?” Nichkhun was shooting daggers to his brother. It’s not Taecyeon’s intention to hurt his brother’s feelings but the older guy took it the wrong way.

Taecyeon doesn’t want to argue anymore. He knew this fight won’t take them anywhere. “Hyung, let’s stop this. This wouldn’t--“

Before he could finish, Nichkhun got off from his seat and grabbed the collar of Taecyeon’s shirt. “Why can’t you just give her to me!? You’ve spent 3 years with her, isn’t that enough?”

Taecyeon fought back and pushed his brother’s hand, “hyung! How can you say that!? She’s not just a thing that I can give to anyone! I love her!”

“And what about me!? I also love her!”

Taecyeon regained his composure. “Hyung…let me have her, just a few months more. After that, you can have her forever.”

“What do you mean?” Nichkhun questioned.

It’s time to tell him. Taecyeon kept his secret even from his own brother. He’s been enduring his pain alone. “…I only have two months left…I’m dying…with heart disease...”

Nichkhun’s mouth fell open as Taecyeon revealed his most kept secret. He felt sorry for his brother who has been suffering without him knowing anything. All this time, he only cared about Yoona. He neglected his responsibility of being a good brother just because of a girl. A girl that turned both of their worlds upside down. His breathing got heavier as he felt his heart get wrapped with guilt. What is he planning to do now? Will he sacrifice his own life and feelings to save his brother? These questions flooded his mind as he thought about Yoona. In just a span of 10 seconds, his decision was made. He can’t leave Yoona. He’s not going to surrender. Before his brother dies, he will try to get Yoona’s attention so that the latter won’t get hurt when Taecyeon is gone. Slowly, he pulled the younger man into a brotherly embrace.

“I will take care of her…” was all he could mutter. Taecyeon, I’m sorry. I can’t sacrifice my life for you. I would want to, but it’s too risky. A heart transplant is too crucial. We both could die. And I don’t want that to happen. We can’t leave Yoona alone. I’d rather be selfish than leave her alone. I’m really sorry. Forgive me, bro…

“Thank you…” Taecyeon answered simply. These words have a deeper meaning for Taecyeon though. What it really meant for him was, thank you hyung. You made the right decision. Don’t ever think of sacrificing your life for me.

Silence filled the room. No one spoke after Taecyeon’s ‘thank you’. They understood each other without having to say anything. Their closeness that was cut with Yoona’s arrival, finally, was revived again.

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2 months was surely a short time for Taecyeon. In those 2 months, he knew his body became weaker as ever but not even once did he let Yoona get suspicious of his worsening condition. There were times when he would let his brother spend time with his girl, making work an excuse for not being able to accompany Yoona. It was not a problem for Yoona when Taecyeon is busy so it’s easier for Nichkhun to get closer to her. But Yoona, being as loyal as she was to her boyfriend, treated Nichkhun no more than a brother.

One day, Yoona and Taecyeon were out on a date. As they were about to enter their favorite restaurant, Taecyeon felt a very striking pain on his chest. Yoona noticed the change of reaction on her boyfriend’s face as the guy grasped on his chest.

-Taecyeon’s POV-

I was walking with Yoona to our favorite restaurant when I felt my chest throbbing in pain. It felt like I was stabbed with an ice pick on my chest. I’m not familiar with this feeling but I know exactly what this is. I can see worry on Yoona’s face as I held on to my chest.

“Yeon-ah! What’s wrong!?” she squeezed my arm as her voice cracked. ! Why now!? I don’t want her to see me die.

I was about to say something when my vision got blurry. The next thing I knew, I was already lying on the ground. I watched as my view of the sky slowly fades away. As my breathing gets heavier, I could hear Yoona scream for help. Many footsteps neared me. I know they’re trying to help me. They’re just wasting their time. This is the end. This is my end. Then, everything darkened…

-Yoona’s POV-

I’m now at the hospital after Taecyeon fainted. I walked back and forth outside the emergency room, rubbing my sweaty palms together, as I waited for the doctor to come out. What’s wrong with him? This is the first time that something like this happened. I know how health conscious Taecyeon is, so how come this is happening? Or…was he hiding something from me? Finally, the door that separates me from Taecyeon flew open.

“Doctor, how is he? Is he on stable condition? What’s wrong with him?” I showered the doctor with questions right before he stepped out of the room.

He stared at me for I think not less than 10 seconds. I can’t wait to hear his answer. With that look that he gave me, I can already sense that he’s not going to say something that can calm me down. “Miss, how are you related to the patient?”

Damn. Just tell me if he’s okay. “I’m his girlfriend. So doctor, how is he?” I can’t wait any longer.

He shook his head. Don’t tell me… “Miss, he’s in a very critical condition. Only a heart transplant can save him. If not, I’m sorry to say, but he can’t live any longer. This is urgent. We need to perform the operation within 24 hours.  The chances of having a donor is--”

I think I got the wrong doctor. Taecyeon has always been healthy. I cut him off. “I think you’re talking about another patient Doc.” I laughed with sarcasm.

“Ok Taecyeon is my patient. With the way you reacted, I think he didn’t tell you anything…Taecyeon is a very strong guy. He endured his pain alone. The last time he came for check up, he was still hopeful that a donor would come. He never gave up… I’m going to be honest miss. At this rate, the chance of having a donor is less than 10%. If I were you, I would just go to the ICU later and tell him how much you love him. He might be unconscious, but he can hear you. Just assure him that you really love him so that he can go peacefully. I’m sorry miss…”

No! He’s not going to die! He’s not! I can’t bear to see him. Slowly, I ran out of the hospital as reality absorbed me.

-Nichkhun’s POV-

I made my way to the hospital as soon as I received Yoona’s call. Please don’t let him die. Not now. I knew that he’s not going to live any longer, but I’m not yet ready. And I guess I can never be ready. Yes, I can have Yoona but I can’t afford to lose my brother either. Talking about Yoong, as I ran past the hallways of the hospital, I caught sight of her running swiftly out of the hospital with tears streaming down her face. No, this can’s happen…

“Yoona!” I shouted as I stopped my tracks.

She didn’t stop but instead, she just continued to run. I followed her as soon as she made her way to the hospital garden. I kept on calling her name but it seemed like she didn’t hear any of it or maybe, she really doesn’t need someone to talk to right now. But I can’t leave her alone. Finally, she stopped by a bench.

“Yoong, what’s wrong?” I sat beside her, asking as if I didn’t know anything.

“Oppa, Taecyeon…he is…he is…” she’s struggling. And once again, she broke into tears.

I rested her head on my shoulder, and let her calm down. It pains me to see her cry. I wanted to protect her forever.

“Oppa, Taecyeon is dying. He’s in a very critical condition.” Finally, she had the guts to speak up. “I don’t want him to die. I can’t live without him.”

Her last sentence triggered my jealousy to rise up. “Yoong, I know. I also want him to live but I can’t do anything. Yoong, forget about him. I will always be here for you.” I mustered all the courage to tell her. I know it’s not time to confess my feelings to her, but if not now, then when?

“Oppa…” Tears stopped flowing from her eyes. She was so surprised with what I said.

“Yoong, I love you. Taecyeon is leaving. Forget about him and accept me.” I said with much seriousness in my eyes.

She was speechless at first but she managed to tell me how she felt. “Miahne oppa. I can’t. Taecyeon is the only man for me. No one can replace him in my heart. No one, oppa. Miahne…” Every word she said broke my heart into pieces. But still, I pulled her in for a hug. No matter what I do, I can’t change her feelings. She buried her face onto my chest as her sobbing resumed. Soon, it turned into weeping.

After a few minutes of letting out all her sorrows with me, she passed out. I drove her to her house and rested her on her bed. Despite all her miseries, she was still sleeping like an angel. I smiled as I watch her sleep. It’s amazing how beautiful she still is even after crying for it felt like an hour. I scribbled something on a paper and left it on the night stand. I wrote:

       Yoong,

               Meet me at the skyline in 5 days, okay? 5 in the afternoon. Don’t ever try ditching me!^^ I will wait for you!:)

                                                                                                                                                          -Nichkhun^^

Before I go back to the hospital, I leaned down and left a kiss on her forehead. “Goodbye Yoong…” With that said I left her and made my way to the hospital to see my brother for the last time.

-End of POV-

Yoona woke up the next day remembering what happened to Taecyeon. She looked at her phone if there are messages from him. Usually, he would send her messages like, ‘I love you’, ‘Good morning angel’, ‘I miss you’, ‘did you have a goodnight sleep?’ Cheesy messages to be exact but it meant a lot to Yoona. Today was different. There was not even one message from him. It’s already been 24 hours and she has to accept the fact that he’s gone. Just imagining a day without seeing with Taecyeon kills her already. How can she live the rest of her life without Taecyeon? She knew she had a funeral to attend but she can’t say goodbye. She just won’t. She will never accept the fact that Taecyeon is gone forever. While she was crying for her boyfriend, she saw the note that Nichkhun left.

4 days have passed. It’s the day that Nichkhun told her to meet him. She’s still miserable about Taecyeon’s death, but the note simply bothers her. Should she go? It would be awkward since Nichkhun just confessed. Maybe she should go to tell him that she can’t accept him. Without any second thought, she ran to the bathroom and prepared herself to meet Nichkhun.

Finally, she arrived at the skyline and saw no one except for a guy on a wheelchair, with his back facing her. She slowly approached him.

“Nichkhun?” she called out.

The guy slowly turned his head towards her direction and flashed a smile as soon as he saw Yoona’s face. Yoona took a step backwards when the guy revealed his face. She couldn’t believe her eyes. She even thought she was hallucinating.

“T-Taecyeon??” she asked.

The guy turned his whole body to face her as he pouted, “What kind of girlfriend are you, huh? Your boyfriend got operated and you didn’t even bother visiting him.”

Inside Yoona, she was praying hard to God that what she’s seeing in front of her right now is real and not just a dream. “H-how did you..? I thought you…you…”

“I, what? Died?” Taecyeon smiled. Yoona slightly nodded. “I thought too. I thought I won’t be able to see you again. But I was wrong. Look at me now, I’m alive.”

A tear escaped from Yoona’s eyes when she realized that she’s not dreaming. She quickly ran towards him and hugged him tightly.

“Awwww…” Taecyeon whined when he felt Yoona squeezing him tightly. “My wound is not yet completely healed.”

“Oops!” Yoona laughed. “I missed you! So tell me, how did this happen?”

Taecyeon leaned closer and gave Yoona a peck on the lips before explaining what happened.

EPILOGUE

Right after Nichkhun left Yoona, he went straight to the hospital to see Taecyeon’s condition. Nichkhun was deeply in love with Yoona, but seeing that the latter really loves his brother, he made a decision that would put Taecyeon and Yoona together in the end. After saying sorry to his unconscious brother, Nichkhun went to the hospital’s pharmacy and purchased a bottle of whatever drug he saw. He went back to the room where his brother was. He wrote a message to Taecyeon before gulping all the tablets that he bought. Overdose. That ended his life. A nurse discovered Nichkhun’s dead body beside Taecyeon’s bed. He was holding two notes. The first one was for the doctor.

         Doctor,

                Take my heart and save my brother. Do everything to make him live. Don’t let him die.

                                                                                                                                                    -Nichkhun

The other note was for Taecyeon. It wrote:

         Bro,

             Visit the skyline 5 days from now. 5pm sharp! Don’t make Yoona wait. Make her happy for me. Take care of yourself and her:)

                                                                                                                                                                         -Nichkhun

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“He sacrificed his life for me…” Taecyeon ended.

The couple was both crying remembering what Nichkhun did. They miss him. He was a caring brother and a friend, he just didn’t see it himself.

“Nichkhun oppa…he’s a great man. I can’t believe he did that for us.”

“I know, baby” Taecyeon squeezed her hand. “I didn’t want him to sacrifice his life for me.”

“Yah! So you’d rather leave me alone?” Yoona pretended that she’s mad.

“Of course not. It’s painful losing someone like him but I’m really thankful for what he did. Hyung knew you can’t take care of yourself that’s he why he let me live” Taecyeon joked. With his answer, he earned a light slap from Yoona.

“I owe him my happiness. I know it’s too late to thank him but I would still thank him” Yoona’s eyes got teary. Taecyeon wiped her tears with his thumb and hugged her.

“Okay, I don’t want to cry. Let’s just enjoy ourselves for being together again. Saranghae, Yoona.” Taecyeon tried to change the topic. It hurts him to think about his brother and he doesn't want Yoona to see him cry.

“Sarangheyo, oppa.” As the sun sets down, the two shared a very passionate kiss, promising each other that nothing would ever separate them again.

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Thank you for reading! Sorry guys, I know the ending is a bit lacking. I got lazy because of how long I have written and it didn't end as romantic as I wanted it to be. So, how was it? Taecyeon didn't die but Nichkhun did. Still tragic right? But I hope you like it^^ Thanks!