Work Text:
Jisung fiddled at the blanket beneath him and snickered. ‘‘Remember how we met?‘‘
Both boys were in kindergarten when they met. Jisung, being the newcomer, was anxious. Even though he was always a loud, energetic kid, the new surroundings terrified him. He just needed some time to adjust himself. The worst thing was, being without his mom or his older brother.
He sat down in a corner, cuddling his favorite plushie, when a black-haired boy approached him. ‘’Hello, I’m Minho.’’ He sticked out his hand to help the younger stand up.
‘’Jisung.’’ He mumbled. ‘’Do you want to play tag with us?’’ Minho pointed at the group of four other boys standing some meter behind them and Jisung nodded excitingly.
Minho became Jisung’s best friend. They were inseparable. Sometimes, it distressed the teacher. ‘’Minho, you can’t come with Jisung. He needs to go to the toilet.’’
Once during nap time, Jisung couldn’t sleep. He looked to his right and saw Minho also awake. ‘’Minho Hyung?’’ Jisung whispered to not disturb the sleeping children.
‘’Yes, Jisungie?’’ ‘’Promise me that we will always be friends, okay?’’
Minho put out his pinky which made Jisung confused. ‘’What are you doing, Hyung?’’
‘’Have you never done a pinky promise?’’ Jisung shook his head.
‘’Stick your pinky out.’’ Jisung did as Minho demanded. The latter than hooked his own pinky around Jisung’s.
‘’I promise you that we will always be best friends.’’ Thereupon he touched the youngers thump with his own.
‘’Thank you, Hyung. Thank you for being my best friend.’’ Jisung began to pick at the grass.
The younger felt ecstatic after finding out that he was going to the same school Minho was attending. Even though Minho was two years older, Jisung still was fine with meeting up for lunch every day. They even had a special lunch spot behind the school. Always sitting on the lawn, on top of a blanket that Minho brought with him one time. The teachers didn’t bother to remove it, so it was permanently there. Marking the place that belonged just to them.
Jisung even made some new friends. Felix, a boy with adorable freckles, sat beside him in class. Since then, he was practically Jisung’s second best friend. Even though Jisung was naturally shy, he felt like he could be his hyper self around him.
But of course, nobody could compete against Minho. Minho knew every little detail about Jisung and vice versa.
At one sleepover at Minho’s house, they talked once again about their insecurities and fears. Jisung put Minho’s cat, Soonie, onto his lap.
‘’I just feel like I’m not enough.’’ ‘’What do you mean enough?’’ Minho on the other hand was cuddling with Doongie and Dori.
‘’Not smart enough, not good looking enough, not talented enough. Just not good enough in general.’’ Minho sighed, stood up from his bed and sat down next to Jisung on the floor.
‘’You are more than enough. You are intelligent, handsome and incredibly talented. Heck, I love your music.’’ Jisung put his head on Minho’s shoulder.
‘’If I’m enough for you, Hyung, then that’s all that I need.’’ Minho didn’t respond and just smiled instead.
On a Thursday afternoon, Jisung was walking down he halls and texted Minho.
To Favorite Hyung:
Hey Minho Hyung!! Are you free after school??
From Favorite Hyung:
Sorry, Jisungie. I'm already meeting up with Changbin :-(
He already had met Changbin Hyung. He was really fun to be around, but Jisung couldn’t help to feel jealous.
To Favorite Hyung:
Ahh, that’s okay! See you tomorrow then :D
Except that Minho also didn’t have time for him the next day. And the day thereon. And so on.
Jisung felt how both boys were slowly drifting apart. Minho was always too busy for him. He felt like he hasn’t seen Minho in ages. Every time they did see each other, he was distant and it petrified Jisung. He couldn’t bear the thought of losing his best friend.
Jisung even heard from some other students that Minho was dating some girl named Sana. The younger has never heard of her and it broke his heart, because normally, Jisung was the first person Minho would tell anything.
‘’But of course, it’s like that.’’ Jisung thought to himself as he lied in his bed. ‘’It was just a matter of time until he found better friends.’’ Tears were rolling down his cheeks, which he quickly wiped away.
It truly hit Jisung that Minho didn’t want anything to do with him anymore when he didn’t show up to their mutal lunch spot. After he got tired of waiting for the older, he made his way towards the cafeteria and walked to the table where Felix sat.
The freckled boy looked up and spotted Jisung. ‘’Oh, hey man. You wanna sit with us?’’ Jisung didn’t feel like talking, so he just nodded. ‘’Why are you not with Minho Hyung?’’ Felix questioned further but stopped after seeing Jisung’s upset expression. Chan caught up and immediately tried to change the subject. ‘’So, how far are you guys with your Science project.’’ Hyunjin spurted out his drink. ‘’We have a science project?’’
While sitting alone in the backyard, looking at the stars, Jisung was reminiscing the memories he made with Minho.
The time they climbed a tree and Jisung fell down, leaving him with a broken ankle. Minho cried harder than Jisung himself.
Or when Minho received his driver’s license. Countless times they were driving around town, yelling the lyrics of the songs they were listening to.
During any moment Jisung shared with Minho, he felt like time has stopped and the world was theirs.
Tears were quilling from his eyes. ‘’You promised me something, Hyung. You promised me we would always be best friends.’’ He muttered while wiping away the burning liquid. ‘’Why did you leave me?’’
‘’You really hurt me then, Hyung.’’ Jisung sighed while picking the grass.
The two boys didn’t talk to each other for almost two months. Jisung relied on his new friends, Felix, Chan, Hyunjin and Seungmin. But he never felt so lonely like during this time of his life.
His parents were away for the weekend and his brother already moved out, so he had the whole house for himself. Out of habit, he reached for his phone to call Minho over, but threw it on the couch again.
‘’I should watch something on Netflix, since there is nothing else to do.’’ Jisung said out loud. He was about to go into the kitchen until the doorbell ringed. The blonde was puzzled. He didn’t expect guests or a packet. Before opening the door, he looked through the peephole.
To his surprise, a crying Minho was standing on the other side.
‘’Minho Hyung? What are you doing here?’’ ‘’S-sorry, Jisungie. I’m so sorry.’’ Jisung could barely understand what Minho was saying.
He grabbed the older’s arm and dragged him to the couch where he had thrown down his phone earlier.
Jisung sat beside him and petted Minho’s back, who seemed so slowly calm down.
‘’What’s the matter, Hyung?’’ ‘’I’m sorry.’’ ‘’For what?’’ Jisung’s face showed a concerned expression.
‘’For everything. I’m so sorry.’’ The older bawled.
‘’I miss you so much, Jisung.’’ Jisung hesitated, but decided to be honest. ‘’I miss you too, Hyung.’’
‘’Shit, I don’t deserve you. I’m so sorry.’’ ‘’Stop apologizing, Hyung. Calm down first.’’
Jisung put his arms around Minho and pulled him into a hug. His hands slowly stroking the black hair and it seemed to work, because the older’s breath began to normalize.
After some minutes of silence, Jisung gained courage to ask the question that was on his mind for a long time.
‘’What happened to us, Hyung?’’ Minho sighed. ‘’My stupidity happened. I wish I would have handled things differently.’’ ‘’We can make things right now, can’t we?’’ Minho chuckled, but his laugh didn’t seem happy.
‘’I hope you can still say this after I tell you, what I wanted to tell you for years.’’ Jisung’s became anxious.
‘’T-tell me what, Hyung?’’ ‘’Tell you why I distant myself from you.’’
The younger didn’t say anything but gave all of his attention to Minho. The latter took a deep breath and took Jisung’s hands into his.
‘’I love you, Jisung. I love you with all of my heart and soul.’’ His breathing became shaky.
‘’But I was scared and I hate myself for it. I couldn’t bear these unbearable feelings anymore I have every time I see you. So, I searched for space, I began talking to different people.’’ He moved a hand to his face to wipe away the tears. ‘’I thought I was getting over you, but I just couldn’t. You just mean so much to me, Jisung. How am I supposed to get over you? And it hurt me even more to not spent every second next to you. I thought the feelings I had before were insufferable, but the feelings I have right now are literally killing me inside.’’ He gulped. ‘’I’m sorry for being such a coward and I’m sorry for dumping my feelings on you after treating you so bad. I understand if you want me to go now.’’
With that Minho stood up and was about to walk though the door, but Jisung wrapped his arms around the other and pressed his forehead against his back.
‘’I love you too, Hyung. I love you so much.’’ Now it was Jisung's turn to cry. ‘’I though you realized that you hated me. I felt so empty because I loved you since we were in Kindergarten. I loved you since you put out your hand towards me and introduced yourself.’’ He sobbed. ‘’Please never leave me again, promise me.’’
Minho turned around, still crying and sticking out his pinky. Jisung understood, hooked in his own pinky and made a motion so that their thumbs touched.
‘’I promise, I will never leave.’’
They spent the rest of the night cuddling, crying in each other’s arms and telling how much they mean to each other.
‘’You are my first love, Hyung. Thanks to you I was able to experience real happiness.’’
And just like it should be, Jisung was accepted into the same university that Minho attended. Nothing could separate them.
Minho majored in dance, just like Felix and Hyunjin.
Jisung on the other hand was majoring in music producing together with Changbin and Chan.
Seungmin was also accepted into the same university (Hyunjin was glad). He was the one to introduce Woojin and Jeongin to the group. As 9 they felt complete.
Nevertheless, Minho and Jisung would have felt complete as long they have each other.
They were known as ‘the couple’ around campus. Looking at each other with devotion in their eyes, already renting an apartment together.
Everybody was sure, they were destined for each other. Nothing could separate them.
‘’Pinky promise, that we will be spending eternity with each other?’’ Minho suggested. ‘’Eternity?’’ Jisung chuckled. ‘’This means multiple lifetimes.’’
‘’I’m fine with that’’ ‘’You won’t get sick of me?’’
‘’I would never get sick of you, Sungie.’’ Minho looked at Jisung as he was the one who hung up the stars in the sky. ‘’Okay, pinky promise.’’
The motion almost felt natural, considering how often as they did it.
Nothing could separate them.
Nothing, expect a drunk driver.
It was a cold November night, when Minho met up with some of his Sunbaes from University.
From Favorite Boyfriend:
I think I will come home around 10pm
To Favorite Boyfriend:
Alright, take care of you!!
I love you, Minho Hyung
From Favorite Boyfriend:
I love you too, Jisungie!
It was about 1 am, when Jisung was woken up by his ring tone. ‘’Shit, I must have fallen asleep’’ he mumbled to himself.
He looked on his phone but didn’t recognize the number.
‘’Hello?’’ ‘’Is his Han Jisung?’’ The rough voice gave him chills. ‘’Y-yes.’’
The following words were blurry. He wanted to do nothing but to scream at the top of his lungs. He ran into the bathroom and threw up. It felt wrong, it felt so wrong.
‘’Minho can’t be gone. He-he is still here.’’
The front door opened. ‘’Jisung? Jisung where are you?’’ Jisung could recognize this voice from everywhere. The information already reached Felix.
‘’Shit, Jisung.’’ Felix walked into the bathroom and immediately slung his arms around the other. Jisung just started bawling.
‘’He can’t be gone. He promised me that he will never leave. He pinky promised me. He never breaks his pinky promise. He will come in any second.’’ Felix didn’t know how to response and just tried his best to be there for his friend.
The funeral was held a week after Minho’s death. Jisung cried the entire time but was thankful for his seven friend who accompanied him. They always said ‘Nine or None’.
‘’I miss you, Hyung.’’ Jisung muttered. ‘’It’s already been a year and a half. And I will can’t process that you’re not here anymore.’’
‘’Your Mom is doing better now. She still cries often, but she finally dared to enter your room.’’ Jisung began sobbing.
‘’She found this.’’ He grabbed into his pocket and held a silver ring in his hands.
‘’You were going to propose, weren’t you?’’ He sighed and looked to the sky.
‘’I hope you are watching over me. I make many dumb decisions, you know? A guardian angel would be good.’’
He slowly stood up and folded the blanket both boys would always sit on during lunch break.
‘’Bye, Minho Hyung. I Love you.’’ He took a few steps forward but then stopped and turned around to the grave which graces the name of his deceased loved one.
‘’Oh, by the way.’’ He smiled slightly.
‘’I would have said yes.’’