"Hyung, hajimayo." Chen said as his eyes stares at the guy on the corner named Minseok.

The latter looked at him with those pair of sad eyes, longing was visible and it makes the former's heart ache. Chen watched him as he puts down the picture frame that he was holding, "Chen-ah, I can't help it." Minseok said.

Chen slowly shook his head, "You're just hurting yourself," he mumbled as he sits next to him.

The older leaned his head over the younger's shoulder, "I miss him,"

And the younger couldn't speak. He misses him too, the one Minseok was talking about, but he couldn't deny that he is hurting right now. First, because he left them. Second, because his Minseok hyung is hurting for he was left behind by the one he loves. Luhan hyung. It will always be Luhan hyung for Minseok hyung, Chen thought.

And that's something he wants to change.

Chen swallowed some air, "He's not coming back, hyung. Let's just move on." He stood up, slowly walked towards the door, "It's time to eat, I cooked for you." Another sigh escaped from his mouth as he steps outside Minseok's room. He thought it will be his chance to be noticed by his Minseok hyung, not that he wanted them to split up since their relationship was something to be envious of. Even he didn't know that it would come into this, Luhan leaving without a word.

He was just surprised when his Minseok hyung called him one afternoon with his voice trembling saying three little painful words, 'Luhan left me'. He immediately ran out of the cafe where he works, heading to the couple's house. His sweat was dripping off his forehead, hands were on his knees because of exhaustion, his heart was racing fast because of nervousness, and he was panting hard because he just ran his way to their house. He licked his lip and wiped his face with the apron that he was wearing as his uniform, before ringing the doorbell.

The door opened, slowly, and he saw the great Kim Minseok with his puffy eyes producing precious tears as they slowly fall down on his face. He hugged him to his chest, repeatedly telling him that everything will be alright.

That moment he knew, he has to take care of him. He has to take care of Kim Minseok.

He sat on his usual chair and waited until Minseok was fully seated. He placed some food on Minseok's plate and poured some juice in his glass before he served for himself. His weary eyes noticed how the other keeps on glancing at Luhan's chair which is just in front of his. He mentally shook his head. How long has it been again since he left? He asked himself. 11 months. It has been 11 long months. And it's also been 11 months since he started living in that house, trying to show Minseok that someone's still here for him. He doubts if Luhan will ever come back because if he will, he should've been there with Minseok by now.

After so many weeks, Minseok told him something that shook his whole world. "Chenah, let's make us work."

His mouth parted and he couldn't even think of a proper word to explain what he was feeling that time. He bit his tongue, proving himself that what's happening is no longer a dream but a reality the feels like one. But he still acted like he doesn't believe that what the older said was true, "What are you saying, hyung?" He chuckled, feeling awkward and nervous at the same time.

The older held his hand and looked straight into the younger's eyes saying, "I said let's make this work, for real. I want to make us work. Maybe, maybe Luhan's not coming back anymore and I want you to help me move on. I hope it's not too much to ask, Chen."

The younger didn't respond, he just looked at Minseok's eyes, admiring the sincerity in his eyes, making him fall deeper into him.

"Because if there's someone I want to fall in love with, it must be you, Chen. So please, let's make this work." Minseok is secretly wishing that Chen would say yes. He woke up this morning and realized that Luhan is not coming back. Minseok was asking himself why he was waiting for someone who did not even bother leaving him a note or telling him that they were over. Luhan just left him like a needle injected in his arm, slowly, silently and painfully.

He saw Chen at the kitchen counter that same morning, he was preparing their lunchboxes for work and that made him open his eyes to reality. That Chen has always been there for him. Of course, he knew about the younger's feelings but he chose to ignore it because he has Luhan before but now, things are slowly making sense. Maybe Luhan's disappearance will lead him towards Chen.

Maybe Chen was the right one all along.

And that's what happened before they came up to here. Minseok was still waiting for Chen to answer. He got worried as he saw Chen's eyes getting watery, "Why? What's wrong?"

The younger just shook his head and gave him a reassuring smile, "Alright. Let's make us work, hyung."

And unconsciously, a victory smile appeared on his face as he mentally thanked all the gods for making Chen say yes.

Minseok smiled as he taps his pen on his desk while he's in front of his laptop, he was imagining how Chen would react when wakes up. Well, he just prepared Chen's things for work before he left. He was hoping for a positive reaction from him later. An officemate named Lay called him back to reality and made him focus to work. He shook his head in disbelief that it was this hard removing Chen from his mind.

On the other hand, Chen rolled on the other side of his bed, slightly adjusting his eyes from the morning light. Another day to go to work, he thought. He yawned as he sits on the bed, and was about to wear his slippers when he saw a note on it written by a very familiar penmanship saying 'Start your day with a smile. You've always been so handsome when you're smiling. Have a nice and productive day ahead, Chen.' Without a word, an irreplaceable smile was plastered on his face. It might be a small gesture for everyone but not for him, it was just a piece of paper but the thought that Minseok was really trying his best to make this work made his heart beat faster.

He just held the paper on his hand and wore his slippers. Weird as it may sound, but his slippers feel more comfortable now. He joyfully walked his way towards the door when he found another note on the doorknob, 'Always open a door for new opportunities but you can never open the door that leads outside my heart.' Chen laughed out loud with the cheesiness but he can never deny how good it feels to think that all these were actually coming from Minseok. It must've been hard for him to write mushy words. That is what's on his mind that moment. Minseok was never this cheesy when he was with Luhan so it was very surprising for Chen to receive this kind of treatment from Minseok.

He took the sticky note and held it with the first one before he stepped outside his bedroom, and went to the bathroom to wash his face. And there he found another sticky note on the mirror saying, 'That face on the mirror is the one who makes Kim Minseok happy. I just hope Kim Minseok is making him happy too.'

"Pabo," Chen muttered, "What's the reason to stay if he's not making me happy?" He sticked the other two sticky notes that he was holding with the third one on the mirror to avoid it from getting wet, he's planning to put it in a scrapbook that's why. He was about to get his toothbrush but there was a note on it, he took it and started reading, 'This toothbrush can brush your teeth but I can brush your lips with mine.' He can feel his cheeks turning red with the blunt note made by his hyung. He shook his head to remove the mental images of him and Minseok kissing. He didn't know Minseok can also be innocent and naughty at the same time. He immediately sticked the note on the mirror with the three others and did his morning routines.

The younger was done taking a bath and was in the act of pulling his towel from where it was hanging when he found another note saying, 'This towel can wipe your sweat off. Keep a lot of it because I'll be making you sweat soon.' His eyes widened as the note keeps on getting naughtier and naughtier. He wonders what will be written on the next note. He dried his hand first and sticked the note on the mirror so it won't get soaked before drying himself up. He wrapped the towel on his waist as he heads towards his room to wear his uniform. He opened his wardrobe and saw another note on his uniform, 'Wear this because I'll be in charge of taking it off.'

Can these notes get any naughtier? He wondered but the smile on his face as he reads the note again cannot change the fact that he was enjoying this.

Chen sat on his usual spot and removed the note on his chopsticks saying, 'These chopsticks are lucky because they can be inside your mouth.' Chen no longer knows what to think because these notes are seriously naughty and he made a mental note to hit Minseok's arm later for doing this to him. He saw another note on the cover of his plate saying, 'I was just kidding, Chenah. You're getting frustrated, right? Kkkkkk I cooked it all for you so eat a lot and see you later, Chen. -Minseok♡' He smiled the moment he was done reading it. The fact that Minseok cooked for him was enough to make his knees weak but that heart sign just made him almost lose his sanity. Ahh. I must've been so in love with this guy. He thought again. He felt excited upon seeing Minseok later after work, and.... it actually felt that everything was in place.

"Happy anniversary!" Minseok greeted Chen as the latter switched the lights on. Minseok had everything prepared because today is their second anniversary. Time really flies so fast that they barely noticed that they've been together as a couple for two years already. Chen's mouth parted in awe as he sees Minseok walking towards him with a cake on his hand, "Hyung," he mumbled. Chen couldn't believe that it is two years already because everything felt like yesterday, "Komawo," he said but Minseok just smiled and told him to blow the candles already. He gladly did what he told to do so before putting some icing on Minseok's face and with that they started running around the house.

Chen slowly jumped off the bed, making sure that Minseok won't wake up. The older was still tired because they made love for who knows how many times. He just woke up to pick up his gift for Minseok. He just took a short shower before heading out.

Chen grinned as he looked at his gift for Minseok. It was a big picture of Minseok that he took when the other was sleeping, the older looked so peaceful that moment so the younger had the urge to take a picture of him and he didn't know that it would come out this good. He told the worker named Suho to wrap it up. He was grinning from ear to ear as he took his way home, but unexpectedly his grin disappeared when he saw someone inside their house. It felt like everything he worked hard for in those years to get Minseok vanished, "Luhan hyung." He whispered.

"What are you doing here?" Minseok asked when he saw Luhan entering their house. Luhan looked at him and smiled, "Didn't you miss me?"

Minseok snorted when he heard what Luhan said. What the hell is he thinking? That I'll accept him with my arms wide open after all he's done? He thought. He was about to tell Luhan to go away when he heard something fall. He looked behind Luhan and there he saw Chen running away. Oh shit. He cursed under his breath. "Chen!" He repeatedly called the younger's name while running after him but he was too late.

He heard the screeching sound of the car's wheels and it was like a movie scene in slow motion as he saw Chen falling on the ground with his head bleeding.

He ran to him and started screaming Chen's name, thinking that it might wake Chen up. His eyes are getting more blurry as every minute passes and Chen's still unconscious. He heard Luhan's voice but he was preoccupied with Chen's situation. He was slightly tapping the younger's cheek, "Chen, w-wake up." He said even with his trembling voice, he noticed people approaching them but nobody noticed that his heart was slowly dying at the vision of Chen in his arms and the fact that he couldn't do anything but scream his name and weep like a little girl who got lost inside the mall.

Minseok was pacing back and forth in front of the emergency room, not minding his own self covered with Chen's blood. He was shamefully blaming himself for all of these. This is seriously his fault. He could've pushed Luhan away the moment he stepped inside their house but he didn't and this is his punishment. Bullshit. Bullshit. He cursed mentally. He knows inside him that he can't lose Chen, he'd never let that happen. Not in a million years. Luhan offered him a cup of coffee but he didn't budge and kept on pacing back and forth. Luhan said he was sorry and that he didn't know that this would happen but Minseok said it was okay because this is all his fault. Minseok stared blankly at nothingness as he sat next to Luhan. He was there with Luhan but his mind and heart was inside the emergency room with Chen. Chen and just Chen. He quickly stood up when the doctor came out of the emergency room, "How is he?" He asked because he'll be losing his mind if he won't. The doctor sighed and that scared the hell out of Kim Minseok, "He's brain dead," And that triggered Minseok's tears to fall, "and currently on life support. He will be transferred to the intensive care unit immediately. You still have time to choose between keeping him on life support or euthanasia."

Luhan must've sensed that Minseok can't think straight that moment because so he took initiative to ask the doctor, "What's euthanasia?"

"It's the act of removing the life support from the patient who's in comatose." Minseok heard what the doctor said and he asked him, "That means Chen will die, right?" The doctor nodded his head and just by thinking of Chen dying would be the end for Minseok so he stands no for euthanasia, "No. I'll keep him on life support."

Minseok couldn't remove Chen from his mind, he was still in denial that the guy he was just holding in his arms earlier this day as they celebrate their anniversary is now brain dead. It will be hard for him not to hear Chen's lovely voice for the next few minutes, few hours, few days, few weeks, few months, few years and few decades. How can life be so hard on him? He was thinking why he can't be happy. Doesn't he deserve a nice life? Minseok found himself in front of the ICU where Chen is and was about to enter when a nurse named Baekhyun stopped him, "You're not allowed to enter like this, sir." The nurse pointed his shirt, he looked at himself and saw that he was still covered with Chen's blood, even his arms was covered with almost dried blood. His white sleeveless shirt was now red and it still seems unreal for him to think that it was Chen's blood.

"You have to clean up first before you can enter the ICU, sir."

He turned his back against the nurse and ran outside the hospital. He needs to be beside Chen. He stiffened in front of their house. He was wishing that all that had happened was just a nightmare, that Chen was inside their house probably cooking or maybe watching the television just like what he usually does. But no, Minseok's hopes crashed down when no Chen welcomed him instead he saw a big frame on the floor and is fully wrapped. He doesn't know where he found the courage to open it, he just found himself doing so.

His tears fell when he saw what it is. It was a perfect picture of him and what hurts him is the truth that Chen didn't even have the chance to give it to him and see what his reaction is. He placed the frame above their bed before taking a bath, but he couldn't stop himself from crying as he remembered Chen's face this morning when they woke up. He missed the smile on the younger's face. He missed the younger's touch. He missed the way Chen responds to his kisses. When will he ever get to feel it again?

Minseok held Chen's hand when he finally got inside the ICU and talked to him as if he could hear him, "I know there's no such thing as forever but let's be together for a long, long, long time." The older just stayed there with the younger like he'd die the second he lets go of the Chen's hand.

"Keeping him on life support will cost you too much," Luhan said when he told Minseok to get out of the ICU. Minseok stared back at him, "Chen is more important than money."

"But he will never wake up!" The other raised his voice a bit. Minseok got annoyed and said, "You don't love a person just because they're awake, not just because they can kiss you or make love to you. You love them because they were there for you when you weren't there for yourself, because they accepted you for you. And I won't give up on Chen, Luhan. Not on Chen. If keeping him alive means working for the rest of my life then so be it." Minseok went back inside the ICU to watch over Chen while the other was left outside realizing how much the older loves the younger. He noticed how the older got matured and he's mentally thanking the younger for it. It was just sad that they ended up this way.

Years has passed, Chen was still inside the ICU and is still on life support. Minseok would visit him every night without fail and would tell him what happened during the day. Minseok works every morning and still goes to a different work at night to afford Chen's hospital bills. He would spend his remaining time on the hospital with Chen, he was talking to him just like how he used to when he was conscious.

Decades passed and their hair was turning gray but everything is still the same. Minseok never missed a day, and he was still working might and day. And love was still there, it never changed. It didn't fade. Minseok gently touched Chen's hand and whispered, "Chen, remember when I told you we'll stay together for a long time?" He bitterly smiled as he stares at the unconscious partner, "We're getting older and older. I wonder what you think right now, are you happy?" He sighed knowing that Chen won't answer no matter how many times he asks, "Happy 27th anniversary, Chen." He whispered.

One day, Minseok was inside the coffee shop he owns, preparing for a customer's order when he felt his chest tighten and it was getting harder for him to breathe. He held on to the counter with his hand on his chest, the people inside the coffee shop panicked as the old owner fell on the floor. They rushed him to the hospital but he was declared dead on arrival and that heart attack was the cause of his death. Luhan was the one who prepared for his funeral together with his partner Sehun. The next day, Luhan received a call from the hospital telling him that he has to go back because Chen's heart has stopped beating and was declared dead around 6 am in the morning. Luhan looked at the couple's tomb, "Their story was too cruel," he wiped the tear that escaped from his eyes. Sehun pulled him closer and caressed his arm, "Don't worry, I'm sure that they're together now." He said as he looked at the peaceful sky above them.

End