POSSIBLY | MinChan AU

End | Consequence (pt.2)

"Sir, you have an incoming call from Mr. Luke Bang," Minho's secretary tells him. He looks up from reading the paperwork in his hand and nods at her. He picks up the telephone and answers the call.

"I was able to give your gift, I placed it along with mine like I do every year. You sure you still don't want to see him in person?" Luke asks Minho from the other line. For the past 8 years, he has never failed to send him a gift for his birthday. But ever since Luan was born he started asking Luke to be the one to give the gift to hide that it was actually from him. 

"Yes I'm sure, thank you I owe you one," Minho replies, a smile curved on his lips knowing that his plan is once again successful. 

"He misses you, I know he hasn't forgotten about you all these years" Luke responds, which is true there is not a single day that passes by that Bangchan hasn't thought about him. 

"We have had this conversation numerous times, Chan and I are on different chapters of our lives. And it's best that we continue our story separately. I'll hang up now I have a lot of things to do. I'll send you some money, go buy for self something." Minho says and hangs up, he puts the telephone down and lay back on his chair. He looks over the paperwork scattered on top of his table. He lets out a sigh before arranging them.

"Ashley please send the contract to our new client and have the new paperwork on my desk by 10 am." He says to his secretary as he headed out of his office. 

"Have a good night sir." She responds and Minho smiles at her before he enters the elevator. Another day is done and he is about to go home. 

Minho lives by himself in the busy city of New York. He is now the founder and CEO of a clothing line that caters mainly to activewear. He stopped dancing 2 years after he came to America. Mostly because he had no inspiration to dance anymore. His days are consist of working in the office from 9 to 5 and his nights are composed of cooking himself dinner, taking bath and listening to some music before bed. At first, he hated this lifestyle but eventually, he grew accustomed to it. 

Tonight he decided to make kimchi stew for dinner, paired with a chocolate cupcake for dessert. By this time Bangchan's birthday had already passed but Minho still wants to celebrate it. Like he does every single year. It's like a routine he does annually, send a gift to Bangchan's brother, Luke puts it in the same bag as his gift to make it seem like he gave all of those things. Then he would make kimchi stew and buy a cupcake. That stew was the dish they had for their last dinner together. While cupcakes were something Chan would bring home randomly for him. That is why it has been a tradition for him to make this meal as a way of remembering the man he loves so dearly. 

"Happy birthday love, I hope you shine brightly as the sun does every day." He says blowing the candle of the cupcake afterwards. He proceeds to eat his meal while watching some videos he took of Chan before. Though it seemed as if he was watching someone who had passed. He enjoys every second. 

"Look how happy you are, I hope you still have that smile on you." He says staring at the screen. Minho was the one who decided to stop talking to him, especially after Luan was added to the picture. He felt like he was just a stranger trying to intrude in Chan's life. Every day he regrets the decision of not telling Chan how he felt in that airport back in Korea. Maybe things would have turned out differently if he did.

After he took a few sips of the soup and took a bite off of the cupcake. He leaves the meal on the table and heads to the bathroom to get ready for bed. He doesn't eat properly ever since they stopped talking. Because it reminded him of the late nights they spent back in their condominium in Korea. Studying early in the morning, going out to buy coffee and candies, heating up leftovers while going over their thesis. Moments in his past that he wishes he could bring back but couldn't. After he got dressed he lays down on the bed and gets a keychain from his side table. A sphere-shaped locket, given to him before they parted ways. He opens and sees all the photos Chan had placed. The first photo from when they met, the next when they graduated grade school, another photo from when they graduated high school and the last one being their photo when they graduated college. He was able to open it on the plane. 

"Why couldn't you love me the way I love you." He whispers to himself caressing the photos. Each night before he goes to bed he looks at this keychain and also plays a song to help him fall asleep. Turning Page by Sleeping At Last, a song he wanted to play at his wedding. He fell in love with it the moment he first listen to it. Playing it as they finished their thesis paper before. Probably one thing he doesn't regret was that he was able to dance this song with Chan. Making "practising it for the students I'll be teaching" as an excuse. Though his heart aches when he listens to this song. It was one of the reminders of how they could have been. He specifically chose this song to place in the music box he gave Chan. Even if Chan wouldn't know what he meant. It was a little glimpse of their supposed forever.

Baring the regrets of the 'maybe' that could have been turned into an 'at least' is a burden you'll live with forever.