Second Chances

Prologue

"We never get over those who make life easier to live."

Mingyu P.O.V

I sighed as I sat in front of his grave. It had already been 9 years since he died. Time had a funny way of making you change. I was a completely different person than who I was when he died. The new me wouldn't have been a coward. I would have saved him. It was too bad I couldn't change the past. I sighed again. I looked up when I heard footsteps behind me.

"Mingyu." I smiled.

"Hyung. Are you here to see him too?" Seungcheol nodded.

"How are you holding up? I know it's been a long week for you." I shrugged.

"I've been keeping busy. If I've learned anything in the last nine years, it's how to stay busy." He sat down beside me and sighed.

"You miss him?"

"More than anything. I miss all of you." He raised a brow.

"What do you mean 'all of us'? I'm right here." I shook my head.

"You're dead, Hyung. You're just a figment of my imagination. You're not real." He raised a brow.

"I think you should go back to seeing your therapist." I sighed.

"Hyung." I closed my eyes for a moment and opened them again. He was gone. He was right. I definitely needed to go back to the therapist. I smiled at his grave one more time before standing up and leaving. There was a time in my life when everything was okay. Now, all I could do was keep breathing. I pulled out my phone and saw a few missed calls from my manager. I pressed the call button and waited for him to pick up.

"Mingyu-ah."

"Yes?"

"Are you in the mood to grab dinner?" I thought for a moment before nodding.

"Yeah, sure."

"Okay. I'll text you the address. I'll see you in a bit."

"Mmm." I hung up then. I received a text a moment later. I smiled. I'd known my manager since my early teens. He knew me better than anyone. He knew exactly what I needed. I walked into the restaurant. It was a short 15-minute drive from the cemetery. He sat in our normal spot. I walked over to him and sat down. He smiled and sat down his phone.

"Hi, Hyung."

"Hi, kiddo." I rolled my eyes.

"You know it's 5 years? I'll never understand why you call me kiddo." His smile widened.

"You're my kid." I looked away for a moment.

"I suppose so."

"Is everything alright? You seem out of it. More so than usual." I turned to look at him again.

"I need to go back to my therapist." He frowned. "I'm seeing Seungcheol Hyung again."

"Ah. I'll set up an appointment." I nodded. "You know what I want to know, though?"

"Hm?"

"Why Seungcheol? Why not Wonu?" I shrugged.

"I've always wondered the same thing. Maybe it's because he was my safe place. I don't really know though."

"Maybe we'll know one day."

"Maybe." There was silence after that. We ate our food and parted ways. I sat in my car for a long moment before heading home. It began to thunder a few moments later. I turned on my windshield wipers. A sigh slipped from my mouth. I was only 5 minutes from the house when my car hydroplaned. I gripped the wheel and did my best to stay in control. Before I knew it, I was in the other lane. I tried to slow down but my brake failed. I didn't have time to swerve before I saw a set of headlights. Everything went dark after that.

"Mingyu-ah." My eyes opened in surprise. The lights were bright and I was struggling to catch my breath.

"Mingyu." My breath caught at the familiar voice. I turned to the side. Everything went dark again. When I woke up again, I was wrapped in someone's arms. The person's arms felt familiar. Too familiar. I could feel my heartbeat rise as I opened my eyes. My voice came out in a whisper.

"Wonu Hyung...?" There was a frown on his face.

"Are you okay? You suddenly fainted." I looked around. It was impossible. They were alive. All 12 of them. They were supposed to be dead. It didn't make sense. I watched them die. Maybe I was having a breakdown. It was certainly possible. I jumped out of Wonwoo's arms and stood.

"Um." Everyone else stood too.

"Mingyu, what's wrong? You look like you've seen a ghost." I shook my head. My hands were shaking.

"I just... need some air. I'll be right back." I ran until I made it out of the building. I bent over to catch my breath. I stood back up and looked around. Something was definitely weird. I pulled out my phone and turned it on. My eyes widened when I saw the date. It was May 6th, 2015. 10 days before we were supposed to make our debut. I collapsed to my knees as I began to lose my breath again. What the actual hell was happening?

"Mingyu...?" I looked up to see him. He was the man that haunted my dreams every night. He was the entire reason I kept living.

"Wonu Hyung." He sat down beside me.

"What's wrong? Talk to me."

"Um, what's the date?" He looked down at his phone.

"May 6th. Why?"

"What year is it?" He raised a brow.

"2015. Did you hit your head or something? Should we go to the doctor?" If what Wonwoo said was right, then they would be dying in 3 months.

"No. I just feel a bit sick. I'm alright. I promise." He sighed.

"That's what you've been saying for weeks. Now you're fainting and getting confused. I really think you should see a doctor." Things were becoming clearer. I had somehow traveled 9 years into the past. The accident hadn't happened yet. The only thing I couldn't figure out is why it happened. Why was I in the year 2015? Did the universe hate me? Was I being forced to relive their deaths as a punishment for something? And if that were the case, what had I done? None of it made sense. It wasn't like I could do anything about it. I may have been an adult mentally but I was a kid physically. It wasn't like I could change the future. Things like that only happened in movies. Then again, I had traveled 9 years into the past. Either that or I was having a complete breakdown. Or... was I dead? That was also possible. I mean, the last thing that happened before I went back was that car crash. That was the most plausible answer.

"Mingyu?" I glimpsed at him. "Why are you staring into space so intensely?"

"Hyung, I have a question."

"Okay?"

"Would you believe me if I told you that you're going to die in three months?" He raised a brow.

"Okay. That's it. You're going to the doctor." I sighed internally. That had been a long shot anyway.

"Okay." He stood up and reached out to grab my hand. I hesitated for a moment before taking his hand. I wrapped my arms around him and sighed.

"Mingyu."

"Hyung, I love you. I mean it." I wiped a stray tear before pulling away from his grasp. I wasn't sure if I'd had a breakdown or was dead. I didn't know anything but I would enjoy being in his presence until the inevitable happened.

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Thanks for reading the first chapter of Second Chances. I hope everyone enjoyed it.

-Thea