Short Stories-Kai Ships Only! Volume 3

⚾️Tyunning- Remembered

Taehyun just finished his first week of classes at college. He felt on top of the world. He finally figured out his way around campus and even made a few new friends! Everything was going perfectly for him. One of his new friends asked him if he wanted to go to a party on one of the upper floors. Of course, he said yes. Just as he was fixing his hair, he got a call from his best friend in the whole world. "Hey Kai! How's college going for you?!"

"My dad died..."

"Oh my god..." Taehyun's knees went weak. Though the sun was shining, everything seemed to go dark. Kai's dad was the only parent his best friend had after his mom died when they were five. Their families practically grew up together. He slid down the wall and started sobbing into the phone. "Are... how... what? But I-I just saw him! He helped me move in!"

"I know..." Kai's head was killing him like his brain was cracking. He clutched it in agony, barely holding onto the phone. "The funeral is in three days. I know you have classes so I get it if you can't-"

"I'll be there. I don't care."

"God, my head hurts so fucking much."

Taehyun didn't understand why he was crying and the other wasn't. Kai was clearly in pain but it sounded more like a physical pain than an emotional one. "Are you okay?"

"I will be." Kai put the phone on speaker and ran to the bathroom. Any bottle of pills that said "relieves headaches" was what he was searching for. Words were blurry as his vision kept fading in and out. "FUCK! Taehyun? You still there?"

"I'm here."

"I have to go. I'll see you at the funeral."

Taehyun was hung up on before he could get another word in. Scared for Kai, he texted his parents to ask them to check on him. They had no idea what he was talking about. Telling them Mr. Huening, their friend, died was just as hard as hearing it.

A white bottle was in Kai's hand. He had no idea what he was holding but he figured anything was better than nothing for the mind splitting headache he was enduring. Pills spilled from his palm when he failed to grab one. After he swallowed a handful, he passed out.

"Mom? How is he? Mom?!" Taehyun was on his way to the airport when his mom texted him that they found Kai passed out in his bathroom.

"He's still out."

"What did the doctor say?!"

"He took too many vitamins but he's going to be okay. We're taking him to our house until he wants to go home again."

"Vitamins?"

"Yeah, they found an open bottle of multivitamins on the floor. I don't know, wait... hey sweetie. How are you feeling?"

Taehyun heard his mom talking to Kai. He begged "put me on! I wanna talk to him!"

Kai groaned as he was handed the phone. Hearing his best friend's voice caused him to become dizzy again. "Taehyun?"

"ARE YOU TRYING TO KILL YOURSELF?!"

"...no. I thought I was grabbing Tylenol or something. My head hurts so much. I need to go." The phone dropped out of Kai's hand as he passed out again.

"KAI?! KAI?! HELLO?!" Taehyun couldn't stop worrying about the younger the entire short flight home. The moment the plane landed, he ran out of his seat and to the front. He didn't care how many people he had to push out of his way to get there. He had to get home to make his best friend happy again.

Lost in a nightmare, Kai found himself as a child watching a house on fire. He was standing with his dad, clutching onto his charred teddy bear, and holding onto his dad's hand. It felt real. He could almost smell the smoke.

In a terrible twist, he saw himself being dumped by a girl he used to know. He didn't remember dating her but it seamed like he did. The pain from his heartbreak became physical as he cringed under a blanket.

Next thing he knew, he was older and being dumped again. This time, it was a guy leaving him. He didn't remember dating him either.

Kai knew he was dreaming but he felt awake within it. On a whim, he attempted to go back to the fire where his dad was. His seven year old self watched the flames consume his childhood home. He then looked over to see seven year old Taehyun running towards him asking if he was okay.

Going forward in the sequence, he skipped to the part after that girl broke up with him. Taehyun was there too. Kai realized Taehyun was also there after the guy left him. Everything felt as if they were memories.

His nightmare morphed into his five yeae old self. He was sitting in a hospital next to a woman he didn't remember. She faintly looked like him. His dad kissed her with tears in her eyes. They were both wearing wedding rings. The woman then told him she loved him and his dad, and that her life felt full because of them. Kai sobbed in reality when she took his hand and asked "promise to not forget me? Promise to take care of daddy? Please?"

He promised. He made a promise to a woman he knew that he knew but could not remember. Kai loved her as much as his father. She felt like a mother yet he didn't know her name. And again, just like every other time, Taehyun came later to comfort him.

Taehyun was the one constant in his nightmares. Large pieces of his life was missing yet every memory that he had with his best friend was crystal clear.

Those nightmares were memories too. He was absolutely sure of it and he was sure the older had something to do with it. Kai was shaken awake by him. He opened his eyes and felt immediately angry.

"Kai?"

"What did you do?"

Taehyun sat an inch backwards after Kai sat up. Anger was present in his red eyes. Scared, he muttered "I came to see you! I was worried about you!"

"Did my mother die in a hospital?" Kai pressed harder when he didn't receive a response back. "Did my house burn down? I haven't been single my entire life have I?"

"Kai..."

"What did you do?"

Taehyun backed up until he couldn't anymore. He hated how small he felt in comparison to the younger. "I was only trying to protect you..."

"YOU MADE ME FORGET WHO MY MOTHER WAS!"

"I swear that was an accident! I didn't try to! I didn't even know I could! Please calm down! I would never hurt you on purpose!"

"AND THE OTHER STUFF?!"

"You didn't deserve to go through everything you had!"

"WERE YOU GOING TO MAKE ME FORGET MY DAD TOO?! IS THAT WHY YOU'RE BACK?!"

Taehyun crouched down into a ball under Kai's shadow. "No! I swear! I just wanted to make sure you were okay!"

"LOOK ME IN THE EYES AND TELL ME YOU WEREN'T GOING TO MAKE ME FORGET MY FATHER!" Kai wanted to punch a wall when the older stared at the ground. He was so angry that he became calm. "You know what? We're done. Don't come to my dad's funeral. Don't ever fucking contact me again. You shouldn't have come back."

Taehyun whimpered "Kai... please... you're my best friend..."

"Then do me a fucking favor and make me forget you." Kai walked away after the funeral home called him. He had no one left in his life who he gave a shit about. After his dad's body was burried in peace, he knew what he wanted to do. He was going to take his own life and he prayed Taehyun wouldn't be there to stop him.