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For KADI. I wish for your hearts continue to beat as one and to stand together with hands intertwined for the world to see. To make up for Kyungsoo's birthday, KaiSoo day, and Jongin's birthday. [160125 edited + added a few lines just because]
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A young man stood in front of the window, fingers dancing on the spine of his books and watching as the shadows moved along with the drumbeat of his heart. One, two, three—he counts continuously as his slender fingers jump up and spin around like a graceful ballerina and for a moment he stills, suddenly feeling funny, before the door opens slowly.
He's starting to forget.
It's a thought that always haunted him, nudging and taunting him as they dwell in the vast darkness of his mind, waiting for the day to come and eat him alive. It was a problem that started in his early years when he noticed that things would slip out of his mind easily. But before, he chose to let go of those memories. He wished to forget—and forget them, he did. But he never seemed to remember. He finds it ironic how much he sacrifices to forget and how little memories he retains whenever he wants to remember.
Jongin wasn't old enough to forget such important things. He was in his youth. So, he worries whenever a thought escapes or he loses another name in his mind. It starts out so simply. First, he'll forget their names. His friends would find it funny sometimes. A young man forgetting a name he always knew was absolutely absurd as Jongin fumbles with his words and finds the right person and the right face to remember. Then, their faces would start to fade like photographs—slowly at first that he wouldn't notice but will leave him sitting down on his old couch, clutching the album to his chest and whispering his despair at the unmerciful wind brushing against his skin.
"I'm so afraid." He says his thoughts aloud one day as they were sitting at their usual table. His friends froze and turned to look at him worriedly. Jongin's voice had wavered and he looked down, trying to hide the hollowness of his own eyes for he had seen them in the mirrors and he was afraid that it would devour his friends, too, like how it did with the other memories. "I don't want to forget."
"What are you talking about, Jongin?" Jongdae asked slowly as if he didn't want to let the words slip past his mouth too soon or he would've regretted them. But now he was more afraid of the answer.
"They're taking my memories, hyung." Jongin sobs into his palms. His friends looked at each other in confusion. "It's not fair."
A hand crept up to his back to rub smooth circles comfortingly. "Who?"
"Hours, minutes, seconds." He paused, vision getting a little blurry on its edges. "Time."
Jongin doesn't answer for a long while and by then his best friend, Sehun, stood up and pointed to the man approaching them with a wide smile. "He's here."
Jongin turns his head and marveled at the man's bright smile. He would always wear it when Jongin was near and the younger would, too. They were so in love with each other even after all those years. Every smile they exchanged were a little too beautiful and too innocent—like the first smile you give when you realize that this is the person you're willing to fall in love with all over again. A smile you give that's a little too bright, a bit dorky and a little too much for your other half to handle but more than enough to brighten up the whole world.
