Oasis (A KaiSoo Fanfic)

Chapter 10 | Terrified

You'll have to excuse my sudden action, but I feel like we need to take a break from the story, don't you think? I mean, at least from my own personal point of view, I think it's pretty obvious what happens next, but I know all of you who are actually taking the time to tune into this want to hear it anyway. So, regarding that, I say don't worry; I will get back to the story soon enough. But for now, I would like to take a little break, if you will, and share a past memory with you, not that this whole story isn't a collection of past memories. No, I want to recall a memory that's even further back, back before I was admitted into the hospital. And, who knows, it may even help you to understand why I held grudges against people who don't keep the promises they make.

Kim Jongin, age 13

"Okay, mom," Baekhyun said as we walked into his bedroom. "We will clean up after ourselves, don't worry." I laughed as he was shutting the down, finding the annoyed scowl and eye roll on his face to be amusing. "God, I swear, she thinks I'm five years old or something. Why do mothers always feel the need to breathe down their kid's necks?"

"Because," I said, pausing to wait for the bite of pizza I was chewing to go down, "that's their job and they'd be bored out of their minds if they didn't."

"She already has a job," he said before tugging off a piece for himself. "She should just focus on that." I laughed again, washing down my food with some soda. "So, how are things going with Minhee?" he asked me after a bit of silence passed. I looked up from my plate, feeling my cheeks as they heated up in embarrassment. 

"What do you mean by that?" I asked as I chewed, wiping the corners of my mouth with my napkin.

"I mean, have you confessed to her yet?" he said, smirking at me. "Have you two finally admitted you're totally and completely in love with each other yet?"

"Well, when you say it like that," I said, setting my napkin down and laying my arms in my lap, "things are at a standstill." He stopped chewing immediately and just looked at me.

"What the heck is wrong with you, Kim?" he said, swatting his dirtied napkin at me as he talked and chewed simultaneously. "Just ask her out already."

"I can't," I said as my cheeks turned an even brighter red. "It's not as simple as that."

"And why is that?" he said in response. "She's just a girl."

"Have you seen her, hyung?" I said, eyebrows raised as I made eye contact. "She's not just any girl, she's the most beautiful girl in school, heck, maybe even in the universe. Every guy practically drools over her when she walks past them."

"And yet, who is the guy she drools over?" he said. "You. She likes, Jongin, not those other guys." My head dropped for a moment after hearing what he had to say. "Go for it, I'm serious," he added, leaning toward me and nudging my arm lightly to get my attention. "You never know what might happen."

"Yeah..." I said, letting my voice trail off. The atmosphere around us went quiet for a moment and I found myself stuck in my head. I knew I had to tell him what the doctor told my parents and I at some point, but I didn't know what point would be best. We hung out practically every weekend, so I suppose I could have told him at any time, but I somehow came to the conclusion to just let it out now before it consumed me. "Hyung," I said in a more serious tone of voice.

"Hmm?" he said, humming and glancing up at me as he ate his pizza.

"We're best friends, right? That means I can tell you anything, right?" I said, trying not to make a fool out of myself and cry in front of him.