The End || Meanie

True Meaning

Wonwoo eventually stopped eating. He couldn't stomach food anymore and despite the amount of times everyone around him tried to persuade him to eat at least a bite of something, he could never eat more than half a bowl of soup.

Wonwoo had sudden pain, trouble breathing, and his vomitting became more frequent. All of that topped with Wonwoo's lack of an appetite made everyone around him worry more than they had before. 

Mingyu tried, every day, to remind him to eat but Wonwoo would only give him a silent shake of his head and change the topic to something else. Mingyu would go along with it, but it never stopped him from noticing how thin Wonwoo was getting or the pale colour his skin was taking. He still talked as if everything was okay, but he was asleep more frequently than when he was awake and he never stepped outside anymore. 

Mingyu's  time with Wonwoo was becoming shorter, restricted to the moments where Mingyu had open hours in his schedule and when Wonwoo was actually awake. Even though there was hardly time for them anymore, they still managed to hold on to each other through notes written in the other's absence. 

The papers would be left on the table beside his bed so it could be found the next time the receiver would be able to read it. Sometimes it would be a simple question or a full note describing how their day went, and each time, the reader could reply or start something completely new. The latter being mostly Mingyu. 

Mingyu was glad that they could pass letters. He had feared that Wonwoo would try to force himself to stay awake for Mingyu's breaks as he had before, but now that they had a different way of talking, Mingyu would almost always find Wonwoo fast asleep whenever he stopped by. 

Even if Mingyu could no longer hear Wonwoo's voice when he was with him, he cared more for Wonwoo's well-being and so cherished the letters as if they had been spoken to him directly. 

It became a habit to look at the table first when he entered to look for a letter, so when he found none on the 18th of May, it took Mingyu a while to realize it was because Wonwoo was awake. 

He was laying in bed, looking as fragile as ever but still, awake. 

"Let's go outside, Mingyu." 

Mingyu didn't question anything, too overwhelmed with happiness to do anything but smile. 

He agreed readily and took out the wheelchair, calling Jeonghan in to help him carry Wonwoo into it. At this point of time, Wonwoo had become too weak to get himself there alone. 

Once they were set to go, Mingyu took them out, taking every step slowly and carefully. He made sure to take the long way around so Wonwoo could see all of his favourite places. Through the skywalks, past the vending machines, and across the break room. 

Wonwoo didn't talk the entire time, instead, his eyes trailing absentmindedly on people and places as they kept on. Mingyu couldn't make out what he was thinking, or what exactly he was focused on but Mingyu only wanted to keep the small smile ghosting on his pale lips. As long as Wonwoo was happy. 

When they finally made it to the garden, a little more than fifteen minutes had passed and Wonwoo finally spoke again.

"Seokmin told me there was a surprise here." 

"Really?" Mingyu tried to think if Seokmin had ever brought it up but came up blank. "Want to look for it?" 

Wonwoo nodded. "I'm not sure what it is, though."