soulmate | lee minhyuk [COMPLETED]

far

"i'm really gonna miss you, but I'll kiss you through the screen
for now, 'til you come home to me." —lauv, for now

the summer of 2017.

minhyuk and i weren't together, we were with our families and enjoying our vacation time. i remember that day vividly, as if it was just yesterday or a moment ago.

me and my family were on our way to the beach, planning to stay in a nice airbnb house for maybe a couple of weeks. in the little van there was me, my parents, my little sister, my baby siblings, and a few of my aunts and uncles.

minhyuk's mom called.

i remember picking up with no thought to it.

"eomoni!" i joked. she liked it when i called her that, i remember clearly.

i remember her laugh that sounded forced and weak.

"eomoni? what's wrong?"

i heard heavy breathing over the other line, as if she was stressed over something.

"minhyuk is admitted in the hospital, not in seoul but in our hometown.."

i remember my eyes widening in shock, i remember sirting up straight and grasping the phone on my ear.

"m-minhyuk? what happened eomoni? is he okay?"

"yes, yes he's fine. he's awake and quite lively but..miyoung, he's been diagnosed with leukemia."

i remember it echoing in my head,

leukemia

leukemia

leukemia

"w-what? leukemia? how? what k-kind?"

i knew there were many, minhyuk's grandfather passed away from leukemia. acute myeloid leukemia. i remember how quick it took over his body. he died in six months. i was there to grieve with him.

my breathing stopped when i heard her.

"acute myeloid."

the days of not seeing him was complete torture. i called him, every single day. i had to make sure he was eating right, getting his medication, and—even though the word seemed odd to me, a word i'd never thought i'd link with minhyuk—chemotherapy.

he said he was fine, always. everyday. he was pale and each day i noticed his lips getting more pale and he looked more fragile.

I couldn't bring myself to enjoy our vacation. all i wanted to do was see him. i wanted to take care of him, to go back and just be by his side whenever he needed me. but my parents refused to go home. i wanted to get mad at them, but i couldn't. i was too worried about him.

three weeks passed and i thought we were going home. our van was all packed and we were already on the road.

but soon, i noticed that the signs on the road didn't lead to seoul. i had to ask.

"eomma, where are we going?"

she turned around to look at me, and with apologetic eyes, she grabbed my hand and said,

"we're not going home."

i was enraged. i asked, "why?" she needed no explanation, she knew for a fact that i needed to come home to minhyuk.

"your grandmother, dear, she's passing away." i remember feeling the pang of shock in my chest after she said that. i didn't know what to do.

"are you telling me that we're going to-"

"canada." my aunt replied. she and her husband lived with my grandmother.

they took care of her, and they could have her as a priority. unlike my parents, they had their hands full with me and my siblings.

"what do i do." i remember trembling at that moment, the thought of leaving minhyuk had me terrified but the thought of refusing to visit my grandma had me embarrassed.

i couldn't leave my boyfriend for my grandma, but i couldn't leave my grandma for my boyfriend either.

in the end, i chose to go to canada.

a decision that haunts me until now.