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The car ride was bumpy and cold. Rain pattered down on the windshield like an army of angry men all shouting at yunho to get a grip, but he couldn't. Today was the anniversary of his friend's last camping trip together. That was 3 years ago. He rode in the back of a car, a mysterious man driving it. He flicked through his camera, the last memories he had of them. Yunho couldn't see images in his mind, so he always took pictures to remember things with. He loved to look back on all the fun they had.
Tears hit his shattered screen when he sees the pictures from the last camping trip they went on. The last memories he had of them. Sometimes he wondered were they all went, if they had all chased their dreams. He hoped that, unlike him, they had succeeded. He hoped that they all made it further in life then he did and weren't stuck dwelling in a shadow of what used to be for the past three years.
The first picture that stuck out to him was of mingi, a big smile on his face. It was the first summer they had together as a group of 8. They were all hanging out at the pool and Yunho had got a picture of Mingi, capturing all the small beauties in his face.
He was in his swim shorts smiling drinking a glass of lemonade. The sun beamed down on him illuminating the droplets of water on his chest from the pool they were swimming in. The water droplets dotted mingi like a beautiful peice of abstract work, his toned muceles being highlighted by the shimmers if the sunlight.
Yunho closes his eyes, he remembers the smell of chlorine from when mingi had pushed him into the pool. He had been chatting with their mutual friend Seonghwa when all of a sudden Yunho fell face first into the water. He could hear laughter come from his friend, but the only problem was, Yunho couldn't swim. He didn't worry for long, because after it took Yunho a second too long to surface, mingi had dove in after him, pulling his friend to the surface.
mingi held him close that day. he rocked him gently, the warmth of his chest radiating into Yunhos skin. he whispered apology after apology all to which yunho said it was okay. All his friends gathered around him, worried expressions on their faces, but yunho was alright.
The second picture was Seonghwa. Driving, his eyes dark with power and determination. Seonghwa was beautiful, rays of light kissing his skin. Yunho always thought Seonghwa should be a model, to which he would always blush and wave him off telling yunho he'd rather keep up his studies to be a doctor instead.
He looked so focused as he drove to the hospital. Wooyoung had dared San to ride two skateboards at once under the impression that 'if you ride two skateboards at once you'll go twice as fast'. Needless to say, it didn't work. Yunho remembers the way Seonghwa scolded San that day, all while driving him to the hospital.
He can't help but laugh, seonghwa had always been so sweet and caring, not afraid to scold his friends for doing something stupid, still Everytime one of them had gotten hurt he would always be right there making sure they were alright, it was always useful cuz his friends were all so clumsy.
The third picture was of Yeosang painting. He was the only other visual art major in their friend group, so they seemed to have a special bond. something without words, something that was just quite but tranquil.
They were outside on his porch, colors not only painting the canvas but yeosang himself. To Yunho sometimes yeosang looked like he was a painting himself.
Yunho can practically smell the paints still. Yeosang was quiet, he didn't talk much, but he expressed himself through his art. Yunho and yeosang often spent long hours talking about art, and how it helped them feel heard, even when words failed them. He remembers painting with yeosang, bonding without saying a word. they knew each other's secrets despite neither of them saying anything.
The next was of wooyoung cooking. For all the mayhem Wooyoung caused, Yunho found that he was the most peaceful when he was cooking. There was something so peaceful about his chaotic friend being so focused on his work.
He could practically smell the fragrant spice that wooyoung would cast into the pot, almost as if he were a witch making a potion, he can taste the foods wooyoung would make for him, and treasure the smiles he left with every time wooyoung cooked for him.
Wooyoung caused alot of chaos, making smart remarks to his friends, teasing them to no end, but still he was one of the most caring friends he had. whenever yunho felt sad Wooyoung would be there with a batch of freshly baked cookies, a big smile on his face and the latest copy of his favorite show in hand.
He clicks to the next picture and smiles. This one was at the start of the camping trip. San and him were late and were hiking to the camp spot. San had looked back and Yunho had gotten the perfect shot of him. Green rays of light shown through the trees, they lit up sans blonde hair with color and fantasy.
Yunho rember the feeling of San on his back when he had complained his legs were getting too tired. He had carried him all the way to the camp site. Sure, San was heavy, but yunho didn't really care, he got to spend time with his friend, plus his arm was broken from the skateboarding accident, so who was he to say no?
San was strong and always bubbly, he wasn't sure how wooyoung was able too keep with up with him. he chatted with Yunho the whole way there grinning ear to ear when they made it to the spot and darted off to hug wooyoung.
Later that day, Yunho had gotten a picture of Jongho walking in the sand. He can still feel the water make its way up from beneath their feet before creeping away only to do it over again. it was sunset and jongho had silently asked him to go on a walk with him. Jongho was a soft spoken man. he didn't like conflict and never got into much trouble.
Jonghos was a silhouette in the backlight of the sun , but his sturdy figure was undeniable. Jongho's figure was much like his personality. Strong. Reliable. Unbreakable. Yunho wished he could be like that.
he often found Jongho passed out on his piles of engineering work, to which yunho would pick him up, carry him to bed and tuck him in. the next morning, without fail he would complain that he wasn't a baby anymore and didn't need to be treated like one. Yunho smiled because he knew jongho secretly liked it as he had drunkenly told him once.
The second to last picture was of hongjoong. His soft face was lit up by the dancing flames from the fire, embers dotting the evening sky like stars of their own. Yunho can clearly remember the way that, late at night when everyone was asleep, Hongjoong took yunhos hand and held him close. He knew it was serious because Hongjoong didn't normally touch his friends let alone lean against them. Hongjoong always wanted to be strong for his friends, no matter how hard it was for him.
he whispered quietly "Yunho, even if we get separated, we are always gonna find eachother okay? we will always be here for eachother" It was almost like Hongjoong had read his mind. Yunho had been worrying that now that it was the end of college and they were all about to split up would the drift apart for good? From time to time those words echo in Yunhos mind. He thinks it's a form of torcher, those sweet lies staying ever present in his mind.
Finally, the last picture, all eight of them together, the final picture before they went. they all were dirty and messy. Sans arm was still broken. wooyoung had a big cut across his cheek from a fight with a stick when he was trying to snap it in half for firewood. Hongjoongs hand was burnt from puttining out the fire from that night, so it had been wrapped up. Despite all the injuries and mishaps they all shared one thing in common. They each had a huge grin on their face. Yunho still remembers the way they screamed his name.
"YUNHO, YUNHO!"
he thinks he can still hear them.
"YUNHO WAKE UP!"
still hear their sweet voices.
"HES NOT BREATHING SOMEONE CALL AN AMBULANCE"
he still feels the warmth of mingi's chest.
"hang in there buddy, they are almost here"
he still feels seonghwa's caring nature.
"you'll be okay, just stay with us"
he still tastes Wooyoungs cookies.
"I'll bake your favorite treat, you just have to stay alive for me buddy"
Still remember sans weight.
"I tried cpr, at least he's breathing again"
rembers the chats with yeosang.
"I promsie, let's paint again, please"
the feeling of jongho's sturdyness
"we are all here for you, hyung"
Hongjoongs hands, Hongjoongs words.
"we will always be together I promise.
~~~~~
It had been 3 years since that fateful car ride. all 8 of them crammed into the back of an ambulance. a tree had fallen on Yunho and all of them were in a frizzy. they were all doing thier best to stay calm. It had been 3 years since Yunhos camera had shattered, taking it's precious memories with it. 3 years since they lost their best friend. 3 years ago today, their best friend went in a coma. it was thier anniversary, they always came to visit Yunho in the hospital this day, but today the bed was empty. Instead no yunho rested in a casket, burried 6 feet below the soil. 6 feet below 7 tearful boys as they gently placed a broken camera on the headstone of their best friends grave.
"I promise yunho, we will always find eachother again, always"