EXO Short Stories

Your POV
Ever since I was a kid I hung out with my friend, Minseok or what I’ve called him since we met Minnie, but I haven’t seen him in a few years.
So I’m stuck here reflecting on it all.
Let’s see when i first met Kim Minseok I was only 7 years old and my father had started to teach him piano lessons. Minseok was 10 at the time.
My father had gotten angry with me again that I didn’t show up too the time he set aside for me too play.
It’s not like it matters the only person that really loved me was mommy. Mommy liked how I played the piano since I first pressed a key.
Father only wants me to play since I’m a… prodigy is what the man called me.
He wants me too go too the music room so he can… access… my playing.
I hate that room he’s always mean when i don’t sit the right way or I tell him I no longer want to play the piano.
I always stay with my nanny she’s nice.
“Can I play outside?”
Nanny looks back at me and nods her head, “Of course dear go right ahead.”
I’m chasing a ball when I hear a beautiful melody of an easier piece for beginners, but yet it sounds like Chopin is playing.
I follow the sound too find a chubby cheeked boy playing the piano.
When he stops I step in and ask, “How do you play that?”
“I played from my heart like my mom does.”
I ask him, “How can you play from the heart?”
He looks at me like Nanny does when I can do what she calls a perfect pitch, “Why ask such a stupid question?”
I know what others say about me so I say to him, “How can I play from the heart when I have no emotions too play?”
He looks at me and laughs, “No one can’t have emotions. There’s always something there.”
“How can you tell?”
“What’s something you like?”
I sit there and stare out a window and think of something that I like.
“I don’t know.”
“When was the last time you smiled?”
I sit there and slowly whisper, “When mommy promised that she’d take me too the amusement park.”
“Think of your time with her.”
I nod my head and think of that as he sets down a happy piece for me.
“Play this,” he tells me.
I slowly start to play…
“Don’t think about it. Just play.”
I look at him and nod my head, “Alright.”
I think of my time with my mommy and how much fun we had together.
The piece keeps going until I get too the memories of when mommy is no longer there and I’m alone.
I stop messing up a key and flinch too see the boy look at me like when Nanny forgets where her… knitting is.
“Why did you stop? Why are you acting like this?”
“Daddy… he’s mean. I don’t want to play the piano.”
“It doesn’t seem like it.”
I look at him surprised, “You looked really happy while you were playing. You played everything right until that one note where the happiness started too slip.”
“How old are you?”
“10,” he tells me.
“Then why are you so smart? I heard boys are supposed to be stupid and mean.”
He shakes his head, “Where did you hear that?”
“Nanny. She’s my only friend.”
It’s silent until he says to me, “I’ll be your friend.”
I agreed right away thinking that nothing could go wrong, but deep inside I was afraid to get attached incase he left me like mommy did.
I sigh as I sit down at my old piano and remember all the times I played hide-n-seek with Minseok. Though those games became rare after a small accident.
“Minnie, you should go last time daddy was mad too find you in here with me.”
I’ve only been friends with Minseok for a month and my father already hates him.
Father is very mean too Minseok meaner than he is with me.
He’s just a big old meanie.
Nanny told me that I don’t know what my father is really like. That he’s still not over my mother leaving us and how I’m so much like my mother. Nanny won’t tell me anything more.
I giggle as Minnie pops his head over the piano and in his hand I notice that he had the jar of candy in his hands.
“Minnie, daddy won’t like that you're in the candy again.”
“My name isn’t Minnie it’s Minseok or oppa.”
I stick out my tongue and make a gagging sound something Nanny’s daughter showed me, “Eww… No, you’re Minnie.”
He sighs and looks at me, “Fine.”
I nod my head and I see the lights flicker and I groan at how my head hurts.
Minnie runs up to me and calls out to me, “Ae are you alright?”
I shake my head and try to stand to misjudge where the bench was and hurt my leg.
I falls down and to catch me Minnie drops the jar of candy.
I hear it break, but that’s it.
I turn my head and there’s nothing there.
I shake my head again and everything is still a bit blurry, but it’s been like that since mommy left.
I hear daddy yell at Minnie and I know that I won’t be going to school any time soon.
I place my hands over my eyes and remember that I can no longer see, because of the accident that took my mother away.
My vision slowly disappeared and I could play even better than when mom was with me.
Though my eyesight is gone I can play perfectly.
I sigh as stop recalling memories since they are hurting my eyes even though it has nothing to do with them.
I wish that Minnie was here with me.
I sigh as i run my hands on the keys going up and down recalling where all the notes are.
Slowly I start to play the song that I had last heard Minnie play 4 years ago.
Truthfully it’s mediocre considering my real skill set, but when I play the songs I’ve heard him play I always feel a bit better.
I play the song slowly and I know that deep down i feel like he’s right by my side playing with me.
I sit down and I want to see him when i get the bandages taken off tomorrow.
I hear a shaking of hard candy in a jar.
I don’t turn my head too ‘see’ who it is. Instead I push down on a key again.
“Dad, go away I dont’ want candy.”
“What?” a somewhat familiar voice says.
I don't’ turn my head I mean what’s the point I can’t see him with the bandages over my eyes.
“Who’s there?” I ask feeling like an idiot.
I hear someone move and do a crawling behind the piano. The a hand wave in front of my face.
I hear the jar open and I can almost sense that the guy is holding a piece of candy out to me.
“Ahhh,” I hands grab the edge of the piano as I smile a bit.
“Minnie,” I whisper.
“Ya, why do you insist on calling me that childish name?”
“Cause you’re a meanie.”
I know that confused him so i whisper, “Korean to English humor.”
“Alright. Say ahhh,” he says again and I open my mouth.
I feel a sour lemon candy on my tongue and I smile.
“One my my favorite though it doesn’t have the slight sugar coating on top.”
I hear him stick out his tongue and I giggle.
It’s almost like we’re picking up where we left off.
It’s silent as Minseok sits by me on the bench.
“I heard you got the surgery on your eyes.”
I nod my head, “yeah, dad said it would have been better if I stayed blind, but when I grow old I want to see what’s around me or else how can I face my mother again.”
I know that Minnie is nodding his head and he pushed down at a key.
I turn my head towards him so he knows I’m still talking to him, “Do you still play?”
“No, I haven’t played since my last piano lesson how many years ago. I don’t really remember much about how I could either.”
“I heard you took more combat stuff.”
“Yeah, it was a bit funner for me since I wanted to protect someone dear to me…. even if I was far away for a while.”
“Oh are you and Soyeon back together?”
“No, Soyeon meant nothing to me. I thought if I dated her I’d forget about the one that I really love.”
“Who is it?”
He’s silent and I look at him even though i can no longer.
“You’re getting your bandages are to be taken off tomorrow right?”
“Where?”
“My dad is having the doctor come here.”
“Alright then you’ll see her when they take off the bandages,” he tells me and I feel like crying.
Instead I nod my head and hear the clock chime, “you should go. I’ll see you tomorrow, Minni. It’ll be at noon.”
I know he nodded his head and walked out of the door. Not that I care… That’s a lie.
I’m lying down on my bed wanting to sleep and wait for my eyes too close.
I’m sitting at my piano playing a small piece.
I hear Minni say something too the doctor as they take off the bandages.
I look up too see a rotting face that looks like it could be Minni’s.
I scream and he grabs my arms, “What are you upset that I maybe dead.”
I start to shake my head, “No, it’s not true. Dad would of told me. You didn't’ die that day.”
“What don’t believe me?”
I hear a choked laugh, “Ask your dad then.”
I shake my head and I start to cry as I look to the side I see red splotches on the floor.
I scream as I push the rotting body away from me and race too a mirror to see my eye sockets are bleeding and I look a lot like my mom.
I reach up and try to wipe the blood only smearing it on my cheeks,.
I feel him take my head in his hands as he leans over and I almost choke on the smell.
He whispers into my ear, “Do you want to know who i like?”
I feel pain in my eyes like something is digging into them and I scream in pain.
I shoot up in my bed too hear my door burst open and my dad ask, “What happened? Are you alright?”
“Yeah. I’m fine just a bad dream.”
“Alright sweetie. Do you want me to play something for you?”
“Yes please.”
I hear a chair scrap and my dad test the keys of the piano in my room. He moved this one in here when mom was still alive. She used to play me lullabies for me when i was just a baby. Maybe that’s how I started too love the piano until mom dad.
I hear him play what used to be my favorite lullaby.
I smile as I start to drift into sleep.
I have a slight feeling dad will kiss my forehead much like mom used too when she finished.
I don’t dream again.
When i wake up I feel the sun on my face and I smile.
I hear my father call for me too wake up.
I open my closet and pull out a dress for I can slip on.
I wonder what the color looks like on me.
I hear the maids say that the doctor and Minni have arrive.
My dad doesn’t say anything.
I wonder what facial expression he’s making.
I’m given a hug and I am given a whiff of cologne that Minni was wearing yesterday.
“Minni,” I say to him quietly.
I hear him hum and I smile.
My dad speaks up and I notice it sounds soft much like it did last night when he came in.
They set me at the piano so I’m facing it and th edoctor is standing behind me.
Slowly the bandages are peeled off. I shut my eyes tightly and I feel the light shine on them.
“You can slowly open them now,” I hear the doctor tell me.
As I slowly open them too see a mirror in front of me, “why’s this in my face?”
“You asked who I loved,” I hear Minni say.
“What?”
Slowly he moves the mirror and I come face to face with him.
As he moves mirror I notice face that barely looks like it’s changed since he was 10.
“Minni,” I whisper.
He nod his head and flashes a smile, “Hey, Mi.”
I know I’m crying and he wipes them away.
I hear my father and the doctor walk out of the room.
“Minni,” I scream as I stand up quickly too lean over too wrap my arms around his neck, “I love you, too.”
he chuckles, “You don’t even wait for me too say I love you properly. I’m glad some things don’t change.”
I nod my head, “Do you want to play something for me.”
“What would that be?”
“The one you were playing when we met.”
He laughs, “Good you asked for that. I think I still know it.”
He walks from behind the piano over too my side.
He opens the jar of candy and holds a piece out to me as he says, “Ahh.”
I chuckle as I take the piece in my mouth and I see the goofy smile that he must of had everytime he did that.

Notes