Taemin's Pool of Memories

Taemin walked out of the mobile repair shop, staring at his newly fixed phone. The early morning breeze hit him nicely and, admittedly, it was helping with his fatigue; even if it was only bit a small amount. After getting the necessary treatment, which was thankfully short for him as it only required a bandaid on his cheek and some patches on different areas on his body, he immediately left to mend his shattered device. Luckily for him, the nearest tech store was open at dawn and tended to his phone in no time. He was even able to restore his data and avoided the loss of precious photos and videos. 

That being said, he still had another obstacle to deal with. 

He sighed and ran his fingers through his hair, deciding to delay his venture back to the Pokemon Center by taking a stroll. Would she be awake by now? And even if she was, would she be available? There was no way he could burden his parents with the news of the attack, especially when they were already so weighed down by their jobs and his younger siblings. Plus, he was their eldest son: he should know how to handle whatever came his way and set a good example towards his brothers and sisters by being responsible. Telling them what happened at Azure Academy would just be shoving needless trouble towards them and he just couldn’t do that to them. 

After he debated with himself, he sat on a bench with his eyes still plastered to his phone. If it wasn’t going to be his family, it left one more option for him. And he knew that she wouldn’t tell a soul if he made her promise not to, but the issue was that she was dealing with her own life. Could he really bother her with his? Taemin scrolled through his contacts and stopped at one name. Min-Ji. His thumb hovering over the call button for a long while as he debated with himself once more. There wasn’t anyone else to talk to about this. She was his only option left.

Especially if things turned for the worst.

Taemin changed his idea at the last moment and pressed the “video call” button, almost laughing when his own face came into view. He hadn’t looked at his own reflection until now and hoped that she wouldn’t ask why he looked so exhausted. He always did his best not to show when he felt fatigue, but he supposed it was unavoidable in this case. 

He snapped out of his thoughts as the ringing came to a stop and another screen appeared onto the call. The phone on the other end was clearly facing the wrong way as it showed a black screen before an “oh shit” was heard. After some shuffling, the other person’s screen was flipped and revealed her face. The girl smiled once she saw him and waved, speaking in her and Taemin’s native language. Being able to speak Korean again brought a strange comfort that he didn’t know he needed.

<“It’s about time you called, dumpling! Do you know how long I’ve been waiting to hear from you?”> She huffed at him, pretending to be angry. Taemin snorted from the familiar nickname and leaned back, resting against the bench. 

<“Sorry, spring roll. I’ve been super busy, especially recently. But better late than never, right?”> And he genuinely was apologetic, considering he had been wanting to speak with her to catch up. Ironically enough, he had planned on doing it after the assembly before they all found out what it actually was. 

<“Uh-huh. Sounds like an excuse, captain.”> Min-Ji rolled her eyes, but continued smiling regardless of her words. <“Just so you know, I’m reaaaaally mad at you.”>

<“You know, it’s hard to take you seriously when you have that face mask on.”> Taemin held back a laugh when she gasped, seemingly offended his words. He felt a smile creep on his face, the first genuine one since the attack. Min-Ji always seemed to be able to cheer him up somehow, which made him relax more. He made the right choice by calling her. 

<“Well, I’m gonna be the one with flawless skin. So who’s the real winner here?”> She carefully leaned her phone against something to let it stand on its own before bending down to wash her face at the sink. 

So she was at home, in her bathroom. That made it convenient, considering this had the potential to be a long conversation. He wanted so badly to have this be an easygoing call and ask her how the swim team at home was. How his and her family were faring, how her studies were going, how practices were going for the upcoming competition. But he wasn’t sure if he had time for all of that.

<“You got me there.”> His smile faltered for a moment, but luckily, his friend hadn’t seen it as she wiped her face with a towel. Min-Ji gasped, seeming to remember something as she picked up her phone again and began walking to her room. 

<“You have no idea how much I have to tell you. Oh my god, I hate that you’re missing everything that’s happening here, Taemin!”> Taemin huffed another laugh as he thought of his other teammates and friends back at home. 

He pushed that thought out of his mind and watched as Min-Ji shut the door behind her before plopping onto her bed. She began speaking in a hushed tone, which was understandable considering it was getting late at night in Alola, he realized. His family was most likely sleeping by now and he was surprised they hadn’t woken up when she answered his call. 

<“Wait, um… before you go on, I… have to say something.”> Min-Ji blinked from Taemin’s interruption. He usually loved hearing stories about their friends, so she immediately got the sense that something was off with him. She frowned in concern and tilted her head, which Taemin sighed internally from. Sometimes, he really hated how observant she was, especially with him.

<“Yeah, I’m fine, spring roll.”> He chuckled and waved dismissively. Min-Ji’s brows furrowed, but she didn’t say anything further which Taemin took as a cue to keep going. <“Just… you might get mad at me again.”>

<“And why’s that?”> Min-Ji gave him a blank expression. <“If you deadass called me just to ask for money, I’m going to fly over to Sinnoh and fight you.”>

Even as a joke, her words made him jerk and he sat up as he answered frantically. <“No!”> Min-Ji jumped from the sudden loudness of his voice, her eyes wide. He quickly continued before she could ask, not wanting her to start questioning him.

<“I mean, no, I don’t need money. I just… need you to relay a message. To the team. And to my family.”> 

Min-Ji stared at him through the phone, frowning once more. His behavior was weird, she knew this. Something was wrong with him, but she also knew that he was one of the most stubborn people on the planet and didn’t like to tell others about his problems. Even with her, he rarely did. She wanted to ask, but she knew he would keep avoiding it, so for now she opted for a different response.

<“I’m really busy, remember? I don’t know the next time I’ll be available.”> If he’d ever be. <“Please, Min-Ji?”>

She stayed silent for a moment before making a “go on” motion, making him almost sigh in relief. Taemin already knew that she figured out something wasn’t right, but he was glad she didn’t ask. Not yet, anyways. Taemin smiled at her, silently thanking her for accepting his request.

<“Tell them that I miss them, a lot. I think about everyone, everyday. And that I’m sorry I didn’t call every day, even though I promised to.”> He paused to swallow a lump in his throat as the regret of not talking to his family as often hit him fully. If he had known that was possibly the last time he could ever speak to them, he would have been on the phone for hours. 

<“And I love you, spring roll. You, our families, our team. A lot. As cheesy as it is, I wish my words could reach anywhere close to how much that extends to.”> Min-Ji gave him a touched smile for a moment before it fell, realizing his words sounded strange. She knew all of this, and so did everyone else. And she knew that Taemin knew this too. So why was he telling her to tell everyone this for him if he could do so easily? 

Why did it seem like he was saying “goodbye” rather than “see you later”? 

God, she had no idea how much those words were beginning to tear him apart. 

<“Yeah. You’re the best, Min-Ji. Thank you.”> For everything, he wanted to add. But he knew that would really layer on the suspicion. 

<“I know, I know. Aren’t I the greatest friend, of all time?”> Min-Ji’s smile widened as that got a snort from Taemin. She thought for a moment before standing from her bed.

<“Hey. I have a surprise for you.”> 

Taemin raised a brow as she left her room once again, tiptoeing her way through her home. It was dark in the hallways she walked through, so he couldn’t see where she was going. After a while, she carefully turned the doorknob of another room though he couldn’t tell which one. Min-Ji brought the phone closer to her face, making a shushing motion towards him. He nodded, his confusion growing when she placed her phone against something to make it stand on its own. She stepped away from the screen for a moment to turn on a dim light, but still didn’t return to the phone.

He frowned as part of the room became slightly illuminated. Taemin didn’t recognize where she was, which was strange considering how many times he’d been to her house. There was a small drawer and bookshelf on the floor, along with some stuffed Pokedolls. Had they remodeled one of her sisters’ rooms? The decor didn’t fit her sisters’ style though. So if not remodeling… He blinked in realization.

Did they add-? 

<“Ta-da…!”> Min-Ji whispered and Taemin’s breath hitched in his throat. His eyes widened and he couldn’t find any words as another set of brown eyes sleepily stared at the phone. Had it really been that long? He should have put two and two together the moment he didn’t recognize the room, he forgot how many months it had been. What the status was when he first left for the academy in the first place, how far along- 

The baby in Min-Ji’s arms hiccuped, surprisingly quiet for someone who had been woken up in the middle of the night. Taemin covered his mouth and couldn’t stop the tears that formed in his eyes, laughing in disbelief as Min-Ji’s newest addition to her family sleepily leaned against her shoulder. 

<“Oh my god. Nari? She was born?”> Taemin spoke, even though the answer was clearly right in front of him. Min-Ji snorted from his question and gently rocked her sister in her arms.

<“You jerk. You absolute jerk, how dare you not tell me right away?”> Taemin laughed breathlessly again, unable to help but press his finger against the screen where Nari’s cheek was. She was so small… so vulnerable, so quiet.

He never felt so grateful for the fact that his loved ones weren’t in Sinnoh until now. Away from harm.

<“Shhh. Say hi to your older brother, Nari!”> Min-Ji lifted her baby sister closer to the screen and making Taemin’s smile widen even more. Oh god. This was reminding him so much of when all of his younger siblings were born. He was able to see all of them as babies, watch all of them grow up. Even the youngest, Jiwon, was only two years old and yet she was already starting to show that she was more like their dad. 

And now, it was possible that he wouldn’t ever see them grow up to be his age. 

With how young Jiwon was, there was a chance he would never come back and she would forget who her brother ever was. 

<“Dumpling?”> Min-Ji’s voice made him look up and her expression of worry made him realize that the dam had broken. Tears dripped down his cheeks and he examined the two girls. His best friend, who he’d known since childhood, the one who had been there for him through their entire lives, most likely his platonic soulmate if he really wanted to make a stretch. And her baby sister, the one who had been born just a month or two ago, the one who certainly wouldn’t ever remember this call or what his face looked like or what his voice sounded like. 

Nari’s drooped, round eyes watched him as he silently tried to find words, desperately tried to think of anything to say to distract Min-Ji from the rare display of tears. But he blanked completely when Nari smiled and babbled at him, reaching out her hand towards the phone as if wanted to be carried by him. Taemin froze and, god, he wanted so desperately to be able to hold his friend’s baby sister. 

<“Min-Ji,”> He started again as he stared intently at the two on the other side of the screen. He had to say this now, he had to stop beating around the bush. He had to stop stalling.

<“I need to tell you something. I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to hold Nari. I don’t know if I can ever see you, or my family, or our team again. Don’t come here. Sinnoh has been-”>

And then the screen went black. 

Taemin blinked as the call suddenly ended. He didn’t try to call her back, he knew. He understood immediately that the connection wouldn’t be able to be regained, that Min-Ji wouldn’t be able to try calling him again.

He ran out of time. 

His phone dropped into his lap and he took in a deep breath, running his hands through his hair again as he clenched his eyes shut. He bent over on the bench as he silently sobbed, trying to accept the fact that he was possibly never going back to the ones he loved. That he could die here in this region, where he didn’t belong. Taemin hated feeling like this, feeling like he was breaking apart, feeling like he wasn’t being the proper eldest son that he needed to be. 

And now, he wanted more than anything to hear his parents scolding him for it. 

<“Fuck.”> He muttered to himself, feeling the weight of his exhaustion set back in.