no regrets 。taekai 。

xxi

"okay, i won't ask." minho said while filling up two cups of water in taemin's kitchen.

"thanks for that." taemin sighed and slumped even further into the couch, "what did you want to talk about?"

minho's eyebrows furrowed as he concentrated on not spilling any of the contents of the definetely overfilled cups. he handed one to taemin and took a big gulp of his before setting it down on the coffee table in front of him.

"look, i know you think that cold you had a few days-"

"weeks now, really."

"whatever, let me speak." minho sat down next to taemin and turned his body towards him, "i know you think it's not a big deal but since then you haven't been able to reach the high notes you usually do. i'm worried, the members are worried. it might get worse if we don't treat it right away, so, i'm asking taemin, visit the doctor with me just once please."

taemin looked at his hands and closed his eyes. he knew it was nothing, it was all in minho's mind. taemin was having trouble in reaching some high notes in his songs but it was just a slump. if he signed up to vocal lessons again he could get his voice to reach its prime again, right?

"look," taemin sighed once again, "i'm confident its nothing and i appreciate your concern but its not something to trouble a doctor with-"

"we're paying a doctor to check up on you, taemin. stop using those excuses to put off going to the doctors. why are you so hesitant? it's just a check up taemin, it's not like they'll pull out a scalpel and start operating on you on the spot. stop being a baby and treat yourself once in a while, you're not a burden to anyone."

"hyung-"

"no, i won't let you try to solve this problem on your own, there's people around you willing to help you. last week kibum told you the same thing and you didn't listen to him. earlier this year we were all supposed to have a medical check up and you bailed giving the excuse that you were writing a song even though we both know you dont write songs while promoting. please, do us a favor and go with me to one appointment. please."

taemin took a gulp of the cup of water in his hands and looked at minho who was looking back at taemin with hopeful eyes.

"okay." taemin put his cup down and stood up, going towards the big window in his living room. the weather was nice today, he concluded. "i'll go."

"what?," minho also stood up and went towards taemin, "stop mumbling-"

"i'll go!" taemin said in a louder tone, turning to minho who had a snarky grin on his face, "i'll go with you but i'm too busy this week, i'll go with you in the weekend."

"deal." minho took one last gulp out of his cup and walked towards the sink with it, "i'll see you saturday then."

minho gathered his backpack and sunglasses before leaning on the kitchen island and furrowing his brows towards something behind taemin.

"did you get a cat?" he asked.

"oh." taemin looked back and saw lucky on top of his cat tower, frozen while staring right at minho, "jongin and i rescued him from the park near my house. jongin still lives in the dorm so i said i would keep him. his name is lucky."

minho gave taemin a very subtle knowing look and hummed, "nice to meet you, lucky, i'll get to know you better next time. bye tae, i'll see you saturday."

minho left and taemin took a deep breath and sat on the couch again. he pulled out his phone and started playing one of their songs from the previous year. he hummed the others parts before he started singing his. the boy cleared his throat before singing his part. towards the end of it he had to do a higher but doable note so he proceeded to do it with ease as he always did but the difference is that it sounded kind of weird.

this higher note was a standard one to male voices, even someone with an average vocal range could do this note with ease but for some reason the voice that taemin heard was hoarse and shaky. taemin tried a few more times and after just a few tries his voice was tired and his throat was sore.

he coughed before getting himself a cup of lukewarm water. a bundle of warnings from his band members came rushing through his mind as he remembered kibum telling him to go to the doctor, jinki telling him to take care of his voice and now minho personally taking him to the doctors.

taemin started overthinking about what possibly could be causing his slow loss of voice since he didn't feel like he had a cold or anything like it. he couldn't sleep properly that night and stayed up researching about all the possible diseases that could cause a sore throat and a very mild loss of voice when talking in a high pitched tone.