Xvii. Bandaids Don't Fix Bullet Holes

vii. desperate measures for desperate times

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CHAPTER SEVEN ─ desperate measures for desperate times.

❛ to live for the hope of it all, cancel plans just in case you'd call. ❜

Narrator's Perspective

"I can't believe you left without me this morning," Eunyoung grumbled to Yumi in the cafeteria. When she tried to ask her about it during class, the teacher quickly told her off and she kept her mouth shut for the remaining time.

"Mom told me not to wake you," Yumi explained herself, not batting an eyelid at Eunyoung's accusation, "She saw you asleep on your desk at three in the morning and told me to let you skip school today. You should have gone back to sleep."

"Oh," Eunyoung spoke, her voice became softer as her irritation faded away, "That's so sweet of you two... Thanks."

Yumi gave her a reassuring smile and shrugged, "Don't mention it."

💿

"Hey! Sunjae!" Inhyuk called out to Sunjae in the cafeteria, motioning him to come and sit beside him. Sunjae waved at him, making his way to where Inhyuk sat.

"I didn't see you this morning," Sunjae informed his friend as he took a seat beside him.

"Of course, you didn't," Inhyuk said with a sly smirk, "You were too busy chatting with that pretty girl."

"Don't be ridiculous," Sunjae warned, turning away to hide his flushed face.

"It's alright, I get it," Inhyuk assured him, placing a supportive hand on his shoulder, "What's her name? How do you know her? I've never actually seen you talk to a girl before."

"She interviewed the swim team yesterday," he told him, choosing to ignore his last comment, "I found out she lives above my dad's restaurant."

"Ooh~ so, you guys went home together too?" he cooed.

"There's no need to overreact, it was just a coincidence," Sunjae retorted, feeling heat rush up to his cheeks.

"She's totally my type," Inhyuk told him, "Could you introduce her to me?"

"What?!" his face twisted into a frown, "I can't do that!"

"Why not?!"

"We're not that close yet," he gave a sloppy excuse, "Besides, she's on the school paper, she must be busy. I don't have time to set you up with her, I have my tournament coming up."

"Fine," Inhyuk sulked, "I'll talk to her myself... unless you like her?" He smirked at Sunjae, but at seeing his pink cheeks, his teasing expression twisted into surprise.

"You do!" he exclaimed, his voice full of excitement, "You do like her!"

"Shut up and eat your food!"

💿

"See you at home, then," Eunyoung waved Yumi goodbye as they split up after the end of the school day.

"Bye!"

Eunyoung made her way to the bus stop, dragging her feet along, sighing as she took a seat on one of the benches. 

"Tired?" asked a voice next to her. Startled, she turned to look at the person, smiling on seeing a familiar face, "Oh, it's you."

"Why're you sighing like that?" he questioned her.

"I am kind of tired, now that you mention it," she realized. As if to affirm her suspicion, a yawn escaped her mouth.

"Rough day?"

"No, I didn't sleep much," she told him, "I started working on the interview article and kind of got carried away. That's why I was late this morning. My mom wanted me to sleep in, but a crashing sound woke me up."

Sunjae's lips stretched into a sheepish grin, recalling the incidents of that morning. A parcel had arrived for his dad, which he noticed and decided to bring inside. While attempting to carry them inside, he tripped over his shoelaces and dropped all the boxes, making an obnoxious sound as stainless steel utensils fell out onto the street.

"I'm afraid it was me," Sunjae confessed, "Sorry, I dropped some stuff."

"Oh, don't mind it. I hate skipping school, no matter what the reason is," Eunyoung shrugged it off, "I like the perfect attendance certificate. It's not like you did it on purpose, anyway."

"It was kind of stupid if you ask me," he muttered, "I just tripped and everything fell from my hands."

"Whatever you dropped must have been pretty heavy to make that sound," she observed, "Should you be putting that kind of strain on your shoulder? Does it hurt?"

"Not really," Sunjae's words only rang half true. He could feel a strain on his left shoulder now and then, however, he chose to ignore the fleeting pain, as it would soon subside.

"Maybe you should take it easy," Eunyoung advised gently.

"Maybe," Sunjae's stubbornness rang in Eunyoung's ears as she sulked at his determination to prove he was okay.

"When you're in pain, sometimes admitting that it hurts is harder than enduring the pain in silence," said Eunyoung, looking into his eyes sincerely, "But you feel better after accepting it like a weight's been lifted off your back."

"Why do you worry about me so much?" he asked, his voice laced with genuine curiosity.

"It's because this tournament will be your last!" she blurted out, time stopping around her. As things returned to normal when she went quiet, she looked into Sunjae's eyes, which were full of anticipation.

"I have a gut feeling," she said calmly.

Please hear me out, thought Eunyoung, praying that her words impacted Sunjae enough to change his fate.

💿

Yumi stood at the bus stop, waiting for the bus to arrive. Her eyes darted impatiently from one end of the street to another, wondering when her ride was going to show up. Each passing minute felt like an hour. Her foot tapped on the pavement reflecting her urgency as she glanced anxiously at her watch every few seconds. It was already half an hour past five, and the bus usually arrived at fifteen minutes past five. 

Suddenly, she realised what day it was. It was the day all bus drivers went on strike after four p.m. for god knows what reason. A groan of annoyance escaped her mouth, "How am I supposed to go home now?!"

As if as an answer to her prayers, a red motorcycle screeched to a halt right in front of her. The bike shone in the afternoon sun, and on it sat a boy in a red biker jacket that matched his motorcycle. Taking off his helmet, he revealed his face. 

It was Kim Taesung.

Seeing his messy hair and usual cat-like demeanour caught Yumi off guard as she stumbled a few steps back. Taesung shook his head, fixing a few strands of hair that had gotten stuck in his eyes. "What's wrong?" he asked, tilting his head to the side to look at her annoyed face, which had turned into one of surprise upon seeing him.

"Bus drivers are on strike from four today," Yumi complained, pulling herself together. She asked herself why she always became so shaken up when she saw him. Her mind couldn't answer her question.

Taesung went silent for a few moments, then said, "Get on."

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nayoung's notes: inhyuk being sunjae's wingman as always. taesung showed up at such a convenient time hehe. hope you liked this chapter!

delphi's notes: the last scene gave me a heart attack ngl. stay tuned ^_~

next chapter: saturday! (out now) list of chapters here!

l. all because i liked a boy

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CHAPTER FIFTY ─ all because i liked a boy.

❛ i still know you as that kind-hearted guy, but i know the way we're talking can't be fine ❜

Choi Eunyoung's Perspective

"Especially since Sunjae is going away today-"

"What?" I interrupted Yumi, feeling a pang in my chest the moment those words left her mouth, "What did you just say?"

Yumi's eyebrows furrowed. She had been spending a lot of time with the Taesung since they had started "dating"- which wasn't the best idea in my humble opinion, but I had more pressing matters on my mind now that college had started. As a result she would often hear things about Sunjae from him.

"Don't you know?" she asked, confused, "That Sunjae's going away?"

"What do you mean by going away?" I asked, feeling pathetic on hearing the panic in my voice, "Where is he going?"

"To America," she said slowly, "For rehab."

I felt my heart sink. I dug my fingernails into the palm of my hand, looking down, trying to blink away the tears forming in my eyes. It was incredibly foolish of me. I was tearing up thinking of the possibility of a guy going abroad. A guy who I had been hopelessly in love with for two years. I had never felt more pathetic.

"But, I'm not sure he's actually going because he-" Yumi tried consoling me, seemingly feeling guilty for speaking so carelessly.

"He should go," I said with a shaky voice, "That way, he'll never run into my dad. He'll be able to swim again. He'll be happier there. It all works out perfectly. America is safer for Sunjae than Seoul."

There was a long period of silence between us after I said that. The campus cafeteria was buzzing with gleeful chatter and the sound of steel utensils clanking against each other. I couldn't cry there. Not where so many people were watching.

"But he'll come back!" Yumi exclaimed, putting on a fake smile, but her furrowed brows gave her away, "He's not going forever. You'll see him again-"

"Oh, gosh, Yumi don't be so naive!" I said, my voice unbelievably high-pitched and defensive, "People who go abroad don't come back. You know that."

"But he-"

I stood up, picking up my plate before she could speak any further, "I'm not hungry," I muttered softly, not being able to speak normally, feeling a lump in my throat, "I'll see you at home."

I began walking back, my eyes fixed on the marble tiles. My vision blurred with tears and my heart felt as if it was being pricked by a million needles. Yet I kept walking, quickening my pace in desperation to go somewhere I could be alone. I kept my plate with half-eaten food near the counter and continued on my way out of the cafeteria, tears cascading down my cheeks I was almost out when I stopped in my tracks on seeing a pair of white shoes in front of me.

I looked up sharply, only to find none other than Sunjae staring down at me. His eyes went wide, probably confused on seeing my tear-stained face. Our eyes locked for a split second and I didn't dare open my mouth for fear of saying something impulsive again. In that fleeting moment, the world around melted away, muffling all other sounds except the sound of our breathing. I observed his eyes, how they focused on mine. I scanned his features, as if trying to memorize them for one last time. The perfect slope of his nose; I could still feel his pillowy lips when I decided to look away, and walk past him without a word.

Goodbye, Sunjae.

Ryu Sunjae's Perspective

On my way to the cafeteria, I found myself running into Eunyoung. Her demeanor confused me to no end. Her head was hung low, with her eyes fixed on the ground and her hasty pace coming to a sudden halt on seeing me. And then when she looked up, the tears in her eyes that spilled down to her cheeks seemed to twist my heart in pain. Why did she look so heartbroken? Every part of me wanted to pull her in my embrace, but I held back. Her gaze met mine for a split second. Her eyes seemed to scan my face while I frowned in confusion. Then she looked in my eyes once again, as if for the last time, and then she proceeded to walk away all without uttering a single word.

All my hunger I felt previously seemed to melt away like snow on a sunny day and I went after her, breaking into a sprint. While I had stood there hesitating, she had disappeared into the crowd of college students. But my determination to find her and talk to her remained undeterred.

Stumbling out onto the pavement near the bus stop, I found her dragging her feet along the path, walking slowly, her steps short and slow. I ran to her and took a hold of her wrist, "Eunyoung!" She turned with hesitation, cautious and wary. Her eyes and nose had gone red and my heart ached to see her tear-stained face. Her lower lip trembled and her brows furrowed when she looked at me. When the bus made a great hissing sound she turned her attention to watch it drive away.

"I'm busy," she said with a eerie chill in her voice. Turning away, she walked off once more while I was left powerless, watching her disappear into the sea of people. Unwillingly, I began walking back to the school campus while a heartbreaking realization dawned upon me. I had lost Eunyoung, perhaps forever.

While this depressing monologue went on in my head, I heard someone call out my name. 

"Sunjae! God, I'm so-" Yumi exclaimed through shaky breath, and it seemed like she had been running, "I'm so glad I found you! Have you seen- have you seen Eunyoung?"

"Yeah, she was right here-" I pointed to the bus stop. But it was too late. Eunyoung was already getting onto the bus.

"You have to go after her!" Yumi urged, "I accidently told her that you were going-"

"Going where?" I asked impatiently, my voice laced with fear.

"America," she stated plainly, "Aren't you going today?"

"What?! No!"

"Shit," she cursed, "Anyways, you have to go! I don't know what crap it is that's stopping you from cutting the bullshit and being together, but I've had it! I'm not going to stand here and watch her cry like that for the rest of her life, so you better go and find her before I-"

I was already running towards home before she could finish what she was saying.

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nana's notes: they're getting their shit together in the next chapter i promise

delphi's notes: yumi has had enough lmfao

previous chapter next chapter: friday (out now!) list of chapters here!

⁺　ׂ　　⋆　 t-t-touch me, and you'll never be alone ☆

xlix. drifting away

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CHAPTER FORTY-NINE ─ drifting away.

❛ still want you all the time, still in a corner of my heart ❜

Choi Eunyoung's Perspective

A couple weeks after college lectures began, I felt as miserable as ever. It was as if I was living the same day over and over again. From the moment I opened my eyes, there was a throbbing pain in my head that weighed me down. As I went about my routine, I felt like a machine, soulless and mechanical. The feeling of regret had become increasingly oppressive, leaving my brain feeling foggy. I could feel a constant ache in my heart and my brain dwelled on my stupid, drunken actions.

Not only had I gone and confessed to Sunjae like an idiot, but I had also kissed him? I couldn't believe I had been so impulsive. Thinking about how uncomfortable he must have been made me want to bury my head in a hole in the ground. At the same time, I couldn't stop reminiscing on how magical the moment felt back then. His soft lips against mine, and the silent whisper of the crickets chirping on that chilly night; I could vividly remember the warmth of his body, and how it was like every inch of our bodies were meant to hold each other.

I had told myself a million times not to get worked up over a drunken kiss. I reminded myself several times that he hadn't said a word to me since I told him to forget about it. The logical part of me said that I did the right thing by apologizing, because in what universe would Ryu Sunjae like me? Yet, there was another voice in my head that said that he would have pushed me away of he didn't like me. There was something in the way he kissed me that I couldn't quite explain. Or maybe, I knew what it was, but admitting it meant that everything became real, and I don't think I was the least bit ready for it.

The truth was that in the fear of losing him, I had ended up pushing him further away from me. Maybe that was how it was meant to turn out all along. Maybe it was better this way. The further he stayed from me, the safer it was for him. My attention turned to the clock, and my movements became immediately hasty and panicked as I grabbed my bag and rushed out the door.

 Choi Yumi's Perspective

I dragged my feet along the pavement, my head hung and a yawn escaping my mouth. It wasn't even that early, yet I could already feel a strange sort of fatigue weighing me down. Ever since the field trip, I had spent several sleepless nights, contemplating everything that had happened. This third time travel had been the most eventful one by far, I realized. I would stare up that the ceiling in the middle of the night, millions of thoughts racing through my tangled head. 

I wondered what it all meant; Taesung offering to be my boyfriend to help me get rid of Minjun. Even after Minjun had given up on harassing me, Taesung and I were still "dating." Everyone knew about our "relationship" and the both of us agreed that it was best to put up a show for a while longer. But I couldn't help but wonder whether he had any ulterior motive in suggesting that?

Another thing that I couldn't stop thinking about was the way he had kissed me in front of the whole department. His touch, that felt demanding yet gentle at the same time, the sweet aftertaste of the kiss, and the distance between us that had finally disappeared for a few short, fleeting seconds, were all so vivid in front of my eyes. Every time the thought crossed my mind, I could practically feel his soft grip on my wrist, and the warmth in his touch that quieted all my fears. It was just for show, I told myself. But it all felt so real...

A high-pitched meow from somewhere in the  nearby bushes perked my attention as I followed the sound. I bent down when I saw a tiny, black kitten between the branches of a wild scrub that grew on the sidewalk. A smile surfaced on my face as I reached out a cautious hand to stroke it's little head. While I continued to pet it, I let out a chuckle as the kitten kept pushing it's head towards my hand every time I paused.

"Looks like you're having a good time."

I stood up abruptly on hearing Taesung's oh-so-familiar voice sound in my ears. For a good few seconds, I found myself staring at his face blankly. Somehow, I was always in awe of how good he looked, without trying at all. There hadn't been many moments him and I had spent alone since the field trip, and seeing him like this, outside school, with no one around made me feel oddly vulnerable and nervous.

"Where'd you come from?"

"That's not how you greet your boyfriend, now, is it?" he said cocking his head to a side, smirking. I scoffed at him.

"You're not really my boyfriend."

"For now I am," he argued.

"Only in front of others," I countered.

He went quiet for a couple moments, staring blankly at my face. I felt my cheeks heat up as the seconds passed by. I tried to distract myself by looking at the telephone pole behind him.

"How's your scar?" he asked suddenly, meeting my eyes, "Does it hurt anymore?"

I was definitely flustered, and muttered out some incoherent nonsense. He had never brought it up since we were in the hospital.

"What?"

"I said umm..." I said, trying to muster up some courage to answer him, "It doesn't hurt now, it's just there," I went quiet for a second and them asked, concerned, "How's your shoulder? Does it hurt anymore?"

"Nope," he said, putting on a fake brave face. But I could see the hurt behind his eyes, "It healed pretty quickly."

Seeing him trying to hide his pain made my heart ache like never before. Will things ever go back to the way they were?

☾⋆｡𖦹 °✩⋆｡° ✮

nana's notes: eunyoung you blind fool get yourself some glasses-

delphi's notes: taesung in the header TT

previous chapter next chapter: saturday (out now!) list of chapters here!

.˳⁺ ♱ i feel like i might sink and drown and die. . . (+☠️)

like the moodboard? it's a teaser for an upcoming fanfic! make sure u follow me and stay tuned! thank you, bye!! <33

𝐢𝐢. 𝗇𝖺𝗒𝗈𝗎𝗇𝗀'𝗌 𝗋𝖾𝖺𝖽𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗀𝗎𝗂𝖽𝖾

books to start the new year right!

Atomic Habits- James Clear

Ikigai- Francesc Miralles and Hector Garcia

The Compound Effect- Darren Hardy

The Magic of Thinking Big- David J. Schwartz

Big Magic- Elizabeth Gilbert

The Dip- Seth Godin

Eat That Frog!- Brian Tracy

Surrounded by Idiots- Thomas Erikson

Rich Dad Poor Dad- Robert Kyosaki

The Secret Life of Money- Daniel Davies and Tess Read

goodbye, 2023!

so obsessed with her lately 🍓 PS: sorry for the post and ghost 🫢🤐 edit: HELP- i was supposed to post this on my sideblog TT

xxxi. second chances

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CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE ─ second chances.

❛ cause in this city's barren cold, i still remember the fist fall of snow ❜

Narrator's Perspective

There's nothing like a good meal after a long day of work. Eunyoung and Yumi realized the credibility of this statement as they sat at the dining table in their apartment, munching away to glory, not uttering a word until every crumb of food from their plates had disappeared.

"I don't think we need to wash the dishes now," Yumi piped.

"It's not like we have the energy to do that anyways," Eunyoung replied, leaning back in her chair, sighing.

"Don't you sit on your CEO chair and order people around all day?" Yumi teased.

"Are you kidding?" she exclaimed, slightly offended. Her fatigue seemed to have hindered her ability to detect playful sarcasm, "I've been answering a million calls for the past two days, and all the reporters are dying to know all the details of Sunjae..." she trailed off- the words were too painful to utter, "Anyways, it's as if the whole office is working on the same case. Have you ever seen my eyes this puffy. I'm single-handedly improving the income of all tissue paper manufactures."

"God, forget I ever asked," Yumi muttered, putting her hands up.

"Tell me, how's stuff at our office?" Eunyoung changed the topic swiftly, "Any turbulence?"

"I wouldn't say turbulence," answered Yumi thoughtfully, "But this case I'm on right now is straight out of an Agatha Christie novel. This woman's husband got hit by a bus and he died. It seems so simple, but the woman is insisting that he was murdered. I can't tell you more because of attorney-client confidentiality, but it's completely nuts. Like, they should have given this case to- I don't know, Hercule Poirot or Sherlock Holmes, not me. I swear the woman's on crack or something because I've never met someone so ecstatic in my life. Taesung and I barely sat through the interview-"

"Wait wait what did you just say?" Eunyoung asked, suddenly sitting up straight, trying to make sure she didn't mishear Yumi.

"Huh?" Yumi went quiet suddenly, realizing that this was the first time she mentioned Taesung being on the case with her, "Oh, that's right. Kim Taesung is a cop now. Violent crimes division. Who would've imagined? Not me." She let out an unnatural giggle which definitely didn't sound like something that would come out of a sober person's mouth. 

"Girl, you're blabbering slow down," Eunyoung said, leaning on the table between them, looking straight into Yumi's eyes that were staring intently at the floor, "You're saying that Kim Taesung- high school delinquent became a cop? And he's working with you?  What is this? A badly written rom-com?"

"You think I'm making it up?" Yumi ejaculated defensively.

"I- goodness," Eunyoung sighed, her eyes blinking rapidly as her brain tried to digest all this new information, "After fifteen years. And it hasn't even been fifteen years since..."

Her thoughts trailed away. Her eyes landed on the CD player she moved to the living room in the hope that her heart would ache a little less. But there it was, staring down at her. There were a million different thoughts racing through her mind. How much pain must Yumi be in? Things had happened so fast for her, and she had no time to process the shock fully.

A bone-chilling wind entered through the kitchen window, goosebumps erupting on both of their arms. The world seemed to hold it's breath for a moment and the stillness was almost uncomfortable. Then, it started. It had started snowing, and the snow would soon wrap the whole city in a white, icy blanket; And it was just like the night of the Eclipse concert, starting slowly, then transitioning into a full-fledged storm. It wasn't unlike the news of Sunjae's death, that creeped up on her slowly, hardly believable at first and then becoming increasingly every second that passed. 

Eunyoung's hand reached for Yumi's, holding it tightly, "Are you okay?" the question was barely a whisper, because she knew that neither of them were.

"No."

The clock struck twelve, and the display on the CD player flashed, then showed the numbers 2:00. Then the walls around them melted away as they were flung through space and time once again.

💿

"Excuse me, you two girls!" the teacher's voice hollered through the classroom, "Sleeping in class, both of you sisters! Aren't you the slightest bit ashamed?"

Eunyoung and Yumi jerked awake, looking at each other as if to ask, "Is he talking about us?" Eunyoung's eyes took a quick glance at the calendar in the corner of the room. June 2008. She had to stop the sigh of relief from escaping her mouth. Sunjae was alive, and she had another chance to set things right. 

"Stand up when I'm talking to you!" the teacher's voice boomed as they both stood up abruptly, "Go stand at the back of the class! Sleeping while I'm explaining such important concepts... kids these days," he muttered in annoyance as Yumi and Eunyoung moved to the back of the class as a couple of kids snickered at them; But they couldn't care less. They had more pressing matters on their mind. 

I have to set things right. Yumi thought to herself with determination. Heck, she was ready to accept that she liked the stupid boy. She had to save him; Save him from the misery he would face in the future. She wanted to preserve that spark in his eyes, and she was willing to go to any lengths to do it. Ten days had already passed in this timeline. The clock was ticking, and she understood that she had to work fast.

"Why do we always end up in school when we switch timelines?" Eunyoung hissed in frustration as the bell went off.

☾⋆｡𖦹 °✩⋆｡° ✮

nana's notes: here we go! round two.

delphi's notes: they're motivated again guys.

next chapter: saturday (out now!) list of chapters here!

☆ ･ ˖ but if you're too drunk to drive . . .

like the moodboard? it's a teaser for an upcoming fanfic! make sure u follow me and stay tuned! thank you, bye!! <33

xxxiv. the rose that grew thorns

☾⋆｡𖦹 °✩⋆｡° ✮

CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR ─ the rose that grew thorns.

❛ my heart only wants you the moment you say no ❜

Narrator's Perspective

To Yumi, it seemed like all she did was stand and wait since she time travelled for the second time. But what other choice did she have? If she was completely honest with herself, she envied Sunjae and Eunyoung's instant connection. Things just seemed to fall into place for them. Not that they were completely carefree, though.

So, once again, she stood among the sea of students dispersing from school. The sun shone it's piercing rays over the campus, and the cheery chatter that filled the air along with the insane humidity was already giving Yumi a migraine. Her eyes searched the crowd for a messy-haired, cat-faced boy in a blinding biker jacket. 

The moment she spotted him, her eyes lit up, and her lethargic posture on the bench suddenly became erect as she practically sprinted across the street. "Taesung!"

He turned sharply to look at her, his expression as grim as ever.

"Look, I'm sorry for-"

"What the hell's the matter with you?!" he snapped at her, his face twisting with rage, "I don't know what sick prank you're playing with me. What exactly are you sorry for? That your mother comes and yells at me at seven in the morning?"

"Taesung, what?" Yumi tried to ask, her mind in utter confusion.

"She comes up to me before school, threatens me not to come near you or she would file a restraining order. And you come up to me not once, but twice, to apologize?" He said the last part like a question, as if it was just that shocking, "You're the one who asked me to piss off, so here I am, minding my own business and then you appear out of nowhere saying shit that barely makes sense. Look all I wanted to say is that it would be really great if you and your family stopped attacking me in the streets, thanks."

Heads were turning, and Yumi felt a lump in her throat and tears forming in her eyes. She lowered her head, and began walking away as her tears threatened to spill at any second.

Somewhere in the crowd, Eunyoung and Sunjae stood silently, watching the scene unfold before them. Eunyoung's heart twisted in pain. The story seemed to click in her mind as she came to a hurtful realization. Their mother must have overheard their conversation from the previous day.

"Sunjae I'm sorry, can we reschedule-" she began, but he cut her off.

"Go, go, I'll be fine, I swear," he urged. She said a quick thank you, running after Yumi.

 💿

Eunyoung unlocked the door to her house as fast as she could, rushing inside. When she stepped into the living room, her heart sank. Yumi was curled up on the couch, her knees drawn to her chest, sobbing uncontrollably. Without hesitation, Eunyoung hurried to her side, pulling her into a tight, comforting embrace. Yumi continued to weep into her shoulder, her tears soaking through Eunyoung's shirt.

Eunyoung had only seen her like this once before—when Yumi's mother had passed away. The sight of her closest friend in such deep pain tore at her heart. After what felt like forever, Yumi slowly pulled back, her voice trembling as she said, "It hurts, Eunyoung... it hurts so much. My chest feels like it's been stabbed, like there's a weight crushing it. I've... I've lost him, Eunyoung."

Tears filled Eunyoung's own eyes as she gently took Yumi's shaking hands in hers. "Oh, Yumi," she whispered, her voice thick with emotion.

"I've hurt him so much... He hates me now- hell, I hate myself!" Yumi cried, her words broken by sobs. Her face was drenched in tears, her eyes swollen and red, the tip of her nose glowing. The raw pain in her voice and the way she trembled made Eunyoung's heart ache even more as Yumi's sorrow spilled out through her shaking sobs.

"It's not your fault, Yumi," Eunyoung assured her. Her own voice shook, but even that couldn't hide her genuine belief in those words, "None of it is your fault, Yumi. You have believe that. For me. And for mom. You know how much she cares about you and never wants to see you hurt or grieving. She's trying her best to protect you, Yumi. The accident was a horrible tragedy and it was nobody's fault that it happened."

"I ruined his life," Yumi continued to weep, her throat beginning to ache, "I should have never been here in the first place!"

Eunyoung had never felt as helpless as she had in that moment, watching Yumi cry achingly. She tried as hard as she could to wipe her own tears that blurred her vision. 

"At the hospital," Eunyoung began, trying to gather herself, "He checked with me a million times if you were going to be okay. He made sure you would be alright before shifting rooms. He really cares about you, Yumi, I mean it. He does care. You need to remember that. You need to cling to that hope."

 Eunyoung could practically hear Taesung's earnest voice in her ears.

"Eunyoung, hear me out for a minute. I know you, your mom and everyone hates me and I'm like number one on your hitlist, but I just need to know one thing and I swear I'll get lost. Is Yumi going to be alright? Just tell me that much, cause I NEED to know. You just need to tell me that much and then I'm going to shift rooms. I promise I won't interfere with her life EVER again."

Yumi's sobbing reduced a little bit, and Eunyoung saw it as a small victory as she saw a little light returning to Yumi's swollen eyes.

"I really want to believe that," Yumi whispered.

"You should," Eunyoung affirmed, "Because it's true."

☾⋆｡𖦹 °✩⋆｡° ✮

nana's notes: sunjae being the considerate king that he is <3

delphi's notes: TAESUNG NOOOOOOO

next chapter: friday (out now!) list of chapters here!