Xxi. Clarity In The Darkness

xiii. pieces of my shattered heart

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CHAPTER THIRTEEN ─ pieces of my shattered heart.

❛ even in my worst times, you saw the best in me ❜

Narrator's Perspective

Taesung found himself lingering around the music club after the rest of his bandmates had left. He tried his best to explain to himself why he was waiting there. He had nothing to do after going home anyway. May as well hang around there for a while; But at the back of his mind, he knew he was waiting in hopes of seeing her.

As if she was listening to his thoughts, Yumi emerged from her usual practice room. Trying to act nonchalant, he pretended to look around.

"You're still here?" she asked. He turned to look at her, "Yeah, I'm just passing time."

"Oh."

The awkwardness in the air was painfully obvious.

"Why are you standing there like that?" he asked her.

"Like what?"

"Don't you have to go home?"

"Why are you trying to get rid of me?" she questioned suspiciously, "Are you in trouble? Doing something wrong?"

"Why do you assume the worst of me?" he demanded of her.

"Can you blame me?" she shrugged, "You're the spitting image of a delinquent. You look like the kind of guy who would beat up kids in a dark alleyway."

"Thanks for telling me what you really think of me."

"You're welcome," she answered with a sarcastic smile.

He scoffed, getting up and making his way towards the exit. Yumi was left confused at his strange behaviour, but still followed him out, realizing she needed to go home.

She saw Taesung standing sighing on the pavement. In a split second, before she could comprehend what was happening, he turned around rapidly, grabbing her by the waist and looking into her eyes with an unblinking gaze. The thumping of Yumi's heart sounded in her ears. The touch ignited a spark inside her as her eyes widened. She could hardly make sense of what she felt at that moment.

"Is she gone?" he asked.

"Huh?" Yumi squeaked out, conscious of the warmth on her face.

"The girl standing across the streets; Is she gone?"

"There's no one there."

She stumbled backwards as he let go with no word of warning. There was no way to calm the rapid beating of her heart. All she could think of was that she wanted to run away. She wasn't ready to face whatever the hell she was feeling.

"I have to study for a test," she yelped, breaking into a run.

She ran all the way home.

💿

Eunyoung stood waiting at the bus stop. She distinctly remembers going home alone every day in the past, but somehow, today Sunjae's absence affected her greatly. She missed his company, his sweet gestures and the way he made her laugh. The bus doors opened in front of her. There was no queue as per usual, but she couldn't get onto the bus. It felt as if a supernatural force was holding her back. In her hesitation, the automatic bus doors closed and the bus went on without her.

Her feet led her straight to the swimming pool. It was almost an unconscious decision. When it came to Sunjae, she seemed to act without thinking. She felt it was strange as she had always been a rational person, so why was she acting like this now?

On spotting one of the swim team members she interviewed, she went up to him and asked, "Hey, I was wondering if you've seen Sunjae?"

"You're looking for Sunjae?" he repeated, his voice laced with hesitation to answer her question, "It might not be my place to tell you this, but he was rushed to the hospital this morning."

Choi Eunyoung's Perspective

My breathing had become heavy, my vision blurred with tears and my entire body trembled in shock as I stumbled up the hospital stairs to see where Sunjae was. I could hardly believe it; I thought I averted his injury. How could this happen? How could I let this happen?

The lady at the reception told me that he had just come for a check-up and consultation and that she couldn't reveal anything more. After that, they practically kicked me out of the place and I was left sitting on the bench outside the hospital, my eyes spilling out buckets of tears.

The familiar pang of self-doubt twisted in my gut. A wave of nausea washed over me – a crushing failure to safeguard him. My mind spun, questioning my very presence in this past. Was I just a fabricated hope, a delusion of control? Was Sunjae's fate an immovable monolith, destined to crush him regardless of my intervention? The questions echoed in the hollowness of my chest, a chilling mirror to the grief that shattered me upon learning of his death. It felt as if my heart, once a fragile hope, had shattered into a million, irreparable pieces, each shard piercing through my skin as an unwelcome revelation dawned upon me.

Ryu Sunjae's Perspective

The palm of my father's hand crashed against my cheek, pain erupting on my face. Tears began to form in my eyes as I avoided his gaze. I had no desire to look at the disappointment in his eyes, which I already felt from within. The meagre physical pain couldn't compare to the storm of self-hatred that raged within me. Years of gruelling training, the sting of chlorine in my eyes, the ache in my muscles─ all replayed in my mind as if I needed to be reminded of everything I went through during my time as a swimmer that had now come to an abrupt halt. 

"You dare talk about quitting in front of me! If you ever say such nonsense again, don't you ever think of coming home!"

That was the last straw for Sunjae.  He ran blindly, the sting of tears mixing with the salty remnants of the pool on his face. He didn't care where his feet were taking him, just as long as they were taking him away from the crushing weight of his father's disappointment and the prison of his own unfulfilled dreams. His vision blurred to the point where he could no longer see the road in front of him.

Just then, he felt the touch of a familiar, delicate hand grab hold of his wrist and he came to a stop. As he wiped his tears, the sight of Eunyoung standing before him became increasingly clear. He was stunned, momentarily forgetting his sorrow that came crashing back in an instant. That was when he noticed the tears flowing from Eunyoung's eyes as she embraced him in a despairing hug. He could feel her sobbing against his shoulder, breathing heavily.

"Eunyoung, I─"

"I know," she cried as her grip around his shoulders tightened. 

Sunjae too began to sob uncontrollably, wrapping his arms around Eunyoung's waist. Words were unnecessary. In that embrace, Sunjae found a solace he hadn't known he craved. The weight of his father's disappointment, the crushing burden of his secret – it all seemed a little less unbearable with her arms wrapped around him. He clung to her silently in the middle of that dark narrow lane as the world around them seemed to dissolve.

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nayoung's notes: i just want to be hugged by sunjae. that is my new goal in life. this chapter was such a rollercoaster ride. hope you enjoyed!

delphi's notes: yumi's accusations are too funny istg. sunjae and eunyoung must be protected o((>ω< ))o

next chapter: saturday list of chapters here!

he is gay AND european. and mood, liam, fr.

William: I don't need women, I have Shakespeare.

xlviii. hopeless

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CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT ─ hopeless.

❛ i just woke up from a dream where you and i had to say goodbye ❜

Narrator's Perspective

"Sunjae," Inhyuk said to him while they were packing up, ready to leave.

(note- in this fic, both inhyuk and taesung attend yeonseo university with yumi and eunyoung -n.)

Sunjae, jumped a little and turned to look at him. He was still thinking of the kiss from the previous night, and his heart still fluttered as he remembered each and every detail...

"What?"

"I need to tell you something important," he began, looking suspicious.

Sunjae raised an eyebrow at him, "What is it?"

"Remember last night? I was helping you look for your shirt that got lost?" 

"And then I found you snoozing in your bed later?" reminded Sunjae with a spiteful yet playful scowl, "Yeah, I remember that."

"Sorry about that," Inhyuk said briefly, "But I have a reason."

"Is that so?"

"Yes," he replied, "When we got separated, I...  went looking for you, and well... I saw you. I saw you and Eunyoung near the stage."

Sunjae's eyes went wide, "How much did you see?"

"Enough."

There was an awkward silence between the boys that lasted for a few seconds. A blush of embarrassment rose up Sunjae's cheeks. "So... you know?"

"Yeah," Inhyuk replied, "I swear, when I saw the two of you I was so in shock that at first I couldn't move. Then I decided it would be best to get out of there."

Sunjae looked down and mumbled, "Yeah, that was probably wise."

Inhyuk couldn't help but laugh at his friend acting like a completely different person from the Sunjae he had always known. He elbowed him in the ribs and teased, "So~ things are going to start heating up for you now, huh?"

"Stop it," Sunjae said, turning away to hide his face that was a smiling, blushing mess.

As they made their way out of the tent, dragging their luggage along, they ran right into Eunyoung and Yumi, who were going to where the crowd of students gathered. Everyone let out expressions of surprise and murmured their greetings. Eunyoung's expression was unnaturally grave and serious when she looked at Sunjae and said, "Can we talk for a minute?"

Sunjae tried his hardest to suppress his smile when he answered, "Sure."

Following Eunyoung's rather hurried pace, Sunjae followed her to a clearing where no one was there to eavesdrop. She suddenly came to a halt and turned to look at him. Sunjae couldn't decipher her expression. It was a mix of irritation and shame and it made no sense to him.

"What's wrong?" he questioned with furrowed brows.

"I wanted to say sorry about last night," she started off. Sunjae's eyes widened. The truth was that it hurt every part of her being to tell him this, because she wanted to believe so badly that the events of the previous day meant something. But Eunyoung felt far too guilty about Sunjae's death to let herself think that. "I was really drunk last night and I did something so impulsive. It must have been uncomfortable for you, so I wanted to apologize. I'm really sorry, Sunjae. I hope you can pretend that it never happened."

With every word that Eunyoung spoke, he felt his heart twist and break into a million pieces before his eyes. His throat felt choked and the chilly mountain air started to slowly suffocate him. His entire body felt the shock on hearing her tell him it was all a mistake. His brain cursed at him for thinking someone as beautiful and perfect as Eunyoung could ever see him in that way. His feet felt rooted in the ground as he stood before Eunyoung, not daring to utter a single word.

After she had finished speaking, he stared at her face for a few moments quietly. Her hair framed her face, cascading down her shoulders in such a casual and effortless manner that took Sunjae's breath away. He gave himself a moment to think about how unfair it was that she looked like a fallen angel despite being hungover.

"If that's what you want," he murmured out, looking down at the ground to hide his teary eyes. He heard her footsteps as she walked away, the sound fading away into the distance as the tears cascaded down his face, not making a sound.

💿

"You're not sitting with your boyfriend?" Eunyoung asked Yumi who took the seat next to her on the train, "Or fake boyfriend, I should say."

"Keep your voice down," Yumi hissed, checking to see if anyone had heard her, "I haven't spoken to him since last night. I don't have the energy to deal with this right now."

Eunyoung let out a deep sigh, "Why have our love lives suddenly become so complicated?"

"It's all so overwhelming," Yumi nodded in agreement, "But you're acting so stupid. Why did you tell him to forget about it? Don't you like him?"

"I do, but-"

"Then, there! You have it!" Yumi exclaimed, "You like him, so what's the problem?"

"He never said he liked me back!" Eunyoung emphasized.

"Does he have to?" Yumi asked, feeling irritated at her ignorance, "Have you seriously never noticed how he looks at you? Like you're his whole world?"

"I can't let myself believe that," Eunyoung lowered her gaze, fixing her eyes at the blue carpeting below her feet, "The truck driver in Sunjae's accident was my dad."

"Oh," Yumi shrunk back. She reached for Eunyoung's hand, "Eunyoung..."

"It's my fault," she said, feeling her eyes well up with tears, "I was given the chance to protect him and I couldn't do it. I don't deserve him. I'd rather die in his place."

"You can still save him."

"What if I can't?"

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nana's notes: depressing chapter ._.

delphi's notes: just eunyoung proving that love is deaf, dumb and blind

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

lvi. on and off-stage drama

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CHAPTER FIFTY-SIX ─ on and off-stage drama.

❛ i swear i don't love the drama, it loves me ❜

Choi Eunyoung's Perspective

"What?!" I breathed out, "Inhyuk's going back to his village? Taesung and Jay are quitting Eclipse? What- what do you mean by that?"

"Exactly," Sunjae nodded remorsefully, "They're saying that they'll finish this festival performance one last time and then quit. But Inhyuk's already left. He's staying with his parents in his village."

It felt as if my entire world was falling apart. I couldn't let this happen. I was supposed to change the future for the better, not create a bigger mess. I had to fix this, by whatever means necessary. 

"Well, we gotta stop this," I said decisively, "Let's talk to Taesung after rehearsal."

"It's a plan," Sunjae said, smiling. His face twisted into an expression of shock when he looked at his watch, "Oh! We're ten minutes late!"

Narrator's Perspective

"What language is this, even?" Yumi exclaimed looking at the script, "Thou lovs't me not with the full weight that I love thee? This nutjob has written the entire play like this! How did I even pass the audition?"

The other students who were part of the cast sat and watched the 'couple' in adoration instead of revising their scripts. They whispered and giggled uncontrollably, much to Yumi's irritation. Taesung, however, was not-so-secretly enjoying it. He was basking in the attention, and the fact that people thought he and Yumi were a real couple made his heart swell with joy.

"You'll do fine," he placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. His touch still made sparks dance across her skin. He leaned towards her face and gave her a smile, "We've got plenty of time, hmm?"

"What's your role anyways?" Yumi asked, looking anywhere but at his face.

"Oliver," he answered, not shifting his gaze.

Yumi began furiously flipping through the pages of the script. All of a sudden, she gasped, "Seriously?"

"What?" Taesung asked, sitting next to her, peering into the script.

"Oliver and Celia get married at the end?" she scoffed, but her flushed face said otherwise, "On the basis of what? I swear Shakespeare was on crack each time he picked up his pen."

"How could you say such a thing about him?" Eunyoung said. She had just gotten there along with Sunjae, "Why hasn't rehearsal started yet?"

"Well, the director suddenly fell sick so the writers told us to revise on our own for today," Taesung explained.

"Oh, we ran here for no reason," Sunjae said, chuckling while shooting a knowing glance at Eunyoung. Eunyoung smiled back, "I know right?"

"Ooooh, damn are you two a thing now?" asked one of the girls sitting close to them, eavesdropping.

"How 'bout you mind your own business?" Yumi sneered with hostility.

"How am I supposed to ignore it when they're flirting right in front of me?"

"Maybe you need a lesson on personal space?" Yumi said, taking a step away from her. 

The girl rolled her eyes, then picked up her things and walked off, muttering under her breath.

"You seem to be in a mood today," Eunyoung observed.

"You can thank Shakespeare for that," Yumi replied.

"I don't know why you hate a man who died several centuries ago," Eunyoung uttered.

"I don't know why you like a man who died several centuries ago," Yumi countered.

"I don't like the man, I just thing his work had a timeless element to it."

"And so here we are."

"Okay, okay, stop the bickering," Taesung said waving his hand between them.

"We're not bickering," Yumi shrugged.

"That's just how we get along," Eunyoung agreed, giving Yumi a small smile.

"As long as there's no bloodshed, I'm good," Taesung said.

"How's the prep for the Eclipse performance going?" Yumi asked eagerly. Her question was followed by a long, awkward silence. Taesung stared at Sunjae, Sunjae glanced at Eunyoung, and Eunyoung looked at Yumi nervously.

"I guess you don't know," Sunjae said as gently as he could, "Inhyuk left for his village, because he wanted to help his parents out... He's also planning on dropping out."

"What?!" Yumi exclaimed. Heads turned to see what the commotion was about. She stood, completely stunned for few seconds, "What's going to happen to your band?" She shot a worried look at Eunyoung, as if to say What is happening? Is this our fault?

"Taesung, didn't you-" Eunyoung gestured him not to mention it, shaking her head as subtly as she could. She didn't want to give Taesung and Yumi a reason to argue again. Sunjae covered up his blunder, "Didn't you say you were going to call him?"

"Um... yeah I was," said Taesung, glad that they hadn't mentioned to Yumi that he was going to leave the band, "He didn't pick up."

"So, Sunjae and I were thinking," Eunyoung began, "That we go and visit his village and bring him back to his senses. What do you think?"

"I'm in," Taesung said, looking at Yumi, his eyes full of expectation.

"What if we can't convince him?"

"Oh, you pessimist," Eunyoung groaned, "If he doesn't agree voluntarily, then we'll kidnap him, okay? Are you in or not?"

"I'm in," she said, realizing she wasn't left with much of a choice.

"Good," said Sunjae, "We leave tomorrow?"

"Yeah," said everyone in unison.

There were a few minutes of silence as they all went back to reading their scripts. A moment later, Eunyoung looked up, "Hey, Taesung?"

"Hmm?"

"I had to ask you about that..." she trailed off.

Taesung frowned with confusion, but the realization hit him soon enough and she said, "Oh,  right. Of course," he said, getting up, "We'll be back."

Yumi and Sunjae watched them get up and go outside the auditorium.

"That was weird," Yumi said, furrowing her brows.

"Breathe if you're jealous."

💿

"Any updates?" she asked Taesung, "About my dad? Was the information I gave conclusive enough?"

"Yeah, they've started the investigation," he answered, "My dad said that considering his history, he'll most likely get a life sentence. He wanted me to ask if it's okay with you."

"Yes, absolutely," Eunyoung said decisively. 

Taesung blinked a few times, "Okay, if that's what you want."

"It is."

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nana's notes: bet u didn't see that one coming

delphi's notes: yumi and sunjae are such an awkward duo lmfao 

xxxvi. those eyes

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CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX ─ those eyes.

❛ we got nothing else to do, and nothing else to lose ❜

Choi Eunyoung's Perspective

Time seemed to be rolling by as I tried my best to help Sunjae with algebra. His dread had considerably reduced, and I thought it was good enough. I had given him a few problems to solve on his own, and I was sitting with my back turned to him. I couldn't help but stare at the pictures on the shelf of Sunjae at his swimming tournaments. So many of them decked the walls. It made me realize just how huge his swimming career must have been. I could almost feel his hurt when he was forced to quit. It filled me with a strange determination and protectiveness. I wanted to save him so desperately.

Then there were other, rather trivial and silly thoughts racing through my mind. Even with wet hair sticking to his face, he looked as handsome as ever. The teenager inside me seemed to be staring at his astonishing figure. I had never realized how incredible his proportions were. Wide shoulders with a torso that tapered towards the waist. I quickly looked away, hot-faced.

I shifted my gaze to my bedroom window which I could see from Sunjae's window. They were so close by. My mind couldn't fathom how all these years, I had been so close to Sunjae; If I had just opened my eyes and sought him out...

Fate had brought us together by some miracle that even I couldn't explain. It was magic. Like some kind of supernatural forces were working to bring us closer. My heart yearned to hold onto the hope that destiny would do it's part and Sunjae would get the happy ending he deserved. Every night was me shutting down the self-doubt that I didn't have the power to change anything.

My eyes fell on the clock, and that was when I realized we had been studying for more than two hours. I quickly shifted back to where Sunjae was sitting, and found him sleeping silently with his head resting on his hands. A smile surfaced on my face. You've worked hard, Sunjae. I placed my two hands on the space next to him and rested my head in a way that I could look at him. My eyes examined his features, as if I was trying to memorize every little detail on his face. His eyes were shut softly, his face showing no signs of discomfort or pain. This is how I wished him to be forever. At peace. The moment my gaze landed on his lips, it was as if a magnetic force prevented me from looking away. Perfect, pillowy... they looked so soft. My mind wandered back to the time we had almost kissed- maybe that was my imagination? I had no idea.

Then, his eyes opened slowly, blinkingly. I was taken aback, but I remained motionless, unable to divert my gaze. At first, I witnessed a confusion in his eyes and then we seemed to melt into each other's gaze. In that moment, our eyes seemed to be delivering professions of love our mouths could never have the courage to voice.

To shatter the moment, the turn of the doorknob sounded in the room, and we weren't nearly quick enough to pull away when Sunjae's dad entered the room. We were suddenly jerked awake, back to reality in an instant. I sat up completely straight, blinking rapidly. 

"Oh, dear, I'm sorry, I-" Sunjae's dad trailed off, a smirk appearing on his face. He backed away, closing the door, leaving me and Sunjae in a state of awkwardness.

"Talk about bad timing," Sunjae muttered, in response to which Eunyoung forced out a chuckle. Did he really have to walk in at that moment? 

"I should get going then," I said, rubbing the back of my neck and gathering my books, "It's been, what, two hours? Let's continue next time?"

"Yeah," he said. Neither of us seemed to know what to say or how to act, "What about the practice problems?"

"Homework?"

He laughed, and it almost sounded genuine. I smiled at him.

"Thanks," he called out just as I was leaving, following me down the staircase, "Thanks for doing this for me."

"Anytime."

When we came down to the living room, it was almost as if his dad had been waiting, smirking this whole time. I didn't have it in me to say anything to him, so I gave him a quick bow as I made my way to the front door, Sunjae close behind me. Just before I went home, our eyes met once again. Our lips stretched into a smile, as if it was instinct. And then I was off. 

Despite my evident embarrassment, the moment in Sunjae's room had made one thing astonishingly clear. I was in love with Ryu Sunjae, and there was no going back.

💿

On reaching home, I was met with a full on interrogation by my mother. Her flushed face and eyes wide with rage made me realize that she must have fought with Yumi. A sense of guilt washed over me because I couldn't help Yumi as much as I hoped to.

"Where were you?" she asked me, her voice irritable.

"I was at Sunjae's house," I explained calmly, "I'm helping him study."

She went quiet, and sat down on the couch. I took the seat beside her and grabbed her hand, "It's not Taesung's fault, you know," I said gently.

"I know..." she whispered.

💿

I sat in my room, deep in thought as my mind replayed todays events over and over. I had the most trivial anxieties racing through my brain. I sat staring at Sunjae's window, trying to make sense of the mess in me. I could practically see Sunjae's eyes staring into mine. I didn't want to get my hopes up by thinking that Sunjae replicated my feelings. At the same time, the fear of losing him crept in my mind, gnawing on my self- doubt.

I scribbled another note on a piece of paper- "If you ask for flowers, don't be surprised if it starts to rain. The hardships you're facing are only temporary. Happier days are coming."

The moment after the paper airplane landed on Sunjae's window, my phone buzzed, interrupting my train of thoughts. It was a text message from my father.

Eunyoung, I want to meet you, I've missed you.

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nana's notes: this chapter was a whole rollercoaster ride tbh

delphi's notes: someone check on yumi pls

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

It's my 1 year anniversary on Tumblr 🥳

omg 😭 i cant believe its been a year!!

◎﹒⊹ ﹔ . . . feels like we had matching wounds, but mine's still black and bruised and yours is perfectly fine.

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

posting this in light of gojo's birthday yesterday!!

(psst... @the-one-and-only-delphi she's defrosting)

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CHAPTER FIFTY-FOUR ─ expect the unexpected.

❛ you're so lovely, when you cry, it hurts me ❜

Narrator's Perspective

Sunjae rang the doorbell and stood nervously before Eunyoung's front door, anticipating someone to open the door. All day, only thoughts of Eunyoung occupied his mind. Worry clouded his thoughts as he kept wondering how she was doing, would she be okay, would she miss him? A few moments later, just as he was about to leave because he thought no one must be there to open the door, Eunyoung's mother opened the door, glaring down at him spitefully.

"You must be Sunjae," she said unblinkingly, "I've heard a lot about you."

"I'm here to see Eunyoung," he blurted out, swallowing his fear, "Yumi said she was sick."

"Wait here."

And she disappeared into the house. Sunjae took off his shoes and stepped into their living room. He was met with a sense of familiarity, recalling the day he found out he could never swim again, and Eunyoung was there for him as a pillar of support, offering priceless comfort and kindness, as she always had; And they had been moments away from kissing. The moment had been fleeting, almost as if they imagined it all. Now, they were together at last, nothing holding them back. Eunyoung had brought happiness back into his life after he was forced to give up on his dream. Thinking back, Eunyoung was his only reason to keep going...

"She's inside," Eunyoung's mother told him, her previous cold demeanor had thawed, seeing his worried frown and nervous behavior, "You can go and see her."

"Thank you," he gave a quick bow and entered the room Eunyoung's mother had pointed to. It must have been Eunyoung's room, and he paused for a brief second taking it all in. A couple of picture frames of her with her family and a couple of bookshelves lined with various books. A subtle sterile scent of medicine had settled in the room, along with the aroma of some kind of soothing balm. He finally laid his eyes on Eunyoung, sitting on her bed with a white blanket draped over her body. A bowl of water with a napkin was placed at her bedside table with care- presumably by her mother.

Eunyoung's face melted into a warm, welcoming smile as her eyes met Sunjae's. He smiled back, and it was like honey dripping from his crescent-moon-eyes. He quickly took a seat on the chair beside the bed, "I was so worried," he said, taking her hands, caressing them softly as he spoke, "Yumi said you got a hundred degree fever."

"Oh please!" Eunyoung exclaimed, trying her hardest to ignore the heat on her face when he held her hands, "She must have said that to make you feel guilty. My temperature has gone down now. I'll be fine by tomorrow. It's nothing to worry about."

"How could I not worry about you?"

Eunyoung's face turned a bright red, her eyes widening.

"Your face looks flushed, what's wrong?" he asked, concerned, placing the back of his hand on her cheek, "You're so warm! I can leave if you need to rest-"

"Don't go!" Eunyoung called out as he stood up, grabbing a hold of his hand. It was now Sunjae's turn to blush like a fool. His heart swelled with the warmth of Eunyoung's touch. He slowly turned back and sat once again, "Are you sure?"

"I'm sure," Eunyoung answered with no hesitation, "I want you here."

💿

"YOU DID WHAT?" Yumi bellowed at Taesung. Taesung shrunk back, his ears left in pain from the unexpected power in her voice.

"Shhh!" he hissed at her. They were currently at the bus stop, and people turned to look at them.

"Oh, look they're having a lovers' quarrel!"

"Young love, oh!"

Taesung felt his face flush as he leaned closer to her. "People are looking," he muttered under his breath, trying to deflect the growing attention.

"I can see that," she snapped back, her arms crossed in frustration, "But how the hell did you in your right mind enroll me to act in a Shakespeare play? Did I seem like that kind of girl to you? Because I'm not!"

Taesung stayed silent for a few seconds. He couldn't find the words to tell her that he wanted to spend more time with her. They had been separated after that horrible accident, and he finally had an excuse to see her. It made him feel at peace again. Like a part of him that had been forcefully taken away had returned to him. Now he had no choice but to hold on to her for dear life, praying that she wouldn't leave again.

"I'm sorry," was all he could mutter.

Yumi's heart sank watching his posture droop and his eyes focus on the ground. She hadn't meant to be that harsh, she was just shocked at his sudden decision, "No... I'm not mad. Just surprised... It's okay. I can do it. We get some kind of participation reward too right? I'll do it."

A flicker of life returned to Taesung's eyes at her reluctant acceptance. "You don't have to if you don't want to-" he began, his voice lifting slightly with hope.

"No, it's fine," she assured, waving her hand in front of her face. She didn't want to hurt him. Not again. Not after everything they had been through, "I'll have a bad image if I back down, anyways. And it could be fun, right?!"

"Yeah, Sunjae, Eunyoung, Inhyuk are all there," he replied, his face lighting up with an enthusiastic smile that always had the power to melt her defenses. Watching him, Yumi felt a warmth spread through her chest, the tension easing as memories of their past together flickered in her mind. Despite the rough start, she couldn't help but feel a spark of hope rekindling between them.

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nana's notes: sunjae and eunyoung are literally so precious i cannot even-

delphi's notes: yumi's soft spot for taesung is reviving my will to live

list of chapters here! next chapter: friday

﹒ ʬʬ ﹒₊﹒✶﹑kissin' and hope they caught us﹏ ﹪

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

oc by: @the-one-and-only-delphi

xxxii. your embrace

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CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO ─ your embrace.

❛ now i need someone to hold be my fire in the cold ❜

Choi Yumi's Perspective

"The kitten's grown."

The moment those words left my mouth, I wanted to slap myself really hard. I had been waiting outside the Jagam High Music Club for what felt like an eternity. Each passing minute felt endless, but I endured through my impatience because I wanted to see Kim Taesung. I wanted to sincerely apologize for every thoughtless word I said to him. And when I finally spotted him feeding the kitten on the sidewalk, looking just as gorgeous as ever, all I could say was "The kitten's grown?" I had never acted more stupid in my life

He turned to look at me, and his eyebrows raised in curiosity seemed to fall and his expression changed. His eyes look blank and lifeless, reminding my of the future that I had recently witnessed. He focused his gaze on the ground, as if he was trying to distract himself.

"Oh, it's you."

His words seemed to break my heart in a split second. My mind recalled all the moments I had spent with him in the past. His witty remarks, his humor that was slightly rude, were all vivid in front of my eyes. But now, all that was gone, replaced by a grim, cold boy that I barely recognized. That side of him that only I seemed to know had disappeared, and it was all my fault.

He stood up, facing me now, and my stupid heart began hammering against my chest.

"I- I wanted to say... that I'm sorry," I mumbled out. Another internal slap. That sounded completely insincere. Like someone had forced me to apologize. What was wrong with me? Where had all my communication skills gone off to?

Choi Eunyoung's Perspective

I pushed the door as I entered the swimming pool area as quietly as I possibly could. Immediately, the smell of chlorine hit my nose and the still, cool air that hung over the entire room sent a shiver down my spine. I closed the door behind me, making barely a sound as my eyes scanned my surroundings. There was a wall on my right, and a door on my left leading to a locker room. All the windows had been closed and the only source of illumination was from some dim lights put up on the walls.

I had run into Inhyuk while I was about to meet Sunjae at his house, who told me that Sunjae had gone to the swimming pool because he apparently "left something there." The statement brought an inexplicable anxious feeling that tightened my chest and I came to the school swimming pool as quickly as I could.

A soft sobbing sound fell upon my ears that grew louder as I moved towards the source of the sound. Then I saw him. Sunjae. He was sitting right at the edge of the swimming pool. legs crossed and his head in his hands, crying softly. My raised eyebrows and curious eyes morphed into a face of unwelcome realization. My heart seemed to crack and shatter the longer I watched him. Swimming was everything to him. And all of a sudden, he had to quit. When I thought about the amount of pain he must have been in, it made me want to scream and curse at his fate. I felt that same tightening feeling in my chest as I approached him slowly, mindful of the wet floor.

Ryu Sunjae's Perspective

I felt a pair of arms gently wrap around my shoulders. The action was sudden, unexpected; Especially because no one was around when I checked; But strangely, instead of resisting, I found myself melting into the embrace. A part of me knew. That it was her. With hesitation, I lifted my head, my face wet with tears as I heaved another sob and looked at Eunyoung's face that seemed to reflect the pain I felt inside.

"Eunyoung," I breathed out, my sobbing stopping momentarily, "I was-"

"You don't have to explain," she assured me, her own voice sounding choked, as if she was holding back tears. She was kneeling on the wet floor behind me, her arms clinging onto me, as if she was afraid to let go. All my pain seemed to suddenly disappear in that moment as my face began feeling warmer and butterflies seemed to take flight in my stomach. Her touch sent chills down my spine every single time.

She closed her eyes tightly, as tears spilled out of her eyes. With each drop that cascaded down her cheeks, I felt my heart break. She pulled away and sat facing me while trying to blink away the tears in her eyes. "Sunjae, I," her voice faded away as she tried to compose herself before speaking again. As her hand reached up to caress my face, I felt my heart skip a beat. Choi Eunyoung what are you doing to me?

"I never want you to be in pain. It hurts to see you like this, Sunjae. You never have to feel like you need to bottle up your feelings. Because I'm here for you. And I always will be."

The moment she said those words, I couldn't help but pull her into another embrace and burst into tears. My arms wrapped tightly around her waist as I sobbed into the nape of her neck. I felt the surprise in her body, but instead of pushing me away, her hands rested lightly on my head, caressing my hair with a kind of care I had never felt before. I didn't know how much I needed to hear those words, because they seemed to reassure me in ways that I had never felt before.

Then, at the perfect time to ruin the moment, there was a crashing sound outside. Both of us jumped severely as we slipped because of the wet floor and plunged into the pool that was barely inches away from us. The second that the cold water hit my body, soaking all my clothes, I felt my hands reaching for Eunyoung, who was struggling. I held her shoulders tightly as she steadied herself. My eyes scanned her as I asked frantically, "Are you alright? You aren't hurt or anything are you?"

Her widened eyes seemed to stare at me for a few moments before answering, "No... I'm just a little shaken," her nose crinkled up, "And I think some water went up my nose."

I chuckled at her adorable expression. She's just too cute, I found myself thinking.

"Let's get out of here?"

"You don't have to ask me twice."

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nana's notes: i came up with this cute idea during a lecture btw my brain never take s a break <3 also someone needs to check on yumi, like is she okay??

delphi's notes: aw they fell in the pool. *ERROR* yumi's communications not found ⚠️

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