"What should I say?

Where do I start?”

The end had always presented itself, Jihoon thought. It’s in the little things; the insignificant actions he failed to notice and led to an impending scattering of souls and a lifetime of heart break.

It’s in the way Seungcheol looked at him for the past weeks.

It’s in the day he stopped writing little notes to Jihoon every morning, before the latter wakes up.

It’s in the moment his smiles weren’t his anymore.

The end had always been there, just waiting for its chance to crawl its hands into their relationship.

“I don’t love you.

I’m sure you already know.”

They were at the living room together, Jihoon reading his book on the couch and Seungcheol just sitting next to him, when Seungcheol finally said it.

“Let’s break up.”

Jihoon froze. “W-What?” He turned to his side and looked at his boyfriend, his face adorned with shock.

Seungcheol sighed and shifted on his seat to face him, their eyes locked on each other. “Let’s break up.”

“B--But why?”

Seungcheol stared at him for a moment before speaking.

“I don’t love you anymore.”

“I don’t love you.

There’s no other reason.”

Maybe it was the effect of the strong drinks he had for the night, that Jihoon had the sudden courage to talk to Seungcheol. It’s been two weeks since he last saw the male, but Jihoon still hasn’t gotten over the fact that the person he chose to dedicate his life to had already left him.

He knocked hard on Seungcheol’s door, not caring that his knuckles are hurting.

A baffled Seungcheol opened the door, casting his eyes on Jihoon’s miserable form.

“Jihoon? What are you doing here? It’s three in the morning, for god’s sake!”

“Why?”

Seungcheol’s face furrowed. “What do you mean?”

“Why don’t-- why don’t you love me anymore?” Jihoon said, voice cracked and with tears streaming down his eyes.

“I.. I just don’t.”

The distressed male moved forward and clasped Seungcheol’s arm, looking him in the eyes. “You’re lying, right? That night we broke up, you lied, right? Please.. please say you’re just lying.”

Seungcheol looked away and removed his hold on his arm. “Go home, Jihoon. I can’t do anything for you. It’s over.”

Then he closed the door.

“I don’t even want to say

‘I’m sorry’ or ‘forgive me’”

It was a month later when Jihoon saw him with Sohye, Seungcheol’s next-door neighbor, holding hands and looking at each other with eyes full of love, in the restaurant they used to go to.

It took all of Jihoon’s willpower to not just break down and cry right there and then. Then he realized why everything took place.

Seungcheol left because having Jihoon is no longer enough for him.

Their love was no longer enough for Seungcheol to stay.

“This is how I really feel.

I don’t love you.”

The end had always presented itself, Jihoon thinks. It’s in the little things; the insignificant actions he failed to notice and led to an impending scattering of souls and a lifetime of heart break.

It’s in the way Seungcheol looked at him for the past weeks. It was a look of regret, but also a look of fading love.

It’s in the day he stopped writing little notes to Jihoon every morning, before the latter wakes up. He stopped, because he had someone else to write those little notes to.

It’s in the moment his smiles weren’t his anymore. His smiles were no longer for Jihoon. They were for someone else.

The end had always been there, and it crawled its hands into their relationship in the worst way possible.