[word count : 1003] [post] [gifs by luhtella]

he looked out of his bedroom window, only to see the sight of beautiful snowflakes drifting with the cold winds, slowly covering the city. it hasnt snowed this much for the past few years, so this sight of white was something he cherished.

he stood there, just admiring how snow was building up on the sides of his window panes. he was unsure how many more winters he can experience so he intends to appreciate every single moment.

he checked the time and realised it was time to head out. it will be quite a challenge to drive in this weather so its better to leave earlier, he thought to himself. he grabbed his keys, wallet and his jacket before closing the door behind him.

luckily the car started without any difficulty, and within a few minutes, he was driving towards his destination. he had been waiting for this day to come, and now that it is here, he is quite excited and the smiles on his face reflected the happiness within.

“… soo, i hope you are well. we havent spoken to each other for awhile now but i thought i wanted you to know that my flight is confirmed. i will be back home for good, after three years in a foreign country. i managed to find a temporary rental about thirty minutes from the city, so i will be staying there first until we figure things out. i have attached the apartment address below. will you come meet me once im back? but if you dont want to, i wont force you. you suddenly stopped communicating with me six months ago so im unsure if you will agree to my request. please give me that chance. xx, jongin …”

suddenly, his deep thoughts were interrupted by a loud ringing sound in his ears. it is happening again. he grabbed the steering wheel hard, to keep control of his skidding vehicle as he felt a sharp pain on the right side of his head.

his vision got blurry yet he was sure he saw the image of jongin clearly in his rear view mirror.

“jongin-ah …”

———-

it was half past seven, the skies have turned dark and he could see light rainfall against the dim streetlights. he arrived late last night and was still somewhat jetlagged, but right now, he is waiting anxiously for his favourite person to appear.

hyung should have been here by now because he is never late, he thought to himself. he was getting worried, especially when he saw the news reported that there was a heavy snowfall in the city area. since this cafe is located in the outskirts, it was not affected by heavy snow yet. but the wet roads may be quite tough to drive on.

his text messages to him had no replies, his calls were unanswered too. he was about to order his second cup of hot cocoa, when it hit him that perhaps he should drive along the route leading to the cafe, just in case kyungsoo had engine trouble and had to stop at the side while waiting for help.

he even thought about that maybe kyungsoo may have changed his mind at the last minute.

“… jongin, im happy to know that you will be back for good. im sure your family will be even happier! three years is a really long time, but i know the experience you gained is priceless. of course i want to meet you, in fact i have something important to tell you and i prefer telling you in person. you were not the only one i cut contact with, but i realise life is short, and i regretted doing that. i badly want us to reconnect and make up for lost time. see you next tuesday, seven p.m at the cozy cafe we used to visit. xx, soo …”

as he drove carefully down the road, he kept a lookout for any cars or persons that looked like they needed assistance. visibility was getting bad but he continued driving the road, in the direction of the city.

his hopes that they can meet again, quickly dissipated in air, and he could feel a tight pain forming in his chest. all he wanted to do now, was to see his pillar of strength, his source of happiness, his muse.

he felt tears forming in his eyes but he refused to accept the possibility that kyungsoo had decided not to appear and meet him tonight.

———-

“they never met that night. jongin thought that kyungsoo didnt want to meet him because he didnt turn up at their favourite cafe. but i just told him today that kyungsoo suffered a relapse and brain haemorrhage while driving to meet him, and got into an accident. i think you guys should go comfort & console him now, he really needs it. even as his mum, i cant seem to make him feel better. excuse me now while i check on how mrs do is doing”

———-

“hyung, my contract is ending soon so i am hoping to make it back for christmas this year. if that happens, can we visit that old cafe with the best hot cocoa that we went to, before i left for amsterdam?”

“jongin-ah, its start of summer now and you are talking about year end winter already? hahaha! silly you. of course, we can go there when you are back. but its still a long way to go and we never know what will happen from now until then, right?”

“i miss home. i miss family. i miss you. can you please knock me on my head hard if i ever speak of being apart from you again? three years is too long”

“i will not allow you to be away from me for too long anymore, okay? we should cherish our times with our loved ones because we never know what will happen next. time is a luxury, you know?”

indeed.