Yo Seob’s POV

                “I promise.” He said and I hung up on him. I bit my lip to keep myself from screaming. I kicked the pebbles in front of me into the river but they just hit the ice harmlessly and lay there. I pulled my hair in frustration and tears and snot ran down my face.

I had no choice. This is for him. This is the only thing I can do for him. I have to give him his life back.

                I reached into my jacket and produced a little bottle of whiskey. It was my dad’s. He likes to drink a little from time to time just like old men do. I opened the top and took a sip. It tastes bittersweet. It reminds me of the taste of tears. I took another sip and peered at my watch. Almost three pm. The sun was about to set, the sun always set very early on winter days and mum and dad will be back soon so I should probably get back too.

                I thought and took a sip after another. My head started to feel heavy and dizzy and my stupid tears just won’t stop. I need to get back; I don’t want my parents to worry about me like they always do. I need to start acting like a grown up. I need to learn to take care of myself. I should really get back home.

Jun Hyung’s POV

                He hung up and I sank down beside a large willow tree, hidden away from his sight though I could clearly see him. I practically felt my heart tear to pieces. He fished out a bottle of something and took a sip after another. An hour later, he was drunk.

                That idiot. He knew he has low alcohol tolerance. I watched him took a sip after another. I watched too as a tear after another continued to roll down his cheeks. It took me all my might to not run to him and hug him close and tell him everything is going to be alright. It took all my strength to just remain seated on the icy cold ground and just watch the person I love drown in alcohol and tears.

                Minutes after minutes. Hours after hours. Pieces after pieces. Tear drops after tear drops. The sun soon set leaving the whole world with pitch black. Street lights blinked on and I waited for him to wake up. But he just lay there on the bench hour after hour. I didn’t have his family’s number nor could I leave him just like that.

                It was 8 pm when I finally stood up, shivering in cold and made my way towards him. He was shivering like a drowned puppy but his eyes remained close.

                “Yo Seob ah,” I said and reached out to touch his tear streaked cheek. He leaned into my touch automatically.

                “Wake up and go home.” I said gently shaking his shoulder gently. He peeked up at me looking very drunk.

                “Jun Hyung.” He mumbled to me and fresh tears made their way down his face.

                “Wake up! You’ll die of cold here!” I said. He looked at with his glassy, sad eyes and raised his arms to me. I sighed tiredly before squatting down in front of him while he climbed onto my back. He wrapped his arms around my neck tightly and mumbled incoherent stuffs.

                “I know the reason why you’re doing this.” I said to the drunk him. “But with you doing this, it’s not going to make any one of us happy.” I paused.

                “Yo Seob ah, I love you and only you. I love you for who are. So please don’t do this.” He buried his face into my scarf at the curve of my neck and didn’t say anything. I sighed again and soon, my scarf was once again damp from his tears.

                We reached his house with his mum waiting for him out at the doorstep.

                “You silly idiot.” I mumbled. “How can you let your mum worry you like that. Look at her waiting for you out in such cold weather.” No respond from him. He must have fallen asleep.

Yo Seob’s Mum’s POV

                I saw a figure dressed in dark coat carrying another person on his back. He was walking towards me. Could that be my son? I know it was not that late yet but nevertheless, I was worried. The figure got closer and I gasped when I saw Jun Hyung.

                I saw Jun Hyung’s handsome face was tired and sad. His eyes were red and puffy from crying for a long time.

                “Onmuni.” He greeted me as I hurried towards him.

                “Jun Hyung ah! Why are your eyes so red and why do you look so pale?!” I quickly touched his forehead and checked his temperature and apparently, he was running a fever. I was about to invite him inside when I caught the sight of my son on his back. I gasped.

                “Yo Seob!” I exclaimed but he didn’t answer me.

                “He had fallen asleep.” Jun Hyung said trying to smile at me. My heart went out to him. He had just discharged from the hospital, just how long was he out there in such a terrible weather?

                “Come on in!” I quickly ushered him into the house. Together, we got my son to his bed. It took quite a bit of effort to unwind his arms around Jun Hyung’s neck. When my son was finally on his bed, I watched as Jun Hyung automatically took off his shoes, windbreaker and scarf and covered my son with his thick blanket. I was about to tell him that one layer of blanket was not enough, Yo Seob gets cold easily but he continued to unfold another two blankets without being told.

                “Jun Hyung,” I heard my silly son mumbled and Jun Hyung looked so broken, I thought he was going to cry. I looked down at my son and my heart clenched tightly in my chest. Yo Seob’s eyes were puffy too from crying and tears continued to fall even when his eyes were closed. One by one tear drops fall onto his pillow.            

                “I’m here. Be good and go to sleep.” Jun Hyung said softly and patted his head, brushing his hair away from his face. That seemed to ease the frown on Yo Seob’s face and soon, he was deep in sleep again.

                Jun Hyung wanted to leave immediately but I insist him to stay and eat some dinner that I had prepared to ease his fever and finally, he couldn’t refuse. We sat together in the empty restaurant and I watched as he ate in a very well mannered way though he ate so little. No wonder he is so skinny. I thought of my son and how he gobbles up his food and sighed.

                “I know what’s going on between you and Yo Seob. He told me that day when you were admitted to the hospital and the news was aired on TV.” I said gently. He sighed, put down his bowl and chopsticks, stood up and kneeled in front of me on the floor.

                I gasped and quickly tried to get him up.

                “I’m sorry. I am so sorry.” He apologized over and over again while I tried to get him to stand up and tell him everything is alright and there was nothing to be sorry about. When I had finally succeeded in pulling him back to his seat, it hit me hard to see tiny droplets of tears rolled down his cheeks.

                What a beautiful yet sad sight. His handsome face was smeared by bitter tears. His tears were delicate and small as they rolled down his cheeks. Unlike Yo Seob’s big tears when he cries and bawls. Jun Hyung was nothing like my son. His family once disowned him because he wants to do music. He must have had a hard time in life to have come this far.

                I wiped his tears away with my fingers and he looked up at me in surprise. Poor boy. His mum had probably never wiped away any tears for him.

                “Jun Hyung ah, love will always be love no matter what gender, race or age. I understand that, I hope you understand that though Yo Seob currently doesn’t.”

                He didn’t know what to say so he just sat as delicate tears continued to fall while he kept wiping them away. I watched as he cried silently while his nose ran just like Yo Seob when he cries. Jun Hyung was such a gentle soul, he doesn’t bawl shamelessly like my son. After he had finally calmed down, he told me what happened. How he came to our village, how he called my son, how my son said some really terrible words, how my son later drank his stolen alcohol from his father’s shelf and how he waited for him to wake up and finally carried him back.

                After that, we talked for awhile about other things and I realized it was so easy to talk to him. He was totally different from his image in TV. It’s no wonder my child would fall him. I liked this young man. I really did. He was mature and there was something quiet and calm about him and what a comfortable voice he had. Unlike my son’s loud voice.

                He thanked me for the food even though he practically ate nothing and politely refused when I asked him to stay for the night as he still had a running fever. He even made me promise not to tell my son that he was there in the village. I agreed and patted his head. He bowed low to me and when he was about to leave, I called out to him.

                “Jun Hyung ah,” he turned around.

                “De, onmuni.”

                I walked up to him and looked at him steadily in the eyes.

                “Do you love my son?” I asked, my voice was smaller, more afraid then I intended it to sound.

                “I do.” He answered without hesitating. “More than anything in this world.” He returned my gaze; his eyes were firm and steady. I looked at him hard and not for a second did he wavered. At that point, I realize this young man in front of me loves my son. He really does. I pulled Jun Hyung into a tight hug.

                “Thank you for loving my son and sorry for the pain he had stupidly caused you.” He hugged back, a hug that felt so sad and frustrated.        

                “Thank you onmuni.” He smiled softly at me and bowed formally again and finally left.

                I went back into the house and went to Yo Seob’s room. Beside him on the bed I sat down and gently brushed away his hair.

                “My silly child. How can you make Jun Hyung cry like that?” Yo Seob frowned and cried for the rest of the night.

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New chapter! WHOOOP!!!! Hope you all enjoyed it!!