.Chapter Five (2/2). 

An eerie silence engulfed the both of them as they entered the cemetery. There was no need to talk; it was after all the land of the dead. Sunggyu pursed his lips tightly as he walked on with Myungsoo silently beside him, there was no need to look around; he knew the direction to his sister’s tombstone very well.

“Hyung, I’ll stay here and wait for you,” Myungsoo stopped in his steps abruptly and Sunggyu simply nodded, he knew that the other would always stop here.

It didn’t take him long to reach his destination.

The tombstone was as how he left it, except that once again there was a thin layer of dust coating the tombstone, he noted dryly as he placed the purple hyacinth down at the front. He took out a napkin from his pants pocket and started cleaning it as much as he could, throwing away the old wilted bunch of purple hyacinth from last time.

It didn’t take him too long to finish cleaning the tombstone and he sat down in front of it after. It’s only then, he allowed a small smile to flit across his face.

“Noona…” he whispered out softly, his face scrunched up almost in pain as he bit down on his lips hard. Deep breaths, remember, deep breaths, he reminded himself as he steadied his breathing.

He reached out a hand to caress the tombstone, almost lovingly and longing obvious in his eyes. “Noona, are you happy up there?” his voice were barely above a whisper and he leaned against the tombstone.

“Do you know that Sungjong is living with me now? Mom got tired of him and sent him to me.” He laughed a little as he thought of Sungjong at home.

“I’m doing my best to live now.”

If one were to look at him now, they would have no idea whether he was crying or smiling. He was smiling indeed, the curve on his lips as it seemed, yet his eyes were filled with tears, as were his cheeks streaked with them. Hugging his knees to his chest and hiding his face in his arms, he sobbed silently, biting his lips hard to muffle the sounds.

“Mom, still never visited you huh,” the tone of his voice almost accusatory, yet it softened after, “don’t blame her too much okay, noona.”

He stayed in that position for awhile more before standing up. Wiping his face clean with the sleeves of his shirt and making sure that no traces of tears could be seen on his face, he straightened and bowed slightly towards his sister’s tombstone.

“I’ll be back, next year,” he said, as he turned around and headed out of the cemetery. His reddened eyes being the only evidence that he had cried.

- x -

Woohyun had continued on following the duo until he noticed how Myungsoo had stopped halfway. He wondered why the other did not follow the hamster all the way and out of curiosity, he continued on following Sunggyu, hiding behind d