A One-Way Ticket for the Train Ride Home

True to his word, Woohyun was the first person that Joonmyeon had told after he left the room. Woohyun was ecstatic at the prospect of seeing his sister again after over a decade of her being missing from his life.

Hyesung had been discharged not a day later, after Jaejoong had checked her over once more. All the drugs were gone from her system, much to everyone’s relief.

Only a few minutes after she’d been discharged, Jaejoong and Joonmyeon were both helping her down the hallways and into the elevators to get to Woohyun’s hospital room. Upon Woohyun’s beaming face and teary eyes, both men decided to leave the long-lost siblings alone.

But when Hyesung came out, the look on her face made Joonmyeon’s stomach twist uncomfortably.

“What’s wrong?” he asked, almost wanting to curse himself for asking.

Hyesung shook her head, unable to say a word. She just walked forward, latching herself onto Joonmyeon. She buried her face into his chest, her fingers curling into fists around the fabric of his shirt

A frown pulled at the corners of Joonmyeon’s lips.

“I’m going home, Joonmyeon.”

He nodded in reply, looking over to Jaejoong. Catching the look, Jaejoong quickly made his way into Woohyun’s room. “I know, Hye, we’ll get you home as soon as possible,” he replied, smiling softly, reassuringly.

She shook her head again, her hair falling into her face. Pulling away, she used one hand to brush it back, her other grasping onto Joonmyeon’s arm, as if it was her only lifeline.

“I don’t mean home in Hongdae… I mean home.”

He froze. “Back to where you were born?” he managed.

A nod was his reply.

“When?”

Hyesung barely managed to look at him. “I don’t know. Tongyeong isn’t right around the corner. We have to get tickets and get down there… but Woohyun needs to be discharge first,” she responded, running a hand through her hair again.

His jaw practically hit the floor. “T-Tongyeong?” he stammered, trying to reassemble his thoughts. “I didn’t know it was that far…”

“I told you that it took my family five hours to get up here from their home.” Her voice was bitter, giving away just how upset she really was. Her eyes were cold as steel as she pulled away and crossed her arms.

She turned away from him, but he could see her teeth sinking into her bottom lip. With a slight scowl, Joonmyeon pulled her back to face him. “Hey, hey… it’s fine. Really, it’s fine. You should take care of your brother.” He tried to sound as placating and soothing as possible.

At his words, her sharp eyes narrowed even further, practically turning into snake-like slits that, to Joonmyeon, felt like they were shooting daggers and piercing his body. He just prayed one didn’t hit him in the heart. “So you’re fine with me dropping everything, from my education to my job, and going back to Tongyeong, all the way in South Gyeongsang. That’s what you’re saying?”

And there was the dagger to the heart.

Once again, his jaw fell along with his heart, which was sinking out of its proper place in his chest. “What? Hye, no, that’s not what I meant.”

Joonmyeon felt as if he was digging his own grave. His objections to contradict his former statement went unheard. The damage was done – Hyesung looked extremely hurt and Joonmyeon knew that she probably felt ten times worse than she looked.

“I guess that means that you’re okay with us having to break up.”

And that was when his heart sank even further, right into his stomach. “I… Hye…”

She cut him off easily, her biting tone stinging the heart that resided in his stomach. “I won’t be back for a while and I don’t want to tie you down. You should be able to find someone else and move on,” added Hyesung.

Joonmyeon merely stood in place as she walked away, watching her petite figure disappear down the hall of the hospital until he could no longer see her.

It was hours later that Kris found him.

Joonmyeon was sitting at the bar in a small, dingy pub a few blocks away from the hospital. There was a half empty bottle of American beer, some brand called Guinness, in front of him.

As Kris drew closer, he noted Joonmyeon’s chaotic hairstyle and ruffled clothing. His eyes were dyed completely red and his hands were shaking. “Yo, Kr’s,” he greeted, his words slurred. “Was’sup?”

The taller blond shook his head. “You look like , Suho,” he deadpanned, crossing his arms and calling Joonmyeon by his nickname. “How long have you been here?”

“I dunno,” Joonmyeon replied airily, leaning back with a drunken smile plastered on his face. “Few h’rs, I s’ppose.” He accented his words with a swig of beer, the alcohol making his way down his throat, leaving a burning sensation as he swallowed.

Eyes narrowing, Kris snatched the bottle from Joonmyeon, ignoring the outcry his actions elicited from the younger. “Grow the up, Joonmyeon,” he growled, crossing his arms. “I thought you were better than this. You were the one that told all of us that drinking was never the way to heal ourselves. That it would only make everything worse.”

“ you, Kris.” Kris’ eyes grew to at least the size of Ping-Pong balls at Joonmyeon’s curse, especially given that it was directed at him. “You dunno wha’ I’m dealing wit’,” he spat.

Shaking his head once more, Kris heaved himself onto the chair next to his friend. “Then tell me. We can work this out like adults.”

There was silence for a moment.

“I don’ wanna be an adult anymore,” Joonmyeon practically muttered, his head falling into the palm of his hand. He looked like he was bearing the weight of the world on his shoulders. “Bein’ an adult means you gotta deal with all this bull that you don’ hafta deal with as a kid.”

Kris nodded in agreement. “True, but being an adult means that you can learn things you wouldn’t have gotten a chance to learn as a kid,” he replied thoughtfully.

“But bein’ an adult means you gotta deal with heartbreak, too.”

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