▲▼ CHAPTER 41

     The temperature in the city never did changed – people from different walks of lives would huddle themselves amongst their knitted sweaters and making their way towards their desired destination. It was unbelieveably cold that afternoon. The trees had shredded their leaves as it slowly fell down onto the cemented ground. You held onto the straps of your bag and walked through the crowd. Before you were able to break free from the crowd, you craned your head to the back to check on Daehyun. He was somewhat struggling in the crowd and immediately, you handed out your arm to him. His eyebrows were knitted amongst each other, staring onto your arm and back to your face. You urged him as he clung his arm onto yours, slowly pulling him away from the crowd.

         “Is it always this hectic here?” Daehyun questioned, huffing and puffing in between his sentences. You nodded, walking towards the stoned pavement and tugging onto the strap of your bag. “Don’t worry, just a few more walks and we’ll be there.” You encouraged. The both of you continued on walking through the neighbourhood, taking in the fresh air. You then walked passed the park where a number of people were there, walking through to take some fresh air. Daehyun stopped in his tracks and craned his head to the side, witnessing the lively park. You bit your lower lip, did Daehyun remembered about the park? The park meant a lot to you.

         Whenever you had a hard time, the park was a place that called out freedom for you. You would sit onto the bench, allowing your thoughts to wander around and tried to make yourself distressed. The light breeze that would instantly slapped across your face was somewhat refreshing. But the park had also became a thing between you and Daehyun. The both of you would wander through the pavements during the cold nights and let the silence lead you the way. You did not know what it was but it definitely was something that allowed you to keep your mind clear.

         You brushed off the feeling and shook your head vigorously while you continued walking pass the narrow alley. Soon, the brick red building came into view and you let out a sigh. You stopped, looking up into the building and let out a slightly bitter smile. “So, this is my apartment?” Daehyun called out behind you as he grunted slightly after having to walk a few blocks. You nodded and urged him to come inside, pushing open the lobby door. The both of you took the elevator up while you lead the way into the narrow hallway, standing right in front of the door. Daehyun stopped as he glanced at the door and back at you. Sliding your fingers right inside the pockets of your jeans, you jiggled the keys into your palm and threw it towards Daehyun – who luckily caught it before it almost came flying out of the open window.

         A small sigh came out from Daehyun’s lips as he inserted the key right into the keyhole. He grabbed the doorknob, turning it slightly and pushed it open. “Ta-da,” You called out, putting down your bag and switched on all of the switches. You saw how Daehyun hesitated right after he entered the apartment and bit his lower lip. Then, he closed his eyes shut. He was concentrating, trying to remember if he still had any memories about this house. He gritted his teeth and you saw the veins that were bulging out from the sides of his forehead. He did not want to give up. He tried again, with all the focus that he could get, trying to remember about any memories.

         “Daehyun..” You called him. You saw he wanted to remember – he seemed so desperate. But other than that, he was hurting himself. You could see how he was slightly suffering and the veins from the sides of his forehead looked like it was about to explode anytime soon. You held his wrist, squeezing it slightly while he opened his eyes. “You don’t have to remember about it now, okay?” You assured him, pushing him down onto the velvet couch before hurrying into the kitchen for a cup of water. Daehyun muttered a thanks, while placing the tip of his lips onto the cup and sipped down the cold water. Soon, the both of you were able to settle down comfortably. Daehyun wandered around the apartment, walking through each room and trying his best to get anything from his memory.

         He then hurried himself towards you. “Why are there so many boxes in that room?” Daehyun pointed to the room which was facing north. That was your room. You stuttered, trying your best to knot your sentence. Your eyes wandered aimlessly while Daehyun took a seat beside you. You bit your lower lip and shortly said, "Well, I'm moving out soon." You saw how the wrinkles in between his eyebrows was easily formed and he tilted his head to the side, unsure of what you had actually said.

         "So we lived together?" His voice squeaked slightly and you nodded. "Pretty much. It's a long story." You stood up and brushed off invisible dusts from your jeans, making your way towards the kitchen to make some tea. The apartment seemed to be even livelier now that Daehyun had already been discharged. It was unlike the past days where you would lock yourself in your own room, wallowing in the most tragic thoughts ever. Just having Daehyun's presence in the house made everything much more cheerful eventhough the curtains were draped sadly across the wooden floor. "Will you tell me the whole story?" A deep voice interrupted your thoughts as Daehyun leaned onto the door, his eyes scrutinizing your face. You stopped stirring the steaming jug, eyebrows furrowed in order to understand what he meant.

         "I meant when you're ready, will you tell me the whole story of the incident?" There was a slight twinkle of sincerity in his eyes and you had to look away. His gaze was calming yet somewhat threatening to you. The way his forehead wrinkled lightly and his head tilted to the side gave you a guilty churn inside your stomach. Biting your lower lip, you reconsidered your thoughts.

         Will you? Was it a must for you to tell the whole tragic story to him? Your eyes met his humbling gaze and pressed your lips firmly against each other. Before you knew it, you voiced out a 'yes' - in which you thought was inaudible. A small, childish laugh escaped from Daehyun's lips in which died down a few moments later. "It must be hard for you." He let out a bitter smile, sighing as he went back into the living room.

         You stood there for a moment, eyes wandering aimlessly in the kitchen. Honestly, you were sceptical upon your own thoughts. You were not sure if you wanted Daehyun to know about the incident. Maybe you were not even ready to spill the beans. You wanted the old Daehyun back but somewhere deep down inside of you reminded you that maybe 'that' Daehyun might not even come back. 'That' Daehyun might not even be alive anymore. You gnawed at your lower lip, you wanted the old Daehyun back but you knew you had to start loving the new Daehyun by all means.

         With a sigh and saddened gaze, you nodded to yourself. It is hard.

yay another update. i apologise if there are any errors in this chapter or if it was very short but i did it in a rush, thinking that i would at least have to update a chapter this week. please comment down about your thoughts upon this story cause it will definitely brighten up my mood c: thankyou to those who had been so patient with me updating this chapter. happy reading!