15

The clock struck 6 and Chanyeol just finished packing. It was the day that he was meeting Dasul and Jaemi to find Junsuk, to promise and show up like what the card said.

“Towel, laptop, water bottle, biscuits, crackers, coke, umbrella, torchlight and.. Aha! Mosquito repellent!” he exclaimed excitedly, as if he was on a picnic. “Oh! Oh! One more thing,” he said and dig through his closet. “Non other than a weapon! The racquet!” he exclaimed and shoved it into his back.

Baekhyun gulped as he fidgeted in his seat. “You’re going to an abandoned school? Won’t there be ..you know, students in the toilets?” he squeaked while Chanyeol rolled his eyes and shook his head. “We’re in the 21^st century, Baekhyun! There’s no such things as those! Just one word, are you coming, or not?” he asked and Baekhyun sank in his bed. “I choose, not.”

Chanyeol shrugged and nodded, then slung his bag pack on his shoulder and went out. “Adios!”

He walked over to Jaemi’s who was anxiously pacing around the hallway.

“What’s wrong Jaemi?” he asked and Jaemi placed her phone into her pocket. “I called Dasul five times and she has yet to pick up, I’m scared something bad has happened to her,” she said and bit her lip, as she looked up at Chanyeol and blinked. “Woah, what’s with the bag? We’re not on a picnic, Chanyeol,” she hissed, and grabbed his arm, leading him. “Let’s meet Dasul first,” she said.

They creaked open the door and saw Dasul on the bed. Her face was pale as white, and the more she coughed, the weaker she is.

“Dasul!” Chanyeol called out and went to her bedside. “Dasul, what happened?” Jaemi asked while she coughed even more. “Jaemi, I got the cold. I’m afraid, I won’t be able to meet Junsuk,” she said sadly and coughed even more.

They exchanged looks and bit their lips. “Dasul, I’ll stay here and look after you. Chanyeol, meet Junsuk on Dasul’s behalf,” she instructed while Dasul shook her head. “It’s too dangerous for just Chanyeol to go.”

Chanyeol snapped his fingers as an idea popped out in his mind. “I can call Baekhyun to take care of Dasul, since he’s scared of ghosts,” he suggested. “While we meet Junsuk.”

“Then you better go now,” Dasul weakly said and opened the tin box. “Bring this photo along in case he doubts you,” she said, handing Jaemi the picture she took with Junsuk years ago. Jaemi nodded and they went out of the house.

When they reached the place, Chanyeol went closer. “It’s up the hill,” he said and the flashlight. They walked deeper as there were more bushes and trees, Jaemi gulped and she tugged on Chanyeol’s shirt tightly as they approached the abandoned school deeper as night approaches.

All of a sudden, there was a noise coming from Jaemi’s side and she jumped into Chanyeol’s arms, while he blinked in surprise. He cocked his head to one side and grinned. “Didn’t know you were this light, Jaemi,” he whispered and Jaemi gulped.

Chanyeol didn’t break into a sweat when they were in their position for a minute. His arm was under her thigh, supporting the weight of her lower body, with his other arm under her back and her cheeks flushed red.

Chanyeol smiled and he slowly leaned forward, and Jaemi didn’t budge.

Slowly, just as they were about to kiss, Chanyeol fell on the ground.

“Ouch!” he groaned as he tripped on a stone and Jaemi turned to look at him, hugging the floor tightly while she stifled a laugh. “Chanyeol! What are you doing? Quickly get up! We're on the streets!” she hissed and giggled, helping him up as he laughed awkwardly and pouted. *Just my imagination.*

“I’m still worried for Dasul,” Jaemi said worriedly while Chanyeol slung an arm around her shoulder. “Baekhyun’s on the way, and we can definitely count on him to take care of her.”

They had to walk a long way before they were able to locate the abandoned school which was deeper.

They their flashlights and slowly walked up the slope.

Chanyeol trembled as he tugged on Jaemi’s shirt, time to time hiding behind her back, afraid of wild animals that would pop out in front. Chanyeol stepped on a twig and he yelped, hugging Jaemi as he squeezed his eyes shut. “J-Jaemi,” he squeaked while she rolled her eyes and ruffled his hair. “It’s just a twig, relax Chanyeol,” she said and Chanyeol forced out a smile.

So much for being heroic in his imagination.

They continued walking as night approaches, and they slowly hear owls hoot which made the paranoid Chanyeol jump and hug Jaemi again.

She literally had to drag him up the slope and deeper only when she saw a light flashing just a distance away. She hurriedly tapped the paranoid Chanyeol and pointed at the light excitedly. “Look Chanyeol! I think it’s Junsuk!” she exclaimed and quickly ran towards the light, leaving Chanyeol alone and he quickly catch up with her.

They slowly walked into the hut, where a small band room is. Almost all of the music instruments were in the band room, but they were either dusty or broken.

At the corner of the room, there seated a man, as he crossed his legs and tuned the guitar. Jaemi and Chanyeol slowly approached him and they walked towards the man.

“Are you, Junsuk?” they asked and he looked up at them.

The man stood up and Chanyeol gulped. The man did look a bit like Junsuk, but the thing was, if that really is Junsuk, then shouldn’t he have grey hair and wrinkles just like a normal 65 year-old man?

But the thing is that the man has black thick hair, and stood tall with a charming look of Junsuk, and he looked like he was in his twenties.

“I’m Junsuk’s son, Junhoon. Who are you?” the man asked with a deep husky voice and Jaemi immediately took out the picture, handing it to him. “We came on behalf of Dasul. Where’s Junsuk? Dasul really wants to meet him,” Jaemi said and Chanyeol nodded.

Junhoon sat back in his chair, a hint of sadness could be seen in his eyes. “He’s dead.”

Jaemi and Chanyeol’s eyes widened in shock and they exchanged looks. “Dead?!”

Chanyeol bit his lip. If Dasul knew that Junsuk’s dead, how would she react? And if Dasul finds out that Junsuk got married, how would she feel? He really didn’t dare imagine it.

“Appa died three months ago because of a ,” Junhoon said and Chanyeol gulped. “What actually happened to Junsuk when he was young?” he asked.

“Appa told me his life a year ago. Forty two years ago, he said he let a woman down. And I believe, that woman is Dasul,” Junhoon said. “When he was in his twenties, he met Dasul, but unfortunately they weren’t able to spend their rest of their life together as Dasul emigrated. At that time, appa thought that studies were more important, but he didn’t know that Dasul’s absence was equally important too. He told me that in his life, he only loved one person, but that person wasn’t my mother,” he said sadly.

“Dasul’s absence affected him greatly that made him lose focus in university and he was at last forced to drop out. Then, he emigrated. For those years without Dasul, he felt terrible and he missed her greatly. It was then he realized that if he could only have the courage to stop her from going, he wouldn’t have regret anything,” he said.

“After all these years, he wanted to numb the love, and through his relatives' connections, he found omma, and married her. Though he didn’t like omma, omma continued to be faithful to him, and that was when he realized that he should pay some attention to omma too. Since he married late, he gave birth to me late as well. He thought, through the marriage, he would stop loving Dasul and love omma instead, but he was wrong. He told me every year he would come here, hoping Dasul would be here. This year, he planned on coming, but he couldn’t make it. He died with regrets. I thought I would be angry at him for not loving omma, but when he died, I finally realized what he felt. He would feel only regret if he couldn’t see his love one at his deathbed, so I decided to come and help him fulfil his last wish,” he finished.

He took out a music box from his bag and handed it to Chanyeol. “When I searched through his past objects that he kept under his bed, I realized the memories he had with Dasul. Appa wanted to give this to her, please help me hand it to her for him,” he said and Chanyeol looked at the music box. He opened the cover and the melodic tune played.

“He made it himself,” Junhoon said. “Although it has been kept for years, it’s still durable,” he said.

Chanyeol looked at the music box. “It’s really delicate, and Junsuk was really meticulous in his job. He spent a lot of time doing this music box for Dasul,” he whispered. Jaemi placed a hand on his shoulder and squeezed his shoulder gently while he nodded and smiled, and held onto her hand.

“Thank you, Junhoon.”

Dasul held onto the music box tightly as the tears trickled down her cheeks. “He can finally rest in peace, right?” she whispered softly and look at Jaemi, while she smiled and nodded.

She held her breath and opened up the cover as the melodic tune played again. “Junsuk will be happy up in heaven,” she cried and slowly kissed the box, closing her eyes. Chanyeol knelt on one knee as he held Dasul’s hand. “Dasul, Junsuk also said that in his life, you are the only one he loves.” Dasul smiled and nodded. “He is the only one I love too.”

Chanyeol looked at Jaemi, who looked at Dasul with her eyes all watery, and he reached out for her hand, squeezing it.

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