『08』

Lost Piece II: Refitting
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The water flowed down to his throat smoothly as he bottomed up his drink in a go. He let out a satisfied sigh and put the cup in the sink. He combed his hair back and walked to return to his room. However, his steps halted when he crossed Heechul's room and noticed that the door was slightly ajar. And it only meant that Heechul had not slept. A part of him told him to concern nothing but the rest fought against. The fact that Heechul seemed distant after he met with the producer from the agency only added his worry. In the end, he let his instinct win and carefully cracked Heechul's door open. And to his dismay, he found no one. 

The room was empty.

Worries struck him full force as he glanced at the clock and found out that it had way past midnight. He was about to roam around the house to look for Heechul when he suddenly heard faint guitar strums from the porch in the back of the house. And he only wished that it was coming from Heechul. The closer he got to the source of the sound, the louder it got. But what surprised him was the fact that the guitar strings were not the only melody tickling his ears. Quiet sobs strangely began to be heard as he was about to twist the doorknob. 

Ever so cautiously, he opened the door and walked into the couch where Heechul was sitting. His eyes widened seeing empty cans of beer lying everywhere he stepped. And even so, Heechul was still clutching one in his hand. 

 

"What are you—" 

Jungsoo paused, the rest of his words swallowed wholly. He could not continue his sentence when he finally realized that Heechul was, indeed, crying. The latter had his head ducked, body all crumpled, shaking noticeably. He eventually took a seat beside his former student, and just then—for God knew how many times— he saw another heartbreaking side of him. Heechul's fingers—still holding the guitar—were bright red as his hands trembled. But, being the stubborn guy that he was, he still insisted on playing.

All Jungsoo could do was to sit quietly beside him and keep him company until the latter felt better although he knew it was nowhere near the future. His gaze landed on the pile of papers on the small end table beside the couch and he stretched his arm to reach them. His already distressed expression got even more distraught when he grasped what they were. The sheets of Heechul's songs—and upon seeing them, his mind went haywire. Many wild possibilities flooded his brain trying to connect the dots to know what had ruined Heechul today. He could not usher the assumption that Heechul probably began to regret to ever come back and left his dream moreover he was never treated well ever since. It pained him to know that he was one of the, if not the only, reason Heechul felt unwelcomed. Blame his heartbreak—he recited his only defense. He was yet to be drowned by his guilt when he heard Heechul sigh a little and chug his beer before tossing the empty can in no particular direction.

 

"It's so unfair," Heechul's voice sounded so hoarse. 

"Jungmo has sacrificed anything for his fiancee but in the end, they can't be together."

Jungsoo knew he still had no right to reply. All he did was listening to Heechul's mumbling, attentively.

"It's funny how we keep walking on a thin rope, thinking we can cross the bridge but we know exactly we'll end up falling."

Heechul put down his guitar and hugged his knees.

"If love only brings pain, why do we keep loving?" 

Why do I keep loving—Heechul had to bite his tongue when his inner voice rang loud in his ears. The moment he was aware of the news that Jungmo lost his fiancée that he loved so much, he knew his own life was only a sickening plot that would never be flattering like romance, or amusing like the dramas the teenagers were in love with. His plot was a tragedy and thus it would end up the same way as what Jungmo had. Jungmo—the one who opened his eyes about what he truly wanted—had tasted the utmost bitter when his fiancée gave up on him. And everyone knew, the fiancée loved Jungmo. While in this story—in his—he had been never truly loved. And no one really knew where his story would lead him to. 

Just what sin did he ever make in the past that he never got his happiness—Heechul badly wanted to know.

 

"When you say you don't love me anymore. I thought you're lying. But now..."

Heechul glanced at Jungsoo and smiled painfully. His eyes, though, seemed to be more honest as tears kept trickling down. And it was enough to tear Jungsoo's heart apart. 

"But it makes sense now," Heechul dropped his stare, curling his fingers. 

"You know that loving me only hurts you so you stop doing that. Clever."

Heechul shakily held Jungsoo's hands and squeezed them desperately. 

"If in the end, you'll kick me out of your life... Can you please..."

Jungsoo was at loss for words by what Heechul said and what this conversation led to. But what shocked him to the core was when Heechul suddenly threw himself to him and dawdled his face against his chest. 

"Teach me, Prof. Park. Teach me how to unlove. I'm tired of this . I'm tired."

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sleepyhead1399
Henlooo! Thank you for reading. ♡

Comments

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cutieheebum #1
I hope you continue this story 🥺💙
jyuu_25
#2
Chapter 39: rereading this story for the nth time and it always gives me same feelings when I first read it. 🥺 hope you're doing fine Yuuki. I miss seeing you at X (twitter) 🥺💙💙
iam_me00
26 streak #3
Chapter 39: Author please come back and finish this story
Iellemira
#4
Chapter 39: Yuuki I am missing your updates. Are you still going to finish this? I hope you will. 😭
iam_me00
26 streak #5
Chapter 39: Why is this the last one???? 😭😭😭
iam_me00
26 streak #6
Chapter 36: Who did he come back for?
iam_me00
26 streak #7
Chapter 35: ???
iam_me00
26 streak #8
Chapter 34: Enlightenment
iam_me00
26 streak #9
Chapter 33: 😭😭😭😭
iam_me00
26 streak #10
Chapter 31: Gosh! What a woman she is