Time was passing slowly for Insoo, he was at a crossroad, he wanted to leave already, he hated when his brother fought with him for no reason, but he also didn't want to leave at all, he really grew to love the little coastal town, and it's people but mostly Insoo he has come to really like Hongjoong but he knew it couldn't happen since he has to return to his place soon and Hongjoong will be in his.

 

So he knew no matter how he felt for Hongjoong it didn't matter at all, he just wasn't sure what to do.

 

It was already 3am and he still couldn't fall asleep, maybe it was because he took a nap when he got off work or maybe it was because his mind just wouldn't calm down, he felt a little suffocated… and all he wanted to do was run away from everything.

 

He took his phone from his nightstand and scrolled around a little still dwelling on his thoughts, after going from one app to another and watching some videos Insoo found himself searching for bus tickets.

 

And maybe it was a spur of the moment thought but he found himself booking a ticket for 6am on the same day, he locked his phone and sighed a little and then got up. Insoo started packing his clothes and everything else he brought with, he couldn't sleep at all he felt uncomfortable.

 

He left his apartment and headed towards the Studio, he stood there a bit and then placed an envelope on the front step and then headed towards the bus stop and waited a bit before getting on and leaving for Seoul.

 

***

 

Hongjoong woke up excited to get the day started, he decided that no matter what he would confess his feelings to Insoo, whether Insoo told him who he really was or not he just wanted to get it out of his system, he thought about it most of the night how he would go about confessing and in the end decided that he would take Insoo to the beach and have a small picnic there while watching the sunset and as the sunset he would confess.

 

When Hongjoong arrived at the studio he found it a little odd that Insoo hadn't arrived yet since Insoo had usually arrived before he did, he shrugged it off though writing it off as Insoo maybe oversleeping.

 

But as he approached the studio's front door he noticed a brown envelope laying on the floor, he furrowed his brows a little and picked it up, he noticed his name was on the envelope and also realised that the handwriting matched to Insoo's he panicked a little and hurried opened it, and his heart broke in an instant.

 

 

'Dear Hongjoong

 

I don't know how to start this… I have been lying to you, my real name is Hwan Insoo - I am the heir to an art gallery that has been in my family for multiple generations, and I am next in line but I knew nothing about art and it all got overwhelming so I came here to relax a bit but I ended up working with you in the end and I couldn't be more thankful for everything you taught me.

 

But I feel that I have no right to learn anymore from you… I will be returning to my place  in Seoul before the lines of reality fade anymore. I have grown quite fond of your town, your friends and especially you but I can't keep living a lie even when I want to. 

 

So i guess this is goodbye, thank you for everything, once again  I am sorry.

 

-Hwan Insoo' 

 

Hongjoong only held the letter in his hands and he could feel his whole body shaking, his tears slowly rolling down and staining the letter, he was too late… Insoo was gone and he didn't know what to do, he really wished that it was all a lie but he could tell it wasn't.

 

He folded the letter again and placed it back in the envelope and saw the keys in the envelope.

 

"I should give these to mom"  Hongjoong muttered to himself bitterly.

 

He opened the door to the studio and walked in, everything felt surreal, he wasn't sure what to do or what to feel. It felt like everything just came to a stop and flung him out of reality. 

 

Hongjoong was just happy he didn't have any classes for the day, nor did he have any deliveries that needed to be done, so after mindlessly wandering around the studio he decided to just leave, he couldn't handle being there he kept seeing Insoo everywhere.

 

Eventually Hongjoong found himself wandering home mindlessly, when he got there his mom was busy putting away some groceries and was quite surprised to see her son.

 

"Joong? Why are you here honey?" she asked her son but he didn't say anything except hand her the envelope and the keys and walked towards the sofa and just laid down, finally in that moment the tears started welling up and rolling down his cheeks, he tried his best to be quiet he didn't want to show his weak side to his mom but mothers know when their children need to be comforted.

 

Mrs. Kim took the letter out of the envelope and held the keys in her hands. After reading a little bit of the letter it made sense, everything connected and she knew exactly what was going on.

 

She silently walked over to her son and when she saw his tears she knew… she knew just how much Insoo meant to him, she crouched down beside Hongjoong and held out her arms.

 

"Hongie" she said softly, he looked at her and the tears he tried keeping quiet just erupted, he started sobbing loudly and hugged his mother.

 

"I w-w-wanted to tel-l hi-m h-how I f-el-t-t bu-t h-he's g-gone" he said through his sobs and hiccups.

 

His mom hugged him tightly and rubbed his back, comforting her son and letting him cry as much as he needed.

 

Once Hongjoong calmed down his mom handed him the keys to Insoo's apartment, "Honey take these, when you miss him why don't you go to a place that surrounded him" She told him softly while cupping his hand in hers, all Hongjoong could do was nod.

 

That day Hongjoong hardly ate and spent most of his time in his bed just sleeping the heartache away, he knew Insoo would eventually go but he wasn't prepared for it to be this quick, he knew he had at least almost a week left with Insoo but still all that was cut short and he knew why in the end Insoo left it was mainly because of his brother and Hongjoong could feel that although he had never met Soo's brother he really hated him quite a bit.

 

But still he couldn't do anything about it, he couldn't just go to Seoul and show up in Insoo's life when it was clear that Insoo returned to his position in life, he also knew that he couldn't just contact Insoo's mother because he had no right to do that for something personal, Hongjoong couldn't help but feel all the doors to Insoo were shut and he had no way of ever getting inside Insoo's walls again.

 

***

 

A week had gone by but it felt like a year, every second that passed by felt like a minute and every minute felt like an hour… To Hongjoong it felt like life slowed down and that there was no way of getting things back to its usual speed. 

 

His friends and mother tried helping him as much as they could but nothing could really get Hongjoong out of the ditch his heart threw him in. 

 

He just didn't know how to return to his life, he would often go and sit in Insoo's old apartment and just stare at the wall and wonder what Insoo would be doing but he was sure that Soo was going on with his life without any problems. 

 

Soo was the one who left, so he would probably be able to adjust easily to going back to his place in life. 

 

Or so Hongjoong thought. 

 

For Insoo since the moment he arrived back in Seoul he was hauled up in his office, he hardly left that includes not leaving to have meals and even when his mom brought him food he would hardly touch it. 

 

She knew what caused her son to return and she wasn't happy but she had already started with a plan for getting things back to how they should be. Her son deserved to smile and be happy and most of all she couldn't believe that her oldest child could do something like this to their own sibling. 

 

So she was on a warpath to make the oldest pay for the way they treated their younger brother, even Insoo's sister was ready to teach her older brother a thing or two. 

 

Neither of them ever wanted to see Insoo broken to the point he was now, the usual bubbly and happy boy who filled their family with brightness was suddenly a gloomy thundering cloud. 

 

That's why when she started sending invitations out for special guests of their gallery she made sure that one was going to where Insoo felt happiness to the person who caused that happiness. 

 

She had everything planned and instead of being selfish keeping her son close she just wanted his happiness and if that happiness was with that person that's all that mattered.