Hyunseung’s POV

“Is that really you, Hyunseung?”

I looked to my right. Lay backed away horrified by her empty eyes. I stood still under her touch, obeying her like her personal pet. “Yes, Moon Ri, it’s me, Hyunseung.”

“Where’s Lay?” she frowned a little. “It’s dark on the corridor…”

Actually, the lights had sensors so they were from the moment we arrived in front of her door.

“I’m right here, Moon Ri,” Lay gulped some air, holding in his tears. “But I’ll leave you two alone for now. I’ll be back in the morning, alright? Take care!”

She looked in the direction of his footsteps, her hand still on my cheek.

“Come one in,” she then flashed a smile and made room for me to step inside her apartment. The lights were here and there, only the corner when a new canvas was being prepared to be painted was lightless. “So, what brings you here?”

My eyes widened. “I-I…wanted to see how you’ve been?”

“Rubbish! I know Lay told you about me and my little problem.”

“L-little?! Moon Ri…”

“Don’t start lecturing me, Jang Hyunseung!” Her frowned eyebrows stopped me. “It’s my choice. And I can take care of me, thank you very much! I won’t be a burden for anyone, you know? I just want…to live without forgetting anyone,” she added softly. “Even if that means I have to stop seeing the light. So, if you’re here to tell me that I’m wrong…”

“No,” I took her hand as I knelt in front of her. “I didn’t come here to tell you that you’re wrong. I will support you through every decision you take.”

“Why?”

I rested my forehead against her knee. “Because I love you, you dummy! That’s why! And because I love you dearly, I let you hurt me and leave me just to help Junhyung. Because I love you, I accepted to stay away from you. And because I love you much, I’m agreeing with your suicidal plan.”

Her hand caressed my hair gently. “Thank you, Hyunseung.”

No ‘I love you’ back… … But it was alright. Because her fingers said it for her as they caressed my hair. And while doing that, while staying there like that, I felt old and afraid. Afraid that today was too short and that tomorrow will die down before getting to see the sunrise. Afraid that I might not get to show her just how much I love her. Afraid that she might turn away to die in silence… …

☂☂☂

“Where are you going so early in the morning?” Doojoon let out a yawn as I put on my baskets.

“Out.”

“At four in the morning?! Where’s the fire, lover boy?”

“Just out. Don’t wait for me to dinner!” I waved at him.

I jogged down the stairs, jumping two steps at once, not minding that there were ten floors. I was hyper!

“DON’T WAIT FOR YOU TO DINNER?!” Doojoon yelled from the dorm’s window. “WHERE ARE YOU GOING, YOU PUNK?! YOU’D BETTER COME TO DINNER SINCE I’M COOKING TODAY, HEAR ME?!” he continued to yell, not minding the fact that it was 4 a.m. and that we had some neighbors that enjoyed sleeping not like us.

“YES, HYUNG! BYE, HYUNG!” I yelled back while waving, right begore getting inside the minivan I rented for that day. I smiled to all the white boxes that I had in the back while putting on my seatbelt. The road was clear and I arrived in 15 minutes in front of Moon Ri’s block of flats. One by one, I carried all the boxes upstairs, leaving them in front of the door, which I opened with the key that Moon Ri gave to me.

With silent steps, I walked inside, placing the boxes in the middle of the living room. The door of her bedroom was opened and the light was coming from there. Curiosity took over me and I stepped inside. She was sleeping soundly with the lights on. Smiling to her innocent view, I turned off the lights and closed the door behind me. It was time to sweat!

I took of the lids of the boxes and carefully took out the white sponges that were piled inside. I was going to wrap the sponges around every single furniture corner that stood out even a little. I couldn’t have Moon Ri hurt herself against them while I was not around! She was already bruised from all the shin hits she took against the chairs that she forgot to put back to their place.

“Fighting, Hyunseung,” I cheered on myself while taking out the tape out from a different box, along with the scissors.

“You take good care of her, hear me, Hyunseung? ‘Coz if you hurt her even one bit, I will not let it slide away, hear that?” Lay spoke to me as soon as I entered his cabinet.

“I won’t, don’t worry!” I smiled while taking off my coat.

He stared at me weirdly. “But I do worry! She’s my sister, Hyunseung! It’s my job to worry about her! If I don’t worry, who will?”

“I will.”

“Hyunseung…”

“Let me worry for her, Lay,” I smiled to the flower that was growing in the white pot. “And let me take care of her. I don’t care why you’re her brother now and why Chanyeol is no longer around, because I feel that bringing up this matter will make Moon Ri sad. But I want you to know that I will do my best to be there for her every single day, for as long as she wants me next to her.”

“No,”Lay shook his head, “that’s where you’re wrong, Hyunseung. You need to be there for her every single day, even when she tells you to go away. You have to be there for her if you want me to step away and let you two alone! For only then, when a man like that comes in her life, I will be able to step aside and watch everything from the outside, without having to step in even once. Can you do that?”

“You want me to cling onto her?”

He looked at me intensely and nodded.

“That’s the easiest thing to do!”

“We’ll see…”

“Hyunseung?” Moon Ri’s voice called me to reality. “Are you here?”

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