16: Running Away

PS: Made this chapter while playing 2NE1 Come Back Home (unplugged ver) on repeat.

“Yoong…”  

“Hey Seunghyun.”

Seunghyun’s mouth went agape at her entrance. “How…” Seunghyun shook his head furiously. ‘Come on Seunghyun! Get a grip of yourself!’

“How are you?” was the only sentence Seunghyun could say.

Yoona, though, remained calm unlike Seunghyun who seemed speechless at her arrival. “I’m…” Not fine Seunghyun. “Fine. How are you?”

When he saw her calm expression, it was… heart wrecking. So, it was just me all along.

“I’m…” Seunghyun didn’t know what to say. Should he be honest? Should he lie? Should he run away?

Suddenly—without any cue—Yoona walked to Seunghyun’s wheelchair handles and pushed his wheelchair to the park outside the workshop. Seunghyun raised his brow at her sudden action, but didn’t say anything but kept letting Yoona to lead him.

They kept walking at the park until they reached a secluded place in the park. Yoona finally stopped pushing, walked to Seunghyun and extended her hand towards him. “Let me help you get down, Tabi.”

She still calls me Tabi! Seunghyun screamed at his mind in joy. Does it mean I still have any chance?

Seunghyun grabbed Yoona’s hand, and she helped Seunghyun to sit on the grass. After she did, she sat right next to him with no distance. No space.

They were literally next to each other—shoulder to shoulder.

Their hands were next to each other—it only took a slight movement for them to hold each others’ hand.

“Seunghyun…” Yoona breathed out. “I know you’re confused…”

“I do.” Seunghyun answered quickly. It was the most logical and automatic response he had on his mind. “Do you mind… to explain what had happened in the past week? Who is Yunho? What did he do to you after he came back? Do you still love him?” Seunghyun took a deep breath and Yoona took that as a sign to speak.

But she couldn’t.

Because Seunghyun hasn’t finished his words.

“Do I still… have a chance?” Seunghyun asked, while grabbing Yoona’s hands tightly with his own. “A chance to be with you? A chance to have a future with you?”

“Seunghyun…” Yoona was loss for words. She didn’t know what she did in her past life to have someone as perfect and as kind as Seunghyun in this life. She must had saved the world perhaps, to got a man like Seunghyun to love her that deep and sincere.

“Don’t you dare to lie to me, Im Yoona—I’m fed up with lies, dissemblance and secret; I want you to be honest.”

Yoona didn’t say anything, but she really loss for words. She let her face went blank; let hung open, as she was gasping for air to enter her lungs; and she tried her best to control her tears. “Seunghyun…”

Seunghyun made the grip on her hands tighter. “Please Yoong. Be honest to me.” He said with the most sorrowful expression he had. He didn’t faking his expression at all, by the way.

“I’m sorry,” Yoona didn’t say anything but that words before she circled Seunghyun’s hips with her hands, feeling his lean body. She buried her face on the crook of his neck, smelling his scent. She didn’t realize that her body trembles against him. She didn’t realize that her tears have started falling. She didn’t realize that she missed his touch.

But he did.

And it made him wrapped her body around his long and protective arms.

To provide warmth.

To provide protection.

To provide affection.

To provide love.

“Sssh…” Seunghyun finally began to her back to calm her down. “Don’t force yourself, Yoong. I’m waiting.”

He could sense Yoona’s nod and her tighten hug on him.

So all this while… Seunghyun thought. It wasn’t only me who suffer. She did too.

After a good few minutes, her grip on his torso loosened, her body slowly calmed down, her tears had stopped.

“Feeling better?”

Yoona released her hug on Seunghyun and nodded. Her cheeks were wet with tears and finally, after days of believing that she’s alright with all of these unfortunate eve