they'll be alright

Him, her, they.

they'll be alright;

drabble | angst | g | 754 words

It doesn’t hurt anymore.

He likes to think that he had come out of it stronger than before: calloused heart, hardened complexion, stoic face. His eyes become like glass: glazed over, translucent, lifeless.

Spring arrives and he thinks back to the same time last year, with the birds humming in the trees, light breezes rustling the leaves, his cheeks burning with the radiance of the sun. He remembers how red her hair looked against the backdrop of light blue, traced with white clouds, how she would laugh and suddenly all seemed right with the world. Red plaid shirt, white blouse, plain blue jeans, them. Clasped hands, scent of honeysuckle flowers, bees buzzing but all he sees and hears is Jung Soojung and maybe that’s all that really mattered.

For a split second, he allows himself to smile at the memory - a bitter smile - and he flinches a bit at the slight twinge in his heart and that’s when he realizes that maybe it wasn’t as over as he hoped. Over, he reminds himself through clenched teeth.

He sees her around at school, still. Catching glimpses of her in the hallway, eyes crinkled into crescents in that special way of hers, latched onto Jinri’s arm. He usually looks away the second he realizes her presence and he tells himself that he doesn’t feel anything. He really doesn’t. He ducks into a corner and takes his pulse. Normal.

He should be okay, he supposes. He has been normal for the past six months and he can be normal now. After all, she seems to be fine -- she had cut her hair short, re-dyed it a dark brown with blonde ends, edgy as she always had been. She never throws a glance in his direction and he thinks that he deserves it anyway.

High school graduation comes around the corner and everyone’s roaming around signing yearbooks, laughing, reminiscing, promises of let’s keep in touch and thanks for being such a good friend, and more than a few times he catches himself trying to gather the courage to ask Soojung to sign his. You know, for being such a good friend all these years, he gulps, the memories rushing back like a tidal wave.

He needs to take a break. He walks briskly away from the crowd down an empty hallway, his stomach churning.

He’s looking down, focusing on the glossy floor. Footsteps. Light padding of Converse. Hightops. Black with white laces. Hers.

He decides not to look up. The footsteps pause and his breathing quickens.

“Hey.”

He swallows, attempting to get rid of the newly-formed knot in his throat. He looks up, gaze darting everywhere but on her. He hopes she would go away and save him the trouble but she doesn’t.

Finally, “Soojung.” The name feels foreign on his tongue but he tries to look nonchalant.

She smiles a bit, a swirl of emotions inside her eyes that he can’t quite make out. “Congrats to us. On graduating.” The way she says it makes him jealous because he wishes he could have the same amount of composure as she does.

“T-thanks. I guess. I mean, you too.” He inwardly smacks his palm to his forehead for sounding like such an idiot.

A giggle escapes and he doesn’t want to hear it anymore. “Best of luck in college, Jongin.” And his name echoes throughout the empty hallway, ringing in his ears, possibly the last time he would hear his name from her lips and he doesn’t know whether to cherish it or just be glad that it’ll be over.

“Best of luck to you, too. Soojung.” His eyes soften a little as he says her name and he gives her a curt nod.

A brief pause on both sides. “Well,” she finally says while gesturing to the crowd down the hall. “I’ll be heading back now.”

His gaze hardens, steeling himself for the goodbye. He nods again as she walks away, black hightops on the white glossy floor.

“Bye,” he whispers to himself once she is out of earshot.

He looks outside the windows to the electric blue skies and it still reminds him of Soojung. But now all he sees in his mind is a girl in black Converse with white shoelaces, dark brown hair with blonde ends, best wishes for the college years, a new beginning, a fresh start for the both of them finally starting on different paths for good.

It’ll be alright.

Him, her, they.

They’ll be alright.

`author's note: hey everyone, i'm back after the longest time (again). i actually have tests coming up this week but this just randomly came out today. maybe because spring is here and summer is coming and i'm graduating from high school this year and just -- well, yeah. this is kind of continuation of "on nights like these" but with kai's point of view, but it could be read separately too. i'm hoping that even though they don't end up together, that at least they have closure and can move on in good terms. because that's ultimately the most you can do, right? sometimes, things will never be the same no matter how hard you try, unfortunately.

thank you for being faithful readers and bearing with me and my severe writer's block. please comment and let me know what you think! much love, xoxo~

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