Chapter Two

Baekhyun wake up with the sunlight on his face which annoyed him a lot.

It took him a while to gain full consciousness. After analyzing his surrounding he finally figured out where he was. Apparently he passed out on the couch of his rented cottage wearing the same clothes he wore last night and with the pounding headache he has, it didn’t take him long enough to realize that he must have spent a good portion of the previous night drowning himself in alcohol. 

It’s during this time of the month that he allowed himself to lose control, to succumb to the pain of losing the love of his life. When the pain threatens to overpower him, he would start drowning himself in alcohol and once he starts he doesn’t stop until he passes out. It’s the only way he knew that would make him forget. It’s the only way he knew that would make his heart numb.

Yeol passed away exactly one year and six months ago but the pain of losing him is still as intense as the moment he felt Yeol’s body went limp. He remembered that moment vividly as if it was just yesterday…

Yeol was lying on their bed. They were talking about the weather and how it’s the perfect time to go fishing.

 “I love you.” Yeol told him out of nowhere. It became Yeol’s habit to say I love you whenever he felt like saying it. Baekhyun’s heart would be filled with love that it would almost burst out of its place whenever he heard Yeol say it.

Baekhyun gathered up Yeol’s hand and kissed it gently.

“I love you too.” Baekhyun replied, putting all the love he felt for Yeol on that four words.

Yeol smiled up at him lovingly and a moment later he closed his eyes. Baekhyun would never forget the look on Yeol’s face at that exact moment. He looked so peaceful and content. As if he didn’t have cancer and he was just sleeping after a hard day’s work.

As it turned out, it was also the day that Yeol would never wake up again. Baekhyun was just admiring the face of his love when suddenly he felt Yeol’s body go limp. He called out Yeol’s name in hopes that he was just dozing off but it was a futile act. Yeol has finally moved on to a better place and Baekhyun was left picking up the pieces of his shattered world.

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As he was lying there in the couch he felt itchiness throughout his body.

“What now?” He thought. “I’m not allergic to alcohol for crying out loud.”

He looked down  and  found sand scattered on the floor. His clothes, bare arms and feet are covered too with sand.

Sand? What happened last night?

It wasn't when he glanced around and found crumpled pieces of paper that the event last night became clear to him. He thought it was just a dream but he really did write a letter to Yeol, put it inside a soju bottle and tossed it in the ocean. That explains the sand. He must have stumbled his way to the shore and spent some time rolling in the sand.

He couldn’t quite remember what he wrote in the letter but he couldn’t care less anyway. He was sure no one would pay attention to it. Who would be silly enough to believe in messages in a bottle these days?

He shook the thought of last night’s event out of his head and proceeded to the bathroom where he took a long broody shower.