Oh, the short and trashy updates...I am so sorry. 💋-kpopidiots26

They skipped graduation.

Jinhwan sat on the couch, his head lying on Soohyun's shoulder. No tears, no speaking. Only silent breaking.

They had maintained this position for 45 minutes, listening to the squealing and laughing of the children outside through the window. Soohyun didn't know what to say. Forensics had lingered around for the past 3 hours before leaving to get to the lab.

Previously, one of the paramedics explained that his mother had been lying on the bedroom floor for almost a week. Jinhwan froze, but his hands were shaking uncontrollably. "So once I ended the call, she..." His voice had come to a stop, and it was as if his throat was being crushed. His vision became hazy and his knees were about to buckle before he held onto Soohyun for support.

"Jinhwan, I —" she started, but Jinhwan shook his head. "Please. Just don't say anything and hug me." Jinhwan's breaths had become irregular and his voice was reduced to that of a little boy's. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and she could feel her shoulder dampening because of Jinhwan's sadness.

But that was minutes before; Jinhwan was now composed as he lied his head on her shoulder. Suddenly, water leaked from his eyes and dripped onto their legs. "I should have never hung up. Maybe if I didn't end the call, her body wouldn't have given up."he cried, squishing Soohyun in his arms after sitting up. "Jinhwan, it's not your fault." she whispered, brushing the hair out of his eyes.

"But you know the last thing I said to her?" he mumbled, lazily twirling a strand of her hair around his finger. Soohyun looked at him, anxious for him to go on.

"See you later."

And at that moment, their hearts became one. He began bawling, with Soohyun following directly behind. They wanted to hold each other forever, and their pain was equivalent now. Parentless.

He grabbed her face and pointed it towards his. Without even being asked a question, Soohyun already knew. She nodded. He connected his lips with hers, and their tears fell, only to be merged together in the end. They sighed, and she rested her forehead on his.

"I love you." she whispered, placing her hand on the back of his neck. He nodded, his face rubbing against her head slightly. "I love you, too. But let's not talk, okay? I just really need you right now." he sobbed.

Soohyun wanted to tell him that everything was going to be okay. She wanted to say that the loss of family was eventually going to pass, but she couldn't bring herself to do it. Her despair had not passed, Jinhwan just put it on a halt. But now it was back, and her boyfriend was in the same boat.

The playfulness and cheeriness that once inhabited his eyes were now gone. It was like a galaxy without any stars; dull, empty, and dark.

They rested on the couch for the rest of the day, his arms wrapped tightly around her figure. His soft snoring was soothing and it made the atmosphere serene, a feeling that seemed so distant until now. Sometimes, his lips quivered and a slur of words would fall from his mouth. His eyebrows creased mid-dreaming, and he snuggled his face into her shoulder.

"Don't leave me. I'm already alone," Jinhwan mumbled, still caught in his nightmares. He tightened his grip around Soohyun, but she didn't mind. She patted his hands and subtly shifted to place a gentle kiss on his nose.

"Don't worry. Trust me, you need me just as much as I need you."

Jinhwan awoke the next morning, a drowsy Soohyun still bound within his arms. "What time is it?" she groaned, wriggling around just to hug him. "Time to get a watch," he smirked, and Soohyun smiled up at him. She softly his jawline with her finger, admiring how delicately carved his features were.

"Are you okay?" she whispered. He shook his head but played a smile anyway. "It'll pass." he reassured himself. She gave no response because she didn't believe it either. And so they stayed, desperately holding onto each other, for longer than expected, in the house of a mother that has once been.