Broken Pieces || Park Jisung

e i g h t

     "YOU'RE NOT PLANNING to jump again, are you?" A deep voice behind her said, that voice all too familiar to the crying girl.

The girl grew stiff but that didn't stop her from wiping away the tears that tainted her pretty face and sewing a smile on her lips. She turned around and looked at the boy.

"Don't worry, Park. I'm not gonna jump. I'm completely fine." She forced a smile. But Jisung wasn't an idiot. He could clearly see how her eyes reflected sadness, regret, guilt.

Fine, my ass.

He rolled his eyes and walked towards her, filling the space beside her. He leaned at the railings, his head turning to face the girl. "Do you take me for a fool?" He scoffed.

"I'm fine, really. Don't worry." She smiled at the boy once again. Her slightly red, glassy eyes meeting his dark and empty ones. The boy broke the eye contact.

"Who said I was worried?" He scoffed and looked anywhere but her. Minha playfully rolled her eyes at the boy and sighed.

Why would I be worried?

"Park Jisung." She called him, her voice slightly raspy and hoarse from the crying session she had. "Why is it always you?" She said and looked up at the boy who looked at her with brows furrowed.

"What do you mean?" He asked.

"Why is it always you who see me in this pathetic state?" Her shoulders shook as tears started streaming down her face once again, small whimpers coming out from her fragile state.

She didn't want to hold back anymore. After all, Jisung had already seen her like this at the same place.

The boy was taken aback by the girl's sudden outburst of tears, internally panicking as this scenario was awfully familiar to him.

"Noona, why are you crying?" The 16 year old boy asked his sister who was breaking down in front of him at the famous Han River Bridge.

"Jisung-ah, if I suddenly disappear, don't look for me okay? Never look for me." She cupped his face and kissed his forehead.

"I love you."

The boy recalled the past, his heart clenching and his head aching in a very painful and disturbing way. He didn't know what to do. He didn't know how to comfort anyone.

But he remembered that day, he comforted her. His sister.

Jisung hesitantly wraps his arms around the girl's shoulders, pulling her in for a hug which took the girl by surprise. Although the hug was stiff, it still comforted Minha.

I'm not worrying. You just awfully remind me of her. He told himself.

On the other hand, Minha now had her arms wrapped around the boy's torso with her head buried on his chest and there, her walls broke down. Her tears now staining his favorite black shirt which made the boy internally groan.

"It's all my fault! I don't deserve to live, it was all my fault!" Her voice came out as muffled as her head was still buried on his chest.

Jisung was curious by what she meant but he decided not to pry on it. It might make the girl break down more and continue to stain his favorite shirt.

What she has right now... is an immense amount of guilt. But what is she guilty of? Just what the hell happened to you, Choi Minha?

And that's how the two teenagers' night— dawn went by. With Minha crying in his arms until she calmed down and broke the hug, leaving the boy without uttering a single word.

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