fireflies || haechan

chapter 36

HAECHAN DRIVING??!?!??!!!??!?!!???!?

the night sky was clear, a full moon shining in the sky surrounded by scattered stars. donghyuck was restless as he lay in bed, staring at his ceiling as thoughts clouded his mind.

his room was very warm, beads of sweat forming on the boy's forehead and plastering  his brown bangs upon his melanin skin.

he sighed as he forced himself out of bed. the stairs creaked as he tiptoed through his empty house in search of the thermostat to lower the heat.

after running his finger along the side, donghyuck ventured over to a window, taking in the night scenery. he pulled the window open, feeling the chilly breeze across his skin.

it cleared his mind, bringing him into a state of peace.

soon enough, he felt himself throwing on his shoes stumbling out door, out into the dimly lit streets.

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donghyuck found himself standing on the driveway of meili and renjun's house, head tilted back towards the sky in thought.

"why am i here again?" he questioned himself, rubbing his tired eyes.

the rock he had been kicking sat between his feet, sparking an idea in his mind.

bending down, he took the rock into his hands, moving it around a couple times before launching it at one of the front windows.

he patiently stared at the surface it had collided with, watching for any signs of movement. after a minute there was nothing, making the boy lose hope as he began to turn away.

the thought of her likely spending the night at chenle's place crossed his mind, filling the boy with an unfamiliar emotion.

suddenly, a voice cut through the late air, causing him to stop in his tracks.

"donghyuck?" a girl's voice called out into the night. it was laced with confusion as she stared out from her bedroom window, her eyes squinted at the figure standing in the dark.

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"so you couldn't sleep?" meili broke the silence between the two that had been present since she followed him out of her house. the boy nodded, choosing not to say anything else.

it was chilly in the forest, their breath visible amongst the branches that brushed against their arms. a large pond then came into view, the one that donghyuck would visit whenever his mind was clouded.

it was his safe place, a spot he had never taken anyone. not even dream. he was unsure why he was showing meili the spot, or why he had even went to her in the first place.

none of that mattered though, as the two gazed at the shining surface of the pond.

"it's really pretty," she breathed, eyes glistening in the light.

"yeah," he agreed, slowly breathing in the fresh air. "just wait for the fireflies."

"the fireflies?"

a small light appearing in her line of vision answered her question, making her lips part as she watched it slowly extinguish.

another one appeared, and then another, wowing the girl.

"it reminds me of that one night..." she began, eyes following the small bugs as more began to become clearer.

donghyuck looked up at her, waiting for her to continue.

"remember? when we were the backyard staring at the sky?"

the memory resurfaced, filling her up with joy and causing her to smile.

"that was nice."

donghyuck's lips slowly parted as he watched her smile into the darkness, admiring the way her round eyes shone with the reflection of the moon. his eyes drifted to her short hair, softly tucked behind her ear with its faded highlights standing out against the dark.
they then drifted to her lips, before quickly flickering back up to her eyes.

he held his breath, amazed at how beautiful she was.

"i like you."