makeup artist°l.dh

chapter thirty-five: soulmates

Donghyuck arrives using the bus that leads to her neighbourhood and quickly runs to her house, unafraid of the possible cameras since their whole relationship's exposed already.

The sky is flaming orange and red in the late evening and he knocks vigorously on her door. "Eunwol! Eunwol, it's me!"

Ding! Dong! Ding! Dong!

He presses on the doorbell impatiently. "Eunㅡ"

And the door swings open.

"Donghyuck- ah..." She says, shocked and is instantly pulled into his arms, tightly engulfed in his hold.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. I couldn't save you. It's all my fault they found out about us," he apologizes desperately with tears already pooling his eyes, sincerity pouring from his words and the guilt is so heavy that Eunwol can almost feel it weighing on her.
"I missed you so much. Everyday, without you it's so... so painful."

He pulls away and cups her flushed face from trying to suppress her tears which clearly leads to a failure as they flow rapidly down her rosy cheeks.
"I'm sorry. You must've been much more hurt than me. I'm sorry, I couldn't talk to you. The company took my phoneㅡ"

He is put to a halt when a bulky man suddenly, appears and passes by her to exit- carrying boxes in his hand.

Donghyuck's blurry gaze follows him and only then, does he realize that a large, moving truck had been parked up front all this while.

The faucet in his eyes stop instantly as shock and incredulity overtake. "Whaㅡ"

He whips his head to his girlfriend. "Eunwol-ah, wh-what's happening?"

The girl sniffs violently and gulps down her sobs. "I'm moving away. I can't... I can't live here anymore."

"But, why?? Eunwol-" Haechan grabs her shoulders- grip tightening at the fear of her leaving.

She loves this place. He remembers the many times she said her little house was tiny yet, plenty for her- like a petite fairy house. If she's moving because of all that has happened then, he can't live with it. "Is it because of me?"

But, Wollie shakes her head and bites on her bottom lip- trying to speak but knowing that the moment she even, emits a little squeak, she might start crying.

"No," she finally, manages to says although, her voice cracks at every syllable. "I just can't afford it, anymore. So, I'm going back to my family at the country side. They need me there more, anyways."

Haechan stares at her trying to decipher her words yet, seemingly denying to and only shaking his head vigorously after.
"No... no. I can help you! H-how much do you need? You and your family, I can help! J-just tell me and you don't even have toㅡ"

"Lee Donghyuck!" She raises her voice- quickly diminishing his. She grits her teeth to be able to maintain a smile although, it trembles. "It's okay. It's better this way, anyways. Let's break up."

That one last sentence that passes her lips completely sends him into a meltdown and he stands frozen with gaze stuck on her.

This one thought never crossed his mind despite, the situation they are in. It's too agonizing for him to even think about that his brain deliberately pushed the idea away.

He can't let her go. He gave her his heart, she's practically his whole world- he'll succumb without her.

"...what?"

Eunwol wipes her eyes with her sleeve before holding his hands in each of hers. "Let's break up. Haven't you realized? We weren't meant to be! Maybe, we were fated to be each other's soulmates but, not for the ending. We were fated to meet each other but, just as a lesson- a part in our own story that helps shape us into the person we would be in the future.
"Ever since we were dating, we barely had peace. We had to sneak, hide our feelings, avoid the rumours that can arise from a mere brush of the hands. Yet, even after doing all that, everything still breaks apart."

Haechan listens to her every thought, unable to deny yet, refusing to accept.
"No! This will just be for a bit! It always is like that! All of this will get forgotten by the media soon enough and we can be together!
"Please... I don't want to lose you."

He intertwines their fingers together and the feeling of how they perfectly fit shatters him more inside.
"I promise... I'll be good. I'll do better. I love you, Eunwol."

The lass sobs and lets out an airy, forced chuckle at his heartfelt confession that both patches and tears her heart apart.
"I know. I love you too- so much that it's so odd considering how I'm such a narcissist."

Her sassy, sarcastic comment makes him scoff in both bitterness and admiration.

"I know, right. Even, I love you more than I love myself. Whatever sorcery you used on me, never break it off," the boy speaks.

"Yeah, right." Eunwol rolls her eyes with a smirk before it suddenly, wavers. "But, because I cherish you this much, I have to do this."

"Your things are already packed and loaded so we'll be heading to your house right away," one of the movers tell- not sparing them a single glance from their hectic schedule and the late hour and leaving away to her family's home.

Donghyuck tightens his hold on her hands instantly. "No. I don't want to leave you."

"It's better this way!" She argues with a raise of her voice and she gasps at the accidental frigidity of it. But, she quickly regains her focus on her script.
"Besides, it won't be you leaving me. It's me... leaving you."

And she slips her hands away from his during his moment of getting scarred by her response before walking to her car.

He swivels and starts wheezing, hyperventilating as he feels suffocated by the heartbreak. "Eunwol! EUNWOL! DON'T GO! PLEASE, STAY! I'LL TELL THE COMPANY! I'LL LEAVE IF THEYㅡ"

"DON'T FOLLOW ME!" She yells with her back facing him. "IF YOU DARE TAKE ANOTHER STEP, I'M GOING TO HATE YOU!"

Haechan isn't sure what it is but he completely turns frozen the moment those words left her mouth.

And when he tries to take another step, her scratchy yet, piercing tone echoes and chains him to the ground.

So instead, he can only watch her and through his indistinct vision from all the exhaustion and endless tears, he can still see her wiping her tears harshly before she turns to face him.

Her mien crossed and spiteful yet, he feels none of those emitting from her. "You... If you dare decide to throw everything away just for me, I'll really despise you."

Donghyuck reaches out his arm towards her, about to speak but she quickly whips her head away and rushes to the car.

She races off without a single spare glance at him and he watches as the distance between them widens and feels the excruciating pain as the agony of this cursed reality heightens.