The Odd Doctor Out | A Drama | S. 1

157 🩺 Goodbyes

Saying goodbye was never easy for Wooyoung, but watching his parents' car driving off down the street and rounding the corner out of sight, Wooyoung thought maybe goodbyes were getting harder.

Tears streaming down his face, Wooyoung hugged himself, trying hard to keep himself together, and failing.

As he felt something on his back, Wooyoung turned to see Yeosang, somewhat also with glistening eyes, who walked straight into his arms and hugged him, perhaps half for Wooyoung's sake, and half for his own.

'I miss them already,' Wooyoung choked against his brother, but Yeosang just nodded, hugging him tighter.

Standing out on the pavement, Wooyoung hugged Yeosang and let himself cry into the nook of his neck, half even more distressed by the fact that Yeosang almost never cried when their parents went away. He was always the strong one, and Wooyoung was the baby who would cry and cry and cry and beg for them to come back.

But hearing Yeosang's shaky breath, and feeling his stoic, rigid posture, he could feel Yeosang was on the verge of tears too, and it only made him feel worse.

'Don't cry, Hyung,' he whispered, trying to stand up tall and comfort him, but Yeosang just held him tight against him, not allowing him to move an inch.

'Hyung..' Wooyoung whispered, pleading evident in his voice. But when Yeosang didn't respond, his back only stiffening more, Wooyoung's tears drifted from being about their mom and dad, to the distress of his brother being emotional and upset. 'Hyung-ah~h,' Wooyoung pleaded, trying to push away to see his face.

But Yeosang held on tightly, no match for Wooyoung's weakened strength.

'Hyung-a~h~h~...'

'Shhh,' Yeosang finally said, hushing him as he shifted his strong embrace so that he could put a hand on the back of Wooyoung's head and brush at his hair.

'No~ Hyung-ah~h... Yeosang-ah~h~h~...' 

'Hush,' he cooed, making shooshing sounds as he hugged him. 'Hyung's okay, shhh.'

Wooyoung's bottom lip trembled as his tears soaked into the fabric of Yeosang's sweater. He tried again to push away, but failed once more. 'H-hyung...'

Stroking his hair, Yeosang hushed him still. 'Hyung's okay, hush now Woo.'

Feeling his posture relax a little, Wooyoung wrapped his arms around him, stopping trying to get away and this time hugging him close. He dug his face into the crook of his neck and took his sweater in fists.

'Sangie...' Wooyoung murmured into his neck.

With one last tight squeeze, Yeosang finally stood back, letting his face show. His eyes were glassy, but he wore a small, sad smile.

'Let's go back inside, hun. It's cold out. You don't want to catch a cold.' Tucking his arm around his, he gave him a small smile.

'H-hyung-ah... Are you really okay?' Wooyoung pulled Yeosang to face him, studying his face.

But Yeosang just smiled. 'Mhm~. I'm okay hun. Let's go inside now.'

~~~