Until The End of Time | Wonho [√]

31: RÜCKKEHRUNRUHE

RÜCKKEHRUNRUHE: THE FEELING OF RETURNING HOME AFTER AN IMMERSIVE TRIP ONLY TO FIND IT FADING RAPIDLY FROM YOUR AWARENESS

Evening approached like a snake slithering across the looming and gargantuan grasses to take over its prey. The days were getting shorter, the weather less warm than before. Time quickly slipping away like sand through my fingers yet I felt immobile. My legs were taking me through one of those brick roads of the campus, barely.

After a long day of attending class lectures and performing a group presentation, I was tired and my back was aching. I was alone. I wanted and needed to walk alone. Changkyun and Hanbyul were great support but even with them, my head was always filled with something completely different.

I felt disconnected from reality. The evening breeze hitting my face and tousling my hair which had grown a little longer than before— just above my shoulder, was barely registering. The blue sky too. The sun had dipped to the horizon some minutes ago.

That's why, when I saw Wonho I couldn't really fathom it as well. I was taking the route before the kendo club and then I saw him walking right towards me.

That's where I had seen him for the first time too, albeit inside that building. Now he was not wearing his kendo uniform but he was clad in a black sweatshirt and his head was a blazing orange.

Orange. He had dyed his hair again.

"I was really hoping to see you here today." The darkening sky couldn't hide his aflame hair, or his accentuated figure in black. He looked the same as before, but different, yes, different he was. It already felt like ages since I had seen him.

Maybe it was only a few days but to me it was ages.

I was so taken aback that I could only stand quietly. After that night, I couldn't but think that maybe I was not going to see him anymore. Maybe not ever again.

I didn't want to leave him alone, yet I didn't want to crowd around him and make him feel overwhelmed.

What if in those worlds paralleled to ours he died exactly for that reason? My heart went out of sync for a second.

"How have you been doing, Sunny?" he asked with a slight smile. Maybe he was really okay now, better at least.

"Good," I stammered a little on my tongue. All those hand holdings, breathing close to each other, walking side by side with him felt so distant as if those really didn't happen, did they ever?

He sort of felt like a stranger to me now, that name of mine in his tongue felt unfamiliar. Why was he already a fading memory? Or maybe I was trying to repress them?

"How are you?"

Why couldn't I just say 'I miss you like the earth misses rain after going through an everlasting drought for decades, that my heart beat less without you and it feels like I'm always somewhere else and not really here.'