Ateez Imagines

Seonghwa - Heartbreak

It had been so long since the sun had peeked through it's cloudy prison, but today was that day. You decided it was high time you took a stroll in the park. Though the sky was clear, it was unfortunately still frigid outside so you made sure to dress accordingly, wearing what felt like dozens of layers to keep warm.

You slipped a beanie over your head, put the hood of your sweatshirt up, and left the house with a smile on your face.

The park was just walking distance from you, so it didn't take you long to get there. On the way, you spotted a few squirrels, chasing each other up trees like a game of tag. You watched a child running after birds, scaring them and laughing at how they took flight at the same time. The sound of their panicked flapping was amusing to him. And his amusement managed to break out an even bigger smile on your face.

You hurried over to your favorite spot in the park, hoping someone hadn't already taken it. It was special to you. Seonghwa took you out on your first date there. The two of you had countless picnics at that spot. Location wise, it was perfect - the trees looming over it isolated the bench just enough to be considered somewhat private and it had a beautiful view of the river.

Just as the bench came into view, you let out a heavy sigh. A sweet couple was sitting on it, the man pointing at the river and explaining something about a boat passing by. Thankfully, that wasn't the only bench. There was another one closeby. The only downside was that there wasn't as much shade, but you figured you didn't absolutely need to be isolated from the sun today.

You approached the couple, following the path to the next location, when a familiar face caught your eye. It took you a few seconds to realize, but your brain concluded what your eyes theorized.

The familiar face was none other than Seonghwa... smiling with another girl... on your park bench...

You froze in place, ironic since the sun shined on you like a spotlight now, melting you from the inside. What were you supposed to do? He was with another girl. But why couldn't you move? Your heart skipped a few beats as panic clashed with anger and sadness at the sickening sight. The lump in your throat grew, trying to hold yourself back from breaking down into tears.

Eventually, his eyes followed down the river to you, a dam blocking his view. The double take he took was the last straw. You matched up to him with confidence, stomping against the photosynthesizing grass.

There were no words you wanted to say. There was just one thing you wanted to do.

SLAP!

Your hand made short contact with his cheeks - enough force to turn his head. "Y/n..." he tried to squeak out as he turned back to face you.

SLAP!

God you were angry. Fuming. You wish you could slapped him a million times. And then a million times more. Maybe then he'd feel the punch to the gut it was seeing him.

"You..." You shook a finger toward him, pulling it back into a fist that you threw to your side.

It was getting harder to hold back tears. The more your eyes darted between Seonghwa and the skank beside him.
"Let me explain-"

"There's nothing to explain, Park Seonghwa..." A stray tear managed to escape, rolling down your rosy cheeks. "You... How could you even-"

Words choked in your throat. You were surrounded by rich oxygen, yet you still gasped for air - you couldn't breathe. Everything was all happening at once. It made your head spin.

What did I do to deserve this? I thought we were good, you thought to yourself, shaking your head quietly. Why would he-

"Y/n..." he tried to comfort. His voice wasn't even panicked. You'd hope he'd at least give you that much, but no. While you stood in front of him with a war of emotions in your brain, he stood in front of you with pity. Pity for you. That you caught him.

"No. We're through. I want your stuff out of my apartment by tomorrow. I'm throwing out whatever you leave," you said with conviction, hoping your words cut him deep to match the scar he'd left on your heart.

You turned to walk away, and you made it a few feet before you heard Seonghwa's voice again.

"You're naive, you know?" He called out.

Stood in place, those words hit you in the back like an arrow, piercing the thick layers of coats. You felt cold, though you couldn't tell if it was because of him or the fact that clouds were rolling in, bringing a harsh winter chill.

"I never dated you cause I liked you, Y/n... It was out of pity," he explained, sending more daggers.

Your eyes welled up with tears, worried the dam would break at any moment if he spoke any more.

"You think I actually liked you? I just felt bad seeing you sit here alone everyday. It was so infuriatingly depressing. I only kept you around cause I needed something to do. I don't love you...

...I never even liked you."

That was it. The final blow.

The clouds rolled over, covering the once bright sunshine as tears flooded your vision of the now dim river in front of you. They raced down your cheeks, staining your skin as they burned against the cold wind.

"Fuck. You." You said shakily through gritted teeth. You turned around quickly to face him, repeating it to make sure he heard you.

"Fuck! You!" You yelled back at him.

"Good. Riddance," he responded.

"Don't even bother coming for your stuff."

You took one last look at him, engraving this horrid picture in your mind before leaving.

So much for a lovely stroll at the park.
The same way you stepped into the park, the happy steps you arrived with were replaced with the disheartened drag of your feet. Who knew so much could happen in just the span of an hour.

Your mind muddled with his words, I never even liked you. I just used you. You're so naive. Were you really just that naive, you didn't see it? No he had to be lying... The two of you had plenty of happy moments.

Baking at home and making a mess, having to clean it up together... That was real wasn't it? Or bowling, when you got 3 strikes in a row and beat him... How he playfully picked you up with the brightest smile before setting you down and pretending to be angry. That kiss he gave you, that was real, right?

You didn't know. Nothing made sense anymore.

You didn't even realize you made it back home until you had to dig for your keys in your coat. Once inside, you tore off every layer you had on, basking in the comforting warmth of your apartment.

Everywhere you looked, though, you saw him. On the couch watching TV curled up with you at his side... In the kitchen admiring the way you cooked or vice versa... In the bathroom, holding you as you brushed your teeth for the night... In the bedroom, cuddling up close as you slept.

It hurt. You could feel a stabbing pain in your chest. So this is what it feels like, you thought to yourself. Years of watching dramas and romcoms should've prepared you.

Nothing could really prepare you for heartbreak.

There was nowhere to sit without seeing him, except for the closet, which you crawled into quietly and sat there. You brought your knees to your chest and cried into them. Your back felt bare, already missing the way he would comfort you by rubbing your back slowly.

You tried to quiet your thoughts, replacing them by humming your favorite songs, but even those felt glum now. Though, it did you well, letting you rest. You leaned against the wall of the closet and closed your stinging eyes.

Tomorrow would be another day.