Faded Sun| SunSun

Outro: Faded Sun

Posting all final chapters today- Read chapters 38, 39 + 40 first!

The sun shone favorably into the classroom; casting rays of light over the mornings worksheet. Sweet chirping serenaded the students, from the swallows that rested on the branches outside. It was such a lovely spring day, just one glance out the window, would show you all of the beauty this season had to hold. Freshly bloomed primrose, even a butterfly fluttering past your vision.

A boy sat in that very classroom, staring out of the windows. Anyone would have assumed he was admiring the beauty of spring, though, that was far from the truth. He really paid no attention to the nature, instead, he was dreaming about his future, and more specifically, his life in Seoul.

He had a new company to train at, a new place to live, a new school to attend. He'd get to see Heeseung and Mi-Sun again. It all sounded so exciting. The opportunities were endless, and he was ready to make the most of whatever Seoul had to throw at him. 

He really thought he was ready.

That was a year ago, and Sunoo couldn't help but think back to that time. Sitting here, damp and grouchy, eating tteokbokki, on the night his career ended and his friends got arrested. It wasn't anything he dreamed of. In fact, If you told him this is what it would be like, he would have called you crazy.

"Life really fucking sucks." Jay broke the silence, shoving in another mouthful of tteokbokki.

"I second that." Heeseung chuckled lightly. "It's like whenever anything good happens to us, the world comes along and says a big 'fuck you.'"

Sunghoon could attest to that. "Fate must hate us." 

"I don't believe in fate." Jake said boldly. "There's no supernatural power deciding what we do, or what happens to us. It just happens."

"So no one hates us? Bad things just happen to us for no reason." 

"I guess."

"Well that makes me feel a lot better." Heeseung replied, sarcasm lacing his voice.

"Fate or no fate. My point still stands, life fucking sucks." Jay reiterated. "Like not to rub salt in the wound or anything, but your careers are over, what the hell are you going to do now?"

"Yeah, I'm asking myself the same thing." Heeseung sighed, taking a half arsed bite of a rice cake.

There's no pre-written manual that tells you what to do when your life falls apart. Most people are just left to pick up the pieces on their own, and everyone has to do it at some point. It wasn't something unique to Sunoo, Heeseung, or Riki. All of the people in that room had gone through something like this before. 

The ring on Sunoo's finger really reminded him of that.

Who knows how people are able to carry on through times like this. Some people view it as not having a choice, they have to keep going. And some see it as a challenge, a way to prove how strong they are.

Sunoo felt an urge, a strangely powerful desire to not give up. He wasn't sure why he felt this way, but looking around at the people who shared this table with him, he started to get an idea.

He cleared his throat, gathering the attention of his friends. "Lets not focus on the future, because if fate really is real, we don't have a say in what will happen anyway. We should focus on the good things, like the fact that we have each other."

Sunghoon's lips curved slightly, he was glad to hear Sunoo perking up a bit. He never wanted Sunoo to fall into the darkness, or let this devastation take over him. He knew the darkness very well, but it was Sunoo's light that motivated him to save himself two years ago. All he could do now, was be there for Sunoo, and he very much intended to do so.

"There's a lot more to life than debuting; we have to remember that." 

"You're exactly right." Jay chimed, swinging their arm over Jungwon. "Like look at Wonnie, hosting the most popular radio show on campus." 

A rosy layer of blush dusted the boys cheeks. "It's not that popular."

"Oh cut that humble crap." Heeseung scoffs, eyes falling on Jungwon, his expression turns soft. "You did well Jungwon, we're all proud of you."

Jungwon smiles sweetly at his friend, those words really meant a lot to him, especially after what he had been through to get to this point.

"If Jungwon can find a new path, I'm sure you guys can too." Mi-Sun stated.

Jake nodded. "I mean you may have a scandal under your belt, but at least you don't have a criminal record."

"And what about me?" Riki moaned, reminding Jake that he had both a scandal, and a criminal record. 

"Well you're a special circumstance." Jake chuckled, only garnering a frown from the younger. He shook his head, gently tapping the boys thigh. "I know it doesn't feel like it, but you'll be able to move past this."

"I don't see how."

"For a start you'll move back in with me." 

That sentence made Riki's jaw drop. He'd assumed that after getting Jake arrested, he would want nothing to do with him. "Are you sure you're okay with that? I don't want to keep causing you trouble."

"I've put up with you this far, haven't I?" Jake laughed, pinching the youngers cheek. "In all seriousness, I want you to come back. The apartment doesn't feel the same without you there."

Riki didn't reply, only taking another, rather shy bite, of his tteokbokki. Jake thought he was really cute, ruffling the boys hair playfully, and encouraging him to eat up. There was never a single time he thought about giving up on the younger, because he wanted to keep looking after him.

Leaning down to his boyfriends ear, Sunghoon kept his voice a low tone. "You really believe things will be okay, don't you?" 

"At first I wasn't sure, but now..." Sunoo glanced around at all of the people he cared so much about. The mood had slightly shifted, with smiles and laughter becoming less of a rarity. And though the atmosphere was still a bit gloomy, Sunoo could feel the difference. "I know we'll be fine."

Sunoo leaned up slowly, pressing a soft kiss on his boyfriends lips. A hand snaked it's way around his waist, as the two pulled apart. Their eyes holding a gaze of such power, for it was so full of love.

"I didn't think it was possible to love a person this much." Sunghoon spoke softly, admiring every little feature on the boys face. He was so incredibly perfect, and he was all his. "You proved me wrong Kim Sunoo."

"I'm glad." Sunoo beamed, pressing their lips together for a final time. "You deserve all of the love you get, and I'm proud to be the person who loves you."

"I'm proud to be the person who loves you too."

Yes Seoul changed them.

And maybe in another year, they'll be even less of the people they were before. 

Though, no matter how much they change; their hearts will always beat the same.

They know the truth, and they know each other. The people they will become, are they people they were always meant to be. The journey will be rocky, with many more challenges on the horizon, but with the support of those around them, they can make it through anything.