COLD ᝰ.ᐟ 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐍𝐋𝐈𝐗

[ 1 ]

The chapel was empty, understandable, seeing as it was almost midnight. All the nurses and other staff were either caring for duties on the night shift, sleeping in their quarters, or had just gone home.

Chan sat on the bench and stared at the candles that flickered beneath the oil painting of Christ. The painter, Miss Mary Forge, was gone now. She had passed away a few months ago. She'd eventually given up, her husband was gone, and she'd battled the cancer for over eight years. Her smiling eyes and jolly wrinkled face flashed by in Chan's memories. The boy cared for her for barely a year, but he was there when she took a last breath. Working with the terminally ill was never easy, but it was a job Chan worked at with passion.

"Chan?" a voice spoke.

He turned around to see the head nurse standing with her arms folded across her chest. "What are you doing?"

Behind her, the clock read 1:23am. Here we go. Chan sighed and tugged the collar of his blue uniform shirt away from his neck. "It's fine, Yeji, I'm just saying my prayers."

Yeji huffed, loose strands of her faded pink hair fluttering around her tired face. "Just get some rest. You work more than anyone here, alright? Tomorrow's your day off."

Chan stood up from the wooden bench and walked towards her, enveloping her small body in a hug. She patted his back, her face on his shoulder. "Alright," the male whispered. With a small smile, Chan went to his quarters near the dementia wing of the care home.

He shut the door and lifted his blue shirt over his head, discarding it on the end of the bed. The thought of Felix crossed his mind for the millionth time since he left five years ago.

Yeji knew about it, more about it than anyone else. Throughout the years Chan worked in palliative care, he did his best to be the smiling kid for the old residents, but Yeji saw right through that persona. She knew about Felix, about Chan's family, and about his hellishly unstable mental state.

After changing into a pair of shorts, Chan climbed into bed and pulled the covers up to his neck. The sounds of medical equipment and the scuttling of staff could be heard faintly outside. The picture on the bed stand was that of the pair. Chan and Felix, on their high school graduation day. All smiles, only for him to leave a week later with no notice at all. Chan sent messages, called him, and visited all the places he thought he would go. But the boy couldn't find him, he was gone. His last known location—Seoul International Airport. Felix had moved away, and left Chan in Australia.

Chan wiped his eyes as tears were starting to form. Felix is gone, he's not coming back. Get over yourself, Chan.

The cold breeze swept over the male when Chan stepped outside the rest home. He pulled his puffer coat tighter around himself as the frost began to bite. Sticking out his hand, he hollered a taxi and hopped in when one pulled up.

"Sydney Vintage Apartments, please." 

Chan put his seat belt on and gazed out the window. The trees and greenery flying past, quickly replaced by lush palm trees, flax bushes, and twinkling sand dunes. The view, a smear of bright blue and grainy beige. The taxi came to a stop outside a line of faded mustard-colored buildings. Not really vintage at all. Chan paid the driver and went inside. He flopped on the bed in his box of an apartment. Another day off, another day wasted in his crusty old apartment. Kicking his shoes off, he went into the kitchen to make some instant ramen.

Just as the boy sat down with the steaming bowl and switched the television on, his phone buzzed. The notification left his mouth agape and he dropped his phone in surprise.

👻SNAPCHAT (09:23am)

User back online
Say hi! Lix is back online, time to reconnect!

Chan fumbled around, grasping for his phone on the ground. The hot ramen now soaking into the floor and cuffs of his sweatpants. A hiss of pain escaped his lips as the burning broth singed his skin. He quickly brushed the incident off and tried to focus on what was happening. Felix was online, and that meant his location. Chan gripped the phone tight in his shaky hands and opened the notification.

The map feature, Chan, check where he is!

"C'mon," he mumbled, "hurry up!" The feature loaded, and Felix's location appeared on screen.

300-1 Yeonsu-dong, Seoul

Chan's eyes widened, and he gasped. I finally found him, and I have his address. He took a quick screenshot and wrote Felix a message.

Channie
Lix, can we meet up? Please, I miss you.

His finger hovered over the send button, questions running through his mind. Would he even read it? Did he even care anymore? Has he forgotten about me?

- seen 09:26am

"He's seen it," Chan whispered under his breath, now waiting for a reply. And when none was received, he sent another and another.

Channie
Please Lix, I can come to you.
- seen 09:27am

Yah! I know you're there.
- seen 09:27am

Lix is offline (09:27am)

Channie
Lix please, just once, I want the closure.

The distraught male threw the phone in frustration and ran his hands through his curly blonde hair. With a loud groan, he laid back on the couch, the TV still running in the background. Chan choked back tears and swallowed the lump in his throat. The efforts proved futile as a flurry of memories flooded back.

"What the fuck did I do wrong?!" he yelled, voice cracking. "Why doesn't he want to see me?"

Tears trickled down his cheeks and soaked the collar of the jersey he wore. He sniffed and scanned the room for his phone. It was laying under the table, a decent crack down the right side of the screen. He unlocked it, running his thumb across the groove while he stared at the message screen. Chan knew he would regret this later. The screen remained blank. Felix still hadn't replied. 

That's it, Chan thought, wiping his tear-stained face. Gathering his thoughts, Chan made a decision.