Of Fake Smiles and Broken Hearts

eight

Kyungsoo woke up with a throbbing head. It's that kind of headache where the pain and uncomfortableness comes at the back of your head, making it feel heavy. Then, the pain subdues for a moment, only to come back up, this time traveling up to his temples and making his vision blurry on the edges. It seems like everything and everyone around him was spinning, thousands of thoughts swirl in his head all at once, making it worse.

He feels his hands getting cold from his fingertips up to his biceps, toes curling at the sudden change of temperature. He grips his hair harshly, tugging at the soft brown locks, hoping that his mind would focus on the pain that he's giving to himself rather than what's going on inside his head. But it doesn't work. The pain spreads like a wild fire.

Then everything stops.

The pain was gone. The room temperature wasn't that cold anymore. Kyungsoo sat on the floor motionless, still gripping his hair as he stares into darkness. He hears that familiar high-pitched noise, that one that you hear when there's complete silence. Like when you're lying on your bed at night, staring at your ceiling, waiting until sleep takes over you completely. Until a very faint noise starts in the background. At first you try to ignore it, but it gets louder and louder as time goes by.

It was deafening.

Kyungsoo stands up and looks around—but everything around him was darkness. He takes deep breaths, trying to control the panic rising into his chest because maybe, he's blind. Suddenly, there was a faint click. He looks around frantically. Another click. Kyungsoo was starting to panic. He can't see anything.

"H-Help, please! Someone!" He yells. He hears another click and when he looks to his right, he sees a flame of fire. Someone was holding a lighter and he was a few steps in front of him. Kyungsoo internally sighed in relief.

"Jongin.."

Kyungsoo jumps in surprise at the voice. It was a woman's voice. He blinks and for a split second the fire was gone. He started to get worried again but then there was a sudden spark of light—it was bright like the sun, so bright that Kyungsoo had to look away. It's like he's looking directly at the sun.

"It's okay, Jongin. I understand." Kyungsoo looks up and sees a girl. Her back was turned in his direction so he can't see who it is. The girl moves to her left and Kyungsoo's eyes widen when he sees Jongin. He was crying.

"No, no! D-Don't say that, please. I love you!" He says it almost as if he was begging. They looked like they were really in front of him, as if Kyungsoo was in the same room as them. He could almost touch the girl's shoulder.

"Shh." She says as he cups Jongin's tear-stained cheeks with her hands. "It's okay. Everything's fine. I-I love you too. I just want you to be happy, okay? Be happy for me."