"That was a low blow, Hyung." When Jake, Sunghoon, and Heeseung stepped out of the building, Jake held a disappointed expression, shaking his head at Heeseung who sighed heavily. "I get that you were upset about what she said, but using her own struggles against her like that was just cruel.
"Look, I know it was harsh," Heeseung admitted, his voice quieter now, regret seeping into his words. "But I just wanted to hurt her the same way she hurt Jay. It was a knee-jerk reaction, and I wasn't thinking clearly. You know what? I need to be alone. You guys can give me space for a bit."
Before they could say anything more, he walked away, taking a deep breath as he went. Yejin was mean to both Y/N and Jay, but he ended up crossing a line too. He wandered along the quiet street, his thoughts racing while the morning breeze cooled his skin. But just as he turned a corner, he spotted Yejin struggling to pull her wheelchair across a small gap in the pavement.
Swallowing his emotions, he silently walked over to her before she even realized he was there. He crouched down and gently placed his hands under the handles of her wheelchair to help her across the gap. Yejin looked up in surprise, her eyes widening when she realized who was helping her. "What do you think you're doing?"
Heeseung didn't meet her gaze directly, his fingers still gripping the handles of the wheelchair. "You need help." He muttered, his voice devoid of any warmth.
"I don't need your help." Yejin retorted stubbornly, her tone defensive. She tried to maneuver her wheelchair away from Heeseung's assistance, but he maintained his grip on the handles, preventing her from moving.
"I'm not doing this because I want to," Heeseung snapped back, making her clench her jaw. "I'm doing it because it's the right thing to do. And maybe, just maybe, you should learn a thing or two about accepting help, especially when you dish out so much negativity."
Yejin's grip on the wheelchair's controls tightened, and for a moment, it seemed like she might push him away forcefully. But then she let out a heavy sigh. "Maybe it's because my emotional understanding is impaired."
Heeseung's gaze softened slightly as he heard her repeat his words back to him. "I... I'm sorry for stooping that low." He stood up, running his fingers through his hair. "That was wrong, and I know it. I messed up."
"Yeah, you did." Yejin's gaze dropped to her lap, and she bit her lip. "But you're not the only one who messed up today."
"Are you up for a walk-" He blurted out, quickly interrupting himself as he realized how ironic the suggestion was considering the circumstances. "I mean, if you're okay with it, I could push you for a little while."
"Why would you want to do that?" She folded her arms over her chest, looking away. "After what happened?"
Heeseung's shoulders sagged, and he let out a sigh. "Well, perhaps I'm trying to apologize? Can't you tell?"
"Are you always this bitter?" Her eyebrows narrowed as she shot back. "Whatever. You can push me for a bit if it'll make you feel better about yourself." Heeseung's lips twitched into a faint smile before he shook his head in disbelief and gently took hold of the wheelchair's handles again.
As they walked along the quiet street, neither of them spoke for a while. The sound of his footsteps mingled with the soft breeze. Finally, he broke the silence. "You know, I wasn't always like this."
Yejin slightly turned around, glancing at him from the corner of her eye. "Like what?"
He let out a sigh, his gaze fixed on the path ahead. "Bitter, angry... so quick to hurt others. It wasn't always like this. But one heartbreak can change a person, I guess. It makes you build walls, keeps you from being vulnerable again." She remained silent, seemingly engrossed in his words. "I loved a girl. I spent three years loving her and we ended up dating for three months before she abruptly ended things. It messed me up pretty bad and it was easier to be bitter than to admit how hurt I was."
"Maybe it's because you have no filter," Yejin finally spoke, her voice softer now. "You say what you're thinking, consequences be damned. No one had ever dared to make fun of my disability but you wasted no time in using it against me. You should be canceled by now."
"You're not wrong." Her words seemed to have hit home, and he nodded slowly, acknowledging her point. "I do tend to speak without thinking and I'm sorry about what I said. But I stand by the fact that your emotional understanding is..."
"Impaired. I know." Yejin finished his sentence, her grip on her arms loosening slightly as she looked down at her lap again. "I know I was mean to both of them, but I just want Y/N to come back home. Mom and Dad were devastated that day when we couldn't find her. And when I saw the note she left in her diary, I felt like the whole world had crumbled beneath me. But I know she was selfish to leave without a word, without thinking about the pain she would leave behind. She's not the only one who's grieving Sungho's loss. Yes, he was her boyfriend but he was also a friend, a brother-like figure to me."
"I don't think there's a right way or wrong way to grieve, though. Sometimes, people make decisions that might seem selfish, but it's often because they're struggling to understand and cope with their pain."
Yejin nodded, her gaze softening as she absorbed his words. "I just don't want her to replace Sungho with someone else so quickly. I don't want her to forget him."
"You can never forget people or replace them easily, especially someone you spent six years of your life with. And Jay wouldn't even think of replacing her late boyfriend, you know? I believe he's the most selfless person I've ever met." Heeseung continued, his voice gentle. "He lost both his parents in a car accident when he was young because of a man who was running across the road at the wrong time, but do you know what he thinks? That if three lives were supposed to be taken away that day, he should have died instead of that man."
"What..." Yejin let out a breath, her eyes filling with empathy.
"If you think he'd ever try to replace someone in Y/N's life or push her to move on, you're mistaken. The only thing he wants is to be there for her because the moment his life crumbled apart, he needed someone to hold him up too."
Yejin fell silent, her gaze fixed on the path ahead. The breeze continued to rustle through the trees and through her hair, caressing her skin with a gentle touch. "I'm sorry." She finally whispered and he nodded, smiling at her when she turned to look at him.
"Do you want to come back and meet Y/N and Jay again? I think that would be a good step."
Yejin's lips curved into a small smile as well, her heart lighter than it had been in a while. "I want to apologize to Jay for the way I've treated him. And maybe, just maybe, I can try to be a better sister to Y/N too." He turned her wheelchair and went back the way they came, their pace still leisurely. "But... you didn't tell me your name."
Heeseung's smile remained kind as he continued walking beside her. "You can call me Heeseung."
"Heeseung, the no-filter guy." Yejin's smile widened, and she shook her head lightly. "Well, Heeseung, I think I need more people like you in my life. Someone who tells it like it is, even if it stings a little."
