ʙᴇʜɪɴᴅ ᴛʜᴇ ᴄᴜʀᴛᴀɪɴꜱ| ateez

✭𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐒𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐍✭

✭𝐂𝐇𝐎𝐈 𝐒𝐀𝐍✭

A week can sometimes feel like an eternity. The buzz and hum of the city didn't change, but in my apartment, the silence seemed louder, more pressing. Each day I considered texting Wooyoung, but I held back. He had to deal with things in his own time, and I needed to respect that.

In our close-knit world of music and dance, secrets could be tough to keep. Yet my brother and Wooyoung managed to keep their relationship under wraps. It was surprising, to say the least, especially since my brother and I never kept secrets from each other. I knew his dreams, his favorite songs, even his embarrassing moments, but this, this was something he never shared. It hurt a little, knowing that there was a part of his life he felt he couldn't open up about.

Yet in the days after his passing, I'd come across a series of letters he left behind for me, each of them sealed with a simple blue ribbon. And today, with the rain lightly tapping against my window, I reached for the next letter in the stack.

"Choi San,

If you've reached letter number 10, I'm relieved. This one holds a special place in my heart. If circumstances were different, you may never have read these words. Yet, here we are.

Wooyoung was the sun that illuminated my life, and this letter is a testament to that warmth. After you've absorbed every word from this one, I ask you to pass letters 11 and 12 directly to Wooyoung.

I loved him, San. It was a love that consumed me, and I saw that mirrored in the depth of his gaze. If ever a situation arises where he could find happiness with you, I'd be at peace knowing he's with someone who understands love's depths.

There will be moments when Wooyoung will distance himself, perhaps haunted by our past. Please, be the anchor he needs. And if ever your feelings for him evolve, there's a ring in my bedroom, a symbol of love. Use it wisely and when the moment feels right.

Lastly, always remind him of life's joys. Take him to places that will make his heart sing and draw out his laughter."

I carefully folded the letter back, tucking it inside the envelope with trembling hands. My mind swirled with thoughts, entangling emotions of loss, newfound knowledge, and an emerging, delicate connection with Wooyoung. The notion that he and my brother shared a love so profound and untold wrenched at my heartstrings, strumming a melancholy tune.

In the solitude of my room, the words "take care of him" echoed in my mind. I glanced towards my brother's bedroom, imagining the tiny ring box mentioned in the letter, filled with silent promises and unspoken confessions. His request, although forged from love and concern, heaped upon me a responsibility that was both sweet and sorrowful. My brother's last wishes had intricately woven our destinies-mine, Wooyoung's, and his-into a tapestry of past love and future possibilities.

Each step felt heavier than the last as the weight of responsibility pressed down on me. The familiar scent of the hallway, the soft hum of distant conversations, the light filtering through the window - everything seemed more vivid, more poignant. It was as if the world had come into sharp focus.

I paused outside Wooyoung's door, taking a moment to collect my thoughts. My fingers gripped the letters a bit tighter. The paper, slightly crumpled from my grasp, felt warm against my skin, like it was infused with my brother's essence.