𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐀𝐍𝐎𝐈𝐃

#.. FIVE

gunil seemed to be depressed the next day, hyeongjun considered addressing him. but would gunil also give a reasonable answer?

"are you okay? you look.. not okay, i guess?" the tears in gunil's eyes were prominent, some of them already drying up on his pale skin. he didn't look over to hyeongjun as he wiped his hands over his eyes.

"how am i supposed to say this to you.." gunil whispered, yet hyeongjun heard it perfectly fine. "what do you mean by that?"

as if the two were trapped in a bad movie, the telephone suddenly rang, interrupting their conversation.

gunil took a deep breath before he accepted the call. "good morning, you called 'muse-ic shop', what can i do for you?" he sounded close to crying, hyeongjun sighed.

"hyeongjun, that's for you" gunil said and pressed the telephone in hyeongjun's face. "um, hello?"

"oh, hyeongjun. i'm sorry to disturb you, you must be very busy right now." hyeongjun knew that voice but couldn't really tell who it was. well, busy wasn't the true description of what he was right now and that made him chuckle.

"no, no, it's fine. may i ask who you are again?" the woman sobbed, muffled. that scared hyeongjun a lot. "i'm sorry" she whispered as she started crying out loud.

hyeongjun's brows furrowed. what was happening? who was that woman? "here's seungmin's father" a male voice suddenly spoke. oh right, seungmin's parents...

why were his parents calling?

"good morning, sir. did something happen or..?" the mother was heard sobbing and crying loudly in the background, while the father let out a deep sigh.

"well, yes... uh.. our son, seungmin, passed away.. yesterday evening.." it was quiet. hyeongjun was quiet, his eyes widened as he looked at gunil with a shocked expression.

gunil seemed to have heard the conversation, silent tears were streaming down his face. was this really happening? he didn't know what to say, what is one supposed to say?

"oh... okay. my condolences.." he ended the call with that, putting the telephone back in its place with shaky hands. hyeongjun suddenly felt so weak, he had to sit down. so he sat down on the floor.

what? this couldn't be. seungmin said he was better. that must be a prank, right? there was no other explanation for that. yes, just a lie.

yet when he felt gunil's embrace, his walls broke down. the touch threw him back in reality. it was true.

"i'm so sorry..." gunil whispered while hyeongjun gradually felt the tears prick in his eyes. and without one hesitation, they were endlessly streaming down his face.

"this can't be.." hyeongjun hiccuped as he pulled gunil closer, burying his face in the other's shoulder.

gunil replied nothing, too focussed on not crying loudly. he had time for that yesterday, he should focus on comforting hyeongjun now.

"did you know this earlier?" hyeongjun asked, looking up to the elder again, who nodded. "he.. he died while i was driving him back."