The Aged | Gyuhao (Sequel to Youth)

- 60 | FINAL CHAPTER

| Chapter Sixty — Time to go |
➖ FINAL CHAPTER

| 11 months later |

Eunchae lets her fingertips graze along the strings, hands cradling the guitar in her hold as if it were porcelain. She held it with such love, tuning the instrument and strumming it until it sounded just right.

She started playing again 2 months ago.

It took a lot of guts. She couldn't bare to even look at that music store without throwing up, but now, she considers it a 2nd home.

She remembers sitting at the piano with a person she cherished not too long ago, their fingers grazing one another's on the keys as they played along. She recalls it being a song she loved, one she had actually been re-practicing for a few months now. It's been a while since a she's played the whole thing. 

"I learned it again," She tells the sky, brushing the hair away from her face as she begins to play, "Let me know how I sound."

Love Again by Baekhyun.

She closes her eyes, the light gusts of wind nipping at her skin every once and a while, smiling to herself. She likes to find comfort in knowing that maybe it was her loved one, the late boy showing signs she was playing well, doodling with the Earth as if it were a drawing.

"Am I good?" Her fingertips finally flicker the last note, the ringing of the instrument filling her ears in such a content way it's hard to explain, "I like to think I've grown." She sighs, leaning forward to swipe a stray leaf off of the gravestone.

Nishimura Riki
December 9th, 2005 — March 4th 2023
⭑ Maknaes stick together ⭑

Eunchae chuckles, "I know you're listening, so I won't say it." She shakes her head, playing with a few of the guitar strings to find the right pitch as she begins to play again, this time lighter so she can talk to him openly, "I'm thinking of learning a Micheal Jackson song, do you think it'd be possible?"

The wind howls. Eunchae smiles.

"Okay, then." She responds, "I'll try." She tells the sky, closing her eyes again to listen to the music, "Hao and Mingyu's wedding is tonight, you know that?" She says, "They said they wanted it to be subtle since they're still practically convicts, so they should've known making Soonyoung and Junhui the wedding planners would end up being a bad idea." A giggle, "From the little things I've seen though, it looks beautiful. I'm excited. Seungkwan apparently made the cake, too."

Silence. It's peaceful. Nonetheless, she knows Riki's listening to her speak away.

"Oh, Umji's pregnant. She offered to be their surrogate," She adds, "You never did get to meet her now that I think about it. How unfortunate. She's a nice woman, really. You would've loved her personality just as much as me." She giggles, "She's about 37 weeks now. So, the twins will be here anytime," She grins, "Yeah. Twins. A boy and a girl. The others were just as surprised."

A pause.

"I never really ended up figuring out Jeonghan and Joshua's situation. Not fully in detail, anyways." She sighs, "You and me never really got to know them, y'know?" Eunchae says, "But I hear that nowadays they're closer than ever. Apparently, Joshua apologized so beautifully it made Jeonghan cry. I don't really know what he did, but they're okay now." She tells Riki, "I'm not sure if they're back in a relationship or anything yet, but I do know that Seungcheol's got a huge crush on both of them, too."