This Day | Gyuhao (Threequel to Youth & The Aged)

- 1

| Chapter One — Back then, when I told you this, I meant it |

"Yah," It was Seokmin. He walked up next to them all, seeming confused.

"What's up?" Sunoo asked, stuffing the money in his pockets along with Chan.

"Has anybody seen Jungwonie?" He asks, "I swear, that boy is like a needle in a fucking haystack. He disappears once and then you can never find him again."

"I think I saw him go into the bathroom." Eunchae says, picking at her nails.

"And if Jongseong's in there as well, I suggest leaving it alone." Ricky says, taking a deep breath, fixing his blonde hair as he looks at his reflection from the back of a spoon before giving the older a knowing look.

"Oh, gross." Seokmin shivers, "I'll take your advice." And he's walking back over to his table with Hansol and Seungkwan, taking his seat again.

"Aren't they like 14?" Jihyo asks.

"They're in their 20s, Ma'am," Ricky tells her.

Meanwhile, all the way back in the bathroom, stood Jungwon.

Eunchae was right, he had gone in there, but not because he was messing around with Jay, but because he was crying.

Genuinely sobbing.

He knows exactly why, but he likes to think he doesn't have a clue so he refrains from breaking down further.

He had pushed the door open soon after Umji and the married couple left, overwhelmed. He held his hands to his face, sniffling as he slid down the wall, legs feeling like jelly as his heart tugged at his very being to stay strong for just this one night.

It's Riki. He misses Riki.

Seeing everyone together tonight, seeing the people he fought with that day just reminds him constantly that he really lost him, reminds him that Riki never got back up and joked around with him that they actually won, that he never hugged them tight and said that everything would be okay now.

Jungwon's so caught up in his own state that he doesn't notice the door swinging open, Jay calling for him only once before noticing him cooped on the floor almost immediately after.

"Aww, baby." Jay frowns, quick to find the problem of Jungwon's tears just by one glance at him. Jungwon hates that. Jay crouches down to sit next to him, pushing the hair away from his eyes sympathetically. Jungwon hates that even more.

So, he doesn't say anything, just sinks further into the floor and lies his head on Jay's shoulder, sobbing silently.

"It's gonna be okay," Jay closes his eyes, holding Jungwon tight, "Everything's gonna be alright." He tells him.

Jungwon sniffles, nose stuffy, "I lost my best friend." He says, "It hurts."

"I know it does," Jay nods, kissing the crown of his head, "I lost mine a couple years ago. I'll never forget it," He says, "I know how you feel, baby, it'll get better, I promise you."

"You lost a friend?" Jungwon sniffles, wiping at his puffy eyes, "Who?"

"Park Sunghoon," Jay answers with a frown, shaking his head with a sigh soon enough, "You wouldn't know him."

"It sounds familiar." Jungwon says. It doesn't, not at all, but he's trying to distract himself.

"He used to be with Cardinal," Jay tells him, playing with his fingertips and scooting closer so Jungwon can get more comfortable, "But he fell in love with somebody from Carnelian, and he eventually joined them. He loved her so much that...." Jay sighs, "He loved her so much to the point where he'd do anything to save her." Jay says, "He jumped in front of—"