Finding HIM

59

The soft morning light broke through the curtains, casting a warm glow across the room as Sunghoon woke up from his slumber. With a light sigh, he slowly opened his eyes as he reached for his phone which was under his pillow. Then he remembered the dream. A bittersweet image of Wonyoung smiling sweetly at him the last time they saw each other. Then suddenly her laughter, the tears, and the stories, as well as the experiences they shared, flooded his mind.

With a hesitant breath, Sunghoon unlocked his phone, his heart skipping a beat as he scrolled through the familiar array of notifications of Weverse, Instagram, and other socials. But it wasn't the amount of messages or social media updates that he was interested in. Instead, he opened his gallery which was full of photos of them together, each one bringing back many memories and reminding him how much trial they went through and the effort they put in just to make their relationship work, despite the challenges with their companies and the public.

As he scrolled through the images on his phone, the more he felt something piercing his chest, reminding him of the distance that now set them apart. Their love had faltered, shattered by the weight of expectations of their fans, as well as their companies, leaving behind only broken fragments of their love which they ought to put back together, but can't find the right opportunity to do so.

For a while now, they attempted to navigate their paths, seeking solace in their routines yet finding themselves haunted by memories of their shared past whenever they had free time. They try their best to get distracted by their rehearsals, studio sessions, and lives but at the end of the day, they still find themselves longing for each other's presence. Eventually, this brought them to a realization that perhaps, their love was not meant to fade away but to evolve through the many challenges they are facing.

Wonyoung stood amidst her members in their dance studio, the beat of their music filling the air as they moved in perfect synchrony. But despite the seamless choreography and harmonious melodies that surrounded her, her mind was elsewhere—lost in memories.

As the music stopped, one of her fellow members Yujin approached her. "Hey, you good? You're not practicing like you usually do..." "Is something on your mind?" she asked. "Yeah but, we can talk about it later," Wonyoung smiled and they continued to practice.

After their practice ended, Yujin and Wonyoung made the time to talk to each other as they made their way back to their dorm rooms. "So...What's this thing bothering you?" Yujin looked at her sweetly. "I know it's been a year but..." started Wonyoung. Her friend already knew exactly what it was. "I see..."

Although the other members thought Wonyoung was doing all right by now, the past year has been really rough for her.

"What are you planning to do then?"

"I want to... meet up with him again and explain clearly to him why I came to that decision before."

"Then do it."

Wonyoung looked down at her phone hesitantly, "But I don't know how... and, he probably forgot about it already, I don't want to bring it back up if that's the case..."

"Do you really think he'd forget about that so easily? I don't think so Wonyoung."

She nodded and got up, leaving Yujin looking up at her. "I'll just go somewhere..."

The girl put on her coat, as well as a mask before she left their dormitory. She sauntered to a place she knew better than anyone else. A place that is nestled amidst towering skyscrapers and bustling streets, a hidden park full of delicate cherry blossoms that bloom every springtime. As Wonyoung stepped through the rusted gate, she felt a cool breeze she was longing to experience once again, as well as a scent of fresh flowers that welcomed her to the park. The pathways were lit up by the sun's rays and the sound of birds chirping can be heard from a distance. She sat down on the fresh grass, reminiscing the time when she talked to Sunghoon right in that very spot about how much their hearts beat for each other's presence.

At that very moment, a message was sent to her phone. A message that felt surreal to her. A message from someone she has been waiting for almost a year now.

"I'm here." she read quietly and she heard the gate creak, footsteps approaching. She quickly stood up and turned around, finding Sunghoon standing right in front of her.