Rivalry Rewritten: Enmity to Intimacy ( Volume: 2)

Ten

As Wooyoung walked down the hallway, his mind preoccupied with thoughts of his upcoming assignments, his phone suddenly rang, interrupting his thoughts. Seeing his mother's name on the caller ID, he hesitated for a moment before answering, the news she had to share catching him off guard.

"Hello, Mom," Wooyoung greeted, his voice tinged with surprise.

His mother's voice was filled with excitement as she shared the news. "Wooyoung, I have some wonderful news to tell you. Hyejin is pregnant, and San is going to be a father!"

For a moment, Wooyoung felt a pang of unexpected emotion, his heart skipping a beat at the revelation. He hadn't anticipated that San would be starting a family so soon, and the news left him feeling a mix of shock and disbelief.

"That's... that's great news, Mom," Wooyoung managed to say, though his voice sounded somewhat strained.

His mother's voice softened with affection. "I know it's a lot to take in, Wooyoung, but I hope you can find it in your heart to be happy for San. He's going to be a wonderful father."

Wooyoung swallowed hard, struggling to mask the conflicting emotions swirling within him. "Of course, Mom. I'll... I'll be sure to congratulate San," he replied, his words faltering slightly.

His mother's gentle tone urged him to reach out to his brother, despite their past differences. "I think it would mean a lot to him if you reached out directly, Wooyoung. Despite everything, family is important."

Wooyoung hesitated, the weight of his mother's words sinking in. "I'll... I'll give him a call," he promised, though the thought filled him with a sense of unease.

As he ended the call, Wooyoung couldn't shake the feeling of apprehension that lingered in the pit of his stomach. But with a deep breath, he resolved to put aside his own feelings and extend his congratulations to San, for the sake of family.

Wooyoung's chest tightened with a familiar ache as he sank to the floor of the empty classroom, his tears flowing freely now, unchecked by the walls he had built around his heart. It had been two long years since he last spoke to San, two years of trying to bury his feelings and move on, but now, in the wake of this unexpected news, it felt like all his efforts had been in vain.

The realization hit him like a tidal wave, washing over him with a force he couldn't resist. San had moved on, had found happiness in someone else's arms, while Wooyoung remained stuck in the past, unable to let go of the love he had once held so dear.

The bitterness of his own self-imposed isolation gnawed at him, a reminder of the walls he had built around himself in an effort to protect his heart from further pain. But now, those walls felt suffocating, closing in on him as he struggled to breathe beneath the weight of his emotions.

Hiccupping and gasping for air, Wooyoung surrendered to the torrent of tears, each drop a painful reminder of the love he had lost. The feeling was overwhelming, suffocating, toxic in its intensity, and yet, he couldn't bring himself to fight it.

For in that moment of vulnerability, amidst the ruins of his shattered heart, Wooyoung allowed himself to feel, to embrace the pain and the sadness that threatened to consume him. And though it felt like the end of the world, he knew deep down that it was only the beginning of his journey towards healing.

With shaking hands, Wooyoung dialed Seonghwa's number and held the phone to his ear.

" Hello, Wooyoung. How are you? How's your day going?"
Seonghwa asked in a jolly tone.

" S-Seonghwa, please come g-get me."
Wooyoung stuttered as he sniffed and wiped his tears.

" Wooyoung, what's wrong? Everything okay? Where are you?"
Seonghwa asked worriedly.