Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
°˖➴ #𝟭𝟱 - revelation
———
THE FIRST TIME Heeseung noticed something was off with Haneul, he dismissed it as a rough day. They had bumped into each other at the park, and though the encounter was brief, he could sense a distance in her demeanour. She was quite polite but preoccupied, her smiles not quite reaching her eyes. He had tried to brush it off, thinking maybe she was just tired from work.
But as the days passed, the pattern continued. He would send her a text in the morning, something simple like 'Good morning' or 'Hope you have a great day,' and her replies were increasingly terse. Sometimes she didn't respond at all. When he saw her at the library, she was cordial but distant, as if there was an invisible barrier between them.
He couldn't help but worry. Haneul had always been a significant part of his life, and seeing her pull away hurt more than he cared to admit. He tried to give her space, not wanting to push her if she needed time to herself, but it was hard to watch their renewed friendship start to crumble.
One evening, Heeseung decided he couldn't take it anymore. He sent her a message, more heartfelt than his usual texts.
'Haneul, is everything okay? You seem different lately, and I'm worried about you.'
No reply. Hours turned into days, and Heeseung felt a growing sense of helplessness. He replayed their recent interactions in his mind, trying to pinpoint when things had started to go wrong. Was it something he had said or done? Or was it something else entirely, something beyond his control?
Heeseung really couldn't take it anymore. The constant worry about Haneul, the unanswered messages, and the growing distance between them gnawed at him. He felt powerless watching her struggle from afar. Determined to help her, he decided he needed to see her in person, to make sure she was okay.
That evening, he walked over to her house, hoping to catch her at home. As he approached, he rehearsed what he would say, how he would offer his support without overwhelming her. He rang the doorbell, heart pounding in his chest.
Haneul's mother answered the door, her warm smile quickly fading when she saw the concern etched on Heeseung's face. "Hello, Heeseung. Is everything alright?"
"Hi, Mrs. Kim. I was hoping to talk to Haneul. Is she home?"
Her mother's expression turned sympathetic. "I'm afraid she's not here right now. She went out a little while ago. I think she needed some time to herself."
Heeseung tried to hide his disappointment. "Do you know where she might have gone?"
Mrs. Kim shook her head gently. "She didn't say, but she often goes to the park when she needs to think. You might find her there."
