/ˈpetrīˌkôr/
: the pleasant smell of earth after it rains
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"Do you like Byeol?"
Seungcheol threw him a disgusted look, slapping the back of his head. "T-that's like liking a- a sister! Hell nah!"
"Okay..." Jeonghan looked down, aw...
Seungcheol stared at the scene with an empty look, paying no mind to the guard asking if he was to open the small gate for the boy. He wanted to call out Byeol's name and separate her from the hug, but his conscience was telling him not to. She was still his best friend, even though he thinks of her as more than that, and Seungcheol wasn't going to ruin her moment with her crush out of immature jealousy.
Seungcheol was drowning in a pool of misery, realizing there was no surface to come up to in the first place.
He yearned to be the man holding her in the warmth of his arms, the one whose name was embedded in her heart. He dreamt of that very moment for the past 3 years, to be able to hug her so tightly that both of them would never want to let go. Seungcheol was a fool, and always has been.
Yoon Jeonghan broke his delusions in just 2 months.
Seungcheol fought against himself, staying longer than he should have as he was supposed to be home. He watched as Jeonghan and Byeol parted, the grip on his phone tightening when he noticed that neither of the two wanted to let go of the embrace. After each second, it felt like the crack in his heart dragged longer and deeper, prompting his hand to claw at his chest from the intangible pain that came with every passing beat. Then, the crack felt like it was no longer there.
It was like his whole heart had been torn from his chest, and before he knew it, Seungcheol was slowly succumbing to the urge to break down. He felt like a coward for not being able to control himself, struggling to steady his eyes as hot tears fell down his cheeks and reached his jaw.
Jeonghan has just kissed Byeol on the forehead.
But why did Seungcheol choose that moment to let himself cry? He's kissed Byeol on the cheek before, and vice versa, but that incident was filled with nothing but platonic feelings. At least, her platonic feelings. And it was New Years.
This time, the action, accompanied with a hug, was a testament of what Byeol and Jeonghan had between each other. Seungcheol knew he had no place in their 'relationship', but he couldn't help to think as though it was threatening the significance of his friendship with Byeol to her. He could already see the raw emotion in their eyes even when he was several meters away as they remained close to each other, their gazes unwavering.
