high flying love ¦ lee jeno

ch ; 17

·⁀ ༄.°✈ ₊⭒˚｡⋆ 17 ·⁀ ༄.°✈ ₊⭒˚｡⋆
You Can Hear it in the Silence

Sunlight glinted off the bustling city streets as Yura weaved through the throng of people, her shopping bags growing heavier with each stop.

A mental checklist scrolled through her mind – new aprons for the cafe staff, a refill order for her favorite vanilla extract, and maybe, a new outfit for herself. Today, the crisp autumn air carried a hint of something new, a promise of change that resonated deep within her.

Hours melted away in a whirlwind of activity. Yura haggled with vendors, meticulously inspected ingredients, and filled her bags with everything from fragrant coffee beans to plump, juicy berries. By the time she emerged from the last shop, the afternoon sun hung low in the sky, casting the world in a warm, golden hue.

Lost in thought, Yura rounded a corner and collided with a figure walking in the opposite direction. A chorus of apologies erupted in the air before she could stop herself.

"Oh my god, I am so sorry!" A familiar voice washed over her, laced with genuine concern.

Yura straightened, her breath catching in her throat. Standing before her, eyes wide with apology, was Kyubin. Yura doesn't know if it was the hunger thinking but, he looked… good, now that he wasn't obscured by a menu board from days ago. He looked great. Even better than he had years ago, his features etched with a maturity that had only accentuated his handsomeness.

A jolt of electricity shot through her, a stark reminder of the raw emotions that still resided beneath the surface.

"Yura? Are you alright?" Kyubin's voice finally broke the spell, his concern tinged with something else she couldn't quite decipher.

Yura forced a smile, her heart a frantic drumbeat against her ribs. "Yeah, I'm fine," she mumbled, brushing a stray strand of hair out of her face.

Awkwardness hung heavy in the air. They stood there for a beat longer, the weight of their past relationship pressing down on them.

"Maybe… we could catch up?" Kyubin offered hesitantly, breaking the suffocating silence. "We didn't have a chance to talk a few days ago."

Yura's stomach clenched. A part of her yearned to run, to escape the maelstrom of emotions threatening to consume her. Yet, another part, a curious and perhaps foolish part, clung to the hope that maybe, just maybe, this encounter wouldn't shatter the fragile peace she'd built.

With a shaky breath, she nodded. "Sure," she said, her voice barely a whisper.

They began to walk, side by side, a comfortable distance separating them. Silence stretched between them, punctuated only by the distant sounds of the city. Every fiber of Yura's being yearned to break the ice, to ask him a million questions that gnawed at her. How was he? Was he happy? Did he ever think of her?

But the words wouldn't come. The fear of dredging up painful memories, the fear of revealing the truth of her lingering feelings, held her captive in a self-imposed silence.

Finally, Kyubin spoke, his voice gentle. "Yura, how are you doing?"

The question hung in the air, a stark reminder of the six years that had bled by since their last goodbye. Six years of unspoken longing, of buried dreams, of a life lived but forever tinged with the ghost of what could have been.

Yura contemplated her answer. The truth, the raw and messy truth, threatened to spill out, spilling the dam of emotions she'd fought so hard to contain.

How could she explain?

How could she express the tornado of emotions that still swirled within her – the love, the longing, the resentment, the anger?

How could she say that seeing him, this man who had held her heart for so long, left her feeling like a shipwreck, adrift in a sea of uncertainty?

Instead, the words that left her lips were a numb echo of denial. "I'm fine," she said, her voice a fragile whisper. "I'm doing okay."

But deep down, in the quiet recesses of her heart, Yura knew the truth. She was anything but okay. Seeing Kyubin, seeing the man who once held the key to her happiness, had ripped the scab off a wound she'd thought long healed. And beneath it, raw and exposed, lay the truth – she still loved him.

Kyubin, oblivious to the storm brewing within Yura, offered a relieved smile. "That's great to hear, Yura-yi." The use of the familiar nickname, a relic of their past intimacy, sent a fresh wave of shivers down her spine. "You were always so focused, chasing your dreams. It's good to see that you're doing well."

Yura squeezed the straps of her shopping bags tighter, knuckles turning white. A part of her wanted to lash out, to scream at him for the naivety of his words. But another part, a vulnerable and foolish one, clung to the warmth in his voice, a remnant of their past.

He hesitated, then continued, his voice taking on a softer tone. "You know, Yura, you were always someone special. We may not have worked out, but that doesn't erase the impact you had on my life. You'll always hold a special place in my heart."

Yura's smile faltered. The words were kind, sincere even, but they felt like a cruel joke. A special place in his heart? What good was a special place when his heart already belonged to someone else?

Kyubin's next words confirmed her worst fears. "Actually," he said, his voice tinged with excitement, "that's why I wanted to talk to you. I'm seeing someone, you know? Jiwon. She's amazing, Yura, and I wanted you to meet her."

The world seemed to tilt on its axis. The sunlight, a moment ago warm and inviting, turned harsh and unforgiving. Yura felt the sting of tears welling up in her eyes, a dam on the verge of bursting.

Every ounce of her being screamed at her to run, to escape this agonizing conversation. But her feet remained rooted to the spot, a morbid fascination keeping her there.

She forced a smile, a grotesque mask that did little to hide the turmoil churning within. "That's… wonderful, Kyubin," she croaked, her voice tight with choked back tears. "I'm happy for you. Really."

The lie tasted like ashes in her mouth, a bitter truth she couldn't swallow. As Kyubin continued to talk excitedly about his new girlfriend, Yura could only nod numbly, her heart shattering into a million tiny pieces with every word.

This encounter, supposed to offer closure, had only served to reopen the raw wound she'd spent months trying to heal. The truth, the agonizing truth, was laid bare before her – seeing Kyubin happy with someone else was a torture she hadn't anticipated.

Suddenly, the weight of her shopping bags felt suffocating. With a mumbled excuse about needing to get home, Yura tore herself away from Kyubin. She didn't dare look back, afraid that if she did, the dam would break, and the torrent of emotions would drown her whole.

As she walked, the weight of the shopping bags was nothing compared to the heaviness in her heart.

-

a/n: jeno come get ya girl!

Continued.