ocean blues | tws

drunk call

Han Jihoon stumbled out of the bar, his vision blurred and his mind swimming in a sea of alcohol. He fumbled for his phone, his fingers struggling to find the right contact as he fought against the drunken haze.

Finally, he managed to hit the call button, his heart racing with anticipation as he waited for the familiar voice of his ex-girlfriend to answer on the other end.

"Hello?" came a voice, soft and hesitant.

"Baby, it's me," Jihoon slurred, tears welling up in his eyes. "I miss you so much. Can we talk?"

There was a brief pause, during which Jihoon's heart soared with hope. Maybe, just maybe, she would take him back.

"Listen, I know it's late, and I know I shouldn't be calling you like this, but I can't stop thinking about you. I miss everything about you. Your laugh, the way you used to scrunch your nose when you were annoyed, the way you always knew how to make me feel better. I miss all of it. I miss us."

The silence on the other end was deafening, but Jihoon took it as a sign to continue.

"I was an idiot. I know that now. I let you go without a fight, and it was the biggest mistake of my life. I thought I was doing the right thing, you know? I thought I was protecting you from my mess, but I was just a coward. I was scared of what could happen if we stayed together, scared of failing, scared of hurting you. But I hurt you anyway, didn't I? I hurt you by leaving."

He paused, taking a shaky breath. "I remember that night we talked about our future. You were so hopeful, so sure that we could make it work, and I...I was too afraid to believe in us. I regret that. I regret not taking that leap with you. I regret not holding on tighter, not being braver. I regret every single second we've been apart."

Jihoon's voice cracked, tears streaming down his face. "I know I've messed up, but I love you. I love you more than I've ever loved anyone in my life. I can't stop thinking about what we could have been, about the life we could have had together. I see couples on the street, holding hands and laughing, and it kills me because that should have been us. I should have fought for you. I should have fought for us."

He sniffled, wiping his nose with the back of his hand. "Remember that trip we took to the beach? We spent the whole day just lying in the sand, talking about everything and nothing. I remember how you looked at me, with so much love and trust in your eyes. And I just...I want that back. I want to be the person you believed I could be. I want to make things right."

"I swear, if you give me another chance, I'll do whatever it takes. I'll prove to you that I'm worth it. I'll be there for you, I'll support you, I'll love you the way you deserve to be loved. Just please, don't shut me out. Don't give up on us."

He took a deep breath, his heart pounding in his chest. "I know it's a lot to ask. I know I've hurt you, and I don't deserve your forgiveness. But I'm begging you, please, just give me one more chance. Let me show you that I can be better, that we can be better. I promise, I won't let you down this time."

The silence on the other end of the line stretched on, and Jihoon's heart sank. Maybe he had said too much, or maybe it was too late. But he couldn't stop himself from trying one last time.

"Please," he whispered, his voice barely audible. "I love you. I need you. Please, come back to me."

For a moment, there was nothing but silence. Then, finally, a voice broke through the quiet.

"Hello, what the fuck?" the voice said, cutting through the haze of Jihoon's drunken stupor. "You called the wrong number, buddy."

Jihoon froze, his heart sinking as he realized his mistake. He had been pouring his heart out to a complete stranger this whole time.

Embarrassment washed over him in waves as he stumbled to find the right words to say. "I...I'm sorry," he stammered, his cheeks burning with humiliation. "I must have dialed the wrong number."

The stranger on the other end of the line chuckled, a sound that only served to deepen Jihoon's embarrassment. "No worries, man," the voice said. "But maybe lay off the drinks next time, huh?"

With that, the call ended, leaving Jihoon to wallow in his embarrassment and regret. As he hung up the phone, he vowed never to touch alcohol again, lest he find himself in another drunken dialing disaster.