ᯓᡣ𐭩 [Two stories in One Book] [Heavily Edited]
Story #1: Haruto and Jeongwoo have been inseparable since childhood, their bond as strong as the summer sun. As they navigate the transition from adolescence to young adulthood, a spark ignites between...
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The thunder angrily screamed at the sky, a relentless rhythm that mimicked the my internal thoughts. The city lights outside blurred into a kaleidoscope of colors, their usual vibrancy muted by the downpour. But it wasn't the storm outside that cast a shadow over Haruto's house; it was the storm raging within him.
He stared at his phone, the screen dark and lifeless. The familiar pang of regret, a constant companion these days, twisted in his gut. He scrolled through his contacts, his finger hovering over his name - Jeongwoo. A million memories flooded his mind, a bittersweet montage of stolen glances, whispered secrets, and a love that burned bright before being snuffed out by his own cowardice.
A flashback hit him, vivid and raw.
They were sitting by the river, their laughter echoing across the water. Fireflies danced in the twilight, casting an ethereal glow on their faces. Jeongwoo's head rested on his shoulder, his eyes sparkling with a love that mirrored his own.
"Promise me we'll always be like this," he had whispered, his voice laced with a vulnerability that tugged at Haruto's heartstrings.
Haruto had cupped Jeongwoo's face in his hands, his gaze locked on him, and vowed, with a conviction that now felt hollow, "Forever."
The memory dissolved, replaced by a scene far less idyllic.
His parents sat across from him, their faces etched with concern. "Haruto," his father had begun, his voice heavy, "we've received a very promising proposal. The Lee family..."
The details blurred, a monotonous drone about business alliances and family legacies. All he could focus on was the suffocating feeling that constricted his chest, the impending doom he knew awaited him.
He looked at Jeongwoo, his smile faltering as he picked up on the shift in his demeanor.
He knew what he had to do, what was expected of him. But the words wouldn't come out, not at first.
He stammered, his voice a choked whisper, before finally blurting out the truth - or at least a twisted version of it.
"We need to talk, Jeongwoo," he had said, the words like ashes in his mouth.
"We've grown apart, Woo. We're not the same people we were when we fell in love."
The lie, even then, felt like a betrayal, a knife twisting in his own gut. Haruto saw the hurt flicker in his eyes, the confusion clouding his beautiful face.
