Our Story | HaJeongwoo

Our End | Chapter 15

Chapter 15: Their Anniversary

The December night air was a biting contrast to the warmth of the club they'd just left. Laughter, still echoing in their ears, gradually faded into a comfortable silence as the six friends walked towards Jeongwoo's apartment. The party had been a last-ditch effort to pull Jeongwoo out of his shell, to see that flicker of life return to his eyes. But tonight, like every other night for the past three years, Jeongwoo had remained shrouded in grief.

Doyoung, the self-proclaimed life of the party, fumbled with his keys, finally shoving one through the lock with a triumphant grin. "Alright, Woo! Time to see if those dance moves we practiced are any good!" he bellowed, bursting into the apartment.

The others followed behind, their voices a playful cacophony.

A sudden silence from Doyoung startled the others. They turned to see him frozen, a look of pure terror etched on his face. Before anyone could react, a choked sob escaped his lips.

"Doyoung?" Junkyu whispered, dread creeping into his voice. He rushed to Doyoung's side, his eyes following his gaze towards Jeongwoo.

The blood drained from Junkyu's face. In a single horrifying moment, the truth slammed into him with the force of a tidal wave. Jeongwoo wasn't asleep. He wasn't breathing.

"No," Junkyu rasped, his voice barely a whisper.

A primal scream ripped through the silence as Jihoon lunged for Jeongwoo, his heart hammering in his chest. "Jeongwoo! Wake up, dude! It's us!" He shook Jeongwoo's shoulder, desperation coloring his voice.

But Jeongwoo remained still, the serenity on his face a cruel mockery of their frantic efforts. Tears welled up in Jihoon's eyes, brimming with a mix of anger and despair. He slammed his fist against the couch, a guttural roar escaping his lips.

"Yedam! Call an ambulance!" Jihoon barked, his voice thick with emotion.

Yedam, who had been frozen in shock, fumbled with his phone, his fingers trembling uncontrollably. Each second felt like an eternity, the silence broken only by their ragged gasps and Doyoung's choked sobs.

Hyunsuk, ever the leader, pulled Jihoon back into a tight embrace. Tears streamed down his face, silently mirroring their shattered world. The air crackled with a raw, visceral grief that threatened to consume them whole.

"Hyung," Yoshi whispered, his voice breaking. "There's no point in calling an ambulance."

A cold dread settled over Jihoon. He pulled away from Hyunsuk, his eyes blazing with anger. "What do you mean there's no point?" he snarled.

Asahi's gaze remained fixed on Jeongwoo, his voice barely a whisper. "He's already gone."

The words hung heavy in the air, a death sentence pronounced on their friendship, on their hope. Jihoon's anger evaporated, replaced by a profound emptiness. He slumped back onto the couch, his eyes staring blankly at the ceiling.

Jaehyuk, the quiet observer of the group, pulled out his phone, his face pale and drawn. He looked at the screen for a moment, then croaked out the time.

"1:43 am, December 20th."

The date struck them like a physical blow. It was Jeongwoo and Haruto's anniversary, a day etched in their hearts for a different kind of heartbreak. Haruto, gone too soon, leaving a void that Jeongwoo had never quite filled.

The realization hit them with a double dose of grief. Not only had they lost Jeongwoo, but they were reminded of Haruto, another piece of their puzzle forever missing.

Mashiho  gaze fixed on Jeongwoo's serene face. A single tear escaped his tightly shut eyelids, rolling down his cheek like a silent goodbye.

"I hope you rest well, Jeongwoo," he whispered, his voice thick with emotion. It was a simple phrase, but it carried the weight of a thousand unspoken words – the years of shared laughter, the inside jokes, the dreams they'd chased together.

Junghwan, the youngest of the group, approached Jeongwoo with hesitant steps. Tears welled up in his eyes, blurring his vision. He looked down at Jeongwoo, his heart a tangled mess of grief and disbelief.

"You're together now, right hyung?" he said, his voice barely a shaky whisper. He imagined Jeongwoo and Haruto, reunited in some unknown place, their laughter echoing in the celestial silence.

A small smile, fragile and fleeting, touched Junghwan's lips. "Be sure to eat your meals there, okay?" he choked out, the memory of Jeongwoo's constant nagging about healthy eating bringing a bittersweet pang to his heart.

"Say hi to Haruto hyung for me," he added, his voice cracking. "I'll miss you both so much." He leaned down, tears won't stop flowing.

As Junghwan looked up, his gaze met the tear-filled eyes of his friends. In that shared look, they found a silent solace, a silent promise to carry Jeongwoo and Haruto's memory with them, forever a part of their hearts.

The End

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^^ That's it folks! Thank you so so much for reading and voting for "Our Story". This is my first story and I decided not to revise a lot because it will lose its charm.

What are your thoughts about the ending and the story overall?

TMI: It's actually supposed to be a HaJeongwoo one shot but it's too long so I decided to break it down.

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