Stuck | Park Jisung [ONGOING]

F I V E

"I'm heading out, Juri!" Naeun called out as she headed out the door. She walked down the steps lethargically, zoning out easily as she walked. The girl was really not in the mood, her eyes hooded and blurry.

Her footsteps were heavy, just like her heart on that day. The terrible memories were flooding back to her, not going away no matter how much she tried to shake them off. The sight of the columbarium was growing closer and closer with each step she took. Taking a deep breath, she approached the entrance. She hadn't even entered the building, yet tears were already streaming down her face.

Entering the building, she wiped the tears off of her face with her sleeve and put on a strong face. Afterall, her brother wouldn't want to see her crying when she visited him.

She stood right in front of her brother's urn, looking at the picture of his face. Her tears were starting to come back, but she tried her best to hold them in.

'Jeong Jaehyun
February 14, 1997 - June 20, 2021'

"Long time no see, Jaehyun," Naeun began, her voice shaking. "Sorry I couldn't visit you for a while, exams were eating me up."

"Have you been watching over me?" She said, trying to be more lighthearted. "Someone has been hitting on me, you know. You told me no one would willingly want me, but here we are."

She chuckled, trying to ignore the sorrow she was really feeling. "He's...a street racer. Just like you were."

She looked down at her feet, the memories of that day came rushing into her mind.

"Sweetie, where's Jaehyun? It's getting late," her mom asked as she entered the fifteen year old girl's bedroom.

Naeun gulped, knowing she couldn't tell her mom the full truth. "He...he went to get bread, we ran out."

"Bread? At this hour?"

"He was just...really craving a sandwich," Naeun chuckled awkwardly, rubbing the back of her neck. As soon as her mother was out of the room, she let out a sigh of relief. Their mother still didn't know what Jaehyun did on the side, and it would be terrible if she found out. Naeun turned the TV back on, snuggling up under her covers as she watched her favorite show. 

The ringing of her phone made the girl groan. She took it off of her nightstand, answering it. "Taeyong? Why are you calling me at this time?" The line was quiet for a few seconds, and faint sobs could be heard on the other side.

"Taeyong? Are you okay?" The girl sat up, concerned. "What happened?"

"J-Just, come quickly. I'll send you the address," the twenty two year old boy said. His voice was incredibly shaky and unstable. "Something happened to your brother."

Naeun was quick to shut off her phone, slipping into her flip flops and running out the door. The girl was still in her pajamas, but she couldn't care less.

"Naeun? Where are you going?" Her mom called out from the kitchen.

"I'll be back in a bit!" She yelled back. And in a flash, she was out the door.

. . .

"P-Please, tell me that isn't his car," Naeun's voice shook with emotion as she stared at the burning car with wide eyes. "He isn't inside, right? He got out in time, right?"

Taeyong was only able to shake his head, tears flowing down his cheeks. "The opponent was using foul play. He was still in the car when..."

Naeun dropped to her knees, burying her face in her palms as emotion took over her. Taeyong dropped down next to her, his arms tightly around the girl as they cried together.

It felt a stab straight to her heart, seeing the person she loved most being burned right in front of her. The girl's throat felt tight and restricted, her heart dropping all the way to her stomach. Her world crashed down on her. She could feel the heat of the burning car against her skin, a reminder that her brother was still inside.

"Why didn't you listen to me?" Naeun spoke in between her sobs. "I tried to tell you not to get into street racing, why did you not listen?"

She tried to contain her emotions since she was still in public, but they overtook her the more she looked at her brother's picture.

"Do you know how hard it was after your death?" She said, wiping her tears. "Not just for me. For mom and dad, for Taeyong and the rest of the boys, for Soyun and your unborn child..."

She knew staying there any longer would make her explode. Saying goodbye to her brother, she left the columbarium, keeping face face in her sleeves so people passing by couldn't see her cry.