Seasons by Wave to Earth
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Y/N's POV:
The cafe hummed with the quiet chatter of distant conversations and the clinking of ceramic mugs against saucers.
I traced patterns on the worn, wooden table, my gaze lost somewhere between the swirling steam of my forgotten coffee and the vibrant tapestry of fallen leaves outside.
"Y/N?" Her voice, a hesitant melody, broke through the fog of my thoughts.
Haerin.
Even her name, whispered on the autumn air, felt like a fragile, beautiful thing.
I looked up, and my breath hitched in my throat.
There she was, a vision in soft sunlight and a pale blue coat that mirrored the clear October sky. Her eyes, wide and questioning, searched mine.
"H-Hey," I stammered, shoving my hands into my pockets to hide their tremor. "You came."
A ghost of a smile touched her lips. "You asked to meet. I was worried."
My fingers curled into fists inside my pockets. Worried. About me?
The thought was laughable, a cruel joke my mind played on my already frayed nerves.
"Haerin," I began, my voice rough with unshed tears, "I can't be your love. Look, it's too trivial for you now."
Her smile faltered, the light in her eyes dimming. "What are you talking about?"
Words, tangled and suffocating, clogged my throat.
How could I explain the storm raging within me, the way my own existence felt like a burden, a dead weight dragging me down?
"My life," I choked out, the words tasting like ash on my tongue, "it's falling apart. My dreams, my hopes… they're all slipping away. Maybe no one will notice if I disappear."
The last of the light in her eyes vanished, replaced by a fierce, almost protective concern.
She reached across the table, her touch hesitant but firm.
"Don't say that, Y/N. Don't you dare say that. What happened?"
I couldn't meet her gaze, the warmth in her eyes too much to bear. Instead, I focused on the chipped paint of the table, the grains of wood a blur beneath my gaze.
I told her everything: the failed dreams, the crippling self-doubt, the suffocating feeling of being lost at sea with no land in sight.
As I spoke, the words tumbling over one another in my haste to purge them from my being, I felt a glimmer of hope.
It wasn't the solution to my problems, not by a long shot, but it was the first breath of fresh air in what felt like an eternity.
Because Haerin, she listened.
She truly listened, with a quiet intensity that made me feel seen, heard, for the first time in what felt like forever.
When I finally ran out of words, my voice hoarse and my heart heavy, a profound silence settled over us.
The only sound was the rustling of leaves outside, whispering secrets on the wind.
"Y/N," Haerin began, her voice soft yet firm, "I know things are hard right now. But you are not alone. Do you hear me? You are not alone."
Her words, spoken with such conviction, chipped away at the wall I’d built around my heart.
But the fear, the crippling fear of dragging her down with me, still lingered.
"But I'll pray for you all the time," I whispered, my voice breaking. "If I could be by your side, I’ll give you all my life, my seasons."
She frowned, her brow furrowed with concern. "Why wouldn't you be by my side? Y/N, what is it?"
I closed my eyes, drawing in a shaky breath. "I can't be your love," I confessed, the words a bitter pill on my tongue. "Cause I’m afraid I'll ruin your life."
"Ruin my life?" she echoed, a hint of disbelief in her voice. "Y/N, loving someone isn’t a burden, it's…" she paused, searching for the right words.
"It’s like the changing seasons. There will be times of warmth and light, and times of darkness and cold. But we face them together. You don’t face them alone."
Her words, simple yet profound, echoed in the silence that followed. I opened my eyes to find her gaze fixed on mine, unwavering and full of an emotion I couldn’t quite decipher.
Was it disappointment? Anger?
No, it was something else. Hope.
But the fear, the insidious voice whispering doubts in my ear, was a hard beast to tame.
"But what if I drag you down with me?" I argued, my voice cracking. "What if I become a burden, a weight around your neck?"
She shook her head, her expression softening. "Y/N, you listen to me. You are not a burden. You are not a weight. You are a beautiful, strong soul going through a rough patch. And I want to be here for you, through the sunshine and the storms. But you have to let me in."
Her words, spoken with such quiet strength, pierced through the fog of my despair.
But still, a part of me, the part scarred by failure and consumed by fear, held back.
"It’s not that easy, Haerin," I mumbled, looking away from the intensity of her gaze. "I’m not easy to love."
"Maybe not," she conceded, a gentle smile gracing her lips. "But I’m willing to try. If you let me."
We sat in silence for a long moment, the only sound the gentle hum of the cafe and the beating of my own heart.
The fear hadn't vanished entirely, but it no longer held me captive. In its place, a flicker of warmth began to bloom, fueled by the sincerity in Haerin's eyes and the quiet strength in her touch.
The leaves outside continued to fall, painting the ground in vibrant hues of gold and crimson.
They were dying, yes, but their passing heralded a time of renewal, a promise of life returning in the spring.
Perhaps, just perhaps, there was hope for me yet.
"Haerin," I began, my voice husky with emotion, "I…"
"Don't say anything," she interrupted, her hand finding mine across the table. "Just… let me be here for you."
And in that moment, surrounded by the warmth of her presence and the bittersweet beauty of autumn, I allowed myself a sliver of hope.
I didn't have all the answers, and the road ahead was sure to be long and arduous.
But with Haerin by my side, walking hand in hand through the changing seasons of my life, maybe, just maybe, I could weather the storm.
"My love," I whispered, the words barely audible but laden with a lifetime’s worth of unspoken emotions.
And as her fingers tightened around mine, a silent promise passed between us, a shared vow to face whatever lay ahead, together.
