This Man (WONWOO FANFIC)

Chapter Five

We reached the park that painted in the colors of autumn, located right behind our campus. This place fundamentally provided as a secret spot for couples to hold their cherished rendezvous, or for close acquaintances who just wanted a private chat to spill their beans on life issues.

Chan released the tight hold he had on my wrist, letting his body down on the stone seating edge as I followed those calculated steps in a slow pace. We remained in complete quietness for a while, taking all the fresh greenery and oxygen into our systems as birds chirped soothing melodies.

His boxy jawline appeared in the right corner of my view, grabbing my attention in seconds. 'Dohee-yah, I can see it in your eyes. And your fists that are about to bleed out if you do not stop clenching them. You still have not fixed that bad habit of yours.'

While I decided to stay determinedly silent, his solacing chuckle sounded as if he had told a silly joke the minute before with a mix of concern, giving me a meager smile. 'What happened? I thought that you wanted to confess your feelings to that Jeon guy.'

The unbearable load was too much, tightly closing my eyelids together as I did not want to show any vulnerability. 'DIAMOND happened.'

I did not have to elaborate to that.

Chan knew exactly from what position I came from. He is one of the few people in my life who saw me going through those heights and lows, many of my tears were wiped clean by him without even asking what was precisely going on.

And even when he did find out about my past, his wholehearted support became my iris...

Seconds of muteness passed.

The lamentable sigh pleaded the anecdote I had not heard about ever since the salvation on that rainy day. 'Remember what I told you in high school? If anything happened to you, whatever the unbearable weight might be, we will always be in it together...'

Finishing the simple sentence without looking at him, I whispered the word that carried so much significance. 'Forever.'

Chan snapped his fingers together, making me smile genuinely in reaction to his youthful optimism. 'That is right. Tell me more.'

Biting my lower lip's flesh on the inside, I conveyed my jammed-up thoughts. 'Jeon Wonwoo is not the guy he seemed to be which eventually contributed to my downgraded expectations in men. Somehow, he and Inguk are connected to one another, and I honestly do not want to know what that is supposed to mean.'

Chan assumingly spaced out to gather his plain-spoken judgment, not wanting to hurt me more in any way possible.

And with one firm nod, he faced me with a little motivational pep-talk leaving his thoughtful mind. 'Do Dohee, listen to me. I have given this advice to you a million times now, but I am going to repeat myself again. Leave that job while you still can. You are embarking on a new life, a normal office job in a couple of years and probably giving this handsome samchon (uncle) a couple of cute jokha's (nieces and nephews) to play with in the future.'

Not helping myself from laughing at his slightly narcissistic reasoning, the snicker faded in the oxygen filled air around us as Chan had not moved his caring eyes off my frame. 'I am trying to be serious here, Dohee-yah.'

I moved my dark brown eyes to meet his ones, making the solicitude disappear at instant. 'Chan, you know I cannot leave the job.'

Obligated.

How much I hated that word could not compare with how I had literally no choice but to live by those principals. Inguk's virtuous deeds were positively loaded, something that even a parent might not be able to give to their children.