SEDUCTIVE EMBER'S || HEESUN 𝟏𝟖+ ||

Distant - Chapter 23

Sunoo sighed, closing his eyes along with the darkness that had draped over the sky, the silence already falling around his town.

Everything was calm but his heart. He sat up unable to sleep, looking outside the window, catching the glimpse of twinkling stars that reminded him of the time he had spend with him. The damage was done between him and Heeseung, it's destroying them both.

Sunoo had drawn an impenetrable line, a deliberate distance that marked the end of his and Heeseung's closeness.

Each time his phone buzzed with a message from Heeseung or the caller ID flashed with his name, Sunoo felt a pang of guilt but he resolutely ignored it.

Heeseung is strong, he can take it.

He wasn't the one suffering, he can take care of himself.

Heeseung's attempts to bridge the gap—through texts, calls and heartfelt pleas—were met with stony silence. Instead, Sunoo immersed himself in the comfort of his family, seeking refuge in the familiarity of home.

His father was summoned for a new mission, once again involved with the office where he is supposed to work along with Heeseung. Every morning Sunoo watched his father prepare for work and a deep unease would settle in his stomach.

The thought of Heeseung's presence so close, yet out of reach devoured him. The initial anxiety was almost unbearable but over time, a strange sense of acceptance began to replace it, he adapted to the new rhythm of his life finding comfort in the routine he made.

Sunoo could see the hostility from Heeseung was taking on his parents but his parents maintained an air of normalcy in home. His mother in particular became his emotional anchor and their daily conversations became a cherished ritual.

Sunoo would chat with her about everything and nothing and she responded with patience. Never once she slipped out a harsh word on him for being involved with Heeseung.

Instead, she focused on making his favorite meals, the ones that carried a comforting nostalgia for him. Sunoo was grateful for her unspoken empathy knowing she recognized the weight of his struggle from the past to now without needing to vocalize it.

Watching his mother's serene demeanor and the way her face would light up when his father returned home each day, Sunoo found a sweet comfort in those moments.

It was the kind of happiness he wished for them—a life where love and happiness were untainted.

This desire for their happiness was a poignant reminder of what Sunoo wanted for himself with his love, his boyfriend, Heeseung.

Too much to ask for.

Sunoo gazed out of his window as his phone buzzed, it's midnight and for some reason he didn't wanted to check who messaged him, neither look at the screen that lit up with obviously, Heeseung's text.

Despite his yearning for Heeseung, Sunoo is trying every day to distract himself with his studies and spend time with his friend.

"Mint come here." Ignoring the buzz, he called for her, she jumped onto the bed, nuzzling on Sunoo's feet as she sat next to him purring.

Mint is with him right now, Heeseung had texted Sunoo a week later he decided to stay with his parents, informing him about Mint's health since he left, she wasn't eating, playing or doing any other activity that would keep her healthy, except laying on her bed and sleeping.

Heeseung had personally dropped Mint to his house though Sunoo had refused to come out of his room that day, he knew older was sitting in his living room downstairs, engaging in a conversation with his dad but, he ignored him.