When The Vow Breaks | Sunsun

Episode 27: After We See Again

Sunghoon's fingers hovered over the laptop's trackpad, the cursor blinking tauntingly on the freshly opened email. He swallowed hard, glancing at Sunoo, who was perched on the edge of the bed, knees drawn up to his chest.

"You gonna open it or what?" Sunoo's voice cracked, betraying the anxiety he was trying to mask with impatience.

Sunghoon clicked. The words materialized on the screen, each one feeling like a punch to the gut.

"Dear, I get that you don't want to go, but it's for your own good. It won't change my mind, I love you."

"Well, shit." Sunghoon muttered, running a hand through his hair.

Sunoo's laugh was hollow. "What does it say?" He uncurled himself, padding over to the desk. "Let me see."

Sunghoon shifted, making room. Their shoulders brushed as Sunoo leaned in, eyes scanning the screen. Sunghoon could feel the tension radiating off him, could practically hear the gears in Sunoo's head spinning into overdrive.

"This is bullshit," Sunoo finally spat out, pushing away from the desk. He paced the small room, hands clenching and unclenching at his sides. "She can't just... I'm not a kid anymore. She can't just ship me off like some... some defective product that needs fixing!"

Sunghoon stood, reaching out to catch Sunoo's arm as he passed. "Hey, slow down. Your heart-"

"Fuck my heart!" Sunoo yanked his arm free. "That's all anyone ever cares about. My fucking heart. Well, what about the rest of me? What about what I want?"

"I care about all of you," Sunghoon said quietly instead of fighting again. "And right now, I care that you're working yourself up into a state that's not good for you. Heart or no heart."

Sunoo deflated a little, the fight draining out of him. He slumped onto the bed, head in his hands. "I can't go, Sunghoon. I can't."

Sunghoon sat beside him, close enough that their thighs touched, but not reaching out just yet. "I know it sucks. But maybe... maybe it won't be as bad as we think."

Sunoo's head snapped up, eyes blazing. "Are you serious right now? How can you say that?"

"Because freaking out isn't going to change anything, okay?" Sunghoon said, keeping his voice level. "And I'm also trying really hard not to lose my shit here. One of us has to keep it together."

The anger in Sunoo's eyes dimmed, replaced by something softer, more vulnerable. "I'm scared..." he admitted, voice barely above a whisper.

"Yeah," Sunghoon nodded. "Me too."

They sat in silence for a moment, the weight of the situation settling around them like a fog.

"What are we gonna do?" Sunoo finally asked, leaning into Sunghoon's side.

Sunghoon wrapped an arm around him, pulling him close. "We're gonna figure it out. Like we always do."

"Always," Sunoo echoed, a hint of bitterness in his tone. "Kinda hard to do that when I'm on the other side of the world."

"Hey, last I checked, they have internet in America," Sunghoon said, nudging Sunoo gently. "And phones. And these magical things called computers."

Sunoo rolled his eyes, but a reluctant smile tugged at his lips. "You bitch."

Sunghoon retorted. "Seriously, though. We'll make it work. Daily calls, video chats, I'll even write you sappy emails if you want."