"When Loves Started"..

part-28

Eun Ae waited anxiously in the living room, her eyes fixed on the clock as the hours ticked by. It was past midnight, and Joon Woo still hadn't returned. She tried calling him, but his phone went straight to voicemail. Worry crept in, and she couldn't shake off the feeling that something was wrong.

As the silence stretched, Eun Ae's eyelids grew heavy, and she eventually drifted off to sleep on the couch. But her rest was short-lived. The sound of the door opening jolted her awake, and she sat up with a start.

Joon Woo stumbled into the room, his footsteps loud and unsteady. Eun Ae's heart skipped a beat as she took in his disheveled appearance. She rushed to his side, concern etched on her face.

"Joon Woo, what happened?" she asked, grasping his hand. "Are you okay?"

But Joon Woo's eyes, red-rimmed from crying, told a different story. He was half-drunk, and his gaze was haunted. He jerked his hand free, pushing Eun Ae away with a force that made her stumble.

The sudden rejection left Eun Ae reeling. She tried to reach out to him again, but Joon Woo turned away, his shoulders shaking with sobs. The sound of his anguish filled the room, leaving Eun Ae feeling helpless and scared.

Joon Woo's grip on Eun Ae's shoulder tightened, his fingers digging deep into her skin. "Why, Eun Ae?" he demanded, his voice low and menacing. "Why did you go behind my back and meet Beom Seok? I told you to stay away from him, but you didn't listen."

Eun Ae tried to explain, but Joon Woo's expression silenced her. He didn't want to hear her excuses, her justifications. He just wanted answers.

But instead of waiting for her response, Joon Woo released his grip and turned away. He strode towards his bedroom, leaving Eun Ae standing alone in the darkness.

She tried to follow him, but he slammed the door shut behind him, locking it with a resolute click. Eun Ae was left standing like a statue, shock and confusion etched on her face.

She tried to knock on the door, to plead with him to listen, but Joon Woo refused to open it. The silence was deafening, and Eun Ae was left wondering who had betrayed her trust, who had told Joon Woo about her secret meetings with Beom Seok.

As she stood there, tears began to fall, streaming down her face like rain. She felt lost and alone, unsure of how to fix the mess she had created. And as the minutes ticked by, Eun Ae realized that Joon Woo's silence was louder than any words, and it spoke volumes about the state of their relationship.

Eun Ae waited for what felt like an eternity for Joon Woo to come out of his room. She cried herself to sleep on the couch, her mind racing with thoughts of what she had done wrong.

The next morning, she woke up with a start, her first thought being of Joon Woo. She got up and went towards the bedroom, hoping to find him there. The door was open, and she took a relief breath as she entered.

But her relief was short-lived. The room was empty. She opened the bathroom door, but there was no one there either. Eun Ae's worry turned to panic as she wondered where Joon Woo had gone.

She sat down on the bed, regret washing over her. Why had she met up with Beom Seok? Why had she been so reckless?

Just then, her eyes landed on a note on the bedside table. It was Joon Woo's handwriting, and her heart sank as she read the two words: "Good bye".

Eun Ae felt like she had been punched in the gut. Joon Woo was gone, and he hadn't even said goodbye in person. The note was his way of ending things, of closing the door on their relationship.

She felt a wave of despair wash over her, and she collapsed onto the bed, tears streaming down her face. She had lost Joon Woo, and it was all her fault.