In the shadow of addiction |Hyunlix

Shore

The day wore on, and the tranquility that Felix and Hyunjin had enjoyed was interrupted by a sudden shift in the atmosphere. As they settled back in Hyunjin's apartment, the casual conversation they had been having grew more intense, and Hyunjin's demeanor shifted noticeably. He seemed to be grappling with something, a weight he could no longer bear alone.

"Felix," Hyunjin said, his voice trembling slightly. He took a deep breath, his hands fidgeting nervously. "There's something I need to tell you."

Felix looked at him, a sense of unease creeping into his heart. "What is it?"

Hyunjin hesitated, his eyes filled with a mix of shame and desperation. "I... I lied to you. About dating someone. I said I was seeing someone, but that was a lie. I wanted to get closer to you. I wanted us to have another chance."

Felix's heart sank. The weight of Hyunjin's confession hit him hard. He had been so caught up in the renewed connection between them, and now the foundation of that connection felt as though it was crumbling.

"I don't know what to say," Felix replied, his voice a whisper. "Why did you do that?"

Hyunjin's eyes filled with tears, and he looked away, unable to meet Felix's gaze. "I was afraid of losing you forever. I thought if I could make you believe I had moved on, you might come back to me. I was so desperate to make things right between us."

Felix stood up, feeling overwhelmed and unsure of how to process the revelation. He felt a mixture of betrayal and sorrow, his mind racing with conflicting emotions. "Hyunjin, I don't know if I can handle this. I thought we were building something real, but now... I don't know."

Hyunjin stood up too, his tears flowing freely now. He reached out for Felix, his hands trembling. "Felix, please. I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you. I just wanted to fix what was broken between us."

The raw emotion in Hyunjin's voice, combined with the sight of him breaking down, left Felix feeling even more conflicted. He wanted to comfort Hyunjin, to help him through his pain, but he was also deeply hurt by the deception.

Felix took a step back, his heart aching as he tried to make sense of his feelings. "I need some time to think. I can't do this right now."

Without another word, Felix turned and walked towards the door. The weight of the situation felt unbearable, and he needed to escape, to clear his mind and find some semblance of clarity. As he opened the door and stepped out into the cool night air, he felt a sense of finality, a recognition that things might never be the same again.

The night was still, save for the gentle lapping of the river against the shore. Felix sat alone on a weathered wooden bench by the water's edge, the world around him quiet as the city slowly fell asleep. The soft hum of distant traffic mixed with the faint sounds of crickets in the nearby reeds. A cool breeze brushed past him, tugging at the edges of his jacket, but Felix barely noticed. His mind was far away, trapped in the swirling currents of his past.

He stared out at the dark water, watching the moon's reflection ripple across its surface. The quiet was comforting, but inside him, it was anything but peaceful. His thoughts were a tangled mess, his emotions a chaotic storm that he could no longer hold back.

The past haunted him, creeping into every corner of his mind. He could still remember those dark days when Hyunjin had spiraled out of control—when the person he loved most had been a shadow of himself, consumed by drugs, depression, and self-destruction. Felix had tried so hard to pull him back, to save him from drowning in his own pain, but it had been like trying to hold onto smoke. Every time he thought he had reached Hyunjin, his hands would slip through, leaving him grasping at nothing.