in the quiet sanctuary of a small-town church, two souls from different worlds collide. yunjin, a gay girl with a vibrant spirit, finds herself navigating the rigid expectations of her conservative family. each sunday, she seeks solace in the church...
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chapter nineteen ʚ ✮ ɞ
yeonjun let the wind push back his mess of uneven hair, his eyes scanning the streaks of purple and clashes of white that streaked across the dimly lit sky. the playground, once a fond memory of his childhood, was now a ghostly sight of what used to be. the old rusty swing-set creaked ominously, its sound distorted and eerie in the stillness of the night—sending shivers down yeonjun's spine each time it creaked. It had been years since he had last set foot here, and the playground almost felt foreign in a way.
yeonjun dragged his tattered converse shoes across the ground, the soles scuffing against the damp dirt pile underneath him. his white sweater clung to him, damp from the relentless rain that had lessened but still drizzled occasionally.
his mind wandered back to the day he met yunjin. he could still see her, a bright-eyed six-year-old with a mischievous smile, reaching out for his pink crayon. he remembered how he had stubbornly refused to let her have it, and how that small act had forged a bond between them. over the years, they had become inseparable, but times had changed.
the sound of his father's voice cut through his memory, harsh and jarring against the backdrop of the rain. "yeonjun," his father's voice carried on the wind, laced with the familiar, unsettling odor of harsh liquor. yeonjun's body tensed as the smell of alcohol mixed with the cold, damp air.
the playground was right next to Yeonjun's home, a mere step away, yet it felt like a world apart since he had stopped coming here without yunjin. he had avoided it, unwilling to come without the girl herself.
"y-yeah," yeonjun stuttered, his voice barely rising above a whisper. he refused to turn and face his father, who was now making his way toward him.
"how did it go? did you get her? are you two dating?" his father's questions came rapid-fire, the series of questions sending a dagger of pain each time.
"no, i didn't," yeonjun replied, his voice steady but weary. "i did what you wanted me to do. i tried to show my anger, but she doesn't want me, dad. and i don't want her either. at first, i did, but the feelings have faded. she's happier without me. why do i have to keep doing this? i'm just hurting her." his voice cracked, and tears stung at the corners of his eyes.
he could hear his father's footsteps growing closer, the angry shuffle of shoes against the wet ground. his father's face appeared around the swing set, eyes dark with frustration.
"you know why we're doing this," his father snarled, his words slurred and bitter. "her father pays us good money to make sure she ends up with you. she can't end up a fa—"
yeonjun felt his anger flare, and he abruptly stood up, his heart pounding against his chest as each word left his fathers lips.
"don't you dare call her that!" he shouted, his voice raw with emotion. "i'm done. i'm done playing this game between the two of you. i'm not risking my friendship any more than i already have just for your greed. i've hurt her—my own best friend, the one i vowed never to hurt again. but here you are, making me push myself onto her when neither of us would be happy together. i'm done. get your cash grab from someone else." his voice trembled, and he could see the shock in his father's eyes as the weight of his words sank in.
