The Conquest (Underworld 5) SH

33: Cry Baby

Jihoon stood frozen for a moment, watching Yuta storm out of the room, the tension between them thick and suffocating. The scene that had unfolded—the destruction, the hurt, the pain—only confirmed what Jihoon had feared all along. Soonyoung didn't need him anymore. His presence here, in Soonyoung's life, was nothing but a burden, an old wound that never healed.

His heart ached, but he forced himself to move, to step back and give Soonyoung the space he deserved. The realization settled heavily in his chest—he needed to leave. Soonyoung had found his happiness, or at least he was on the path to it, with Yuta. There was no room for Jihoon in this new life, no place for him anymore.

He quietly turned, his feet feeling like they were made of lead, every step toward the door heavier than the last. But as his hand reached for the handle, he heard Soonyoung's voice, trembling with emotion.

"You hate it when I cry, don't you?"

Jihoon's breath caught in his throat. He could hear the familiar crack in Soonyoung's voice, the one that always broke him. He closed his eyes for a moment, trying to steady his resolve, but it was impossible. Slowly, he turned back to face him.

Soonyoung stood there, his eyes red and brimming with tears, his whole body shaking as he fought to hold himself together. The sight was enough to tear Jihoon apart, yet again.

"No," Jihoon whispered, his voice soft but firm. "I just hate that you won't let me make it stop."

Their eyes met, and for a fleeting moment, it was as if time stood still. Jihoon's heart screamed at him to rush over, to hold Soonyoung and comfort him the way he always used to. But things weren't the same anymore. He wasn't the one Soonyoung needed.

"You think leaving will fix this?" Soonyoung's voice broke, his tears now flowing freely. "You think walking out on me again will make everything better?"

Jihoon swallowed hard, guilt washing over him like a tidal wave. "I'm not what you need, Soonyoung. Not anymore."

"How would you know what I need?" Soonyoung shot back, his voice filled with hurt and frustration. "You left me before, and now you're doing it again. Do you think that's what I need? You walking away?"

Jihoon's gaze dropped to the floor, his fingers curling into fists at his sides. "You're happy now. You've got Yuta, and I... I don't belong here anymore."

"Is that what you really think?" Soonyoung took a step closer, his voice trembling with disbelief. "That I'm happy? That Yuta's enough to replace everything we had?"

Jihoon couldn't bear to look up, couldn't bear to see the pain in Soonyoung's eyes that mirrored his own. "I don't want to be a burden on you. You deserve better than this, better than me."

The silence that followed was thick with unsaid emotions, with the weight of everything they had been through, and everything they were losing.

"You never were a burden, Jihoon," Soonyoung whispered, his voice barely audible. "You were my world. And I hate that you can't see that."

Jihoon felt his heart break all over again, but he remained firm. "I can't be that for you anymore, Soonyoung. I can't... fix what's broken between us."

"So you're just giving up?" Soonyoung's voice cracked, his eyes searching Jihoon's face desperately. "You're just going to walk away, again?"

Jihoon's hand tightened on the door handle, his chest tight with overwhelming emotion. "I think... I think it's the only thing left to do."

With that, Jihoon turned, his heart shattering into a million pieces as he walked out the door. He didn't look back, because if he did, he knew he'd never be able to leave.