Responsibility | Jihancheol FF | Seventeen FF

26

Joshua woke up feeling like he hadn’t slept at all. The events of the previous night had wrecked him, and he could still feel the weight of it pressing down on his chest. His mind was a mess—thoughts bouncing around, all the worries from yesterday crashing into today.

He wasn’t ready to face the day, 'but life didn’t pause, even when you wanted it to.'

He dragged himself out of bathroom as he decides to take bath after giving cereals to Jeongin,he didn't have capacity to cook something today.

Into the kitchen, where his son, Jeongin, sat, cheerfully eating cereal. Jeongin always seemed so full of life in the mornings, and usually, that lifted Joshua’s spirits, but not today.

“Morning, Dad!” Jeongin beamed, his voice bright and innocent. “What’s for breakfast?”

Joshua barely glanced at him, his mind still clouded with last night’s sadness. “Can’t you just go with it today?” he snapped, his tone sharp and cold.

Jeongin’s smile dropped immediately, confusion and hurt crossing his face. He wasn’t used to his father speaking to him like this. “Oh… uh,  Sorry.”

“I - leave it for today” Joshua muttered, cutting him off as he grabbed his keys. “I’m late.”

Without another word, Joshua  get ready and so did Jeongin,he bring his son with himself towards elevator and then Day care. He didn’t understand why his dad was acting like this. It wasn’t like him at all.

Joshua went to work more deadly. He knew he had been harsh with Jeongin, but he couldn’t bring himself to care—not right now. The sadness inside him had morphed into frustration, and he was taking it out on everyone around him. He knew it wasn’t right, but he couldn’t stop.

When he got to the office, the atmosphere felt tense. Joshua usually greeted his coworkers with a nod or a quick smile, but today he just barged past them, heading straight to his desk. His face was hard, his body language closed off.

"Joshua, you alright, mate?" asked one of his colleagues, Minjun, noticing the change in his demeanor.

“I’m fine. Just leave me alone,” Joshua grumbled, brushing him off without looking up.

Minjun exchanged a glance with another coworker, both of them sensing something was seriously off. Joshua was known for keeping his cool, even under stress, but today, he was snapping at everyone over the smallest things. The day dragged on, each hour feeling heavier than the last. Joshua was in and out of meetings, his temper flaring at the slightest inconvenience.

“Why wasn’t this done already?” he barked at one of his co worker, who nervously fumbled with some paperwork.

“I-I’m sorry, I was going to—”

“Going to isn’t good enough! We have deadlines, or did you forget that?”

The poor man stood there, stunned, while Joshua stormed off again. The whispers grew louder in the office. Something had definitely happened, and people were starting to avoid him, not wanting to be the next in line for his anger.

By late evening, Joshua had had enough. He left the office without a word, ignoring the concerned looks from his coworkers. Taehyung, one of his  friend at work, had been watching him all day, trying to find the right moment to approach. He could tell Joshua was struggling, but he didn’t know what to say.

After leaving the office, Joshua found himself walking aimlessly around the city, not sure where he was headed. Eventually, he ended up at the bridge. But tonight, there was no room for thinking. There was only the overwhelming weight of everything he had been holding in.

He Walked to the edge of the bridge. The sun had already dipped below the horizon, and the sky was a faded black. The cool night breeze brushed against his face, but it didn’t bring the usual comfort it used to. Joshua leaned against the railing, staring down at the water below. His chest tightened, and before he could stop it, the tears began to fall.

He hadn’t cried in years—not like this, anyway. But tonight, he couldn’t hold it in any longer. The pressure, the grief, the anger, all came pouring out at once. He buried his face in his hands, his shoulders shaking as he sobbed quietly to himself.

“Mr.Hong?”

The voice startled him, and he quickly wiped his eyes, turning to see Seokmin standing a few feet away. He hadn’t even heard him approach.

“I... I followed you. You didn’t look okay,I even called you when we crossed eachother at main street,” Seokmin said softly, stepping closer. “What’s going on, man? You’re scaring me.”

Joshua turned away, not wanting to face him. “I’m fine. Just… leave me alone, Seokmin.”

“You don’t look fine,” Seokmin insisted, his tone gentle but firm. "And it's time for you to get Jeongin back, isn't it?"

Joshua flinched at the mention of his son. “Yeah. I messed up,” he admitted, his voice cracking. “I just… I can’t do this, man. Everything’s falling apart.”

Seokmin stepped closer, placing a hand on Joshua’s shoulder. “You don’t have to do this alone,Talk to me,maybe I can help?”

Joshua shook his head, his tears returning. “I don’t even know where to start.”

“You don’t have to,” Seokmin said quietly. “Just let it out. I’ve got you.”

And for the first time all day, Joshua didn’t feel the need to hold it together. He leaned into Seokmin’s shoulder, crying openly as his friend held him. It wasn’t a solution to everything, but in that moment, it was enough. Seokmin stayed there, offering nothing but his presence, and that was exactly what Joshua needed.

######

FINALLY SEOKMIN ENTERED IN STORY AS YOU GUYS WISHED!

🚶‍♀️🚶‍♀️BYE.
I have to think about angst again.