flutedrum | woosan ✓

36

Seonghwa sat in the dimly lit café, the weight of everything pressing heavily on his shoulders. The moment Hongjoong had called and asked him to meet, he had hesitated. He didn't know if he could face him, not after everything that had happened. But despite his reluctance, here he was, sitting alone at a small table, hands wrapped tightly around a cup of coffee he hadn't touched.

He sighed deeply, staring down at the swirling liquid, trying to steady his breathing. His mind raced, flashing through all the chaos they had been thrown into. The collapse of JWSM, the uncertainty about AURORA's future, the feeling of being utterly lost. And now, Hongjoong—his Hongjoong—had a hand in all of it.

The sound of the door creaking open made Seonghwa look up. Hongjoong stepped in, his face etched with sadness. There was no trace of the confident leader he was so used to seeing. His eyes were dull, his shoulders slumped. Seonghwa's heart clenched at the sight, but he forced himself to stay composed.

Hongjoong walked toward the table, his eyes never leaving Seonghwa's face. The weight of the unspoken words between them filled the air. As he sat down, Hongjoong hesitated, his hands twitching as if he wanted to reach out, but he didn't. He just looked at Seonghwa with that same sad, apologetic expression.

"Seonghwa..." Hongjoong's voice was soft, barely above a whisper. "I'm so sorry."

Seonghwa didn't respond. His jaw tightened, his eyes flickering with emotion, but he remained silent, gripping the cup as if it was the only thing keeping him grounded.

Hongjoong shifted uncomfortably in his seat, unsure of what to say. "I... I didn't want things to end up like this," he continued, his tone gentle, trying to find a way to bridge the growing gap between them. "I thought—"

"Thought what?" Seonghwa interrupted, his voice sharp, cutting through Hongjoong's attempt at explanation. He didn't look at him, still staring at his cup. "That this was the best way to save us? To save me?"

Hongjoong opened his mouth to speak, but Seonghwa held up a hand, stopping him before he could even try.

"Every time you try to touch this, every time you try to fix something, you make it worse." Seonghwa's voice trembled, but he refused to let the tears fall. "What the hell am I supposed to do now, Joong? We destroyed an entire company— you destroyed it."

Hongjoong's heart twisted in his chest, guilt gnawing at him with every word Seonghwa spoke. He tried reaching out, his hand hovering close to Seonghwa's arm, but the moment he moved, Seonghwa flinched, backing away instinctively. The rejection stung, and Hongjoong pulled his hand back, defeated.

"I never wanted it to end like this..." Hongjoong murmured, his voice breaking.

"Then what did you want?" Seonghwa's voice rose, anger finally bubbling to the surface. "Did you think this would magically solve everything? That we'd just walk away, happy and free? You tore apart everything we built, everything we worked for, and now you want me to just... what? Forgive you? Move on like nothing happened?"

Hongjoong's lips trembled as he tried to respond, but Seonghwa's words hit too close to home. He had thought, in his heart, that what he was doing was right—that by exposing the company's corruption, they were saving themselves. But he hadn't considered the toll it would take on Seonghwa, on AURORA, on all of them.

"I didn't think it would—"

"Exactly!" Seonghwa snapped, tears finally spilling from his eyes. "You didn't think! You never think about how this affects anyone else. Do you realize what you've done? We have nothing left, Joong. The company's gone, our contracts are void, and we're going to be homeless in less than a month. Where the fuck are we supposed to go?"

The silence between them was deafening, and Seonghwa's chest heaved with the weight of his frustration, his heartache. He couldn't stop the tears now, his anger and sorrow pouring out all at once. He felt betrayed, lost, and scared, and the one person he thought he could always rely on had become the source of his pain.

Hongjoong's eyes filled with tears as well, and he shook his head helplessly. "I'm sorry," he whispered again, but the words felt empty, inadequate.

Seonghwa's breath hitched as he wiped at his eyes angrily. "Sorry doesn't fix this. Sorry doesn't give us back our lives, Joong."

Hongjoong stayed silent, staring at the ground. He knew there was nothing he could say to make it better. He had made his choice, and now they were all suffering for it. But seeing Seonghwa like this—broken, angry, and heartbroken—it crushed him.

"I don't know how to fix this," Seonghwa continued, his voice barely above a whisper now. "I don't know what to do. I'm trying to keep everyone together, trying to figure out how we're supposed to move forward, but I can't do it alone. And I thought you—" His voice cracked. "I thought you'd have my back, like you always do."

Hongjoong's heart shattered at the vulnerability in Seonghwa's words. "I do have your back," he said softly, finally looking up. "I'm here, Seonghwa. I'll always be here."

Seonghwa shook his head, his tears falling more freely now. "Then why does it feel like you're the one who tore us apart?"

Hongjoong swallowed the lump in his throat, unable to answer. All he could do was sit there, watching as Seonghwa's tears fell, feeling utterly powerless. He had wanted to protect Seonghwa, to protect AURORA, to give them a way out of the nightmare that was JWSM. But in trying to save them, he had only made things worse.

Seonghwa's sobs quieted after a while, and the two of them sat in heavy silence. There were no more words left to say, no more apologies that could fix the mess they were in. All that was left was the painful reality they had to face, and the uncertainty of what would come next.

"Hwa...babe please." Hongjoong pleaded.
"Please what?" Seonghwa annoyedly asked.
"Come back to me. I fucking miss you." The other replied.
"I...I do too, Joong. B-but I can't come back." was all he could get out between his broken sobs.

Seonghwa finally stood up, wiping his face with the back of his sleeve. He looked down at Hongjoong, his expression tired and drained.

"I don't know how to fix this," he repeated softly, his voice hoarse. "But I hope, somehow, we can figure it out."

Hongjoong nodded, standing as well. "We will," he promised, though even he wasn't sure how.

Without another word, Seonghwa turned and left, leaving Hongjoong alone in the café, his heart heavier than ever.