A garden for two | heehoon

all red and white

Sunghoon stirred beneath the soft, warm blankets, his body seeking out the familiar presence that was no longer beside him.

His eyes fluttered open slowly, blinking against the soft morning light streaming in through the window.

The room was quiet, save for the distant chirping of birds outside.

He reached out instinctively, his hand brushing over the empty space where Heeseung had been.

His brows furrowed in confusion as he patted the bed, realizing it was cold.
Heeseung’s warmth had long since faded.

He sat up slowly, rubbing the sleep from his eyes, still groggy.
The silence felt strange, almost unsettling.

“Heeseung?”
He called out, his voice hoarse from sleep.

But no answer came.

Sunghoon threw the covers off and swung his legs over the side of the bed, his feet sinking into the softness of the carpet.

He glanced around the room, half expecting Heeseung to emerge from the bathroom or maybe be standing by the window, but the room was empty.

That’s when he noticed the small flowerpot on the floor, right in front of the bed.

His heart skipped a beat as he stared at it.

Kneeling down, he reached out to touch the fragile stem, his fingers brushing over the leaves.

It was a small flower, one that hadn’t bloomed yet, but Sunghoon understood the gesture instantly.

The ache in his chest tightened as the reality set in.

Heeseung was gone.

The realization hit him like a wave, and Sunghoon’s breath hitched.

He looked around the room again, more frantically this time, as if hoping Heeseung was hiding somewhere, waiting to jump out and laugh.

But it wasn’t a joke.
Heeseung had left, silently, without a word.

Sunghoon stood, his legs shaky as he took a step back.

His mind raced, a dozen thoughts rushing in at once, but all of them circled back to the same question.

Why didn’t Heeseung say goodbye?

He sank back onto the edge of the bed, staring down at the flowerpot.

A bitter mix of emotions swirled inside him.

Confusion, hurt, and something that felt suspiciously close to betrayal.

But beneath it all, there was a deep, aching sadness.

Sunghoon touched the place on the bed where Heeseung had been, his hand lingering there, wishing for the warmth that was no longer there.

Sunghoon scrambled to his feet, his heart pounding as he hurriedly pulled on a pair of sweatpants and a thick hoodie, barely thinking about how cold it was outside.

He didn’t even stop to put on his shoes, rushing out of his room and down the stairs, his mind racing with thoughts of Heeseung.

He needed to find him.

Bursting through the front door, he stumbled into the frigid morning air.

The snow crunched beneath his bare feet, sending a sharp chill coursing through his body, but he barely noticed.

He dashed into the garden, his breath coming out in visible puffs, calling out Heeseung’s name over and over, desperation clawing at his throat.

“Heeseung! Where are you?”
He shouted, his voice echoing against the stillness of the morning.