Bodyguard

Chapter 15: The Farewell Note

The quiet of the hotel room was almost suffocating, its stillness broken only by the soft hum of the air conditioning. Jin had always enjoyed the solitude after a concert, a time to let the adrenaline slowly drain away. But tonight, something felt off, a nagging unease that had followed him from the stage.

When he opened the door to his room, that unease crystallized into dread. The room was just as he had left it—clothes neatly folded, guitar propped against the chair—but something was different. It took him a moment to notice the small, folded piece of paper on the bedside table, its edges crisp and untouched, as though it had been placed there with great care.

Jin's heart skipped a beat as he recognized the handwriting on the outside of the note. Charles's handwriting—neat, precise, each letter a reflection of the man himself. For a moment, he hesitated, his fingers trembling as he reached for it. A part of him didn't want to know what it said, didn't want to confront the fear that had been gnawing at him since Charles left.

But he couldn't ignore it. With a deep breath, Jin unfolded the note, his eyes scanning the lines as his heart pounded in his chest.

"Jin," the note began simply, the stark black ink standing out against the pale paper. "By the time you read this, I'm probably on the plane back to England."

The words hit him like a punch to the gut, the finality of them leaving him momentarily breathless. He sank down onto the edge of the bed, the note trembling in his hands as he forced himself to keep reading.

"I know you've noticed that something has been weighing on me. I owe you the truth."

Jin swallowed hard, his eyes blurring with tears as he read on. Charles's words were raw, unflinching as he recounted the past he had tried so hard to bury—the life of crime, the betrayal, and the ruthless man who now threatened to destroy everything they had built together.

"I didn't want to leave you," Charles wrote. "But I can't stand the thought of you being in danger because of me. I need to face my past, to settle things once and for all."

Jin's breath hitched as he continued reading, each word a knife to his heart. He could almost hear Charles's voice in his head, steady and calm, as though he were trying to reassure him, even now.

"Our time together has been the happiest I've ever known," Charles confessed, and Jin could feel the emotion behind the words, the weight of what they meant. "I love you, Jin. I wish things could be different. I wish we could be together. But right now, I need to do this. For you, and for me."

A sob escaped Jin's throat, his tears falling freely now as he clutched the note to his chest. The pain was overwhelming, a crushing sense of loss that left him gasping for air. But amid the anguish, there was also something else—an undeniable love, so powerful and so pure that it left him trembling.

"Wait for me," Charles's final words read, a promise that Jin held onto like a lifeline. "I promise I'll come back to you."

Jin sat there in the quiet of his hotel room, the note clutched to his chest as though it were the only thing keeping him grounded. He could still feel Charles's presence lingering in the room, the faint scent of his cologne in the air, the memory of his touch on Jin's skin. It was almost unbearable, the way every little thing reminded him of the man he loved.

Slowly, Jin rose from the bed and walked to the window, the city lights below casting long shadows across the room. He pressed his forehead against the cool glass, the tears still falling as he gazed out at the distant horizon. The city, usually so vibrant and alive, felt strangely hollow, as though the world itself had lost some of its color.

"Charles," he whispered, his voice thick with emotion. "Why did it have to be like this?"

But he knew the answer. He knew why Charles had left, why he had made the choice to face his past alone. It was the same reason why Jin loved him—because Charles would do anything to protect the people he cared about, even if it meant sacrificing his own happiness.

Jin's hands clenched into fists at his sides, a resolve hardening in his chest. He couldn't let this be the end. He wouldn't. Charles had asked him to wait, but Jin wasn't one to sit idly by while the man he loved was in danger. He had to do something, anything, to help.

The note was still clutched tightly in his hand, the paper crumpled and damp with tears. Jin carefully folded it and placed it in his jacket pocket, close to his heart. He wouldn't let Charles's sacrifice be in vain. He would find a way to be there for him, to bring him back safely.

"I'll wait for you, Charles," Jin whispered, echoing the words that Charles had written. "I'll be here when you return. But until then, I'll do whatever it takes to bring you back to me."

As he stood there, staring out into the night, Jin felt a surge of determination. The world was vast and full of uncertainty, but one thing was clear—his love for Charles was stronger than any fear, stronger than any force that could try to tear them apart.

And so, as the city below continued its restless dance, Jin made a silent vow. No matter what it took, no matter how far he had to go, he would find Charles. He would bring him home. Because in this world of fleeting fame and hollow lights, the love they shared was the only thing that truly mattered.

Jin's gaze remained fixed on the distant skyline, his heart aching with the weight of the promise he had made. But even in the midst of his pain, there was hope—a hope that one day, he and Charles would stand side by side again, free from the ghosts of the past that threatened to pull them apart.