Beyond Boundaries: Love and Sacrifice

Chapter 1: Unfamiliar Faces and Unspoken Emotions

Pond leaned against the rail, his gaze drifting across the crowded mall as he clutched his phone to his ear. He watched Mya sift through a rack of dresses, completely absorbed in her search, oblivious to his presence.

"I told you, Joong. I didn't sign up for this," Pond muttered, sighing into the phone. Every word felt heavy, like he was admitting something he'd kept bottled up for too long.

Joong's voice crackled through the line, a hint of laughter on the other end. "Still want me to stage an emergency? I can call in ten minutes and pretend I need help moving furniture."

Pond chuckled despite himself, though the sound was hollow. "If only it were that simple, Joong. My family's dead set on this... and honestly, I'm just tired. Tired of fighting them, tired of everything."

"Yeah, but... it's still your life, Pond. And if you're not ready to move on..."

The words hit deeper than Joong probably intended. Pond's mind drifted, as it often did, to memories of Phuwin—the way his laugh used to light up a room, the small things they shared that no one else understood. It had been five years. Five years of longing, searching, wondering. Five years since he'd last seen Phuwin.

"Moving on doesn't even feel possible."

Joong's tone softened. "I get it, Pond. Some things, some people... they're hard to let go of."

Pond swallowed, feeling the ache that always surfaced when he thought of Phuwin. "It's just... you know, Joong, he was everything to me."

Joong was silent for a moment, as if choosing his words carefully. "I know, Pond. I've seen you try. But maybe—just maybe—you need to find closure."

Pond opened his mouth to respond, but just then, he saw someone in the crowd—a flash of familiarity. The posture, the tousled black hair, even the way he bent down to fix something on a child's shoe. His heart raced, hammering against his ribs.

"Joong, I'll call you back."

Without waiting for Joong's reply, Pond cut the call and began to walk, faster with each step. It's him. It has to be.

His pulse thrummed as he closed the distance, his mind replaying the years of searching, the hope he'd clung to despite everything. But as he got closer, reality hit like a cold wave. This wasn't Phuwin. This was someone else—someone with the same gentle features, the same messy hair, but the wrong face.

"Oh... sorry, I thought..." Pond stammered, feeling a strange mix of embarrassment and disappointment.

The man before him raised an eyebrow, looking down at the children by his side, and then back at Pond. "Can I help you?"

For a second, Pond froze. There was something familiar in the stranger's eyes, a flicker of recognition that felt oddly unsettling.

"No... I just... you look like someone I used to know," Pond managed, feeling the weight of the past pressing down on him.

The stranger's smile was polite, but distant. "Must be a coincidence."

Pond opened his mouth to respond, but the man's tone made it clear the conversation was over. With a small nod, the stranger turned and led the children away, his movements as casual as if nothing had happened.

Pond stood there, staring after them, a sense of confusion swirling in his chest. The resemblance was uncanny, almost too much to be mere chance. And yet, the man had acted as if they'd never met.