You Belong With Me | Jeongcheol Fanfic

Chapter 60

Jeonghan sat back in his chair, his fingers absentmindedly tracing the edge of his coffee mug as he tried to collect his thoughts. The morning light filtered through the kitchen window, casting a soft glow across the room. It was peaceful here, in this little bubble of warmth with Seungcheol beside him. Yet, the unease still lingered within him. He couldn't shake the feeling that something was missing—something important. He had no memories of the past that could explain his sense of emptiness, but he felt it deeply. It was like there was a part of him that was still locked away, a part that refused to return no matter how hard he tried.

Seungcheol, sensing Jeonghan's distant mood, didn't push him to talk. He just sat quietly beside him, occasionally offering a gentle touch on his hand or an encouraging smile. It had taken a long time for Jeonghan to open up to him about his struggles, but now he could sense that Jeonghan wasn't quite ready to share everything that weighed on his heart. It was okay. They had time. He could wait for Jeonghan to come to him when he was ready.

But this morning, Jeonghan seemed like he was on the verge of saying something, his eyes flicking back and forth as if he were choosing his words carefully. Finally, after a few moments of silence, he spoke.

"I had a dream last night," Jeonghan said quietly, his voice soft but full of emotion. "It was about my mother."

Seungcheol's eyes softened at the mention of Jeonghan's mother. He knew how much she meant to him, how deeply Jeonghan missed her. After all, it was her passing that had shattered Jeonghan's world, leaving him with a painful void. But the amnesia had made it even harder for Jeonghan to hold onto her memory. Despite all his efforts, the pieces of his past that involved her were still hazy, just out of reach.

"You want to talk about it?" Seungcheol asked, his voice calm and steady, offering Jeonghan a safe space to share. He could tell that this was difficult for him. He could see the vulnerability in Jeonghan's eyes—the way his lips quivered slightly as he processed his emotions.

Jeonghan nodded slowly, his gaze turning inward as if he was still wrapped up in the remnants of his dream. "I don't remember her face clearly anymore. But last night... I dreamt of her. It was like I was a little kid again, and she was holding me. I could feel her warmth, her love, like it was real. But when I woke up, it all faded away. I don't even know if that's what it was really like or if it's just my mind making it up."

Seungcheol's heart ached at the pain in Jeonghan's voice. He knew how hard it was for Jeonghan to reconcile the memories that had been taken from him, how much he longed to remember the mother who had raised him. It wasn't fair. But Seungcheol also knew that the dream, even though fleeting, was a piece of Jeonghan's healing process. It was a glimpse into what he had lost—and that was important.

"I can't even remember the sound of her voice, Seungcheol," Jeonghan continued, his voice breaking as he spoke. "Sometimes, I wonder if I'll ever get it back. Or if I'm just going to be stuck here, with these gaps in my memory. I feel like I'm missing so much of myself."

Seungcheol reached out and gently placed his hand over Jeonghan's, grounding him. "You're not missing anything. You're just... in a different place right now. Your memories will come back, Jeonghan. It's not a race. You're not going to lose who you are in the process."

Jeonghan let out a shaky breath, the tears threatening to well up in his eyes as he absorbed Seungcheol's words. "I want to remember. I want to remember everything. My mom, my friends, the moments we had. But it feels like it's slipping away from me, and I'm powerless to stop it."

"You don't have to remember everything right now," Seungcheol said softly, brushing a stray tear from Jeonghan's cheek with his thumb. "The important part is that you're still you. You're still the person I fell in love with. The person who makes me laugh, who makes me feel like I'm the luckiest person alive."