Epilogue: A Song for Us
It was late in the evening when the sun had set, and the air was cool, signaling the beginning of autumn. Ju Ha had been working late on some school assignments, his desk cluttered with papers, but his mind was elsewhere. His thoughts kept drifting back to Do Yoon, who had been quieter than usual lately. Ju Ha could feel that something was off, and no amount of teasing or playful remarks had been enough to bring back the lighthearted energy they usually shared.
The doorbell rang unexpectedly, breaking Ju Ha's train of thought. He opened the door, surprised to see Do Yoon standing there, a nervous smile playing on his lips.
"Hyung," Do Yoon said, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. "I... I brought something for you."
Ju Ha raised an eyebrow. "Something for me? What is it?"
Do Yoon reached into his bag and pulled out a small, crumpled piece of paper. "It's... it's a song I wrote. For you."
Ju Ha blinked, stunned. He had never expected Do Yoon to do something like this, not for him. He took the paper from Do Yoon, unfolding it carefully. There, in Do Yoon's neat handwriting, were the lyrics to a song. The words were simple but raw—like a confession, a promise, and a memory all rolled into one.
"I... I've been feeling kind of lost lately," Do Yoon said quietly, his eyes not meeting Ju Ha's. "I didn't know how to say it, but I thought if I wrote it down, maybe you'd understand."
Ju Ha looked down at the lyrics, his heart fluttering as he read through them. The song was about them—about their friendship, their bond, and everything in between. It was about their struggles, their insecurities, and how they always found their way back to each other, no matter what.
"I didn't know if you'd like it," Do Yoon continued, his voice barely above a whisper. "But I wanted to tell you... that I'm glad you're here. And I hope you know that I'll always be here for you too."
Ju Ha felt something tight in his chest, a mixture of surprise and emotion. He looked up from the paper and saw Do Yoon standing there, waiting for some kind of response. The vulnerability in his eyes, the fear of being rejected—it hit Ju Ha hard.
Without thinking, Ju Ha stepped forward and wrapped his arms around Do Yoon. The younger boy stiffened for a moment before he relaxed, his arms slowly circling around Ju Ha's waist.
"That was... beautiful, Do Yoon," Ju Ha said softly, his voice thick with emotion. "You're not alone in this. I'm always here. And you don't have to be perfect. You don't have to write songs or do anything special to make me feel loved. I already do."
Do Yoon pulled back just enough to look at Ju Ha, his expression softening. "You mean it? You're not mad?"
Ju Ha shook his head, smiling. "I'm not mad. I'm just... really happy you trust me enough to share this with me. And hey," he added with a teasing grin, "now you're officially a songwriter."
Do Yoon laughed, the tension between them dissolving. "Maybe, but only if you promise to listen to my songs every time I write one."
"Deal," Ju Ha said, holding up his pinky. "But only if you promise to keep being you—my drummer, my hyung, and my best friend."
Do Yoon didn't hesitate. He hooked his pinky around Ju Ha's, sealing the promise. "I promise."
They stood there for a moment, wrapped up in the quiet comfort of each other's presence, before Ju Ha suddenly pulled away, an idea popping into his head.
"Come on," Ju Ha said, pulling Do Yoon by the hand. "Let's make your song even better."
"Make it better?" Do Yoon asked, confused.
"Yeah," Ju Ha said with a mischievous glint in his eyes. "You're the drummer, right? So let's get that drum set of yours and record this thing properly. We'll make a real song out of it. Together."
Do Yoon's eyes lit up. "You're not joking?"
"Of course not," Ju Ha said, grinning. "You wrote it for me, and now I'm going to help you make it sound amazing. And who knows?" He nudged Do Yoon playfully. "Maybe we'll even perform it for the school festival."
"Wait, what?" Do Yoon blinked, looking at Ju Ha like he'd lost his mind. "The school festival? Are you serious?"
"Why not?" Ju Ha said with a shrug. "It'll be fun. And, come on, if you're going to be a songwriter, you might as well perform your own songs. I've always got your back, remember?"
Do Yoon stared at him for a moment, then broke into a huge grin. "You're crazy, hyung."
Ju Ha just winked. "I know. Now let's go make some music."
And with that, the two of them headed off to Do Yoon's house, where the night was spent in a whirlwind of laughter, rhythm, and new memories. It didn't matter that they were just two boys trying to figure out life—they had each other, and that was enough to make anything possible.
