Beyond the Horizon

Shadows of Doubt

Dunk spent the rest of the night wrestling with Mark's words. Though he knew better than to trust someone who clearly had ulterior motives, the seeds of doubt had already begun to take root. By morning, he felt drained, barely able to focus on his classes. The reassurance he had felt with Joong now seemed fragile, and he hated that Mark's visit had managed to unsettle him so deeply.

Later that day, Joong messaged him to meet up after classes. The excitement Dunk normally felt at seeing Joong was tempered by lingering questions, but he told himself he needed to be honest. If he let Mark’s words fester in his mind without confronting Joong, it would only create a wall between them.

They met at their usual spot in the campus garden, where clusters of students gathered to enjoy the late afternoon sun. Joong greeted him with a warm smile, immediately reaching out to take Dunk’s hand. “You look tired. Rough night?”

Dunk hesitated, then decided to dive straight in. “I had a visitor last night... Mark.”

Joong’s expression froze, his hand tightening slightly around Dunk’s. “Mark came to see you? What did he say?”

“He came to ‘warn’ me,” Dunk said, his voice tinged with frustration. “He made it sound like... you weren’t being completely honest with me. That you might not be able to handle a serious relationship.”

Joong’s eyes darkened, a flicker of irritation flashing across his face. “He just can’t let go, can he?”

Dunk softened, seeing Joong’s reaction. “I want to believe that he’s just trying to mess with me, Joong. But… I need to know if there’s anything you’re keeping from me. If there’s something you haven’t told me, I’d rather hear it from you.”

Joong let out a deep sigh, looking away for a moment as he collected his thoughts. When he looked back at Dunk, his eyes were steady and sincere.

“Dunk, I’ve been open with you about my past with Mark and the mistakes I made. It wasn’t an easy time for me. I wasn’t ready to be in a real relationship back then, and he didn’t make it easy for me to figure things out. But I’m not that person anymore. With you, it’s different. I’m not running from my feelings, and I’m not hiding anything.”

Dunk felt a wave of relief wash over him, but the lingering doubts still clawed at the edges of his mind. “I believe you, Joong. I just… I just hate that he’s able to shake me like this.”

Joong cupped Dunk’s face, his gaze filled with warmth and determination. “Then don’t let him. He’s not part of us, Dunk. This is just you and me. I promise you, whatever we go through, we’ll face it together.”

Dunk leaned into Joong’s touch, feeling the weight of his worries slowly dissipate. He knew he could either trust Joong completely or allow someone else’s bitterness to ruin what they were building. And in that moment, he chose Joong.