BLOSSOMED | SEOKSOO FF

PART 43

The gates of the prison creaked open, the sound reverberating like the toll of a bell signaling the end of one chapter and the beginning of another. Seokmin stepped out, the weight of his years of confinement pressing heavily on his chest, even as the crisp air of freedom washed over him. The sun was painfully bright, almost mocking in its brilliance, and for a moment, he stood there, his eyes scanning the empty road ahead.

No one was there.

His breath hitched, his heart sinking into a cavern of despair he hadn’t known existed.

Had they forgotten him?

Had the people he had clung to in his darkest moments finally let go of him?

Names and faces flashed through his mind—Mingyu, with his endless optimism; Wonwoo, steadfast and unshakable; Soonyoung, always a light in the dark; Jihoon, quiet but deeply loyal.

Where were they?

The silence was deafening.

A bitter laugh escaped his lips, tinged with self-loathing. Of course, they’ve moved on.

Why would they wait for someone like me?

His feet felt rooted to the ground, as if the earth itself was rejecting his presence. He was about to turn, to walk down the road of his newfound freedom alone, when a figure appeared in the distance.

At first, it was just a shadow against the sunlight, but as it drew closer, the details sharpened. Seokmin’s heart lurched violently in his chest.

Bluebell.

He stood there, framed by the brilliance of the day, yet his presence outshone even the sun. His face was older, the softness of youth replaced by the lines of time and experience. Yet, there was a serenity about him, an unshakable grace that made him seem almost otherworldly. In his hands, he held a bouquet of bluebells—the very flowers Seokmin had once plucked obsessively, selfishly, as if to possess even a fragment of their beauty.

Seokmin couldn’t breathe.

Jisoo stopped a few paces away, his eyes locking onto Seokmin’s with a gaze so piercing it felt like a blade cutting through years of shame and regret. And then, softly, he smiled.

“I told you I would wait,” Jisoo said, his voice calm but brimming with a quiet intensity that broke something inside Seokmin.

The dam of his emotions shattered. Tears welled up and spilled over before Seokmin could stop them, hot rivers of guilt and longing streaking down his face. He felt like a broken thing, unworthy of the man standing before him.

“I—” Seokmin tried to speak, but his voice cracked and faltered. His trembling hands clenched into fists at his sides. “I didn’t think you’d—” He choked on his words, unable to finish.

Jisoo stepped closer, each movement deliberate, his gaze unwavering. When he reached Seokmin, he gently placed the bouquet into his hands. The weight of the flowers was unbearable, their fragrance a cruel reminder of the purity he had once tainted.

“I never left, Seokmin,” Jisoo said, his voice firm but laced with an ache that mirrored Seokmin’s own. “Not in my heart. Not in my soul. I’ve been waiting all this time because I knew... I knew you’d come back to me.”

Seokmin shook his head violently, the shame clawing at his throat. “Don’t say that. Don’t—you shouldn’t have waited. I’m not worth it, Bluebell. I’m not... I’m not worth you.”

“No,” Jisoo agreed, his voice softening. “You’re not that person. But I didn’t wait for the man you were, Seokmin. I waited for the man you could become. The man I knew you would fight to be.”

The words hit Seokmin like a tidal wave, crashing over him and dragging him under. His knees buckled, and he fell to the ground, clutching the bluebells like a lifeline. Sobs wracked his body, raw and unrelenting, as years of buried guilt, anger, and sorrow poured out of him.

“I ruined everything,” he choked out, his voice muffled against the bouquet. “I hurt you. I broke you. I don’t deserve to stand here, not in front of you, not after everything I’ve done.”

Jisoo knelt down, his hands reaching out to cup Seokmin’s tear-streaked face. His touch was gentle, but his grip was firm, grounding Seokmin in a way he hadn’t felt in years.

“You did hurt me,” Jisoo admitted, his voice trembling slightly, but his gaze remained steady. “You broke my heart, Seokmin. But you also made it stronger. And now, I’m here to help you rebuild yours.”

Seokmin’s breath hitched as Jisoo leaned forward, pressing their foreheads together.

“This isn’t about deserving, Seokmin,” Jisoo whispered. “This is about love. And I love you. I always have.”

Seokmin sobbed harder, the sound raw and guttural, as he clung to Jisoo like a drowning man to a lifeboat. For the first time in years, the suffocating weight of his past began to lift, replaced by the fragile, flickering light of hope.

“I’ll make it right,” Seokmin swore through his tears, his voice a hoarse whisper. “I’ll spend every day proving it to you, Jisoo. I’ll—”

Jisoo placed a finger against Seokmin’s lips, silencing him. “You don’t need to prove anything to me, Seokmin. Just... don’t give up on yourself. That’s all I ask.”

Seokmin nodded, the movement jerky and desperate. “I won’t. Not this time. I swear, Jisoo, I won’t let you down.”

Jisoo smiled, and it was as if the sun itself had descended to wrap Seokmin in its warmth.

“I know,” Jisoo said simply.

I am not crying.. You are...