Echoes of the Rain

Unspoken

In yoonsoo's cabin, the air was filled with the faint sound of papers shuffling as Yuri walked in, holding the requested file. She placed it neatly on his desk and stood straight, waiting for his instructions.

"Sir, here is the file you asked for," she said in her usual professional tone.

Before yoonsoo could respond, he sneezed loudly, "Aachoo!" He quickly reached for a tissue, dabbing his nose. His face looked slightly flushed, beads of sweat forming on his forehead.

Yuri tilted her head in concern. "Are you alright, sir?" she asked, her voice laced with genuine worry.

Yoonsoo waved his hand dismissively as he adjusted his tie. "Yes, I’m fine. It’s just... a little warm in here. Summary the file for me," he replied, trying to mask his discomfort.

As Yuri began flipping through the file to deliver the summary, she felt a sudden tickle in her nose. "Aachoo!" she sneezed unexpectedly, catching yoonsoo off guard.

Yoonsoo looked at her with a raised eyebrow, his lips twitching slightly as if suppressing a laugh. "What happened to you?" he asked, his voice carrying a hint of irony.

Yuri sniffled lightly, shaking her head. "It’s just a cold," she muttered, mirroring his earlier excuse.

Yoonsoo leaned back in his chair, still looking unwell but clearly amused. "Well, seems like we’re both competing for who’s worse off today," he said, handing her a tissue.

Yuri took it with a faint smile. "Maybe the air conditioner is working against us," she quipped before continuing with the file summary, her voice slightly nasal from her cold.

Despite the uncomfortable moment, a small shared chuckle lightened the tense atmosphere in the cabin.

Yoonsoo sat back in his chair, the faint hum of the office filling the silence she left behind. His gaze lingered on the door Yuri had just walked through, her swift exit leaving him with a mix of relief and regret.

“I’m sorry,” he said softly, almost to himself.

Yuri had paused mid-step when he first uttered it. Turning back slightly, her voice was calm but questioning. “Why?”

Yoonsoo let out a slow breath. “It’s all because of me. Yesterday... with Mother... she was—"

Yuri cut him off gently, her tone steady but understanding. “It’s okay. I understand.”

Yoonsoo hesitated, his words heavy with the weight of what he had to say next. “The doctor suggested we admit her to the hospital soon. I think she doesn’t have much time left... But she... she really wants to meet you again. If you could...” He trailed off, unsure if he had the right to ask more of her.

Yuri, after a brief pause, nodded resolutely. “I’ll come,” she said, her voice firm, yet her eyes revealed a quiet sadness.

Without waiting for his reply, she turned and left the cabin, leaving yoonsoo alone in the stillness of his thoughts.

The office resumed its usual rhythm—a symphony of keyboard clicks, muffled conversations, and the occasional ring of a phone. Yet, for yoonsoo, the air felt heavier, filled with words unsaid and moments that had slipped through his fingers.

“Sometimes, the most profound wounds aren’t visible—they linger in the spaces between what was said and what was left unspoken.”

Yuri's home was quiet, the kind of silence that pressed down heavily, amplifying every creak and whisper of the wind outside. She stepped into her room, her body weighed down by fever and exhaustion. The bed seemed to call her, and she gave in, placing her bag carelessly on it before lying beside it. Her chest rose and fell as she took a deep breath, her head sinking into the pillow.