ʰⁱᵉʳᵃʳᶜʰʸ
ʰⁱᵉʳᵃʳᶜʰʸ
ʰⁱᵉʳᵃʳᶜʰʸ
The sun was beginning to set, painting the sky with hues of orange and pink. Kang-ha sat outside his house on the old stone steps, absently bouncing a ball between his hands. His mind wandered back to the events of the past few days, the chaos, the revelations, the fight for justice. But amidst it all, one face lingered in his mind—Jae-i’s.
“Hey, basketball star,” her voice broke through his thoughts, light and teasing.
He looked up to see her standing there, holding two cups of ice cream, her smile soft and warm. She had traded her usual serious expression for something lighter, more at ease. For a moment, Kang-ha forgot how to breathe.
“Don’t tell me you forgot how to say ‘thank you,’” she teased, handing him one of the cups.
He grinned, scratching the back of his neck. “I was just surprised. Didn’t think you’d come all the way here just to bring me ice cream.”
“Well,” she said, sitting down beside him, “you’ve been through a lot. Consider it a peace offering for always giving you a hard time.”
Kang-ha chuckled, taking a bite of the ice cream. “I think I deserved most of it. But if this is how you apologize, I should mess up more often.”
Jae-i laughed softly, the sound carrying a sense of peace that felt rare these days. For a while, they sat in comfortable silence, the faint sounds of the neighborhood filling the air.
“You’re leaving soon,” Kang-ha said finally, his voice quiet.
Jae-i nodded, her gaze fixed on the horizon. “Yeah. It’s time.”
“Do you know where you’re going?”
She smiled faintly. “Not entirely. But for the first time in a long time, I think I know what I want. I’m going to start over, focus on myself, and maybe—just maybe—figure out what makes me happy.”
Kang-ha studied her face, the determination in her eyes. “You’ve always been good at figuring things out, Jae-i. You’ll do great.”
She turned to him, her expression softening. “Thanks, Kang-ha.”
There was a pause, and then he blurted out, “Did you ever… you know, like me?”
Jae-i blinked, caught off guard by the sudden question. “What?”
“Come on, don’t make me repeat it,” he said, his cheeks turning red as he tried to play it off. “Just… be honest.”
She hesitated, looking down at her ice cream. “Kang-ha… you’re a great guy. But no, I don’t think I ever did.”
He nodded slowly, but there was a small smile on his face. “You’re lying.”
Her head snapped up. “What?”
“You don’t have to explain,” he said, his tone gentle. “I can tell. But it’s okay. I’m not mad or anything. I just wanted to hear you say it, even if you’re not ready to admit it yet.”
“Kang-ha…”
He put his hand up, stopping her. “It’s fine, really. I’m not going anywhere. I’ll wait. I’ll wait for you to heal, to figure out what you need. And if, one day, you realize that you like me even a little, I’ll be here.”
Jae-i stared at him, her heart tugging in a way she hadn’t expected. Kang-ha wasn’t just clumsy and carefree—he was patient, understanding, and unwavering.
“You’re ridiculous,” she said, trying to mask the warmth spreading through her chest.
“Maybe,” he admitted with a laugh. “But I’m also your friend. And friends wait.”
She smiled, a genuine, peaceful smile that felt like a fresh start. “Thank you, Kang-ha. For everything.”
“Don’t mention it,” he said, attempting to lean back on the steps but almost dropping his ice cream in the process.
Jae-i laughed, shaking her head. “Careful, or you’ll lose the peace offering.”
“Not a chance,” he said, catching it just in time. “I’m keeping this. It’s the only thing you’ve ever given me without a fight.”
As the sun dipped lower, Jae-i felt a strange sense of calm settle over her. She wasn’t sure where life would take her next, but she knew she had people who cared, people who would wait. And for now, that was enough.
As the evening stretched into twilight, Jae-i stood, brushing off her skirt. Kang-ha followed suit, towering over her as she looked up at him. The moment felt heavy, the weight of unspoken emotions settling between them.
“This is it, huh?” he asked, his voice tinged with bittersweet humor.
“Yeah,” she said softly. “I guess it is.”
She reached into her pocket and pulled out a sleek black pen, holding it out to him. Kang-ha raised an eyebrow, confused.
“What’s this?” he asked, taking it hesitantly.
“It’s not just a pen,” Jae-i said, her voice steady but her eyes glimmering with a quiet intensity. “It’s a recording device. It has the evidence proof of who killed your brother.”
Kang-ha’s eyes widened, his grip tightening around the pen as he stared at it, then at her. “Jae-i…”
“Woojin gave it to me.” she admitted. “I wanted to tell you sooner, but… I wasn’t sure if you were ready.”
Kang-ha swallowed hard, his voice barely above a whisper. “Thank you.”
Jae-i smiled faintly, her gaze unwavering. “Take care of yourself, Kang-ha. And don’t let this consume you. In-han would want you to live.”
As she turned to leave, Kang-ha’s voice called after her, filled with unspoken gratitude and emotion. “I’ll wait, Jae-i. For you and for everything to be right.”
She didn’t look back, but her steps faltered.
ʰⁱᵉʳᵃʳᶜʰʸ
ʰⁱᵉʳᵃʳᶜʰʸ
ʰⁱᵉʳᵃʳᶜʰʸ
YOU ARE READING
DISGRACE ──── ʰⁱᵉʳᵃʳᶜʰʸ ✔️
Fanfiction❝ 𝒂 𝒘𝒊𝒔𝒆 𝒘𝒐𝒎𝒂𝒏 𝒐𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝒔𝒂𝒊𝒅, "𝒇𝒖𝒄𝒌 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒕", 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒔𝒉𝒆 𝒍𝒊𝒗𝒆𝒅 𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒑𝒊𝒍𝒚 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒂𝒇𝒕𝒆𝒓 ❞
