Dear. My Darling | Gongfourz / Taehan

Chapter 47

Leehan lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling, his thoughts a swirling mess of confusion and heartbreak. His body felt heavy, like the weight of the world was pressing down on him, suffocating him in his own room.

He hadn’t moved in hours, hadn’t even bothered to get up when the sun had set. The darkness outside felt like a mirror to the one in his heart. He tried to drown his thoughts in the silence, but it only made everything feel worse.

I don’t even know where to begin, he thought. Maybe I should’ve never asked. Maybe I shouldn’t have cared so much.

He thought about Taesan—about the way everything had been before. The laughs, the little moments of shared silence, the promises that felt unspoken but solid. Now, it all felt like a lie, like something he wasn’t ever supposed to have.

His fingers trembled slightly as he gripped the sheets, frustration and sadness mixing in a cocktail that left him feeling more lost than ever.

A knock echoed through his room, sharp and insistent. He groaned and buried his face in the pillow, pretending he hadn’t heard it.

He didn’t want to face anyone. Not right now. Not when his chest felt like it might collapse at any moment.

“Leehan, come on,” Jaehyun’s voice called through the door, casual but with an edge of concern. “You can’t hide in here forever.”

Leehan stayed silent, his lips pressed tightly together. He didn’t want to talk to anyone. He didn’t want to explain how he felt, or why he couldn’t make sense of anything anymore. But the knocking persisted, and Jaehyun’s voice was growing louder with each passing second.

“Leehan!”

Then came the sound. A sharp crash, followed by Jaehyun’s voice—loud and panicked.

“Oh, shit!”

Leehan’s heart jumped in his chest. He shot up from the bed, a rush of adrenaline pushing him into action. What the hell was that?

The sound of glass shattering reached his ears, and then, a piercing, frantic cry. Jaehyun was crying?

Leehan’s confusion grew, and before he could even process what was happening, he was out of his room and rushing toward the door.

He threw it open with force, ready to confront whatever disaster Jaehyun had gotten himself into.

“What happened?” Leehan demanded, his voice a mix of anger and worry. “What did you break this time?”

Jaehyun stood in the middle of the living room, looking sheepish and wide-eyed. “Uh, about that...” he began, rubbing the back of his neck, before quickly blurting, “I broke your aquarium.”

Leehan froze, the panic that had surged in his chest now turning into a cold knot of dread. “What? My—my aquarium?”

“Yeah,” Jaehyun said, his voice rising slightly as he gestured toward the table where the aquarium stood. “I—I didn’t mean to, I swear! It just—slipped from my hands, and I—I don’t know. I’m so sorry, Leehan.”

Leehan blinked, his heart pounding in his ears, before his eyes landed on the aquarium. And then, a strange realization hit him.

The aquarium was perfectly fine.

Not a crack in sight. No water spilling over the edge. No glass shards scattered across the floor.

“Wait,” Leehan said, his voice shaking with confusion, “it’s not broken.”

Jaehyun shifted uncomfortably, still avoiding eye contact. “Well... not exactly,” he said with a guilty shrug. “But there’s something new in it.”

Leehan stared at the aquarium for a long moment before his eyes finally noticed the small, black figure sitting at the bottom.

It was a handcrafted black cat, meticulously detailed with sharp little ears, smooth fur, and bright green eyes that almost seemed to shimmer in the low light.

Leehan felt his breath catch in his throat.

That was the cat he’d wanted. The one he’d seen online weeks ago, the one he’d admired so much but had never been able to afford because it was far too expensive.

The craftsmanship alone had been something he never thought he’d own. Yet, there it was—right in front of him, nestled among his fish, like it belonged.

“Jaehyun…” Leehan whispered, stepping closer to the aquarium, completely stunned.

Jaehyun, still standing a few steps away, scratched his head awkwardly. “I saw you looking at it online,” he said, his voice shy. “I didn’t know how to get it for you, but I—uh—I figured if I messed up the aquarium, at least you’d have something to cheer you up.”

Leehan’s heart swelled with something unnameable. Anger and frustration, which had been swirling in him only moments before, suddenly dissolved. The small, thoughtful gesture had cut through the darkness, like a beam of light breaking through the clouds.

“Are you—are you serious?” Leehan laughed, still in disbelief. “You—you really thought that giving me a new aquarium decoration would fix this mess?”

Jaehyun grinned sheepishly. “Well, it’s not like I could fix the mess between you and Taesan,” he teased lightly. “But hey, a fluffy black cat seemed like a good start.”

Leehan shook his head, unable to stop the laughter that bubbled up from within him. He walked over to the table and gently ran his fingers over the cat figurine, still in awe. “You’re ridiculous,” he said, his voice thick with emotion but tinged with genuine affection. “But you’re also an idiot... for getting me this stupid cat.”

Jaehyun shrugged playfully. “What can I say? I aim to please.”

Leehan turned to face him, finally allowing a real smile to spread across his face. “I don’t know if this is what I needed, but... thank you. I guess.”

Jaehyun’s smile softened, his eyes warm with the familiarity of their friendship. “Anytime, Leehan. Anytime.”

And for the first time in days, Leehan felt a flicker of something that felt like hope. The storm in his chest had calmed, even if just for a moment, and he could breathe again.

He wasn’t alone. Not as long as Jaehyun and his friends was there.