Annyeongz One-shots

111. Heal ( 2 )

The sobs had finally started to quiet down, leaving only the ragged, uneven breaths that rattled through Yujin's chest. He was slumped against the wall, his bloody knuckles resting limply on his knees, his head hanging low as if trying to hide from the world. Every muscle in his body was trembling, every nerve raw, every emotion stripped bare.

Wonyoung didn't move immediately. She stayed where she was, a few steps back, her hands lightly clasped in front of her, her eyes fixed on him. She could feel the weight of the room pressing in-the scattered equipment, the blood, the harsh fluorescent lights-but more than that, she could feel the raw, unguarded pain radiating from him.

Slowly, deliberately, she took a step forward. Then another. Her movements were careful, like she didn't want to startle him. She knew she couldn't fix what had just happened-not yet-but she could be there. Quiet. Steady. Present.

Yujin heard the soft shuffle of her shoes against the floor. His head shot up instinctively, and for a brief, terrifying moment, he froze.

Her face came into view. Calm. Concerned. Unafraid.

And his chest tightened like a vice.

"Why... why is she here... again?" he muttered under his breath, more to himself than anyone else. His voice was low, almost a curse. "Why... why does it always have to be her... every time I crash... every time I break... why her... again?!"

He pressed his face into his hands for a moment, trembling, and then looked back at her, his eyes wide with a mix of shock, disbelief, and a raw, exposed vulnerability.

Wonyoung didn't respond immediately. She took another slow step closer, keeping her gaze soft, steady, and non-threatening. She didn't speak. She didn't demand anything. She just... existed.

"You... why... you're here," Yujin finally managed to choke out, his voice breaking slightly. "Why... why are you always here... whenever I... crash... whenever I... fall apart?" His words trembled, raw with frustration and anguish, but underneath the anger was something else-a flicker of helplessness he couldn't mask.

Wonyoung's lips parted slightly, but she still said nothing. She simply took another small step, letting the space between them shrink just enough to show she was there without forcing herself into his chaos.

Yujin's gaze darted to the floor, then back to her, and he whispered, almost angrily to himself, "Why... why do you always get a chance... a second time... to see me like this... again?"

He felt exposed in a way that made him furious with himself. Furious at her. Furious at the universe. Furious at the version of himself that had always crumbled silently, alone, never letting anyone see this side. And now-now she had seen it twice. Twice.

The words hung heavy in the studio, unspoken but deafening. Wonyoung took another cautious step forward. This time, her hand reached slowly toward the space between them, hovering, hesitant, almost like she was testing the water. Not forcing herself onto him. Not intruding. Just... offering herself as an anchor.

Yujin's breath caught. His muscles tensed. He wanted to pull away. He wanted to curse the timing, curse her presence, curse the fact that someone so calm and steady had chosen to stand here while he bled and sobbed and broke apart in front of her.

And yet... a small, confused part of him-the part he hated, the part he had buried deep-wanted her there. Wanted her presence.

Wonyoung's gaze softened. She didn't speak. She let him process. Let him fight himself. Let him decide if he could accept her there. But she didn't leave. Not this time. Not when he needed someone to witness the worst without judgment.