The Answer - An Answer Me 1988 Fanfiction

Taek

January 1989, Ssangmundong

Taek couldn't sleep.

He had a match tomorrow.

He had to sleep.

But sleep alluded him as usual, never his friend, constantly fighting a battle against him that he won only when he enlisted the help of pills.

He rolled over to look at the bag.

It was just an arm's length away. He could just –

He brought his hand down hard against his cheek and buried his head in his pillow.

He promised her.

I promised her.

The boys had been on his case about when he was going to tell her.

Tell her the truth.

Tell her he loved how her cap of raven hair framed her tiny face.

Tell her that her deep, big eyes were his entire universe.

Tell her that he called her 'Deokseon' recently just to hear her shout back, 'Sooyeon you idiot!'

Tell her that every time she smiled he died a little on the inside.

He was going to.

He had thought about it many times.

He had lost that last match because unbidden he had found himself debating if he should take her out to eat when he told her.

She did love a good, hearty meal, our Deokseonie.

Twack.

A baduk stone clattered on the exact spot he had been aiming for.

He was slightly disoriented and forgot to bow as he conceded the match.

It was later that he expressed his horror at his reflection in the hotel room mirror.

What were you thinking?

His reflection shrugged, not abashed in the least.

Sleep.

Sleep Choi Taek.

If you lose the game you lose your chance.

He imagined her smiling face.

It made his heart race.

He wasn't going to get any sleep thinking about her.

He cast about and brought to mind an image from the last time his friends had slept over.

It wasn't so hard, conjuring up Dongryong on his right next to Sunwoo who looked delighted to be a mirage and immediately hugged Taek around his waist making him cough laughs.

'You absolutely warm bastard!'

Taek giggled and peered over his shoulder at the empty spot where Junghwan should have appeared.

Where are you Jungpal?

A thought scratched at the back of Taek's mind, trying to claw into the centre.

Junghwan had never once asked him about Deokseon.

Why?

He has so much to worry about. He has a life, the world doesn't revolve around your love life you Baduk god bastard!

There was another possibility but Taek refused to let it whisper in his ear.

Junghwan and Deokseon had a weird oil and water relationship.

He shook his head and pulled his rug tighter around him to dispel the sudden chill in his bones.

Junghwan didn't say anything.

He rarely said a word to any of them lately.

Correction: he rarely said a word to any of them when Deokseon was in the room.

He felt his heart thud against his diaphragm.

Dongryong and Sunwoo had disappeared.

Taek was alone.

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