"Do you really have to go, Jihoon?" Joshua asked one last time, though it came out more of a plea than a question. As if namang mapipigilan noon ang pag-alis ng nakababata ngayong nasa airport na sila. Jihoon simply nodded his head firmly while gripping his baggage bag with his left hand. His decision is final. At isa pa, paano niya matatanggihan ang magandang offer ng kamag-anak niya roon? Minsan nalang siya magkaroon ng opportunity na makapamuhay independently na may sahod pa mula sa sinasabing trabaho ng tita niya. May libreng tirahan pa siya sa kanila. Kaysa naman dito na magtiis siya sa isang bulok na apartment at kumayod para mabuhay mag-isa?
"Hyung, 'wag ka na kasing umalis! Nandito naman kami eh, mag-isa ka lang doon! " Chan whined while tugging at the older one's jacket like a child. Tapping his head slightly, Jihoon diverted his eyes to the cage rested by his side. Inside it was a sleeping Pomeranian puppy that looked awfully adorable with its matched shoes.
"No, I'm not alone. Kasama ko naman si Pig. He'll keep me company."
"Dapat talaga hindi nalang namin binigay 'yang asong 'yan sa'yo eh! Buti pa siya makasama ka." Replied Seungkwan while shedding invisible tears. Jihoon only shook his head at the other one's silliness. He'll miss these dorks though, there's no denying that. They're his second family. Kahit na may atraso pa rin sila sa kaniya one year ago sa pagpapakilala kay-
Jihoon's thoughts were interrupted by a woman's voice announcing that his flight is about to take off in ten minutes. Muntik na siyang napahagalpak sa tawa nang makita ang mga mukha ng mga kaibigan niya.
"Seriously guys? You're really crying? Right now?" And as if on cue, they all pulled their little friend into a group hug, nearly choking him into death.
"C-can't.........breathe........"
After a long drama and corny goodbyes, pinakawalan na rin siya ng mga ito sa wakas. He bid his last farewell as he picked up Pig's cage and his baggage, walking towards the entrance. He was greeted by a female and male stewardess. The latter offered him help with his carriage which he gratefully accepted.
Mabuti nalang at sa tabi ng bintana ang nakuha niyang pwesto sa eroplano. He's not really fond of taking aero transportations. Kung tutuusin, mas gugustuhin niya pang mag-barko nalang papunta roon. Sadly, hindi kakayanin ng barko ang distansya ng destinasyon niya.
Once he was seated comfortably, he immediately dozed off into sleep-perhaps because he doesn't want himself to catch airsickness while the plane takes off or simply because he doesn't want to remember that he's leaving the place that once meant so much for him.
Sampung minuto bago makalapag ang eroplano, nagising si Jihoon mula sa mahimbing niyang tulog. Stretching his arms above his head, doon niya lang napansin na malapit na pala sila sa lupa. Hindi pa rin siya makapaniwala na nasa California na talaga siya ngayon. Parang dati pinapangarap niya lang na makapunta dito, pero ngayon ito na siya. Dali-dali niyang kinuha ang bag niya sa compartment ng eroplano at doon niya lang napansin na wala rito ang cage ni Pig.
"Shit." Jihoon cursed under his breath as he realized na nawala na sa isip niya ito pagkapasok niya sa eroplano kanina. Saan naman kaya iyon dinala nung lalaki?
Dali-dali siyang lumabas sa eroplano dala ang kaniyang bag, earning some complains from the people he bumped into along the way. Baka napasama si Pig sa ibang cargos at luggage. He went to check for his pet in the baggage claim area but much to his dismay, wala roon si Pig. Nakipagtalo pa siya sa isang manager doon dahil sa kapabayaan ng isang attendant nila sa Seoul. How could this happen?
Jihoon felt the familiar awful pang in his chest as he made his way towards the exit. Pig was the only remnant of his old life in Korea, tapos ngayon mawawala pa siya. Nakakatangina nga naman ang buhay. He clenched his fist out of anger. Maybe agreeing to this isn't a good idea after all.
Padabog niyang nilapag ang kaniyang baggage habang nag-aantay ng taxing masasakyan. Dahil sa kapabayaan niya, nawala ang kaisa-isang bagay na binigay sa kaniya ng mga kaibigan niya. Suddenly, he felt so alone and small in this unfamiliar place with these unfamiliar people around him. Unti-unti siyang nakaramdam ng kaba at takot. Umuwi nalang kaya siya ulit?
Jihoon almost jump in surprise when his phone suddenly vibrated in his pocket. After reading the message, his shoulder slumped even more. It was a message from his aunt saying that she couldn't greet him in her house later dahil may shift pa ito sa trabaho niya. Great. Just great.
As he was about to return the device to his pocket, he felt another vibration. Thinking that it was his aunt again, he almost dismissed the memo but he saw that it was from an unknown number. One of his eyebrows perked up as he clicked the unread message.
From: 564-xxxx-xxx
Hey, I got your dog. Come and pick him up near the counter. Saw this number on his tag so I guess u're his owner?
p.s. I'm not a dognapper okay... Just found him on my compartment earlier. I'll introduce myself formally once you get here. :)
ஐ≈
Retrograde
part 2 - completed
Pairing:
SEVENTEEN's Jihoon & Seungcheol • JiCheol
⚠️
-epistolary | narrative | taglish
-cringe-worthy scenarios
-short & slow updates for each chapters
Started: 070816
Ended: 083116
YOU ARE READING
Retrograde | Jicheol
Fanfiction"I suffer from short-term memory loss. But look Jihoon, I can remember things better with you. You're my mnemonic drug." | Jicheol Fanfic COMPLETED ©vousmecheols June 2016
