𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐏𝐀𝐂𝐓 | 𝘰𝘩 𝘴𝘦𝘩𝘶𝘯

⤖ chapter fifteen

Pushing herself back from the small gap between her chair and table that locked her, Heejung left and followed the man he saw without any hesitation, though Myunghui tried to get a hold of her best friend's arm, wanting to know why she suddenly acted that way.

"Heejung-a! Wait up!"

The taller lass grabbed her drink before running off to come after Heejung who didn't bother to look behind, completely occupied with the thoughts of having the man she saw talk to her.

"Where are you going?" Myunghui caught up, thanks to her long legs that strided at least a step equaling to Heejung's two steps.

Heejung made no answer and continued turning her head from her right side to the other, searching for her sister's boyfriend.

"I swear I saw him..." she whispered to herself.

"Saw who?"

"Han Woojin," she repeated.

"That's impossible. He doesn't go here, right?"

"Exactly, he doesn't..."

Intrigued, Heejung turned to the other side and saw a group of boys huddling together as they met with each other. Chatter soon infused the empty hallway. And as they shared laughter and a few slaps on the shoulder to the other, Heejung finally caught a glimpse of the man she was searching.

"Seniors.." Myunghui tsked, rolling her eyes as she sent daggers to the mixture of seniors and sophomores that are considered the athletes of the campus.

Suddenly, she saw her best friend walking up to the bunch of boys. Myunghui's eyes widened in panic as she called Heejung many times.

"Yah! What are you doing?"

Unbothered, Heejung fearlessly approached them and the boys who took notice of the elite student halted in their tracks, grins dropping as they paved way for her.

Though amused and puzzled, the athletes watched as she stopped in front of the boy she knows.

Han Woojin's orbs wavered as he emit a puzzled expression.

Heejung narrowed her eyes at the younger, brows furrowing upon intaking his whole countenance, observing him to be so well and even glowing when they both just lost an important person in their lives.

"It's been a while, Han Woojin."

***

Constant tapping of nails against the wooden table intensified the nervousness Woojin plastered on his face as he refused to look up to Heejung's intimidating stare.

"Heejung-a, would you take a chill pill?" Myunghui hissed, glaring at her best friend's behavior. "Stop scaring the poor guy."

"I'm not scaring him," replied the latter in a hushed manner, still piercing through the boy's frame.

"You are," the taller clicked her tongue in warning before slapping Heejung's hand on the table, causing her to pull her hand back.

Clearing her throat, Heejung broke the awkward silence between them inside the almost empty cafe she dragged Woojin to.

"How have you been doing?" She asked, concerned, but showed no emotion as he finally looked up to meet her gaze.

"F-fine, I guess..." Woojin let his hand run over his shoulder by habit, heaving out a heavy sigh.

"What were you doing in the university?"

"I transferred," he replied, then looked down. "I wanted to remember her."

Seconds passed and all the silence indulged was the memory of Heejae running both in their minds. With heavy heart, Heejung looked away.

"You were there when we couldn't come to take care of her," she said. "Thank you for loving my sister, Woojin-a."

He only stayed still, pursing his lips.

"But I want to know why she suddenly... left just like that. Do you know why? The doctor said it was a sudden attack. She was already doing okay then,"

"I-I don't know either," he stuttered, starting to fiddle with his fingers that Heejung took notice as she bored her eyes on his suddenly tensed shouders.

"I only found her heartbeat slowing that morning. I called the doctor and," he suck a sharp breath before continuing. "It-it was so messy I didn't know what to do when nurses came in. Machines. Everything, it was so hard to watch..."

There was a lump in her throat as Woojin narrated everything that occured that day when she wasn't present. The regret she had for not hanging on to her sister's side when everything was getting difficult stabbed her thousands of times and it's killing her. She tried maintaining her breathing as she pictured everything Woojin said.

Wretched of watching her best friend go through so much in just a simple testimony, Myunghui reached for Heejung's hand under the table, giving it a gentle squeeze.

"I'm sorry I didn't come to her... funeral," Woojin mumbled. "I couldn't see her like that. I'm sorry.."

***

Evening came and as the sky turned pitch black, Heejung strided along the side of Han River, walking past strangers who were just passing time with themselves or with someone close to them.

Myunghui wanted to come with her, but she told her she only wanted to be alone for the meantime, not wanting to come home where she knows her room will only make her feel even more suffocated.

She needed to breathe.

A break.

Stopping in front of the calm river in front of her, she let her eyes linger on it, envying its tranquility... unlike her.

She gazed up to the heavens, admiring the twinkling stars that never lost its light to brighten up each night, contrasting when it clears and heavy rains pours down and covers most of the wonders of every street in Seoul.

A deep sigh escaped her lips as her eyes glimmered under the night sky, getting her hands cozy inside the pocket of her jacket.

"Beautiful, isn't it?"

A baritone voice spoke beside her, causing her to turn to see who it was, brows creasing upon recognizing the man's features.

"Hi, bunny..."