Chapter 22

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Every night, I'll kiss you
And you'll say in my ear,
"Oh we're in love, aren't we?"
Hands in your hair,
Fingers and thumbs, baby
I feel safe when you're holding me near
Love the way that you conquer your fear
You know hearts don't break around here.
ㅡEd Sheeran

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Chapter 22, Honeymoon Avenue
2 days left

Sungjae:

"Is everything OK with Mari?" Namjoo asked. She was helping me find the best hotels and best places to visit in Japan.

"Why won't everything be alright?" I asked back.

She sighed. "It's just that she was kind of weird before the wedding."

"Weird in what way?"

"I didn't want to tell you this because you might freak out but at the same time I think you already know something." She said very quickly.

"Namjoo, what is it?"

She took a deep breath and looked into my eyes. "It was like she was saying good bye. She asked me to take care of her mom..."

I swallowed. "Take care in what way?"

"That's not the point. It's like she was saying good bye. And why did you rush your wedding? Did you really think nothing about it would seem fishy?"

"Nothing's wrong." I said, avoiding her eyes.

She got up from her seat and sat beside me. "Look at me and say that."

"Nothing is wrong OK? Stop it!"

"Is she..." She said hesitantly. "...dying?"

I turned to her sharply, but no words came out from my mouth. I wanted to deny it but tears were already there instead. Namjoo's question was like a trigger to my heart that's in pain.

She gasped, covering her mouth. "Oh Sungjae..." She said and hugged me, the way a friend would try to keep you from falling apart.

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I was packing alone in my room. Mari was spending some time with her mother.

Namjoo didn't want to leave me alone because she thinks I might keep crying. When I finally convinced her that I'd be fine, she let me leave with a: "You make the best of it."

And the truth is, I would never be completely fine.

I put a photo album inside my luggage. It contains pictures with Mariㅡbefore and during the wedding.

We're leaving at five and I'm dreading tomorrow already. The last day.

My heart felt so heavy as I let myself fall towards the bed as if the weight of it was the one that pulled me down. It was like my heart was so badly broken but it couldn't fall apart. It hurt so much.

I remembered some memories but for me to remember it allㅡis it even possible?

When I had a nightmare the first time I slept next to Mari, I dreamed of a manㅡI guessed was her fatherㅡand he was hurting her and then I came and things went so bad. Mari was begging her father, crying. My heart accelerated. I saw a knife and he was going to drive it into my chest but then I woke up and Mari was comforting me. It was just a dream but it felt so real. I knew it was real. It happenedㅡin the past. If these dreams didn't make sense back then, they do now. And I want more of them. But I only had another one after that.

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