Guilty As Sin ► Y.JH

14

It had been months since Soleil had seen Jeonghan. Three months, to be exact. In that time, the world around her had continued to turn, even as her life felt like it had ground to a halt. She hadn't seen Minho either, not really. Not in the way they used to be-there were no long conversations over drinks, no late-night talks, no more spontaneous plans. The band was in disarray, the bonds between them fraying like an unraveling thread. It was like they had all been floating, trying to keep themselves above water, not knowing how deep the damage had gone.

Her days were filled with the quiet hum of her work, the soothing routine of photography, but they were empty, hollow. Every step forward felt like wading through quicksand, dragging her down further with each passing day. There was no easy escape from the guilt that constantly weighed on her chest, no way to undo the damage.

But despite the loneliness, despite the ache in her heart, she kept her distance. From Jeonghan. From Minho. From everyone.

Until today.

The knock on her door came like a jolt to her already restless mind. It was late-later than she would normally expect anyone to come calling. Soleil's heart skipped a beat as she stepped toward the door, the faint, dull thud of her pulse loud in her ears. She hesitated for a moment, staring at the handle, her breath caught in her throat.

She had been expecting this moment. She'd been wondering for months when it would happen. She wasn't sure how, or why, or if they could ever talk again. But as she swung the door open, she wasn't surprised by the figure standing in the doorway.

Jeonghan.

His hair was a bit longer than she remembered, the dark strands falling carelessly across his forehead, and his expression was unreadable. His shoulders were tense, as if he were carrying the weight of the world on them. The distance between them felt like an eternity, a gulf of silence that neither of them knew how to bridge.

Soleil's breath hitched in her throat. She didn't know what to say, or if she had the strength to say anything at all.

"Hi," Jeonghan finally spoke, his voice hoarse, almost unsure. It was so unlike the confident tone he used to have, and that made the moment feel even heavier.

Soleil simply nodded, her throat tight. She felt as if she should have said something, anything, but her tongue felt like lead, heavy with the weight of the last few months. They stood there, staring at each other, neither of them making the first move. It was as if everything that needed to be said was caught between them, hanging in the air like an invisible barrier neither of them knew how to break through.

Finally, Jeonghan took a step forward, breaking the silence. "Can I come in?" he asked softly.

Soleil blinked, surprised by the question. She glanced behind him, at the empty hall behind him, before stepping aside. "Yeah," she replied, her voice quieter than she had intended.

As he stepped inside, the familiar scent of his cologne and the quiet weight of his presence felt like a jolt to her system. It had been so long since they'd been in the same space, and the reality of it hit her like a wave. She felt exposed, as though every unsaid word and broken piece of their past was hanging between them.

Jeonghan glanced around the apartment, his gaze lingering on the quiet corners of the room. It was strange, how even in the silence, it felt like there was so much to say, so much that had been left unsaid.