Book VIII: Unconditionally

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The sun hadn't risen when he opened his eyes. He sat up in bed, staring at how peaceful Joy slept beside him. She lay on her stomach, facing him. The blanket crumpled at the foot of the bed, exposing her bare back.

Sungjae got up and grabbed a shirt from the closet. He slipped the shirt on her, careful not to wake her up. He then pulled the blanket up to cover her legs. His eyes were fixed on her while he recounted last night's events.

Please hang in there Sooyoung-ah, he thought as he traced his finger on her face. He decided to get up. If I stay any longer, I might not do what needs to be done, he told himself.

Sungjae quickly took a shower and got dressed. He scribbled a note for her and placed it on the bedside table, along with a glass of water and an advil. With a sigh, he lightly kissed her temple and left the room.

Sami meowed upon seeing Sungjae walk out the room. "Sami-ah, watch your eomma while I'm gone, okay?" he whispered while stroking its fur. He put on his shoes, grabbed his keys and took one last look at their bedroom door before leaving.

~~~

Sungjae yawned, reaching for his cup of coffee, careful not to take his eyes off the road. He'd been driving for more than two hours. He kept himself awake by the music that blasted through the speakers.

After driving through what seemed like an endless highway, Sungjae finally turned to enter a small town. He stopped by the first market he saw and bought a fruit basket, a small cake, and a bottle of whiskey. He loaded them in the front seat and continued driving through town. Within minutes, he made another turn and entered a narrow street lined up with houses. He drove just a few blocks and slowed down when he spotted a familiar white gate.

He parked in front of a single-storey house, surrounded by brick walls. A white metal gate towered just a few feet from where he parked beside the sidewalk. It still looks the same, he thought. He checked on his phone before getting out. A message from Joy came.

[Mine 9:23 am] Couldn't find any of Sami's food. Will drop by your dorm to get grab some stock and pickup a few of her toys. I'll be quick.

He looked at his watch. 10:02 am. He panicked, almost dropping his phone. Chill Sungjae, chill, relax, breathe, he told himself. He heaved a sigh and sent a message to Irene. Immediately after, he dialled Changsub's number. His heart pounded while he waited for him to pickup.

"Yeobos-" he cut him off mid greeting.

"Hyung! Hyung! Listen, Joy's on her way there right now. Just make something up. Please! I'll explain everything when I get the chance. Jebal, hyung...just trust me on this," Sungjae pleaded.

"What?! What do you mean she's on her way?! Sungjae you idiot! What the hell do you want me to tel-"

The last thing he heard was Joy's voice before the line dropped. He silently prayed that his hyung would trust him this one time. He tried to calm himself before getting off the car. Good thoughts, good thoughts, good thoughts...he chanted. Who am I kidding? This isn't working! he screamed inside his head.

He closed his eyes and immediately saw a vision of her in his mind. He recalled how her lips would wrinkle before she burst out laughing. How her laugh had a unique bounce that was so contagious. He remembered the steady pattern of her breathing that harmonized with her heartbeat while she slept. It always soothed him, just like it did at that moment.

Sungjae was finally able to get out of the car. He gathered what he bought earlier and walked the short distance to the white gate. It took him a minute before he decided to ring the bell to the intercom.