SECOND LEAD [ᴊᴊᴋ]

[03]

LEAD—Song Mirae (The Second Lead)

SCENE
CURSE OF A SOULMATE

"WE ARE SOULMATES. The world envy us, Mi."

"No!"

You roar, abruptly sitting on your bed, gasping for air.

Looking at your window, you search for rays of sunlight. But it isn't even dawn yet. There's still time left before the morning sun will fully emerge and say hi to the world.

Not that, you care for the sun. You need to get out of your bed, get out of your apartment, get out of everything that's screaming her name to you.

The park is quiet, not even a single soul is seen. Only the chirping of birds keep you company.

Sweat trickles down your spine. You don't know if it's because of your unstoppable running or the fear of the past coming back to you.

You don't know, you don't want to know. It's wise to not dig for such answers that will only open the raw wounds.

You keep running, going on circles around the park. It's becoming hard for you to breathe now. But you can't stop running. Not when you're running away from your fear, your nightmares, her.

You feel if you stop now then this two hour long chase will go in vain.

It's just a mere email that causes you two sleepless nights, countless nightmares.

You're tired, frightened, worried.

Your running slows down, transforming into slow little steps. The chilly weather fails to keep you warm, calm your breathing.

You suddenly sit there, on the path.

Tucking your knees under your chin and clutching them tightly, you sit in silence. You lower your head and close your eyes.

Minutes gone since you've been sitting in the same position. There's so much silence in the park, as if everything is in halt except you.

Except the wind that's howling and whipping your hair from time to time.

The chirping of the birds are low now. Maybe, they hear your breathing becoming shallow or maybe they hear the warm insignificant droplets of water hitting the ground.

Maybe that is why to mourn your grief they lower their voices, giving your own to rise.

What feeling that is eating you the most?

Anger? Fear? Or pain?

It's impossible to put a name on the emotion that's drowning you.

With closed eyes, you think about the hard works you did to build your own name, your own fame.

Being a journalist, you fear no insignificant being. But a mere mail gives you sleepless fearful nights, makes you so weak.

Then what will happen when you'll see her in blood and flesh?

Infuriation.

That's what streams through you. For now you can only feel it.

Your eyes that has dark circles under them, looks at the sky with numbness filled in them.

A sudden flame of fury replaces the numbness. You tremble, gritting your teeth. Your hands now clenching into fists.

Something clicks inside you. Something is trying to break free and you can't hold it back. The demand is too high. So you let it out.

Birds fly away in fright at the loudness of your voice.

"You're not my soulmate!"

The sound echoes through the entire empty park.

"You were never my soulmate!"

The dawn is going to break soon.

"You－"

Your voice falls, the sun rises.

"You will never be my soulmate."

Your tears shine as the first ray of sun adorns them.

"Soulmates are not selfish."

The sun reflects in your glittering eyes. After years, your bottled up pain breaks free and falls as tears, staining your pale face. Your voice barely comes out as whispers.

"You were selfish, Taehee. Y-you－"

You again lower your head surrendering to your pain, accepting defeat. Your shoulders moving up and down in an unrythmic way.

"You broke me. So bad."

You changed the city, you changed your persona but your heart, it remains as its old self.

Saddened and defeated.