Slowly Falling (Infinite Sungjong Fanfic)

Chapter 4: Right Shoulder to Right Shoulder

Misora scanned the whole area, hoping for something that could tell her where she was. The crowd thinned out every now and then and her body froze as her emerald eyes landed on a memory trigger. There was a middle-aged lady helping an old man through the crowd. The old man was shaky and unstable on his feet. As a result he stumbled forward dropping a small wrapped up box in the process. Misora gritted her teeth, everything was going pretty well today until now. Her mum may not have always been there to look after her but they were happy. Sensing rather than seeing a hand reaching for her, Misora unintentionally said in the coldest voice possible, “Don’t touch me.”

An annoyed voice sounded from behind her, “Sorry for trying to help then.”

Misora, who was trying to calm herself down, ready to apologize, snapped at those six words and her mind was left blank. “Trying to help? If helping people had an end result of happiness that would be great,” sarcasm dripped from every syllable that rolled off Misora’s tongue as she spun around to fling the last words at the person’s face. “Kindness is a weakness. Learn that now before you get hurt.”

***

“Kindness is a weakness.” The girl spun around to face L. “Learn it now before you get hurt.”

L was shocked at this girl’s way of thinking and also how she could take that tone with him? He lowered his sunglasses a bit so she could see who she was talking to but instead of squealing and jumping up and down which was the normal reaction for teenage girls, an icy green glare even he couldn’t manage, was thrown at him. Spinning on her heel to leave, L reflexively shot out his arm to grab her wrist. He didn’t think this was possible after all the other cold glares he had received but her eyes flung a look at him with the coldness of absolute zero accompanied with the words, “Could you not?”

L flinched and as soon as he lost contact with her skin, she pulled away. Her silver necklace caught on his wrist and the chain broke easily, probably old and weak with age L thought, but she didn’t seem to notice and quickly walked away.

“Hyung!” A familiar voice called to him. Sungjong was squeezing past people trying to get to L who was staring after the girl whose necklace he had in his hand.

“Hyung, what’s taking you so long?” Sungjong complained. Following the direction of L’s eyes he asked curiously, “What are you staring at?”

L shook his head and muttered, “Nothing,” his gaze travelling down to the delicate, silver locket.

Sungjong’s normally cheerful voice suddenly turned into a monotone, “Hyung where did you get that?”

L turned the locket over in his hands, “Oh this? A girl dropped it and didn’t realise.”

Sungjong reached for the locket and L watched curiously as his friend opened it. Inside was a faded picture of a girl and a guy, both smiling at the camera and looking very happy.

“Woah, wait,” L took a closer look at the photo. “Sungjong, isn’t that… you?”

“Misora…?” Sungjong whispered, taking a few steps forward in the direction that L used to be staring in. The few steps turned into a run. “Misora!”

“Yah! Sungjong! Where are you— Wait up!” L shouted.

***

Misora had her head deep in thought about the mean things she had said to that person.

“Why did I do that?” She murmured to herself. Whenever she was in doubt or thinking deeply, her hand would wander to the familiar silver locket she had gotten from him all those years ago… Except this time it wasn’t there.