Hortus ||Park Jihoon

10

Jihoon was already in the garden when haneul reached there.Jihoon stood up from the stone bench and waved at her happily while smiling. Haneul waved back with a small smile. They both sat on the same stone bench they always do.

After chatting for minutes,jihoon talking non-stop and haneul listening.

"I-I have something t-to tell you" Haneul said his voice low, almost inaudible. But jihoon heard that. He always paid his full attention on her whenever he's with her.

"I have something to tell you too" Jihoon said with a bright smile.

"But ladies first" He said motioning his arms towards haneul. Haneul let out a small smile but soon it turned into a frown

"I" she took a deep breath.

"I can't stay here longer long. I'm going soon, away from seoul. " she said.

Jihoon's smile turned upside down.

"Where are you going? When will you be back?" jihoon asked praying to god that it won't be long. He grew too attached towards haneul that he won't even admit to it.

"Somewhere far away"

"And about coming back, I'm sorry jihoon"

"Why? Please don't go"

"Oh asking you not to go is too much. Atleast come for your holidays. Now that i think about i don't even have your phone nu-"

"It's not i won't but can't come back,jihoon. During next holidays, I'll probably be no longer in this world"

Jihoon  felt a pang in his heart unable to grasp the situation.

"W-What do youu mean-"

"I have brain tumor, jihoon.I'm sorry. I know i should have told-"

"There's no need for you to apologise" Jihoon stood up with tear filled eyes and he ran away before the tears could fall off in front of haneul.

In front of the person he liked. Yes he liked haneul. He don't know about where she was from, or her family. But that doesn't matter, does it?

He knows haneul who is soft-hearted and sweet. He knew that she doesn't have many friends and she can't communicate with others well. But he was willing to help her. Help her make friends, help her to get used to the outside world. Outside of the garden. Leaving haneul alone there.

When he said that he had something to tell her. He was about to confess his feelings to her. But well that wasn't a great timing. It was just too much for him to take in.

"Yah! Jihoon why the heck are you running like you're about to pee in your pants?" His older brother shouted from the living room.

Jihoon shut the door to his room hardly. He sat down on the floor leaning his back against his bed, his knees close to his chest before placing his head between his arms that were placed on top of his knees.

A tear fell down, followed by another and soon turned into quiet sobs wetting his long sleeves.