'𝐁𝐎𝐔𝐓 𝐘𝐎𝐔 ‣ jeon wonwoo

013

'BOUT YOU
013

Exiting the bar where she and her friends had been drinking, her companions had consumed a lot of liquor and were completely wasted. This led their sober friends to send them home. Isla was the only one left, as she had instructed Vernon to go home earlier. She knew he needed to pick up his sister from her friend's house and drive her back while he was sober, leaving Isla alone.

As she walked, she noticed a familiar face waiting outside for her. This caused her to stop in her tracks, observing as the man turned around to face her. "Can we talk?" He asked, a small smile forming on his face. This made Isla tighten her grip on her purse and nervously nibble her lower lip.

"About what?" She inquired, wondering why Wonwoo wanted to talk to her. "About us," he replied shortly, causing her eyes to slightly widen in surprise. She fell silent, not sure what to say. "Please, just for a minute," he added.

And so, she found herself sitting beside Wonwoo outside a convenience store, holding a can of beer in her hands. Silence filled the air; neither dared to speak until Wonwoo broke it by saying, "Time flies really fast. I remember when your brother forbade you from drinking with us." He chuckled at the end of his sentence.

"I've grown now. I'm not a kid anymore," Isla responded in a quiet tone, lowering her gaze to the can she was holding. "How's your brother?" Wonwoo inquired after a long pause, catching Isla's attention. "You don't have any contact with my brother?" She asked, her eyebrows furrowing in confusion.

"I used to, until something happened," he sighed, his expression saddening as his gaze fell to the ground. "What happened between you two?" Isla asked, her curiosity piqued. "I don't know if I'm supposed to say this to you, since I don't have the right." He hesitated.

"Come on, I'm his younger sister. I deserve to know the truth," Isla defended, hoping he would share the details with her. Finally, he surrendered and decided to tell her the truth about what happened years ago.

"Remember when your brother visited New York two years ago while you stayed in Korea, busy with college?" He paused, watching the woman's reaction when she remembered. "He visited me and Elyse." Isla felt her heart sink after hearing a familiar name that brought back memories of the day before Wonwoo left for good.

"I had to stop him from visiting us, since Elyse didn't want to see him." Isla's forehead creased; something was off between Elyse and Joshua. Wasn't she Wonwoo's girlfriend? "Did something happen between Elyse and Joshua?" Isla questioned, trying to grasp the situation.

"The two used to date. Four years ago, they decided to part ways because Elyse chose to move with me here to New York." He paused, "Their relationship wasn't healthy and kept falling apart due to Elyse's heart condition, which she hid from Joshua until two years ago. He found out through me when he saw my post on Twitter." Wonwoo continued, sadness lingering in his tone.

"I decided to tell Joshua the truth, as Elyse's condition wasn't stable and was deteriorating. I promised to keep posting about her so Joshua could see how she was doing throughout the years without him. Since she had blocked him." Isla's gaze softened, realizing how much Wonwoo cares for the two lovers.

"Elyse is my cousin and is like a younger sister to me. I want her to be happy, so I allowed him to visit her in the hospital. And who knew that would be her last day and moment with him?" Isla felt her stomach drop; she didn't like where this was heading.

"She passed away with her head resting on his shoulder as they watched the beautiful scenery." Isla couldn't hold back her sobs, realizing the pain her brother had gone through without ever sharing it with her. She had no idea that he had been at his lowest point two years ago, as he always managed to put on a smile whenever they saw each other.

"So I'm so sorry for leaving you again, Isla. I had to take care of someone special too."

'BOUT YOU
written by luna

author's note !
hope this made sense T^T I almost sobbed while writing this chapter.