chapter eight.
if all we have is time,
then we'll be alright
✧༝┉┉┉┉┉˚*❋ ❋ ❋*˚┉┉┉┉┉༝✧
jungmo is indeed always missing from the sight, but right now he is taking longer — like unusually a longer time than he usually is. seol debates whether she should stay or leave jungmo behind. she had a thought what if jungmo is the one who already left her behind instead? she is ready to smack his head just by that thought. she's not even convinced that he is still in the school area. maybe he went home or somewhere, unable to give her a ride, but forgot to let her know. he is not even answering his phone.
but no, he is not that kind of person who doesn't keep his words, or cancels his promise last minute unless it is sudden and urgent. he would tell her if something urgent happened, wouldn't want to make her wait any longer.
after all those thoughts she decided to wait a little longer, maybe fifteen more minutes. to say that she isn't worried is a lie. he didn't get kidnapped or get hit by a truck, did he?
maybe almost an hour has passed since seol got here and after the practice finished early. the backstage room where minkyu and seol at is getting a little dark, but not too dark to see that neither of them has the initiative to turn on the lights.
she doesn't feel that lonely thanks to minkyu who delayed his plan to go straight home after seeing seol came in, saying she is looking for minkyu's senior and also his new bandmate, jungmo.
she has told minkyu multiple times that it is okay to go ahead but he insisted to accompany her, she didn't hate it though. they end up having a conversation which they managed to keep it going, and not awkward even though they've been apart for years, not seeing each other and meeting like this, unexpectedly.
"are they treating you well?"
by they, seol means the band.
"they're really nice, i can see why you're close with them.."
seol's mouth curved into a subtle smile. she feels weirdly warm and contented to know that minkyu finally gets to do what he has wanted to do since he was in middle school.
she casts her mind back to little minkyu in the springtime of his life — declaring his love and dream to play the drums on a stage — being watched by a sea of people. he said those, with his smiling eyes and fluttering pretty eyelashes while holding those imaginary drumsticks and playfully hitting the air with them.
his father taught him how to play, and he ended up loving the sound of drum bangs, resonating like echoes in a canyon.
"uncle kim must be proud that you finally play in a band."
seol never forgets minkyu's dad — who she calls uncle kim, treating her with full of care and affection like she is his own daughter. she treats him the same way, like he is her own parents who she loves dearly. if she could say, minkyu's dad has been around her more than her own parents since they are both busy with their things — when duty calls, they fly.
minkyu's breath hitched at that. he opened his mouth but in a second it was clamped shut without speaking. a second later he looks like he is debating whether he should speak up or not.
seol couldn't help but sense the uneasiness minkyu is feeling.
"minkyu?"
seol leans in to take a closer look at the younger guy. she sees minkyu appear to keep staring at the wall behind her like it is the most interesting object in the world, not saying anything. so she waves her right hand in front of minkyu's zoned out face, bringing him back to his sense.
