back to you || yeonbin

1

Yeonjun woke up to the sound of his blaring ringtone that morning. Hung-over. A little over the tip. He had consumed a considerable amount of alcohol the previous day and owing to his minimal alcohol tolerance, he had passed out on the couch. Yesterday was April 17.

Normal day for mostly everyone else in the world, but a rather black day for Yeonjun. It was the one day he dwelled back into his past. Back to Korea. Back to him.

It had been nearly 6 years. Or was it 7? Yeonjun doesn't know. Doesn't seem to care. All he remembers is a conversation with him.

"Will you come back, hyung?"

"Yes, Soobinnie."

"Why can't you stay..."

Yeonjun doesn't remember what answer he had given the younger for his last question. Safe to say he was afraid. He was afraid of the people around him. He was afraid of himself. He was afraid for his dearest. He never wanted to lose him. He did what he thought was best for him. Best for them both.

But the pain that came after that decision was unbearable for him. It was almost burning him alive. Not a day passes by that he didn't wish he was back with him. But Yeonjun knows he shouldn't think that way.

A quick sideways glance had him looking at the fragment of paper he scribbled on yesterday. With his shaky hands and an aching heart, he took the paper and dragged himself to the bedroom. He opened the little cardboard box, under his bed.

Letters. A hundred. A thousand. Letters for his beloved.

Everyday he wrote letters. Letters addressed to his Soobin. All of them written hoping that he will not forget whatever happened all these years. So that when he was finally ready to meet him again, he would talk to him. Countless hours. If he forgot something he would look up the letters.

But then again Yeonjun falters. He somehow feels he is too late. Soobin had moved on, he thought. He feels there is no point in looking back. No point in waiting. It was all his fault. He was the one who pushed him away. He was the one who made the dreadful decision of leaving for America. He was the one who the younger a false promise of return.

In the end, Yeonjun feels like he deserves the angst. The despair.

Yeonjun let go of his train of thought and scurried back to the kitchen. He deliberately needed a coffee.

He had missed the morning jogs at the park. Jennie would be mad as a wet hen.

And by the time he started thinking of the torture he would receive from her, the doorbell rang.

Jennie Kim, former member of renowned Kpop group Blackpink had been a very sweet lady, for obvious reasons. A fan favorite with immense talent, a beast on stage and a cute lil' bean off stage.

Disbandment had Jennie fly right back to the States, with a lighter heart and heavier luggage. Oh and she definitely missed America. Her contract had expired and she didn't think twice about throwing all away and escaping the clutches of a greedy money making company that overly exploited her ever since teenage years. Her best achievement so far, she says.

She was incredibly happy here, with modeling endorsements, a fashion vlog and a makeup tutorial channel. She met Yeonjun three years before in the states and they immediately became best buddies. How, both couldn't remember, though she vaguely recalls him spilling bubble tea all over her Gucci crop top.

So they eventually became siblings of sorts.

And that was when poor Yeonjun got to realize that Jennie can be a beast off stage as well if provoked.

She would murder-glare at him if he didn't dine properly. Her cooking was fine, let's say, but her salads were, well one could say, not up to the mark, no offense. A minor negative opinion from him, that her Caesar salad was a bit lacking, had her throwing the fry pan at him. Yeonjun did not die that day. He only had a minor concussion.

Morning jogs at the Hellyer County park was actually his idea. Staying fit and all that jig. Jennie was definitely up for it, her being a sort of fitness guru.

Over time, poor Yeonjun had enough of the runs.2 rounds halfway through the park, the younger was out of breath, ready to book a trip for his grave, while Jennie was still up and running, looking as if she could muster up the stamina to do a Boombayah dance practice at 2x speed.

She was standing at the door. Holding a walking cane.

A walking cane.

"What's that for?" pondered Yeonjun, eyeing the cane as if it was the final thing he was going to see before he dies.

She took the cane in her other hand, running her manicured fingers over it.

" I found it at the park. Some poor guy might have left it. It seemed... useful for me."

Yeonjun gulped.

The beating didn't turn out to be as bad as Yeonjun expected. But it was painful.

"So..., why were you not at the park?'', she asked at last, when he placed the coffee by her side.

"I was drunk. Yesterday was not that level for me. April 17."

Jennie stopped drinking her coffee, and looked over to the younger. She knew what was wrong, Yeonjun had told her, a couple of times. She knew she couldn't do anything to comfort him; over time she thought Yeonjun would be able to manage but sometimes his walls broke down. She could only hold him close and hope that the latter would calm down. If she could have had the chance to bring his significant other from Korea, she would have done it. Anything for her favorite dongsaeng. But she can't go back, that's where her demons lie as well.

In the end all she could do was hold him close and hope that Yeonjun would not fall down. At least not after all these years.