Jaemin the Icy Prince on Campus - Na Jaemin NCT

30. Turning into Dust

The beach was crowded with people, but we managed to find a little spot.

Junnie had booked it for us; there she was, waving happily at me.

She hugged me fiercely, protectively. "Sweetie", was all she said.

She had texted me earlier.

I heard about Jaemin's engagement. What the heck is going on?

It's between his family and hers. A family arrangement.

Shit.

Yeah.

So you guys broke up?

Yeah.

You okay?

I guess.

Where are you?

Out, with Leean.

Leean?

Yeah, you know, the guy from high school.

Oh, Leean! The guy who liked you!

Yeah, turns out he's Jaemin's - her cousin.

Wow. Just, wow.

Yeah.

Are you doing anything after that?

Leean's bringing me to a beach party.

Beach party? The one everyone's talking about?

Yeah.

Okay. I'm going. I'll see you guys there.

Sure, okay. You coming with Jerry?

Jerry's visiting his grandma. I'm going on my own.

Okay. I'll see you there. Text me.

Sure.

Hey, Mina.

Yeah?

Hang in there, sweetie.

Okay.

I love you.

I love you too.

A cool breeze was blowing in from the ocean, but the fire warmed my shins. Bundled into my sweater, I watched Leean and Junnie drink beer from their cans.

Someone was strumming a guitar, and singing.

It was a beautiful night. The stars burnt my eyes.

It could be a scene from a movie. There would be two characters in this story. One was a girl. The other was the boy who stole her heart. Together, they would watch everything that was so carefully planned collapse, and they would smile bravely even though they were crying inside for each other, and at the beauty of destruction.

I dangled my heels on my fingertips by their straps, my bare feet as heavy as my heart, driving into the sand.

The wind howled, and the waves crashed, as the future I had thought was within my grasp slipped away like sand between my fingers, every second I sat there. Somebody threw a clump of charcoal into the bonfire, and it crackled, red and orange flames shooting high into the sky. Snowflakes of ash blew towards me; I was tempted to stretch out my tongue to catch them, taste them. Only, they would have scorched my lips. They would have cooked my mouth.

A beachball rolled to my feet. I set down my shoes to pick it up, catching sight of the ring, winking at me in the starlight. Once upon a time, a hundred years ago, he had put it there, vowing to love me forever. Then we had been young. Then we had been brave. Then we had been sure. We would love each other forever. We would be together forever.