Hala Hala ||| Ateez

20

"Hongjoong? What's going on?"

The older turned around to see Mingi walking into the garage with a worried look on his face.

"I need you to stay here and watch over things." Hongjoong said, trying to catch his breath as he grabbed his keys and ran to his car. "San, stay here with them."

The younger ignored him and jumped in the car. Hongjoong didn't feel like arguing. He gave Mingi one last glance before pulling out of the garage, his tires screeching as he slammed on the gas pedal.

How could he be so oblivious? He had just been so busy getting the house set up and still trying to run the precinct... But that wasn't any excuse for forgetting today...

Although he had a horribly sinking suspicion that it might have slipped Yunho's mind too, and that's why he suddenly disappeared.

"Hongjoong, where did he go?" San asked, glancing over at him.

He just shook his head in response. If San didn't know, maybe Yunho didn't want him to know right now. He needed to focus on driving anyway.

Hongjoong wove in and out of traffic and took any shortcut that he knew. He didn't want Yunho to be alone for too long...

San sucked in a breath when he realized where they were going. "Hongjoong..." He whispered.

"You're the one who decided to come, so you don't get to say anything." The older snapped as he slammed on the breaks to park and jumped up of the car as fast as he could.

He could sense San following close behind him as he wove through the winding dirt paths, knowing exactly where he needed to go.

When he reached the last turn, he slowed to a stop, his heart breaking at the sight in front of him.

Yunho was on his knees, looking so small and broken with his head bowed and one hand on the top of his sister's grave.

.

.

.

.

He didn't know what to say. When he had arrived, the only thing he could do was fall to his knees and beg for forgiveness.

He had forgotten the anniversary of his sister's murder...

Yunho had promised her that he would come and visit her every year on this date, so that way there would be at least one day he would talk to her in person.

"I'm so sorry Yuri." He whispered, reaching out to run his fingers over her name. "Please forgive me." He choked, closing his eyes as the tears came. "I... I didn't meant to forget. I'm so sorry."

Yunho bent forward as the heartache took over.

It wasn't fair. She didn't deserve to die so young. He should have been there to protect her. He should have been there...

As the waves of regret came at full force, Yunho wrapped his arms around his stomach and doubled over and embraced the hole in his heart, feeling that he deserved it.

A familiar hand gently squeezed his shoulder and Yunho didn't need to look up to know who it was. He knew Hongjoong would find him once he realized what day it was too.

But that didn't stop him from wanting to just disappear and be alone... So he didn't acknowledge the older's presence. He just let the tears continue as images of his sister flashed in his mind.

Her laugh.

Her smile.

The way he used to look up to her, because she was the coolest big sister in the world.