Coffee II Jaehyun Fanfiction II

chapter 23: the man

my life continued as per normal after clearing my old stuff - i didn't let it bother me - and my mother and joy came back home. i inquired about grandma's health and she said she was doing alright and the doctor even mentioned that grandma will now be able to live longer now that they visited her. my mother also slapped my arm, reprimanding me for not even visiting her for a short while and instead of talking back, i hugged her as i grinned wildly. i had missed her nagging while she was away and i apologised for not going.

joy was as happy as she left and she even shared about how she likes a cute guy at work and that they flirted for a while. she also mentioned that she took a few days off to come here and that she would have to return when the emergency leave was over. it was sad to break apart as soon as we met but we promised to spend every second we are free together. 

however, even though i said that, here i am strolling in the park on my own. i suddenly felt the need to be alone so i excused myself from the card game, my mother, joy and i were playing, to get some air. my cardigan was blown by the wind and i pulled them together while rubbing my arms to generate some heat to keep myself warm.

many thoughts passed through my mind at the moment and i was overwhelmed to be honest. it was very abrupt and strange that i desired some 'me' time when i had so much of that when joy and mom were away. i inhaled the cold fresh air slowly as my hair caressed my face gently. i brought up my hand to put my hair behind my hair only for it to become messy again. 

i don't know how long i had walked for but my legs started to feel jelly and my eyes quickly scanned the place to find a bench. a-ha! found it. before i knew it, my feet was already moving and i had already sat down on the bench. there was no one in the park except for some old couples enjoying each other's companies in the dark cold night and me. my arms folded across my chest as i leaned back on the bench, making a creaking sound. must be a very old one. 

there was no one sitting beside me but i felt accompanied by someone. after he left, even with all the people around me, i felt lonely like no one was there for me. even though my mom, joy, jimin, jackson, jinyoung were there. the impact he had on me was enormous. i cried everyday and everyone tried to comfort me. no one could comfort me and i had to make the big decision to forget him on my own. but now, i felt everything coming back to normal. i felt like i was a 15-year-old middle school student again. i felt..

happy.

i lifted my hands towards the sky and formed a diamond shape with it, mimicking the twinkling stars. i whispered under my breath, "do you think he's back?" to the stars as if they could hear me and reply.

"who's back?" someone asked, making me flinch and my head turned towards him. the man was wearing a black bucket hat but i could see the smile he was wearing. my hands dropped back to my lap and the man sat down beside me. he faced the front as he sat up straight. breaking the silence, "who are you? do i know you?" i managed to mutter, with my heart racing and my mind wondering as to what he was going to do to me. he chuckled, but kept his silence later on. 

i continued staring at his side profile and he looked familiar to me. just then, i realised something. i was supposed to be walking away but for some reason, my legs stayed still, almost as if it was glued to the ground. my gaze fell on him once more as he spoke in a raspy voice with lost eyes, "i once loved a woman. a lot. we were of different races but we fell in love with each other and got married. just when i thought i couldn't love someone else more than my wife, we had a child. i loved my beautiful, lovely daughter more than anyone else, even more than my wife. she was the apple of my eye. her cheeks flushed pink, her hazel eyes, her smile that melts me everytime. its still vivid in my memory."

"then, why are you here? aren't you supposed to be with your family that you claim you love so much?" i asked, also curious why he was telling me his life story but i saved it for later. he looked back at me for the first time during our conversation and answered, "i had to leave my family for reasons. i needed to protect them. i had no other choice." he looked away and then removed his hat. his black-and-white hair was shown. his eyes were sunken and he had dark eye circles. i could tell he was not sleeping well. 

"what causes?" i questioned. he opened his mouth but i stopped him by continuing. 

"what kind of causes would make you think you can go away and leave your beloved family just so you could protect them? do you really think that was the only choice? did it ever cross your mind that they have missed you and waited for you to come back to this very day and very second? you think that you leaving them can protect them, but it probably caused them more hurt that you left them and they would never think that it was for their own safety. if you stayed with them through those troubles and hassles, they would have felt more safe than ever and would have been happier when you have overcome them. together." his eyes softened and his head lowered as he realised what kind of a stupid mistake he has made. 

i shook my head as i scoffed. "i do not know why i got angry at your life story, it probably triggered something that happened in the past. i apologise if i have offended you in any way but i would like you to rethink your decision and do something to get back with your family. they are waiting for you," i told him reassuringly. when he didn't reply, i understood he wanted to be alone so i left without another word. 

narrator's pov

his stare still on irene as her figure disappeared into the far distance, his eyes welled up and tears started falling down like a waterfall even before he could stop them. he placed his hand in his pocket to take out a handkerchief. his thumb traced over the hand-sewn words on the handkerchief that read, "bae joon hyung". a tear dropped on the soft fabric and a wet spot appeared. he lifted his head up and gazed into the night sky. he scoffed when the thought that even the sky seemed to be disappointed in him passed his mind.

"i should-i should've stayed," he spoke in regret.

"i'm sorry.. my daughter, bae joohyun" he closed his eyes when the tears threatened to fall again. 

"will i be too late if i were to go back?" he thought and silently wished it still wasn't late, hoping the god could hear his internal wails.

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aloha everyone! i hope y'all liked the chapter. it's the 23rd chapter but the story has just begun so keep looking forward to the next chapters. and guess who the man in the bucket hat is in the comments below XD