estrange ✶ huening kai

sixteen.

i'm sorry for giving up so soon.

closing her eyes, sora prepared herself to fall. it was odd, though.

she wasn't falling.

it was as if, suddenly, she was brought back to reality when she felt arms quickly wrap around her waist.

gasping for breath, taehyun began to pull sora back up over the railing, thanking the spirits that he had done longer workout sessions at the gym. finally he got her over, though it took a lot of strength since she was practically all the way over the hand rail.

both taehyun and sora fell down on the sidewalk, taehyun's arms tightly around sora, as if she would disappear if he were to let her go for even a second. after regaining his breath, he noticed that sora had begun crying.

"i'm so sorry," she sobbed, her words almost unintelligible through her cries.

holding her closer, taehyun felt his heart physically hurt for her. "it's okay, sora. i'm here for you, okay? no matter what. and i'm sorry that i didn't notice you were feeling this way sooner. i'll try my best to be here faster."

though it didn't exactly stop her tears, his words gave sora a sense of comfort. and in that moment, that was all she needed.

-

after ten minutes of sitting like that, taehyun suggested that he walk sora home. but of course he felt the need to buy her some food to replenish her energy; what she had gone through definitely took everything out of her.

walking out of the corner store, taehyun held up a small bottle of banana milk and a samgak gimbap, his signature grin on his face. handing it to her, sora thanked him quietly, though she was grateful beyond words.

"it's got spinach filling, your favorite."

biting into it, sora rose an eyebrow at him, "how'd you know it's my favorite?"

putting her straw into the banana milk, he held it out to her with a now teasing smile, "you dare underestimate me?"

"well," she paused, taking the time to swallow her bite, "i just didn't think anyone paid that much attention to me."

taehyun felt his smile fall. he felt like sora didn't think as highly of herself as she should, as, in his eyes, she was one of the best people he had ever met. clasping his hands together, he turned to her again, "well, now you know."

then it was silent again. sora ate her gimbap and drank her banana milk as taehyun snuck glances at her every now and then, just to make sure she was still there.

about twenty more minutes had gone by, and taehyun and sora had now reached her home. swallowing any pride she had left, sora looked up at the brunette boy in front of her.

"uh, taehyun-"

"don't worry. i won't tell anyone." when she breathed a sigh of relief, he held up a hand, "with one condition."

"what is it?" she held her breath again, though she knew taehyun would never make her do anything she was uncomfortable with.

"you have to come to me anytime you feel that way again."

sora nodded, but that didn't seem to satisfy him. holding up his hand, he poked his pinky out towards her.

"promise?"

giggling softly, sora wrapped her pinky around his own, "promise."