𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗴, han seojun

˗ˋ 72

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━━━  " 📂 " ‍..⃗. ༉

𝙍 𝙊 𝙈 𝘼 𝙉 𝘾 𝙄 𝙉 𝙂

! chapter seventy-two ─── ʚĭɞ

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Silence echoed around them, if they listened closely they could hear Mr Han and the Dean saying something,, or the shouts of the other students.

But for now, all Seojun could focus on was the tiny sniffles that came from the girl sat by his side, avoiding his gaze as if her life depending on it.

Wet patches had appeared on the ends of her sleeves, dark splotches on her jeans where the tears had fallen. She had told him everything, even if she had cried her way through it.

Seojun knew that had couldn't process it properly at that moment, could only take it in a let it sit in his mind until he was alone. But for now, Miyeon would be his focus.

"Hey, hey, hey." He began, gently moving the girl around to face him. Reaching out, he placed a hand on her cheek, thumb beginning to wipe away the tears there, and she slowly looked up. "It's okay, Miyeon."

He went to move his other hand, but faltered when he saw the obvious flinch that shook her body when it came close to her cheek. "I'm not your mother." He reassured her, horrified that the idea of Kwon Yujin hitting her was the first thing the Hwang girl had thought of.

His hand hovering just by her cheek, gently moving it until he made contact with her skin. "There you go." He smiled, thumbs brushing away tears, her eyelashes fluttering slightly as he followed the dip under her eye, ever so gently.

If Miyeon hadn't been so preoccupied, perhaps those feelings that she had forced herself to swallow would have resurfaced rather quickly.

Great, halting breaths shuddered through her, and it seemed for a moment, the storm was calming. But when Seojun felt a tear drop against the tip of his thumb, he knew it wasn't.

Quickly, he moved his hands away from her face, reaching down and taking a wrist, gently pressing his thumb down, the normal calm beating turned erratic with emotion. "Miyeon, please listen to me." He began, interlocking their fingers, gently tugging on her hands.

She looked up, sniffling, eyes blurred with tears. "Hey, Miyeon." A soft smile was offered, Seojun having dealt with upsets before, but seemingly none like this.

"I'm sorry." She gasped. "I'm so so sorry Seojun, I don't know.. I'm.." She kept cutting herself off, words tumbling out of her lips without any thought. "I'm so sorry."

"Hwang Miyeon." The harshness of his tone seemed to shock her out of it, and she nodded hurriedly. "Don't be silly. You have nothing to apologise for."

"Deep breaths, remember? Let's count okay? It's easy." And slowly, he began to count, tracing the faint scars that crossed the skin of her wrists. "In and out.. there you go. That's ten." Miyeon was somewhat calmer, pulled away from it. "Now, let's go wipe the rest of those tears."

Pulling his leather jacket off, Seojun tugged the material off his shirt over his hand, gently patting Miyeon's cheeks. "Your face is going to be all puffy." He commented, rather proud of himself when he got a laugh out of her. It was quiet, and absolutely minuscule, but it was there.

"Idiot." She muttered, clearing her throat, raising her own hands and pulling his away, replacing them as she wiped away her tears. "Thank you."

"No problem." Seojun replied, watching her for just a moment more before looking away, eyes drifting over the camping site. "Thank you for telling me."

"I'm sorry." She repeated her words form before. "I'm sorry I didn't just tell you.. I just couldn't find the words before and so much was happening all at once and-"

"No, I should be the one apologising." The words made Miyeon look up, confused. "Don't be silly, you don't need to, I know it wasn't your fault.. I think I always have but I just.. it's awful - I've been awful."

"I don't blame you. You were hurting and he had died and he shouldn't have and you needed somewhere to direct that." Miyeon said carefully, trying not to say anything that was too much, in a sense. "Does that mean you don't hate me?" The Hwang girl asked, voice small.

"I don't think I ever have." Seojun admitted with a scoff. "Somewhere along the way I realised that youre just my friend - and you're annoying and I cant get rid of you even if I try."

"I don't mind that description." Miyeon had quite the expression on her face when Seojun looked up at her, the girl definitely holding back remarks.

"You're pretty hard to shake off, Hwang Miyeon. I've never seen someone so determined to talk to someone who accuses them of things like I did, or tells them that he hates them." Seojun shook his head, in somewhat disbelief.

"Perhaps I just knew you too well. You care too much to hate people. I forgot that when I went to New York. But you don't hate people - the ones you used to care about, even if you think you don't." Miyeon's words were filled with hidden knowledge, something she would only know because of how close they once were.

And perhaps, they could return there now.