dandelion ➳ 박성훈

𝐒𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐄𝐍: dreadful night

chapter seventeen

꒰☁️꒱

"sunghoon, stob it!" haneul whined with the boy extending his hand to take one more chip from her own bowl, as she hugged it and dragged it away from him. the three boys that were seated across them witnessed the interaction with mixed emotions.

"just take mine and let her enjoy." a ranged jungwon threw him the sealed bag of chips he hadn't even bothered to open, standing up as he flew up the staircase and entered the bathroom, the door slamming as the squad of youngsters exchanged glances.

haneul gave sunghoon a look of pure curiosity, the boy nodding as she ran out of the room and lead herself to the second floor, quickly searching for the bathroom door as she heaved a sigh before knocking on it.

"wonie, are you busy?" she heard the footsteps of his approaching as the clicking sound of the door unlocking made her take a few steps back. "hey, are you okay?"

the boy nodded, eyes glued on her shoes as he proceeded on walking away, yet her hands on his shoulders stopped him before he could take any further steps. "don't lie."

"I am not lying, you don't know what's going on in my own mind, so how are you so sure?" the words spilled out in a rush, making her crease her brows in the unfamiliarity of his character.

"well...I was just, guessing─I guess." she extended her hands and wrapped them around his waist, helping him lean his head on her shoulder in an attempt to comfort his troubled head and heart.

"wonie, don't fear opening up to me or to anyone else. even sunghoon." a clench of her hoodie ─ or better be put, sunghoon's hoodie ─ that her oh so oblivious self didn't even notice.

for she never truly did.

"I'm just in a bad mood-" "but you're always in that bad mood, from the very moment sunghoon appeared in our lives."

oh, how haneul had already sput out the three key words that could help her find an explanation to the whole situation, but little did she know. on the other hand, jungwon's insides were bowling, helping him reach the epitome of anger.

"let's cut that off. I need some rest, I'll be gone earlier." he said, looking at her straight in the eyes for the first time in a while. he could see the pain and sorrow dancing in those orbs he's grown to love for the past five years.

but his ego was stronger than any other feeling ruling on his system.

"oh─ okay, do as you please. rest well and, if anything needed, I'm always a window apart." she said and patted his shoulder before going down the stairs, as the boy followed closely.

"is everything okay?" sunghoon asked, haneul nodding as she pointed at the boy staggering towards the door. "he's just having a very bad stomach ache and will call it a day."

jungwon nodded, waving at the rest of the group before opening the door and stepping outside, feeling the april air dwelling with his hair. haneul flew him a kiss before waving him off.

"bye." he simply smiled, taking that one action as another love trap that would give him more false hopes, yet he was brought back to reality by the fact that haneul was taken.

"hey love, you're home earlier than expected." his mom said before she skipped her way to him and hugged her son tightly. "you seem tired, why is that so? did you guys go hiking or what?"

she chuckled in an attempt to lighten the mood, as the boy vaguely smiled before shaking his head. "nope, but I am in terrible need of that rest so I'll be gone for an hour to take a nap."

he hopped up the stairs as he opened the door to his room and entered the dull place he's been resting in for the past five years. but it didn't matter to him, for he had the best of view every day and night.

he threw his backpack on the feet of his bed and plopped himself on the soft mattress, listening to the birds chirping and the laughs of the kids next house enjoying their time.

he smiled upon hearing haneul's most distinctive laugh, one that was so loud yet filled with sincere happiness. it's one of the many things jungwon had fallen for since he first met her.

"damn." he mumbled, letting his eyes shut close as he was welcomed into a dreamland taylor─made for him and the girl. wherein no sunghoon was to appear, and jungwon had gathered all his courage to confess.

maybe, if he was to confess now, it'd take that feeling off his chest and let him lead a normal life, eventually the feelings for her would fade away and be replaced by true love.

but jungwon was stubborn and much egoistic, let alone selfish. he wanted to get what he's been desiring, for her to be his without having to get over her, for she was his first love.

waking up, he was met with the dark sky and some light sipping through the open window, where the curtains were opened and helped him have a view of whatever was going on in the room across.

he slowly got up, sobering himself up from the two hour long nap, walking to the window and peeking outside. soon though, he started regretting the decision to even wake up.

sunghoon was leaning on the window sill, hands crossed over his chest and his back facing jungwon. haneul was slowly sneaking her hands around his waist, the smiley face of hers peeking through his shoulder and stinging his heart like millions of bloody thorns at the same time.

the girl supported her head on her boyfriend's shoulder, closing her eyes and feeling his own hands wrapping tightly around her very own waist, love radiating from his actions and sweet words slipping out of his lips.

"I love you."

jungwon was there to witness it. he doesn't know whether it was their first 'I love you' or not, but judging from haneul's reaction, it must have been one of a confession she didn't expect.

"I love you too hoon." she whispered with her words muffled by his t─shirt, sunghoon's chuckles echoing through the silent night and hurting jungwon even more.

at this point, jungwon himself felt as if some invisible force was dragging him back, wanting him to leave the place and the couple at peace, him resisting with all his might.

his heart was being hammered in a repetitive way, tears almost spilling out as he held them back with all the strength his weak self could give him, but he was so tired and worn out, that the salty water flowed down his rosy cheeks and formed glittery paths that shone under the moonlight.

haneul opened her eyes, only to be met with the rather familiar figure of jungwon, a hand reaching up to his eyes and wiping off something shiny and extra familiar to her, for she had shed many tears in her life and knew how they created that fairy─like, yet painful, image on someone.

she said nothing, just plainly observed his clumsy actions as he smiled at her, one she had missed seeing on his face, bringing back warmth in her already warmed up heart, to the point it felt overwhelming for her.

oh, if only she knew, this was the last genuine smile that'd brighten up his face.