ONEIRIC. enhypen

yang jungwon • the sun sets

“My friends planned out a party for my birthday today."

You hummed, leaning on Jungwon's side as he picked green leaves from the ground with his fingers, tugging some of them from the roots to loosen up their hold only to throw them away after.

You looked up to him, watching as the sunset reflect in his brown eyes, coating his orbs with just a tiny amount of the same colors reflecting from the sky.

"How was it?" You asked.

Jungwon breathed out, pursing his lips. "It was very fun you know?" He looked to his side, a smile gracing his lips as he spoke.

"They had this big ass banner with our photo and it says 'Happy Birthday Wonnie'. They also got me a five layer cake for some reason." His brows lightly knitted, a sigh of breath coming past his lips as he thought of the atrocious banner that greeted his eyes first thing's first upon entering the living room of his house.

"They also got me all sorts of pastries and desserts." He added, chuckling. "I think Sunoo hyung might have consumed too much since he was so hyped up before I left the house you know?"

The last sentence pulled a laughter out of you, your chest reverberating with the sound as you imagined Sunoo being more playful and active more than he already is. Ah, such a sight it probably was.

Jungwon turned silent all of a sudden, a somber expression filling his once youthful and joyful one.

And your heart clenched at the sight.

No, no no.

He wasn't supposed to be sad. It was his birthday after all.

The glistening tears that rapidly coated his eyes made your breath hitch from your chest, the painful tug of it accompanying the sensation that you never once wanted to feelㅡor to make him feel.

"I just wished you were there with me you know?" His voice cracked, a tear falling down the soft skin of his cheeks, leaving a trail in its wake, a reminder of his pain.

It betrayed the mask he was trying to cover up, to not show his fragile and sensitive side even in front of your gravestone.

He was supposed to come here, tell you how his day went. How his first birthday that you missed went. He wasn't supposed to come here just to cry his eyes out.

However, the pain that lingered in his heart and mind, the one that has been there ever since your passing was a hard one to tame. So heavy and remorseless as it ate him up whole, seemingly unbothered to bite him where he's hurt the most.

"I really, really wished that what happened months ago was just a dream," he sniffed. "That you weren't gone and that you were still alive and well and breathing. But then when I woke up today, celebrated my birthday with my friendsㅡour friends, I was just reminded of the truth that you weren't here anymore. And that hurt a tad lot than I expected it to."

The faint silhouette of your fingers traced his jaw, running their pads over the skin of his cheeks were his tears were now freely running down as he spoke.

They left a light feeling in your fingers, but cold against Jungwon's skin.

It just wasn't the same anymore.

"I'm sorry." You laid your forehead against his, muttering the only two words that you could speak of that very moment. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry..."

A breeze of air passed by the brunette male, the gentle touch of cold air nipping at his skin, closer to his face as he closed his eyes to savor the feeling, the mere reminder that you were there in that moment with him, although not physically existing, wrapped in the warmth of his arms, Jungwon just knew you were there, looking out for him just as you had promised months before as you laid on your hospital bed.

It was bittersweet but he savored that moment with you, beside your gravestone on top of your favorite mountain hill, watching the sun set in the distance just like the old times when you were still alive and well with him.