SUNGHOON | Cloudburst ✓

thirty-four

( Refer to Chapter Six to refresh your understanding of the situation)

ꕥ

"Sunghoon sacrificed himself in exchange for good weather?!" Haneul and Mr. Park screeched simultaneously before stressfully pacing around the living room.

"When he came up, h-he prayed to be the only Weather Boy— or Sunshine Boy, as he called it. He prayed for that just so I could come back down, just so I could live again," Sunoo uttered sadly as tears streamed down his cheeks.

"And so this morning, I woke up in Jake's room with Sunghoon's necklace around my neck. I'm so sorry Haneul, I didn't mean to come back..." Sunoo apologised earnestly before covering his face in shame.

"It's not your fault," Haneul uttered monotonously. Despite her confusion and anger, she couldn't blame Sunoo; he had no control over Sunghoon's choices.

Pointing at Jake and Riki instead, Haneul scoffed in disbelief before pushing her hair back in frustration. "The both of you knew the outcome the more Sunghoon prayed and you didn't tell me?! You didn't even stop him?!" Haneul vented angrily.

"Peach cheeks, are you even listening to yourself? We knew and we tried, we freaking tried to stop him but he didn't listen!" Riki retorted back, now equally frustrated but was only held back by Jay.

"I found out from Riki, Hannie. I even confronted Sunghoon about it, but it seemed like he already knew the sacrifice he chose to make. It was his choice Hannie," Jake spoke softly before placing his hands on her shoulders.

"I don't care if it was his choice, Jake!" Haneul snapped unintentionally before pushing her brother away.

"I can't— none of us should accept this! One's life sacrificed just for everyone else to keep living? He deserves to live just as much as we do and Sunghoon, he's just started to figure his entire life out!" Haneul cried out before glancing at Park Dongchul with poignant eyes.

"He was finally going to stand up for himself. He was finally going to start living for himself, but he prayed for all of us— for me,"

You did it for me.

Crying into her hands after her meltdown, Haneul could only blame herself in the end. She should've known that it would lead to the point of losing a life, that Sunghoon would end up living on the clouds just for the sake of others.

If I knew, I would've stopped you. You wouldn't be up there, you wouldn't have sacrificed for yourself.

You should be here with me, you should be living life with me.

Sunghoon, you idiot.

"Haneul, please don't cry. There must be a way to bring him back, right Riki? Sunoo? There has to be," Jay said while wiping away Haneul's tears.

The shrine gate, the day I found Sunghoon on the rooftop praying. Haneul thought to herself before her eyes widened in realisation.

"But that would mean the weather will-"

"I know what it means, and frankly I don't care," Haneul spoke out before smiling gratefully at Jay. "I have to save him," Haneul uttered, sparking confusion in everyone except for Sunoo.

Grabbing her keys and helmet in a hurry, Haneul scrambled to put on her shoes while a commotion occured in the background. While everyone worried for her state of mind and impulsive decisions, Sunoo silently cheered for the girl he just met.

"Haneul, where the Hell are you going?!"

"I'm gonna save my Sunshine Boy,"

"The showcase is in 2 hours!"

"There's other showcases Jakey,"

"Haneul, get a hold of yourself please! You're worrying us,"

"I'm always worrying you Jongseong,"

"Sweetheart, please calm down,"

"I love you parents~"

Standing up from her crouched position, Haneul exhaled a sharp breath before facing her family and friends. With determination running through her veins, Haneul looked at them boldly with her puffy eyes and flushed cheeks.

Without another word, Haneul sprinted out of her house and down the flight of stairs with only one goal in mind: to pass through the shrine gate and bring Sunghoon back.

That morning, she drove through Tokyo's bustling roads that basked in the sunshine's radiance and towards the abandoned building where the shrine gate was located at.

While driving towards her destination, Haneul finally had an epiphany on how she lived her life; how she constantly worried about the future and took everything to heart. How she desperately tried to control things beyond her abilities and the time taken trying to do so.

How she belittled her own appearance and personality. Most especially, how she let others trample all over her despite her many achievements.

She never realised how grey and hectic her life had become until she met Sunghoon, whose presence alone pushed her to show him that was life was worth a living. It was pure irony that made her realise how she wasn't living an honest and carefree life.

Yet it was him, who made her learn how to live and love.