And she was gone by morning || J. Heejin

[19: The Last Train on the Railroad]

Time flew by like a flower in the wind, and before you knew it, you found yourself standing in front of the railroad with Yunho next to his car. When you saw him, you didn't make any remark about his racing skills. You weren't going to practice today.

Yunho was leaving.

"I think America's gonna be great for you," you told him. "All the amazing opportunities you'll get there, the people... I bet you'll forget me the moment you step off the plane."

"I couldn't, though? No matter how hard I try, you'd live in my head rent-free."

Yunho was always a charmer. Even at this moment, when you would be seeing him for the last time, he always found a way to make you smile. He was your rock, the person who was always there to make you laugh during dark days. Who was the one who comforted you during your first rejection? Who was by your side when every single one of your friends went off to college? Who held you close when you held the guilt of breaking someone's heart?

All of it was Yunho. He was your best friend.

You tried to hold back her tears when you saw Yunho smile at you, brushing a strand of hair behind your ear.

"Don't say that. You'll make me miss you even more," you said.

Yunho chuckled. You turned away, crossing your arms and leaning against the hood of the car while Yunho sat next to you and looked up at the sky. The sunset was bright orange, beautiful, but it would be soon reduced to black darkness.

"You can miss me as much as you want," Yunho said. "We could go back to each other. We always do."

"Yeah, we do."

Then he turned to you.

"So, you won't find anybody to replace me while I'm gone?"

"Are you saying I can't get any more friends?"

You knew Yunho wasn't being possessive. He hardly was, but he played jokes most of the time. You knew he was just being his regular, old, teasing self.

"You can get new friends, maybe a boyfriend or a girlfriend. None of them are gonna be like us, though. Romance is way different compared to friendship."

You couldn't believe him. This was far too deep than what he normally says. He was cocky, sure, but he was a lovable dork. Him talking like this sounds like he grew up. It was bittersweet for you to realize that Yunho had matured into the man he was today.

What he said was what motivated him to say goodbye to you in the first place. He knew he was hopeless; he knew he was just a spectator in your love life, and he accepted it. All he wanted was to be reassured that you wouldn't get hurt when he's gone. He'll always be there, regardless.

The thought of him going away would devastate you. Normally, vacations wouldn't last as long as a lifetime, but in this case, they did. Yunho would go to college in America until he decides to come back for a job. So many things could happen within those years. That unknown timeline scared you to death, but you knew Yunho would handle himself well.

"I wish I could go away with you, you know? Away from this dumb town for once, maybe I could be happy abroad," you thought out loud.

"Really? You could be happy here, then we could meet in the future."

You sighed.

"I don't wanna wait for that long."

Yunho was so used to you being the "mature" one. Right now, you were acting your age. Immature, lost, and with a naïve sense of freedom you thought you could attain by leaving your home country. Yunho, a year older, knew better.