Everyone Is Obsessed With Me!

Chapter 44

"Joonie, I'm heading off to the store! I'll probably be back by 3 o'clock!" His appa said from the door. Ye Joon replied with a simple nod and returned his attention to the television.

Although the television is old (almost as old as him), it's still in good condition so they still use it. Maybe when he earns some good money he can buy a better tv for his father. Or a better house.

Ye Joon sighed lightly to himself. Yeah right. How is he supposed to make money when he can't even keep a side job properly? Maybe he should be a stripper instead. He heard that it pays a lot to be a stripper... And if he doesn't qualify to be a stripper, then he'll just be a host. It doesn't matter what job he takes in the future. He just wants money.

"On today's news, there seems to be a car accident on street 146."

Street 146? That sounds familiar.

"Spectators say that the car seemed to go out of control before hitting a speed bump and collapsing over a whole bunch of pedestrians."

When the newswoman finished talking, footage of the car accident was on full display. The car was on fire and looked to be upside down. There were people screaming and taking pictures of the accident while a guy with a microphone stood only a couple of feet away. There was blood pooling below the car and if you squint close enough you could see a person's arm reaching out from beneath.

Ye Joon got up from his slouching position to look at the television closer. When the man was speaking, the camera panned over to the left to show the all-too-familiar grocery store.

Ye Joon instantly felt his skin crawl and a sense of panic plaguing his entire body. Didn't...Didn't his appa say...

Almost instantaneously, he got up from his seat and ran out the door. His body screamed for him to run and never stop. He felt the piercing pain of anxiousness and paranoia plaguing his whole body. He was scared. Scared of his thoughts. Scared that those thoughts would come true.

As he ran through the alleyways and on the hard cement floor, people all turned to look at him with slight confusion in their eyes.

Of course, they would look confused. It's not every day you see a man in shorts running barefoot underneath the scorching hot sun.

But despite their confused stares, Ye Joon ignored it all and continued to run as fast as he could towards the store. Maybe everything is okay? Maybe he was just being too paranoid. Yeah. That's probably it. Everything is fine. Everything is OK.

"Appa...?" He spoke silently and walked slowly towards the crowd of people. He looked around the place to see if his father was nearby. The feeling of dread washed all over him when he couldn't find his father in the sea of people. Usually, it's easy to catch a glimpse of his father due to his skin tone.

"A-appa?" He whispered and made his way through the mass of people. Suddenly, a familiar-looking face peeked out from underneath the broken car. His eyes were closed and there were burn marks chipping away at his skin. Blood was seeping through the opened wounds and onto the floor like a waterfall. There were bones peeking through his twisted arms and if you squint hard enough, you could see his ribs protruding through his thin stomach.

"A...Appa..." His voice was as feeble as a mouse. He was too shocked and heartbroken to utter a single word. No...that can't be... Why? Why is his father here? How did this happen?

Ye Joon ignored the crowd who was taking pictures and dug his fingers through the burnt car parts. He ignored the heat that was slowly burning his skin and clothes. He ignored the pain that was coursing through his body like a stream of red blood. His appa probably felt even worst. He needs to be there for his appa.

All he wants is his appa. All he needs is his appa.

"Appa? Appa, it's Joonie... Joonie is here right now... so please get up. Joonie will be good. Joonie will be a good boy so please get up..." The more he talked, the more tears welled up in his eyes. No matter how hard he begged and hoped, he knew that it would be hopeless.

No. His appa is just asleep. His appa is strong and smart. He will get up. His appa won't leave him. He... won't...

Before he could finish his thoughts, he broke down. For the first time in his life, he cried. He cried and cursed the cruel Gods from above. He cried and wished that it was not his father but someone else. He knows it's selfish to wish for someone else's dismissal, but he doesn't care. He could no longer find it in himself to care anymore. Anyone but his father. Anyone...

As he was being pulled away by authorities, his mind went fuzzy and everything was a blur. He couldn't remember anything after that. All he could remember was a pair of warm arms wrapped around him.

After that, he watched as his beloved father lay peacefully in a pretty white casket. No one was there to watch him get buried. No one but him. Maybe it's for the best? Maybe this was God's way of apologizing for all the pain he caused his appa to go through. He will be happier in heaven than down here. He will...he will finally live a happy life... far far away from him.

"Appa...Are you happy now? Cause if you're happy, then I'm happy too..." His lips wobbled as he spoke to the lonesome grave. The tombstone stood tall and proud, it was as if it was making fun of him.

He placed the banquet of white lilies on the ground beside the incense burner and mooncakes. He bent down and kissed the tombstone lightly before leaving. He'll wait for the day he gets to meet his appa again. He'll sit by and wait until it's his time to go. Until its his time to finally fall back into his father's loving arms. 

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I kind a rushed through the backstory because I wanted to get back to the original plot. Man. I can't wait to write the next couple of chapters :) Its going be so fun.