School Grounds

51: ???

Sanghyuk is in tears, locked inside his bedroom. It's been a month ever since he set foot outside of his room. Too weak to even try and too defeated to even think of it. He's already numb from how he's been crying for awhile, he has no idea of what day or time it is already. He's still stuck on the painful yesterday that seemed like it was cut straight out of a movie plot and was forcefully inputted into his life story.

"You know that It will never happen right? Please clear your mind."

He still remembers the time where Wonyoung told him that promise. Every bit of that memory hurts, from her glistering eyes, to her plump lips and flawless face. The person whom he thought would keep the promise that she lets go.

"Why?"

He thought.

"What did I do? What did I lack off for you to do that?"

He asked himself.

He saw his reflection on the black screen of his laptop.

Flashbacks

Sanghyuk filed an indefinite absence directly to his Dean after a week of not going to his classes. He left the school premises after a week, he told his elder sister Hyewon about his situation. She was disappointed, to everyone involved and to herself as well. As his older sister, she wasn't able to know the real faces behind her younger brother's friends.

He told her to ignore everyone who wants to contact him through her. He deactivated his social media, completely blocking himself off from everyone who knew him. He changed his phone number as he thinks that the only thing he needs is his family which is definitely true.

On the second week, he discarded everything that reminds him of his friends, specially Wonyoung. He loves her so much but he's not foolish enough to keep the things that would keep him from remembering everything they did.

"Are you fine?"

Hyewon asked Sanghyuk, as she saw him burning the developed photos that Sanghyuk had with his friends.

He didn't answer, he looked too calm to be someone who got betrayed and had his heart broken. Hyewon wanted to talk to him but he's closed off right now. Not available for any conversation even from their parents. It was their first time seeing him like this and they don't have any answer from this.

On the third week, Sanghyuk has started feeling the aftermath of having his heart being played with. Whenever he plays the piano for fun, he's hands plays a sad song which only adds fuel to the fire. He does not know why he's doing this but he cannot stop either.

He sometimes wakes up to dreams of that particular situation where he the whole truth slapped him. This would lead to him starting at something for hours even flinching while crying as if he's slowly draining his body's water reservoir.

He heard a knock from his door.

"Sanghyuk. It's me, Hyewon. Can you please eat breakfast? If you're still not ready to talk about it, I understand."

Hyewon said.

"But please don't make yourself a mess just because of that. I know that you're hurt but it doesn't mean that your life ends after that."

"At least eat the meals that are cooked by mom. Please."

Hyewon sighed heavily.

Moved from his sister's pleading, he knew he can't do this forever. He opened the door and took the food then closed it right away after.

This continued up until recently, after a month of isolating himself from the outside world. He finally went out from his room, Hyewon was the first one to see him.

"Sanghyuk!"

She was really happy, happy to see his brother with a much brighter aura than the past month.

"I'm sorry for making you worry noona."

He said as Hyewon hugged him tightly.

"Yeah, don't do it again."

She hit him but then she hugged him tightly right after.

Both their parents, were out for a moment going for their work. Hyewon also filed a leave to take care of him. He feel sorry for what he did, realizing it now, he thought of what he did for the past month was giving burden to everyone in their household.

"Hey, I know that face. Don't even think about you being a burden. Everything else is secondary to you, you're the most important person to me and also mom and dad."

Hyewon told him.

"Noona, this is why you can't get any boyfriend."

Sanghyuk joked.

"Hey!!"

Hyewon punched his shoulder.

Sanghyul chuckled.

"I guess you're finally okay now because you can joke around."

Hyewon said.

"I'll cook breakfast for you, wait there."

Hyewon went to the kitchen to cook him breakfast. Sanghyuk went to their terrace, he breathed in heavily being his first time to finally have one without thinking of other things.

"There's no need to be attached for so long because it was already done."

"It was unfortunate because I already planned ahead with her in every possible achievement that I could get."

"I really loved her, but I guess genuine and true love from me eventually led her to being bored."

"I hate her, but I'm still thankful for making me experience a lot of things that I wanted during my high school years and even in university. Even if it was only short lived, I'll be happy to relieve those days just to feel what I felt back then."

He was closing his eyes, feeling the sunlight that was hitting him from outside.

" Sanghyuk! I'm done cooking. "

Hyewon called.

" Coming! "

Sanghyuk opened his eyes and went back inside to eat the breakfast that his older sister prepared for him.

One month might have been short for others but it was a long battle for Sanghyuk. He was lost and confused, wanting to find out the reason of the betrayal and heartbreak that he experienced. While on the verge of commiting something he might have regretted for eternity, the thought of his family brought him back to his senses. He slowly regained his confidence, mental capacity and changed his mindset and maybe changed something inside him that was deeply hurt by the trauma he experienced.