𝐑𝐔𝐍 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐇𝐈𝐃𝐄 ▪︎ [𝘋𝘜𝘛𝘠 𝘈𝘍𝘛𝘌𝘙 𝘚𝘊𝘏𝘖𝘖𝘓]

ᴛʜɪʀᴛᴇᴇɴ

∞ 𝐑𝐔𝐍 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐇𝐈𝐃𝐄∞

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The monsters were lurking in the shadows, reaching for her. She kept on running, breathing heavily, not looking back for even a second, but she was starting to get tired, her feet were numb and her pace was getting slower and slower. She fell to her knees as tears slipped from her eyes and sobs filled the air. She gave up. And the shadows were right behind her, grasping her and pulling her inside, letting the monsters eat her soul.

That's the dream that didn't let Chae-Yeong sleep for the last days now. Every time she put her head on the pillow, she would wake up a few hours later, breathing heard and full of sweat. She didn't tell anyone about it, but there was no doubt the others didn't notice the purple bags under her eyes. But they asked no questions and Chun-Ho was no exception. They haven't spoken since the last fight, only the necessities. It was obvious to her that he was slowly letting go and she felt like crap because of that. Where was this going? She really hoped the answer was something else than 'nowhere'.

Soon, the day when Chun-Ho would leave for the kids came. Chae-Yeong didn't know what to do, and it was killing her inside. She didn't want to let him go alone, but she's built a new life here and she was not sure if there would be one if she would go with him. She wanted that, she wanted a life with him, she wanted everything with him, but now, she didn't know what she wanted. She wanted to know what she wanted. And now, she was standing in front of the mirror, looking at the water on her face as droplets fell on her shirt, as she kept thinking about the decision that was knocking at her door. She wiped her face and took in a shaky breath as she rested her hand on the doorknob and pushed the door open. 

She made her way downstairs, looking for the man that gave her so much trouble in the last few days. She paused for a moment, but when she didn't see him, she made her way back upstairs, to the room that she missed sleeping in. She didn't bother knocking before she opened the door, stepping inside as her eyes stopped on a certain spot. She let her eyes travel down the exposed skin , controlling herself not to go and run her hands on it. She lifted her eyes to his face, seeing Chun-Ho already looking at her as he put a t-shirt on. They looked at each other for a moment, not saying anything, moments that gave her the green light to doubting her decision of coming here and that made her grateful she was here.

"Is there something wrong?" he asked and brought her back to the earth.
"Why would you think that?" Everything is wrong, she wanted to tell him instead.
"You barged in all of a sudden, you don't usually do that." She didn't say anything for a moment. "Are you ok?"
"No, Chun-Ho," she decided to tell him the truth. "Nothing is 'ok'. Look at us, look at the world, look at everything. It's all going to shit." He looked down, like he was ashamed to look at her, like looking at her was hurting him. "Say something."
"What do you want me to say?"
"Give me a reason to come with you today. Tell me one thing that would make me want to come with you and I will." 
"I can't make you come with me if you don't want to, Chae-Yeong."
"Then make me want." Her heart was staring to ache every second that passed and he didn't say anything. "Say something, for God's sake!"
"I have no plan, Chae-Yeong," he said and she saw his neck bob. "After I meet the kids, I have no plans and I know, I know, that this is probably a very bad idea. So no, I am not going to give you reasons to come with me when I know I can't protect you. You're safer here." He looked like he was fine, but she knew he was not. Because she wasn't either.
"I don't care about that. I can protect myself, so just give me a reason. One single reason."
"I can't."
"You can."
"I won't."
"You will, so stop it already and give me a damn reason!"
"No, you stop it!" He was getting mad, but it wasn't like when they had the arguments a few days ago. It was softer this time. "Don't come with me."
"That's not a reason."
"It is."
"It is not!"
"What do I have to say so you'll stop this?"