I Like The Beach Better [BL]

𝓔𝓹𝓲𝓼𝓸𝓭𝓮 48

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Wooshik manoeuvred his sleek black car through the winding roads, his fingers moved with such fluidity along the steering wheel. Sehun sat in the passenger's seat, his gaze fixated at the picturesque views that floated past them.

In the back, Hyojoo sat silently, lost in her own thoughts. She stared out the window, absorbing the rolling streets and lush greenery that scattered through the land. Her hands remained clasped in her lap, entwined tightly due to the nervousness that plagued her thoughts, inching onto their destination.

The car moved with a quiet hum. The passengers were lulled into a peaceful silence that was only punctuated by the occasional chirp of a bird or the rustle of leaves as a gentle breeze whooshed by.

Wooshik tended his hand and took Sehun's into his own, their fingers entwining like exquisite artwork- Sehun was not at his best, Wooshik understood.

They continued to drive on, lost in an unspoken sentimental moment. Hyojoo took a deep, cleansing breath, her eyes briefly closing. The occurrence of nerves momentarily disrupted her tranquillity, but seeing her son and his partner in love assured her that everything will be alright...again.

The car proceeded to glide smoothly on the road, passing quaint little towns and amazing scenery.

"We have arrived," Wooshik declared. The car rolled to a stop at Youngwon's grave, this unexpected destination had definitely not been on Sehun's and Hyojoo's anticipated itinerary- June-Way Gay Bar.

With a nimble motion, Wooshik deftly silenced the car engine and emerged from the driver's seat in one fell swoop. Moving around to the passenger side, he gracefully pulled open the door for Sehun, offering an outstretched hand to aid his partner in disembarking. "Are you okay, Sehun? I know this may have come as a shock."

"I am okay," upon being situated firmly on the pavement, "Please look after Ma'am." Sehun watched, while Wooshik shifted his attention to the trunk of the vehicle, his hands deftly engaging with the latch to reveal Hyojoo's entry point. With the same gentle care and unwavering attention, Wooshik helped his aching mother to steady herself on the ground.

"Why..." she reached for Wooshik's hand. "Why this..."

With a measured pace and unwavering eyelids, Hyojoo descended from the vehicle, her eyes scanning the surroundings with a profound sense of scrutiny. Yet, as her eyes fell upon the bar before her, a deep sense of confusion washed over her, threatening to consume her ever so cruelly,

"It cannot be...," she murmured with a tremble, her words laced with a quiet desperation that spoke volumes about her inner turmoil.

Wooshik stood by her side, Sehun on the other, their own eyes cast downward, weighed down by an unknown truth. With a deep sigh, Wooshik glanced toward his mother, a sadness so grim that betrayed his young age.

"Youngwon owned this land," he began, his words laden with a heavy sadness, "To introduce an affiliate to the Anti-LGBTQ community."

The revelation hit Hyojoo like a battering ram, "No!" she cried, her senses overwhelmed with a surge of emotions that threatened to take control. "No! No! No!! It does not mean that--" she paused, turning to her son with a look of shock etched upon her face, "It doesn't mean that--" she covered her mouth, horrified; she had not even been so horrified when she had seen the youth toss into the pit of redemption from that 13th floor.

In that moment, it seemed as though the world had shifted, turned on its head, leaving Hyojoo to confront a reality that she had never wanted to know. Her eyes brimmed with unshed tears, her heart heavy with a sense of disbelief that would take her some time to fully process.

"Forgive me, mother," Wooshik embraced his grieving parent, solemnly confessing, "I regret my choices now. It was precisely my men who tried to bring this bar to ruins. At my own behest, they did so. I wanted to demolish this bar...we acted to honour Youngwon's soul, and I wanted you to be rid of all suspicions. I am sorry...I know how much this bar means to Sehun. And how much Sehun means to you, mother."

"It was not your fault," Sehun's hand found a purchase on his boyfriend's shoulder, "Do not blame yourself, Captain." He consoled, summoning a proverb his mother often shared, "In life, and even in death, everything and nothing is a coincidence. Whether we want it or not. What is in our hands is either to accept, or to ignore...what we can't change anymore."

Hyojoo pleaded for a moment of respite amidst the animated colloquy. "Excuse me," she implored with a discernible restlessness borne of a newfound realisation, "I have a meeting with my clients in a few hours," her pupils moved unruly, "I know this is so rude. But pray forgive me!! I need to be alone. Please let me be...rest assured, I will not do anything dire. I will text back once I am ready. But right now, please let me be, I beg..."

Sehun's mouth opened to speak, but Wooshik intervened with an outstretched hand and a reassuring tone.

"It's okay, mother. Take your time. We will be right here."

With relief, Hyojoo nodded her thanks and gracefully excused herself, eager to collect her shattered thoughts and glean some semblance of composure.

"Ma'am," Sehun stumbled over the title, his anxiety palpable in his voice.

A hand on his arm restrained him. He spun around to meet the gaze of his taller companion, "But Captain-"

"Sehun, please," his partner interrupted, a calming gesture offered with a gentle smoothing of his fingers on Sehun's earlobe. A soothing embrace pulled him close, "Let her be. Everything will be alright."

Sehun ultimately steadied, gingerly pulling away, "Captain, I still know nothing about the whereabouts of my mother. I have no idea where she is, or what happened to her," he lamented, "I cannot bear to lose someone who means no less than my mother to me."

Wooshik, ever the compassionate leader, planted a tender kiss on Sehun's temple, "I understand your fears, Sehun," he susurrated softly, "But you have my word. You will not lose anyone. You have me now. I am here for you."

"Do you know who this bar belongs to?" Sehun's raving heart refused to be appeased. He pressed on, seeking rhetorical answers.

"I had not truly known until today. When you addressed my mother as Ma'am this morning, I finally pieced together who the owner is," Despite his earlier calm, a note of excitement now crept into Wooshik's voice- "And now that we know, let us plan a surprise!"

With a sly expression and a twinkle in his eye, Wooshik brandished a small object that he had retrieved from his pocket. He held it aloft- the spare- no duplicate key into the June-Way, "In this life, everything and nothing is a coincidence."

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