𝗧𝗵𝗶𝗿𝗱 𝗖𝗼𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗗𝗮𝘆 // Jihan

fourty

"Hello. Are you okay?" A stranger inquired.

Jeonghan woke up disoriented, his body aching. What was happening? Where was he? Who was this stranger?

"Hello. Where am I? Who are you?"

"I am Lee Jihoon. And who are you?" The man responded politely. In the dim lighting, it was challenging to make out his features.

"I'm Yoon Jeonghan. Where am I? What time is it?" He was feeling very dizzy. All his memories seemed to have vanished after he fled from Joshua.

"It's 3 am. I found you unconscious on the ground. Since it's Christmas, there was nobody around, so I decided to check on you. You were freezing. If it weren't for me, you might have been in a grave situation. What brought you here?"

"Thank you so much. I wasn't feeling well... Something terrible happened to me earlier tonight."Jeonghan began, attempting to sit up.

"Stay put. I'm listening." Jihoon urged.

"It's a long story." Jeonghan replied

"Doesn't matter, open up!" Jihoon smiled.

"Okay... so... It all started this summer. I got a job, but also a stepfather. He's the worst person imaginable. Then, a boy began coming to my café every evening. We became close, but he eventually confessed his feelings for me. I was confused about my own feelings, so I rejected him. I thought things would be okay, but they got worse. My stepfather started abusing me, and I ended up with bruises all over my body. I have no friends, only my brother, who's the only person I can talk to. The boy stopped talking to me, and I realized I had fallen for him. Today, he invited me somewhere, and he gave me a gift. I cherished that gift. I had decided to confess my feelings to him. The words he said to me... I'd rather not remember them. He even said it would be the last time we ever met. I wasn't feeling well, and that's probably why you found me nearly lifeless on the ground. It might have been better if you'd just ignored me and let me die."

"Don't say that. You're too young to give up."

"So what? If I continue living, will anything change? No. I can't leave home. My parents wouldn't allow it. I'll just keep enduring pain. So, why should I go on?"

Jeonghan had a point. But choosing death wasn't the solution. You only have one life, and you're ending it this way? People would miss you. Maybe not many, but there would certainly be someone who would grieve your loss.

"Think about it. Your parents and your brother are at home right now. They might be crying, they might not care about you, or they might have forgotten you. But they would definitely be devastated if they found out you were gone. Your mother endured nine months for you, and despite her behavior, she still loves you. Your brother loves you immensely, you're his favorite person. If he were the one in this situation, would you be happy? Of course not. You'd be heartbroken and possibly contemplate suicide. As for your stepfather... well, I can't say anything about him. He doesn't deserve you."

"You're right. He doesn't deserve me. Should I go home or stay out a little longer? I want to see if they really care about me."

"You can check for yourself." Jihoon handed Jeonghan his phone.

Upon checking, Jeonghan gasped.

"46 missed calls from 'My boo kwan >.<,' 12 missed calls from 'Mom', 23 missed calls from 'Chew Hansol! not chwe' and..." His eyes widened.
"1 missed call from 'Joshyy<3'..."

"Who are they?" Jihoon asked.

"Boo kwan is my brother, Seungkwan. Hansol is my brother's crush and best friend... and Joshua... he's the boy I mentioned earlier, the one who rejected me." Jeonghan said, closing his phone.

"See? Some people genuinely care about you. You should definitely go home. Oh, I almost forgot to mention. I put your sweatshirt in my bag so it wouldn't get stolen. Here, take it."

"Wait, where's my gift? I had it with me."

"You probably lost it while running away."

"No, no, no! Why did I lose it? That was the only gift I ever received. I hate myself!" Jeonghan groaned, realizing he had lost the one meaningful gift he'd ever received.

"Hey, it's alright. Don't be too hard on yourself. At least you're alive. Now, go home and have a merry Christmas!"

Jeonghan smiled. "You're the first person to tell me that. What about you?"

"Eh, I'll just stay here. I have no one to spend Christmas with."

"That's sad. I'm really glad I met you. I hope we'll cross paths again sometime. You saved my life."

"We probably won't ever meet again."

"Why?" Jeonghan asked. "How do you know?"

"I'm certain of it. Have a happy life! You deserve it. You're still young, and you should embrace life."

"Thanks. You too."

Jeonghan waved at Jihoon and rushed back home, feeling that he had just met the best stranger ever. Why couldn't everyone be as kind as him?

***