THUNDERBIRD | CHA HYUNSOO

19

everyone went with sunyoung for support after hearing the heartbreaking news about her physical state. byeongil unlocks the door to the arcade for her, pushing the door open.

"sunyoung..." he starts. she whips her head around to face him, "well... please don't be too upset about this, or about seokhyun. i'm sorry."

"it's okay. thank you." she smiles. dasom could feel her heart breaking for this woman. this poor woman whose life has sucked since the beginning, only for her fate to be that she becomes what she isn't, a monster.

"sunyoung..." hyein speaks up, taking a step forward, "you'll be fine. let's meet again, okay?" she comforts her through tears in her eyes, voice shaking with each syllable.

"okay." sunyoung mutters sadly, deep down know that won't happen, "take care." she finally whispers.

instead of heading into the room, her eyes follows hyunsu who had been standing by to watch the scene unfold. he slowly approaches her as she does the same, she gently grabs his hands, unable to withhold her emotions any longer as tears fall down her cheeks and onto her shirt, "ms. ahn." hyunsu muttered.

she sighs, lifting her head up to meet his gaze, "how did you bear it?" she began to sob harder, holding on tightly to him, "how did you do it?" she croaked, trying so hard to contain herself and be brave.

"now i know what you've been through, but there's nothing i can do for you." she whimpered, sniffling in between sentences. tears cascaded down hyunsu's face, "i'm sorry for being an awful grownup." she gathers herself through deep breaths, stopping herself all together and accepting her fate. she lets go of him, turning on her heel to close herself into the arcade room.

hyunsoo stood there numbly. what he had, the infection, he'd never wish that upon anyone. especially her. he wishes nothing more than to be able to take that away from her, to be able to save her from the growing, dark feeling the comes along with it.

—

dasom gave hyunsu time to himself. seeing sunyoung in that condition deeply hurt him, she felt for him. as she walked down the hallway, still staring at the picture of her and her aunt while she fiddled with the charmed gold necklace.

she finds hyunsu sitting alone on the steps, his head resting against the railing. she gives him a tired grin before moving to sit next to him and removing her gray jacket from her body, "you okay?"

he nonchalantly shrugged. he was never good with expressing how he was feeling, he didn't want to burden anyone. sensing his inner discomfort, she changes the subject, "i finally opened that package hyein gave me, it was from my aunt."

hyunsu listens as she talks, basking in the sound of her warm, honey like voice. he glanced down to her hands, seeing her hold the photo tightly in her hands, "is that her?" he inquired.

she gave him a small smile, "yeah... that's her." she pauses, running her fingers over the glossy picture, "this picture was taken on my birthday earlier this year." she smiled.

"it was at some beach in america, in florida somewhere? it was my first time going to a beach so i was nervous. but, when i first stepped foot in that beach... i knew that when i become old and can't remember my own name, i was going to live by a beach. hopefully oceanfront, so i can sit and paint all day. sitting in the sand and painting the scenery was the most i felt alive. isn't it crazy how simple things impact us so much? i wish i had my supplies to draw again." she continued to gush. hyunsu listened intently, loving every minute of her talking about her life before they met.