Full Of Love

Part 5

"Come here or I'll take him far away from you!" Gulf heard someone yelling.

"Ugh," Gulf groaned as he slowly opened his eyes. His head felt heavy, and he was just beginning to regain his consciousness.

"Gulf?" A man moved to his side, and Gulf saw his best friend, Bright, smiling gently at him.

"Bright..." Gulf tried to sit up but lacked the energy. Bright adjusted the bed to help him, relieved that Gulf was finally waking up.

"Where am I?" Gulf managed to ask. Bright explained that Gulf was in the hospital after collapsing on the road.

Bright went on to say he had been in a meeting when he received Gulf's voicemail, which he only heard two hours later. Then someone called him to say Gulf was in the hospital.

"Who... who was it?" Gulf's voice was hoarse. Bright handed him a cup of water, which Gulf drank gratefully.

"I don't know. It was from a burner number. All I know is it was a male voice," Bright said. Gulf nodded and took his medicine, starting to feel better.

Bright seemed to hesitate, wanting to say something. Gulf encouraged him to share his thoughts.

"Gulf, I know you love Ja, but how many times has he let you down? When you first started chasing him, he ignored ypu completely for two years. The only thing he never did was hit you and that doesn't make it better. Now he's abandoned you again. I'm not asking you to break up, but you should think about it. I've known you for over ten years, and you deserve better treatment," Bright said, frustration evident in his voice.

Bright was tired of seeing Gulf repeatedly disappointed yet still devoted to Ja. Gulf had pursued Ja for two years before Ja finally accepted his feelings. Bright wanted Gulf to be treated better after all he had been through.

"Bright... I know you mean well, but after I came out, my parents disowned me, calling me a disgrace. Ja is the one who told me that being gay is not wrong and supported me. Besides you, he helped me through those tough times. He even introduced me to his father to proved that gay couple can be accepted by parents. That's why I love him deeply. Maybe there's a reason he didn't answer my calls. I want this relationship to last and to prove my parents wrong—that a gay couple can be happy," Gulf explained.

He admitted that Ja had disappointed him, but he wanted to make the relationship work. He trusted Ja and was willing to endure any hardship with him. Bright sighed, understanding how deeply Gulf cared for Ja, and decided to drop the subject.

"Fine. But just so you know, I'm here for you. If you ever feel like running away, call me, okay?" Bright said, concerned for his friend's naivety. Gulf nodded and smiled.

Bright then asked Gulf to rest. Although he wanted to stay longer, he had to return to work. Gulf assured him he was fine and encouraged Bright to go back to his company. Bright stayed in the room until someone arrived.

"P!" The door opened, and Ja walked in, looking flushed and out of breath. He took a deep breath as he approached Gulf.

"Since your boyfriend is here, I should go. Take care, Gulf," Bright said before leaving, casting a final glare at Ja. Gulf was silent, unsure of what to say to Ja, feeling deeply hurt since he remembered clearly that Ja had his phone with him.

"P, are you okay? What happened? Why didn't you call me?" Ja asked, inspecting Gulf for injuries. Gulf turned to him, disbelief evident.

"I called you, Ja. I called you not once, not three times, but ten times! I called, texted, and even left a voicemail! And you're telling me I didn't try to reach you?" Gulf's tears began to fall. How could Ja say such things? Ja was shocked to see Gulf crying. He pulled out his phone and saw the missed calls and texts from Gulf, cursing inwardly when he realized his phone had been on silent.

"P... I'm sorry. I didn't do it on purpose. I didn't realize my phone was on silent. I'm so sorry. Please forgive me, P..." Ja pleaded, holding Gulf's hands.

"In these two days, all I've heard from you is 'sorry.' I'm tired of hearing that word. I just want to rest," Gulf said, turning away and closing his eyes.

"P..." Ja called softly, but Gulf didn't respond. At that moment, Ja realized the magnitude of his mistake. He sat in a chair, waiting for Gulf to rest.

The next morning, Gulf felt better. He turned and saw Ja asleep in the chair beside him, still in yesterday's clothes. Gulf closed his eyes, wanting to yell at Ja but knowing that as soon as Ja spoke, he would forgive him because he loved him so much.

"Ja..." Gulf called out softly.

Ja slowly opened his eyes and sat up when he saw Gulf staring at him.

"P... Are you okay? Do you need water? Are you in pain?" Ja quickly scanned Gulf, concerned about his well-being.

"It's not that. I want to talk about us," Gulf said, struggling to hold back his tears.

"Us? What about us, P?" Ja's heart raced, anxious about what Gulf would say next.

"I think we need a break," Gulf said, his voice trembling.

"A break? No, P, I don't want that. Please, P... If this is about yesterday, I'm sorry. I—"

"It's not just about yesterday. What about all the other times? Ja, what happened to us? We used to be happier. Maybe we both need some time to think about our relationship," Gulf said, reaching for Ja's hand but pulling back.

"I don't want that, P... Please. You said we used to be happier, right? We can be happy again. I'll wake up early, cook you breakfast, pick you up from school, go on dates with you, eat raw fish. I'll do everything, P. You can punish me, hit me, yell at me but please...don't leave me. I can't live without you, P," Ja pleaded, kneeling beside the bed and holding Gulf's hands tightly. He was desperate to save their relationship.

"Ja..."

TBC