+ twenty three (orig. ending)

5.2K 265 239
                                    

chapter twenty three
***
[ original ending ]
***

one week later

raindrops trickled down the lenses of jaebum's dark sunglasses. ironic. he cursed the rain, the already worn piece of paper he clutched in his hand became even more crumpled as jaebum clenched his fist.

he looked down at his black shoes. his black jeans. his black shirt. his black jacket. and he looked at his mother's. it seemed that everything was dark again. that ray of sunshine that colored his life for the few months he'd known it, put out abruptly.

jaebum's eyes were occupied in a staring contest with the headstone before him.

baek aera
14 march 1998 - 22 february 2017

if only he'd been there to pull her out of the way. if only he'd been there to take her place. the metallic taste of blood graced his tongue as he let himself fall on his knees in front of aera's grave, holding his head in his hands.

the newspaper that was held loosely in miss im's hand fell to the earth softly.

BREAKING NEWS

Eighteen-year-old, Baek AeRa, hit by van at 5:12 O'Clock on a stormy 22 February 2017. Believed to be 'Killed On Impact'. Tragedy strikes the family of K-Idol Im JaeBum, who took in the orphan when she was just seventeen!

jaebum tore his eyes away from the article. he fell forward, laying his forehead against the freshly seeded soil. with weary hands, he set the letter just below aera's headstone. he tugged at his hair and gritted his teeth, yet he couldn't get the image of the cup of coffee she left behind out of his head.

[[ don't forget to read the alternative/official ending & the bonus chapter! ]]

cold coffee / ijbWhere stories live. Discover now