The Fallen

Chapter XII

[Joshua’s POV]

Jeonghan was so eager to return back to New York for some reason that I can’t quietly tell. Yesterday, he didn’t dare went out of my room without me in tow and he would suddenly tremble whenever he saw the door that leads to my parent’s room. He wasn’t being his usual self and never left my side whenever I went and it increased Wonwoo’s confusion and who knows what was happening inside the brat’s head.

“You’re coming with us to New York.” I said as I chew on the piece of steak that we’ve ordered in this random restaurant that we’ve passed by during our trip to his university. One thing that I came up with was to bring Wonwoo to New York and let him continue his studies there. “Your opinion?”

He shrugged, munching on his carbonara pasta and didn’t even answered me. I was wondering if he was still feeling bad about what have happened yesterday but he was a little bit distant towards me.

“Wonwoo, you know you can't live with us in Jeju right?” Kia looked at him awkwardly, causing Wonwoo to stop and stare blankly at his food. His appetite seemed to fade and even stopped doing any sort of action telling us his discomfort about the subject matter.

“Plus we’re already leaving today. Aunt will be waiting for us at the train station and I guess we have to go.” Kim said, looking down with a sad expression before she stood up smiling towards me and kissing me on the cheek. Kia did the same and then they’re gone, leaving us in awkward silence.

It was either unusual for Jeonghan not to be active during conversations and I can sense his distress as he quietly sat beside me, poking lazily on the pile of different kinds of vegetables on his plate. I clasped my fingers before looking towards Wonwoo once again, to convince him to come with me without it pressuring him.

“I can assure you that you’ll be fine.” I told him and a frown creased on his forehead.

“Was that the reason why you came at my university?” I took a deep breath before answering him. It seems like convincing him would be a hard job more that I thought of it.

“Well yeah. They told me that they would just e-mail the papers I’ve requested for your transfer.” I said scratching at the back of my neck and averting my gaze away from him.

I know that it was self-centered to decide for your brother’s stuff and everything but I can’t just leave him alone here in Korea, probably he was going to sulk once he was alone and seeing him sad won’t be really grateful. We don’t have our parents with us anymore and up until now, the authority doesn’t have a clue whoever did that.

“Sure.” He said bitterly, putting down his fork and standing up to leave.

My eyes followed him until the exit. He walked towards the parking lot’s direction and probably returned to the car.

I released an exasperated sigh, slumping more on the chair I was sitting and feeling my chest tightening. I was so frustrated and even I had no idea how I was suppose to cope with it. I want to get mad and yell at Wonwoo but that would cause a deeper conflict and I don’t want that to happen. Right now, I don’t know what was happening with my life. My parents were suddenly murdered by an unknown culprit and I had no other choice but be separated from my sisters even if I only spent a little time with them. And then Wonwoo and I was in a kind of misunderstanding that I don’t know how to fix. I tried reaching out for him but he would just ignore me and now he was walking away with me. God, how was I supposed to deal with everything? I already have a lot in mind plus this disease that I don’t know if I would survive? Just---

“Joshua.” I felt Jeonghan’s hand on my shoulder snapping me out of my thoughts.

“I’m fine.” I said smiling at him but his gaze remained focused on me.