[ ✓ ] 𝐏𝐇𝐈𝐋𝐎𝐏𝐇𝐎𝐁𝐈𝐀 , seho .

two

two

He just wanted to say sorry. Junmyeon had searched every corner of the school to find the boy he had seen the day before, just to tell him that he was sorry. It took the entire day to figure out where he would eventually go after school. Junmyeon expected it to be just outside the front entrance of the school, where all the normal kids would go home together or be picked up by their parents. But, unfortunately, there was still no sign of the boy.

But as Junmyeon thought more and more about this guy, who was practically a stranger, he realized that it was pointless. He had spent every second of the day trying to figure out who he was exactly, and why Junmyeon had never seen his around school before.

After waiting around for at least a half hour, Junmyeon decided it best if he just gave up—at least for that day.

The sun had been shining just barely, which happened to lift Junmyeon's spirits just slightly. The fact that today was his least favorite day—therapy day—had automatically made him feel stressed. But the comfortable temperature and clear skies seemed to suddenly ridden the anxiousness he had been feeling.

Junmyeon walked the same sidewalk he would stroll down weekly, trying to filter the things going on in his mind and how he'd address those thoughts to his therapist. Normally, he'd be feeling hopeless, but today, he felt different. Rather than being hopeless, he felt hopeful—something he definitely never felt before.

He finally arrived at the plaza of office buildings, going straight into his designated office. Pine View Wellness Center.

The wait was no longer than two minutes, as usual. Dr. Yeon would come out into the lobby to bring Junmyeon back into her office.

Then, they repeat the same conversation as the week before, along with the multiple weeks before that.

"How are you feeling today?" Dr. Yeon would ask first.

Fine, Junmyeon would normally say. Except today was different.

"Better."

A pleasant look grew upon Dr. Yeon' face. It wasn't that often when Junmyeon wouldn't be feeling just fine—even the words "alright" or "okay" would catch anyone by surprise. It was always just fine.

"That's great," she commented. "What exactly has made you feel better?"

Junmyeon had a small smirk on his lips as he thought about the boy from the roof. "I just feel like things will start to repair themselves soon."

Dr. Yeon nodded, crossing her legs beneath the desk. A silence grew within the small room, which was normal. This was nothing new to Junmyeon. It was the same routine every single week.

Next,she'd ask about his father.

"And your dad—are things with him any better?" She pursed her lips, knowing the answer wouldn't be anything different.

"The same." Junmyeon let out a deep sigh, staring at the carpet. He knew what she was going to say next.

"The same is never the same, Junmyeon. Have you two talked at all?"

Junmyeon just shook his head. He hated talking about his father—it would just remind him of what he'd have to go home to just twenty minutes later. If today were a good day, there'd be leftover takeout or pizza left on the dining table, and there'd only be one or maybe two empty beer bottles in the recycling. But, the odds of that happening were slim. If today were a normal day, his dad would be passed out on the couch and the house would still be a trashed mess. Junmyeon would have to tiptoe through the house to get to his room, but usually, the creaking of the poorly-built house would wake up his dad, sending the man into a fit of rage.

"Has he hurt you recently? Physically, I mean." Dr. Yeon raised her eyebrows as an expression of sympathy.

Again, Junmyeon shook his head. "No. Not recently."

A soft smile formed on the doctor's face. As usual, Junmyeon couldn't focus on the current therapy session, due to the worry running throughout his mind about going home. This was something he had to work on—not letting the anxiety get the best of him. He could have a wonderful day, but no matter what, it'd be ruined. Because at the end of the day, he'd always have to go home.

Which is exactly what he had to do just several minutes later. The walk of shame down the dark streets, back into the more empty and barren side of town. There were only a few neighborhoods around, meaning Junmyeon had been isolated from the heart of the city where all the action would happen.

Worrying his breaths away, Junmyeon made it to his house before the sun had completely set. The sky was now a pale gray as the moon began to shine brighter, along with the stars. It had been a beautiful night, Junmyeon had wished it were a weekend—then, he could fall asleep on the long grass in the backyard, being mesmerized by the constellations in the sky. That would be the perfect distraction.

Inside, his dad was, as usual, watching some basic action movie that would almost always be in the middle of a gunfight or car chase. A beer would be lying on the ground next to him, almost always empty, and the man would be sound asleep.

Junmyeon dropped his backpack near the door to his bedroom before throwing himself on the cool mattress. His muscles relaxed, feeling the comfort of being able to finally lie down. Although he was tired physically, mentally—he felt wide awake. This was normal, though—he'd always be distracted by the noisy movie going on in the living room, or the fear of just living in that damned house.

But, today was different.

It wasn't noise or fear that was distracting Junmyeon—it was a person.