SAVING MR. PARK | PJM

EPILOGUE

⠀⠀ ↳ THE SUN WAS ESPECIALLY BRIGHT today. for some reason, the earth sensed that this special occasion would betide, and it encouraged the bright star to expel the best luminous rays it possibly could. the set of events that would soon take place was pivotal to the strength of their relationship—so much that even the universe anticipated the moment with edgy enthusiasm.

squinted eyes, provoked exhaustion, and perspired foreheads all resulted from the heat of the day, but they continued along with their entwined hands as motivation.

they treaded up the steep hill, feeble legs wobbling as they stepped over sharp pebbles and dried-out weeds, in hopes of reaching their destination soon.

she held a bouquet of chrysanthemums in her hands (since she'd been told they were his favorite), whilst he bore the weight of their two backpacks,—because he had refused to let her carry hers,—and their accompanying persian cat was currently nesting inside one of them.

when they'd grow tired, they'd pause their hike, pull out their water bottles, and chug down the refreshing liquid with notable thirst. they'd constantly check up on yuki, ascertain that she was comfortable and stably breathing, and allow her to peek her head out from the zipper hole of the black backpack. then, they'd resume their trek and gasp for air until they would agree to take a break again.

this cycle went on for some time (nearly an hour) before they finally noticed the peak of the mountain a good ten feet away from them.

the journey would've most likely taken them, at max, fifteen minutes if they had chosen to travel by car, but she had suggested they exercise their legs for today—because it was about time that she did. she had unfortunately forgotten how fragile her ankles were, though, but that's why she had his hand to grab on to in case she stumbled.

by the time they reached the top, all the energy had withdrawn from their bodies (so much that it took them a full minute to finally realize what was scattered before them).

an ocean of tombstones—vacant as the night sea and embodied with eerie stillness.

the couple blinked at the waves, now feeling grateful that the vibrant sun illuminated their view and diminished the creepy aura of the setting. each stone was engraved with their owner's name as well as the vital dates inscribed below them.

since he'd been there plenty of times before, he already knew which path to proceed on.

the brunette could not even squeak out a word, her voice box faltering at the endless amount of gravestones surrounding her. she closely trailed behind him, somewhat frightened by the thought of some zombie hand sticking out from the muddy ground to grasp her ankle or something.

she tried her best to mask her fear, simply clasping the back of his loose shirt the way baby elephants do with their mother's tail.

this was her first time visiting her boyfriend's best friend ... or, more like, his best friend's headstone.

the visitation was excruciatingly significant to him, as he was finally introducing his girlfriend to the boy who had erratically departed from the world too early. she was aware of how much this "meeting" meant to him, but she couldn't help feeling uneasy about the swarm of tombs and the decomposed corpses that inhabited them.

the blonde professor stopped in his tracks upon reaching his destination, causing his girlfriend to crash into his toned back and nearly drop the spray of flowers in her hands.