nunchi [txt yeonjun]

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yeonjun released a long sigh.

"so you know her?" coach han asked again, seeing the face he made.

the boy grimaced, his eyes wide open and staring into the void, so many images showing before his very own eyes. she was one of the girls who liked him, one of those who he had yet to settle things with. but now there was little chance he ever could. a part of him rejoiced, feeling the burden on his shoulders ease, unchaining him of the responsibility of breaking her heart as to set her free. at the same time, it hurt. all stories left unfinished or finished imperfectly hurt.

and this wasn't one finished imperfectly, this was finished terribly.

actually, he'd hoped she'd find someone during summer break, but that didn't happen. instead, she got hit by a truck.

coach said  no other thing and only showed yeonjun the way to his car, a small toyota that he's named lady gaga. which was as inappropriate as car naming could get. he started the engine and they got going. on the backseat, yeonjun noticed, were placed some flowers. a bouquet of gerberas, orange and yellow, obviously for the girl.

"flowers?"

"yeah, she was- no, is a good kid. deserves a small bit of appreciation."

yeonjun looked at him surprised. "why?" he didn't know her well enough, had never desired to know her well and things went south after learning she had a thing for him. he wouldn't randomly get involved to satisfy infatuations - however harsh that sounded. his teacher, however, seemed to care for the comatose girl, for reasons he may have understood had she ever meant anything to him.

"she's a good kid, nothing more. and i can't pretend i have forgotten about her, just because she's now connected to some monitors and machines. besides, crap happens anytime and anywhere. she wasn't doing that well at home either, from what i have heard. her dad's gone and her mother barely surviving."

"gone? he left them or what?"

coach han shook his head, his eyebrows twisted in a frown. "gone as in dead. some disease, years ago. hit them too hard."

those were news. and maybe even if he had known her well, he wouldn't have been aware of all that. he wouldn't want many people to know and many people to pity him, if it were him in her shoes. "i'm sorry for hear that."

"yeah, me too. and her mom, I can't even imagine what that woman is going through."

yeonjun's only answer was a quick nod.

"so yeah, the smallest support will matter."

another shock of the day was coach han. yeonjun had never perceived him as the caring time, the one who'd bring flowers to a comatose girl and support her mother. but that was a nice surprise. and it gave him hope regarding people.

yeonjun again nodded.

he then let his head down, trying not to think about yeonwoo. well, after months on trying, she finally succeeded in catching his attention, though it was wrong. it shouldn't have been this way. no tragedy should be the way it is, after all.

but then again... he felt sorry, but it wasn't as if he could do anything about it. nor could he change anything. and even if he could, him being sorry for her having been run over by a truck wouldn't make him want to turn back time and care for her, just to give her some beautiful memories before life half-ended for her.

it wouldn't have changed what happened. so, regrets were in orders, but feeling devastated would be disgusting from him. just as it would be coming from any random person in this world. the only thing to tie them was her attachment, her make-believe love story that never happened and yeonjun had a feeling never would. sigh after sigh, he still thought of her. ironically.

"you coming up?"

the boy raised his head only to see coach parking his car just across the street from the town's hospital. he hesitated before shaking his head. it was better if he didn't go. he didn't want to be untrue to himself and lying to her. the most he knew about her, about any girl, was that they didn't deserve convenient lying.

"alright. wait here."

yeonjun hesitated to that too.  smallest bit of appreciation... with those words ringing in his ears, he made his mind and stood. and followed coach inside, still unable to comprehend why he should or why he was doing it, but still going.