district 17 | svt

18

{ D - 63 }

Chan told Seohyeon everything.

He didn't leave out a single detail, from when he first met Emi to their special moment by the River. He wore a big smile on his face while talking about his short time with Emi. For that short period of time, Seohyeon could see true happiness in the boy's eyes. She continued to listen quietly as he told her about his past, giving him her undivided attention.

"Emi sounds wonderful," Seohyeon commented.

"She was," Chan agreed, staring blissfully at the water. "She was my everything."

Chan's cheerful gaze darkened, and his smile fell to a dejected frown. His hands clenched tighter into his knee caps as he recalled his very last memory of Emi.

"But the district took her away," he continued, "because she knew something they didn't."

"What did she know?" Seohyeon questioned, curious but concerned.

"About the room," Chan replied, resting his chin on top of his knees that were curled up to his chest. "The one we use for meetings."

"Where did they take her?" Seohyeon asked.

She immediately regretted asking that question as she watched Chan's eyes well up with sorrow and tears. The younger boy took a deep breath before turning to look at Seohyeon, a sad smile growing on his face.

"Elimination," Chan said. "They killed her."

Seohyeon's eyes widened with shock, her hand subconsciously covering her mouth that was gaped open. Tears streamed down Chan's cheeks, but he immediately brushed them away. As the tears continued to fall, the younger scoffed at himself bitterly, continually wiping away the water on his cheeks.

"I probably look pathetic to you," Chan chuckled pitifully. "It's been two years but I still can't get over—"

Chan paused mid-sentence once he saw Seohyeon sitting next to him in silence with eyes glistening with tears that were tempted to fall. With a shaky hand, Seohyeon reached out her hand and placed it on top of Chan's, holding it with care.

"You're not pathetic," Seohyeon disagreed. "And I'm sorry. I'm so sorry you had to go through that. To lose someone you love...I can't even imagine what it feels like."

Chan gave her a weak smile before reaching out his free hand to wipe away one of her tears with his sleeve. She was startled by the gesture but allowed the younger to do so.

They both looked back in silence to admire the view of the River. The sun was setting, causing the water to be mixed with different shades of pink, yellow, and orange as it sparkled in the sunlight. The current was calmer than earlier, and the waves gently rippled along the path. Seohyeon found the sight beautiful; the sunset colors seemed to turn her surroundings into eternal bliss.

"You know, Junhui really cares about you," Chan spoke up, breaking the silence.

Seohyeon began to blush at the mere mention of his name.

"He's always been like that," Seohyeon said bashfully, "ever since we were kids."

"I'm sure," Chan agreed, "but I know for a fact you mean a lot more to him than you think."

Seohyeon turned her head to look at Chan, a little confused. Knowing Seohyeon didn't exactly understand what he was trying to say, the younger let out a sigh and turned his attention towards the girl, making serious eye contact with her.

"Junhui is in love with you," Chan told her.

Seohyeon's eyes widened and her cheeks once again turned to a deep shade of pink. She felt awkward making eye contact with Chan and started nervously averting her gaze from him. She didn't know what to do with that information.