Maze >> Stray Kids

Chapter 30

Feel like a failure
Cause I know that I failed ya
— One Last Time, Ariana Grande

∞

Sydney

The next day

Hyunjin walked into Jisung's room, where I sat on the bed, playing with Jisung's hair as he slept soundly, his head on my lap and his body spread out across the bed.

"So..." Hyunjin said awkwardly as he sat on the bed.

I sucked in a deep breath, trying to prepare myself for the worst. "Spill it, Hwang."

Hyunjin

HOW DO I SAY THIS?

I bit my lip, eyes darting to every corner of the room, trying to think of some way to tell her.

Sydney

I closed my eyes before gently removing Jisung's head and standing.

"I can't do this...go over there and talk to him."
Hyunjin backed out.

I frowned as my eyebrows furrowed. "What?"

He nodded and stood up. "I'm sorry, Syd. Text me when you're done, we'll figure something out."

What the heck?

"H-Hyunjin?"

He walked out of the room, leaving a sleeping Jisung and I. I frowned and walked out of the room. I was about to walk down the stairs when I heard Woojin speaking from inside Chan's room. I froze because I heard Felix's, Hyunjin's and my own name being called.

"I saw Hyunjin just now," Woojin said. "He looked upset."

"Yeah, I think he's going to tell Sydney now," Chan mentioned.

Nope.

"It'll break her heart." Chan sighed.

"I know. Imagine your lover being the son of the person who tried to kill you, but actually killed your father instead because he took the bullet. Plus, he hid it for what? Two..three weeks?"

W...what?

Hyunjin

"So, you told her?" Felix asked when I entered the house. He stood at the bottom of the stairs and wasn't looking at me. Too afraid to hear that I had already told her, I suppose.

I shook my head. "I couldn't be the one to break her heart."

He looked at me and scoffed. "So, you're suggesting I do it?"

"Isn't that what you've wanted?" I asked and rolled my eyes. Is this boy for real?

"Not to break her heart; don't put it that way. You know I love her."

"Well, you will," I said, ignoring his last statement. "Whether you like it or not," I mumbled.

"I'm not proud of it."

"You're not supposed to be. You've hurt her enough."

Felix bit his lip and looked at me angrily.
"What's your problem, man?!"

"You!" I yelled back and took steps toward him, just about ready to throw a punch. This kid was beginning to get on my nerves.

He was about to say something when something-- better yet, someone interrupted us by slamming the door open.

We both looked at the door. "Sydney, what happened?" I asked as I noticed her already red eyes and ever flowing tears.

She shook her head and ran up the stairs, stopping right in front of Felix. "Babeㅡ" He started.

"Shut up, Felix!" She yelled. He looked taken aback by her words. "You kept this from me!" Felix looked down in shame and I knew this wasn't going to end well.

Minho and Changbin walked out of their rooms, probably aggravated and confused about all of the yelling. Upon seeing Sydney and Felix on the stairs, Minho, Changbin and I exchanged glances.

This definitely isn't gonna end well.

Felix

"You knew who killed my father.. you knew I was looking for that person. I had to find out by overhearing Chan and Woojin's conversation? I lost my dad because of yours," she spoke in a calmer tone, but her voice and face held pain, and it was all my fault. I caused her pain.

I was too scared to meet her eyes, but when I did, I saw something in her eyes that I never saw.

"I lost trust in you, Felix. Was this was your plan all along, huh? To lure me in so your father can kill me? Stay away from me, Felix. This relationship...is over."

She walked away. It felt like I couldn't move. It felt like I lost my whole world. And, I did. My heart broke. It felt like it was ripped out. I wanted to reach out and grab her hand. I wanted to hug her and tell her everything was going to be okay. I wanted to hear her melodic laugh, see that beautiful smile of hers...one...last...time.

I felt Minho place a hand on my shoulder and Changbin give me what was supposed to be a comforting hug as Hyunjin ran up the stairs.

Sydney

I slammed the door and locked it. I felt like such a fool.

Manipulated and used.

I am a fool. The fool that fell for him.

I'm sorry, dad.

I laid on my bed and cried. I cried loudly, not even caring at this point.

Flashback

Grandmother gripped my hand tightly as she sobbed, seeing her own son being buried in front of her. Before her. She never wanted this. She wanted a happy life for her son. For him to have a happy family and grow old with the ones he loved.

Sadly, that was possible.

I stopped crying. My cheeks were wet.

I felt so alone.

I got kicked out by my own mother at six years old. I felt a pair of arms wrap around my waist. Hyunjin was hugging me.

I sighed and hugged him back. He was always there.

End of flashback

I began to cry harder that I didn't even hear the keys jingling outside of my door. The next thing I felt was two familiar arms wrap around me, caressing my hair softly.

"I'm so sorry, sweetie. Cry all you want, I'm here."

...Always there...

(A/N: *sips tea*)