Losing Sight Of You ❦ Seonghwa

24 | The Secrets He Hides

The car burst out of the trees it had been hidden amongst and sped along the leaf-strewn grass.

Ali looked behind them and could just make out the wardens that were chasing after them; it was clear to see that they had somehow caught up with them. However, she felt some sort of relief that she was in the safe confines of the car, and they were drawing further and further away from them.

"Woo, are you alright?" She turned back to the front and noticed that Wooyoung was trembling beside her.

"Yes..." he answered her, but she could tell that he was lying. "I'm fine..."

"Are you sure?" Ali placed her hand comfortingly on his. "You don't seem fine."

"It's nothing." He tried to show her a reassuring smile, but it was tight at the edges, and it came out more like a grimace.

"Hmm." Ali looked at him, and her disbelieving gaze unnerved him.

He quickly turned away from her, but he still heard what she asked next. "If it was nothing, why did you show up outside of Mistlyn?"

"Even if Jae had told you, the place never allows outsiders in, so you wouldn't have been able to see me, anyway. Plus, what would you have done after being turned away? It's difficult to find your way back home. So why did you come here?"

"I just wanted to see you..." Wooyoung trailed off and rubbed his sweaty palms on his jeans. "I know I wouldn't have gotten in, but I had to try. I missed you like crazy, and I had to see you somehow."

"But it was a wasted effort," she said, "woo, I know I said to not tell me just yet if you aren't ready to, but if you were that desperate to see me, it must be something major that you need to say. It's not good to keep it all bottled up."

She removed her hand from his, and this time she awkwardly wrapped her arm around his back, ignoring the seat belt that got in the way.

"I know, but I just can't tell you," he replied and blatantly avoided her gaze. "If I tell you, you'd hate me and I don't want that."

Ali sucked in a breath, and said, "is it that bad? Whatever it is you've done, I would never hate you for it. Our friendship is too strong for something like that to break it."

Wooyoung shifted in his seat so he was facing her and he cried, "the thing I did would definitely make you hate me, and it would change things, and not just our friendship. That's why I can't tell you."

"Come on, Woo, that'll never happen." She laughed and lightly shoved him. "Just tell me. I promise I won't be mad."

Wooyoung looked away from her once again and screwed his eyes shut. He seemed to take a moment to think things over, and then he opened his mouth. With every word that left his mouth, Ali's eyes grew wider and wider, and her jaw went slack as her mouth fell open.

"I-I can't believe it..."

☽

"Seonghwa, honey," his mum said as she tried to get him to look at her. "Please say something. You haven't breathed a word to us since you woke up. Why won't you talk to us?"

His father angrily got to his feet, his face red, and he burst out, "this is all because of that... that girl. I always knew she was trouble, and I warned him multiple times about her, but did he listen? Oh no, and now look where he's ended up, in this stinking place."

"Sir, please calm down." Hongjoong stood up and tried to reason with the enraged man. "Yelling like this won't help Seonghwa. The doctor said he needs peace for him to rest."

The man pushed Hongjoong away from him and spat, "don't lecture me, young man! I know full well what my son needs, and that's staying away from that evil woman. This time he should listen to us, his parents, and do what we say. That woman is not welcome in our family, and that will never change."

After he said his piece, he exited the room and his wife followed behind him. The room fell silent once more, and Hongjoong sighed before returning to his friend's side.

He glanced at Seonghwa, who was watching the clouds in the sky, and said, "Seo, do you know how happy we all are that you're awake and getting better? We were so worried about you, you jerk." He laughed and continued, "Ali, she..."

Seonghwa's head snapped around at the mention of Ali's name, and he exclaimed, "what about Ali? Have you found her? Where is she? Why isn't she here? I need her... I need..."

Hongjoong jumped up and gripped his friend's shoulders. "Seo, calm down! You'll only hurt yourself further!"

"Don't worry about Ali, and just focus on getting better. Once you're able to move by yourself again, we'll find her. I promise."

Seonghwa peered up at Hongjoong, and he slowly began to calm down. Then he rested against the pillows and irresolutely nodded his head. Sinking back into himself, he didn't speak a word further and returned to looking out of the window.

He just wanted Ali back in his arms, and only then everything would be right in the world again.