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na jaemin pov
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When Chenle and Jisung opened the window, we were surprised by how high the jump was. Fear tangled my guts as I stood at the ledge, trembling.
I jumped.
All the air was sucked out of my lungs. My heart flew into my throat and my stomach did a whole triple somersault. Tears brimmed my eyes as I realized that I had just left Narae at the hands of the man I hated most. The guilt consumed me and took over every single inch of my falling, helpless body.
I landed on the soft grass, pain rocketed up my leg. I winced and widened my eyes when I saw Chenle and Jisung falling towards me. I quickly moved away, my ankle screaming. I probably broke it.
"Ow..." Chenle winced as he landed, followed by Jisung, who seemed equally as distraught.
"We have to get going," I stood up abruptly, my leg still begging me to just sit down and rest. "That man, Jaehyun, he has a can of gasoline. Last time I checked, gasoline and fire equals total destruction." I took their hands and hurried back into the forest, trying to ignore the excruciating pain that throbbed in my leg.
"H-Hyung..." Chenle whimpered. "Your ankle..."
I nodded grimly, but kept my grip on their hands firm. "I know. I'll get it treated later, don't worry." Tears brimmed my eyes, the guilt still pressing hard on my heart.
Just as we were a bit far into the forest, we heard a boom that rang in our ears, making our heads spin. The smell of gasoline, smoke, and gunpowder stung my nose as I turned around to see a raging fire, flames licking the debris of the building, smoke rising into the night sky. The monstrous fire began consuming the remains of the Sanguis Forest, eating up all the coniferous trees one by one like a hungry beast. The sound of the explosion was still reverberating through my eardrums, leaving me in shock.
There was no way Narae could have survived that explosion.
I dropped to my knees, the heaviness of the guilt and pain swallowing me whole, like the flames feasting on the wood and grass. Tears blurred my vision as I the images of Narae's optimistic smile and her bright eyes swept through my empty mind. I choked on my sobs, Chenle and Jisung watching the disaster unfold in front of them.
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TWO WEEKS LATER
"Today, we mourn the loss of Yeon Narae, a nineteen-year-old lady with the most optimistic outlook on life. Her smile brightened many lives and it is a shame we have lost such an impactful young woman," the priest spoke with a solemn voice, his expression like stone. "We will now pray and pay our respects."
I bowed my head and closed my tear-filled eyes. Ever since my return to Seoul, my life has been bleak and numb. I lost interest in all the things I once loved doing. I didn't remember the last time I genuinely laughed. I haven't eaten properly for the past week and I stayed in my room, looking at the letters I wrote to my lost friends.
