Mystic Messenger: Life After

Chapter 13

It was late night when Zen arrived back at his apartment. Everyone had left first, Zen stayed behind. As expected of Jumin, it was an elite serviced penthouse, very much unlike Zen's current apartment. At least he felt safer leaving Ha Eun there, security guards at the lobby, passcode-accessed doors, and CCTV that Seven should be able to access.

The apartment felt colder, quieter, and gloomier from the moment he stepped into the room. Just because a person is gone, it felt like everything has changed.
The phone in his pocket vibrates, 'My Love' He smiled before answering the phone, it seems that the world can read his mind.

"You're home already?", asks Ha Eun.
"Yes. I'm back safe."

Zen smiled at the word 'home', this was not just an apartment, a house or anything. This is their home.

"Good, I missed you already.", said Ha Eun.
"I missed you even more, I want to cry!"

Tracing his steps into the apartment, Zen threw his body to the bed. Inhaling the scent Ha Eun left behind.

"It's very lonely here without you.", said Zen again.

Ha Eun felt lonely as well, even though she was sitting near the balcony, watching the city lights. Here in this apartment, she felt lonely and she felt her tears slowly rushing down. Zen can hear the suppressed sniffle from the other end.

"Ha Eun? Are you crying?", asked Zen worried.
"....No...", Ha Eun said between her sniffles.
"Hey, don't cry! Or else I'm going to cry too!"

First response that Zen could come after was panic. He panicked. He just usually loops his arm around her and let her cry at him. But now, she got no one there.

"Okay, okay, let's talk about something else! Uhmm.... Something that annoys you.... Oh! I think I bought the wrong capsule for our coffee machine again."

Ha Eun's coffee was a latte-kind, but Zen kept mistaking the capsule refill package with another one and bought back a black coffee capsule, all the time.
She gave a small laugh and tried to stop her tears.

"Again? How can you buy the wrong thing again?"
"The box's colour was similar!"
"No they're not."
"Okay, I'll take a picture of it next time. But now, you feel better right?", asked Zen.
"A bit. Because you're not here."
"Aww..... Please don't talk like that. I'll really cry!"

Ha Eun took a few deep breath to normalise her breathing. It was her decision to move out for the time being, she shouldn't cry over it.

"But you know what, from the day we met until today. We have never been apart. Well, we go to work but we still come home to each other."
"Actually yes. That's why it's very hard to part now, right."

The penthouse was quiet, she had never been in such a quiet apartment. With Zen, there is always talking or anything going on. Ha Eun stood up and walk towards her bedroom. It's a bit late, she should go to sleep soon.

"Is everything you need there already?", asked Zen again.
"Yeah, I guess so. Oh right, come to think of it!"

Zen's mind seemed to get a heads up from Ha Eun's rise of tone.

"How in the world did Yoosung find your jute rope? Why would you put your rope in plain sight?", asked Ha Eun.
"I.... I haven't rolled them back up again, so I didn't put them back in the box."

Ha Eun palmed her face. Zen can almost feel her doing that, rolling her eyes at him. It was a shocking sight for both Zen and Ha Eun as well when Yoosung was holding the rope, not knowing what it was used for. Zen's reflex was to grab it and make things even weirder.