Mingyu could not sleep so he decided to go out from the tent and walk around. He slowly moved into the open in a clearing with nowhere to go.
The ground in the forest is like a silent killer lurking in the night, but when he looked above, the stars twinkling high made him a little bit fine. Mingyu closed his eyes and listened to the sound of ruffling leaves and small animal’s bright activities.
Wind blew and shook his jet black hair. Wearing a match black jeans and jacket, he blended well in the dark. Thanks to the moonlight, he won’t turn completely invisible to other.
“Haaa, I don’t think I can sleep tonight,” he murmured, “again.”
His insomnia started after he broke up with Ghide. Since then, the night became his ferocious enemy which is hard to win in every battle. And when he was about to fall in the abyss, Ghide’s face came into his mind.
He missed her; her touch, her smile, her voice…
Soon, he will fall in complete loneliness which squeezed the tears on his tired eyes.
"Mingyu?"
Now he could hear her again. He thought he heard Ghide’s voice as part of his delusion.
"Is that you, Mingyu?"
‘Wait. This is sounds so real,’ Mingyu told himself as a frown appeared between his brows.
He opened his eyes and turned around while holding his breath. Then, he saw Ghide standing before him.
‘I really need sleep. I am starting to see her illusion!’ Mingyu panicked.
He heard that Ghide won’t join this field trip so he thought that his mental state went severe; because his fantasy seems very real. However, the illusion is not really an illusion.
“I almost did not see you,” Ghide added. “Why walk in the middle of the night why wearing all black outfit? You scared me out there.”
‘It’s real,’ Mingyu realized.
“I thought you did not come in the field trip,” not moving from his spot, he murmured.
“Well, I had a change of mind,” Ghide answered, shrugging her shoulder. “Anyway, are you strolling around because you can’t sleep?” Then she approached him with small giggle.
Seeing her laugh in front of him gave him a little fright. During their last conversation, Ghide clearly showed her antagonism towards Mingyu. So if the enraged ex-girlfiend suddenly behaved nonchalantly with her ex-boyfriend, it must be because she already moved on; which is not a good news for Mingyu.
"You also went out because you don't fall asleep in different place," Mingyu threw the question back at her.
"Yup," nodding, Ghide agreed. "The tent is too small for you?"
"Hmmmm. Guess we really do know each other very well."
"Perks of being your ex-girlfriend."
Mingyu's eyes widened then subsided. He could not believe he’ll hear her tell a joke about their relationship. It proved him that Ghide did move on.
He put his hands inside his pockets and clenched them into angry cannonballs.
“Don’t stay up too late,” he commented with a sigh. Even though it is already dark, Mingyu turned his head away. He’s afraid she’ll catch his sorrowful emotions which crushed his heart into powder.
Ghide did not reply, and he does not know what expression she’s making right now because he can’t bring himself to look back.
Next, he mumbled, “Go back to your tent. The mosquitoes here are huge.”
“Mingyu.”
“Hmmm?”
“Thank you.”
Mingyu slowly tilted his head back to her side.
“Thank you,” Ghide repeated.
Of all the things he heard, these words of her are the most painful.
"W-Why?” he stuttered. Inhaling sharply, he continued, “You are so mad at me, so why are you suddenly showing your gratitude? That doesn’t make any sense at all.
“I did get mad at you,” Ghide mumbled. “But now, everything is clear for me.”
A distance smile in her grimace face appeared.
“Imagine how hard it would be to continue dating you after I found what your dad did to my dad. I will suffer, if that happens. How can I date a man while I am despising his family? I believe, this is the main reason why you broke up with me using your ridiculous lie.”
The bitter truth came out from her own lips. Mingyu once prayed that someday, Ghide will understand why he had to stay away from her. But now that it happens, he found himself still sitting inside the pit of loneliness.
The two stopped talking for a while.
Mingyu can barely see her face using the light coming through the tent's fields. Yet one thing is for sure, he can see that Ghide is finally alright. She's smiling as if her past tears for him were completely dried, showing no sign of coming back.
"If ever things went back to normal, do you think it is possible for us to be together again?"from the bottom of his heard, he asked.
"I don't think so, Mingyu. Our memories together were special but now... Actually I... I already like someone else."
His soul was shattered and his heart throbbed in immense pain. He could not thing of anything, or utter anything that can hide his ache.
Mingyu just keep on saying to himself to hold back his tears behind his tingling eyes.
‘Don’t cry. Don’t cry,’ he chanted like a spell.
“It is impossible for us to be friends,” Ghide said before she firmly bit her lips. “But with this good ending between us, we can be strangers without feeling guilt. Shall we?”
She walked towards him and then offered her hand for a handshake.
Mingyu looked at the hand which was held by him countless times; that hand he kissed, that hand which ruffled his hair, and that hand which cup his cheek as if he is the only man in her life.
‘Do I really have to hold it for our final goodbye?’ Mingyu asked himself. Soon, the answer came out from his own mouth.
"I can't. I'm sorry."
YOU ARE READING
Seventeen "The Bad Boys Series"
FanfictionResponsible for her father's debt, Ghide was sold to Yoon Jeonghan and was forced to sign a slave contract with him. It's her body he wants, not for himself, but for Mr. Hong Joshua. In order to terminate the contract, Ghide received a mission. "Sed...
