no one pov.
Luna went inside the lift to her apartment and coincidentally came across someone who's head leaning sideways with shades, and a mask on. His messy hair tell her how he has been feeling at the time. It's been three weeks since he stop appearing in her life. Seehye left the house to stay with her family. Katie stop working since she graduated and got hired at her first job interview. Luna has decided what's best for her, and let a new worker to look after her store while she step forward to a new life.
Luna stood there beside him, doing nothing but treating him as someone she never met or knew. She don't know why is he here, at her apartment building. The level button that was above her was pressed by him even before she enter the lift. As soon as she reaches her level, she walked out normally and expects him to stop her, but he didn't.
He noticed her and he wants to run to her but he tried so hard not to. She went into the house and fell straight to her knees, realizing how much she can't move on from not seeing him. The house door unlocked out of sudden, and he appeared, tears full on his cheeks. She ran to him and tightly gripped him. He cried out while hugging her so tightly that they both lost balance and fell onto the floor.
He admires the frame of Luna and his mother while laying on her lap with blanket on him. She watches night lights and the rain dripping outside of her bedroom window while placing her otter plushie above his chest. She turned off the lamp light while he still staring at the picture. His phone rang and he answered it, without hesitation. "I'm at the level below yours. Don't go down" He said while she listen to Yang yang and Haechan's conversation. He end the call and look up at Luna who's caressing his hair. He took her hand away and kissed her hand.
He sat, and put his head closer to hers, while glaring at her eyes. He stayed silent while studying her suffering eyes that he knew, she have struggling for years. "Stop carrying your burdens" He pulled her head to his lips and let out a small smooch on her eyes. She just stayed as herself as she didn't know what to say. There's so much things in her mind but she couldn't say a word.
"I'm resigning from the industry" He said out of the blue, then laid his head on her shoulder. "My dad wants me to take over his position..." The pain in his voice starts to get too clear. She couldn't do anything but to just stay the way she is and smile, "That's good" She finally said but they both knew they can't accept the fact.
"But... if I give up here, all those times of my sufferings will vanish into thin air, and... I might... even disappear with it" He said, in his uneasy voice but they continue staying silent afterwards, while Luna started tearing up, quietly, without him knowing that whatever he said is relevant to her, too.
She didn't tell him she won't be working at her store anymore, because he deserve to not know. The doorbell suddenly rang and Haechan held her hands tightly. "Don't open. I want to be with you" She pinch his cheeks and let go of her hands to open the door. "Tangerines?" Yang yang awkwardly said to Luna but his intention was to actually talk to Haechan about the flight Haechan's taking tomorrow.
She let him in and he quickly get in to not lose his pride with a messy hair he has. She walked in her room and see him facing the window, sulking. She pulled him away from her bed but he stopped her by pulling her to him. He quickly kissed her lips, before she could stop him.
"Donghyuck-ah... I bought your favourite tangerines" Yang yang said, casually but his clear voice could hear from outside and Haechan finally stop his actions. Haechan sighed and went out to see Yang yang eating tangerines on the dining table. Yang yang heard everything and he knew as well what's between them.
Haechan joined Yang yang eating tangerines while Luna decided to have a quick walk outside to clear her mind. It stops raining and she didn't want to walk too much so she went to the river nearby the apartment to enjoy the night breeze. What she didn't know is that Haechan followed her after ten minutes after she left the house.
Yang yang went home after Haechan left for Luna. Haechan stood there, leaning on the door light pole while glaring at Luna who's smiling at the shores. While she watches the smooth, clear river in front of her, unexpected tears then spilled out from her eyes when she thought about everything that have happen to her life.
Haechan slowly walked towards her and she just continue looking at whatever's in front of her. She didn't mind to even wipe her tears away. After a moment, she started "I... I don't know why as I try to clear my head, it only keeps filling with thoughts" while still glaring at the river. He adjust her cardigan then wipe her tears away.
"But it's okay to cry. It's a sad thing" He said while sliding her hair behind her ears while she continued, "At this point, it's not a matter of emotions, it's just my problem" The clouds then started bursting out even before she, herself could start once again.
It started pouring heavily but they didn't fidget or run to the nearest shelter at all. Instead, he pull her to his chest and kissed her forehead before he could embraced her. His heart raced, afraid, to lose her that he hugged her so tightly till he can't do it any further.
He let her go after awhile to not make himself tear up, but looking at her crying uncontrollably, changed his mind. He look away then continued, after letting out a troubled sigh. "Next time... Will there be a next time?" He asked, then quickly wipe a tear on his cheek as soon as it appeared.
She couldn't reply because there's so much pressure in her heart. Before she could do anything, she watched him walking away, leaving her without even turning back. She just continued standing there, trying to accept the reality she's facing.
They know that, that's the only way they can stop each other and move on without being in each other side. They need each other but they know that there won't be a next time and that, they let fate decide what's best for them because they are tired chasing after someone they don't deserve to be with. She fell on the ground that's filled with puddles of rain drops. "Why does everyone I love... end up leaving me?" She asked, to herself, while shivering under the cold, raining sky.
—
A melody from a piano started playing out of nowhere, that makes Luna wakes up from her flash back she has from staring at a huge canvas that was filled with someone portrait in oil painting on the wall. It's been three years since that particular day. "...secrets usually lead to bad endings" She look around to see her surrounding after her pensive moment. She then turn to her right, seeing her colleague, with his irritated face.
"Leader-nim. Do you even listen to whatever I repeated... for the eleventh time?" She let out a confuse face when he exaggerated whatever he said. She grabs the paper he's holding and realized he has been reciting to her the entire poem that's a page filled of the art piece she have dazed off at. "Yeah, of course" She lied, pushing the paper to his chest and walk away to her office.
She has been working as a curator since then. Whenever he passes by her head, she thinks of him as a person she have never met in her entire life. A fictional character, her brain is creating. She walk through the hallway but then stops, to see the pianist playing the piano.
She tried facing up to see why the rain stop pouring on her even though it's still raining heavily. "The wind can't go back to the place it has already left, Miss Kim" said, a guy. A guy she never expect, holding an umbrella above her figure instead of his, soaked self.
There's so much audience but she could still tell that, that's Yang yang in a suit, with a side combed hair, playing Chopin's nocturne op.9 no.2. What she heard and see makes she leave the place right away, before her mind could start bringing up the past, she never wants to go back.
Your crying voice shakes me up again. Whenever you need me, (please) stop looking for me however you want. I'm not going back
- Back 2 U
