𝗣𝗘𝗖𝗨𝗟𝗜𝗔𝗥 || o. sangwoo

37: Fireworks

❝I can sleep, I just chose not to, for I have fallen in love 

with the way my mind plays in the dark nights with thoughts of you.❞

Sangwoo did not get a wink of sleep, but it's not like Ari could tell that he didn't sleep last night. The circles under his eyes seem natural, maybe because it's always been there. Ari did not really pay much attention to it, but she think he did mention something about not being able to sleep before.

Ari stood there, looking at the people playing in the snow, children's laughter overflowed the place again as they enjoyed skiing and Ari just simply watch.

"Ari, let's go," Sangwoo's voice pulled her out of her reverie as Ari turned back and followed him towards the car.

Sangwoo was unusually silent, and Ari didn't know how she only notice it now. He wasn't usually this silent before. But Ari doesn't want to talk either, so they just drown in silence until the car stopped by a cafe.

"Stay here, I'll buy us some coffee," he said and unbuckled the seatbelt.

He was about to open the door when he felt Ari's hand held his jacket, stopping him suddenly.

"Wait," she said. "I don't want to stay here alone."

Sangwoo nodded and Ari let go as he stepped outside the car. Ari stepped out after a moment and followed Sangwoo, walking closely behind him as she gripped the end of his hoodie.

There aren't much people in the coffee shop, considering that it's still too early in the morning. Sangwoo ordered two coffees and a donut for Ari. They didn't talk much on the way back and Ari slowly became accustomed to the silent. By the time they got back to the house, the silence was overwhelming Ari could practically hear her thoughts.

She headed to the living room while Sangwoo went upstairs. He didn't come back until a few minutes later and Ari looked up at him.

"Are you leaving?" She asked for the first time until they returned back and Sangwoo stopped for a second to turn to her.

"Yeah. Do you want me to buy you anything?" He asked and all he got was Ari's shrug as she went back to doing what it was she was doing earlier.

Staring into space, contemplating what little hours she has left. Sangwoo doesn't like it, so he needed to go somewhere. He thought he should also buy some things for tonight's celebration, but he doubt if he can hardly celebrate New Year. What's so good about it anyways? It's just another year and Sangwoo don't see any difference between that and any other day.

When the front door closed and Ari was left alone, she sat there in silence for a few seconds before she headed upstairs and to the room she now share with Sangwoo. Under a table was a box where she kept the photos she collected throughout Autumn.

There was a notepad on the side, she figured it was where Sangwoo keeps his school related things. It's pretty neatly arranged and Ari took a pen and notepad.

The tip of the pen touched the pale paper, leaving an ink before Ari stopped.

"Sangwoo doesn't need a letter," she said. "Why would he need one?"

It seems the thought of writing a letter, even just a simple short one, was just a brief thought as Ari decided to write a name on the paper instead and putting it atop the box before sliding it on the side of the table.

She was about to stand up when she stopped and then looked back at the notepad.

"It's not like he'll read it anyways," she muttered before taking the notepad back with a shrug of her shoulders before she started to write.

Sangwoo came back a little later that night and Ari watched as he prepared the dinner table. She was sitting on the chair with her knees propped up as she watch Sangwoo.

"Do you always celebrate New Year like this, Sangwoo?" She asked, leaning her cheek on her knees as Sangwoo sat on the chair as well.

"No, this is the first time I did something like this."

"You should do this from now on," Ari said as she straightened her knees down. "You should celebrate Christmas Eve too."

"Just eat," Sangwoo said as he handed her a plate.

They were in the middle of eating in silence when Ari spoke.

"You know," she started. "This is like the last supper."

Sangwoo suddenly put the utensils down, a little louder as he closed his eyes before looking at Ari with a smile, but the smile was so force it looks scary than reassuring.

"Why don't you finish your food and let's go outside?"

Ari shrugged her shoulders before putting her utensils down. She doesn't eat a lot, but she wasn't that thin. She do like sweets.

It was cold outside and the neighborhood was silent. It's always been silent and deserted, so no one would know about the crimes taking place during the night, and maybe that's why it's too easy to cover up murders. When the silent neighborhood was the only witness to a crime. Sangwoo has been used to it.

"Sangwoo," Ari's voice pulled him out of his innermost thoughts as he looked at her.

"It's New Year's Eve now," she said, looking up the sky where the faint glow could be seen from the fireworks in Seoul.

"Ari," Sangwoo has thought about it. "Why don't we take a bath?"

He has thought about it. A painless death was what he promised her. And maybe drowning wouldn't be too painful for her.