Wonwoo couldn’t argue this time. He’d seen how miserable Junhui had been. He was the first
to find Jihoon after the accident. He’d witnessed Jihoon screamed and wailed, his eyes were
filled with nothing but anguish. He was the one taking Jihoon’s grip off his brother’s hand
when he was about to be taken to the morgue. He was the one stopping Jihoon from jumping
into the ground as the coffin was being lowered. He was the one catching Jihoon when he
fainted as they started burying, still calling for Seungcheol’s name in a weak and hoarse
voice.
He was the one knocking on Jihoon’s door every day ever since, waiting for him.
Wonwoo took Soonyoung to step back, giving space for Junhui. He pulled his right leg back,
taking a deep breath. He raised his foot, aiming at the side of the keyhole to break the door
down—
“Hi.”
Jihoon opened the door.
Junhui tried to get his balance back, stopping himself from bumping into Jihoon. He hurriedly
looked for Jihoon’s face as he stood up again. Worry and heartache painted over Junhui’s
face.
“Hoonie... are you...?”
Jihoon smiled.
So serenely.
“I’m okay.”
Jihoon looked gaunt and ghastly, but when Junhui tried to find any hint of despair in Jihoon’s
eyes, it wasn’t there.
“Why are you guys just standing there? Come in.”
Reluctantly, they walked into the house. Jihoon’s calmness gave them a distorted feeling of
relief. Even more so when everything inside the house was a stark contrast to his peaceful
manner. Everything was either torn, ripped to shreds, or smashed into smithereens. Shards of
glass scattered on the floor, but Jihoon didn’t make any effort to avoid it. He didn’t even
wince when he stepped on one, leaving a trail of blood. And it was not the only one around
the house.
Junhui insisted to treat his wounds, pulling him to sit on the kitchen stool. There, on the table,
they saw what seemed to be what Jihoon was doing before he opened the door. Bowls of
caramelized sugar and dough filled the table. Melted chocolate and various kinds of sprinkles