𝖠𝗅𝗅 𝖳𝗈𝗈 𝖶𝖾𝗅𝗅 | 𝖢𝗁𝗈𝗂 𝖡𝖾𝗈𝗆𝗀𝗒𝗎

𝗑𝗂𝗂𝗂. 𝖣𝗈𝗇'𝗍 𝖲𝗍𝗋𝖺𝗒 𝖠𝗐𝖺𝗒

22nd of August.

"Alright, kids!" Mr. Cho applauded. "That's enough! Take a break!"

Sighs of relief and exhausted grunts permeated the air as editors and staffs stretched. Towering piles of papers were long overdue, printers had already ran out of ink, and the hazy light from the outside pierced through the curtained window. Beomgyu leaned towards his desk. He took off his specs, massaging his temples in distress. He had been working for hours, assessing files and filtering photos. His eyes hurt as well as his head. He needed rest.

"Bro," Kevin whispered, poking his shoulder. "Reese just found a new place to eat. Wanna come?"

Beomgyu tiredly looked up from his computer. "Where?"

"Downtown, by the baywalk. What do you say?"

"I'm good, man." He refused. "I'm too drained to move"

Kevin frowned. "Alright, suit yourself. We'll be back in a bit."

"See you."

Beomgyu watched his pal go. Sighing, he reached for his bag and pulled out a lunchbox. There was a piece of note taped on the steel surface. An illegible handwriting hinted that it was from Y/N. Of course, she was the one who prepared his meal after all.

"I hope this makes everything better," he read. "I love you. Aww, Y/N. I love you too."

He opened the container and found a thin layer of seasoned rice topped with leafy greens. Hard boiled eggs sat on the corner, their uneven cuts resembled broken eggshells. Cherry tomatoes were vibrant, sitting beside a pool of what seemed salad dressing. Peeled shrimps curled in the middle. A few beef strips made it to the menu as well. Beomgyu slightly grimaced.

"I don't like tomatoes.." He murmured, picking one with his fork. "..but she would be very disappointed if I leave a piece untouched, so.."

Hesitant, he took a bite. His shoulders raised in disgust as he chewed. He immediately tried to distract himself with a piece of egg yolk.

"Mm.." He hummed. "..so good.. Right, so good.."

Beomgyu unlocked his phone to browse through his emails. Stuffing his mouth with rice, he absently swung his feet as he tapped on the screen. His lazy eyes skimmed through the red notes, casually ignoring a few clients. He would often shoot prying glances to his coworkers they flock out of Inks & Blotts. Soon enough, he was all alone, enjoying the silence and solitude.

"Eurgh.." He winced. "..Kevin and Reese better check all these inquiries, otherwise I'm telling Mr. Cho. Yeah, piggy likes me anyway."

Out of the blue, he thought about Y/N. Curious, he launched Google to learn more about her condition. His thumbs typed in haste, brows furrowing as be waited for the results to load. He clicked on a particular webpage and started to read.

"Alzheimer's disease is a progressive neurologic disorder that causes the brain to shrink and its cells to die." He prompted. "It is the most common cause of dementia- a constant decline in thinking, behavioral and social skills."

Beomgyu mindlessly slid his lunchbox aside. Clothed elbows propped on the mahogany surface, is face turned sour as he continued.

"The early symptoms of the disease include forgetting recent events or conversations. As it progresses, a person with Alzheimer's disease will eventually develop severe memory impairment and lose the ability to function independently."