WITH GRACE.

10장

"hey, sunghoon,"

"hmm?"

"are you... will you..." i trailed off, seemingly at a loss for the right words.

"ugh! your hand!" i exclaimed in frustration.

sunghoon, who was walking one step ahead of me, stopped and looked at me in confusion.

"what's wrong with my hand?"

"aren't you letting my hand go? it'sㅡ it'sㅡ"

"it's what?" sunghoon was chuckling.

i get it, he enjoys teasing my poor vulnerable self.

"it's embarassing," i replied in a small voice.

i didn't think being embarassed would be my mood for the day. i started the day with the embarassment from the department professor and ended it with another one ㅡ yeah, this entire sunghoon thing.

honestly, after all that dramatic crying, everything that happened next was kind of a blur. when i snapped out of my long reverie, i just found my hand being held by park sunghoon while he led me out to god knows where. he's practically dragging me with the way he's holding my hand tightly and him walking ahead with those blessed long legs of his. it's a miracle i haven't stumbled so far.

"you look cute when you're embarassed, so i'm keeping your hand in mine," he said, throwing me off my rationality.

he what?

"are you sadistic?" once again, he halted his steps.

"you're quite amusing, eunhye. does enjoying someone's warmth means sadism? i'm not taking joy in inflicting physical pain on you, am i?" he said, a grin evident on his immaculate face.

"just... just shut it," i surrendered from the verbal banter.

the more we walked, the more the scenery became familiar. the streetlamps lit the streets at night, invoking the feeling of safety from creatures of the dark. aside from the streetlamps, the moon bathed the world in its mystical brightness. it still intrigued me how such borrowed light can still convey warmth and protection much like the sun does during the day. the moon, however, invokes a feeling of mystery.

i was obviously distracting myself.

basically, the path we're taking is awfully familiar. how couldn't it be? it's the way to our neighborhood. sunghoon must also be on his way home before he saw me in the park for whatever reason he has.

however, when i thought we would be heading straight down the way it meant to be, sunghoon took a turn on another street. clearly, i would be dragged along with him as he was still clutching my hand.

"hey, this isn't the way home!"

"i know,"

"oh goodness. sunghoon, if you have plans to kill me right here and then for labelling you a sadist, i sincerely apologize. now, please let go of my hand and allow me to go home in peace. i still have to babies to look afterㅡ"

"what are you saying?" once again, sunghoon was chuckling.

"i'm saying sorry for offending you and asking freedom for my poor hand. if you have plans to kill me, please set it to a different time because my poor boys are still waiting for me to return in one pieceㅡ" my second wave of rambling was cut off again.

"eunhye, no one's killing anyone tonight nor is anyone dying tonight. well, as far as i know of. you're not getting hurt while i'm here. i'm only taking you somewhere," he explained, smiling.

"do you promise to take me home in peace and in one piece?" i threw him a scrutinizing gaze.

"i promise. i wouldn't let harm befall on you. not when i'm here," and there he goes.

another one of his truly captivating smile got me speechless. with his words, i was able to calm down and follow him solemnly.

"here we are,"

he took me... to the river?

he led me further down the road and to the riverside where the river flowed just around a meter away from us. he sat, and i followed ㅡ propping myself in the still warm bed of grass.

"you reminded me of light and water. you have bright, passionate and dedicated eyes, yet not enough to make me say you're like fire. you induce the right amount of warmth to the people around you and there's always that glow within your eyes. at the same time, you are like water flowing along the path of life. you carry a healing presence with you, much like how water makes people feel comfortable and relieved." he started explaining, staring out in the distance.

"so i figured i'll bring you here. the moon is bright tonight, and the river is glistening under its light. it's a relaxing sight, isn't it?"

true to what he had said, the river and the moon reflected on it's surface did make me feel relaxed. the scenery looked magical. i can hear the soft rush of water and the crickets chirping tonight.

the river was nostalgic. perhaps i was too caught up being busy in life that i forgot to unwind like this. moreover, i even forgot the existence of this place. when i was young, my parents used to take us to places, one being this very river. we used to have picnics and night outs here as a family.

until we couldn't.

"i also brought you here to remind you that there will always be comfort in the dark, as long as you seek for it," this time, sunghoon looked at me with a gentle gaze.

"you're not alone, eunhye. you have daniel and jungwon. you have us this time ㅡ jay, jake, heeseung, and i. we're ready to lend you an ear and a shoulder to cry on. i'm here, just like how you were there for me when we were strangers, when we were younger."

i was truly touched at the sincerity of his words. i smiled. this time, it was a happy one.

we spent hours sitting there, talking about things like we've been doing this for a long time now. we got to know each other as he insisted i consume a whole pack of chocolate, explaining i needed a boost of happiness.

when it was almost midnight, sunghoon took me home. i insisted i'd go on my own, but he retaliated ㅡ saying that girls must be accompanied home for safety purposes. apparently, he lives just a block away from our apartment complex, giving him the liberty to take me home before he does the same for himself.

once i opened our door, i was immediately tackled into warm hugs. the boys must've detected my presence when the lock beeped.

"hyung, thank you for accompanying noona home," jungwon said.

"i'm happy to do so," we exhanged smiles before he finally left.

i turned to the two boys who was still in my embrace.

"dongkyu-ah, jungwon-ah... i'm home,"

"glad to have you back safely, noona," they said in chorus.

sunghoon's right. i still have them with me.