How It Started, How It Ended || Haechan (NCT)

23

〖 Apart 〗

"Wait—Yerim!"

Saemi remembers how Haechan had ran after his girlfriend that night.

It plays through her mind over and over again, like a broken record. And every single time, it breaks her heart.

She'll only ever be second next to you.

He chose you to be his girlfriend for a reason, remember?

If it wasn't for her accident, he wouldn't even care about her.

And the words she's heard from Yerim's friends two months ago, it overwhelms her.

The fact that she's witnessed how true it was—how important Yerim is more than her—it makes her cry.

It hurts too much, her chest tightens and she couldn't breathe. And for the sixth night since it happened, she couldn't sleep.

Her room feels foreign despite it being the most familiar place to her. She feels uncertain of everything, of everyone.

She doesn't even know who to trust anymore.

Her best friend is currently unreachable for some reason. Her parents are always out. And the one person she's waiting for to give her answers hasn't showed up since that night.

Haechan hasn't called or even texted since the incident.

At this point, she's not expecting anymore. But it still hurts her to think that she'd been brushed aside just like that.

Who am I kidding? She thinks, her mind poisonous for her own good. I'm not important to him.

Her brother Doyoung, who's visiting once again, goes down from his old room towards the kitchen. But he stops midway when he sees a figure on the large couch in their living room.

He furrows his eyebrows and looks to the digital clock on the big white wall ahead. It's 1:03 in the morning.

"Saemi?" He calls softly. "Is that you?"

Saemi attempts to hide her tears, but it's too late because Doyoung sees it.

"Hey, are you okay?" He asks worriedly, walking towards the couch. "Why are you crying?"

She shakes her head, "nothing. It's nothing."

She tries to smile, but it ends up being forced. And her tears fall.

"Hey," Doyoung coos, proceeding to sit beside her. "It's okay. You know you can tell me anything, Saemi bear."

She cries even more when she hears the nickname.

She feels hesitant, unsure if the past her cries like this in front of her brother. But the present her is doing it now, and the present her can't stop the tears.

"Oppa—" she hiccups, struggling to breathe.

"It's alright, it's going to be alright. Just breath, okay?" Doyoung instructs in a hushed tone. "Inhale, exhale."

Saemi follows her brother's instructions and in a matter of seconds, her heartbeat is slowing down. But she's still crying.

Doyoung wraps her in his arms. "What is it? What's the matter? Is it Haechan again?"

The mention of his name pains her, so she holds onto him tightly and nods.

"He's... I... I just don't understand him anymore. He says he doesn't want to marry me, but then he—he kisses me and says he wants me but he can't even break up—"