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"oh gosh why am i tearing up", haechan, lee donghyuck, wiped the tears that started collectively rolling down his chin with the sleeve of his sweater. "i'm so sorry i got carried away"
myeong too began emotional at the boy's story he had willingly shared to her. the pain of losing someone close can be unbearable, especially considering the strong bond between the two.
"do you need a h-hug?", myeong offered.
〄
the pizza had gotten cold but worry not because the mighty donghyuck has his own microwave to make the cheese ooey and gooey again, cheese pull! the two shared the unopened hawaiian pizza and leftover pepperoni one and ate it at haechan's small yellow table by the corner.
myeong took her first bite and then it hit her, she should probably look for the flyers once again and trace the pizzeria his father works for.
"what's wrong? is it not good?"
myeong was still struggling with her words so she pulled out her phone and texted haechan.
myeong: wait a sec. myeong: just getting something in my dorm i'll be right back
"okay, take your time"
myeong was uneasy seeing her dorm open; she probably left it like that when she passed out. the girl looked for the red flyer she had gotten the pizzeria's number from earlier. she hurried and went back to haechan's, the folded piece of paper secured inside the pocket of her grey pants.
the lee haechan looked at his wall clock that read 3:06, wow, they have been together for that long.
myeong entered his dorm and paused, albeit reluctantly, she thought that this is probably the right time to finally enlighten him about her condition, perhaps she could find herself being comfortable speaking with him too like how she's doing fine with her halmeoni and donghyun. with every ounce of courage, she let out a tiny "hi"
"do i sound weird?" her voice was barely audible but it didnt matter to haechan since he could hear her well enough. if anything, he felt more than happy because this is good progress–
"yes, myeong. thank you." he has now gained her trust and he isn't planning on losing it, losing her.
"uhhh.. how do i start" myeong took the folded flyer from her pocket and handed it out to the confused haechan. "that number, that's the telephone number of the pizzeria my father is working for", her voice was hushed still and in an almost whisper manner making the conversation known only to the two of them.
"the man from earlier is my father. it has been years since i last saw him, as i was practically disowned by both my parents. to put it simply, my mother was abusive towards me, and i never felt loved by her. we were all distant from each other while living under the same roof, and i can hardly recall a single instance where we ate dinner together. wow, i've talked quite a lot now haven't i? after years of not being able to talk to just anyone, i'm relieved to take these small steps out of my comfort zone." myeong let out a genuine smile,
"i haven't had real friends, i haven't had fake ones either—that is until i met donghyun.
remember my first text message to you? i actually saw mother that day in the car, i'm sorry i got mad at you.."
"oh, it's all good now, dont worry, i wasn't upset for long and you already apologized, it's enough", haechan reassured the nervous girl.
"that must be hard, i'm honestly speechless right now. how do i comfort you? do you want me to make you something, juice?", haechan offered.
"water works fine, thank you."
alright.
〄
they somehow connected through their shared past experiences, a mutual sense of emptiness caused by the loss of someone they care about. haechan with his deceased sister, and myeong with both her parents leaving her.
