try-hard •sunki au•

thirty-two

Riki closed the door behind him, walking closer to the pile of broken seats. He can clearly see someone's elbow peeking from the corner.

“Is that you? Sunoo?” He speaks again.

He heard something fell off before the person moved, slowly revealing himself to Riki. It was indeed Sunoo.

He was drenched in sweat, probably because he was hiding inside this room for so long. His eyes were red and puffy witg traces of dried tears in his cheeks. His shirt were wrinkled and his hair messy. He looked like as if he was assaulted on his way here.

Riki felt a sudden pain in his chest, as if someone has pinched his heart. He didn't like this image of Sunoo.

“Sunoo—”

The sophomore stepped back, avoiding his touch.

“Stay away from me.”

Riki froze, staring at the older. Sunoo's tears started falling off his eyes again.

“It is your fault, did you know?” Sunoo asked, his voice filled with remorse. “If you only didn't push yourself too much into me, there will be no rumors.”

Sunoo stared back at him, their gaze meeting. Riki cannot understand the pool of emotions swimming into the older's eyes.

“I've told you many times to stay away, Riki! Stay away from me!” The sophomore speaks. “Just because you know you can never be the center of judgment! Just because you know you can never be the target of—”

“I...I don't understand,” Riki said, stuttering. “Sunoo, I came here to find you.”

Riki stepped forward, trying to reach for the older's hand. But Sunoo only pushed him away.

“Stay away from me!” Sunoo shouted.

“Please,” Sunoo cried, “Just go...go away and never show yourself again.”

“Sunoo,” Riki called, looking so confuse.

Up until now, no one has ever told him what's going on. Why is everyone acting weird? Why is Sunoo being like this?

Riki can only watch as Sunoo breaks down on the floor, crying his eyes out. He wanted to get closer, help the older and comfort him, but he was still processing all the words that left Sunoo's lips.

“I don't want to see you ever again,” Sunoo said in between his cries.

Riki wanted to ask why, but the words were trapped in his throat.

Stay away from Sunoo? How can he ever do that when all he wanted is to get close to him?

Perhaps even closer than they ever have.

+++

Jungwon tiredly sits on the floor outside their dorm holding his phone on his hands.

“How's Sunoo?”

“He's already past asleep,” Jungwon said, trying to be as quiet as possible.

It has already been an hour and a half after Riki have found him. Thankfully, Jungwon saw them at the abandoned room and he was able to get Sunoo before he ran away again.

He took Sunoo back in the dorms, tried to feed him and comforted him until the older finally fell asleep with dried tears in his cheeks.

“How's Riki?” Jungwon asked.

There was a long pause on the other line.

“I don't know how to tell him,” Jay said. “Heeseung's been trying to make him understand but even Heeseung didn't know the whole story behind Sunoo's sudden outburst.”

Jungwon sighed.

“I can explain for him tomorrow at lunch,” Jungwon said. “He looked like he really need to know all the behind stories for him to fully understand.”

“But are you okay?” Jay suddenly ask. “You sound tired, you should also go to sleep.”

Jungwon remained silent as he tried to blink the tears away.

“Jungwon?”

Jungwon tried hard to not make a noise as he wiped a few tears that escaped.

“It was not your fault, don't feel guilty about it again,” Jay speaks from the other line.

No matter how Jay repeats all those words, a part of Jungwon will always blame himself. If only he didn't gave Sunoo that trauma when they're in middle school.

“Do you want me to go there?”

“No,” Jungwon quickly declines. “You've done enough to help me today, you should also go and get some rest.”

“But if you ever need so—”

“Good night, Jay-ah,” Jungwon said before ending the call.

He stood up from the floor, wiped his cheeks to make sure there were no traces of tears, before he opened the door and walked back inside the room.

tengyu_