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DOWNTOWN. chapter twenty-nine | busan.
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"We're here!" Yuta cheered, getting out of his car. The beach was almost empty, but I'd be surprised if it was busy early in the morning. Haeundae Beach was quite a pretty sight in its silence, and as we walked toward it, I felt the familiarity arise. Donghyuck nudged me, trying to comfort me, but I ignored him. The boys all went ahead and screamed at the water, hugging each other.
"Never thought I'd come back here after so long," Chaewon wrapped her arm around my shoulder, bringing me in. I smiled awkwardly, holding back the queasy feeling in my chest. "How about you? Feel like home?"
"Brings back memories," I commented. It hurt to see the waves still crashing against each other, people still having fun, and the earth still orbiting. The earth stopped moving the moment she fell. Everything became hell when I lost her. Busan was foreign territory, a place I promised to never come back to. But, after only a few months, here we are. "Not home. Just a place I once knew."
"Well, we're only here for a few days, so whatever you feel for Busan, don't feel too much of it," Chaewon nuzzled her face closer, but nothing could distract me at the sight of the blue sea. I took a few steps forward, departing from Chaewon, and stood at the foot of the water.
I felt Donghyuck's presence right behind me, but I didn't speak. I crouched down and touched the tide as it rolled in—cold. I swallowed and straightened up, looking at the sun. "I know everything that happened, but Busan has still become so foreign."
"That's what happens when you're faced with trauma. Even when you return to the scene, things will never be exactly the same," He replied. "You can overcome it, but the fight is never really over. Not until the bitter end."
Before I can say anything else, my phone rang. "One second," I muttered, walking back to Donghyuck's car as I answered the call. "Wooyoung, hello. What are you calling for?"
"I don't have much time to speak to you since we're doing a scenic wrap-around, but let me tell you at least this—watch your back," I furrowed my eyebrows hearing his exhale. "They know you're here. How, I don't know, but they know."
