Missing your presence | Yeongyu | Beomjun |

9 | Letting go |

Author's POV

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The next few days were surprisingly quiet. Heeseung had seemingly disappeared from their lives after that last confrontation. Though neither Yeonjun nor Beomgyu had heard from him, they couldn't deny the lingering weight of his presence. But, despite the unease, they continued to focus on each other, determined to keep moving forward.

It was a Thursday afternoon when everything finally came to a head.

Yeonjun and Beomgyu were sitting in their usual spot at the park after school, their hands intertwined as they talked about their weekend plans. The sun was setting, casting a warm golden light over them, and for the first time in a while, everything felt peaceful.

Until Heeseung appeared.

Beomgyu spotted him first, tensing up beside Yeonjun. Heeseung approached slowly, his hands shoved deep into his pockets, his face unreadable.

Yeonjun immediately stiffened, his grip tightening around Beomgyu's hand. "What do you want, Heeseung?" he asked, his voice sharp.

Heeseung stopped a few feet away from them, his gaze flicking between the two of them before settling on Yeonjun. He looked tired, defeated even. There was none of the usual confidence or mischief in his eyes—just a sense of resignation.

"I'm not here to cause trouble," Heeseung said quietly. "I just... I need to talk to you both. One last time."

Beomgyu frowned, glancing at Yeonjun, who gave a reluctant nod. "Alright," Yeonjun said, though his tone remained wary. "Say what you need to say."

Heeseung took a deep breath, exhaling slowly before speaking. "I owe you both an apology. A real one this time. I've been selfish. I was so caught up in my own feelings for you, Yeonjun, that I didn't care who I hurt along the way. I thought... I thought if I could just get your attention again, things would go back to how they used to be. But I see now that I was wrong."

Yeonjun's expression softened slightly, though he remained guarded. "What changed?"

Heeseung let out a small, bitter laugh. "I realized that no matter what I do, I can't change how you feel. You've moved on. You're happy with Beomgyu, and nothing I say or do is going to change that." He looked over at Beomgyu then, his voice softening. "I'm sorry for everything, Beomgyu. For using you, for trying to manipulate you. You didn't deserve any of it."

Beomgyu, who had been silent up until now, nodded slowly. "I appreciate the apology, Heeseung. But you hurt both of us—badly. You can't just apologize and expect everything to be okay."

"I know," Heeseung admitted. "I don't expect forgiveness. I just wanted to say my piece. I've been doing a lot of thinking, and... I realize now that I need to let go. You're right—I can't just show up and try to force something that isn't there anymore."

Yeonjun watched him carefully, searching for any sign of insincerity. But for the first time, Heeseung seemed genuine. He wasn't playing games or trying to manipulate them. He was just a guy finally realizing that he couldn't win back what he'd lost.

"I think that's for the best," Yeonjun said after a long pause. "We all need to move on."

Heeseung nodded, his expression a mix of relief and sadness. "I'll leave you two alone from now on. I promise."

There was an awkward silence between them before Heeseung finally took a step back, offering them a small, sad smile. "Goodbye, Yeonjun. Beomgyu. I really do hope you two are happy."

With that, Heeseung turned and walked away, disappearing down the park path without looking back. The air felt lighter once he was gone, like a storm cloud had finally cleared.