Everyone had gathered at the Na's household, even Renjun's parents. They had all just gotten back from the police station looking for any updates. The police said nothing more could be done and they were going to have to close the case.
"We can't do anything more. There's nothing to be done," Mrs. Na says, reaching over and grabbing Mrs. Huang's hand who started crying.
Her son looks so much like her. The way the tears fall from the eyes, the pained expression on their faces when their hearts' shatter.
"We can't give up," Jaemin interjects, anger in his tone.
"Jaemin sweetie there's nothing more that can be done," Mrs. Na tries to reason.
"No! We can't just give up on him. We can't-,"
He couldn't finish his sentence, the lump in his throat was too big and no words would come out. The pain I felt in my heart was almost too much to bare as tears filled my eyes. I quickly wipe them.
"Jaemin, there's nothing we can do," his mother responds. Jaemin lets out a pained sob and runs out of the room. Moments later we all heard the door slam.
Jeno begins to get up to go after him but Mrs. Na stops him.
"Let him be alone for right now. He needs time to himself." He nods and moves over to the couch to comfort the two women.
"Hey, are you okay," Chenle asks, approaching me. I look over at him. He looked tired and emotionally drained. Jisung felt another tug at his heart but he decided to ignore it.
"Y-Yeah, I'm fine," I say returning my gaze to the scene on the couch. Chenle sits down next to me. Silence overtakes us and the room is filled with the sounds of weeping.
"You know, not only Jaemin lost something that day," I say, looking over at Chenle. He looks back at me in confusion.
"You lost something too. You lost your cousin, your own blood. You wouldn't even be here right now if he hadn't asked you to come." Chenle just nods and doesn't say anything. My next words shocked him and myself.
"Are you okay, Chenle?"
Chenle looks over at me in surprise. In our short friendship, Chenle seemed to be the only one that cared. He was used to my cold personality. Chenle feels his cheeks begin to heat.
"I'm alright. It's hard, you know, losing someone you care about. I just keep thinking that he's somewhere out there and that he could still be alive and I can't do anything about it," Chenle explains and my eyes never leave his face. I felt bad for the younger. He didn't deserve this.
"Yeah," I say but it sounds far away. I try to tear my eyes away from Chenle but I couldn't.
Are you beginning to care for him? Jisung, you can't. Remember, he's just a part of your ultimate plan. He means nothing to you.
"I have to go find Jaemin," I say, standing up. I turn back to Chenle who was staring at me.
"Forget this happened. You mean nothing to me."
He means nothing, nothing at all. He'll get in the way of your plans.
I exit the house, wondering where to look for Jaemin. It doesn't take me long before I discover a trail of snowy footprints and begin to follow them.
They lead to the tree house, a place neither of us have been in years, not since Jaemin left. Both of us had forgotten about the place where our friendship was founded but it seemed Jaemin remembered.
I slowly climb up the rope latter and into the small wooden structure that both of us have outgrown.
I looks over at Jaemin who was staring out of the window and hear a small sniffle come from him.
"Jaemin," I call out. He looks over at me, tear streaks on his face. His nose agitated and he was shivering from the cold.
I scoot closer to him, giving him the jacket I held in my hands. He wraps his arms around me and begins to cry. I was surprised by his actions but I slowly put my hands around him.
"I miss him Ji. I don't want to give up but I know I have to. He's gone and I can never get him back. I don't want to give him up," Jaemin says through tears. My heart pulls at the sadness in his tone.
"It'll be okay Jae. Everything will work itself out. He's in a good place," I say, trying to sound sympathetic, patting his back.
"Jisung, don't leave me please. Three people have already left and I can't lose you too," he says.
"I won't, Jae."
He squeezes me a little tighter.
"Just us together, like old times."
"Like old times," Jisung says, his eyes wet with tears.
