"Lina..." reality hit Yunho in that moment. She looked prepared to set off as if she wasn't going to leave a trail of baggage behind.
Her head snapped into the direction of his voice, not truly registering whom it belonged to.
Lina's eyes widened when they met with Yunho's. This wasn't supposed to happen. His face looked like he'd just been betrayed. She made him look that way; it's all her fault. "Yu..." his name got lost on her tongue.
"Don't leave." He begged, taking a step closer slowly. "Don't leave." He repeated.
Lina didn't know what to say, hence the reason why she wanted to leave abruptly. Her mouth hung open with the words dancing on the tip of her tongue but there was an emotional barrier forcing them backwards.
"You were really gonna do it. You were gonna leave without saying anything. You told San not to tell me." The sentences came out short and lagged. He wanted to scream at the top of his lungs, asking why, why would she do this.
Lina gulped forcefully, pushing down the sudden flow of guilt building up. "I had to."
Yunho flinched at her words, not because they hurt him, but because it's what he didn't want to hear. "Just don't go."
"Yunho, I need to. I can't stay here anymore."
He scoffed, "You know what, Lina, you're a hypocrite." He was now looking down at her, only inches away, "You blamed me for abandoning you and I put my hands up and owned up to it, I apologized and took the fault, I even did everything I could to make it up to you. Look around, Lina. What are you doing right now? You're doing the exact thing that you hated me for years for doing. Not only that, but you're taking it the extra mile by moving country." His blood was beginning to boil. How dare she? He inched his face closer to hers, "All because you're afraid of feelings."
If it wasn't for the support of her suitcase, Lina was pretty sure her legs would have given out. He was right and she knew it. She is a hypocrite. "I'm sorry." Was all she could utter.
Yunho wanted to throw his hands about and stomp his feet in a tantrum, he wanted to yell at her, telling her he hated her for doing this, but his cowardice stopped him. Instead, he wrapped his heavy arms around her, restricting any kind of protest from the girl. He buried his nose in the top of her head as he shook his own.
Lina tried to escape but Yunho's grip only tightened. "I'm not letting you go. I'm not letting you abandon me."
Lina's face was flush against his chest, helping her hide the tears that brimmed her eyes. "I need you to keep studying, okay?" She completely disregarded his words. "Get into college and make your father proud like you've been wanting to do forever. And give your mother a chance, don't dwell on the past." Yunho ignored her and just embraced her closer, "I need you to listen to me, Yunho. I don't want you to be upset when I'm gone. We will always be friends, and it's not like I'm going forever."
"Did you not think I at least deserved a goodbye?" He whispered. It was as if the world around them didn't exist, they were the only ones present in that moment. "You're supposed to be my saviour."
Every syllable that was pulled from his lips were only causing more needles to penetrate Lina's heart; she hated it. "I needed you to forget me, to hate me so it won't hurt as much."
"I could never hate you." He pulled away, his hands resting on her shoulders as he bore all of his emotions onto her from his eyes, "because I love you."
Lina winced at those words, shuddering from the heavy weight it put onto her shoulders. She shook her head, trying to free her body from its frozen state. "No you don't."
"I do." He assured, "In fact, I think I've loved you for longer than I like to admit."
"I said, you don't." She snapped, her eyebrows furrowing. She couldn't go through with this, not again.
Yunho dropped his arms to his sides. He was hurt to say the least, "L-Lina, y-you can't just decide people's feelings for them."
"I can when I know you're lying. You should have just let me leave."
"What did I do wrong? Tell me why won't you just let me love you. What could really be so bad about the idea of someone caring for you? Are you so masochistic that you don't even let people treat you right because you've somehow convinced yourself you don't deserve it? If that's the case, what did you do that was so bad that you don't deserve love, that you don't deserve me?!" He was on the verge of tears and all he wanted was answers.
"Gate G is now open and ready to be departed shortly." An announcement called.
A frown formed on Lina's lips. "Take care of yourself." She muttered as she shrugged away from his contact.
"Lina..." he cried, "please."
"I have to go."
"I love you." He repeated over and over as she slung her bags over her shoulders and readied her suitcase. "I don't care if you don't feel the same way, just please don't go, I need you. Just tell me what I can do." He grabbed her hand before she could walk away. "Please."
I love you too... "I'll miss you." She pulled away from him and turned around, walking away as a single tear dribbled down her cheek shamelessly.
Whereas Yunho was stuck in place, watching as her figure descended into the crowd, soon become just a figment of his memory. This was real life and he hated it, he hated her for leaving despite the reason why. He understood it was because her father was sick so he'll never blame her, but the fact that she chose to leave without a single word spoken to him, that broke his heart just as much as watching her leave.
He wasn't gonna have any hard feelings towards her, mainly because he knew that was her plan. He knew that for some odd reason, Lina wanted Yunho to hate her, but that could never happen, not in a million years,
He must have spent another ten minutes just standing there, expecting Lina to run back into his arms and rant to him about how she made a mistake, but that never came. "She's really gone..." his heart felt as if it dropped to his stomach when his surroundings were becoming more graphic around him, his head was turning in all directions as he found his way out of the airport; he was struggling to find his reality.
Getting back into his car, he slammed the door shut with all of his force before gripping the steering wheel so hard that his knuckles bled white while his head bumped against them repeatedly. Why didn't he just listen to her. she told him repeatedly that nothing good will come out of loving her, and yet he was stupid enough to think that he was special, that he could change her. Now he only thinks that he was pathetic for believing so.
Breaking the pity train of thoughts that occupied his mind, was the buzz of his phone ringing in his pocket. Sniffling, he answered briefly, trying to hide the fact that he was slowly breaking down. "Hello?"
Apparently his attempt wasn't good enough. A heavy sigh was heard on the other end, "Yunho, I'm sorry."
"San-ah." he cried, his forehead pressed against the steering wheel, "I couldn't stop her."
-
Finally arriving back home, Yunho didn't feel like speaking to anyone, all he wanted to do was fall into the comfort of his bed.
All plans washed down the drain when he spotted his mother in the kitchen, seemingly cleaning. When she realized someone walked in, she turned around to spot her son staring into nothingness. She abandoned the supplied she was using and hesitantly approached him, soon taking note of his red tear stained cheeks and his trembling bottom lip. she wanted to embrace him but was too afraid of the emotional pain she gets whenever he flinches and pulls away from her.
She held out her hand, as if to touch him, put doesn't move further. "Yunho..." her voice was soft and calming.
Yunho's glossy eyes met her sympathetic ones. He'd never witnessed that look in her eyed before and the smooth tone of her voice. it lured him closer to her, feeding his craving for maternal warmth. "Mummy." this time he didn't hesitate to fall into her embrace.
Mrs Jeong froze on the spot for a few seconds, not truly believing the situation, before bringing him closer softly. She rubbed comforting circles on his back as she allowed him to sob on her shoulder. "I've just lost my best friend." he muttered after he calmed down a bit. "She didn't even hesitate."
His mother's hand lagged when she ran her fingers through his hair, not sure if he would feel comfortable but to her surprise he only melted further into her touch. "I'm so sorry." she spoke, "For everything."
"I don't care." Yunho replied, lifting his head from her shoulder and facing the woman he has feared for as long as he can remember. "I just need my mother right now."
-