Xliv. Truths Unspoken

( + 🥂 ) ⁺ ˳ ★ cause i dropped your hand while dancing . . .

♩ ⁺ * 𝒴ou won't remember all my champagne problems . . .

like the moodboard? it's a teaser for an upcoming fanfic! make sure u follow me and stay tuned! thank you, bye!! <33

﹒ ʬʬ ﹒₊﹒✶﹑kissin' and hope they caught us﹏ ﹪

like the moodboard? it's a teaser for an upcoming fanfic! make sure u follow me and stay tuned! thank you, bye!! <33

oc by: @the-one-and-only-delphi

xli. threads of fate and regret

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CHAPTER FORTY-ONE ─ threads of fate and regret.

❛ you stood there in front of me, just close enough to touch ❜

Ryu Sunjae's Perspective

Fireworks seemed to go off inside me when I walked into the interview room. A wave of deja vu hit me when the rapid thumping of my heart sounded in my ears just like the first time I found out that Eunyoung was going to interview me. Since the time I started preparing to release 'Sonaki,' all my past feelings slowly began resurfacing. I could envision myself, a lovestruck nineteen year old sitting in my bedroom and writing the song, thinking of Eunyoung and occasionally gazing at her window that was just in front of mine. I kept telling myself that it was just a memory in the past. I couldn't accept the fact that my feelings were exactly the same after fifteen long years.

It felt quite pathetic, to be honest. To think that I spent two years with her by my side, and still never had the guts to tell her how I felt filled me with insurmountable regret. I would have given anything to go back in time and hold on to her. 

Sitting across from her, responding to each question with careful, practiced formality, felt like the most challenging task of my entire career. With every carefully measured word, I felt my resolve slipping, as though the years we spent apart had only heightened this ache within me. It took every ounce of restraint not to close the distance between us, to forget the cameras and the professionalism and tell her just how much I'd missed her.

As I spoke about the song, Sonaki, describing it simply as a memory from my youth, my heart pounded with the urge to reveal the truth. There was a cruel irony in it all, sitting there explaining how the song was about my first love while she remained unaware that she was the muse behind every line, the inspiration behind every note. She was still, unknowingly, my everything.

In my mind, I could see myself breaking the silence, confessing it all—how she had stayed with me, haunting my every step and shaping every melody I'd written since. But in reality, I remained stoic, carefully choosing my words, my gaze avoiding her eyes for fear of giving it all away.

"I used to be a competitive swimmer back in high school. I remember despising it whenever it rained on my way home after a long day of training. But the day I met her was a rainy day. After that day, I mysteriously found myself unable to hate the rain any longer. It was magical, unlike anything I had experienced before," I said, pouring my heart out.

"That's such a beautiful way of expressing your feelings. I'm sure whoever she is would be touched to know it."

"Actually I never got a chance to express my feelings," I confessed with an embarrassed chuckle, "It was an unrequited love."

Choi Yumi's Perspective

I sat nervously shaking my leg in the police station. I had caved and agreed to meet Taesung to help him. The truth was that I wanted to understand him. I wanted to believe more than anything that he was innocent; And if I had the power to prove that he was, then I wanted to pour my heart into this case and win at any cost.

Taesung emerged from behind one of the doors, being dragged by one of the police officers who clutched his jacket with a death grip. The nostalgia was way too obvious for me to ignore. I found myself remembering the last time I saw him sitting across me. His hair was no longer wild and crazy like back then, but a sort of mischief shone in his eyes. A smirk that seemed to ridicule the man dragging him was plastered across his face.

The two sat down across from me, the man glaring at Taesung. For a good few moments I found myself staring at Taesung. Despite the dull, muted tones that replaced his bright biker jackets, he still looked as good as the first day I encountered him outside the music club. I found it quite unfair that I looked like a Tim Burtons character while he looked ready to start a photoshoot.

"So, you're going to help me or not?" he asked right away.

"Depends," I said skeptically, "How exactly did you get yourself into this mess?"

"I have no idea."

"You have to answer seriously or I can't help you."

"So if I answer seriously you'll help me?"

"Just answer the damn question," I sighed, realizing he was just as petty and childish as before, "I haven't got all day."

"My bad," he cleared his throat, "So you know my father is a detective in the Violent Crimes Division, right?"

"Yeah," I replied, feeling curious and anxious at the same time.

"One day he had to go to one of the places where Kim Youngsoo was allegedly hiding. But he suddenly fell sick that day. 102 degree fever; And look, I'm not the biggest fan of my dad, but I couldn't let him go there like that. That's why I went in his place. Then the guy who was supposed to be there with him never showed up."

"That's quite the story."

"I'm not done," he said, "I completed the investigation like he told me to, and I brought the report home. He gave it to the higher ups and everything was fine for a couple of days. Later, we found out that he messed up the dates and the other guy went the day after that. That's when they found my fingerprints all over the place. I tried to explain this to them but they refused to believe me and now I'm here. They don't believe my dad either."

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nana's notes: writing sunjae's pov made me sob he loves her so much T_T when will it be my turn...

delphi's notes: leave it up to taesung to get into that kind of mess 👏

next chapter: saturday (out now!) list of chapters here

xxviii. the aftermath

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CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT ─ the aftermath.

❛ once the flight had flown, with the wilt of the rose ❜

Choi Yumi's Perspective

The surroundings seemed familiar. My mind was clouded with confusion, I couldn't understand what had happened. Moments ago, I remember being on my way home on Taesung's motorcycle, and then we...

"Yumi?" called out Eunyoung's voice which seemed to reflect my puzzled state. That's when I realized where we were. It was our shared apartment in Seoul and we were back to the present. I turned to look at her with furrowed brows, "Check the date quickly!"

She reached for her phone, and the screen displayed 00:02, 1st January, 2023 as the time and date, "What's going on?" she whispered, sounding lost, "This... this means we really time travelled."

"Yeah," I breathed. We had really gone back to the past, to 2008, and now we were back. I stood up to look at the CD player. It displayed 2:00 now instead of 3:00, "What does this mean?" Before I could sit back down, I caught a glimpse of my face in Eunyoung's vanity above her desk. A huge scar on the right side of my face, stretching from my cheek down to my chin. I ran my fingers over it, but there was no odd texture, "W...What's this thing on my face?" I whispered in horror.

I don't quite remember what happened...

❪ flashback ❫

I couldn't make any sense of anything. Where was I? How did I end up there? I had no clue. I could hear loud chattering, someone screaming, the sound of cars passing by in the distance. Then a blaring siren and someone taking me away. What happened after that? I had blacked out completely.

When I opened my eyes all I could see was a white ceiling above me and then the scent of antiseptic hit my nose. Soon, I realized that I was lying down, and my eyes scanned my surroundings. I was wearing a white robe- or was it like a nightgown? I don't have any nightgowns. There were white curtains around the bed I was laying on and that's when the realization hit me like a ton of bricks. I was in a hospital.

The needle piercing through my hand sent a sharp, shooting pain up my arm as I noticed it was there, making me wince. There was a huge white bump I could see on the right side of my face- bandages.

The rest of my memories were in a blur. I could still hear people's voices in the back of my mind.

My mom's voice, screaming, "KIM TAESUNG YOU FUCKING BASTARD!"

Eunyoung's panicked voice and sobs, "Yumi, I'm so sorry..."

My own voice, yelling, "Look what you've done to me! This! This thing on my face is thanks to you! I'm going to have to live with this all my life. So, I'm sorry if the scar on your shoulder is an eyesore. Because that's too fucking bad."

❪ end of flashback ❫

"Don't you remember?" asked Eunyoung after a long pause, "Taesung was dropping you home... and... and then you..." her voice sounded choked and she closed her mouth, realizing it was too painful to remember.

"I think I remember," I said, spacing out. My hand reached to touch the scar again.

"You swore you hated him," added Eunyoung, "You guys had a huge fight. Screaming in the hospital and everything."

"It must have been quite the scene," I bit my lip, recalling the embarrassing memory.

"Yeah," she said. We both sat in the painful silence that hung in the air. The snow pattered against the window, as if it were knocking, asking to be let in.

"I'm sorry," I told her gently, "I'm sorry for all the horrible things I said to you."

"I'm sorry too," she said, reaching for my hand, "It wasn't my place."

"No, it was! It absolutely was!" I cried as the strength returned in my voice, "You're my family and you had the right to be worried. And you were right! He was trouble! And and... and he-"

"Shhh, it's fine," she said, noticing how my voice shook as I spoke, squeezing my hand, "It's over now. It's all forgiven."

Her eyes moved to her phone screen, showing the news article that Eclipse's Ryu Sunjae had passed away. Her eyes widened, then became moist, "It's... I couldn't do anything..."

I could do nothing but gaze painfully at her state, "Look at the display on the Cd player. I'm guessing it means we have two more chances. Two more chances to set things right."

Narrator's Perspective

Waking up and going to work the next morning seemed like too big of a task for me. From the moment the harsh sunlight streaming through the window entered my room, to the shower, it was as if the melody of sonaki rang in my head as tears streamed uncontrollably down my face. It was completely unlike me- I had never felt so pathetic and depressed in my 34 years of living, and I was feeling it now- all at once.

"Adulting is so hard," I grumbled under my breath as I left the house, wearing black because I was grieving. It had barely been a day since I had returned, but my heart ached with desperation and longing. I already missed my daily bus rides with Sunjae, our carefree, almost meaningless conversations. His smiling face and eyes that seemed to me dripping with honey occupied my mind the whole car ride.

"Teenage life was so easy," I muttered to myself as I parked my car and made my way up the elevator.

The moment I opened the door, I saw a sea of people- employees, all clad in black from head to toe. For a moment, I felt a sense of pride. I had made this happen; a team of people who actually gave a damn about journalistic integrity and not just nosy busybodies who wanted to pry into the lives of the rich and elite. A smile almost surfaced on my face when I thought about my slightly dramatic rise to power as I overthrew the previous CEO of The Seoul Daily.

"Ms. Choi," someone called out to me. A familiar face appeared before me as we bowed and exchanged greetings, "Kang Seoyoon, the head of the entertainment department released the article regarding Singer Ryu Sunjae's death because she lives near the hospital he was taken to. Would you like us to start research on the cause?"

The words felt like icicles against my skin- they were too official, so cold that it almost sent a shiver down my spine. I cleared my throat, trying to pull myself together; I then said to her, mustering up all the professionalism in my voice, "Yes, please get started. Tell Seoyoon that it was extremely prompt of her to write the article even though it was after work hours. Thanks."

With a brief nod and bow, she ran off. "You're all doing a really great job!" I cried out to all the hardworking people sitting withing earshot, plastering on my best fake smile, "Keep up the good work and report to me after the front page placements are done."

The news that I heard a while later felt as if someone ran a knife through my heart. Sunjae's cause of death- it was suicide.

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nana's notes: i guess listening to sad kdrama osts makes me work faster 🤧😭

delphi's notes: sunjae needs to get his death pass revoked frfr :(

next chapter: friday (out now!) list of chapters here!

just between us, do you remember it all too well?

like the moodboard? it's a teaser for an upcoming fanfic! make sure u follow me and stay tuned! thank you, bye!! <33

@the-one-and-only-delphi

xxxi. second chances

☾⋆｡𖦹 °✩⋆｡° ✮

CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE ─ second chances.

❛ cause in this city's barren cold, i still remember the fist fall of snow ❜

Narrator's Perspective

There's nothing like a good meal after a long day of work. Eunyoung and Yumi realized the credibility of this statement as they sat at the dining table in their apartment, munching away to glory, not uttering a word until every crumb of food from their plates had disappeared.

"I don't think we need to wash the dishes now," Yumi piped.

"It's not like we have the energy to do that anyways," Eunyoung replied, leaning back in her chair, sighing.

"Don't you sit on your CEO chair and order people around all day?" Yumi teased.

"Are you kidding?" she exclaimed, slightly offended. Her fatigue seemed to have hindered her ability to detect playful sarcasm, "I've been answering a million calls for the past two days, and all the reporters are dying to know all the details of Sunjae..." she trailed off- the words were too painful to utter, "Anyways, it's as if the whole office is working on the same case. Have you ever seen my eyes this puffy. I'm single-handedly improving the income of all tissue paper manufactures."

"God, forget I ever asked," Yumi muttered, putting her hands up.

"Tell me, how's stuff at our office?" Eunyoung changed the topic swiftly, "Any turbulence?"

"I wouldn't say turbulence," answered Yumi thoughtfully, "But this case I'm on right now is straight out of an Agatha Christie novel. This woman's husband got hit by a bus and he died. It seems so simple, but the woman is insisting that he was murdered. I can't tell you more because of attorney-client confidentiality, but it's completely nuts. Like, they should have given this case to- I don't know, Hercule Poirot or Sherlock Holmes, not me. I swear the woman's on crack or something because I've never met someone so ecstatic in my life. Taesung and I barely sat through the interview-"

"Wait wait what did you just say?" Eunyoung asked, suddenly sitting up straight, trying to make sure she didn't mishear Yumi.

"Huh?" Yumi went quiet suddenly, realizing that this was the first time she mentioned Taesung being on the case with her, "Oh, that's right. Kim Taesung is a cop now. Violent crimes division. Who would've imagined? Not me." She let out an unnatural giggle which definitely didn't sound like something that would come out of a sober person's mouth. 

"Girl, you're blabbering slow down," Eunyoung said, leaning on the table between them, looking straight into Yumi's eyes that were staring intently at the floor, "You're saying that Kim Taesung- high school delinquent became a cop? And he's working with you?  What is this? A badly written rom-com?"

"You think I'm making it up?" Yumi ejaculated defensively.

"I- goodness," Eunyoung sighed, her eyes blinking rapidly as her brain tried to digest all this new information, "After fifteen years. And it hasn't even been fifteen years since..."

Her thoughts trailed away. Her eyes landed on the CD player she moved to the living room in the hope that her heart would ache a little less. But there it was, staring down at her. There were a million different thoughts racing through her mind. How much pain must Yumi be in? Things had happened so fast for her, and she had no time to process the shock fully.

A bone-chilling wind entered through the kitchen window, goosebumps erupting on both of their arms. The world seemed to hold it's breath for a moment and the stillness was almost uncomfortable. Then, it started. It had started snowing, and the snow would soon wrap the whole city in a white, icy blanket; And it was just like the night of the Eclipse concert, starting slowly, then transitioning into a full-fledged storm. It wasn't unlike the news of Sunjae's death, that creeped up on her slowly, hardly believable at first and then becoming increasingly every second that passed. 

Eunyoung's hand reached for Yumi's, holding it tightly, "Are you okay?" the question was barely a whisper, because she knew that neither of them were.

"No."

The clock struck twelve, and the display on the CD player flashed, then showed the numbers 2:00. Then the walls around them melted away as they were flung through space and time once again.

💿

"Excuse me, you two girls!" the teacher's voice hollered through the classroom, "Sleeping in class, both of you sisters! Aren't you the slightest bit ashamed?"

Eunyoung and Yumi jerked awake, looking at each other as if to ask, "Is he talking about us?" Eunyoung's eyes took a quick glance at the calendar in the corner of the room. June 2008. She had to stop the sigh of relief from escaping her mouth. Sunjae was alive, and she had another chance to set things right. 

"Stand up when I'm talking to you!" the teacher's voice boomed as they both stood up abruptly, "Go stand at the back of the class! Sleeping while I'm explaining such important concepts... kids these days," he muttered in annoyance as Yumi and Eunyoung moved to the back of the class as a couple of kids snickered at them; But they couldn't care less. They had more pressing matters on their mind. 

I have to set things right. Yumi thought to herself with determination. Heck, she was ready to accept that she liked the stupid boy. She had to save him; Save him from the misery he would face in the future. She wanted to preserve that spark in his eyes, and she was willing to go to any lengths to do it. Ten days had already passed in this timeline. The clock was ticking, and she understood that she had to work fast.

"Why do we always end up in school when we switch timelines?" Eunyoung hissed in frustration as the bell went off.

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nana's notes: here we go! round two.

delphi's notes: they're motivated again guys.

next chapter: saturday (out now!) list of chapters here!

iii. opportunities

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CHAPTER THREE ─ opportunities.

❛ but this is getting good now, he's so tall and handsome as hell ❜

Narrator's Perspective

The final bell pierced the air, a sharp clang that shattered the focused hum of the classroom. A collective sigh rippled through the students, a wave of relief washing over them after a day of lessons, tests, and social navigation. Papers rustled as they're shoved into backpacks, textbooks slammed shut with finality.

A teacher who Eunyoung recognized as the head of the school newspaper approached her as she and Yumi made their way to the gate.

"Eunyoung! I'm so glad I caught you!" she sighed in relief, "There's an article that we need done urgently for next week. It involves interviewing the swimming team regarding the upcoming tournament. I understand you're swarmed in other schoolwork too, but could you cover it this one time? The boy who was supposed to write it is down with chicken pox, and won't be able to complete it."

"Sure Ma'am, it's no hassle," Eunyoung agreed with a smile, her heart swelling up with happiness, "I'll submit it by next week."

"Thank you so much!"

As the teacher left, Yumi stared at Eunyoung with a teasing smile. "I don't remember this happening before."

"This article was given to someone else because I declined it," Eunyoung answered, smiling, "I was never one for sports."

"You're getting used to this era pretty well, I see," the teasing smile was still plastered on Yumi's face.

"I hope you remember that you have piano practice at the music club today," Eunyoung attempted to change the topic.

"I remember it very well," Yumi answered, noticing the shift as well as her sister's flushed face, "Enjoy writing your article," she winked and skipped away.

Eunyoung, a smile playing on her lips, strolled leisurely towards the bus stop. The familiar path triggered a wave of deja vu, a feeling that mirrored her experience earlier that day. It was as if she were walking this very route not for the first time today, but for the hundredth, a memory from fifteen years ago inexplicably resurfacing.

Reaching the bus stop, she was met with the usual chaos - a throng of students jostling for a spot on the overflowing bus. But amidst the sea of uniforms, a single figure caught her eye. There, like a beacon cutting through the crowd, stood Sunjae. His beauty was undeniable - flawless features that seemed sculpted by the gods, and a mess of fluffy hair that cascaded down his forehead. He was a picture of youthful perfection, a vision that both startled and soothed her. 

So, this is the bus he takes... She thought to herself, the fact that she takes the same one slipping her mind completely.

💿

Yumi dragged her feet along the pavement, making her way to the school music club to practice piano. Learning the piano was never something she wanted to do, but continued passively as she loathed the idea of quitting in the middle of learning. She remembers ceasing to practice after law school, which meant she hadn't touched a piano for nearly fifteen years. She couldn't recall her dislike for it, but reckoned that those old emotions would come crashing back to her the second she sat down on her piano stool.

Upon reaching the looming building, she was unable to take any steps inside, but simply gaped at it in silence. It was a place she kept revisiting, every single day, no matter what. Coming to practice consistently was something her younger self had never challenged, but now as she viewed life from a different lens, that had been weathered by adversities, she began to question if there was any meaning in these recurring religious visits.

Drawing up the courage from an unknown source within her, she entered the building with a blank, bored face. Sitting down at the waiting area outside the various practice rooms, she dug out her music sheets from her backpack, attempting at familiarizing herself with them after being parted for dog ages. 

Then suddenly, a cry of agitation diverted her focus to the source of the sound. 

"Yah! Kim Taesung! I can't believe you're late again!" Inhyuk scolded the boy.

Yumi turned her head the other way to find out who he was looking at. Her eyes fell upon a messy-looking boy- seemingly from her school, wearing just a white shirt with no tie and a bright red biker jacket. His hair fell loosely on his face, ruffled by the wind. He had a cat-like face and a cheeky demeanour as he smiled sheepishly at Inhyuk, "Let me go this time, I really got stuck in traffic."

"What bullshit," Inhyuk countered, "It doesn't even take 10 minutes to walk from school to here. Quit dilly-dallying and get your act together."

Taesung scoffed and murmured another apology.

Just then, a strong gust of wind blew through the open door, and the music sheets on which Yumi's grip had loosened while staring at the unknown boy, scattered across the floor. Both Inhyuk and Taesung lunged to grab them in time before they could fly away while Yumi closed the door. Taesung gathered the sheets from the ground and from Inhyuk and handed them to her.

"Here," he said. Yumi looked up at his eyes creased with a smile. All she could do was stare at his face blankly.

Why am I behaving like this?

"Thank you," she mumbled and took the sheets and made a run for the piano room.

"How odd..." Taesung muttered under his breath.

💿

"So, what, you just stared at his face?" Eunyoung questioned after Yumi narrated the events of that day.

"I said thank you after," Yumi corrected, unsure of what to feel.

"How polite," Eunyoung said thoughtfully, "What about Inhyuk, did you talk to him?"

"What do you think?" Yumi retorted, "I need a reason to talk to him."

"I guess," she answered, "What about the other guy? You think he knows Sunjae?"

"I don't know," Yumi confessed, "Guess I'll have to find out."

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nayoung's notes: taesung cat agenda is going to continue throughout this book btw. hope you enjoyed reading this! 

delphi's notes: let's go taesung debut! the best thing is that yumi just freezes when she sees him lmfao. she's so real for that.

@the-one-and-only-delphi

next chapter: saturday! (out now) list of chapters here!

࣪𓇻 ݁ㅤׂ if a man talks sh!t then i owe him nothing . . .

ྀི ⁺ ͙۪ 🥀 i don't regret it one bit cause he had it coming

like the moodboard? it's a teaser for an upcoming fanfic! make sure u follow me and stay tuned! thank you, bye!! <33

oc by: @the-one-and-only-delphi

xxxv. tunnel vision

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CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE ─ tunnel vision.

❛ we got nothing else to do, and nothing else to lose ❜

Narrator's Perspective

Eunyoung stood at Sunjae's doorstep, her backpack hanging from one shoulder as her legs shook nervously. The truth was that she was so insanely anxious. It was a foreign feeling to Eunyoung who tends to look at the positive aspect of every situation. But her stupid little crush on Sunjae had her considering all the horrible possibilities by which she could screw up. What if she stuttered and stammered like an idiot? What if she was too distracted and couldn't help Sunjae at all? All these trivial matters occupied her mind as she fidgeted with her clothes.

She then remembered the previous night...

Eunyoung paced around her room biting her lip in frustration. After all the lengths she went to to prevent Sunjae's death, nothing had changed in the future. He was still dead. And time was running out. Depression. Suicide. These words rang in her mind in an endless loop. They made her heart twist and ache unbearably. What could he possibly have been going through for him to make such a decision? 

Fear crept in her mind. The future seemed to be advancing like a hungry beast, ready to take Sunjae away from her once again. Then, all of a sudden, like a light had been turned on in her brain, she had an idea. Her eyes shifted to her window, which was facing Sunjae's. His window was open, and no one seemed to be there inside. 

She scrambled through her drawers and pulled out a blank, blue sheet.

"I know life's tough sometimes. It feels like everything is falling apart and the world has turned it's back. But you need to hold on to hope. Lean on your loved ones. Because they're the ones who are always rooting for you."

She poured her heart out onto the paper and made a bunch of  folds. Eunyoung herself was amazed at her memory and at how her mind suddenly pulled out everything she learnt from some random origami workshop she attended. Everything had gone through one ear and come out through another. But, somehow she seemed to remember just one thing. Paper airplanes. Destiny had been working in strange ways, leading her to Sunjae.

Then, she did one of the most irrational things in her life. She leaned on her window sill and threw the paper airplane as she watched it land inside his house.

Taking in a deep breath, Eunyoung reached out and rang the doorbell. She waited before the blue gate till Sunjae's father emerged from the main entrance of their house and approached her with a wide, toothy grin. Eunyoung returned his smile. It had been a while since she had seen his father and she was glad to see his warm greeting.

"Oh, come in, dear," he said, unlatching the front door.

As they stepped into the house, her father motioned her to sit down. Sitting down on the little sofa in the center of their living room. It was a cozy little dwelling, with warm lamps and light bulbs and a brown carpet lying across the floor.

"So, Eunyoung," his father began, "What brings you here?"

"I'm here to help Sunjae with math," the moment those words fell out of Eunyoung's mouth, Sunjae's father's expression suddenly turned grave. She chuckled at the worry on his face.

"Ah, yes," he said, sounding embarrassed, "It is quite a... ehh... shameful thing. He got an earful from me already."

"Nothing to worry about, really," she said with a small laugh, "He'll catch up soon."

"Well, if there's anyone who can help him, it's you!"

While Eunyoung's ears turned red at Sunjae's blind faith in her abilities, she heard a thudding as Sunjae's tall figure emerged from a flight of stairs. He was dressed in simple, black track pants and a navy blue tshirt, and yet Eunyoung's eyes turned wide. The mere sight of him made her feel like her heart would jump out of her chest.

"Sorry I kept you waiting," he said sheepishly, shooting her a dimpled smile that she hadn't seen in far too long. His smile never failed to fill her heart with a comfortable warmth that she could easily get used to. A blush crept up her cheeks that she tried her best to hide.

"Nonsense," she waved her hand in front of her face, "Your father is a great conversationalist."

"Pfft!" his dad laughed heartily, "You flatter me."

"Should we get started?" Sunjae interrupted rather impatiently. His dad smiled knowingly, aware of his eagerness to spend time with Eunyoung.

"Oh, yes let's do that."

They made their way up the stairs, then entered Sunjae's bedroom. The door shut with a thud behind them, and they were alone at last. Eunyoung scanned his room briefly, a smile surfacing on her lips. There were trophies, certificates, medals on display and her eyes lingered on the photos of Sunjae. 

"There's a lot of blue in here," she observed. Suddenly, her smile grew wider as she spotted the blue paper from the paper airplane she had sent the previous day.

"My favorite color," Sunjae said, the words basically fumbled out of his mouth. His heart was pounding in his chest, daring to jump out any second. His gaze lingered on Eunyoung. She wore a pair of dark blue, comfortable-looking jeans with a dusty pink top. She looked as pretty as ever, with her long, flowing hair and sparkling eyes. He quickly looked away, feeling the warmth on his face.

They sat down at his desk, and Sunjae's lethargic and sloth-like movement indicated his unwillingness to study. The truth was that if he could, he could sit and stare at Eunyoung in admiration for the rest of his life. Snapping out of his trance, he blinked his eyes rapidly and took out his math textbooks .

"What are your grades like in other subjects?" she inquired, turning to look at him.

"A B is probably the most I've ever gotten," he answered, his ears turning red in shame. This wasn't exactly the side of himself he wanted Eunyoung to know.

The small, rather elegant chuckle that escaped her mouth filled his ears, "You don't have to look so embarrassed, Sunjae, I'm here to help you, not judge you."

There it was again. She had such a way with words, the way she weaved them just the right way. Her words never failed to be a source of strength for him. This newfound vulnerability filled him with a sense of comfortability instead of the usual unease and fear that came with opening up to someone.

"So, what do you hate most about math?"

"Algebra," he said, sounding quite petrified.

"Then let's start with that."

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nana's notes: sunjae's dad being the best wingman ever.

delphi's notes: FEAR OF ALGEBRA IS SO REALL. eunyoung you demon.

next chapter: saturday (out now) list of chapters here!

lv. in the shadows

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CHAPTER FIFTY-FIVE ─ in the shadows.

❛ oh this place is the same as it ever was but you don't like it ❜

Narrator's Perspective

The members of Eclipse sat around a small coffee table on mismatched couches and chairs in Inhyuk's humble abode. The walls stained with water leakages and chipping paint were filled with posters and random picture frames. A white electric fan was plugged in in one corner of the room filled the place with a constant whirring sound that cut through their silence. All of them knew what there was to discuss. They were just waiting for someone to bring it up.

Their equipment- drums, guitars, a piano and mics, crowded the tiny room that seemed too small with the four of them there. When they had the Jagam School Music Club to practice, things were different. But now that they used their own practice space, their dream of being a famous band seemed unrealistic and childish. Everyone was this close to calling it quits, yet none of them had the heart to voice their concerns. So Sunjae, Inhyuk, Taesung and Jay sat in silence, staring at the instruments longingly.

"I don't think I'll be able to stay till the university festival," Inhyuk spoke at last, "I'm not able to pay rent here, and my parents are calling me back to my village. I'm also going to have to drop out of college. I'm really sorry guys."

"I've also been thinking of calling it quits," Taesung said, placing a hand on his guitar, "It all seems a little pointless now."

His joy for playing the guitar had diminished after everything that went down with Yumi. While teaching Yumi, he had hit a high point in his life. It felt amazing to pass on his skill to someone he cared so much about. After the accident, the guitar seemed almost heavy in his arms, like a burden he had to carry along with the guilt of hurting Yumi. The scar on his face was a constant reminder of his mistake.

"If you all are leaving..." Jay couldn't get himself to finish his sentence.

Sunjae stood up in disbelief, "So, that's it?" he asked, frowning, "You're all just going to sulk and give up because a few things didn't go your way? Is that all this meant to you? Come on, we're better than this!"

"You don't get it, Sunjae," Inhyuk said wearily, "It's not going to work. In fact it's not been working for a while now. We just need to accept it now"

💿

"What was so important that we had to meet like this?" Taesung asked, staring down at the cracked pavement beneath his sneakers. His voice carried a mix of irritation and curiosity. "It feels like I'm doing a drug deal."

The sun hung mercilessly in the afternoon sky, its rays sharp and unrelenting. The heat wrapped around him like an unwelcome second skin, and sweat clung to his brow before trickling down the side of his face. The neighborhood was eerily quiet—no kids playing, no distant hum of lawnmowers—just the oppressive weight of midsummer silence. Most people had wisely chosen to stay indoors, leaving the two of them alone on the deserted street.

"Oh, and you'd know how a drug deal works?" Eunyoung quipped, folding her arms across her chest. Her voice had the usual teasing edge, but it was undercut by an unusual tension. She had something important to say—something that had been eating at her—but now that she was here, face-to-face with Taesung, she found herself second-guessing her decision. Could she really trust him with this?

"What did you want to ask me?" Taesung pressed, letting her taunt roll off him like water off a duck's back. He was used to her jabs by now; they were as routine as the rising sun. He sighed, his gaze flickering up to meet hers. "You didn't drag me out here just to be annoying, right?"

"Well..." Eunyoung hesitated, her eyes darting away. Her fingers fidgeted with the hem of her shirt as she tried to gather her thoughts. "Your dad is a cop, right?"

"Yeah," Taesung replied, his brow furrowing slightly. His voice carried a note of suspicion now. "Why?"

"How do I know?" Eunyoung echoed his unspoken question, as though anticipating it. "Yumi told me," she said simply, as if that explained everything.

"Of course she did," he muttered under his breath, shaking his head.

"When are you going to man up and tell her how you feel?" Eunyoung asked abruptly, her tone sharp and cutting through the heavy air. She leaned closer, her expression equal parts exasperation and challenge. It was a question she'd been holding back for too long, but her patience had finally worn thin. Ever since the accident, Taesung's feelings for Yumi had been impossible to ignore. They hovered around him like a shadow, obvious to everyone but him. "How long am I supposed to act like I don't see what's going on?"

Taesung froze, caught off guard. His ears turned a vivid shade of red, and he stammered, "Is that what you wanted to ask me?"

"This discussion isn't over," Eunyoung warned, narrowing her eyes. "But no, that's not why I asked you here." She straightened, her playful tone replaced by something heavier.

"You mentioned my dad," Taesung reminded her, seizing the opportunity to steer the conversation away from the uncomfortable subject of Yumi. "What about him?"

"Right," Eunyoung said, exhaling a shaky breath. She rubbed the back of her neck, avoiding his gaze. "I... know someone who's been involved in some crimes, and I need someone trustworthy to help catch them."

"There's no one better than my dad for that," Taesung said, his tone even. It was clear he wasn't saying it out of admiration, just cold fact. "What kind of crimes?"

"Oh, you know..." Eunyoung mumbled, glancing at the ground as though it might provide her an escape. "Money laundering, gambling... that sort of thing."

"What?!" Taesung's eyes widened in shock. His voice pitched up, the incredulity plain on his face. "What's any of that got to do with you?"

Eunyoung hesitated again, her fingers twisting together. The truth hovered on the tip of her tongue, but she swallowed it down. "I'm not sure I should say," she murmured, doubt flickering across her face.

"It's fine," Taesung said gently. His voice softened, as though sensing her unease. "I'm not going to tell anyone."

Eunyoung took a deep breath, bracing herself. "It's my dad," she confessed quietly, the words heavy in the summer air. "My dad's the criminal."

Taesung froze, his expression shifting from surprise to something deeper—shock mixed with disbelief. His mouth opened as if to respond, but no words came out. What was there to say to a revelation like that?

"He came to see me the other day," Eunyoung continued, her voice steady despite the knot tightening in her chest. She couldn't tell him the truth—that she knew about her father because she was from the future. Instead, she stuck to the story she'd prepared. "He told me everything. He wanted me to convince my mom to lend him some money, but I refused and walked away."

For a long moment, Taesung said nothing. Then he nodded slowly, his expression unreadable. "I can get you in touch with my father," he said quietly. "He'll know what to do."

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nana's notes: someone send help-

delphi's notes: shit's bout to go down