She wanted to stay. To say something. Anything.
But the set of his shoulders. The rigid line of his spine.
He was shutting down.
Building the walls back up.
Brick by brick.
So she left.
But the sound of his voice.
The pain in those lyrics.
It stayed with her.
★☆★☆★☆
Soorin didn't sleep that night.
She lay in bed at her parents' house. Staring at the ceiling.
Replaying the song in her head.
The way his voice broke on certain words.
The way he'd looked at her.
Like she'd seen something she wasn't supposed to.
Something sacred.
Something shameful.
Her phone buzzed.
She grabbed it.
Daehyun.
[You awake?]
[Yeah. Can't sleep.]
[Same. Want to talk?]
[Not really.]
[What's wrong?]
She hesitated.
Then typed.
[I heard something tonight. At AUREYA.]
[What?]
[Can't say. But it's messing with my head.]
[Is it about the stalker stuff?]
[No. Something else.]
[You okay?]
[I don't know.]
Three dots appeared. Disappeared. Appeared again.
