★ | #74 | 7:37pm
"i'll see you soon."

.𖥔  ݁˖ nicole's radio station
is now playing...

think of me once in a while • take care
there are no lyrics to this song.

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THE closing ceremony for the tournament had finally come to an end, the time there being 8:37pm. Being an hour ahead, this would make it 7:37pm Haewon's time.

Lee Heeseung had a lot on his mind, and whilst he was happy upon placing first place in D1 gold, he could not feel content with lingering troubles weighing down on him.

So, as soon as he was out of the venue for the ceremony, he found himself wandering astray. They were set to go straight to the bus with the exception of a bathroom break before, as they planned to go straight home from there.

But, instead, he found himself walking down a path by the bathrooms—back to the same telephone booth he had seen only yesterday.

However, it was only this time did he come properly prepared. He had asked his friends for any spare change they had earlier this morning, and fortunately, he was given more than enough to make a phone call.

But, he was stopped in his tracks by the call of his name behind him.

"Hey, Heeseung!" Park Jongseong called out, as Heeseung stopped, turning around to face his friend.

He stayed silently, waiting for the younger boy to continue.

"Where are you going? Coach said to be in the bus in like five minutes. We have to go soon." Jay recalled, tilting his head.

Heeseung pressed his lips into a thin line, his hands shoved into the pockets of the sweatpants he had gotten at merch stand for the tournament this year.

"I really have to make this call, Jay." Heeseung replied, furrowing his brows ever so slightly. "It's really important. It's to Haewon."

Jay nodded his head slowly, aware of the fact that something had gone on between them, yet unsure of just what.

"Okay." Jay agreed quietly, a sigh falling from his lips as he stood under the lamppost. "Just, try to be quick, okay? I'll cover for you as best as I can."

Heeseung hummed, flashing the boy a grateful smile as he took a deep breath. "Thanks, man." He let out, as Jay only nodded before jogging back over to the bus.

With the known time crunch they were on, Heeseung sighed and quickened his pace, wandering over to the familiar telephone booth.

Eventually reaching the booth, he pulled the door open, stepping into the small space as he shifted so his backpack was resting on his chest, wearing it backwards.

He dug around, pulling out the coins needed to use the phone. He inserted each one carefully, memorizing her number as he dialed it into the twisting machine.

Pressing the telephone to his ear, he swallowed the lump forming in his throat. The phone rang, beeping occasionally.

Instead of her voice, a robotic voice rang through. An automated message that the number he was calling was unavailable at the time, instead being sent to the voicemail box.

Lee Heeseung frowned, disappointed that he wasn't able to talk to her. But, nonetheless, at least he could leave a message, right?

As soon as the automated message finished, and he heard the small beep, he took a deep breath.

"Hey, Haewon." He began, a shaky laugh falling from his lips as he fiddled with the curly phone cord. "We won first place!" He exclaimed softly, tilting his head.

"I really wish you could've been here to see it. It's partially my fault that you're not." Heeseung confessed wholeheartedly, guilt evident in his tone.

"I wanna start off by apologizing. I'm really sorry for freaking out on you like I did. I was just— it scared me. That you were hurt, and that you didn't tell me. Felt like I didn't have your trust, and it hurt, you know?" He sighed out, finally easing into the voicemail.

"But, I realize now that it must have been a really hard thing to talk about—even to me. And I'm really sorry for everything, and for hurting you." He said, his tone kept soft and sincere.

"I miss you, I've missed you. It's hard being apart from someone you love for so long. I learned that the hard way." He chuckled lightly, shaking his head.

"Look, I'm running out of time on this thing and I don't have the coins to keep it going, so I better go soon." He murmured, pursing his lips.

"You're an hour behind from here, and I'm coming home tonight. Usually, you don't sleep until late. I can't wait to see you, and to talk things out properly so I'll take my chances." He spoke, letting out a soft hum.

"I'll come visit you tonight, okay? I miss you a lot." He bit down on his bottom lip, his tone running out.

"Bye, Hae. I love you." He let out, voice kept quiet. "I'll see you soon." He finished, before the time on the machine ran out, and he was forced to put the phone back into its holder.

Lee Heeseung sighed deeply, standing still and letting the weight of his actions still linger. But, nonetheless, he felt somewhat content—being able to get a little bit off of his chest.

And so, he slipped out of the telephone booth, finding himself walking back to the bus and the fresh, cool air.

Greeted by his teammates, already in their seats. He muttered an apology to his coach, who got onto him for how long he took.

Before, he slipped into his own seat beside Park Sunghoon and Yang Jungwon, slipping his headphones over his ears as he tried to pass time quickly by losing himself in his music.

Although, nothing could prepare him for the reality he was inevitably going to face.

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It was nine o'clock by the time Heeseung had stepped off of the bus, lugging his sports bag along with him as he walked down the empty, lonesome streets.

He had taken much longer than usual, his feet worn out from the back to back games he played over the weekend, and the amount of walking around he had already done.

He was exhausted, too, but the idea of seeing her seemed to overpower everything. And so, he continued on, coming familiar with the sight of certain streets that let him know he wasn't far at all.

A few minutes passed, and he found himself turning onto her street. The street was curved, not allowing him to see all the way down the street as it was angled, unless he reached a certain point.

However, he could hear the sound of engines running in the distance. And, on the road, bounced off red and blue lights—first responders.

The boy wondered what had happened, a bit curious as to what he was walking into. Ultimately, he assumed it must've been one of her neighbors.

But, little did her know, he wasn't prepared for the sight he would see in only a mere few seconds.

As he reached a certain point, he was able to see down the street completely. In front of him, he saw a few police cars—and, an ambulance.

More importantly, parked in front of her house.

Now feeling alarmed, he picked up the pace, practically jogging over. When he got closer, the sound of muffled sobs filled his ears, as he practically froze upon seeing the back of a familiar person.

"Excuse me..?" He mumbled, his breath caught in his throat as he furrowed his brows, a wave of worry dawning down on him.

He watched as her very own mother turned around, her eyes filled with tears as she met his gaze. Her eyes softened, tears streaming down her cheeks.

She beckoned the boy over, the first thing she did was pull him into an embrace. To comfort him, and herself.

This raised immediate red flags in his mind, his heart dropping as he felt his eyes burn with tears of his own despite not knowing what had truly happened.

"Oh, Heeseung.."

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★﹐authors corner ．﹗﹑ 1.3k words.
after having this entire chapter / plotline as a whole, i can't even begin to express how good it feels to finally write it omg

i am so sorry for the people who don't like angst, but i had to. in my defense i planned this when i myself was not in a very good state of mind, but in present times i am much happier and have been doing well.

therefore i take pride in my work for this fanfiction.

anyway, dont worry, this isn't the end. i have more to come !! but, for now, i'll rest. i wrote all of this in the car because i was stuck in very heavy traffic and decided to just release it now, so enjoy !!

i love you all so much, thank you for reading. it truly means the world to me and more 🤍

and, of course, happy halloween to those who are celebrating!
october 31st, 2024 — 1:00am.
not proofread.