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[Y si fuera alla] - [jeonghyun]

Iseul's heels clicked sharply against the pavement as she walked down the familiar street, her mind swirling with the weight of everything that had happened. Her family's restaurant was just ahead, its lights dimmed for the night, but something felt off.

As she approached, she noticed her father and Sohee huddled near the door, looking oddly suspicious.

Her eyes narrowed as she slowed her pace, her senses prickling. "Why is the restaurant closing so late?" she asked, her voice smooth but sharp with suspicion.

Sohee, caught off guard, jumped, instinctively clutching her father's arm. "Her face is scary, Dad," she murmured under her breath, a tinge of unease in her voice.

Iseul's gaze shifted between the two of them, her lips curling into a faint, almost imperceptible smirk. "Why does this place smell like perfume?" she asked, the question hanging in the air like a challenge.

Her father's face drained of color, and Sohee instinctively took a step back, both of them visibly nervous. The scent was thick, lingering in the air like a lingering secret.

Iseul shook her head, the corner of her lips twitching as she let the silence stretch between them. "Whatever," she muttered dismissively, her voice cold. "Let's go upstairs. There's something I need to tell you."

The three of them made their way upstairs, the soft murmurs of their conversation trailing behind them as they entered the dimly lit kitchen. Minaje was already at the table, her hands moving with practiced ease as she set the dishes and utensils with an air of quiet focus.

She looked up briefly, her eyes meeting Iseul's, but didn't speak, sensing the weight of the moment.

After dinner, the silence hung thick in the air, and Iseul finally broke it, her voice cool and steady. "I'm leaving for Daejeon."

Sohee nearly choked on his water, coughing and sputtering. His parents' eyes widened in unison, the shock evident on their faces.

Her father's voice trembled slightly as he spoke, his worry seeping into his words. "Why all of a sudden, Iseul? I thought you liked it here."

Her mother, ever the protective figure, added urgently, "Why are you leaving, Iseul?"

Iseul sat back in her chair, trying to maintain her composure. "It's a work trip. I'll stay there for five or six months, max."

Sohee scowled, his eyes narrowing with distaste. "Don't go there. I got shitty memories in Daejeon."

Iseul's gaze darkened, her words cutting through the tension with a sharp edge. "You have shitty memories everywhere."

Her father frowned, concern creeping into his voice. "I don't know, Iseul. I'm worried about you."

Iseul's voice softened but remained firm as she reassured him, "Don't, Dad. Sungchan will be there."

Her brother's voice was laced with frustration as he snapped, "More reason for us to be worried. If you went alone, it would've been better."

Iseul let out an exasperated sigh, her patience thinning. "Don't exaggerate, guys. I'm going to my bed. Goodnight."

With that, she stood up, her movements deliberate and cold. She didn't wait for a response as she turned and walked toward her room, leaving her family to stew in their concerns and unanswered questions. The door clicked shut behind her, and the silence in the house seemed even more oppressive than before.

Iseul collapsed onto her bed, the weight of the evening's events settling in her chest. She closed her eyes, trying to drown out the noise in her mind. The door creaked softly, and her mother stepped into the room, her presence gentle but unyielding. She walked over and sat down at the edge of the bed, her gaze soft but probing.

"Iseul, my sweet daughter," her mother's voice was tender, yet there was a quiet intensity behind it, "I'll ask you something, and I need you to answer me honestly."

Iseul nodded slowly, bracing herself for the question she knew was coming.

Her mother hesitated, her voice barely a whisper when she spoke again. "Are you leaving to avoid Sunghoon?"

Iseul's breath caught in her throat. Her heart raced, and for a moment, she couldn't look her mother in the eye. She glanced down, her fingers twisting the edge of her blanket nervously. "Yes, Mom," she finally admitted, her voice barely audible.

Her mother remained silent for a moment, as though absorbing the weight of Iseul's words. She then spoke again, her tone steady but filled with concern.

"But distance is physical, Iseul. It doesn't change feelings. Are you sure about this?"

Iseul's chest tightened at her mother's words. She knew that the distance wouldn't erase the years of shared pain, the scars, the love that once burned brightly but had now dimmed. "Mhm... I want a fresh beginning, away from the drama," she murmured, her voice distant, almost hollow.

Her mother leaned over and wrapped her arms around her, pulling her into a tight embrace. Iseul allowed herself a moment to sink into her warmth, her mother's steady presence offering a fleeting sense of comfort.

"I'll always be here for you," her mother whispered, pressing a kiss to the top of her head before she gently pulled away.

Iseul nodded, her heart heavy but resolute. As her mother left the room, the door clicking softly behind her, Iseul lay back down, her thoughts a swirling storm of emotions. But the decision was made. She needed to escape.

She changed into her pajamas, the weight of the day pressing on her chest. She was already preparing for bed when suddenly, an unexpected sound pierced the stillness of her room—the sound of rocks hitting her window. Her heart skipped a beat.

Confused, startled, she rushed to the window, her pulse racing, and there he was.

"Leave me alone! I don't want to see you," she shouted, the pain in her voice cutting through the night. The words felt too raw, too final. She wasn't sure she could say them without breaking, but she did anyway.

"Okay, then, I'm coming," came the defiant reply, full of intent.

"No—wait—no, don't you dare. Fine, I'm coming down, okay?" she snapped back, trying to regain some control over the situation. But deep down, she felt the pull of him like a magnetic force she couldn't ignore, no matter how hard she tried.

The door opened with a soft creak. She walked downstairs to meet him, her steps hesitant, heart already half-broken. There he stood, eyes burning with the intensity of a man who could no longer pretend everything was okay.

"What do you think you're doing?" Iseul demanded, her arms crossed tightly over her chest, a defense mechanism she didn't even realize she was using. "If they see us together, they'll start talking. Do you want that?"

Sunghoon stepped closer, and for a moment, the air between them felt thick with unspoken words, memories, and longing.

"I don't care," he replied, his voice hoarse, raw with desperation. "I'm not letting you go away. Forget about Daejon."

Iseul's chest tightened. She had made up her mind, yet here he was, breaking through every wall she'd spent so long building. "And is that your call to make?" she whispered, a dangerous calm overtaking her as she met his gaze.

"Yes," he said, his voice unwavering. "Because you can't leave—not despite me. I made that mistake once, and I won't let you do the same."

The words hit her like a wave, crashing over her chest, but she couldn't allow herself to drown in them. She looked at him, her heart heavy with the weight of everything they'd been through.

"Don't put me and you in the same sentence anymore. You don't belong in my world anymore."

Sunghoon's eyes darkened with emotion. "I can't let you leave with Sungchan," he pleaded, his voice cracking slightly. The desperation in his words sent a tremor through Iseul's body.

Iseul's gaze hardened, her lips curling into a bitter smile. "You're still going on about Sungchan?" She laughed softly, but there was no humor in it, only sharp, cutting pain. "How about you take care of your fiancée?"

"Fake fiancée," he muttered under his breath, his expression torn.

"After everything that happened by the river," Iseul said, her voice barely above a whisper, the hurt thick in her tone, "you still went to her. You still wore that ring." Her eyes met his, and in them was a mixture of sorrow and rage. "We're nothing anymore, Sunghoon. Leave me alone."

Her words struck him like a dagger, and as she turned to walk away, Sunghoon's world seemed to shatter around him. He couldn't let her leave—not like this, not again. He reached out, grabbing her wrist, his grip desperate and pleading.

"I won't leave you. I'll never leave you," Sunghoon whispered, his voice breaking, his eyes filled with the agony of a man who had lost his way but refused to lose her. "I can't do that. I can't let you walk away. Not again."

Iseul stood frozen, her heart battling between the part of her that still loved him and the part that wanted to protect herself from the pain. She turned her head slowly, her eyes glistening with unshed tears.

"I won't break you again, I swear," he begged, his voice hoarse, pleading. His hand trembled as he gently touched her arm, the touch both tender and desperate. "I'll fix everything. Just... just don't leave me. Not like this."

Iseul's voice cracked the silence like a whip, the words colder than she ever intended. "You're not fixing anything, Sunghoon. I'm leaving tomorrow for Daejeon."

Sunghoon's breath caught in his chest. For a moment, time seemed to stop. His heart hammered, the pain of her words reverberating inside him like the breaking of glass.

"It is not far enough!" His voice came out raw, desperate, his body leaning toward her as if his every fiber was reaching for the one thing that he knew was slipping through his fingers.

"Do you think there's a corner of the earth you could go to to free me from this torment?" His words broke free, each one heavy with the weight of everything he'd never said to her—everything he had hidden behind the walls he built for so long. "You are the bane of my existence and the object of all my desires."

Iseul froze, the words landing like a blow to her heart. This man... How could he make her feel like this? So helpless, so wanted? So loved—even after everything that had happened. The confession stung, but in a way that made her knees want to buckle. She wanted to be angry.

She wanted to hate him, but it was the way he made her feel that pulled her in closer. She couldn't help it. She couldn't pretend she didn't want to believe him.

But she couldn't let herself fall for this again. Not now.

Turning away from him, she walked briskly toward the bed, her hands trembling as she reached for the door. He doesn't deserve my heart. Not like this. Not after everything. She wanted to scream, to break down, to beg him to stop her. But she couldn't.

"Please," he whispered, his voice breaking through the pounding in her ears, raw and aching with need. His voice was so soft, so desperate, it made her insides twist. "Please don't leave me."

Her hands stilled, her breath catching, but she didn't turn around. Not yet. Not when she was so close to breaking. He didn't have the right to make her feel this way. Not after everything.

Sunghoon stepped forward, the air between them charged, his chest tightening as he reached out, a silent plea in his movements. "You think distance will fix this?" His words were broken, painful. "You think I could ever let you go like this? You belong to me, Iseul. You always have." He swallowed hard, each breath coming with the weight of everything he had buried inside for far too long.

Her heart ached as she turned, finally meeting his eyes. The depth of his longing mirrored her own, the quiet desperation between them so palpable she could feel it in her bones. And yet, the ache in her chest was all-consuming, and she couldn't bear it anymore.

"You don't get to decide what I do, Sunghoon," she said, her voice barely above a whisper, filled with the anger she was holding back. "You don't get to make me feel like this. I'm not yours anymore. Don't put me in your world."

But his hand reached for her wrist, his grip soft but insistent, as if it was the last lifeline he had. "Don't say that," he breathed, his forehead pressing against hers, desperate and shaking. "I can't let you go. I won't."

For a heartbeat, she let herself linger there, in the warmth of his touch, the intensity of his stare, as if they were the only two people left in the world. His lips parted, a silent plea lingering between them, his gaze dark with the promise of everything they could have been.

But it wasn't enough. Not anymore.

Her chest tightened as she pulled away from him, her eyes filling with tears that she couldn't let fall.

And as the door clicked shut behind her, leaving him standing in the silence of her absence, Sunghoon knew one thing for certain: he was lost without her.

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tysm to the bridgerton edit that made me write this