71 Chapter 68

Jin's gaze switches from the strawberry juice entangled between the person's fingers to the one who was holding it. His breathing shortly halts and pauses as he blinks in surprise.

"You're not upset anymore?"

Jin mutters under his breath, his hand hesitatingly raising to accept the moist and cold juice offered to him that was more tempting than he thought. Coincidently he felt parched and was supposed to search for a nearby store to buy himself refreshments. This guy's timing is too good.

He goggled down at his favorite drink, and he somehow felt displeased, feeling its melted crisps dripping down to his fingers and palms, numbing his pale skin further.

"I wasn't upset," Jihyuk replies, leaning over to him from behind with his hands pressed against the top edge of the bench's backrest as he bends his head down to peek at him and they gaze at each other's upside-down faces.

Jihyuk pulls his mask down and grins at him from ear to ear.

With furrowed brows and thinned lips, Jin averts his eyes away from him and his plastered grin, sulking and a little upset about how unjust he was to ignore and leave him after the examination ended.

And now he's playing innocent?

His annoyance only fanned after witnessing the ladies before them had been gaping at his sudden arrival and when their appreciative gazes went down and met his, their open mouths momentarily fell wider before they shut their lips and kept their shameless eyes to themselves, awkwardly minding their own business after getting caught from staring and eavesdropping.

After hearing no response from him, Jihyuk moved around the bench, unbothered, and came to sit beside him, though being mindful of the distance between them upon seeing Mochi was still snarling at him and his suspicious motive.

"I was busy. There's a lot under my plate recently."

Jin turns to him. The evident pain inside his eyes was eminent and he can no longer hide his disappointment. Was he too occupied to send him a message or leave him with at least a sentence before he left him anticipating too much?

The green trees and clear skies around them began to reflect in the lenses of his slightly teary globes causing Jihyuk's jumbled thoughts to cease and stop for a moment to stare at him, bewilderedly shaken with his thin lips slightly parting.

"That was foolish of me. I'm sorry."

Jihyuk removes his cap and lets him wear it, distracting himself from looking at him further, afraid that his guilt would bite him back one way or another but it was already too late.

He took the juice from Jin's hand and opens its sealed cap before closing it again without too much force and placing it back in his too pale and little hands.

"I'm not going to make excuses, but I want you to know I'm not upset." Rather than upset, he's more afraid, if he were to be honest.

A desolated smile bitterly paints his lips before it disappears in a split moment, "Just overwhelmed."

Jin lifts his chin higher to look at his face since it was hard with the cap on his head, but when he meets Jihyuk's sincere gaze, he couldn't utter a word.

Silence plunges between them, and the people sitting across them finally excuse themselves as they couldn't take in any more of their looks. They were frightened of the assumption that the strangely too attractive faces before them might just be shooting for a drama, and their stupefied faces in the background would eventually appear on the television. It would be a lifetime full of humiliation to endure.

Jin takes a deep breath, "Overwhelmed?" Didn't he nail the exams? It is very unlike him to worry over the results. He was always nonchalant about it in the past years.

Could it be that he was unsatisfied with his answers?

Jihyuk raises his head and studies the far stretched field before them, his dark eyes lost and troubled. He barely had a wink of sleep, "You'll understand sooner enough."

Jin didn't know why, but his chest suddenly felt heavy, and it must be because of the fact that their time together was now measured, "We're leaving tomorrow."

Jihyuk stiffens. He didn't look at him but just quietly and slowly nods his head in acknowledgment.

Jin lowers his gaze down at the juice on his lap as his thumb drew small circles on its wet surface, "Will you be okay?"

His voice cracks at his own question, which should be more directed to himself who was controlling his tears from giving in. His heart aches from the idea of their separation as he clutches unto Mochi's leash. Was he the only one who's affected by this?

Jihyuk finally came to meet his gaze. There was noticeable sadness and strain inside his eyes as they stared at him. It was as if he was holding something back, "Don't worry about me."

Stay . . . please. If he has to beg, he would kneel with his head on the ground without hesitation for him to not leave him here.

He breathes, controlling himself from doing so as he clenches his fists from the side of his thighs, his knuckles turning white. But he can't, he can't be this selfish, "I'll do what will please me far enough, so I'll be alright." He smiles at him weakly, choking from his own words.

Jin rests the side of his head against Jihyuk's sturdy shoulder and he can't help but let the sad tears he's been keeping and hiding to himself to silently flow from his eyes.

All the frustration, pent-up anxiousness, and fear he bottled up inside him were released, allowing the sorrowful warmness from his eyes to continuously fall, his heart bitterly grieving. He was thankful for the cap that blocks hyuk's sight from seeing him turning weaker than he already is, "Keep in touch, okay?" He attempts hard to not stifle a sob but failed eventually.

Jihyuk has been by his side long enough than he can remember. They were inseparable since middle school, and they remained true to each other despite going through a lot of trials. He can't deny how his existence had helped him, and it pains him how they would yet leave him alone in this big city just like what his parents did to him in exchange for work.

With a shivering breath, Jin opens his mouth, "Eomma and I will miss you." For the first time, Mochi seems to be more civilized and formal, sensing them bidding their goodbyes to each other.

Jihyuk tips his head down, and without Jin knowing, he gently presses his lips at the top of his head—against the hat's sturdy material as his wet eyes twitch in infliction, "I will, too." More than you both will.

After an amount of time letting him weep and bawl his eyes out, Jihyuk pulls the hat off Jin's head, and he discovers him crying laboriously with a sweaty forehead and wrecked hair. He hastily wipes Jin's tears with the sleeves of his turtleneck sweater. He studies him, and his expression gradually softens.

He rubs his thumb under Jin's eyes, "You had nightmares again?" He says after noticing its visible darkness and puffiness.

Jin's tears quit pouring out from his eyes. His glistening amethyst globes stared back at his friend, who had a sympathetic look on his face. He can feel the tip of his ears burning again, but he can't help but just nod his head, refusing to tell him the truth as Jihyuk continues to groom his face clean.

"With you like this, bom, how will I able to leave you be?"

When Jin calms down, he warmly smiles at his words. Yes, this is the Jihyuk that he knew and grew up with for the past six years.