And walked him home.
??????
Chapter 16 — The StormInside the Quiet
The world returned in fragments.
Light. A door clicking shut. The sound of shoes being taken off.
Haneul blinked twice. The scent of sandalwood and winter air ghosted past his cheek. He was inside.
A foyer—quiet, polished, dim.
He stood at the vestibule, unsteady, he took off his boots, socks soaked through, one dangling halfway off. The tiles were smooth and warm underfoot. A coat hung on the wall. A single umbrella leaned like a sentinel against the corner.
How did we get here?
He couldn’t remember walking. Just wind. Just the bridge. Just the breath that wasn’t his, calling his name.
The warmth hit him slowly. Too slowly.
And then—too much.
He staggered past the threshold and dropped to the floor. Not a dramatic collapse. Just folded, like paper left in the rain.
Into the corner between the hallway and the console table, body curling into itself with a whimper he bit down before it reached the air.
He didn’t sob. Not at first.
He dug his fingers into his scalp, gripping the base of his braid like a handle, like it would keep his skull from splitting open, or the memory of Junseo’s playful grin from burning through. Hisbreath came in erratic, hiccuped gasps. Knees to chest. Shoulders trembling.
Then the storm cracked.
“Stupid,” he spat. “Fucking—stupid—why’d you go out alone—”
The words came torn and crooked, caught between fury and heartbreak.
“He always did stupid hair dyes, you know? Always. Like armor. Like he thought if he sparkled enough, no one would touch him—”
A dry sob shook him.
“He thought—he thought if he laughed loud enough—he could be safe.”
He yanked his braid harder, voice breaking.
“And I—I let him. I let him fucking sparkle.”
He gasped, half-laugh, half-snarl. “You left me too, huh? Found your way out just like the rest… just like them.”
His voice fell to a rasp. “My parents. Everyone always fucking leaves.”
Silence swelled around him. No response. No footsteps. No shushing.
Just the quiet exhale of space being made. Held.
??????
Seungho stood in the hallway, eyes half-shadowed, coat still on.
