Beautiful Goodbye
CHAPTER 28: An Elegy

        *I was locked up years after your departure. My world felt forcibly taken at that very moment, when both my parents died upon arrival at home. What was I doing then? Nothing, just being able to cry without being able to do much. Only a six-year-old child, who had not understood anything about the world and reality. By ourselves.

         Uncle Choi, only Uncle Choi accompanied me before the woman came. My new babysitter showed up a week after Dad and Mom's cremation. She treated me like a hen, and I was a little duck who unconsciously obeyed her words. Similar taker. Like a reborn child, he took on all the roles of parenting for me. Raising me like a real child. I started to rely on him, the more days, the more I was afraid to get away from him.

         Until one day, the hidden truth, slowly revealed. The conversation of the two people I trusted the most, turned out to hold a big secret from me. My mother and caregiver, took part in the disappearance of my parents' lives.

        Revenges.

       The motive behind the dark event. She didn't accept her daughter dying from an accident that my father caused.

        When he found out I heard the truth, his true nature came into being. A personality I never even thought existed in him. Really very different— being someone else—feels foreign and I want to run as far as possible.

        All the scars that are on my body right now, they always make me sick every time I see them. No matter how much my bones were broken and bleeding repeatedly, it could not cure the paranoia inherent in my brain. I live in fear. And kept hiding with my apathy.

         My teenage years, I spent in the house. Increasingly imprisoned when one by one disease attacked and began to gnaw my body. There was a moment where I wanted to die, Mother heard him, I still remember his laughter breaking as I said it timidly. The woman agreed, granting my request without much thought. In a drunken state, the night before my birthday, the bad thing happened. He pushed me off the hospital roof. I could still see her happy smile, no regrets, because it was me who wanted the death to happen. But it turned out wrong, I didn't die.

        I was still alive after, after a coma. When I woke up, I changed. Put on a mask and try hard to repay his actions. I can't put him in jail even if I want to. Someone takes his place and confesses to a crime never even committed*.

        The woman's voice continued to cry throughout the night, until the sun moved up. Sohyun's confession pounded Taehyung's defenses. The man was powerless to endure the pain, crying out in front of Sohyun who was as sick as it was to remember his life without Taehyung. Can only give a tight hug unable to comment. If the word repeatedly spoken from his lips, if only he did not go, the friend and owner of his heart would not hurt himself, facing everything alone. Should have, he shouldn't have left.

         The laughter and the ringis of disquiet were crying. Who will stand, see the woman he wants to always protect is hurt deeply.

       "Taehyung!"

       Gasped. The man held up his body on top of his chair, staring at the origin of the voice calling out his name. The stifling cry half the night was revealed by her mere smile.

        "Since you've been daydreaming, huh?" Sewon, his mother asked, realizing something unusual had happened to the youngest. How not, Taehyung was clamoring in the dining room. Reluctant to comment on the story between her and her husband who just came home last night.

         Taehyung's head shook his head. Again just a little smile that he let greet his parents' sense of sight. He was happy, his father and mother enjoyed his vacation, but his heart was already attacked by grief, unable to disguise the sensation. Taehyung chose to quietly listen, occasionally replying with a smile or a nod of the head afterward.

       "I'm leaving." Taehyung left the dining chair, bowing respectfully before his departure to the office.

       "Spend your food first, it's also very early in the morning, why is it so rushed?" Haeyoung asked after seeing that his youngest son's plate was still full, leaving behind bread that had only been bitten once.

        "I have to leave in the morning, to be a good example for our employees."

       Sewon. Not for any Taehyung-sounding reason. Even stranger, while catching Taehyung's haphazard eyes, a glimpse of a person who had been crying for hours.

        "Mom knows your purpose well, but does it need to get this early? At least drink warm milk," he reminded.

        His son sat down to his place. Looking at a glass of warm white milk that has not been stirred at all. Taehyung said, gulping down his drink.

       "Do you have a problem with Sohyun?"

        Taehyung to the point of not liking the mother's question. His mood is getting scared, by calling the name Sohyun, has added pain relief for him.

        "You guys got into a fight?" timpal Haeyoung's.

       "Our relationship is good ...," Taehyung said. "There's no problem. Everything's gonna be okay."

       Sewon was relieved, "Thank God, I thought you guys had a problem. After all, Mom and Dad have already strongly agreed with your choice. Hurry up and suamar Sohyun and edit him."

      Taehyung increasingly wants to rush away from his parents, this is heavy when speech does not match reality. He also wants to do it, marry a beloved woman, make Sohyun completely his. But is that possible? When the woman refused.

       "Dad almost forgot, this afternoon you came to Sokcho, there was a new design cast, several property companies were involved. I was hoping you'd come with some design team that showed off their mockups."

        Sudden plans. For him there is nothing more annoying when his agenda increases without prior notice. Taehyung let out a long sigh, staring at his father in disbelief.

       "What to?"

      "You mind?"

      "No, I'll be there."

       In the end, that was the decision he made. Come to Sokcho, to avoid Sohyun for a moment. Taehyung felt that there was no face when faced with Sohyun for a while.

🔔

       His hand floated in the air. Doubtful and afraid to open the car door. Thirty minutes ago, to be exact, the man was waiting in his car, near the entrance gate of Gangwon university. Taehyung did leave his residence early in the morning, not to the office according to the morning in front of his parents. Taehyung is ready to accept the consequences of his lies, how great his sin, hope God punishes him who does not tell him what really happened between himself and Sohyun.

         His haggard eyes narrowed full of longing luminescents. Sohyun who was waiting for him seemed to walk in limp using two sticks flanking on two sides of his body. A pair of upright krugs helped him walk after getting out of the car that drove him. Taehyung sighed, wanting the heart to approach the poor girl. But something continued to crackle, weighing down on his steps, simply approaching Sohyun now.

      Both of his fists squeezed the steering wheel round. From behind the glass, it can be seen, the woman who always noticed it fell due to the actions of some people who always come groaning. Taehyung froze on the verge of the bitterness of his own heart.

      The look of dislike and the word scorn, I get it every time I meet people. Do you know what nickname I got when I went to university for the first time? Monster Psychopath.

       Throwing sentences no less grim, snarling up into the heart. "How can they call you a monster and a psychopath?" his weakness.

       Sohyun stood up with great difficulty. Taehyung smiled faintly, between pride and sympathy seeing Sohyun's efforts. Slowly, his long hands stretched out, reaching into his phone.

       "Where are you?" The first word, the pleasantries that he knew the answer to. It was obvious that the woman was in front of his eyes.

      "At the road, towards the training building. What's wrong?"

       "Really?"

       "You're starting to not trust me?"

      Taehyung's little laugh came out, either because Sohyun again had to be treated unorthodox or he was a coward, not daring to go down to help the girl. He knew Sohyun well enough, giving him a look of pity would only make Sohyun's feelings more hurt.

       "I've always believed in you. Oh, yes, today I have to go to Sokcho. You're okay, am I gonna leave it alone?"

       From across the street, Taehyung saw a dark expression on Sohyun's face. "I'll be back soon, because I can't stay away from you for long."

      "I am too."

       Let Taehyung jump now, when Sohyun indirectly admitted that he could not be as far away as he was. The murmur came back, dampening the taste of gamang.

       "It's not usually you tell me. I think your departure is urgent."

        "Yes, this is too sudden. I have prepared the time so that I can be with you."

       "Full on your duty, prove to me, that director Kim is a professional."

       Taehyung mangosteen agreed, cleared his throat, agreed. "I promise I'll see you the day after tomorrow."

        "And I'll wait for you."

      "You've been training really hard lately, I'm sure, you've definitely been able to present your extraordinary performance. You're very talented."

      "Thank you, I'll make that a motivation. Your words .. I'll remember them."

        "You careful. It's a long time ago, yeah, I think I should get ready."

      "Yes, you're careful too."

       Phone connection disconnected. Taehyung still faithfully looked at the departure of Sohyun who dragged his feet into the university building. Seeing him until Sohyun's body disappeared completely from his blurry vision. The man was increasingly vulnerable, with the fall of a drop of tears that had accumulated in the corner of his left eye.

🔔

        All theater residents focus on rehearsing for a live music performance counting the days to be held. No exception Sohyun who did look serious since he returned to class yesterday. With the incredible memory he had, it didn't require Sohyun to play hard. All the songs that will be performed he memorized out of his head without the need to see the sheet of the score, even though Mr. George who happens to be a composer has arranged several songs.

      No one dared to disturb the woman, including Kim Yeri who until now seemed to pay attention to his friend. Already since then the net can not be separated to look at all the graceful gestures created by Sohyun who did not want to leave his piano bench. Always like that, his mind sometimes murmured in such a way as to see Sohyun's behavior.

        The fifteen-minute break ended, training resumed and ended an hour and a half later.

        "good job. All the preparations are almost done, tomorrow comes early for the resort. Before the actual show the day after," said Mr. George, before he left the theatre.

       One by one, it began to fall away from there. At a glance there were only a few people left, seeming busy with his own world. Sohyun snorted, starting to boast of his tired fingers, before he got up from his stool, looking for the thing he was going to use as a support. Not sure who moved the staff, Sohyun seemed to have trouble reaching for the handless krug.

       "You should ask for help, if you can't." Someone took the stick, handed it to Sohyun.

        The girl accepted it with pleasure. "Even without asking for help, someone came and helped me."

         The man snorted. Yeri threw a glance towards the exit. Sohyun smiled faintly, slightly understanding what was in Yeri's mind at the moment. Not something difficult, he can go home alone and also, Sohyun absolutely does not need mercy from anyone.

      "Thank you," Sohyun said after picking up his bag.

       Yeri remained silent, not knowing what to do when Sohyun began to tread carefully down the stage.

       "Wait a minute!" Yeri hesitated. The volume of his voice was small, apparently reaching out to Sohyun's keen sense of hearing.

        Sohyun stopped, turning around like waiting for something to say, waiting for Yeri's bitten lips to open.

       "I'm sorry, sorry for my mistake yesterday."

       The slow oddity was Sohyun's first response. The veiled signal that the woman was presumably amused at the statement to all that Yeri had said. So he put forward his long staff, stepped closer to the position of Yeri who was down. Sohyun stood in front of Yeri, observing closely, his friend was stunned not daring to stare.

        Yeri was silent, her two shoulders were shaking up and down.

       "I'm serious" Sohyun assured. His right hand stretched out, freely holding the arm of Yeri's hand.

       "Do you think I'm not serious?"

       Sohyun shook his head after completing a short question. "Then I'll just go." He started to move, like he was going to turn his back.

       "Yeah, Kim Sohyun!"

       Brakes

       Both sticks fell when Yeri's body suddenly hugged her, wringing her fingers so tightly. Sohyun resignedly, letting Yeri sob.

        "I promise, this is the last time I'm crying this bad. Thank you for being my friend, for everything you do secretly for me."

        "I hope so. Cry as much as you do today, only today," Sohyun explained merrily, because honestly, he was not sure of Yeri's promise if he knew the truth about her. If that day comes, the time in which he must unwind his fatigue.

🔔

     "Hurry inside. The air outside is cold, Miss." Jonghoon put together his thick jacket for Sohyun to wear, since coming out of the university gate, the lady's face that resembled a pale corpse made Jonghoon even more worried.

        "Tomorrow I want to take the bus," said Sohyun staring at the frowning Jonghoon.

        "Hasn't Uncle no longer taking Mom?"

        Jonghoon.

        "From that, go back to Sangju. Meet Uncle's wife and son."

         Jonghoon was stunned to judge the meaning of Sohyun's face. His heart was getting fuller, not expecting his nona to know about his family who had been living in the Sangju area.

       "Mom and I are at peace, our relationship is now improving. Now it's Uncle's turn to solve the problem then because of the choice to serve in this family."

        "Is it okay for Miss?" Jonghoon was still thinking about Sohyun's condition.

         "I can handle it."

        The words were spoken without hesitation. Jonghoon believed until his head nodded in agreement.

🔔

        A printed smile, attached to the face of Yoon Eun, sees Sohyun's return. The girl hurriedly approached her with excitement.

       "You just got home, son?" his tan helped take off the bag and thick book that Sohyun had in hand. Slipping the thin cheeks that are getting thinner unfilled. Yoon-eun looks sliced, quickly covered to see Jonghoon's beloved jacket draped around Sohyun's body.

         "Jonghoon didn't go inside?"

       Sohyun shook his head, "I just told him to go back to his hometown. Maybe he's packing his things."

      "What do you mean, Sohyun?"

      "Later I'll know."

       The mysterious answer actually makes Yoon eun more anxious. What other secrets is Sohyun hiding from him?

         "Then I go to the room first, Mother. I know you must have been tired since all the servants in this house were laid off."

       .  Sohyun began to walk up, walking lamely with his loyal krug. Not giving Yoon Eun a chance to look at her in a noisy manner, "You can't lie to me, why keep pretending to be strong?"

🔔

       His lunged body immediately fell to the floor, as soon as the door of his room was locked tightly. Sohyun lay on the carpet with his tears flowing. Moving uneasily as his teeth tightened tightly biting on his reddened lower lip spitting out blood. The pain that an hour ago appeared was spilled along with a small groan of sedans. Some of his medicine bottles rolled around, having been empty with no contents inside. Sohyun had long since disposed of it, when he took out dozens of drugs that had absolutely no results. The pain that almost engulfed his entire body remained.

        "I need you, Tae ..."

       As if God was directly answering his hope, within seconds, Sohyun's phone rang again, a call came in from Taehyung.

        "Ha—"

        "Tae..," Sohyun cut down.

        "What's wrong?"  From across the street, the man's voice sounded trembling.

        "Can you sing for me?" sohyun pinta. His eyes had closed, only Taehyung's voice he wanted to hear now.

         "What song do you want me to sing?" 

         Garau, trembling, and paused, Sohyun can explain it. "Don't cry, I'm good, but I really want to be able to hear you sing now, I want to record it from here."

         "I'm not crying, my voice is like the flu."

        "Then sing, I won't ask again after this. I'm no longer taking sleeping pills, I need your singing so I don't stay awake."

          Inaudible reply from Taehyung, Sohyun can immediately see how heavy the pull and the breath Taehyung.

          One minute, silence struck before faintly the man's melodious voice flowed, not just his perfunctory humming, but the touching verse of the song's lyrics.

Kkoccdeuri gadeukhan

Oneuldo geudaereul boneyo

Nae ane damgyeojilkka

Yoshaebyeok from jinan gongwone

Jigeum nae gamjeonge

Noraen geudael hyanghaeyo

Bamhaneul darege

Pilleumui sorireul deureoyo

I still wonder wonder beautiful story

Still wonder wonder best part

I still will wander next story

I want to make you mine

Geu chalnaui siganui geu

Nohchin nae maeumi aswohae

Huhoega dwae tie geu chalnaga issgireul

Dalbit jogak hanahana moajomyeongeul Mandeul tenie

Ojewa gateun moseubeuronae ape wajuseyo

I still wonder wonder beautiful story

Still wonder wonder best part

I still will wander next story

I want to make you mine

The baljaguk namgigo tteonagasimyeon

Jega geu ongil jikilgeyo

Heukbaek sok e namgilgeyo

      Song ends.

      Sohyun was completely closed, closed both eyelids after the song he aimed to give a soothing warm. His brain can remember the array after array full of meaning, without forgetting to record and then save it.

       "Good night, sleep well."

     Taehyung's voice echoed again. Oftentatious. Before the man will actually end their conversation tonight. Sohyun looked bright with a faint smile, his lips hard to open, he was tired until his strength drained.

         "I Love You!"

           "I love. you, too." Spoken in his heart.