Suho stood there, frozen.
Her figure grew smaller with every step, until the faint sound of her heels disappeared beyond the gate.
His shoulders fell. His throat tightened. His legs trembled as if his body itself refused to believe what his eyes were seeing.
The world around him blurred, sound, air, everything, fading into a dull, hollow silence. He couldn't hear the wind, couldn't hear the sound outside, couldn't hear anything except the voice echoing inside him.
"Why didn't you stop her, Suho?"
His heart pounded painfully. "Why did you let her go?"
He could almost hear it screaming, his own voice from somewhere deep within, raw and breaking. "I was shouting, screaming my lungs out, begging you to confess, to tell her how much you love her… how much you want her. But you, coward, you didn't even speak a word."
He clenched his fists, his breath uneven. His chest hurt.
He could still see her eyes, the way she had looked back one last time, waiting, hoping.
"Didn't you see how her voice trembled when she said goodbye? Didn't you see the pain in her eyes? The longing?"
Each word from his own conscience hit him harder.
"She stood beside you through every storm, through every wound, through every night you thought you'd fall apart. She protected you, held you together, and yet… You let her go?"
Tears filled his eyes. His jaw tightened until it hurt.
"How much more cowardly can you be, Suho? She was your anchor. She was your home. your guardian angel"
He pressed a hand to his chest, his heart beating too loud, too fast, as if it wanted to burst free.
"Have mercy on me… You're killing me with your silence. Don't you understand? I love her. I crave her soul, her warmth, her affection, every single thing about her!" His heart cried.
His mind spun. His breath shook. The room tilted. He pressed his palm against the wall, his fingers curling, trying to steady himself as his inner voice screamed louder,
"Go... Go after her!"
His breath hitched sharply. "You need her. You crave her. Run after her, before it's too late. Before she's gone forever!"
Something snapped inside him.
His pulse roared in his ears. His legs, trembling moments ago, suddenly itched to move. His throat burned as he whispered, almost like a vow, "No… I can't let her go."
He pushed off the wall, his body staggering forward.
"Then go get her!" his heart thundered.
He moved, first slowly, his legs still weak, his vision still blurred with tears. Then faster. His body acted before his mind could think. Each step felt like a fight against gravity, against fear, against himself.
He stumbled through the hallway, the corners of his vision swimming, but the only thing clear in his mind was her.
Her voice, her smile, her soft goodbye echoing like a cruel ghost.
By the time he reached the door, his pulse was wild, his breathing ragged. He didn't think twice. He didn't care about his well-being.
He walked.... fast... almost like running..
The gatekeeper called his name, panicked, watching him get inside the car, but Suho didn't hear it. His blood was rushing too fast, his thoughts too tangled.
He slid into his car, his fingers shaking as he started the engine.
And without a single second of hesitation, he drove off, heart pounding, adrenaline burning through him.
He didn't know what he'd say when he found her. He didn't even know where exactly she'd gone.
He only knew one thing... He couldn't lose her. Not again.
Hauen sat silently inside the car, eyes fixed on the passing view but seeing nothing. Her reflection in the glass looked distant, pale, tired, trying too hard to stay composed.
Her heart ached so painfully it almost felt physical.Every breath trembled inside her chest, every blink burned with unshed tears.
Mr. Lee drove quietly. He had been glancing at her now and then through the mirror, his eyes soft with concern, but she didn't speak, didn't trust her own voice.
And then, out of nowhere, A car suddenly swerved in front of them, cutting them off and blocking their way.
Hauen's body lurched forward as Mr. Lee slammed the brakes, his arm instinctively reaching out to shield her.
The car jerked to a violent stop. Tires screeched against the asphalt.
"Mr. Lee! What happened?" she gasped.
He didn't answer immediately; his eyes were fixed ahead, wide with shock.
Hauen flinched, her heart racing as she looked ahead. Her eyes widened in shock when she saw him getting out of the car, his face red, legs trembling, eyes filled with tears. He stumbled toward her, each step heavy, uneven; he was shaking like he was fighting his own body just to reach her.
"Suho…" she gasped, stunned to see him like that, driving all the way here and risking himself like this. Even Mr. Lee was frozen in shock.
"Suho!" she cried, meeting him halfway. "What are you doing? Are you out of your mind? You could've been hurt! What if something—"
Before she could finish, he pulled her into his arms, hard, desperate, shaking.
"I love you."
The words came broken, breathless, against her shoulder.
She froze, breath caught in her throat.
"I love you, Hauena…" he mumbled again, his face buried in her neck, crying, his whole body shaking, barely holding himself up.
"Please… don't leave me," his voice cracked, heavy with pain.
Her walls shattered in an instant. The ache, the waiting, the longing, everything melted away in tears. She wrapped her arms around him, holding him tight as if to keep his heart from breaking apart.
"Please don't leave me, Hauena… I need you," he whispered again, sobbing into her shoulder.
"I won't," she breathed through her tears, her voice trembling but sure. "I won't leave you, my teddy bear."
He cried harder at her words, clinging to her like she was the only thing keeping him alive.
They cried their hearts out in the middle of the highway, clinging to each other like the world around them didn't exist. Even Mr. Lee, standing nearby, felt his eyes sting seeing them like that. Cars slowed down, people stared, some even pulled out their phones to record, but none of it mattered.
All that mattered was them.
Suho's tears wouldn't stop until his strength gave out. His knees buckled, and he nearly collapsed, but Hauen caught him before he fell. Mr. Lee rushed forward to help, but Suho shook his head, refusing to let go of her.
"I'm fine…" he said, his voice hoarse but certain. "I'm fine… as long as you're with me,"
Then, through the trembling breath and tears, he added, soft yet unyielding, "And I'll never let you go again."
Hauen smiled through her tears. She gently kissed his head, holding him tight, her heart finally finding its home.