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“You’re like a shell of what you used to be, Euijoo.”
Nicholas freezes as soon as he steps back into the apartment. The words ring loud and clear as the door closes behind him with a soft click, too gentle for what he just walked into. For a moment, the entire world stills.
“What the fuck does that even mean?”
He flinches when he hears Euijoo’s voice, eyes flicking in the direction of the living room. It’s harsh, spitting the words in a way Nicholas has only heard a handful of times, when he’s truly unravelling, falling apart in front of him instead of behind the walls he crafted.
“I’m fine, we’re fine.” Euijoo reiterates, each word grating. “I’m not doing this tonight.”
It’s about him, a conversation he isn’t supposed to hear, that they planned to have while he was conveniently away. He had left briefly to take a smoke, only realizing when he got to the main doors of the building that his pockets were empty, cigarettes forgotten upstairs. The mood was fine then—at least he thought it was. He racks his brain, looking for anything that could have possibly set this off, but he ends up clueless.
He stands in the dark entrance now, illuminated only by the light coming from the hallway. The cold air clings to him, the room feels too big and entirely too small at the same time. He’s still, paralyzed where he stands, afraid that his breathing will let them know he’s here, but even more afraid to not hear how this ends.
“You act like we don’t see it Ju. Aren’t you tired?” The words are low, thick with concern in the way that Yudai always uses when he’s lecturing them.
Euijoo’s response is quick, as if it was rehearsed. “Yeah, because I’m working nearly 60 hours a week! What else would you expect?” His voice shakes as he yells, it wasn’t something any of them were used to hearing, not even Euijoo himself.
“That’s not what I mean, you know that.” Yudai’s voice is quieter now, but his words hold the same weight.
“God,” Euijoo breathes out in a laugh, cynical in its own way.
There’s a brief, hollow silence where no one speaks. Nicholas can picture Euijoo, hands raking through his hair in frustration. He can only hear his own heartbeat and the faint hum of the TV, the show they were watching earlier now long forgotten.
His chest aches. His heart tells him to go to Euijoo, to pull him close and shield him from whatever this conversation is becoming, but his own guilt keeps his feet stuck in place. He’s simply a bystander to his own heartbreak, bracing himself for words he doesn’t want to hear.
He also knows Euijoo is tired, possibly better than anyone else does. It shows in his face when he gets home late, the bags under his eyes more prominent than they’ve ever been. His shoulders slump despite his always perfect posture, they order takeout more than they cook, their conversations are restricted to the few minutes before Euijoo goes to bed. He knows, and yet he can’t do anything about it.
“You’ve always thought he’s not fucking good enough for me. Both of you.” Euijoo’s voice cracks, pulling Nicholas out of his thoughts.
The silence stretches on, neither of their friends wanting to confirm Euijoo’s remark, but not attempting to deny it either.
“Why does it matter to you anyway? It’s not your fucking relationship.” There’s venom behind his words, his voice eerily stable for how worked up he is.
“I’m just saying…” Yudai’s voice trails off, his tone starting out too firm. He always has everyone else’s best interest in mind, especially when it comes to Euijoo. It probably pains him to see Euijoo like this too. “I know you trust him, but can’t you see what it looks like to literally everyone else?”
Nicholas really shouldn’t be here. He should turn around, pretend like he never heard any of this and walk out the door while he still can. The implication hangs in the air, the weight making itself known in his chest. There’s no response.
What does it look like to everyone else? Nicholas can’t help but wonder what's going through Euijoo’s head right now. As the person who’s supposed to love and trust him more than anyone else, does he think the same?
“We care about you, Euijoo.” It’s the first time Fuma speaks, his words barely loud enough for Nicholas to hear them. He knows how fragile this moment is, that just one word could make or break it right now. “That’s all.”
There’s another missed beat before Euijoo raises his voice again, words cold. “Well I don’t need you to care about me anymore if this is how it’s going to be.”
This wasn’t the Euijoo they knew. Something dark blooms throughout Nicholas’ chest, a combination of shame and responsibility for his reactions.
He has no time to react by the time he hears the heavy footsteps that are headed in his direction. His mind isn’t working fast enough to come up with an excuse for being found there—and quite frankly there's no escape either.
Euijoo rounds the corner, their eyes lock, and he’s been caught.
There’s a storm behind Euijoo’s eyes, and even then his expression still falters for a split second. If it was anyone other than Nicholas it would probably go unnoticed. All he can do is stare back with wide eyes, too afraid to be the first one to speak.
“We’re going.” Euijoo mutters, coldly.
Nicholas steps aside instinctively, his body reacting before his mind can catch up. It’s just enough space for Euijoo to put his shoes on, roughly so that the heels fold in an uncomfortable way. He pulls his coat from the closet hard enough that the hanger falls to the floor with a clatter, a jarring sound that echoes in the emptiness of the apartment.
Before he can move to pick it up, Euijoo swings the door open, grabbing him by the arm and pulling him into the bright halls. Nicholas stumbles as the door slams shut, only finding his footing when Euijoo drops his arm, walking ahead with hurried steps. He rushes to match the pace, only catching up while they wait for the elevator to open. He doesn’t even know where to begin with speaking. He’s caught between wanting to comfort Euijoo, and the fear that whatever he says will only make things worse.
The only noise comes from the elevator as they reach the ground floor. The drive back to their apartment is the same, silent as the tension between them builds. Nicholas steals glances from the passengers seat, any words he can come up with stay stuck in his throat. Euijoo’s grip on the wheel has his knuckles turning white, his eyes focused on nothing but the road ahead.
They pull into the parking garage, and Euijoo doesn’t spend a single extra second in the car, slamming the door and leaving Nicholas scrambling to undo his seatbelt so he can follow. Euijoo storms ahead with his head low, making it to the elevator before Nicholas even enters the building. He catches the doors before they close, forcing himself into the small space. He knows what’s coming, that everything will change as soon as they're in the safety of their own apartment.
The elevator dings, signalling they’ve reached their floor. The dread Nicholas feels grows with every inch that the door opens. Euijoo leaves first, making a beeline down the hallway to their door. By the time Nicholas reaches him, Euijoo is already halfway through the door. He doesn’t bother looking back as Nicholas catches it, kicking his shoes off before continuing on his path to their bedroom.
“Juju, hey.” Nicholas’ voice is soft, struggling to pull off his shoes. He doesn’t care about where they land, racing to follow as each step stretches the distance between them. He grabs hold of Euijoo’s wrist, his hands shaking.
“Talk to me please. What’s going on?”
Euijoo stops, but he doesn’t turn around. His shoulders tense even further, his breathing shallow as he tries to collect himself. When he faces Nicholas, his eyes are already teary, threatening to spill over. There’s another pang in his chest, knowing that those tears are ones caused by anger and frustration, at his fault too.
“You heard it all didn’t you?” Euijoo snaps, and Nicholas feels his heart sink. “I’m not talking to you about this now either.” He shakes his arm free from Nicholas’ hold, walking away again.
“Maybe we need to talk.” Nicholas calls after him. He waits with bated breath as he watches Euijoo bring a hand to his hair, pushing his bangs out of his face with a sigh.
“Fine,” He says, throwing his hands up in frustration as he turns around. “What do you want to say?”
There’s a million thoughts swirling through his mind, worry and sadness turns to confusion as he processes Euijoo’s words. “No, hold on.” He starts, hesitant. “This isn’t about me right now, what the hell was that about?”
Euijoo stares at him for a moment, meticulously choosing the words in his head before he speaks. “I’m tired.” Is all he says. The exhaustion is clear in his voice, but it’s not the whole truth.
“Of what? Your job?” Nicholas questions, his voice is quieter now, afraid of the answer he’ll get. “Of me?”
“Of the way we’re living. I can’t keep this up anymore.”
Nicholas looks at him, brows furrowing as he tries to piece everything together. “I’m still not understanding.”
He knows what it means. He’s felt the strain between them for some time already, waiting for the day that Euijoo’s patience would come to an end. As much as he doesn’t want to, he needs to hear it before he can believe it’s really happening.
In the silence, the last of Euijoo’s restraint snaps, and it all comes crashing down. “All of your stupid parties and that entire industry.” He spits.
“Not a single person you work with is genuine, they’re all just money-hungry bastards and I’m forced to make small talk with them every time you drag me to one.” The words spill out of his mouth, possibly before he even realizes what he’s saying.
There it is. This part of their dynamic has always been an issue in their relationship, since the very start. Euijoo preferred to stay at home while Nicholas was out being a social butterfly, it’s as simple as that. Through their teens it was manageable, but when Nicholas started his career in the fashion industry it had been a reoccurring fight. He thought they reached a compromise, that Euijoo didn’t have to attend if he didn’t want to, and he wouldn’t talk about it unless he was asked.
“You said you didn’t mind the parties.” The words are hollow as Nicholas mutters them. He knows it’s a terrible response—that it’s not enough, and it’s not truly the problem now. There’s something deeper here, alongside a feeling that there’s no coming back from this.
“Yeah and I didn’t!” Euijoo shouts before Nicholas can take his words back. “I wasn’t going to miss the opportunity to see you flourish, to see everything you’ve worked so hard for finally pay off, to hear people praise you and get the recognition you deserve.”
Even in a time like this, Euijoo’s care shines through all of his frustrations. Nicholas tries not to think too hard about it, his lips pulling into a straight line. Euijoo sighs deeply before continuing, a rehearsed breath to calm himself down.
“I didn’t mind but then time and time again,” He almost reaches a sob, the words getting caught mid-sentence. “Every single night.” His voice is raw, punctuating each word with a little more anger than the last. “I was left alone to watch you flirt with everyone in the fucking room. How is that supposed to make me feel?”
The words hit Nicholas hard, as if a dagger was sent through his chest, perfectly piercing the chambers of his heart. Silence stretches for just a moment, as Nicholas gawks at Euijoo, who somehow maintains his composure.
“So that’s how you really see me?” He eventually manages to say with a scoff, the bitterness surprising to even himself. “That’s what you think I am?”
“I don’t know, Nicholas.” He stills at the name, blood turning as cold as Euijoo’s tone. “That's what it looks like, doesn’t it?”
Nicholas wants to protest, to say something—anything—but the words don’t come. His jaw is clenched, there’s a knot forming in his throat, and his train of thought is lost in the mess of his emotions.
“You have girls all over you at every single event,” Euijoo continues calmly. “You let them put their hands on you and whisper in your ear. You let random men get you drunk and I’m the one that has to take you home, clean you up while pretending that I didn’t see the way you looked at all of them.” He swallows hard, his voice falters for just a second, but he pushes through.
“What am I supposed to think of that, Nicholas. Hm?”
His stomach churns. No matter how many times he’s tried to reassure Euijoo that it’s just part of the job, that the looks, touches, and words don't mean anything to anyone who isn’t him, this is all Euijoo will ever see. Of all the ways it could come crashing down, this one had always been the most likely.
He wants to defend himself, but instead he just lets the words hang in the air. With the way Euijoo is speaking he knows there’s no turning back, so he stays silent, letting Euijoo finish saying whatever else he’s had bottled up.
“Where do you go when you get dragged away from the crowds, hand-in-hand with that little makeup artist?” Euijoo questions, words laced with something far darker than frustration.
“Yuma?” Nicholas asks, brows furrowed. “He’s not like that, he knows—”
“Whatever his name is,” Euijoo dismisses him with a wave of his hand. “He sure seems to like you a lot. And if he was that good at his job I don’t think you’d be coming back with your lipstick more smudged than it was when you left and your hair all out of place.”
“Holy shit...” Nicholas’ heart races, the blood rushing in his ears as any solution drifts further out of reach. It was one thing for Euijoo to be upset with him, but to bring someone else into it only made things worse.
“You really think I’d cheat on you?” His voice finally breaks the silence, the hurt in it apparent. “Do you not trust me at all?”
“Of course I trust you!” Euijoo bites back. “That’s why I’m still here, that’s why I’m still trying to reason with you right now! I wouldn’t be doing all this for nothing, I’m not stupid .” His chest heaves, the exhaustion of the emotions catching up to him.
He’s never seen Euijoo like this. Euijoo, who never raises his voice, who always smiles, who goes out of his way to help strangers, who sacrifices to make someone he loves happy. There’s enough anger in his eyes now for Nicholas to see it all the way across the room, in the dim lighting of the city that streams through their windows.
“So what,” Nicholas laughs, hollow. “You’re pissed off that I chose to pursue the career that you encouraged me to chase?” He doesn’t care about how it sounds, frustration clawing up his throat until the words are out and he can’t take them back. “It’s not my fault that this is part of the job, I can’t just give it up now because you’re insecure.”
“Oh my god,” Euijoo breathes, exasperated. He turns for a minute, bringing his hands to his head before facing Nicholas again, more frustrated than before. “You think that’s what matters right now? You’re just going to try and defend yourself over and over instead of reassuring me? You always do this…”
Nicholas tilts his head back, rolling his eyes in the same motion. “Well what else am I supposed to say? Huh?” The question lingers, as if there is an easy answer to it. Nothing about this is easy. “You’re the one that’s accusing me here!”
Euijoo’s expression falters. “It’s not about cheating, Nico. I know you wouldn’t—”
Nicholas throws his jacket to the floor, effectively cutting him off. “Then what’s the problem, Euijoo?” He snaps. The shock that crossed Euijoo’s face lasted only seconds before it shifted to something more pained, his watery eyes catching the light.
“I don’t fucking know you anymore!” Euijoo yells, the words coming out in a sharp, broken cry. The apartment has never felt this quiet.
His gaze flickers over Euijoo's face—features weary, tears falling from his eyes, his hands shaking at his sides curled into fists—and it hits him, hard. This isn’t just another argument for them. This is it.
His eyes drift to a spot on the floor, where the rug is lifting up slightly in one corner. It’s been doing that for months, causing Nicholas to trip over it more times than he’d like to admit, and yet neither one of them bothered to fix it. In a way, it was just another representation of the state they’ve been living in, tiptoeing around issues until someone gets hurt.
“Do you not realize that this keeps me up at night?” Nicholas snaps his eyes back to where Euijoo stands, his voice the softest it’s been all night.
“Whenever you’re out late and I don’t get a single answer as to what time you’ll be home.” His voice breaks, the sound painful and raw, pulling at each one of Nicholas’ heartstrings. “I wake up and you’re still not there, no texts, no calls. How am I supposed to know where you are?” His words are broken up by ragged attempts to catch his breath.
“I really don’t know if you’re dead or in bed with someone else.”
He feels numb. His limbs don’t feel like his own, his legs hardly able to support his weight anymore. He stares at Euijoo, committing the image to memory. His mouth doesn’t even open to speak, unable to do anything except watch his boyfriend break, crumbling completely.
“I’m trying so hard to trust you but what do I get in return?” Euijoo’s eyes are clouded with hurt as he looks at Nicholas.
“It feels like I don’t even matter to you anymore,” He continues, lips trembling. “Like I’m always the last person on your mind, no matter the situation, and you’re just standing here trying to explain all of that away.”
They’re only a few feet apart, stationed on opposite sides of their couch, but he’s never felt farther away from Euijoo than he does now. The physical distance they’d been apart through work trips or family visits was nothing in comparison to this. Everything about this is his fault, and he’ll carry this for the rest of his life. It isn’t as easy to fix as paying off a phone bill that racked up long distance minutes.
“Do you even care?” Euijoo’s voice is soft now, almost defeated, as he looks at Nicholas with eyes pleading to be proven wrong.
“Juju…” He calls, taking a step towards him, his body working before his mind. He stops in his tracks when Euijoo takes a step back, his gaze dropping, incapable of meeting Nicholas’ eyes. He lets the tears fall as his sniffles fill the silence.
Nicholas hesitates. He still wants to reach out, but he feels the shift. From just one action, an exchange without any words, he knows what it means. There’s no solving this anymore.
In the back of his head, he had always known this day was coming. The rose-tinted glasses had fallen from his face long ago, leaving him to sit back and watch their teenage romance burn out like a dying star. It’s almost poetic that it would explode like one too, with Euijoo’s lenses shattering right here, in the four walls of their apartment.
It takes him every part of his being to pull himself together enough to speak, swallowing the lump that forms in his throat. His heart feels like it’s splitting, his head throbs from the tension, his mind is a wreck, but one thing is for certain; this is goodbye.
“Go then.”
The words feel wrong as soon as they leave his lips, but it’s too late to take them back. He so badly wants to, when Euijoo’s head snaps up, wide eyes locking onto his own.
“What..?”
“I said go, Euijoo.” Nicholas repeats, more firm than the first time. “Leave.”
The words hang in the air for longer than they should. Euijoo wipes his eyes, already puffy from the tears, then his nose that’s turned red, with the sleeves of a sweater that once belonged to Nicholas. He tries hard to push the thought of that from his head.
“Are you serious?” Euijoo asks, the disbelief clear in his voice.
Nicholas breathes out, a poor attempt to level himself. He’s never had to be more brave than now. “I don’t need you to keep wasting your energy on me, look what it’s doing to you.”
“I’m not leaving you, that's the whole point of…” Euijoo gestures vaguely, grasping for the last chance at a solution. “This.” He settles on, helpless. “We’ve been together for years, we have a life together, I'm not just going to walk away from it all.”
It’s hard to watch him struggle to find proper words, to lose his temper and fall apart entirely, essentially by Nicholas’ own hands. This is the one thing he always wanted to avoid, and now that it’s their reality, he just watches with sad eyes.
“We just—“ Euijoo continues, breath shaky as he tries to hold onto the hope that this can be salvaged. “We’ll figure this out okay?”
“No,” Nicholas starts, gently. “Nothing is going to change, you know that. It hasn’t changed yet, it won’t ever be any different than this.”
“You’re not even going to try?” Euijoo asks, the desperation clear. His face is filled with confusion, eyes searching Nicholas’ for answers he probably might never find.
Nicholas sighs, his chest heavy. “I can’t fix this Euijoo.”
Neither of them say a word. Nicholas can’t look anywhere but out the window, where he sees his vague reflection casted back at him against the dark skyline. Even in his silhouette, the exhaustion is apparent, noticing the way his shoulders slump and his head hangs.
“Do you even still love me?” Euijoo’s voice is barely audible, cracking with tears that start to well up in his eyes again.
“Of course I do!” Nicholas yells, coming out louder and sharper than he intended. You’re the only person I’ve ever truly loved. The words linger in his mind as he stares at Euijoo, unspoken.
“Then why are you pushing me away right now?” Euijoo’s response is quick, the question bleeding with hurt and confusion. It’s as if he knew exactly how Nicholas would reply. Even now, they still knew each other inside out.
His chest tightens, but he can’t stop himself from saying the words. “Because I’m not right for you! I never fucking was and we should’ve realized that from the start.”
He’s kept this hidden from Euijoo for many years, his own insecurity that leaves him thinking about when this would all be over. It was disguised as simple phrases like ‘How did I get so lucky?’ and ‘I don’t deserve you,’ but deep down, Nicholas always knew they were destined to fail.
“I’ll never be able to give you the life you want,” He feels his own composure break. “So just leave Juju. Please.” The nickname slips past his own defenses, nearly ruining the front he’s desperately trying to keep up. It feels foreign on his tongue now, as if it’s not his to use anymore, and it hasn’t been for a long time.
“I tried to be perfect for you.” Nicholas continues, filling the quiet. “I reeled myself in, all throughout high school just to get you to love me the way I loved you. I quit smoking then, I stopped hanging out with those kids you didn’t like. I only went to parties if I knew you were going too.”
“I was lucky enough to have you as a friend, but I was so selfish, I still wanted more. Everyone adored you and somehow, you chose me.” A sad smile tugs at his lips, his mind wandering to the beginning of it all. “I was the happiest I’d ever been when you finally asked me out. I waited and hoped that one day you’d be mine, but I wouldn’t do it myself for this exact reason. I didn’t want to force you into something I know you didn’t want.”
“I really thought it could work.” He lets out a bitter laugh, shaking his head. “Opposites attract and all... that was our whole thing. It was really just an excuse in the end, wasn’t it?”
Euijoo stays quiet, his mouth opening to say something but closing just as fast. Nicholas can tell that he wants to argue, to say that they can fix this, but part of him wonders if he’s given up too.
“We were fine throughout college,” Nicholas continues, although he’s not sure why. “Maybe we were just too focused on our degrees to notice the faults. I gave up moving away to be closer to my family, to some place where I’d have a better chance at actually making it in this industry, and I was still fucking happy just because it meant I got to be with you.” Tears prick his eyes, threatening to betray him. He tilts his head back, willing them not to fall.
After a moment, he clears his throat, steadying himself enough to come back to the issue in front of him. “Now that I have my footing down, it’s just clear that I’m never going to be enough for you.”
“Why are you doing this?” When Euijoo finally speaks, his voice is barely above a whisper.
“God, Euijoo.” Nicholas sighs, hands trembling as they run through his hair. “You’re not happy anymore! Everyone sees it, I tried to look past it because I didn’t want to lose you.”
This would be so much easier if it was anyone else. By now, they would’ve let go, prioritized themselves and gotten out of this mess that Nicholas created. Euijoo has never been one to give up on the things he loves, and it crushes Nicholas to know that he’s the one holding Euijoo back.
“You don’t need to be changing yourself for me too. You don’t deserve to be stuck here when I’ll never be able to give you the life you truly want.” He regrets every word he says, each syllable leaving a taste bitter in his mouth. They’ve been ignoring the truth for too long. It pains him, but if he truly wants Euijoo to be happy he has to turn himself into the bad guy for him to let go.
“Listen to your friends for once.” Nicholas barks, knowing he’s only pouring salt on an open wound.
“They’re our friends, Nichol.” He counters, but his voice wavers slightly. It’s supposed to feel like reassurance, but it falls flat, not even Euijoo himself believing it fully. “They care about you too, I—”
“Can we stop pretending already?” Nicholas pleads as Euijoo’s eyes search his own. “I heard the way they talk about me, who knows how long they’ve felt like that.” He doesn’t want to think about it, about how the people he trusted were doubting him behind the scenes the entire time he knew them.
“That’s not even what matters right now.” Nicholas sighs. His head is killing him from the yelling and the tension, his entire body feels heavy, like gravity itself is pulling a little harder. He's sure Euijoo feels the same, the weight of the world on their shoulders.
“If you’ve been scared of me being unfaithful,” Nicholas starts, his voice shaking. “Then I’ve been scared of holding you back. I’ve been terrified for the day that you give up on trying to love me.” He glances up through his messy bangs to meet Euijoo’s eyes, both filled with the same sadness. “Since day one, Juju.”
“I do love you.” Euijoo protests, soft but certain. Nicholas knows it’s true too.
“But you had to learn to love me.” Nicholas says, almost to himself. “There’s a difference.” The air is heavy, pressing against his chest with every breath. That familiar feeling wells up in his throat, getting caught before he can continue.
“That’s the issue in the end, I guess.” His voice falters, the words feeling empty as they leave his mouth. He doesn’t have the energy to play it off as a joke, to pretend it’s not as devastating as it really is. “We’re just… different.”
It feels like the closing line to some bad movie that leaves you disappointed, regretting that you wasted hours of your time on it because it’s just so plain .
Neither of them speak, letting the silence grow long and louder, a suffocating weight they can’t escape. Nicholas knows he’s right, and Euijoo knows it too, no matter how badly he doesn’t want to admit it.
There’s a quiet resignation in the air, as though both of them know what needs to happen, even though every part of them wishes it weren’t true. It’s not anger, bitterness, jealousy, or hurt anymore, but overwhelming exhaustion—emotionally, mentally, and physically. Both of them are too drained to fight for something that isn’t salvageable.
He looks at Euijoo, the man he spent so many years of his life in love with, who he thought he had a future with. Beneath the sadness in his eyes, ones that used to light up whenever they were together, is now a quiet acceptance that it’s over. There’s no more fighting, no yelling or crying. They’re simply done.
“Go, please.” Nicholas says, defeated.
He steps aside into the living room, making space in the hallway for Euijoo to pass. His back is turned, staring out the window, but he knows Euijoo’s gaze lingers in his direction. He hears the sound door of their bedroom door creak, drawers opening, and a zipper closing.
His head is dropped as the door shuts, refusing to look back. Footsteps move towards him, towards the entrance of their apartment. Despite making the decision, there’s a pang in his chest that still longs for something more, the finality of it pressing down on him. His body is rigid, spending the last of his energy to keep still, to keep his mouth shut. He knows that if he speaks he’ll only fall apart.
The footsteps toward him stop for just a second, a moment that makes Nicholas hold his breath, but the sound resumes just as quickly as it stopped.
He listens to the shuffle of Euijoo putting his shoes on, the sounds fainter now. He hears the closet door slide open and closed, before the door unlocks.
Then there’s silence. There’s a cruel flicker of hope that rises in his chest, that Euijoo would be the one to try again, to give him a chance to take everything back, but the silence stretches. Only then does Nicholas turn to look at him.
Euijoo stands in the entrance, with one hand wrapped around the handle, fingers trembling, holding a small duffle bag in the other.
Nicholas stands, frozen in place as Euijoo lets out a long, quiet breath, but says nothing. He doesn’t look back as he steps out.
The door closes behind him, the click of the lock like a brutal punctuation to the end of this. The sound echoes in their empty apartment, and his vision blurs, throat tightening as his emotions consume him. His tears spill over, hot in contrast to his skin that has gone cold.
There’s no relief, no sense of closure, just an ache in his chest where his heart is meant to be.
He sinks to the floor, the sobs tearing through him until he’s gasping for air. He wants to scream, to break something, to run after Euijoo, to fix it, but there’s nothing left to fix anymore.
Nicholas always knew this day would come, counting down the seconds until Euijoo would finally come to his senses, realizing they were never meant to last. And yet, even as he’s left alone in a space that used to be theirs, Nicholas still loves him anyway.