Third Person.

24th of June.

It had already been a month since Nana Mei bid her last goodbye. Beomgyu was able to convince Y/N to move in with him right after the burial. It wasn't a piece of cake, of course- having to leave Cornelia Street and start anew. Y/N had had it rough. However, Beomgyu was there to make sure she'd surpass it all, though she did have trouble adjusting to her new environment.

Y/N had grown accustomed to Parkinson's dysfunctional elevators, its flickering lights, and her small, tight unit. Bathed with the memories of her grandmother's old and out-of-date appliances, she wasn't too confident upon exploring the strange new setting. Beomgyu's place was a whole lot different. He had plently of space to adorn with whatever stuff he wanted and owned better things.

There was one time when Y/N asked him how to operate the stove in which Beomgyu patiently assisted. Since then, Y/N had promised to make food for both of them.

In spite of all these, Beomgyu never ceased to notice the sad look on Y/N's face. Her eyes had gone too red and puffy. Dark circles were prominent around her beautiful orbs, thanks to her midnight sobs and break downs. She rarely smiled. She talked less. Y/N would always find herself pacing back and forth the living room, confused and lost.

"Hey, Y/N!" Beomgyu once called. "Would you like to go out? Stroll around the park? Eat ice cream? Come on, it's summer. A little cone would surely make you feel better, don't you think?"

He did all he can to stow her away from the painful misery. He knew how it felt to lose someone, as he had lost his younger brother to a drowning incident back when he was a teen. So, seeing Y/N carry the weight on her shoulders made him want to shed light on her way.

***

It was Friday. Beomgyu went home early for lunch. It was raining outside, so he was clad in his black, leather jacket the moment he entered his unit. To his dismay, Y/N didn't come to greet him at the door.

"Y/N?" His voice rang through the empty hallway. "I'm here!"

CLANG!

The sound of steel pans and casseroles alerted him. He immediately rushed to the kitchen to see Y/N chopping carrots at the counter. There was a pot of what seemed to be vegetable stew boiling on the stove. She was making lunch. Her dull eyes met Beomgyu's, so she waved.

"Hello." Y/N croaked. "Are you hungry?"

"Kinda." Beomgyu smiled. "I just had a bag of chips a while ago."

"That sounds concerning."

"You think so?"

"Yes." Y/N sighed. "Are you hungry?"

"I told you, kinda."

"Sorry."

Beomgyu sat on a stool right in front of her. He whipped out his iPad and started sorting photos into various folders. Y/N watched him for a few seconds before grabbing a handful of potatoes.

"Mr. Cho was pleased with my performance last season." The boy beamed. "Remember the spring couture? Yeah, that one. I'll be receiving my paycheck in a few days. I'm thrilled as fuck."

Y/N nodded. "Congratulations, Beomgyu."

"It'll be around Sunday, I suppose. Care to celebrate with me by then?"

"I'd love to."

"Wonderful," Beomgyu giggled. "Gotta get that sadness out of you."

"I'm not sad," Y/N denied. "There's no reason for me to be sad anyway."

"Liar, liar, pants on fire."

She blinked. "I'm wearing shorts."

Beomgyu let out a hearty chuckle. Y/N subtly smiled and went to check on her stew. Her friend raised his pencil, a cocky expression painted on his face.

"I worked hard enough to bag a raise, didn't I?"

"Yeah, you did. You're undeniably talented and skilled after all."

"Why, thank you, sunshine."

Y/N paused. Her eyes sparked sorrow for a brief moment. A dreadful sensation creeped through her skin as her mind bubbled with vague thoughts. She absently held her forehead. Beomgyu's gaze shot up in concern.

"What's wrong?"

"I don't know why but.." She frowned. "..I feel sad."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

Y/N shook her head. Beomgyu leaned towards the marble surface, his elbows propped on the material as his lips stretched into a comforting grin. Perhaps a bit of distraction will do.

"What did you do today, darling?"

"Ah?" She blinked. "Let's see.. I made breakfast, I fed the guppies, I dusted the shelves, and then I cleaned my room."

"Wow, you've done a lot." Beomgyu chuckled. "Great job, Y/N. I'm proud of you."

"You didn't have to be this joyful."

"What are you talking about? Even the simplest things are worth the praises. You should give yourself a pat on the back for that."

Y/N weakly smiled. She placed down the knife and strided over to Beomgyu. He fondly ruffled her hair, earning a delighted giggle. Y/N watched him work. It seemed boring- just staring at the bright screen, moving vibrant pictures into coded files. She palmed her chin and heaved a heavy sigh. Beomgyu lowly laughed through his nose and scooted closer so she could smell his sweet, vanilla scent in hopes of cheering her up.

"Why don't you take a nap?" Y/N suggested. "The weather's cold and cozy. You'll definitely fall asleep in no time."

"Nah-uh," Beomgyu cooed. "I need to mail these to Kevin tonight. We don't want no late submissions now, do we?"

"But you look.. Exhausted."

"I'm fine, Y/N. Trust me."

"Are you sure?"

"Well, not really." Beomgyu pursed his lips. "My back hurts. A lot."

"You're getting old."

"Hey!" He gasped. "How dare you say that! I'm still young! I'm barely 50!"

"You're almost halfway there."

"No, I'm not!"

Y/N cheekily grinned and marched away. She stopped by the fish tank, drawing a finger against the glass to play with the little fish. Beomgyu playfully rolled his eyes. He knew she was still in pain, although Y/N did her best to mask it. The sparkles in her eyes had never once lied.

"Where did you get these?" Y/N asked, pertaining to the guppies. "What are their names?"

"Pet store!" Beomgyu chirped. "They don't really have names, to be honest."

"That sucks."

"Got ideas?"

"No," Y/N snickered. "You can't trust me with names."

"Right. Last time I asked you, you named your toy Shithead."

"He's under the bed, eating dust."

Beomgyu froze. "Excuse me?"

"What?"

"I didn't pay $40 for him to be tucked away, Y/N."

Giggling, Y/N sprinkled a pint of fish food into the aquarium. Tiny guppies rushed to the surface to feast on the brown grains.

"Don't worry. He's got company."

Beomgyu raised a brow. "Which is?"

"Mr. Fudge's portrait."

"I don't understand," he complained. "Why don't we wash Shithead and hang Mr. Fudge's portrait on the wall instead, hmm?"

"No. Everytime I look at them, my heart feels heavy."

"Oh.."

A trail of uncomfortable silence enveloped the two. Y/N dragged herself to the living room and started cleaning a couple mess. Beomgyu guiltily shifted his gaze elsewhere. He listened to the noises behind him. Rain heavily poured against the window pane. A loud thunder boomed from afar. He even saw a piece of plastic bag drifting through the wind. He facepalmed. Out of the blue, Y/N started to hum a familiar melody. It was a mellow tune, one that depicted sadness and longing. Curious, Beomgyu turned her way. She was standing by the couch, dusting a pair of pillows.

"Remember me," Y/N lightly sang. "Though I have to say goodbye. Remember me, don't let it make you cry."

"For ever if I'm far away, I hold you in my heart.." She scratched her head. "..Na na na na na.. Each night we are apart. Remember me-"

"Y/N?"

"Yes?"

"Come. Let's take a nap."

"Didn't you say you were busy?"

"Not anymore," Beomgyu grinned.

"I don't know. I don't want to fall asleep. In fact, I'm afraid to fall asleep."

"What's the matter, Y/N?"

She gulped. "I just had a nightmare. I was in a tight box and my hands were tied. I couldn't see anything. I couldn't breathe. I was crying."

"Oh, dear-"

"Last week, I dreamt about falling into an endless pit. I screamed for help, but no one heard my plea. It was dark. Very dark."

Beomgyu pulled her into a hug. "They're nothing but silly nightmares, alright? They mean nothing, Y/N."

"Nothing?"

"Uh-huh," he squished her cheeks. "People usually dream about bad things when they're stressed or exhausted."

"Is that so?"

"Mhm. You need to take good care of yourself to drive those nightmares away."

"What about you?" Y/N croaked. "You're always tired."

"Don't mind me. I'm alright."

Beomgyu tucked some strands of hair behind her ear. Y/N's shoulders dropped in relief. However, just as they were about to settle down, an aggressive whistle erupted from the kitchen followed by a loud bang. Y/N immediately rushed to see what the ruckus was. The casserole's lid just hit the floor. Gooey liquid bubbled from the pot, creating a dripping mess all around the stove. Vegetable chunks scattered everywhere. There was an ugly stain on the wall. Y/N's eyes widened in horror.

"THE STEW!" She screamed, rushing to turn off the stove. "I COMPLETELY FORGOT ABOUT THE STEW!"

Beomgyu jogged up to the scene. "Wh-"

"I'm so sorry! I'm really sorry, I'll clean this up!"

"Y/N, no. It's oka-"

"I shouldn't have left the kitchen! I'm terribly sorry, I was careless!"

Y/N frantically picked up the hot pieces of radish and tossed them in a plate. She raced to the cupboard to get a rug. She almost slipped as she stepped on a nasty puddle. A tear rolled down her cheek as reality struck her. She had done an awful job again. Frustration and self-hatred took over her being. Beomgyu could hear her mutter ill things about herself, like how she was too dumb to forget about the food cooking. He couldn't bear to listen, so he approached her.

"Y/N-"

"Please, don't talk to me."

"No, listen-"

"I've made a big mistake." Y/N seethed. "I should've been more careful."

"Y/N, it's okay. Here, let me help you."

Beomgyu attempted to grab another rag but Y/N stopped him. At this point, she was shaking. Her cheeks glistened with angry tears as she tried to push him out of the situation. Beomgyu sympathized, but at the same time, he felt concerned.

"Stupid, so stupid.." Y/N knocked on her forehead. "..always up to no good. You useless, pathetic piece of sh-"

"That's enough."

Beomgyu yanked her away from the kitchen and brought her to her room. She gently shoved her inside. Y/N gave him a confused glare. Beomgyu crossed his arms and leaned against the doorframe, unfazed.

"Change your clothes," he nodded to her stained apparel. "And rest."

"But the mess-"

"I'll take care of it. Don't you dare think about hurting yourself while I'm gone. I better not see a bruise on you when I get back."

And with that, Beomgyu closed the door shut. His expression softened as soon as he heard her sob. Y/N collapsed to her bed and buried her face on the mattress. If anything, she felt miserable. A mix of regret, fury, and disappointment squeezed her heart. She balled her fists into the covers as she trembled. To her, she was nothing but a living embarrassment.

"I'm sorry, Y/N." Beomgyu murmured as he went back to the kitchen.