hello, hello

[He doesn’t let go, this expression of pure misery still lingering in his eyes, and he’s fortunate that she can’t see it in their position. He doesn’t let go; he’s not ready to. He knows that. And to think that he’s actually doing this right now is enough to unsettle him, but he’s not necessarily… bothered. So he stays there, his chin resting against her shoulder, and breathes slowly in an attempt to collect himself[

[Apparently Myung isn’t going to have that because suddenly he’s pulling her into his arms, thinking maybe he’ll let himself slip just this once. He’s so used to putting himself down and not letting people go near him, but he has been so fed up with himself all day, and his arms envelop her without any awkwardness, surprisingly]

[definitely was not expecting that reaction from him. He'd always been so subdued and frankly rather standoffish--two aspects that Chandler had reasonably excused him for. She could probably count on one hand how many times she'd heard his genuine laugh. But all of that was just Myung--It was his safeguard to the world. He was too complex to entertain the tedium, which just so happened to include Chandler herself. Perhaps he'd always needed to seclude himself. But now Chandler questioned whether he'd always wanted to.]

[Nods, wiping his eyes again and attempting to collect himself] O-Oh. I… I don’t know what happened. I didn’t… mean for anyone… [Aaaand he trails off]

I know... I shouldn't have-- I should just... I'll leave you alone.

I… [Well, actually, he’s not sure how to respond, because he’s actually a little scared right now for no reason in particular. He clears his throat and manages,] H-How is it that you always catch me in these horrible moments?

I just ca-- I'm always around... when I'm not supposed to be, I guess. [for reasons probably unbeknownst to Myung, Chandler is obviously just as flustered, if not more so.]

[Lucky for her (?), Myung is a paranoid little shit right now, and so he just so happens to look up and jumps when he sees her. He quickly swipes at his eyes with his sleeve and sniffles, shaking his head in some halfhearted attempt to reassure her that yes, he’s okay—though we both know that’s a lie.]

Um... I'm sorry... ['Crap... You are a nuisance.']

[He’s still crying, and it seems as though he’s not really going to stop without some assistance—that is, unless he doesn’t cry himself out first. He leans down and presses his cheek against the cover of the book he’d been reading before, sniffling and wiping his eyes with his sleeve. He’d been waiting for months for this to happen, and here it is at last, the onslaught of negative emotions he’d been hiding from everybody. Why does he push so many people away? He doesn’t know, but it’s killing him]

[Well now she just feels entirely uncomfortable as she continues to inch her way closer to Myung, unable to take her eyes off of his shaking shoulders. Her knees begin quivering at the sight--Or maybe it's the sounds that are echoing in his hollow throat. Finally she's standing before him, yet she still makes no move to indicate her presence.]

[Eventually breaks down because he’s alone, right? Well, he’s not, but once the sobs come, they won’t be able to stop, and he’s unsuspecting; but Chandler will most certainly be able to hear his cries, even when he’s doing his best to muffle them. He’s had this feeling lately, it only magnified by artist’s block, and it’s this wretched emptiness that seizes him by the collar and keeps dragging him down every goddamn day of his life. And he’s starting to grow weary fast.]

[is immediately shocked and confused, because he seemed completely normal a minute ago... Why could he be crying all of a sudden? And naturally, a hundred possibilities all stampede their way through her mind, trampling over each other and shouting at her desperately, 'He saw you!' 'You gotta get out of here before you cause permanent emotional damage!' 'Go over and see if he's okay!' 'Why are you still staring at him?' 'What if something happened to Andy?' 'Maybe his shoes are too small for his feet!' 'Chandler! Go talk to him!'] Oh... [warily takes a few steps toward him, hoping he'll look up and catch her before she makes it all the way there.]

[Doesn’t notice her, only attempting to bottle himself up even further—although tears continually threaten to sting his eyes, as they’ve been doing all day. It’s late, and Myung is sitting by himself in the library, looking just as sorrowfully alone as ever]

[is practically clinging to the corner of the bookcase that she peers around to see Myung. She's far enough away not to notice the crimson that encircles his glossy eyes, so he looks as peaceful as ever to her own. Still, as always, she is hesitant to interrupt him. She's always anxious that one day he'll confess that she's nothing but a nuisance to him.]