Her eyes bore confusion as they searched for answers within the cold, dark, chocolate brown eyes she’d only known as warm. He’s changed. The single thought lingered, and lingered, bringing a bitter taste to her mouth. As if awoken from a trance, the familiar warmness reappeared in the hazel eyes as they flickered from her, to the knife, and finally to the blood that dripped at his feet. “Chohee- I-” His voice disappearing into a soft silence, as if something blocked his voice box, making him mute in the moment. The knife fell to the floor in a soft clang, splattering droplets of blood in it’s wake. Jiyong took a step closer - no, Isaiah took a step closer. Chohee no longer saw the amiable young crush of her past in the man that stood before her - no, that boy had disappeared. It was merely a shell, a shell of which this stranger, Isaiah, dwelled. 

Just as the warmness returned, consciousness returned to Jiyong, Chohee’s benevolence turned to ice. She exuded an unusual coldness as she simply stared at the man. There was a frigidness in her gaze - as if something light within her had died. “Stay away. " she whispered. Yet, the whisper seemed to echo within the room. The lack of emotion within them, their sharpness, seemed to only make them louder, Piercing his heart like daggers. Her arms wrapped around her as she took a step back. She willed herself to stay together, using all her strength to simply stand and not crumble to the floor as her body threatened.

"I - I can explain." Jiyong pleaded. Just once chance. she’d understand. of course she would, she, chohee, would forgive him. Or so he desperately hoped, and so she desperately wished.

                 ”No. - No Jiyong. You can’t.”

The body was there, cold, desolate. She couldn’t deny it, wouldn’t forget it. A single teardrop fell from her eyes. It’s crystallized beauty breaking into a thousand pieces as it intermingled with the sinful blood.

                                  "I can’t forgive you this time. not this time…." 

Her voice trailed off softly, her heart seemed to stop. She didn’t want to believe. She didn’t want to see. Another step - he took another step. His long strides closing in the distance quickly, and then she crumbled. “Why - why…” the muffled words imprinting into his mind. why? As his arms fought to comfort her, she backed away, folding into herself as a hand batted at his arms.

                                                              “Don’t touch me.” 

Her expression - her teary eyes was all it took for him to understand. ‘pitter patter pitter patter.’ the rain began to fall. Even god was shedding tears.

Sucking in a breath of air, Chohee awoke, jolting awake as she wiped the salty tears from her eyes. Her bed sheets twisted - a dream. It was only a dream - right? The rain fell silently on the windowpane, lightning lit up the sky as the clouds rumbled. Bringing her knees to her chest, chohee breathed quietly, questions striking fear into her heart. “It was only … a dream.” she mumbled to herself, closing her eyes. She chanted it to herself, until she was fast asleep, arms locked around her knees, head resting softly against her knees.

                                                                                        "Jiyong..Ji-yong…"