i am craving some angst san pleasseee
Pairing : Choi San (Ateez) and named character (Yoon So-Hee)
Synopsis : Choi san lost his love in a car accident a few years ago, and he vowed never to love anyone again the way he loved her. But then yoon so-hee enters his life and turns everything around. But will he ever get over his dead love? Will he ever be able to love again?
A/n : This is a bit long and too rushed but I am currently in the middle of exams PLUS I didn't wanna make two parts out of this so here it is.
Sohee let out a breath, leaning back against the sofa as she stared into the blank TV screen. It had been 3 hours since she had been waiting for san to come back home from work, and it was now 2am but he still wasn't here. But why was she still not worried? Because sohee was used to this.
San once loved a lady named lee soya, to the point where they had been engaged. They had been in a relationship for 10 years when soya had gotten into a car accident and passed away. And with her went a part of san's heart, because ever since then he had changed completely. He had loved soya for so long, he didn't really know how to live without doing so. And when she had gone, he had promised he would never love anyone ever again.
Sohee had caused the breaking of that promise of his. Because 5 years after soya's death, san had met sohee. And she had been his pill, the pill that took his mind away from soya, but never his heart. Throughout the span of sohee's and san's 5 year relationship, there wasn't a day soya hadn't been brought up. It could be through many ways but she was almost always a part of their relationship.
San had never truly been sohee's.
Sohee looked up as the door to their penthouse was heard opening, sohee quickly standing up as she rushed towards san who had just entered drenched from the rain outside. Sohee wrapped her arms around his neck before hugging san close towards her, resting her forehead on his shoulder as she whispered
Sohee : please don't let go.
San sighed and gripped his work bag tighter in his hand, letting sohee do whatever she wanted. Except that wasn't what she wanted.
Sohee : aren't you going to hug me back?
Sohee pulled back from the hug, her dress now wet from san's rain-drenched clothes as well. Sohee held san's cheek as she asked
Sohee : why are you wet, san?
San : forgot my umbrella.
San stepped away from sohee before walking towards their bedroom, his head lowered. Sohee knew he was lying, she knew he had once again gone to visit soya's grave.
San paused on his tracks, waiting for sohee to continue
Sohee : I missed you today.
San waited for a few more seconds before walking faster towards their room, leaving sohee behind with teary eyes.
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Sohee entered their room after half an hour, needing that time to collect herself. But right as she saw what was in front of her, all of that washed away. San was sitting on their bed looking through photos of probably soya and him on his phone, a small smile on his face.
San had never smiled at sohee, she had never made him smile the way soya always did even after she was dead.
Sohee : does that make you happy?
San closed his phone as soon as sohee said that, his smile disappearing completely. Sohee sighed before closing the door behind her, walking up to san and taking the towel that was lying on the bed before wiping san's head with it gently
Sohee : you still don't know how to dry your hair properly.
Sohee : did you get any new deals?
Sohee nodded, keeping the towel away as she asked
Sohee : are you uh, free tomorrow?
Sohee : I wanted to go on a date with you.
San paused at that, yet another date that sohee initiated. He still couldn't understand why sohee wasn't tired of him already.
Sohee : just dinner outside, that's all. Or do you not want to do that?
There was nothing he didn't want to do with sohee, he was just scared. But he supposed he didn't mind a dinner.
And with nothing more to say san laid back down on the bed, his eyes closing. Sohee sighed and got on the bed as well, using her elbow to prop herself up as she ran her hand along san's damp hair. San let out a small sigh in comfort, his tongue running over to wet his dry lip. Sohee caught sight of that, feeling the sudden need to kiss him.
And so she leaned forward, connecting her lips with san's as she kissed him. And as it always had been, san did not kiss her back. Instead he laid still, letting her do whatever she wanted. Sohee felt frustration grip her at that, the kisses getting harder and more painful for san as sohee's eyes filled with tears.
Sohee pulled back as she tasted blood in her mouth, a drop of her tear falling on san's cheek as sohee sat up straight. Her eyes landed on san's lower lip that now had a small cut on it, his eyes trained on hers as he said
Sohee let out a shaky breath and stood up before walking out of the room and towards the terrace.
San woke up the next day, his sleepy eyes looking around to find sohee. And once he saw her nowhere in the room he sat up straight, feeling alarmed. San rushed out the room as he felt panic take over him, hoping he would find her where he thought he would. And as soon as he opened the door to their terrace, he did.
The sun was just rising, but it cast enough sunlight already for san to see sohee lying fast asleep out in the open. Her face looked pale from the cold and her lips were chapped dry. It was November after all.
San rushed up to sohee, holding her arm as he flinched at how cold it felt. What the hell did she think she was doing?
Sohee let out a small groan, that coming out broken. San cursed under his breath and lifted her up from the ground, that causing sohee to wake up as she looked up at san who was now rushing inside to warmth.
San : what the hell were you doing out in the open like that?
Sohee frowned as she said groggily
Sohee : I just…I wanted to see the stars-
Sohee stared at san as he laid her back in bed, rushing to increase the temperature of the room heater as he came back towards sohee with concerned eyes
Sohee : what are you doing?
San : trying to get you warm, can't you see?
San : because you're bloody freezing yoon sohee! Do you want to die from the cold?
Sohee : no but it's not like you would care, is it?
Sohee : even if I died, I'm sure you'd still prefer her grave over mine.
San felt his heart drop at her harsh words. And only when san's eyes reflected hurt did sohee understand the effect her words had on him. But before she could say anything san stood up from the bed, walking towards the door with clenched hands. Sohee mumbled a no as she stood up from her bed with wobbly legs, rushing towards san as she held his arm with her cold hands
Sohee : san, I'm sorry. I swear I didn't mean it, it just came out suddenly-
San : I'm not angry at you, sohee. Let me go so I can get you something to eat.
Sohee paused, letting go of san's hand as he turned around and said with a blank face
San : I know I do not have the right to get angry at you after all that I have done, so I won't.
Sohee could only stare as san walked out of the room. And she thought, he didn't even feel an emotion with me. Not even anger, let alone love or concern.
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San stared at sohee who was sitting right in front of him, eating her dinner quietly. She looked beautiful tonight, san thought. Maybe too beautiful for someone like him. He used to be beautiful once, when he had soya. And then he had lost her and he had lost himself completely. And he thought he would always stay that way until he met the woman in front of him. For her, he was probably the same as he had been when she first saw him 5 years ago. But for san, he knew the changes she had made in him.
From the smallest things like washing his face and taking care of his skin, to buying clothes and other items for himself, to even bigger things like being able to focus on work once again and talk to people without feeling like dying, she was slowly bringing san back. Except she didn't know that, and san didn't tell her.
Because he didn't know what that would mean. Because for his entire life he had only loved soya, and he always thought it would be only her in his life. But then what were these things he felt for sohee? Why did he feel like if he lost her, he would lose himself completely? Sohee was the only anchor in his life, and if she was gone, so would he.
San looked up as the waiter came back once again with food, placing it on the table. He accidentally dropped a spoon as he knelt down to pick it up, san looking over at the food instead. But just as he was about to pick a bowl up, he felt sohee take the glass of wine from the table before throwing it at the waiter.
The people around gasped, the waiter looking furious at the drink spilled all over him.
Sohee : you fucking pervert.
San looked at sohee with wide eyes as she stood up, glaring at the waiter who now seemed to look slightly taken aback
Sohee : you think you can touch me under the table like that and get away? I'm going to get you fired, you bastard.
Waiter : I didn't do anything!
Sohee : HOW DARE YOU LIE-
Sohee looked at san as he stood up, holding her arm before saying
San : stop making a scene, there are people here.
Sohee : san, he touched me! He's been looking at me inappropriately this entire time-
San : it doesn't matter right now, let's just leave.
Sohee looked like someone had thrown a brick at her.
San looked over at the waiter before pulling out money from his pocket, handing it over to him.
San : for your shirt, and also for the food. We're sorry.
And before the waiter could say anything more san walked out of the restaurant, dragging a raging sohee behind him. And as soon as they were in the parking lot sohee shook herself off of san, glaring at him with hurt eyes
Sohee : what the fuck was that!
San : that was a high rated restaurant, sohee. We're supposed to be keeping certain manners-
Sohee : SAN HE TOUCHED ME INAPPROPRIATELY!
San : you don't just throw a wine at him in front of everyone like that-
Sohee : YOU MAY NOT FEEL ANYTHING BUT I FUCKING DO!
San paused as sohee stared at him with her teary eyes. Oh no, was he making her cry?
Sohee : NO! NO YOU…I thought you would notice that man looking at me in that disgusting manner and the things he was doing with me on that table. I thought…I thought you would do something about it but you did nothing, san. And then when he touched my leg like that I couldn't…I couldn't just sit there and let him harass me like that!
That wasn't what san had meant to do, fuck it. San stared at sohee as tears streamed down her cheeks.
Sohee : I THOUGHT YOU WOULD FUCKING CARE, SAN, BUT YOU DON'T! YOU DON'T CARE EVEN IF I'M BEING HARASSED, OR PLAYED WITH! YOU DON'T GIVE A FUCK ABOUT ME!
San felt his heart tear apart at her words. He wanted to scream that none of those were true but he didn't, he kept quiet. Sohee let out a small sob as she said
Sohee : why am I not enough? Why do you keep pushing me away for soya! Why do you keep doing this to me!
San pressed his lips together as sohee pushed him away from her, sobs falling from her lips as she said
Sohee : why won't you protect me, why won't you care for me, WHY WON'T YOU LOVE ME CHOI SAN!
San clenched his hands, letting sohee do whatever she wanted. But again, that only backfired. Sohee stepped back, wiping her tears harshly as she said
Sohee : take me back to that place of yours.
Sohee turned and walked towards their car, opening the back door as she got in the back seat of the car instead. San blinked his eyes to stop the tears from forming as he thought, "that place of yours". She couldn't even call it her home.
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San did not have the guts to utter a word after that. The car was filled with sohee's small sniffles, each of them breaking san further apart. And once they got back home, sohee had rushed into their bedroom and locked the door shut, leaving san all alone. And so now he was lying on the guestroom floor, staring up at the ceiling as tears streamed down his eyes.
He hated that he didn't notice that man ogling his girlfriend, he hated that he reacted the way he did when sohee was touched inappropriately. What san had meant to do was destroy that man's life, not at that moment, but after they had got back home. Because just firing him wasn't going to do the job. San was going to fire him and make sure he gets no job in any other restaurants in the future, san was powerful enough to do that. He was powerful enough to ruin that man's life.
That was what he had meant to do, but now sohee had thought something else of his reaction, and rightfully so.
San picked up his phone as he opened the gallery, going through the photos of sohee he had taken secretly these past years. From photos of her sleeping like a baby to the small dates they had went on, sohee had no idea san took these pictures. But for san, they were his most prized possession. San felt a smile spread on his face at the photos of sohee smiling, her happiness bringing him happiness.
Just the other night sohee had caught san looking through her photos. Except she thought he was looking through photos of soya, and not her. Sohee probably didn't even think san could be smiling while looking at her photos and not soya's.
He felt nothing for her? Bullshit. He didn't want to protect her, or care for her or love her? Nonsense. He wanted to give her the entire world, but he was scared. Scared of losing her as he had lost soya.
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San woke up in the morning, feeling his entire body ache from having slept on the cold floor last night. San walked out of the room to go to their room, his face turning into a frown as he realized the room was wide open, the bed already made.
Sohee never made the bed.
San rushed inside and opened the nearby cupboard, his eyes widening as he realized all of sohee's things were gone. San felt his heart beat faster as he noticed a note lying on the bedside, quickly rushing up to it as he opened the note and read through it
"I can't do this anymore, I'm leaving. Don't come after me, please."
San let out an exasperated sob as he looked around, the room looking empty without sohee's things lying in every corner. It looked like it had when soya had died and her parents had taken her things away. It looked like it had been when san was all alone in the world, not having anyone or anything else.
And with another sob san fell on the floor, sohee's note crumpled in his trembling hand.
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Sohee flinched as her apartment's doorbell rang, keeping her ice-cream tub away as she walked up to the door and opened it. But as soon as she saw who it was she shut the door, locking it.
San : no no please! Sohee, let me in.
Sohee : I told you not to come after me.
San : don't leave me like this! Please let me talk.
Sohee : there is nothing to talk about. We're done, san.
San : no we cannot be! I cannot let you leave! Please please open the door!
San : sohee I don't love her anymore. I just…I've been meaning to tell you but I didn't, and I'm sorry. But you need to know I don't love soya the way I once did anymore-
Sohee : you're so pathetic, san. All this while I was with you, you felt everything for her and nothing for me. But now that I'm gone? You suddenly don't love her anymore?
Sohee heard san's sniffles from the other side, that being the first time she had ever heard him cry. San never showed his feelings in front of anyone. Sohee did not say anything.
San : I'm so sorry. I'm sorry I didn't say it earlier, I'm sorry I didn't do anything earlier. I'm sorry for yesterday, for not having done anything for you, I'm so sorry sohee.
Sohee : your sorries will not make me come back. This is the end of us, choi san.
Sohee ignored san's pleads as she walked away from the door, san's cries getting fainter as she moved further away from it. It hurt sohee, hearing him beg and cry like that just to talk to her.
But he had lost her, and he wasn't going to get her back so easily.
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Sohee was in the supermarket picking out groceries when she bumped right into someone. Sohee was about to apologize when she looked up and realized who that someone was. And she immediately regretted ever having stepped out of her house today.
Sohee walked past san, her head lowered. San didn't even look like san anymore. He looked drained, his eyes grey under and his face pale. His usually moisturized lips were now dried and chapped, his body looking like it hadn't been fed properly this past week. But she shouldn't care.
San ran after her hurriedly, once again pleading
San : oh no no, please listen to me.
Sohee did not say anything, only walked faster towards the exit.
San : sohee I swear, I've loved you for a long time. I-I know it might be hard to believe but I stopped loving soya the way I did, a few years ago. It just took me time to get used to loving someone other than her-
Sohee : stop with your bullshit, choi san.
Sohee stepped out of the store and onto the side-walk, wanting to go back home. San still followed.
San : I'm sorry I didn't say all this sooner. I was a coward, I'm really sorry-
San cut himself off with a yelp as he tripped over a stone on the ground, falling on the floor as he bruised his palm. Sohee turned around with worried eyes and was about to walk over to san when she realized she wasn't supposed to care anymore. And so she stood in her place, just staring at san.
San pressed his lips together as he noticed blood pooling around the wound, looking away as he stood up shakily and said
San : please don't leave again. Please, sohee, don't leave me all alone.
Sohee : you left me all alone when you wanted to. Why can't I do the same?
San looked at sohee in exasperation, not knowing how to answer that.
Sohee : if you can fuck me up, if you can destroy me and love someone else when you were in a relationship with me, the least I can do is leave you for it.
Sohee : do not, fight with me choi san. I am not coming back to you.
And san could only watch with teary eyes as sohee turned around and left.
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San had not given up, in fact, as days passed he only increased the number of gifts and letters that he kept sending to sohee. Sohee had new flowers to put into her vase every single day of the week, and the amount of plastic wrappers she had to throw away on a weekly basis were plain concerning.
Now she was driving towards her apartment, her mind in a haze from the problem she was facing at work. And the more she thought about it, the less attention she paid to the road in front of her. And soon enough she saw a car coming towards her at a fast pace, the people around screaming something sohee couldn't really hear. And before either of them could do anything about it, both the cars had crashed into each other, causing sohee's head to bang against the airbags that had just exploded during the impact.
Sohee felt her head swirl from the sudden hit, her shaky hands gripping the steering wheel as she noticed the man from the other car get out swiftly, unharmed but still looking shocked. Before sohee could do the same the door to her side burst open, revealing a panting san who already had tears in his eyes. Oh no.
San : oh no no no. no no, sohee can you hear me?
Sohee blinked her eyes, her head still in a haze. San lifted her from the seat shakily and lowered the both of them to the ground, holding sohee's cheek as san's tears streamed down his cheeks freely.
He felt like he was getting stabbed.
San : no please please, don't leave me.
Sohee cut herself off as she felt a droplet of blood trickle down her head, falling down her cheeks as san's eyes widened at it
San : no you're bleeding! Blood-
Sohee : san, it's just a small cut-
San : NO! NO YOU CAN'T LEAVE ME TOO!
Sohee paused as she understood what was going on. Soya had died in a car accident as well, and seeing the blood and the way sohee was right now, it probably triggered san's fear of losing someone.
Sohee : s-san, I promise I'm alright.
San sobbed at her words, shaking his head as he said
San : I should've known. I should've known I kill everyone around me.
Sohee held san's trembling hand in hers as she tried to calm him down
Sohee : san-ah, san look at me. See? I'm okay, it's just a small cut.
San hiccuped as sohee sat up straighter, holding san's wet cheek in her hand as she whispered
Sohee : I'm not going anywhere, I'm right here.
San let out a small whimper as sohee connected his forehead with hers, laying her other hand against san's thumping chest as she whispered softly
Sohee : I would never leave you, choi san.
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Sohee looked over at san who was sitting on the sofa opposite the hospital bed she was currently sitting on, his head lowered and his face distant. It had been this way for half an hour now, sohee trying to focus on the book she was supposed to read while san dazed away right in front of her. But she couldn't anymore, she shut the book close.
San did not move an inch, he wasn't even listening.
Sohee : san, listen to me.
San flinched at that, quickly looking up as he blinked his eyes at sohee
Sohee : where the hell are you?
San looked away, his hands clenched against his lap as he shook his head.
Sohee : are you still scared?
San did not say anything. Sohee stood up from the bed, walking over to the sofa as she kneeled down in front of san
Sohee : I asked you a question, san. Are you still scared?
San let out a shaky breath as he muttered
San : I almost always am.
Sohee : why? Why are you always scared?
San : because of what happened today, sohee. It can…It can happen again, any time. And maybe it won't be as harmless as this was. And maybe I might…I might be left alone in this world all over again.
Sohee stared at san, her eyes softening as tears glistened in his eyes.
San : I just want to be happy, sohee. But I keep…I keep messing everything up. Soya she…she got into a car accident the night we argued. And you…you were in that car after our fight as well so I thought you-you would-
Sohee : san-ah, I'm not her. This, nothing's happened to me, okay? I can't promise you nothing ever will but I can promise you I will live my life carefully. For you, I will.
San looked at sohee, her eyes staring right into san's as she laid her palm against his cheek
Sohee : you have to stop torturing yourself like this, san. You deserve to love again, you deserve to be loved, you deserve the whole world. But I can only do so much. Without your heart or your mind, I cannot love you, san.
San : please come closer to me?
Sohee pressed her lips together as she got up, san pulling her towards his lap as he wrapped his arms around her waist and buried his head into her shoulder.
San : I want…I want us back. I don't want to lose you, I really don't. I may need time to heal but I can only do so with you by my side.
San : I know I have a thousand apologies to say, a million things to make up to you, but I will do it. I will do it as long as you stay by my side. So please. Please don't leave again.
Sohee sighed, resting her head against the side of san's head as she whispered
Sohee : I will stay, san. As long as you don't do this again, I will stay.
San inhaled deeply, kissing sohee's neck as he said
San : thank you. And I love you, sohee.
And that was the first of the many times Choi San uttered those words to Yoon Sohee. Because after all, she had made him love again, when he never thought he would.
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