✧ First Touch ; SH & YJ
caeyoojung:
One foot first, then the other. Feel the burn, the heat, the laden feeling in your legs. Run them off. Push yourself.
The only way to improve is to move forward.
When Soohyuk runs, he loses sight of everything, chasing down his goal, single-minded in his zeal. The world drops away at his feet and the heavier his legs get, the lighter he feels. Running is his release. It is his way of saying, “Hey, I can still fly when gravity ties me down.”
It is also the only time when he can escape from the haunting reach of inner demons.
Soohyuk doesn’t know how long he has spent on the track; it is easier to lose sight of time here than when he trained outside. After six rounds, he stopped counting. His pace only slows when his watch beeps, reminding him that the track is closing soon and he has classes to teach in the morning.
The world comes back to him slowly, in bits and pieces. Touch is the first one to return. He becomes aware of a faint night breeze that feels icy against his skin. Soohyuk raises his face to the night sky, pushing his hair back from his face. Rivulets of perspiration run down his face down to his arms and body. He is burned out but when his eyes open, the world is edged in clarity. Silence is drowned by his thundering heart.
It takes him a moment to sense that he isn’t alone on this Monday night. Casting a roaming eye over the area, Soohyuk squints to get a closer look when he spots her. A faculty member? No, she doesn’t look familiar. A student then. Frowning, he checked his watch again.
1:03 AM.
Soohyuk heaves a sigh as he collects his belongings from the side of the track before jogging over to her. He doesn’t like performing the duties of a teacher outside of class but rules are rules. If she were to be caught wandering outside by someone else, she was sure to get into trouble.
“Hey,” he calls out. “Time to clear out of this place before you get detention for breaking curfew.”
