Farewell, Neverland (Choi Yeonjun x Reader)

Chapter 30: One Day at a Time

No matter how much Yeonjun shook you and called your name, your eyes didn't open.

Hot tears deprived Yeonjun's vision as he continued. Blood was pooling from the back of your head.

"Y/n, please."

Taking a deep, shuddery breath, Yeonjun placed his pointer and middle finger on your pulse. But just as he expected, there was no movement.

Above in the sky, the hexagon machines disappeared. On the ground, though, was chaos. Small fires and decimated buildings and people searching for their loved ones. There were cries of relief as some were found alive. Others were cries of distress.

Yeonjun picked up your upper body and placed you in his arms. Slowly, he leaned in and kissed your cold lips.

Unlike the last one, filled with yearning, this kiss was somber. Yeonjun didn't want to release, but he did a minute after lingering on your lips a little longer.

He still couldn't believe it.

Yoona lay next to you in the same condition. The silver gun was still in her hand.

"Y/n, I'm so sorry I couldn't save you," Yeonjun whispered, touching foreheads with yours. "We'll never get to share our stories."

There was faint crying coming from underneath the destroyed laboratory. Turning his head, Yeonjun saw two pairs of feet sticking from underneath. Gently lying you back down, he walked toward the sounds of the cries.

Heavy concrete piles laid on the two pairs of legs, and Yeonjun lifted them like lifting a rug.

Pushing the slaps aside, the teen boy gasped. Yurim and Kiyoung were below. In both of their arms, wrapped in protection, was a crying Jihyun. It was a miracle that she only had a scrape on her cheek.

"Jihyun."

The girl stopped crying and slowly turned her head to the voice. Her eyes lit up when she saw Yeonjun.

The teen gently picked the toddler up, being careful of the possibility of broken bones. He covered her eyes to shield her from her parents and walked to an area with less debris. Yeonjun placed the girl on the ground and sat next to her.

"Jihyun, are you hurt anywhere?" he asked, moving her arms and legs and pushing on her stomach. The toddler just stared, not whining in pain at all.

"Your parents protected you," said Yeonjun. "Jihyun, you're a strong girl."

"Strong?"

"Yes, strong."

"Mommy? Daddy?" Jihyun looked around for her parents.

"Mommy and Daddy are asleep right now. They're taking a long nap."

"Mommy and Daddy go night-night?"

"Yes."

"Cousin?"

It took a second for Yeonjun to realize who Jihyun was talking about. "Cousin Y/n is taking a long nap too."

The teen picked the toddler up again and walked to the small crowd of survivors. They were moving the debris and helping the injured. Nearby, he saw a line of the dead lying on the ground. From the looks of it, there seemed to be at least twenty.

Yeonjun stopped a woman who was walking past him. "Excuse me, ma'am, but can you watch Jihyun for me real quick?' he asked.

"Oh, sure," replied the woman, taking Jihyun into her arms. "Where are Kiyoung and Yurim at?"

Yeonjun silently shook his head, and the woman instantly knew. "Oh my gosh! Poor Jihyun lost both of her parents! And where's Y/n at?"

Yeonjun chose not to answer that question. "Can you get some people to carry three bodies? They're over by the lab."

"Of course," said the woman. When Yeonjun began to walk away, Jihyun whined and stretched her arms toward him. "Don't worry, Jihyun, he will be back," Yeonjun heard the woman coax.

When the teen arrived back at the rocket, your and Yoona's bodies were still lying in the same position on the ground. Yeonjun lowered and lightly placed you in his arms, one supporting your head and neck and the other under your knees. Blood smeared on Yeonjun's clothes, but he didn't care.

As he was walking to where all the other bodies were, he heard gasps as people saw the girl in his arms. The future leader of the Seoul Compound was dead.

"Young man?"

Someone touched Yeonjun on the shoulder, and he circled. "Mr. Jongyoon?"

The old farmer had a bandage wrapped around his leg. Blood had soaked into the clothing from the wound beneath.

"We're moving the bodies to the cemetery at the edge of the compound. You can carry Y/n over there; we'll handle the rest."

Yeonjun nodded. "Thank you, sir."

Changing direction, Yeonjun made his way to the location. When he arrived, he saw some men digging holes through the ground.

Yeonjun's eye landed on a hole next to a familiar headstone. He strode towards it and read Park Jihoon.

The teen smiled sadly. It's only proper to have Y/n buried next to her father.

***

The next few days were full of burying and mourning.

A total of fifty-three people died from Im Yoona's attack, including all of the leaders.

Jihyun cried so much on the day her parents were buried. She touched their faces and held their hands. Both their bodies were wrapped in blankets. Yeonjun wished he could do more as the toddler continued sobbing. He was only able to hug her close.

On the day it was time to bury you, Yeonjun kissed you on the lips deliberately and softly.

"I'll love you forever," he whispered before wrapping the blanket over your body. Tears were threatening to fall from his eyes again.

Yeonjun watched as the men covered the grave pit with dirt. You were being buried next to Jihoon, and so was Yoona. The people wanted to burn her body at first, but Yeonjun stopped them, explaining that Yoona had loved Jihoon and Y/n with all her heart and that she was sorry. And even if Y/n were still alive, she would want her parents to be buried next to each other, too. It took a lot of convincing, but Yeonjun succeeded.

A tear sunk into the corner of Yeonjun's lips. Someone pulled his hand, and he looked down to see Jihyun.

"Do you want hug?" she babbled. Yeonjun smiled. "Of course."

He lowered to Jihyun's level and hugged her close to his body like he did a few days ago. Yeonjun promised Yurim and Kiyoung at their graves that he would take care of the girl and help her grow up.

The Seoul Compound had a lot of things to fix, but they would take it one day at a time.

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