Chapter 42: Chapter 40

Pond POV

"You want this?" I asked Dunk, pointing to the strawberry donut, his former favorite.

"Should I hate you now?" Dunk glared at me, a look that almost made me laugh, but I held it in. I knew he didn't like strawberries anymore for some reason, and he was all about chocolate now—thanks to Joong.

I shrugged casually. "Well, this is all I've got at home. It's Phuwin's favorite these past months."

Dunk just shot me an annoyed look. "Where is he, by the way?"

"Dad's office. They're working on something."

"Really? Or is he avoiding me?"

"Don't overthink it. Dad's just got something to handle and needed Phuwin's help."

"Okay. But don't you have any chocolate donuts?"

I shook my head and left him for a moment, heading to grab the chocolate donuts that Phuwin specifically had asked me to buy for Dunk earlier.

It's been six months, and Dunk still couldn't remember anything. He'd tried, but every time, it ended with him having a terrible headache and a trip to the hospital. The doctors told us not to force him to remember. Maybe it wasn't the right time yet, or perhaps there was something that would trigger his memory, but pushing it too hard could have negative effects. So, we followed their advice and never forced him, but we made sure to tell him everything we could—especially about Joong and Phuwin. We explained who Joong was to him and who Phuwin was to me. We didn't overwhelm him, though, taking things slowly—one bit of information at a time, but always prioritizing Joong and Phuwin. Out of all of us, it was Joong and Phuwin who were struggling the most.

At first, Dunk didn't want to believe us. So, we asked him what he remembered about our relationship. What we found was that his memories were fragmented. They didn't flow in a continuous way, and it made it harder for us to convince him of anything.

Thankfully, Gemini had an idea. He took all the photos that Joong had taken and started explaining things to Dunk with them. Slowly but surely, Dunk began to accept what we were saying. He accepted that our relationship had ended long ago and that Phuwin was now my boyfriend. He also accepted that Joong was still his fiancé, but Dunk kept his distance from Joong. He barely spoke to him whenever Joong came to visit, always coming up with excuses to avoid facing him. Luckily, Joong was incredibly understanding and patient.

As for Phuwin, he started avoiding Dunk. At one point, he blamed himself for what happened to Dunk, thinking that the best way to help was to just give him space and do whatever Dunk felt comfortable with. Recently, he'd been spending more time with Joong, trying to comfort him. I couldn't do much. I couldn't force Phuwin to do anything, so I just let him be.

"Here," I said, placing a plate with chocolate donuts in front of Dunk.

"Yes!" Dunk cheered, grinning widely. He quickly grabbed one of the donuts and took a bite, smiling like a child who had just been given their favorite treat.

"That hit the spot perfectly," Dunk said, savoring the taste. I pulled out my phone, snapped a quick photo of Dunk while he wasn't looking, and sent it to Joong. Every time I was with Dunk, I secretly took pictures of him and sent them to Joong.

"Pond."

I quickly turned to look at Phuwin, who was rushing toward us, his face filled with concern.

"Why? What happened?" I asked anxiously.

"Joong happened."

"What happened to him?" Dunk asked, his voice filled with concern.

"He sent me a message. He's heading to the airport. He's leaving."

"To where?" I watched Dunk carefully, noticing the worry on his face as he processed the news. Even though he'd been avoiding Joong most of the time, it was clear that Dunk still cared deeply for him.

"He said he's going back to Turkey."

"Why?" I asked, my concern growing.

"I don't know."

"Is he giving up on me? I thought he loved me," Dunk said, his voice shaky.

"Dunk, I don't think he's giving up on you."

"Then why is he leaving?"

"Maybe he just wants to save himself. He needs to refresh and heal. Maybe when he comes back, he'll be ready—ready for you."

"But he's still leaving. He's still going to leave me."

Phuwin sighed heavily, his eyes meeting mine with a quiet sadness.

"I have to go," Phuwin said, his voice soft but urgent. I nodded at him, giving him a brief but understanding look, and watched as he left, heading out the door.

I turned back to Dunk, who was staring at the floor, looking lost and confused. It was clear he was torn—his heart and mind waging war on what to do. Should he chase after Joong? Should he stop him?

"Dunk?"

He looked up at me, his eyes red, his gaze distant and hurt.

"I hate him," Dunk whispered, his tears starting to fall.

"Why?" I asked softly, stepping closer to him.

"He said he loved me. He said he couldn't live without me. He said I was everything to him. But now he's leaving. He's going to leave me."

I sighed deeply, my heart aching for him. I reached out and gently took his hand in mine.

"Dunk, leaving doesn't mean he doesn't love you. I see how Joong loves you. I've watched him with you. I've witnessed all of it. I've been there since the beginning of your love story, and I know this decision—his decision—is the hardest one he's ever made."

"Then why is he leaving?" Dunk asked, his voice trembling.

"Because he's broken, Dunk. More than anyone else, he's the one who has suffered through all of this. He's one of the most important people in your life, but you've forgotten him. He's tried everything he can to bring you back, to stay by your side as your boyfriend—even though you don't remember him. But you keep pushing him away. If this happened to you, wouldn't you break too?"

Dunk didn't answer. He just stared at me, tears still falling down his cheeks, his heart clearly struggling to process everything.

"Maybe, just like Phuwin said, Joong wants to heal. He's broken too, just like you. If he stays and keeps being hurt, how can you two move forward? How can you move on if one of you is still shattered while the other is healed?"

"But he said he can't live without me."

"He can't live without you, but living apart from you is different. He can't live if he loses you, but he can survive being away from you—because he's doing it for both of you."

"But..."

"You want to stop him, don't you?"

"Part of me... yes," Dunk admitted, his voice barely a whisper.

"That part of you is your heart, right?"

"Yeah."

"Then, let's go."

"But..."

"Dunk, how many times do I have to tell you that you can't always rely on your mind? Right now, with your memory wiped, your mind is useless. There are moments when you can't let your mind control you. Sometimes, you need to listen to your heart and ignore what your mind is telling you. This is one of those times. Listen to your heart, Dunk, and ignore your mind. Your mind might forget everything about Joong and your relationship, but your heart will never forget."

Epilogue upnext🥰