*Alright, alright. Here's an update for the week, after all the busy days I've been able to sit down and type it. Hope you enjoy! I'm not in the right state of mind right now and tomorrow would be the start of a more busy week but I'll survive it and return next weekend. Fighting to us! 

I just happened to be in love, with someone I’m not supposed to.

It’s not that I fear to be judged for the affection I want to shower towards him, nor the longing gazes I kept on throwing at him. It was never about those things, for obviously he would never know it.

I, for one, am a servant after all.

Not those types of servants who make tea or mend the clothes of their owners, more like, someone who should always stay by his master’s side yet remain in the dark. Be an accomplice to every plan, an assistant to every task, a punching bag when too much pressure can’t be vented out.

Someone who, no matter how painful the hate comments are, the word bullets are, they would never be apart from one another.

Until death separates their bodies and souls.

People had always said to me, “you’ll be an important person in the future” or “you’ll create an impact once you grow up”, but it ended up with me waking up in a different era, arms and legs not of the human I was once, but of a mechanical origin that I have no right to ask about.

Before this change, death was a luxury I had hoped to receive yet revival without asking permission has been my fate.

--

“Why did you chose him as your servant? Isn’t he such a quiet and stubborn one? And as-”

“History. I was enveloped with the idea of knowing the stories before he ended up in Mr. Sung’s care.”

The room was dimly lit by led lights, no windows are present to let the natural beam of the sun come in and embrace their surroundings. To the eyes of the low-class workers, the room itself is worth thousands of days at work, a luxury they could never afford and they would never spend their money for.

Black satin couch on one side and book cases spread along the walls in a haphazard manner, filled with references on medicine, arts, sciences, and literature showing how the owner give importance to nurturing one’s knowledge, using it outside for the sake of earning wisdom.  

“But there are others who has better background from years ago, not just-”

“That’s why I won’t choose them. They gave up on their lives just to achieve the future with no diseases, no specific rules, just an unknown world with what they just called as their owners even without seeing them personally. Sungjong, he’s a different and special case. He gave up, but he didn’t want to change what was bound to happen. He cherished his life but he accepted death, ‘cause he knows it’s still the finish line he’ll reach. That alone, made me want to know him more.”

“…But it won’t be a good publicity for the governor’s son to own a servant who would not want to be disciplined. It’s not safe for you. We need to get you one who would be loyal enough to stay on his ground and always alert whenever he sense of danger, not someone who obviously was forced to live like a stray soul in an advanced physique.”

“I trust him.”

On the hands of the man wearing black tailored suit was a list of another set of capable servants, but Myungsoo would not change his decision anymore, and it’s an unbreakable choice knowing how stubborn he could be.

“And you don’t even know the guy so how could you let those words easily slip from your lips? You should be more aware of the importance of your status. Your mother may be from a family of farmers but after she got involved with an elite government official, she knows that life would never be as normal in her comfort zone, in her own lands, no. For she knows both her and a child that she would bear could be of great asset to the enemy. You are your father’s weakness. It was already worse for him to lose your mother; I don’t know how he would handle it if you ever die as well.”

“If there’s anyone who would understand how important life is, it would be him. No one else. He was about to die but fate made it that he keep on living. He might not accept the importance of it, so why didn’t he kill his self yet? For he knows that life is a worthy path to stay on track, no matter how good death sounds.”

Shaking his head, the human servant took his leave, looking forwards to the possible verdict he’ll receive from the head of the house. It has been years ago that he realized how his masters’ cold façade were just to avoid showing them crumbling from all hardship and misery they went through.

The populace might admire them for their fame and riches, but to the two of them, the most precious thing at the moment was the presence of each other.

It was irreplaceable.

--

“Sungjong!”

Waking up from his reverie, the pale guy moved opened his eyes to look for the source of the voice but he did not move away from the couch, still getting used to his new legs that got destroyed after saving his master from a planned assassination.

Funny, he thinks, how he got his legs changed for the second time.

“Are you fine now? Does any part hurts? How-”

“You’re the master, stop acting like a friend.”

“But you got hurt there because of me, so-”

“Oh shut up, will you? My pain tolerance has been altered after that scientist found me on the street, so be thankful you’re not the one broken by that piercing bullet. You’re not a cyborg, you know.”

Shaking his head, Myungsoo approached him, sat beside him on the couch and gently held out his arms, asking to be hugged.

“What am I? Your pet? I don’t like cuddling so scoot away.”

“Yes you’re my pet so cuddle with me, now.”

Forcing down the smile that wants to erupt on his lips, Sungjong grumpily let the other hug him, afraid that the other would hear how his heart beats faster than usual when they’re just inches apart.

“…I was afraid…. That I’ll lose you too.”

“What do you mean?”

“I lost my mother when she tried to protect me from my family’s enemy. She didn’t care if she’ll die trying to save me, but she did not ask of how would I feel. Please… do know that I won’t be pleased if you do that again.”

“But the purpose of creating this version of me was to stay by your side no matter what, even if it kills me. You don’t expect me to let you argue with that logic, do you?”

--

Stripped off from his blood-soaked shirt and pants, he felt his mind clouded from the pain and frustration, both his arms and legs throbbing from all the deep gashes and blows he received from his captors that he couldn’t moved them an inch anymore.

He remembered limping slowly, able to sneak out when the people behind his soreness drank like there’s no tomorrow, rain washing out the caked blood on his skin.

He remembered being assisted by strangers on white coats, bringing him with them towards a black van.

He remembered words exchanged regarding his hopeless condition, before his mind drifted into the long sleep that led him to where he is now.

Beside the person who gave him reason to live again.

--

“Master Ki- oh, I’m sorry.”

Whining from the interruption by one of his loyal servants, Myungsoo straightened up and gazed harshly to the newcomer, showing how irritated he is from Hoya barging in without any warning.

“Sorry, but you two need to get your asses off that couch now and prepare for departure.”

“Seriously, what is this about now?”

“Your father, he-”

Loud boom broke their conversation, attention trained towards the source of noise, making them scurry on their feet and run outside the room.

“Sungjong, take Myungsoo with you.”

“Why, what happened? What do you mean by that Hoya?!”

“Myungsoo, let’s go, you’re safety is the top priority right now. Your father is safe at the moment since he’s on a business trip. Now, go!”

Running towards the nearest exit, both him and Sungjong heard gunshots, and as he looked back at Hoya’s retreating form that fall on the floor with a loud thud, red streaming from a hole on his chest, he felt nauseous.

It was the same image back then.

“Myungsoo! Now is not the time to reminisce so move! He died wanting to save you so don’t you dare die now or his sacrifice would go to waste.”

Entering the secret path his father had added years ago on their mansion’s design, he felt his knees go weak yet Sungjong immediately hold him tighter around the waist.

He felt so weak, not because he can’t fight back, but for just running away.

“What makes my life more worthy than theirs, than yours? Why do you keep on insisting that you should keep on saving me even if you die!?”

Stopping on his tracks, Sungjong let the other sat on the floor, giving him time to breathe. Myungsoo is crying like a child and it breaks his heart seeing the confident man crumble down again.

“…then what makes you say that you’re not worth it at all? Don’t you realize how you had helped us all? I… I did not think of living again until you decided to have me as a servant, Hoya would not be able to move away from the past that haunts him for being a criminal if you didn’t insist on getting him to work for you. Your mother… she wouldn’t have been that complete if she didn’t have you. I am thankful that you give importance to us, but please do think that we won’t be happy if you think lowly of yourself as well.”

Looking at each other, they both see the hollowness embedded deep within them, yet there’s that glimpse of hope after Sungjong held out his hand.

“Look, we will get out of this alive, so before I change my mind of holding hands with you, fix yourself and stand up now.”

Smiling gently, Myungsoo accepted the hand Sungjong held out, looking forward to a life where he won’t lose him.

A life where they would be honest enough to turn the fast-paced heartbeat and warm touches into words.

“Sungjong, it would have been better if we met on a different lifetime.”

“I wouldn’t want that though.”

“Why?”

“I have been stole from the time I should have lived on, having the present now is the best thing I could ask for.”

Leaning closer towards each other for support, they walked slowly, afraid of what’s behind the end of the tunnel, but having the presence of each other despite of the tension and tiredness, living is worth it after all.

*Thanks for finishing  this, *teary eyes* and thank you for keeping on reading this one shot collection.

*Take care dear readers! Lovelots to you. XO

#myung.love.jong