Six months have passed. Many things have changed since then.

From the aftermath of the explosion, the Capitol has declared The People as a threat. An Enemy. The already existing gap between the two opposing sides grew into what they call now as The Great Divide. The Capitol has dispatched an order to have a wall be built around the city and stationed men to scout the area while their new Roboguards be on patrol, making sure that no outsider can breach the wall. Anyone who were not Capitol-born were considered as their target practice. Nobodies.

The peace Kim Minseok wished, never came true.

With the absence of one of their leading scientists, Dr. Kim Junmyeon worked alone. Many have said that they rarely see him anywhere within Mechatron. They couldn’t blame him for disappearing like this. One of his valued friend, a friend he called his brother, was gone.

As for Byun Baekhyun…

It was raining again Kim Jongdae thought, driving along the road where all the buildings and Mechatron-produced mechas seemed to fade until the asphalted and motion-sensitive roads were erased by dirt and mud. Grasslands appeared with trees swaying in the wind and a bleak sky came into vision.

He parks under the shade of an oaken tree. Jongdae stares blankly at the tree’s trunk, letting the pitter-patter of rain fill the silence in his ears. He turns, grabs the bouquet of flowers sitting on the passenger’s seat and with a huff, he gets out of the car. He quickly goes to his trunk, takes out a disc and sets it into hover mode. The disc twists before opening up like a flower in bloom. The umbrella flies a foot above his head, hovering like a saucer to protect him from the rain.

This had been his routine every Sunday, ever since the bombing of The Court in the Capitol. Kim Jongdae, a teacher in a small nursery and a long-time friend vowed to always come here to visit his old friend.

He takes a few steps, not caring that his shoes were now stained with mud when he catches a glimpse of someone wearing such a bright yellow sweater amidst his destination. He knew well who that was, and he couldn’t help but take in a long breath of air as he approached.

It was Byun Baekhyun. The face of the Capitol, a fashion model and sometimes, a singer, standing in front of a lonely white marbled tombstone. His hands were in his pockets, his whole right side body drenched in the rain an indication that he’s been here for a long time, maybe since early this morning. Jongdae wasn’t surprised. Baekhyun always came here, talking to him.

It was unceremonious for a tombstone to be here outside of the city’s official cemetery. To have such an ancient tradition of burying the dead under the soil was eyebrow raising to most wherein in the present, deceased loved ones were kept in a capsule in a large white room where families could visit the well-preserved bodies of their dead in the Capitol’s Cemetery. Others, such as those cremated are kept in glass orbs either to be taken home or to be sent into the cremation hall.

But this was Baekhyun’s decision. He knew that Minseok would’ve liked this, being one with nature where Baekhyun believed Minseok could stare up in the sky freely, outside of any building or capsule if he were a ghost. Minseok always loved watching the stars, he used to try to count them when he wanted to sleep. Baekhyun thought he would’ve wanted that.

Here lies Kim Minseok.

In memory of a valuable and loving friend,

Extraordinary and an exemplary Doctor who dedicated his life for science, the welfare of the Capitol and the lives of its citizens,

A beautiful soul who is now at peace in the Lord’s haven.

The tombstone read.

He remembered the time he went with Baekhyun to arrange those carvings on his tombstone. Baekhyun wanted to keep it simple. He knew Minseok would’ve wanted that, but the carvers were unsatisfied, knowing the prodigy such as Kim Minseok should be glorified even in death. So, they etched those words and delivered them three days after his burial.

As Jongdae approached, creating a large splash when he slipped into one of those ruddy puddles, Baekhyun abruptly turns his head and spots him. Jongdae couldn’t tell whether those were tears in his eyes or were they just created by the rain? They could be a mixture of both he thought.

“Hey” Baekhyun says softly.

“Hey” Jongdae says back with a small smile. “I brought some flowers”

Baekhyun eyes the flowers, his brows twisting up and politely says, “You really should’nt have-“

“No worries, it’s fine. I just thought Minseok would’ve liked it”

Jongdae draws closer and sets the flowers down to rest in front of the tombstone. He brushes his palm on the round corners, feeling the smooth texture of the marble as if he could look for any lingering glimpse of Minseok’s life force; as if he could hear echoes of his voice, yet there was none but the cold façade of the stone, wet from the pouring rain.

“Hey there bud,” he speaks softly, “I brought these flowers for you. I hope you like it”

Once declining from his crouch, he stands beside Baekhyun for a while in silence. The cold air’s breeze nips on their bare necks, the rain no sign in stopping.

Baekhyun then tilts his head up into the heavens, closed his eyes and dismissed the hovering umbrella disc above him until it reduced itself into a small cube in his hands. Jongdae quickly offers his umbrella disc, but was immediately refused by Baekhyun who spreads his hands and relished in the rain.

“What are you doing? You’re going to get sick you know” Jongdae says and he only got a laugh from him.

“That’s what Minseok says too” he laughs, remembering the time he ran away from him while being chased with an umbrella a few hours just before -

Baekhyun drops his arms. “I just wish…” he sighs, “I just wish I didn’t let him go that day…I could’ve…he could’ve…”

“It’s not your fault Baek”

“I know…it’s just that…” he now opens his eyes, hoping the rain drops could conceal the new batch of tears filling his eyes. “I could’ve saved him from that disaster, you know?”

“Nobody could’ve known what was going to happen. Unless you’re a fortune teller that is with some hocus-pocus jamboree” Jongdae frowns.

“I know…”

Jongdae looks at Baekhyun, full of sympathy before closing his own umbrella disc and mimics him.

“Hmmm. This does feel nice” Jongdae says. “Cool, refreshing”

“Free”

Jongdae remains still, waiting for Baekhyun to say more about his definition of being free. All he knows, that his friend was trapped in misery. He couldn’t blame him.

Jongdae had offered Baekhyun a ride home – after a considerable amount of persuasion. When they got to his humble home, Jongdae had excused himself and drove off. As he got farther away from Minseok and Baekhyun’s home, he couldn’t help but feel sorry for Baekhyunm watching him from his sideview mirrors.

‘Sunshine’s been snuffed out from his lovely face’ was all he could think of whenever he sees him. ‘He really did die that day too’

Jongdae knew Baekhyun had stashed away all of Minseok’s belongings and kept them in the attic where he vowed never to limb up there ever again. Their house was also empty, one would say it looked like a newly-made house for everything reminded Baekhyun of Minseok. From the rug they bought together to the lamp sitting in the living room. All of it, discarded from their home – his home.

Baekhyun also hid their music albums. They both loved collecting vintage stuff and had them play in a record player, but now, Baekhyun refrains from ever dropping by any music store. The once music-filled house was now dead silent. No music was played unless Baekhyun watches from their hologram TV. Even their favourite musical Wicked was long gone.

He no longer cooks too. He used to be a great chef, but now, he only goes out to eat either with friends to distract him from his misery or by himself where he would wallow in it. No wonder he was getting thinner by the weeks passing by.

The decline of Byun Baekhyun. Jongdae shook his head in pity.

With Junmyeon gone, there was nobody there to help him help Baekhyun stand back up on his feet. There was nothing they could do.

“What to do, what to do to help a friend?”

“You, intern” a scientist barks at a young girl by the corner.

“Y-yes sir?” replies the girl.

“Don’t look so frightened,” the scientist says. “Fetch me three of those Topaz Crystals in the Laboratories in the West Wing would you?”

“Right away sir” she bows in response and goes on her way.

She looks left and then to the right and had her head down all the time, letting her superiors mind their own business and to completely ignore that Lim Nayeon the intern doesn’t exist.

‘Keep it together Nayeon’ a mantra to herself. ‘But damn, I really hate my boss. If only Mechatron wasn’t such a big deal to my resume that I took an internship here…’

“You”

Crap.

Nayeon slowly looks up from the floor and notices something peculiar about this certain scientist in front of her. Her heart started racing not because of her constant fear from her superiors but because what she saw in front of her eyes was the most extraordinary and the most impossible thing she ever beheld.

‘I-it can’t be!?’ her jaw dropped, eyes growing wide and the words failed to escape as she now understood that the person in front of her was not an apparition.

It was real. He was real.

“Dr. Kim Minseok!?”

AUTHOR'S NOTES:  Sorry for not being to update in sooo long :((