THE BEST OF BOTH WORLDS (FINAL)

“Cruel, weren’t you?”

Hakyeon kept his eyes fixed ahead.

“You instigated him…to go after Number Fifty.”

Hakyeon nodded. “I did that.”

“…only to force him to witness the tragedy his love had become…?”

“That love, master,” Hakyeon replied. “Was a mistake from the start.”

There was a short silence.

“Good job, Agent.”

Hakyeon bit his lip.

“When rules are broken, they break you back. It’s a pity it cost him his life to realise this, but regardless, you’ve done your job well.”

“I…thank you, master.”

“You have a request, don’t you?”

Hakyeon gulped.

“I beseech you…” he bowed. “To have mercy.”

“…”

Hakyeon fell to his knees and let his forehead touch the floor. “Please have mercy on his life.”

“And why’s that, Agent? He made that decision himself.”

“He’s only a victim, master,” Hakyeon said quietly. “A victim of feelings.”

“Feelings?”

Hakyeon nodded. “I’ve been meddling with the affairs of the heart for as long as I can remember, master.”

“And?”

“And only a Love Muse knows what’s best for this poor soul.”

“And what do you suggest…?”

“To let him stay by my side,” he replied. “Where I can shower him with all the love he’d lost – the love he’d been deprived of even till his last moments.”

There was silence.

“Please spare his life, master,” Hakyeon repeated. “It’s the best of both worlds.”

-----------------------------------------------------

 Three months later

Ravi drummed his fingers impatiently. Anytime now, he thought.

He broke into a wide grin as soon as Jaehwan walked onto the stage, his voice filling the air and caressing his eardrums.

“I don’t understand a single thing you’re singing,” he mumbled softly to himself. “But I don’t care.”

He closed his eyes, letting Jaehwan’s voice create a wave after another of goosebumps in his skin.

It’s great to finally hear him live, he grinned. And to finally see him again.

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"Han Sanghyuk!!"

The younger one looked up from the television. "What?"

"It's your turn," Hongbin threw himself on the couch next to Hyuk. "To clear the trash."

Hyuk turned back to the screen, his eyes fixed on the soccer match he was watching.

Hongbin rolled his eyes and snatched the remote from the table, switching the television off.

Hyuk clenched his teeth. "I'll do it tonight. I'm busy."

He reached over for the remote, but Hongbin hid his hands behind his back. "No, you're not."

"What the , Dumbbin!! Give it back!"

He reached behind Hongbin, but the older man ducked swiftly.

"I know you just want my attention," Hyuk muttered. "Just return it, please."

Hongbin shook his head. "You've had classes this whole week. You've been putting off doing housework for ages. It's time to get done."

"There...you said it," Hyuk rolled his eyes. "Let me enjoy all the time I have, then! School's stressful enough. I don't need someone else nagging at me the whole time." He tackled Hongbin with sudden and sharp movements.

"Too bad," the older man grinned, bending over as Hyuk started tickling him. "You were the one who begged me not to move out of this darned dormitory. Guess you're stuck with me forever."

“Stop it!” he yelled, twisting and turning beneath the younger one as Hyuk hovered above him.

“Then return that damn remote,” Hyuk chuckled, pinning him onto the couch.

“You…”

Hongbin froze. He stared at Hyuk, whose face was only inches from his.

Hyuk returned his gaze, his heart pounding rapidly against his chest.

Oh my god, Hongbin gulped, unable to break the eye contact. He opened his mouth to say something, but nothing came out.

“I…” Hyuk started. He pulled away abruptly. “I’m…gonna go clear the trash.”

“Wait!” the older man yelled, grabbing Hyuk by his shoulders. “...Don’t…go.”

He pulled him back into his position, staring at his lips with lust.

Hyuk felt his ears turn red. What do I do now…?

He blinked twice, but Hongbin seemed frozen in his spot.

“Ehh…Dumbbin…?”

Hongbin did not reply. He continued to stare at Hyuk, unable to move a muscle.

“You’re…” Hyuk started, rolling his eyes. “…such a robot.”

He leant in and pressed his lips against Hongbin’s without even waiting for his reaction.

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“Agenda for today?”

Leo looked up, startled. “Oh- oh yes.” He grabbed a few pieces of paper from the desk and peered at it closely. “Ten strings to tie and four to cut, master.”

Hakyeon tapped his foot impatiently. “I told you not to call me that.”

“Hehe…” Leo bit his lip. “But you saved me, master. My life belongs to you.”

Hakyeon rolled his eyes. “You're making yourself sound like a slave.”

He picked up the pieces of paper from Leo’s hands. “How’s work so far, sweetie?”

“It…it’s different, I guess,” the other smiled. “My job used to be so morbid. I went around ending lives. Now, at least I get to spread love and happiness once in a while.”

“You like it, then?” Hakyeon beamed. He reached out to give him at pat on his shoulders. “You’ve been an able assistant thus far. I thank you for that, Taekwoon.”

Leo smiled sheepishly. “That’s…good to hear.”

He bit his lip and scratched his neck. “But actually…I still struggle with desensitising myself, Hakyeon.” He shifted uncomfortably in his position. “The nature of our jobs has never been something I’m proud of.”

Hakyeon lowered his hand, placing the sheets of paper on the desk. He sighed and turned away from Leo.

“You know, Taekwoon?” he began. “The thing is, we’d never be desensitised.”

 “If I was devoid of any emotions…of any bit of empathy, sweetie…” he spun back around and stared at Leo in the eye. “You wouldn’t be here today.”

 Leo kept silent. He’s right.

“Whether it’s ending lives or breaking ties, it’s something we have to do. And we can’t change that,” he continued. “But…at least we now have each other for support,” he grinned. “I saved your life, sweetie, because I wanted to have someone to feel bad with…if that makes sense?”

“To feel bad with…whenever we go around wreaking havoc in human relationships…?”

Hakyeon nodded sheepishly. “It’d be nice to have someone by my side whenever I do something really cruel, Taekwoon.”

Leo eyed him. “Like destroying my love?” he scoffed. “Or leading my best friend on…”

Hakyeon slapped him on his shoulders. “You- “

He stopped mid-sentence and sighed. “You’re right…”

“But still, I ing saved your life!” he managed to add. “Just forgive me, okay? It’s important that we look forward…”

He straightened his back and lifted his chin, letting his voice fall deeper. “So anyway, what’s today’s agenda again??”

Leo rolled his eyes and shook his head. Point taken, master, he scoffed inwardly. It’s indeed true that my life is yours now.

“You’ve got ten strings to tie and four to cut,” he repeated.

“I’ve got ten strings to tie and four to cut…?” Hakyeon raised his eyebrow, asserting his authority as soon as he had recovered from his fluster.

Leo sighed, the corners of his lips upturned. “I mean, we. Together.”

Hakyeon beamed. He reached out to pinch Leo on his cheeks. “That’s better, sweetie.”

-----------------------------------------------------

“Ravi!!”

Jaehwan ran towards him, grinning widely. “You made it.”

Ravi smiled, putting his arm around Jaehwan’s shoulder as they walked out of the theatre. “You did well, Jaehwan.”

The other man nodded. “You bet. It’s the last show, hehe. I gave my all.”

“So you’re finally free, aren’t you?” Ravi asked. “Until your next musical starts.”

Jaehwan smirked. “I have to be free, Ravi. I promised to show someone all there is about Korea.”

“I’m glad that you remember, then,” Ravi chuckled, lowering his arm to interlock his fingers with Jaehwan’s. “I was beginning to think I flew all the way here for nothing.”

“So how do you find Korea so far?”

Ravi shrugged. “Haven’t been exploring. Was busy waiting for someone to knock off from work, you know.”

Jaehwan rolled his eyes, but maintained his grin. “You’re so needy.”

He guided Ravi to the parking lot, smiling and waving at his fans along the way. Ravi loosened his fingers in embarrassment, but Jaehwan tightened his grip in return, giving him a reassuring smile.  

“I- “

“Shhhhhh. There’s nothing to hide,” he whispered, ushering the man into the car. He buckled his seatbelt and started the engine.

“Jaehwan…are you sure about this? You’re…a public figure.”

Jaehwan nodded his head. “Why not?”

He glanced at Ravi briefly before turning back to face the road, noticing how the other man seemed uneasy.  

“You know, Ravi, I’ve been wondering,” he replied. “What it meant to be one of the Innocents he was looking for.”

Ravi blinked. Why is the talking about this?

Jaehwan grinned. “You know, the Class Five Reward I was supposed be receiving?”

“Yeah?”

“What do you think it was supposed to be?”

Ravi shrugged. “Escaping…death, I guess?”

Jaehwan laughed and shook his head.

He turned to face the younger one. “It’s you, Ravi."

The other man raised his eyebrow briefly before breaking into a huge smile. 

"So," Jaehwan added. "Don't question us again, alright?" 

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(A/N: That's it...It's my first ever fanfic and I can't help thinking that my writing is so cringey, but nevertheless, thank you for every one of your support. It means a lot to me. I used the f word more times in the story than I've actually sworn in my whole life lol. Anyway, thank you for making it all the way here, to the 21st chapter, and I'm sorry if the ending isn't good enough for anyone. Someone in my life inspired me to write this, and I truly hope that I am able to move on from things like Wonshik, Taekwoon and Hongbin have. I can only hope~ P.S. don't hesistate to leave a comment!)