There was a time when humanity craved for something more than an ordinary life. One filled with thrill and maybe something they would call… ‘magic’. While others weren’t so keen on the idea of the supernatural, Daniel was an avid believer.

The brunette would often tell stories to the children in the local library whenever he had the time. And as a believer of fantasy, his tales would often involve magic and creatures from myths and folklore. But every now and then, he’d tell about the tale of a Samoyedsamoyed. Not really limited to the said species, sometimes he’d use a rabbit or maybe even a cat since they were his favorites.

Today just so happened to be another one of those days.

Daniel sat by the center to make sure everyone could see and hear him. Some of the children looked familiar but a majority were relatively new so why not tell ‘em a Daniel classic? “Alright kids, gather around and― Hey! Careful! No pushing!” He gently reprimanded as he helped the kids settle down.

“We’re in the library so don’t make too much of a fuss okay?” He repeated as he goes back to his spot in front where he could see everyone and their parents. “Why don’t I tell you my classic tale since we have new faces?” The regular children were ecstatic at the idea all the more stirring the curiosity of the newcomers. “Alright, so here we go! Be sure to pay attention!”

Out of excitement and sheer interest, the children scooted closer and one was close to sitting on his lap.

“The others are quite familiar with the story, right?”

“Yes!”

“So once there was a?”

“Dog!” “Rabbit!” “White puppy!” The children yelled in unison. In the end, they ended up looking baffled at one another with the difference in their responses. “Ah, it seems I used different animals on the others. My bad, let’s stick with… a polar bear! Is that alright?” After receiving an affirmation from the children (accompanied by adoration on the animal of choice), Daniel resumed his story.

“So there was once a polar bear who wandered around the oceanside of the iceberg. Although polar bears were dearly loved, this one was quite lonely. They must’ve found him scary because he was bigger compared to the other bears.” It was cute how the children even made ‘aw’ sounds together. Daniel couldn’t help but smile before he continued.

“It took a while, but soon he found a friend! The polar bear befriended a penguin!” He said followed by a penguin impersonation that made their giggles bounce off the walls in the silent library. “The bear and penguin became the best of friends! Although the penguin would sometimes leave, the polar bear would always wait because he trusts his friend a lot. He knew he had a good heart”

“Why does the penguin leave?” A child in a green sweater asked, eyes filled with curiosity and wonder. “The penguin also had other stuff to do and sometimes his parents don’t want him going out too often since they know he sometimes uses it as an excuse to skip chores,” Some giggled at the thought and even called him a genius.

“What about the polar bear?” Another child, one with natural chestnut hair, raised their hand as if they were in school. “His parents aren’t home too often so they let him roam around as long as he doesn’t go too far. It wouldn’t be nice to keep him locked in the house.”

Later on, Daniel also told them some of the adventures of the bear and the penguin. Some included swimming in the cold water, having their snowball fights complete with fortresses, and even sleeping over at each other’s shelter.  Sometimes the bear would have other friends too, but they didn’t last for too long. Only one penguin stuck to him ‘til the end.

The old grandfather’s clock echoed through the library as its hands signaled noontime. Although the children were itching to hear more, the could do nothing but pout as their parents had to coax them to leave. Even Daniel had to help some of the parents make their children move along. Eventually, the last child finally left and Daniel smiled at another successful storytelling session.

A tug on his slacks snapped him out of his stupor. He looked down and was once again greeted by the kid in a green sweater. Daniel knelt down on one knee to get to their eye level and gave him a smile “What’s wrong, kid?”

With eyes gleaming with wonder and curiosity, the kid couldn’t help but ask, “What happened to the polar bear and penguin?” It was usually like this. The story had no ending so it wasn’t strange if a child approached him to know what happened next. But whenever they do, Daniel can’t help but flash a sad smile.

“They’re both still friends. The penguin once had to leave again, but he just came back recently. Now they were planning to have another adventure together!” Daniel excitedly said and the kid himself turned happy too. “So do we get to hear more stories?” He asked and Daniel nodded with a thumbs up. “Of course you will”

The kid pumps his fist with an excited ‘yay’ before his parents decided it was time to leave, “Bye mister!” He enthusiastically waved as they walked away. Daniel waved back with a smile until they were out of sight. He didn’t notice how he eventually spaced out as the smile faded from his lips.

“A polar bear, huh? That’s new,” Came the very familiar voice of Yoon Jisung, his one and only friend for the past years. “Oh c’mon, I’m big and a little on the light side of the skin tone palette and I am most definitely huggable like a bear,” Daniel bragged, chin up and hands on his hips to show that he was confident about the description.

“Whatever you say mister bear, but why am I always the penguin? Do I not resemble any other animal?” Jisung huffed but Daniel merely stuck his tongue out like the child he is, “Because you walk like one. Besides, your nose looks like a penguin beak anyway so I don’t see the problem here.” The brunette couldn’t help but laugh when he was assaulted by Jisung’s hits.

“This Kang Choding I swear,” The said brunette couldn’t help but give out a sad smile whenever he looked at the older male.

Daniel had a secret.

It wasn’t just the simple ones meant to be kept in the dark for the sake of keeping face, it was one that carried a heavy burden.

Kang Daniel was an immortal, and he has lived for more than a hundred years.

It was during the era when black magic became rampant did he become immortal. Daniel lost his mom when he was just a young boy, he was still called by his birth name Euigeon back then. He didn’t know much about the world.

Let alone what his dad had in store for him.

His father didn’t take the loss well, Euigeon was all he had left. His family was long gone over time and so he treasured his current family with so much love and attention. But his family was instantly reduced to half and he couldn’t bear going through another loss. Euigeon was just a child, who knows what could happen? He wouldn’t always be there to watch over him.

So when desperate times called for desperate measures, he turned to the infamous black magic. If Euigeon was all he had left, then he had to make sure he was going to be protected.

The spell resulted in immortality. But he had to pay the price. In exchange for eternal life, he had to give up his own. His brother knew about his plans, but he couldn’t stop or talk him out of it. In the end, he had to cover for his mistakes and decided to take in Euigeon to care for alongside his own son Jisung. At the very least, Euigeon wasn’t completely alone.

But the immortal life was lonely since humans were expected to die at some point. Being the immortal he is, he was forced to watch as the people around him disappeared over time while he was left fully young and healthy.

Another consequence of being an immortal was the need to move from place to place every other year. During the first hundred years, Euigeon once moved to North America and it was there when he decided to adopt the name, Daniel. Even his fellow Koreans found it hard to pronounce his name anyway.

Jisung knew that face. Guilt-stricken eyes, lips pursed into a thin line as he chewed on his bottom lip, it was Daniel’s ‘this was my fault’ kind of expression. “Daniel, we already went over this.” The brunette sighed as he ruffled his hair in frustration, “I know, I know. It’s just―Don’t get me wrong, I love your company but this immortal life is tiring. You got dragged into my mess and now you’ve been following me for how many lifetimes. But… you could have lived an ordinary life like everyone else―”

“Daniel, I already made myself clear to you. This was a voluntary decision,” The brunette groaned as he sat down in the nearest chair with his face buried in his hands. “You were going to be alone for the next how many years and I wasn’t going to let you go through that alone. Not without me at least,”

“You didn’t need to, you didn’t even have to”

“But I still did so stop being a whiny ,” The brunette grumbled in response as he heaved another sigh. Truthfully, he was really thankful to have Jisung around. He has seen too many people come and go that it made him hesitant to initiate any interaction at all. But Jisung was there before he even became immortal. He’s been with him all the way and it was sad to see him die.

What Daniel didn’t know was how Jisung turned to what they referred to as the gods during their era. He knew black magic has brought enough pain to Daniel so he decided to turn to the celestial beings. Daniel didn’t know Jisung asked them for the ability to reincarnate over and over again just so someone could be with Daniel.

At first, he was furious for the older male to decide of such a fate, but he eventually accepted it. It was by the third reincarnation when Daniel started to appreciate the decision. The immortal life was lonelier than he thought it would be and he could die from all the loneliness. Too bad he won’t no matter how much he tried.

A ding resonated from Jisung’s phone and it snapped Daniel out of his thoughts. “Got a meeting to catch?” He casually asked as Jisung puts away his phone. “You know how it is, still got to pay for my our expenses” The elder shrugged as he stood up, “I’ll see you later?” Daniel merely shrugged with that cheeky smile sometimes Jisung just wants to wipe that grin off his face.

“Depends where I feel like roaming around tonight,” Was his vague reply, Jisung is already used to this by now. How can he not after all the lifetimes he’s lived with the immortal? “At least tell me about your whereabouts later on.” He sighed and seriously, sometimes Daniel was just a pain but Jisung lets him be. If it gives him a small distraction from his situation, then Jisung will gladly let him be.

~ .oOo. ~

It was already late in the afternoon when Daniel roamed the city.

Winter was just around the corner so Daniel held his long beige coat closer to his body. He could already see puffs or air whenever he sighed, he couldn’t help hiding behind the scarf wrapped around his neck. But there was something about today that made Daniel think he didn’t feel like hearing the buzz of the city.

One thing he liked about this city was its location by the mountains. He sometimes has those nights, such as today, when he wanted to be alone. Daniel knew there was a residential area by the mountains which explained the road along its side. But not too many people knew about the lone gazebo by the side of the road towards that area.

Between two street lamps stood a gazebo and a bench. The distance between the two lamps was enough to shed some light on the gazebo but it was still quite dim. Daniel didn’t mind it though, he thought it just gave out a warmer atmosphere.

The lone immortal trudged along the road while holding onto his coat, it was colder the higher he went up after all. He kept his eyes down to make sure he wouldn’t slip, no one walks along this path anyway so he only had to watch his steps.

He didn’t expect to be greeted by a click and a flash of light.

“The hell―?” Daniel murmured but apparently it was loud enough for the other man to hear.

“Oh, sorry about that.” Came a light voice, one with a melodic ring to it that has Daniel looking up out of curiosity. There, by the gazebo, stood a tall (though he was still taller) ravenette in a long navy blue coat similar to his own. Apparently, the flash of light came from what Daniel recognized was a ‘camera’. Jisung once had to explain it to him when he asked how did humans contain lightning in small boxes.

But what distracted Daniel the most was the man behind the lens, the ethereal being that shone under the rays of the moonlight.

“‘U-Um, hello?” Daniel snapped out of his thoughts when the so-called ethereal being stood closer and wow he looked more beautiful up close. “I’m sorry, do you not like getting your picture taken?” The man asked and Daniel could see the worry eating him up judging by the lip biting and widened eyes.

“Oh― Um, yes― I mean, No! No, it’s just…” Oh god I look like an idiot, Daniel cleared his throat, oh how grateful is he to the dark so the other wouldn’t see his embarrassed red face. “I was just caught off-guard, I’m usually alone in this gazebo”

“Oh.” The smaller man sighed and smiled with what Daniel saw was crooked teeth. “That’s strange, it seemed like a nice place though,” He said as he looks through his camera. Daniel merely nods and stood by the fence, looking down at the buds of forget-me-nots that have yet to bloom before looking down at the city. One thing he liked about the gazebo at night was the view of the city lights. Albeit artificial, the lights contrasting the darkness of the night signified the liveliness of life to him.  

Sad to say, it’s been a while since he felt like he was ‘living’. When was the last time he actually felt daring? When was the last time he thought he felt like he was truly happy? When was the last time he felt like he was more than just surviving? Daniel didn’t know nor was he sure if he would even get to experience it again. He envied the life these lights radiated while he was just here in the loneliness of the dark.

The immortal life was truly lonely.

“I assume you’re more of the introverted type?” Daniel glanced at the photographer who now stood to his right, focusing his lens towards the cityscape below. “... Just kinda lonely, I guess. Coming here usually helps me feel a little more relaxed,” Though Daniel has to admit, it’s been a while since he interacted with someone else besides Jisung so the other man’s presence felt a little comforting.

“That’s alright,” The man said as he snaps another photo, “Sometimes being lonely is nice too.” Daniel couldn’t help but raise a brow, “How so?”

“Well, for one, you have time to yourself,” The man instantly replied while he reviewed his photos, “And when you have time to yourself, sometimes you would notice things you haven’t thought of before,”

“Like what?” Daniel asked as he looked back at the city below.

“The darkness isn’t always so bad,” The young-looking immortal definitely didn’t expect something like that. “People often associate fear and negativity with the dark, maybe because it looks like an endless void and you can’t help but feel chills down your spine” Daniel decided to stay quiet and see where it goes from there.

“When you think about it, night time is darkness too but it isn’t always too bad. I mean, we would never know about the cosmos if we didn’t see the stars at night, right?”

“Where are you going with this?” The man couldn’t help but chuckle at that as he finally puts away his camera. “I’m not so sure either,” Daniel is once again confused but the other continues to talk while brushing his comma hair to the side, “I usually think the dark somehow symbolizes hidden opportunities,” He continued as he puts away his camera so he can look up at the stars, Daniel is just distracted by the way the moonlight bounces off his sharp features making them look more soft and elegant than it should have.

“We can’t see well in the dark, it makes us frightened and wonder if we are alone in that dark space. Maybe we are, but sometimes we’re not. But when we’re sure we’re alone, most of us would curl in on ourselves and hope that someone, anyone could come and find us to be dragged out of that darkness.”

Daniel couldn’t help but be intrigued, “You said most of us, then what do the others do?” The ravenette smiled, “They’re the brave ones who continue to venture through the dark hoping that they could find something or someone to guide them along the void. Because they refuse to accept hopelessness and defeat as if it was determined by fate.”

That was not something Daniel expected to hear from someone he just met. But somehow the different perspective towards a common context remains stuck to him as if it were a major revelation. “Then which side of the spectrum are you in?” He couldn’t help but ask.

“Do you know Sarah Williams?” The man suddenly asked and once again Daniel is caught off guard at how random this man could be. “No,”

“Hm, that’s a pity. She wrote a poem once, and I think her line serves as a perfect answer for me.” The ravenette directed his gaze towards Daniel and once again flashed those crooked teeth.

“I have loved the stars too fondly to be fearful of the night.”

~ .oOo. ~

It’s been a week since Daniel met the ravenette under the moonlight but his philosophy somehow imprinted itself on his brain. Truly his immortality was his darkness and no one could possibly be there with him in that void, but then what would his guide be? Will something or someone even guide him through the darkness he has lived in for the past hundred years?

Honestly speaking, he already knew what that light was but it wasn’t completely a way to escape his suffering. More like a way to lessen it.

Daniel wasn’t completely abandoned by the gods when his father selfishly made his son immortal. Besides that they gave him Jisung, they gave him a certain power to elevate his pain. But Daniel refused to use it. For him, it would just bring another person pain.

Because they gave him the power to immortalize someone else.

And it can only be used once.

The immortal has had his fair share of lovers across every era from the dark ages to modernization. No doubt every parting was difficult, but Daniel refuses to use it. The immortal life itself was a curse, why drag another innocent soul for the sake of helping him carry his own burdens?

Daniel stopped dating after Jisung’s 3rd reincarnation.

Every person he lost was just another crack added to his already broken heart. Daniel wasn’t sure how much he could endure before his heart finally breaks into a million pieces and he’d rather not risk how much he could push it. Losing Jisung in every lifetime was already hard. The only thing worse than losing Jisung was not finding him in that lifetime at all.

There were times when Jisung would reincarnate, but they would meet when it’s already too late. Daniel once met him when he was just a child. Another when he was already on his deathbed looking weak and fragile as he can be. On both occasions, Jisung knew exactly who he was for he never resets his memory about Daniel every time he reincarnates. Daniel just so happens to be lucky to find Jisung at the perfect time for this era.

Speaking of companions, Daniel automatically facepalmed for forgetting the most basic thing. His name. How could he not ask for his name? He definitely can’t keep calling him 'the ethereal being' in his head forever. But for all he knows, the guy might’ve just been a tourist who happens to love taking photographs of his travels. Daniel hoped that wasn’t the case.

Daniel decided to visit the gazebo in the middle of the afternoon that day. Who knows, maybe he’ll get to see the other man again.

Much to his surprise, the man was indeed there standing on the bench with a camera in hand. Only this time, he brought a Polaroid camera with him. 

The ravenette snapped another photo and jumped off the bench to place the film alongside the other newly taken photos waiting for the image to eventually show up. Just in time for Daniel to walk over to him so he flashed him a crooked smile with a small wave.

“Oh hey, it’s you!” The other called out rather excitedly and somehow it brings a smile to Daniel’s lips. Especially with how the smaller man’s black hoodie reaches the middle of his palms making his hands look smaller than it already is. Before Daniel could register it, the smaller male once again snapped a photo of him and placed down the blank film along with the rest.

“I thought I’d see you again if I went back here and I was right,” He said, gaze not leaving the number of films laid out on the side of the bench. “So what brings you here today?”

“Aren’t I supposed to be the one asking that question?” Daniel said with a raised brow. “I mean, I’m pretty sure I’ve been here way before you even found it.” The smaller male chuckled as he puts his Polaroid camera away. “You do have a point there, but no worries. I’m not after your favorite spot or anything. Just the view.” He finished as he raised one of the polaroids that now revealed the slightly opened forget-me-not buds.

Now that Daniel had a good look at it, the picture seemed rather familiar. “Didn’t you take this the last time I saw you? I remember you took a picture of the cityscape with your other camera. The black sleek-looking one” For a second, the man looked confused. “Oh! You mean my Nikon? Yeah, I did.”

“So why the retake?” The ravenette hummed as he smiled in satisfaction at the outcome of the first polaroid. “Polaroids are much more precious than ordinary high definition pictures.”

“How so?” Daniel looked perplexed as he picked up his own polaroid picture. As he thought, the picture was also similar to the first candid shot the stranger took. “If you think about it, modern technology makes it convenient for us to make hundreds of copies.”

The ravenette proceeded to take his latest shot and shook it around a bit to make it clear faster. “People usually say they take photos to preserve the memory. Like keeping a representation of that event safe in their photo collections. Some would even send copies to others to make sure it never disappears.”

“But this,” He emphasized as he raised the now clear polaroid shot of the orange sky looming over the silent cityscape, “Is the only copy you have. You cannot reproduce it or easily make a copy. If you want one, you’ll have to retake the shot which is not easy.”

Daniel hummed as he looked down at the Polaroid in hand, “Do you retake photos that give you good memories then?” The stranger offered the widest smile ‘til his eyes disappeared behind adorable crescents. “You could say that,” Was his vague reply as he carefully kept the Polaroid shots in a small bag.

“Then what made this place memorable?” The man paused as he looked through the polaroids. “At first, it was the sunset. The way the colors in the sky blended and bounced off the highest skyscrapers was already art on its own,”

“But then,” He paused as he took the Polaroid off of Daniel’s hand to raise it beside his face. “I instantly thought you were more memorable than how the sun could ever shine,”

For the longest time, Daniel has never felt so warm. The heat spreading across his cheeks to the tips of his ears, it was one he was very familiar with. A hundred years have passed but never has he once forgotten the feeling of his heart rapidly beating for another.

“Apologies for being rude, I’m Ong Seongwoo,” Seongwoo said as he offered an outstretched hand with another one of his crooked smiles. Daniel gladly (albeit embarrassed) accepts and returns the smile with his own bright one.

“Kang Daniel.”

~ .oOo. ~

It’s been weeks since Daniel and Seongwoo officially met. The two would sometimes hang out when they got the chance, it’s not like Daniel had anything to lose. He loses nothing but time but even that wasn’t going to run out anytime soon. No matter how short the times they met, the brunette couldn’t forget about the stranger. Or rather, Ong Seongwoo. Just his name was enough to raise a brow in curiosity. How could a name be so rare yet common at the same time?

“You look awfully happy today,” Jisung said that has Daniel snapping out of his train of thought. “I dare say, you look quite alive. You didn’t meet someone, did you?” The elder jokingly said. Jisung expected for him to laugh it off like he usually did but he was shocked to see the larger boy fidgeting with his fingers as if to avoid any eye contact.

“Daniel,” Jisung called out with a stern tone that has Daniel flinching, “Y-Yes?” Way to look relaxed hotshot. Oh how much we wanted to slap himself for that stutter. “Are you seeing anyone right now?”

“Uh, No?” He mentally facepalmed at the uncertainty in his tone, Jisung obviously caught on to it anyway judging by the skeptically raised brow. Daniel finally sighed in defeat, “Alright, alright… I just happen to meet someone by the gazebo” He hesitantly admits, the brunette felt like shrinking back at that scrutinizing gaze. But the next moment, Jisung suddenly broke out into a wide grin.

“You little ! How come you don’t tell me these things?!” For a moment, the brunette was dumbstruck at the unexpected reaction. Then again, he didn’t really expect a reaction. “I was starting to think you were going to live this immortal life alone. It’s been years, Niel. I thought you’d use your powers by now.”

“But it’s not all that great! People glorify immortality so much but it doesn’t make me happy at all! I don’t want anyone else to shoulder the same burden…” A silence ate up the atmosphere after Daniel’s small outburst. It was true though, Daniel didn’t want anyone else to suffer. Before the brunette could wallow in another pit of self-depreciation, Jisung decided to distract him.

“Then you should’ve at least told me about him!” The older man happily abandoned his laptop and plopped down beside Daniel on the sofa. “So what’s this Hong Seongwoo like? Is he handsome? Funny? Can he cook? I don’t want to see you both grow old eating ramyun for the rest of your days.”

“First of all, It’s Ong. So remove that H. And yes, he’s super handsome and funny too! I don’t know if he can cook though. But hyung! It’s… It’s the way he perceived reality that has me curious.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“He… He’s not like the others. I’ve only been with him twice and it already feels like I’ve learned so much from him? And he…” Daniel hesitated, speech trailing off as he bit his bottom lip to try and find the right words. Jisung has known him long enough to know what that means so he let the boy think it through. He didn’t expect the next words that came out a minute later.

“Jisung, he makes me feel… alive.” And that was what made the smile fade from Jisung’s face.

It wasn’t because it was a bad thing or anything, it was obviously the complete opposite. He knew how much of a big deal this was to the lonely immortal. For all the years Jisung has been with Daniel, he has wanted nothing more but the best. Because someone as gentle and compassionate as Daniel deserved all the happiness in the world.

“It’s been way too long for you, hasn’t it?” Jisung said with a fond smile as he runs a hand through Daniel’s hair. It’s been a while since Jisung last saw those bunny teeth. “Why don’t you tell me all about him?”

~ .oOo. ~

Seongwoo was feeling rather sluggish today. Well, everyone had those kinds of days but his body just felt a bit heavier than usual. He knew he shouldn’t have gone to take pictures late at night. Especially during these days when the winter season was just over their heads. But he promised Daniel they would meet today. He didn’t realize have any way to contact him either, he has yet to buy a new phone after he dropped it on the concrete road.

So here he was at the bottom of the mountain where the road meets the ground. Now that he had a good look at the road, the gazebo was quite a walk. Suddenly he wanted to give himself a good pat on the back for all the walking he’s done in the past visits.

The ravenette released a shaky breath. Surely, it was still too early so he bided his time in mentally and physically preparing himself.

“You’ll drill a hole into the mountains with that stare,” Came a very familiar voice that has Seongwoo turning faster than necessary. “Sorry, I’m late?” The brunette with a cheeky smile said as he now stood in front of Seongwoo.

“No, it’s alright. I just got here anyway.” Daniel couldn’t help but notice the slightly forced smile on his lips. Seongwoo has always been a good actor, but not even the most skilled actors can hide a flushed face.

“You alright?” The brunette asked as he reached out towards Seongwoo’s cheek but the ravenette slapped it away before he could brush his fingers.

“I-I’m fine.” Of course, Daniel remained skeptical. But if Seongwoo was going to remain adamant about this, then he’ll just guide him along the way. “Wanna walk around instead? The gazebo is quite far up.” Daniel thought it was a bit strange when Seongwoo didn’t even take a second to agree and was now pulling Daniel away towards the nearby park.

The park wasn’t too far, just a 10-minute walk at most. That’s why Daniel was once again surprised when the flush on Seongwoo’s face seemed to be more vibrant than earlier. “Why don’t we sit down for a while? You aren’t looking so good.”

“Hm? Ah, I’m just feeling a bit cold. Winter transitioning and all that” Seongwoo said with a sheepish smile as he pulled his coat closer to his body. “You’ll catch a cold if you don’t stay warm enough.” The brunette removed the scarf around his neck and wrapped it around Seongwoo’s until only half his face was peeking out.

“Feeling warmer?” The ravenette nodded smiled in a way Daniel’s heart couldn’t help but feel like it was about to jump out of his chest.

The two didn’t really do much but walk and talk about the most random things. In a span of a few hours, Daniel learned about Seongwoo and just how clumsy he could be. The smaller male would sometimes trip over his own feet (luckily Daniel was there to catch him) or hit his hand on benches and tree bark whenever he was making gestures while telling silly stories. Daniel can’t help but find it adorable though, he first thought Seongwoo might have been the serious type but he was practically childish and immature as Jisung often described him.

“You don’t exercise often, do you?” The brunette snickered as he looked at the now panting man holding onto his knees. “More like I can’t,” Seongwoo wheezed as he straightened up. The younger man failed to notice the staggered movements when he stood up though.

“How come?”

“Let’s just say my body is not as strong as others around my age” Came the vague reply, but Daniel thought nothing of it. “You just don’t want to admit you’re a lazy bum, do you?” Daniel couldn’t help but laugh when Seongwoo pouted along with a childish stomp.

“Ddeongwu is annoyed!” The older man crossed his arms but all it took was an arm around his shoulders to make the pout break out into a smile. “Ey~ Don’t be like that! I’m sorry!” Daniel said as he mimicked Seongwoo’s moles on his neck.

“Alright alright! I get it!” The ravenette laughed and tried to push Daniel away when the younger boy started tickling him. In the end, Seongwoo was the one who stepped away but he tripped on one of the large roots of a nearby tree. Lucky for him, Daniel reacted quick enough and help him up.

“Aish, seriously Ongcheongie” The younger man really liked to tease, or maybe he has just not interacted with anyone for years. Maybe he was being excited over the forgotten experience. But this time, Daniel didn’t miss the falter in the older man’s steps. Although Seongwoo was once again standing, the man had his brows furrowed as he held onto Daniel’s hand for support.

“Seongwoo?” The younger man gently called out, but the other didn’t reply as he released a shaky breath. “Hey, you oka― S-Seongwoo? Seongwoo!”

~ .oOo. ~

Seongwoo couldn’t recall the last thing that happened. He only remembered protecting himself from Daniel’s tickle attacks and the next thing he knew, it was dark. The ravenette groaned as he finally stirred from his slumber. The first thing he saw was white. Not just any white, a very familiar kind of white.

A hospital ceiling.

“,” He mumbled to himself as he looked around the room. As usual, there was an IV drip stuck to his arm and an all too familiar and annoying doctor to his right.

“Seongwoo!” Came Daniel’s deep voice and the said man turned to the source of the voice. “Are you okay? You got me scared back there, you just fainted and I―” Daniel stopped mid-speech when Seongwoo raised a hand. “Daniel, it’s okay. I should’ve told you I wasn’t feeling well earlier but I just wanted to spend some time with you”

“I would’ve been willing to reschedule, you should’ve told me” The brunette whined as he unconsciously clasped onto Seongwoo’s hand. “Sorry, I should’ve known better,” Daniel mumbled with a hint of guilt. It was quite a big thing for the immortal. He’s had a fair share of relationships and friends, but for some reason, Seongwoo’s incident was the scariest he experienced.

For once, after years of isolation, he was afraid of losing someone else.

“Oh! Let me just get the doctor. Dr. Hwang told me to call you once you’re up,” Seongwoo merely smiled, he didn’t want Daniel to worry about him anymore. Not like he knew about his case anyway, he was just hoping it wasn’t the same Hwang he had in mind. It didn’t take long before Daniel came back with an all too familiar man in a white lab coat. Seongwoo couldn’t help but frown, he should’ve known he’d be the one to watch over him.

“How are you feeling?” The doctor asked and the ravenette was forced to muster the most genuine smile he could show, Daniel was there after all. “Never better, doc. So can I leave by the next hour?” He slyly asked with that angelic smile but the doctor merely smiled back with a slightly mocking aura to it.

“We’ll need to undergo a few check-ups just to be sure you’re fine, it shouldn’t take long.” Daniel sighed in relief, for a moment he was worried it might have been something worse. Seongwoo was fine and that was all he needed to know,

“Daniel, was it?” The doctor turned to the other who nodded in response. “Why don’t you fetch Seongwoo something to drink? You could also buy some food for yourself by the convenience store across the street if you want,” The younger looking man nodded with a smile before he left the room while the two men inside the room remained silent until the echoing of Daniel’s steps faded off into the distance.

“Welcome back,” The man said in greeting and it has Seongwoo automatically rolling his eyes in response. “Get me out,” He simply said as he sat up with his fists clenched on the sheets.

“You know why you’re here”

“And I don’t give a , I want out,” Seongwoo growled at the doctor, he has always been someone he associated bad memories with. “Seongwoo, your condition isn’t going to get any better like this. You need to start showing up to your sessions again―”

“I already told you I’ve had enough!”

“Seongwoo―”

“I made this clear to you, Minhyun. There’s no point. My parents are already going through financial problems, I can’t pass on any more burden to them. Not for this hopeless case at least.”

“You can’t just give up like this, your parents care. So does everyone else, so why can’t you do this for them?”

“Then what about me?!” Seongwoo couldn’t help but raise his voice. “I’ve done what I can, I came to every session, but there was never a guarantee that I could be fully cured so what’s the point of going back?”

“You know this is for your sake too. Your body can’t hold on much longer, it’s getting weaker by the minute. For ’s sake Seongwoo, this is the second time you’ve been here in the past month!”

“Then what? Cling to false hope? False hope that I’d get to live another year? Another month? Another day? Minhyun, let’s stop fooling ourselves already. What else am I even prolonging my life for? I’m already a lost cause, what more could I possibly live for?”

Of course, Minhyun was equally frustrated. The man had been a friend ever since they were children and he always talked about how he wanted to be a superhero, he wanted to save lives. As typical as it seemed, Minhyun wanted to do just that so he became a doctor.

But what was the point if he can’t even save his best friend?

The room was once again thrown into a tense silence, neither daring to back down as they had a staring contest of some sort. Minhyun merely clenched his fist as he finally looked away. “I just want you to live happily,” He murmured enough for the other to hear.

Seongwoo sighed, they’ve always had this conversation every time Seongwoo was brought back to this damn institution. He understood what his friend would have felt, he’d honestly do the same. But Seongwoo thought he’s had enough of fighting. It has gone far too long. So he could only do what they’ve done for the hundredth time, he pulled Minhyun closer to his side and wrapped his arms around his waist in a tight hug.

“I’m already happy living like this, I even traveled plenty of places by now. You should’ve seen my pictures.” He said with a more optimistic tone hoping to bring down the tension, “I just came back from Japan too, remember?” Seongwoo felt his heart crack when he felt droplets of water at the crown of his head.

“You’ve done your part, I can’t thank you enough for being by my side. But it’s time to stop fighting, Min.” The man broke down as he tightly wrapped his arms around Seongwoo’s lithe form. “I’m sorry,” He whispered but the ravenette only gave him a sad smile.

“You’ll always be there for me, won’t you?” The doctor nodded without hesitation, “Then please, help me make the remaining time worth it. I don’t want my last memory of you crying in my arms.”

The room was immersed in a comforting silence after that, with no other sounds but Minhyun’s muffled sobs and Seongwoo whispering words of comfort. Both in their own small world, not once thinking about the brunette who might’ve come back from his small errand.

Daniel felt like his heart was just ripped out and torn to pieces.

~ .oOo. ~

The lonely immortal sought for his own friend after that and instantly let out his own tears of frustration and sadness. Jisung didn’t question him, he merely held him close to his body and let the tears fall. He knew Daniel would speak if he was ready. He didn’t think he’d hear the most heartbreaking words out of the brunette’s lips.

“He’s dying.”

Daniel croaked, an obvious struggle in uttering two words that shouldn’t have been placed side by side in the same sentence. “Hyung, why does this always happen to me? It hurts, I’m tired of the pain, I’m tired of going through this cycle again, why don’t the gods listen to me? Why did my father have to do this to me?”

Daniel sniffed and clung onto his hyung for dear life. “I don’t want this immortal life, I never wanted it, I’ve longed to see an end to it” Jisung was speechless, this happened before but it was never as bad as this. It was Daniel’s lowest point in his hundred year existence and for once, the other is rendered helpless.

“I’m sorry, Daniel.”

~ .oOo. ~

It Daniel a week to mope in that depressing revelation, an hour to ponder at his thoughts, and a second to realize that he was wasting time. The young-looking immortal has lived a hundred years wondering if he’ll ever find someone he would actually consider using his powers for. He’d never deny that he did consider using it on some people, but he never felt as desperate to save someone as now.

There was a reason why Daniel never kissed anyone until he was absolutely sure. Strange as it seemed, kissing was one way for Daniel to transfer life energy. Although it was definitely upsetting he had to limit kissing, he thought it made complete sense as to why. He was meant to make someone immortal alongside him after all, what more dramatics would it need if it were in the name of love?

Of course, there are times when Daniel hesitated and stopped in his tracks.   Was he doing the right thing? Is he truly going to be happy?

But it was the week after his moping when he first thought that yes, it was going to be worth it. That was the time when Daniel first saw Seongwoo again after the heartbreaking revelation in the small hospital room. The smaller man wore an all-black ensemble comprised of a hoodie and skinny jeans that contrasted against his pale skin. 

Daniel wonders if Seongwoo has always been this pale or his sickness eventually made him look weak.

Now that Daniel was aware of the other’s condition, he started to take in Seongwoo’s physical appearance properly. How could he not notice the lack of life in his eyes? How thin was he for his height? Does he even weigh anything? Seongwoo was once again by the roadside gazebo leaning on one of the streetlamps on his sides. If it weren’t for his unique moles, the immortal wouldn’t recognize the face hiding behind that hood.

“No camera today?” Seongwoo turned towards the familiar voice with a small smile gracing his lips. “I think I’ve taken enough shots to believe it’s imprinted in my brain by now.” He cheekily replied. Daniel resisted the urge to frown, he recalled how bright that smile was when they first met. How he still looked ethereal despite the lack of forget-me-nots that were now in full bloom behind him.

“Is nothing memorable for you this afternoon?” Daniel teased as he leaned on the adjacent lamp facing Seongwoo. The smaller man hesitates, teeth biting his bottom lip that makes Daniel intrigued.

“Every moment I spend with you is memorable enough, I don’t even need a camera to remember it”

For a moment, a silence enveloped the isolated gazebo but neither avert their gaze from the man standing in front of them. The silence seemed heavy, but their gazes filled with what seemed like fondness spoke otherwise.

“You scared me, you know?” Daniel said breaking the once tense-looking silence with what could be mistaken for fear. “I was looking forward to that day. I mean, it’s not like we haven’t seen each other for a year or something but I like it when we hang out.” The brunette felt a little bold after starting. Daniel doesn’t know where this surge of confidence came from, but he wasn’t letting it go to waste as he took a few steps and stopped right in front of Seongwoo.

“In all honesty, I have… lived here for quite a long time. It was wonderful at first, with the luscious scenery and great people but you eventually get tired of it you know? Everyone is almost the same in what they do and in how they think. Life gets dull and you kinda get used to it but you can’t do anything but wait for something to break the cycle. But you,” He trailed off as he leaned his forehead on the smaller man’s shoulder.

“You think and act so differently I feel like I learn something new whenever we meet or maybe realize something that was right under my nose all along.” Seongwoo doesn’t make a move though and it prompts Daniel to look back up straight into those beautiful chocolate orbs. He doesn’t know why Seongwoo looked so afraid of what his words could possibly imply.

“You make me feel so human, so alive as if I wasn’t the only one living in my own distorted time and space.” Daniel took in a deep breath before he shakily continued.

“And you don’t know how devastated I’d be if I ever lost you without even telling you how precious you were to someone like me”

As Daniel finished his confession, Seongwoo is left in a state of shock. Whether it was because of Daniel’s confession or the tears streaming down his face, he wasn’t so sure. But it’s been so long since he felt so light, so comforted, so loved and alive. Daniel doesn’t question it and instead wrapped his arms around the smaller man letting him bury his face on his shoulder.

Seongwoo couldn’t help but grasp onto Daniel’s coat, desperately believing that this was a reality at the same time hoping it was just a dream. Time was running out, he didn’t have much of it left and he wanted to be the last person who could possibly hurt the brunette. No matter how much he wanted to tell Daniel the truth, he couldn’t muster up the words for he knew it could break the other man’s heart.

The ravenette decided that maybe it wasn’t time to tell him just yet. Maybe there would be a better time to tell Daniel in the future. But for now, he wanted to be selfish for once. He wanted to bask in this feeling of getting what you wanted without the thought of the passage of time.

“How ironic, you grew tired of living this ordinary life while I grew tired of living it at all. Yet, when we’re together, we make each other feel alive.” Seongwoo shyly admits as he looked back up at the much taller male.

“Maybe it’s because I liked you more than I should have when we met under the moonlight that night. Maybe because the way you seemed so interested in my thoughts was enough to make me intrigued about you. Maybe… you were meant to make me alive from the start”

It was like any other cliche movie plot. The world slowed down, the silence became deafening, and even they were at a standstill as no one made a move. At that moment, Seongwoo felt afraid if being selfish wasn’t such a good idea. But Daniel was quick to shoot that thought down as he leaned close and let his nose brush along the three moles on his cheek.

Seongwoo could feel Daniel’s lips slowly curl up into a smile, “I guess we were thinking of the same thing.” Before he could process Daniel’s words, the brunette boldly lifted his head enough to make his lips hover over his own. So close he could feel it brush with the slightest movement and send electrifying jolts through his nerves.

The smaller man doesn’t know what came over him when he boldly tilted his head back to hesitantly meet the taller man’s lips. His heart pounded against his chest out of excitement and nerves as the other man remained still, looking hesitant to advance. Was he too forward?

The ravenette was about to retreat but a hand on the back of his head halted his movements. Slowly, Daniel’s eyes fluttered closed as he leaned down and closed the gap. The liplock felt warm against their lips, perfectly molding into each other as if they were each other’s missing piece. As if they were all they needed all along.

The hand behind Seongwoo’s head tangled itself in his hair while Seongwoo unconsciously tiptoed to wrap his arms around Daniel’s neck. Words left unspoken were conveyed in ways they didn’t think off. At that moment, nothing else seemed to matter as they both focused on pouring out their feelings on the other man who they held dearly in their arms.

Daniel pulled as he looked back at Seongwoo’s beautiful irises. The brown that shone against the moonlight giving it a golden-like effect, making him look more alive than ever. He won’t deny it when he said he’d use a bit of his power during their kiss. But not enough to immortalize the smaller man, he could never bring himself to do such a thing. So he gave a bit of his life energy enough to make him feel a little healthier.

For years, he refused to use this power for his benefit. But this time, he believed he wasn’t the only beneficiary. At least he hoped he wasn’t. Call him selfish, but for once, he’ll do anything to make this life worthwhile. Under the sinking sun in the horizon and the smell of forget-me-nots that wafted through the air, Daniel made a promise to himself.

With the help of his power, he’ll help Seongwoo fight off the disease.

For as long as he can.

~ .oOo. ~

“He’ll help Seongwoo fight off the disease.

For as long as he can.”

His efforts to keep him alive only lasted for five years. But when you’ve lived as an immortal for centuries, the human lifespan is so short.  Daniel realized that too late when he was once again here in the hospital with Seongwoo in a white hospital gown.

Daniel always kissed him whenever he got the chance, even the quick pecks on the lips disguised as small ‘I missed you’s or the long ‘I love you’s that could last for minutes for the sake of getting some life into that small body. Daniel always hated seeing the dull shine on the ravenette’s eyes whenever he felt a little under the weather.

It took the brunette a while before he finally realized it wasn’t the kisses that would enable him to make someone else immortal, it was more of the passion he had towards another. Kissing was simply a channel for him to transfer that energy. It was during one of their heated sessions when Daniel felt like he was transferring more than he intended and it made Seongwoo dizzy. Though the smaller man shrugged it off saying it was just because of their hot make-out session. Daniel thought otherwise, he knew the feeling whenever he transferred life energy after all.

Daniel grew a little scared after that.

What if he lost control and ended up making Seongwoo immortal? He didn’t want that, not when Seongwoo looked like he didn’t want to live longer than necessary. He made sure their session never got too heated after that claiming Seongwoo might become lightheaded again.

For a time, Daniel limited the energy he gave off frightened by the fact that any more and Seongwoo might just become immortal. He didn’t think limiting the energy would release his hold on the disease spreading through his body. With no inhibitors holding it back, the cancer cells spread like wildfire all over Seongwoo’s body and he couldn’t do anything about it anymore.

Small cell lung cancer.

That was what Seongwoo called it when he finally told Daniel about his fragile state. The cells have already spread all over his body making surgery impossible and chemotherapy all the more unbearable. The only way Daniel could fully override the disease was to completely make him immortal. But no matter how much Daniel entertained the idea, he couldn’t bring himself to do it. Not when he wanted to do it for the sake of himself.

Now he had no choice but to stay by Seongwoo’s side as he sat up looking out at the window. The room was silent, too silent for Daniel’s liking since the heart monitor was the only thing breaking the quiet atmosphere. Well, before Seongwoo interjected anyway.

“Let’s go outside,” He simply said with a small smile. Who was he to say no to a dying man’s simple request? The brunette simply nodded as he helped Seongwoo up and held his hand until they were on the rooftop where the cool breeze brushed against their skin. Daniel instantly draped his long coat over Seongwoo’s lithe frame, he knew he was sensitive to the cold.

For the first few moments, the two merely sat on the bench overlooking the city. Hand intertwined between them as Seongwoo leaned his head on Daniel’s chest over his heart. Although it was silent, it was the comforting one that brought a break to the thought of Seongwoo’s situation.

“You know, humans always fear the thought of death. How spontaneous it could be, so unpredictable yet inevitable to happen. It makes us live in fear with the thought that each day could be our last.” The ravenette closed his eyes and focused on the heart beating against his ear. “I used to think death wasn’t something we should fear, what’s the use of being afraid of something everyone was going to go through anyway?”

Well, most of us. Daniel thought to himself.

“But now…” Seongwoo couldn’t help but snuggle closer as if he sought for protection, “... I’m actually scared. I’m afraid that I can’t confidently say I lived out my life, that people won’t remember me, that they’ll notice things aren’t so different. But maybe this is really all I could do with this kind of disease eating away at my body. I’m still just a human after all.” He weakly chuckled to himself. “Sometimes I wished I could live forever, free of worry and disease that death wouldn’t even cross my mind” Seongwoo mused while Daniel stiffened at the thought. Daniel didn’t know how to respond to that.

“What would it be like to live forever?” Seongwoo broke the silence once again and still Daniel wasn’t sure how to reply. “Wouldn’t it be lonely?” Daniel starts as he runs his fingers through Seongwoo’s hair, “Maybe you’d find it fun at first thinking you can do almost anything you want. But not everything is a perfect haven, you’re bound to find it’s downsides sooner or later.”

“You sound like you’ve already tried it,” Daniel could feel Seongwoo giggle against his chest while he played with a loose thread on Daniel’s coat, “What else makes it seem like a bad idea to you?” The brunette momentarily stopped his hand as he contemplated his next words.

“For one, you’d have to transfer from place to place. People are bound to recognize you if you stayed young for too long while everyone else is gaining wrinkles on their face.”

“Wouldn’t that give you an excuse to travel the world?” Seongwoo curiously asked, “Maybe you could go back once the next generation took over,” That was what Daniel also thought, turns out it was easier said than done if some people could live over a hundred years.

“Maybe, but you wouldn’t know just how long do you need to wait. Who knows, you might just be living the generation of the oldest man on earth. It’s dangerous to get recognized.”

“I guess you could say it also has its pros and cons, but the biggest consequence for me would be outliving everyone you held dear to your heart.” Unknown to the brunette, his fingers unconsciously tighten around Seongwoo’s.

“It’s always been great meeting new people wherever you go. All the more if you found someone you would somehow risk everything for. But then, you’ll be the only immortal. You’ll love for an indefinite amount of time while everyone else has a countdown hovering above their heads. And it has you thinking if death will let the counter finish naturally or end it by force.”

“What if the significant other also became an immortal?” Seongwoo interjects and Daniel’s eyes widened at the idea coming from the small human. “What if they both get to live together for eternity? Would that make it happier?” For a moment, Daniel merely stared with his mouth agape. “You don’t know that,” Seongwoo raised his head to meet his eyes, and for once he had eyes filled with wonder and curiosity when it was usually Daniel who possessed that glimmer in his pupils.

“Yeah, you’re right. I don’t, but isn’t it something worth thinking about?” For the longest time, Daniel always thought he was in the wrong. He always thought that he was being too selfish to only think about himself. But what if Seongwoo actually wanted it? Would that mean he’d be doing the good thing if he did make him immortal after all?

Daniel leaned down until he was once again hovering over Seongwoo’s lips, “Then if you were given the chance to be immortal… would you take it?” Although Daniel’s heart was palpitating at what he thought of doing, Seongwoo thought it was just a part of their talk. Nothing out of the ordinary as he gazed back at the brunette’s eyes.

“I’d take anything to live a better life than this, one where I’d get to spend doing what I want with you by my side.”

That was all the confirmation he needed. Maybe he should’ve done this earlier after all. But before Daniel could close the gap, the beautiful ravenette suddenly doubled over in a harsh coughing fit. Daniel held him close as he drew circles along the smaller man’s back to eventually soothe him, but he didn’t look like he was about to stop anytime soon.

The coughs were getting harsher by the minute as Seongwoo wheezed, hand covering his mouth as the coughing went on. But something wasn’t right, Seongwoo looked down at his hand and was met with the scariest thing sight he could ever see.

Blood.

All over his palm and is highly likely to be the one he felt dribbling down the corner of his lips. “D-Daniel,” He called out barely above a whisper as Daniel also spotted the mess with widened eyes. “We need to get you down, now” Was all he said before he looped his arms under Seongwoo’s figure and lifted him up bridal style, it was the fastest way.

Elevators were obviously a no in this kind of emergency so the brunette ran down the stairs as fast as his legs could take him. Daniel could feel his heart beating against his chest, an odd mix of exhaustion and nerves but one he never wanted to experience. Seongwoo felt so light, so fragile curled up in his arms as he wheezed and clutched onto his chest seemingly in pain.

“N-Niel…” Seongwoo obviously struggled to get the words out so Daniel instantly shushed him, “Save what you can, we’re almost there” Yet, the ravenette remained stubborn.

“I-If I… don’t make it,”

“You will.”

“You know that… I love you, right?”

“...” Daniel never thought he’d be heartbroken to hear those three words together. Although he always thought of saying it to the man in his arms, he didn’t want it this way. Not in these circumstances. But what else could he possibly do now?

“Of course I do, that’s why I always thought of our next meeting. Usually, I would spend time thinking about what we could do next to make out time last longer. But whenever I see you again, I’ll always realize it doesn’t matter what we do. I’ll be happy either way as long as it’s with you.”

Seongwoo leaned on Daniel’s chest with a small smile playing on his lips.

“Thank you,”

That was all he needed to hear before Daniel finally found the doctors and handed them Seongwoo to attend to.

Daniel has never felt more desperate to the point that he felt like he had to pray. The higher beings were one of the reasons why he was like this after all. But for now, he felt like he had no other choice. He prayed, and he prayed, and he prayed. Anything to let Seongwoo live. That was all he wanted, it was all he could ask for to finally cope with the loneliness.

If you’re really there, please don’t abandon me now.

~ .oOo. ~

All the doctors tried their best, they really did. Every method they could possibly do to make sure he gets through the pain, the suffering, the disease eating through his body. But it was so difficult to hold on knowing he’d go through the same suffering again. And again. And again. And again.

Was it ever going to end?

Is it worth holding on knowing he’d still live with this wretched curse?

Amidst all the rush, Seongwoo’s eyes fluttered shut. The pain was too much to bear, far worse than how it used to be and maybe even more in the future. It wasn’t something he wanted to go through, never again. He was tired, maybe he should just give up?

The ravenette slowly reopened his eyes and scanned the room, one last time until his eyes eventually caught a glimpse of a familiar mop of chestnut locks. For a moment, his world froze seeing the fear Daniel had in his eyes. It hurt more than the pain that ate away at his very being.

Moments later, his vision blurred as he felt an all too familiar feeling of tears streaming down his face. It hurt. It hurt to see the anxiety in the other man’s eyes, but he was tired. He already lost count on the number of times he was rushed to the hospital because of this condition. He was tired of it all.

But when his eyes came in contact with Daniel’s, he couldn’t help but offer a small smile albeit the struggle. His life was one filled with pain, suffering, and self-hate. But for a moment, he was glad to experience what it felt like to live, what it felt like to have a friend to lean on,

What it felt like to love.

For who could love a man as broken and cowardly as him?

“I’m glad I met you, Niel” He whispered to himself as he kept his gaze on Daniel with that soft smile, “I love you…”

“... and ‘til we meet again.”

The beeping and whirring of the machines and flurry of doctors were deafening to the brunette who stood outside of the room. But the flat line that was louder than the rest was the most deafening thing to ever echo through his ears.

In the end, Seongwoo was just another part of his suffering, another friend and lover lost along with the passage of time through this never-ending curse. And he is once again in another depressing night of crying in Jisung’s arms, the only friend he could ever have in this twisted fate. The only friend who could ever do anything to help their situation.

~ .oOo. ~

“Give them a second chance, please. That’s all I ask.”

~ .oOo. ~

It’s been 25 years since Daniel was once again left to roam the Earth alone, but not once has he forgotten his last love. Ong Seongwoo was someone who has left a significant mark in Daniel’s suffering. Although he became a part of it, in the end, the brunette (now blonde) will never forget all the times they spent together.

“I’ve got to work again today, are you going to be fine alone?” Jisung said as he turned to Daniel who was in the middle of putting on his coat. Before Jisung bothered to ask, he glanced at the date on his phone and it instantly clicked in his head.

“Don’t stay out too late,” Was all he said and Daniel merely hummed in reply as Jisung left their shared home. It’s always that time of the year when Daniel would visit that one gazebo on the roadside.

Seongwoo’s death anniversary.

The first few years weren’t easy, but he always thought that Seongwoo didn’t want him to live his life this way. In the end, he eventually moved on without forgetting Seongwoo in his life. Unfortunately for them, Daniel had to move again. He has stayed for far too long, people might start becoming suspicious. But not before he offers the forget-me-nots for one last time. 

One thing he did for a change was growing forget-me-nots by the window sill. Albeit strange to others, Daniel believed it has been the sole witness since they first met in that gazebo. Besides, the message conveyed by the flower was one he resonated with: Genuine and everlasting love. Just like what he felt for the man named Ong Seongwoo.

As per routine, Daniel plucked out several of the forget-me-nots and tied it to resemble a small bouquet before setting off for the gazebo. At this time of the year, Daniel usually walks no matter how far off the gazebo was. He doesn’t usually feel the distance when he’s too busy reminiscing about their days together anyway.

Just as he started to trudge through the slanted pathway, his phone dings indicating he received two messages from Jisung.

From: Jisung

Today’s going to be different,

I hope it will be in a good way.

Someone’s waiting for you.

Before Daniel could interpret what he meant, a sense of deja vu overcame him as a familiar click and flash of light caught him off guard. 

“I thought I’d see you again if I went back here and I was right”

"What happened to the polar bear and penguin?"

"Are they still friends?" 

"Of course, but while the penguin was away, the polar bear found another friend!"

"He befriended a seal, and they haven't left each other's side since then.

Notes:

So yeah congratulations for reaching the end of my longest oneshot?? Yep, glad you managed to survive all that and sorry for any inconsistencies because this was written by parts along with my other stories so I might've gotten some parts jumbled up. If not, then wow that deserves a pat on the back XD

As always, thanks for giving this a read and comments and creative criticism is always appreciated <3

#ongnielweek_day3