Why are you here?”

 

“It’s a long story.”

 

Hyungwon scratched his head and let out a loud sigh.  

 

Wonho cocked his head at him, “lethal fleas…?” He shrugged and grabbed a handful of pebbles- or teeth- he wouldn’t know, and started throwing them at the wall. 

 

Hyungwon chuckled at the boy's flea remark. It was the first time he had laughed since the incident. He had a hard time focusing his eyes, feeling defeated. He allowed himself the pleasure of chuckling because he knew it would be long before he got to do so again. 

 

Wonho tossed one of his teeth pebbles at Hyungwon's head. “Hey- you good?” he asked in a sympathetic tone. 

 

Hyungwon began to shake before eventually shutting down. He tried to muffle his sobs with his blood-stained sweater sleeve. His head began to bob dramatically, prompting Wonho to drop his jovial manner. 

 

“You can talk to me, you know...I know we don’t know each other or anything like that...but we’re both here, so we might as well confide in one another.” Wonho sighed, scooting closer to Hyungwon, offering him his hand. 

 

Hyungwon shifted his gaze to meet eyes with Wonho. His brown eyes were warm and comforting. 

He felt safe for once.

 

Hyungwon took the boy’s hand, basking in the warmth the latter’s palm provided. 

 

Wonho squeezed Hyungwon’s hand affirmingly. “You’ll be okay,” he whispered, his voice hoarse. 

 

Hyungwon hadn’t realized it yet, but Wonho had been crying this whole time as well. He sniffled and looked up at Wonho’s face with gleaming eyes. That’s when he felt it. 

 

And “it” could have been anything: confusion, anger, passion, love. Whatever “it” was, it was more than anything Hyungwon had felt in the past 19 years. 

 

Hyungwon was resisting the urge to kiss Wonho and, conveniently, a guard interrupted their moment to take him to his first therapy session.

 

Hyungwon walked into the small, cramped room sluggishly, dreading what was to come.

 

Nothing he could have imagined would have been worse than the reality he was faced with now. 

 

Dr. Phil.

 

The man sat at his desk, glaring at hyungwon with the same menacing look he gave him that day.

 

“Hello Hyangwang, I see you’ve made the trip safely.” 

 

“ you” Hyungwon spat, turning his body towards the door. 

 

Almost at the door, Hyungwon felt a heavy hand grab him by the wrist, swinging his body around and slamming him against the wall. 

 

“Don’t.” Dr. Phil tightened his grip on Hyungwon’s wrist. “Unless...you never want to see that boy again.”

 

“What are you talking about?” Hyungwon mumbled, desperately avoiding eye contact with the elder.

 

“Lee Wonho, age 21. Manslaughter. Criminally insa-”

 

Hyungwon cut him off, “what are you playing at?” 

 

“I’m just trying to offer some advice.”

 

“Last time I came to you for advice, I was bent over a table crying for help.” Hyungwon broke free from his grasp. “So don’t ing tell me anything about advice.” He spat in Dr. Phil’s face before running out the door. 

 

He sped past the guards, a wide smile slowly transforming on his face as he felt the air flow through his hair. He was so close to freedom that he could practically taste it. But.

 

He didn’t want freedom without someone to share it with. Someone to cherish it with.

 

That was an unfamiliar concept to Hyungwon- joy- but he would soon come to learn that joy came in the smallest of things. It could be found in a simple flower, a grain of rice, or in the gummy smile of a boy with blue hair tips. He would take charge of his own destiny for the first time of his life, even if it meant getting shot down.

 

So, that’s how it all unraveled.

 

He grabbed hold of Wonho, pulling him along as he sprinted through the doors of the asylum, tears flowing down his face as he felt the marvels of the world engulf his heart. The sunlight he thought shone down from the sky turned out to have been from beside him and he suddenly knew what “it” was. 

 

“It” meant absolute nirvana. A love so deep it could be felt at his very core.

 

Wonho was it and everything that embodied the word: happy.

 

When their lips collided, all of Hyungwon’s feelings melted into one stronger force, sending a wave of elation through both of their bodies.

 

 “It” was the last thing either of them ever knew, but it would transcend the living and follow them for the rest of eternity. 

 

THE END.