More commonly known as moonbows, these rainbows are produced by light reflected off the surface of the moon (as opposed to direct sunlight) that refracts off of the moisture in clouds in the atmosphere. Because the light is usually too faint to excite the cone color receptors in human eyes, it is difficult for the human eye to discern colours in such bows. As a result, they often appear to be white.

Part II.

The boy scrunched up his nose as cold raindrops landed onto his face. He frowned, hesitant to open his eyes.

“Due to heavy rainfall expected in the north of the country, drivers are advised to refrain from taking countryside roads. Approximately 150 milimetres of rain are expected to fall between in the next 48 hours, mainly in the Gangwon and Gyeonggi provinces.”

The muscles in his neck felt sore. Perhaps his body had contorted into an unnatural pose after he fell asleep. Then again, his bed felt different than usual. The mattress felt cold against his skin.

“Incheon airport will be delaying numerous of flights due to fog and general unsafe weather conditions. Thousands of travellers currently stranded.”

Jongin’s eyes sprung open as he realized he wasn’t lying in bed. He was sitting in the leather seat of a parked car, next to a middle-aged man he’d never seen before.

He gasped with terror. The man, who was holding some sort of spray in his right hand, was calmly looking at him.

Jongin helplessly looked around. What was going on? How did he end up here? Was the man going to hurt him?

“The predicted conditions are expected to break records. The last rainstorm of this magnitude dates back to 1952.”

Who was that talking? Jongin instinctively brought up his arms, protecting his face from any possible attacks.

The man next to him seemed worried. He tried to stretch a hand out to the boy, but Jongin slapped the gesture away. “DON’T-”

“Shh… calm down,” the man steadily spoke. “You’re safe, okay? I’m not going to hurt you. There’s no need to panic, nothing bad is going to happen to you here. Not on my watch.”

Jongin blinked a few times as his eyes adjusted to the light in the car. “…Where…”

“You’re in my taxi. Two ladies called me to pick you up from the hospital, but you out after stepping inside. I sprayed some water onto your face, I hope you don’t find me rude but I really didn’t know what to do. I figured I’d stay put for now, in case you didn’t wake back u-”

“What happened to the fire?” Jongin cut in, nervously looking out of the window.

The driver’s brows furrowed. “You mentioned a fire in the building next to us, but I don’t see anything.” The man stretched out an arm once again, reassuring his passenger with an amicable rub on the shoulder. “Take a minute to relax, you must be a bit confused.”

Jongin flashed him an unsure, yet grateful smile. “Okay.”

“While weather in southern parts of the country remains mild, minor flooding is expected in the Seoul area and around Chuncheon. Drivers are advised to-”

“I’ll change the radio station to something less worrisome,” the man chuckled as he leaned over to reach the knobs of the car radio. “All this damn fuss over the weather… People should learn to deal with whatever they’re faced with, instead of trying to predict everything. There’s really no point in trying to tell the future, right?”

“Right,” Jongin slowly nodded as he listened to the rustling snippets coming out of the sound system as the man adjusted the radio. “You never know what might happen,” he mumbled to himself, “and that’s why there’ll never be a perfect time for things.”

“What did you say?” the cab driver asked.

“N-Nothing, sir,’ Jongin quickly responded. He carefully cracked his knuckles. “Any eh… luck with the radio?”

Concentrated, the driver narrowed his eyes, before settling on one of the last broadcasting stations. “I don’t know what you young folks listen to these days, but this doesn’t sound too bombastic I guess.”

The boy nodded. “Thank you, sir.”

“Polite one, aren’t you?” the man laughed, patting Jongin on the head. “Don’t mention it. So, shall we drive, young man?” A curious frown appeared on his face as he stared at Jongin’s unusual attire. “I-I mean, young lady? Eh…” he scratched the back of his bald head, “I’m not sure wha-”

“Young man is fine. I’m a boy, just wearing a costume that’s all,” Jongin shrugged.

“Okay.”

“Sir…” The boy cracked the stiff joints in his neck. “Would you mind waiting just a little longer?”

“Of course,” the friendly man replied. “Take all the time you need.”

As a soft female voice began to sing along to the piano chords, Jongin sunk back into his seat. He took a few deep breaths and closed his eyes, attempting to block everything but the music out of his mind for the time being.

There were some crucial decisions to be made, but time was running out. He had to think fast.

I’m not even sure what I’m doing anymore, or why, the boy thought to himself. He slowly tried to retrace his actions. There were holes in his memory, and the events he did manage to recall seemed unreal. But here he was, sitting in a taxi that was about to take him far away from all the horridness behind him. He’d actually done it.

He’d broken free.

The hardest part was over. All he had to do now was give the driver the green light to head off. There was no doubt that Jinsil and Edith would take great care of him for now. They were the only ones that seemed to genuinely care for his wellbeing.

However, the feeling of guilt was still gnawing at his stomach. Everything had been arranged, but Jongin couldn’t help but feel like he was being held back by something- someone.

He buried his face in his palms as he tried to make sense of his feelings. Going back in there would be an enormous risk: surely, word must have gotten out concerning his escape. He’d probably get discovered and locked back up in no time. And even if he could make it back safely, what were the chances that he could glue back the shattered fragments of his friendship with Kyungsoo?

“You okay, chap?” the driver suddenly asked, interrupting Jongin’s wandering thoughts.

The boy turned to the man in the driver’s seat. “May I ask you something?”

“Of course.”

“I’m not sure whether I should go forward or go back,” Jongin sighed. “Leaving now would mean turning my back on someone important, and I’m not sure if I would ever be able to forgive myself for that, let alone be forgiven by him. But if I don’t move on, I might be captivated forever, physically and emotionally.” He let out another deep sigh. “I’m not sure why I’m even telling you this, and I’d probably answer myself by saying that moving forward is most important in life and all-”

“Moving forward is important, yes…” the man cut in, “…but running off isn’t the same thing. Obviously, I don’t know what your exact situation is, but I don’t think that leaving someone behind without any closure could ever be a good thing. Cause if you do…”

“…The problems will move along with me,” Jongin added.

The driver vaguely smiled, though his eyes held a hint of melancholy in them. “Exactly.”

As the two fell silent once more, Jongin attentively listened to the radio music that was still playing in the background. While his brain processed the gently layered vocals, he felt a sense of relief, despite the complicated circumstances.

Then Jongin did something he hadn’t done in a long time. Frivolous, yet of seemingly great importance.

He glanced at the digital display on the radio and read the time.

19:18.

“Thank you, sir,” he finally said to the man beside him. “You’re good at giving advice.”

“Or so I’ve heard,” the driver chuckled. “But I suppose I’ve never been much of a businessman. I reckon you won’t be my passenger tonight?”

“I’m afraid you’re correct,” Jongin smiled, “but that doesn’t mean you won’t be my driver.”

The chauffeur sceptically narrowed his eyes. “I don’t think I understand…”

Jongin fetched one of the 50.000 won bills and handed it to the man. “Perhaps you could deliver something for me.”

Several minutes later, Jongin found himself walking back to the hospital, a plain white grocery bag in his hand. It was dark outside, and people were either having a warm meal or rushing back home to have a warm meal. The rainfall seemed to be getting heavier. As Jongin steadily walked on, he tried to cover his face with the black wig he was still wearing. However, he couldn’t help but glance at the people passing by occasionally. Walking in the rain was always entertaining, since people unconsciously pulled all sorts of grimacing faces in these kinds of weather conditions. He could almost hear the citizens who hadn’t made it home yet cursing the grey clouds above their heads. Rainfall is one of the few things that can’t be stopped or influenced. Perhaps that’s why people hate it so much.

Jongin couldn’t help but smile to himself as he made his way, but the corners of his mouth soon straightened.

“Stop right there!” a shrill voice suddenly called out from right behind him. Simultaneously, a small hand landed on his shoulder, sending an electric jolt down Jongin’s spine. Who in the…

A short girl with tiny eyes peered at him. She was wearing a green coat with one of those fur-rimmed hoods, a pair of light-washed denim jeans and basic, black trainers. Jongin had no idea who she was.

“I thought that was you!” she chuckled, seemingly pleased with her own talents. “You might be all dressed up, but you can’t fool me. I never forget a face.”

Jongin quickly brushed a hand over his wig, as if he’d forgotten what he was wearing.

“I don’t want to be intrusive…” the short girl began as she shyly fidgeted with her feet, “but… are you alright? And why are you cross-dressing? What’s going on? We were kinda worried when we heard you’d been admitted into the hos-”

“I’m sorry, but do I know you?” Jongin interrupted. He really didn’t have time to be making conversation with anyone.

The girl seemed taken aback by this. She held her tongue for a moment, but finally spoke up again. “I guess it’s been a while. It’s me… Chohee.”

Jongin frowned as he tried to remember where he’d heard that name before. It took him about fifteen seconds. “Wait!” he exclaimed, “you’re one of Jinsil’s students right? The one with the extensive knowledge on palaces?”

Chohee grinned. “Yep.”

The boy felt relieved that he’d managed to recognize her, but couldn’t think of any other topic to discuss. He was about to dismiss the awkward conversation and excuse himself, but the girl seemed to think otherwise.

“I can’t believe they sold that stuff to you without any trouble,” she spoke as she pointed at the bag Jongin was carrying.

This comment made him feel flustered. “How… How do you…”

“I work at that convenience store. I just finished my shift actually.”

“Like a part-time job or something?”

“Yeah. Everyday after class,” Chohee answered. “Because of that, I don’t have as much time to study as other students. That’s why I follow Jinsil’s classes, so I can learn to study more efficiently.”

“Makes sense,” Jongin nodded. He desperately wanted to continue his journey, but for some reason it felt nice to talk to a classmate. “So… how’s it going with your mind palace?”

“Mm…” She let out a deep sigh as she inspected her palms. “Not too well I guess. I’m not that creative. Not like you.” Chohee raised her head. “But at least I’m not as bad as Dongmin.”

The two shared a laugh as they recalled their classmate’s world made out of cheese.

“You know,” the girl spoke again, “everyone in school’s been talking about you. I mean… I’d be lying if I said I haven’t been worried.” She brushed a lock of hair out of her face. “What’s going on?”

Jongin sighed as he stared at the cars passing by. “It’s raining.”

“Yeah I know…” the girl frowned,  “what’s that supposed to mean?

Jongin’s lips curved back into a smile. “Nothing. What time is it?”

“Eh…” Chohee glanced at the watch on her left wrist. “19:32.”

“Thank you.” The boy reached for the girl’s furry hood and pulled it up to cover her wet hair, causing her to blush instantly. “Make sure to carry an umbrella with you,” Jongin suddenly remarked. “Look after yourself.”

He carefully pulled his hands back and stuck them in his pockets, leaving the girl bewildered. “Goodbye, Chohee. It was nice to see you again,” he said as he turned around and continued to walk the path he’d set out for himself earlier.

“W-Wait! Wha-”

“Don’t worry about me,” Jongin exclaimed as he marched on. “I’ll be fine.”

He soon found himself in front of the hospital he’d so narrowly escaped from earlier that evening. Jongin tightened his grip around the grocery bag he was carrying as he stared up at the digital display above the minimalistic yet intimidating building in front of him.

Green letters flew by on the screen, spelling out welcome messages, news headlines and the occasional old proverb in the hope to comfort whoever was about to enter the building.

Jongin waited until the information he wanted to see appeared.

//////   TIME: 19:35 KST   //////

Satisfied, he nodded to himself and fixed his eyes on the main entrance. I should be scared, he thought to himself, yet I don’t feel anything.

The boy shook his head and started to walk. It was probably because of the adrenaline in his body. He shrugged as he reached the large revolving doors and casually spun himself to the other side.

The letters above his head continued to fly by.

//////   TIME: 19:36 KST   //////

The lady sitting behind the reception desk was deeply immersed with an old crossword puzzle. She must have been in her late thirties, her brown hair in a neat bun and her reading glasses balancing on the tip of her nose, barely covering the first signs of wrinkles under her eyes.

Jongin carefully cleared his throat as he tried to gain the woman’s attention. She didn’t seem to hear him at first – it was only when the disguised boy placed a hand on the high desk that she looked up from her newspaper.

“My, poor thing!” she immediately exclaimed as she studied the boy’s face. “You’re completely drenched!”

Jongin nervously chuckled. “Well yeah, eh…”

“It must be absolute chaos in the psych ward right now! Are you alright?”

“Y-Yeah… I’m fine…”

The woman shifted to the edge of her seat. “I heard there’s a patient missing!” she shrieked, her voice suddenly pitching from an alto to a high soprano.

The boy felt the pulsing of his heart move up into his throat. He nervously fidgeted around.

However, the receptionist appeared to be far too thrilled by the drama to notice Jongin’s suspicious behaviour.

“Everyone’s all over the place right now… man how I wish I could join in on the fun, it must be a to-”

“Do they have any clue which patient has gone missing?” Jongin interrupted.

The woman frowned. “Hmm... It’s a boy, but that’s all I know.”

Jongin nodded. “Okay, well eh… I’ll keep my eyes open.”

“Why don’t you change into something dry first, hun?” The lady smiled. “I’m sure you borrow some of the blue scrubs the nurses in the main building always wear.”

“Where…”

“Right over there.” The lady helpfully motioned to one of the aisles to her right. “The second door on the left leads to the locker rooms.”

Jongin mumbled a modest token of appreciation and continued to make his way, while the receptionist sighed and reverted her attention back to the crossword puzzle on her desk.

She remained oblivious to who she’d just been talking to, and failed to notice the subtle clinking sound coming out of the disguised nurse’s plastic bag. The clock on her desk quietly ticked on.

19:38.

Soon enough, Jongin had changed into a fresh blue-coloured uniform he had found in the locker room (he wasn’t sure whether it belonged to someone or not). He’d strategically stuffed his grocery bag in an inconspicuous canvas sack to prevent anyone from questioning its contents. His wig had been straightened and he’d covered the lower half of his face with a surgical mask. Content with his new disguise, he nodded to himself and checked the small watch on his wrist.

19:49.

They were probably searching for him. He didn’t have much time.

The boy slung the canvas bag he’d just borrowed over his shoulder and started walking straight into the most eerie ward of the entire building. Nothing about the N-ward had changed – it was still as quiet and grave as it had been last time he’d snuck in.

The closer he got to his destination, the sicker he felt. His stomach felt uneasy, like he’d eaten a weird combination of foods. Jongin hadn’t eaten much that day; perhaps it was the cocktail of determination and hesitation that was sickening.

Suddenly, the unqualified nurse wasn’t so sure about the choices he’d made earlier. Voluntarily walking back into the place he’d so narrowly made his escape from was probably the most stupid thing he could have chosen to do, yet here he was. The entire staff must have been ordered to hunt him down by now.

Jongin couldn’t help but curse his own foolishness. How could he actually believe he stood a chance against the odds? Why hadn’t he just followed the plan Jinsil and Edith had so kindly set out for him?

What was he doing here, anyway? Kyungsoo hated him more than anything or anyone in the world, and there was nothing he could ever do to fix that. He’d messed things up, big time.

Jongin’s thoughts rapidly started dividing like angry bacteria. The more he thought about it, the clearer it became that there was not one single rational argument to back up his new plan. But while he cursed himself, his pace quickened. His body had reached room N112’s doorstep before his mind had gotten the chance to stop him from doing so. His rationality seemed to have lost the battle against his deepest emotions. Jongin jerked the door to Kyungsoo’s open with an enormous force, jumped inside and banged it shut.

Highly confused, he leaned against the door and panted, allowing himself a few seconds of rest. Things were all happening so quickly, he wasn’t even sure what was happening anymore.

Not until he locked eyes with one of the many dangers his mind had been trying to warn him about.

“What the do you think you’re doing in here?!”

Jongin felt so dizzy he had a hard time staying upright. In all those years, his mother had hardly used rough language in his presence. She looked colder than ever, the wrinkles on her face even deeper than the last time he’d seen her. There was no doubt about it – Mrs. Kim was enraged.

“I… I-I…” the boy tried to come up with an excuse, but his mind went blank instantly.

“No need to shout at my staff, Mrs. Kim,” a male voice cut in. “We don’t want to disturb our patient now, do we?”

Jongin’s body felt like it had been carved out of stone, stone that was about to turn to brittle.

“Don’t you dare tell me what I can and can’t do, Riley,” Mrs. Kim hissed. “I am already this close to getting your fired. Don’t push me.” She glared at the unconscious boy in the hospital bed. “Besides, it’s not like the stupid kid is going to wake up anytime soon.”

Dr. Riley’s eyes widened, but he quickly managed to recollect himself. He shifted his attention back to Jongin, who was still frozen with fear. “Excuse me, but you can’t just barge in like this. We’re in the middle of examining Kyungsoo.”

The boy gulped. “I know, I-I’m sorry I…”

“I think we’re ing done here, Riley,” Mrs. Kim interrupted. “The boy’s a lost cause. I don’t even know why I’d bother anymore.” She angrily flung Kyungsoo’s chart into a corner.

Dr. Riley nervously straightened his tie. “I don’t mean to be rude, Mrs. Kim, but-”

“But what?!”

“Eh… I eh…” the tall man began as he picked his patient’s chart up from the floor. “I think it might be wise to perhaps eh… take a break or something?”

The stern woman took a few steps towards her co-worker and pointed a menacing finger at his face. “I think it’s time for you to shut up.”

“But… b-but your son-”

“What about him, huh?!” the woman yelled. “All that boy does is cause me a ing headache. I don’t have time to deal with his stupid antics. It’s not my job to trace Jongin down, is it?”

The tall doctor frantically shook his head. “N-No ma’am.”

“Exactly. Whose job is that?”

Jongin felt his lip quiver as he watched his intimidating mother in action.

Dr. Riley seemed equally as afraid. “That’s… my job,” he muttered in defeat.

“Exactly.” Mrs. Kim finally stepped back from the man, fetched her briefcase and made her way towards the door.

Jongin barely managed to leap out of her way in time. His mother gave him a long, scrutinizing glare. She inspected his face a bit too long for his liking, but finally snapped out of it and pushed the door open.

“Tell someone to wash that boy,” she yelled as she strutted off. “Sleeping all day is no excuse for being filthy.”

Both Dr. Riley and the boy let out a collective sigh of relief as soon as Mrs. Kim was out of earshot. Normally, Jongin would have been upset over his mother’s incapability to recognize her own son, but this time around his mother’s parental negligence felt like a blessing rather than a curse.

Dr. Riley cleared his throat before taking his leave as well. “Wash him up.”

With two of his greatest adversaries out of the room, Jongin could finally permit himself to glance at the motionless boy lying in the bed. One glimpse was enough to tear down the façade Jongin had been hiding himself behind. The mere sight of Kyungsoo was enough to weaken Jongin’s knees and bring him to the ground.

On the surface, Kyungsoo looked the same. His hair was black as ink, his skin pale as chalk. His lips were slightly parted; his chest steadily rose and fell as he breathed in the air of the spiritless room. Kyungsoo looked the same, but Jongin knew better.

He could hardly bear to look at him. Kyungsoo’s complexion looked even more translucent than it had last time, and his lips were slightly chapped. The frown on his face was so subtle it might even have been invisible, but Jongin could see it clearly. Kyungsoo’s soul was wandering around, and in great distress. And all of this was his fault.

The tears that had welled up in his eyes blurred his vision. Jongin stumbled around as he approached the patient. He collided with the bed, nearly toppling over. As well as he could, he wrapped an arms around the short boy, hugging him tightly to his chest. He used his other arm to scoop Kyungsoo’s body up, lifting him off the mattress and carrying him towards the door next to his bed, leading to an en-suite bathroom. Jongin’s body had weakened considerably – luckily, Kyungsoo was such a featherweight that transporting him was a challenge, but possible.

A bit too roughly for his liking, he placed Kyungsoo in the empty bathtub.

Judging by his lack of response, Kyungsoo didn’t seem to notice.

Jongin felt stupid and helpless, but he couldn’t stop crying. The surgical mask was damp with his tears. Annoyed, he ripped it off and dropped it on the floor. While he continued to sob he pulled the uncomfortable wig off as well. While Kyungsoo remained unconscious and sat in the bathtub, Jongin locked the bathroom door, kicked off his shoes, and climbed in the tub as well. His long legs clumsily tangled with Kyungsoo’s, who was now sitting opposite of him, his eyes still closed.

Overcome with frustration, fatigue and fear, Jongin glanced at the watch on his wrist one last time.

20:00.

“It’s eight o’clock, hyung,” he commented as he undid the clockwork and threw it on the bathroom floor, shattering its intricate mechanism to pieces. “And now, time will stop.”

Kyungsoo remained still.

Jongin wiped his tears as he reached over to the canvas bag. “I know it’s unfair of me to… you know, literally drag you into this mess without discussing this with you first. But I’m pretty sure that you’d scold the crap out of me if you were awake right now.” The boy carefully pulled the white grocery bag out of the sack. “Anyway, if you had been conscious, I wouldn’t even have considered this stupid idea in the first place.”

Kyungsoo didn’t utter a word. He didn’t even bother to look at Jongin. Then again, he didn’t have much of a choice considering his state.

Jongin wiped his runny nose on the shirt of his uniform, before taking the contents out of the grocery bag and placing them on the edge of the bathtub.

Two litres of transparent liquid and a small white box.

The boy hesitated as he studied the items he’d purchased at the convenience store earlier. Questioning his plan wasn’t even necessary anymore. It was idiotic to say the least. Yet he had no choice but to carry it out. With trembling hands, he unscrewed the cap of the first bottle and placed it to his lips.

I’m not sure if I want to protect myself.

The first sip was hell.

“Whoa, shouldn’t we stop here?”

“The choice is yours.”

The second sip didn’t taste any better.

Jongin grimaced as he barely managed to swallow the strong vodka. Kyungsoo remained still.

“I can almost hear you laughing at me, hyung,” Jongin said to him. “I’m not doing this by choice, okay?” The boy sighed as he took three more sips from the bottle. He studied its contents and felt a wave of disappointment as he realized how much was still left. “ it. It’s you who I’m doing this for.” With his eyes fixed on Kyungsoo, he brought the bottle of vodka to his lips again, chugging as much of it down in one go as possible.

“You know I prefer rain to sun, but that doesn’t matter. I just want to fulfil your wish. I’ll bring you sunlight. I promise.”

Jongin had no clue how much time it had taken him, but eventually he’d managed to down the entire first bottle. His stomach felt like it had been set ablaze, and the entire room was spinning. But it wasn’t enough.

“Hyungg…” he slurred, “I’m almost… there.”

It might have been the pounding of his intoxicated head, but Jongin suddenly picked up on the sound of commotion coming from the hallway. Several panicked voices were shouting at the same time. At this point, Jongin was too drunk to make sense of it. He first considered the possibility that all the other coma patients had woken up together and were screaming out of joy. Amused, he reached over for the second bottle and opened it. Right as he was about to take a sip, he realized that the screams weren’t coming from patients. The employees were shouting for him.

“Dammit!” he hissed as he started to panic. Apparently he had even less time than he thought he would.

The boy immediately started crying again. The voices were getting to him, trying to stop him from doing what he had to do.

Without thinking, Jongin reached over to the steel knob above his head and turned the showerhead on. The sound of the water gushing into the bathtub drowned the voices out, just like Jongin wanted. He grinned. “Hyung! Do you feel that? It’s raining!” he cheered.

Kyungsoo remained still.

Jongin continued drinking in a sloppy fashion. The burning vodka spilt down the corners of his mouth as he tried to devour as much of it as possible, as quickly as he could. A dark vignette slowly narrowed his vision, indicating that he was almost there, where he needed to be.

Feeling woozy, he reached for the small box by his side. It took him a while to open it.

“Kyungsoo,” he muttered while he tried to get rid of the tape, “I want you to know I’m sorry. I’m sorry for all the harm I’ve caused you. And I’m sorry for, you know… operating behind your back and stuff. But I told you I’d give everything I have to find you. Everything. And that’s what I’m doing.”

Jongin gradually lost control over his neck. His head moved around in all directions, yet his mind seemed relatively clear.

“One minute you’re in place A, and then the next, you’re in place B, you know? But it doesn’t really matter.” He ineptly withdrew one of the strips from the box and started popping the sleeping pills in his hand, one by one.

“I’ve ing given up on trying to wake you up. It seems like the world we’re currently in won’t allow us to be together in it. It’s either you or me, and it shouldn’t be like that.” Jongin dropped the collection of pills into his mouth. “Like you said, we’re not alone in this. We’re going to fall together, like I promised.” The boy opened his mouth up, filling it with water coming from the showerhead. He nearly choked as he swallowed the pills down at once. He felt like he was about to throw up, but he really couldn’t afford to.

“,” he cursed as he closed his eyes. He was blacking out, and it was terrifying how difficult it was to open his eyes back up. But he had to.

Jongin carefully tried to stand upright. Miraculously enough he managed to do so, and succeeded in getting out of the bathtub. But the world was still spinning, desperate to knock him out of consciousness. The bathroom tiles were more slippery than he thought, and Jongin lost balance. His head collided with the floor, wounding the side of his head. He groaned as he witnessed a red stream of blood flowing through the grouts.

With all the power he had left, he managed to get back up. He stumbled over to the bathtub, swallowed a few more painkillers with a sip of liquor, and awkwardly pulled Kyungsoo out of the bathtub. The unconscious body felt much heavier than it had before, and Jongin nearly caved in under its weight.

As safely as he could manage, he dropped Kyungsoo back onto the bed, before climbing in next to him. The bleeding hadn’t stopped, slowly dying the pillow beneath their heads a menacing shade of scarlet red.

“It’s… happening…” Jongin mumbled. His vision of Kyungsoo continued to blur, before vanishing completely. His eyes fell closed as the bed continued to spin around. “We’re… falling… do you feel it?”

He helplessly gripped onto Kyungsoo’s wet pyjama shirt, and pulled himself closer to the warmth of his hyung’s body.

“We’re falling… like raindrops,” Jongin whispered against Kyungsoo’s forehead.

“If love exists… this is it.”

Jongin wanted to say more, but his lips wouldn’t move anymore. The toxins he’d consumed were taking their toll on his body. Maybe things were okay like this. He was leaving the world behind and there was nothing more he could do, apart from hoping he’d reach the place he’d been yearning for.

Soon enough, Jongin’s pulse lowered, slowing down until the beating of his heart was fully in synch with Kyungsoo’s. His muscles relaxed as he wandered off, yet his grip on Kyungsoo’s shirt never weakened.

And slowly but steadily, Kyungsoo reached out a hand as well, grabbing the top of Jongin’s stolen uniform just as tightly.

Someplace far away, Jongin unexplainably managed to hear a woman with a husky voice formulate a wish.

“I know you can’t answer me in this state… but I hope your skies are calm now, Jongin.”

A/N:

First of all, the biggest apology ever for taking so long - again.. I intended to post Part I and II with only a few days apart, but I got flooded with coursework so it took me way longer to get this done OTL

That being said........... I wonder if anyone saw this coming??

I personally find endings the most difficult part to write. I've been planning these events from the start, but I can understand how this chapter might not provide full closure and be a bit confusing.

But no worries!!!!

This might be the last 'official' chapter, but I'm preparing one more epilogue chapter that'll cover the aftermath of Jongin's rash decisions. Please look forward to it! I'm going to give it my all and make sure it doesn't take me another month or so.

Feel free to share your thoughts! A million thank yous to all of you, as usual ^^ 

♥ pominizz ♥

ps. happy valentine's day lol