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** TRIGGER WARNING **

this chapter mention suicide attempt.

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vi. The Sad Funeral

Everything looked dark orange. The afternoon sun almost set in the western horizon. The sky was orange. The sea foam in the calm ocean reflecting the color orange. The city building looked orange. The fine sand was orange. The white cumulus biased in reddish-yellow, orange.

Sunggyu's heart also dark orange. Glum.

People stood in silent in the burial ground, in the foreshore. Xue Fu cried. Heechul handed her a handkerchief. Embraced her. Woohyun's coffin was slowly lowered into the red grave. Between the muffled sobs. Without words. Then bit by bit backfilled with the origin of life, soil.

The city police and physician conducted examination all day long. Their conclusion was Woohyun died on his own will. No one could be blamed. Heechul's father decided to bury Woohyun that evening, on the same day. No need to wait for his family to come. After all, nobody was sure his family would come to take his corpse.

Not many people attended the obsequies. Not many townspeople knew that young man, furthermore the news about his incident had not spread throughout the city yet. Quiet. As the sun sunk deeper in the skyline, the crowd dispersed one by one. Heechul was the last to leave, reached for Sunggyu's arm. Hugging. Whispering, saying his sorry.

Sunggyu nodded weakly.

Xue Fu who stood behind his husband muttered in worry. She knew for sure, no later than tomorrow afternoon, a troop of Bedouin bounty hunters would arrive in their city. Asking for Woohyun. A troop of horsemen that famous with their horrible, cruel acts must had followed since Woohyun ran away from his home a few days ago. And it would be very hard to explain to them that Woohyun had choose to die. Though it might solve the problem by itself without the need to involve the death of another person.

The night was getting late.

Only Sunggyu was left, not moving a muscle, staring at the tomb. The seagulls screech from afar welcoming the night, returning to their nest. The wind gusted stronger, bringing cold air. Sunggyu drooped, his heart was colder by the pain, he sighed deeply, cried out loud in the middle of the silent cemetery. His life had no purpose any longer! Better if he ended everything… Went after him!

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As in the case of this morning in the park, thousands of dragonflies suddenly filled the cemetery. Colorful. Flew in magnificent formations. And like his leaving this morning in the park, that old man once again appeared out of nowhere. How he did it, no one knew.

Just like that. And he already stood in the orange burial ground in the foreshore. Stood beside the slumped Sunggyu. Stood relaxedly with both of his hands inside his mantel pockets, stared at the sun that would completely disappear in the horizon in a minute.

"Sadly, you won't have the courage to do it, Sunggyu!" The old man spoke slowly.

Sunggyu raised his head, turning. That stranger again!

"Don't bother me!" Sunggyu  grimaced, boldly. He didn't want his solitariness with Woohyun's tomb disturbed.

The old man mumbled low, his lips formed a thin smile. Alright! Yielding, closed his half opened mouth. Moved his feet, stepped back. Sat in one of the big stones that scattered around the ce