[g / agent/intellegence!au / tragedy]

Kyungsoo looked down coldly at the name etched on the plain stone plaque: Park Chanyeol. The humming of cicade’s song echoed poignantly in the small cemetery, like a humble chant trying to calm the bleeding heart. Remembering the other’s last words, Kyungsoo laughed bitterly. How cruel of him to say that.

“I’ve… I’ve always loved you…” Kyungsoo could only hear his last gasping breaths and the chopped white noise, “Kyung…soo…” He didn't even get to see him one last time.

Let time rewind.

“You can’t go! You know it’s a trap!” Kyungsoo screamed into his phone, not caring anymore about his composure, “If you go there is only… you’ll only…”

He never thought there would be one day when he’d get emotional about a mission. Since entering the business eight years ago, Kyungoso had seen too many sacrifices, all in the name of ‘justice’. As agents, they had already signed their life away the moment they signed the contract with the Institution. He knew what Chanyeol had chosen is not by his choice; their lives were never of their choice.

“… Thanks, Kyungsoo. Wish me luck!” Closing his eyes in anguish, Kyungsoo could just imagine the foolish grin on Chanyeol’s face right now, even though there were only false calm and fake smile in the other’s voice. How should one face their own untimely and inescapable demise?

“Don’t smile, Park Chanyeol…” Kyungsoo replied angrily but quietly in a whisper, “I know there’s an ugly smile on your face right now. Don’t smile at a time like this…”

“Heh…” Chanyeol chuckled bitterly on the end. Even without looking at his own reflection, Chanyeol too knew how distorted his smile looked. “Kyungsoo, I-“

“Don’t.” Kyungsoo interrupted sharply, then his voice softened with melancholy, “… Good luck.”

“Mm.”

The call was cut and blankly, Kyungsoo stared at the phone in his hand; regret slowly ate away at his conscious. He wished he had said ‘don’t go’ instead of ‘good luck’.

Let time rewind.

“Kyungsoo!” Chanyeol called loudly from the other side of the hall and jogged towards his partner dressed from head to toe in black, “Kyungsoo, good I get to see you before I go.” He flashed Kyungsoo a bright smile, glaringly contrasting his partner’s stoic expression.

“We are on the same mission.”

“It’s not the same. I’ll be in Alchida for the next god knows how many months or maybe years! And my contact with you will be limited too. So I want to see you before you go.”

Kyungsoo frowned slightly at the name of the largest drug trafficking organization in South Korea. Being one of the top ranking agents, it made sense for the Institution to send Chanyeol for this mission. However, Kyungsoo could not help but worry a little; Alchida was no small case. Even though he will be acting as Chanyeol’s intelligence support, this mission required 100% infiltration and their contacts will be extremely limited. If the mission fails, then Kyungsoo can’t even help Chanyeol; he will simply become another sacrifice of the Institution and the government.

“Mm… well, be careful out there.” Kyungsoo commented lightly and looked down at the floor. Chanyeol’s smile widened at his partner’s shyness; Kyungsoo was always like this, so uncomfortable with showing his true emotions. But Chanyeol knew the other truly and deeply cared for him. He could feel it. He could always feel it.

Unable to hold back the happiness he felt, Chanyeol enveloped Kyungsoo into a tight hug. “Thanks, I will.” he mumbled into the other’s hair, but before he could enjoy the faint orange smell of Kyungsoo’s shampoo for another second longer, the shorter male punched him in the stomach hard.

Watching Chanyeol fake fall to the ground while letting out an exaggerated groan of pain, Kyungsoo rolled his eyes.

“Get up, idiot.” Kyungsoo looked down coldly at the man wiggling shameless on the ground. Nevertheless, he reached out a hand. Noticing Kyungsoo’s hand, Chanyeol ended his act and grinned foolishly at his friend as he held on to the outreached hand.

“Kyungsoo, kyungsoo! Let’s go get takoyaki, your treat!”

“…”

“Come on, it’ll be my farewell gift.”

Kyungsoo resigned with a deep sigh. Unconsciously, a faint smile crawled on his face as Chanyeol chattered next to him. ‘Might as well,’ he thought, ‘who knew how long it’ll be until I see him next.’

Let time rewind, please.

“I don’t understand why an idiot like you thinks it’s okay to fight so recklessly just for ranking!” Kyungsoo growled as he violently wrapped the bandage around Chanyeol’s arm, covering the bloody wound.

“Ow, ow, ow, ow!!” The injured youth howled. His face scrunched up in pain but he made no complain about his friend’s rough manner of wound dressing. Seeing genuine pain on the other’s face, Kyungsoo suppressed his anger and his actions became gentler.

“Because I want to partner up with you…” Chanyeol mumbled a small while later, sounding like a sad puppy that was just scolded, “You’re the top in the intelligence department… I can only be your partner if I’m ranked in top 5 of all the agents this year…”

Kyungsoo looked up slightly surprised and he was greeted with the same idiotic grin on Chanyeol’s bruised face. Feeling both angry and slightly happy, Kyungsoo ruthlessly flicked the injured youth’s forehead, extracting another painful howl from the other. Slightly tearful, Chanyeol watched Kyungsoo with puppy eyes and finally, the latter giggled at the injured youth’s expression.

“You’re such an idiot…”

Please, let time rewind.

“Kyungsoo, you are already an official intelligence right?” Chanyeol asked in between pants as he punched the sandbag repeatedly.

“Yeah,” Kyungsoo replied curtly from the ground, eyes focused on the screen in his lap.  

Chanyeol stopped his training and watched the skinny boy in the gym with him.

“I’ll train hard as an agent and then we will be partners.” Chanyeol promised with determination in his voice, “I will become your only partner!”

Kyungsoo looked up from the screen and was greeted with the serious face of the other youth. Suddenly, his heart skipped a beat and numbly, he nodded.

“Mmm… I’ll wait for you.”

Let time rewind…

“Hello, my name is Park Chanyeol. You are?” A tall boy of fifteen extended his hand with a bright smile.

“Doh Kyungsoo.” A petite boy of thirteen grabbed on to the hand in front of him, his eyes opened wide as if surprised.

“Nice to meet you, Kyungsoo. Welcome to the Institution, let’s be friends!” Tightly, the tall boy squeezed their joint hand.

“Mmm.” The younger boy nodded and smiled shyly.

Let time rewind… to the beginning.

---

Poignantly, the cicada still sang its song and the humid breeze picked up the tune, carrying it beyond the thickets of trees surrounding the small cemetery. In front of a plain stone plaque, a slender man dressed in all black wept silently.

Let time rewind, back to those times when you were still around.