Silence was a friend.

It was embraced.

Almost idolized as a deity by the people who so depended upon in.

It was calm, never intrusive and never out of place.

But silence had its flaw, the pending anxiety of not ever knowing when it would end.

 

Not until the Cardinals drummed their warning bells.

⋐⋓⋑

Silence took to the forest, the occasional chirp of a bird and snap of a branch disturbing it so.

The sun was starting its decent, a pale gray washing over the sky as it had rained just that morning.

Two young boys were in the outskirts of their village, clad in their dark cloaks and ragged cloths. They carried musty wicker baskets, filling them with the little herbs they could find in the forest.

“How much do you have?” Asked the older of the two.

“Not as much as mother wants… All the plants are dying I cannot help what I do not get.” Replied the younger.

“I know.. Just do your best. I am sure mother will understand.” The older tried for comfort but could only offer a small sympathetic smile.

The two went back to foraging the herbs they could find on the forest’s floor; bent over and sore from being out for almost half the day. The youngest had at least quarter of a basket full of the equivalent of lavender. The older with a basket half full of the equivalent of wild mushrooms, their mother was making them stock up early.

In the distance was a horrifying sound. It was the three knocks of the warning bell in each interval.

Both boys froze, trying to listen and double checking that they heard correctly. They stood up straight and both turned their heads to face the direction of their village.

Neither male bore a happy expression.

“No…” Whispered the oldest.

“There must be a mistake.” Whispered the youngest.

But the ringing kept on, a slight panic rising and the sound of women shrieking for their children to come home.

“’Tis a week early!” Exclaimed the oldest.

The two wasted not a second later and dashed through the forest toward home. The giant wooden pillared walls of village gate sat just outside the forest line, its large doors winding close as fast as it humanly could. A beat later and both boys surely would have been locked out.

The sky was rapidly getting darker and darker, a sickening fog making its way in between the several wooden hut like homes that paraded the village.

The two boys breathed heavily as they ran past families hurrying to get their children to safety, hiding their goats and chickens in their coups and shutting the shutters to their windows.

Their house was not too far, in fact, it was one of the closer ones to the village center. Once they came into view with their house, they found their mother trying to shove their cow and chickens into the garden.

“Mother, we are here!” Said the oldest.

“Boys!” Their mother stood up straight, her husky voice and tall stature resembling that of a man’s. Her voice fell very short of pleased to see her children. “Where have you been?!”

The younger of the two brothers was still catching up to the older sibling, running around the corner of the other houses. Just as the boy stepped into the gated area of his yard he rolled his ankle and tumbled to the ground. The basket flew out from under him, the lavender spreading throughout the grass.

“Imbecile! You complete and utter imbecile!” The woman screamed as she stormed out to her youngest son. She was a busty woman, strong and hardy, intimidating in almost all ways. “Get up!” She grabbed the back collar of the boy’s neck and lifted him in one fell swoop. “Pick it up! Or so help me I will keep you out here as sacrifice.”

The boy stared at his mother, his face paling and Adam’s apple bobbing as he swallowed.

“Heavens sake you look as pathetic as you always have.” She dropped the boy to his feet and shoved him a bit as she started to walk away. The older brother stood there watching with a tense face, not knowing what in the slightest to do. “Finish putting the animals away when you are done. Merek! Come and help me with the offerings.” She gave her orders and sauntered into the darkly lit house.

The older brother faltered for a moment, not knowing if he should immediately do as his mother said or not. But he gave in and offered a sympathetic look to his brother before going inside.

The younger brother looked down and started to gather the lavender without a seconds guess, his nose scrunching up in distaste. The sky was growing darker and darker by the minute, he needed to hurry if he wanted to live for a little while longer.

 

 

“Is this all that you got? I don’t believe this. This is pathetic, this is worthless! I might as well as give you than this piece of crap!” Their mother yelled at the youngest.

“Mother—”

“Merek, quiet. Dêo needs to learn his lesson or else he will never change—”

“Mother, here I—” The youngest, Dêo, tried to speak but was cut short when his face met the stinging back hand of his mother’s.

“How dare you interrupt me?” His mother seethed through her teeth. “You never learn! Why was I cursed with such a blasphemous, and lowlife son?! Oh, I must have done something in my past life to make the Heavens hate me so. Get outside!” She screamed to the youngest. “Bring in a pale of water!”

Dêo said nothing else and complied immediately. His eyes were red with silent tears and cheeks stained with the coolness of them.

“Are you okay?” Merek approached his brother, holding a pale for water, too.

“I am fine.” Dêo sniffed.

“Do not take it too much to heart…” The older whispered, reaching a hand out to ruffle the black locks of curls.

“I do not get it Mere… Why does she hate me so? I cannot help what I do… I am…” Dêo in a sharp breath of air, trying to overcome the anxiety building in his stomach.

“She is… She is just.. Trying to—”

“’To protect me’? Do not start those lies with me again. You know very well she wants me dead.” Dêo muttered as he pulled on the rope for the bucket to raise from the well, a small crinkle of his nsoe rising up.

“I do not think she wants you dead.. I think she just wishes you were not around..” Merek whispered as he helped his small brother reel in the bucket.

Dêo could only sigh, he knew it was true and there was no denying that.

 

 

“This has to be the worst offering we have ever given.” Their mother said in a horrified tone. “I cannot believe this.”

“It is a week early—” Dêo tried to speak out.

“No! This is all your fault! If you just gathered the right amount we would be fine. But you had to go ahead and fall and lose half of the stash that you gathered, on top of it being a horrible pile!”

“Mother! It is okay, calm down.” Merek raised his voice just a bit, careful not to test her patience. “They are a week early so they must have to understand our situation. We did not have time to prepare enough.”

The boys’ mother paused. She stood up straight and wiped off the dirt from her apron. She tucked the loose hairs of bun back behind her ears and sniffed. “You are right. They will understand. They have to.”

Dêo bit his lip and looked at his older brother, his throat tensing with oncoming tears.

Outside had turned completely dark, fog almost sickly green to the hue and the sky hinted in stains of red. It was quiet outside, only families muttering hurriedly to one another about placing the offerings in the fronts of their doors.

“Quickly, to the left. To the left!” Their mother nearly shouted at Dêo.

Just as she was about to raise a foot to kick her youngest son into the dirt, she looked up and saw the houses of her neighbors. All candles had been blown out, all windows and doors, that could, were shut tight and locked twice. But at the base of each backdoor she saw, was a basket full of offerings. Her eyes widened and mouth agape.

“What day is it?” She breathed out.

“Fortnight of the second harvest month, mother.” Merek said a little worried by her expression.

“Oh great Celestial… We… We don’t have enough.. We don’t have enough!” She scurried back inside and started to rummage through the kitchen and cupboards.

“What is wrong?!” Merek asked as he left Dêo to finish organizing the food on the front step.

“Any night that the Harvest falls on a fortnight means double the offering. All doors must be full of offerings!”

Merek’s face fell, he had almost forgotten about that rule.

“We will have to sacrifice the chickens…”

“But mother that is our only stock for the cold seasons!” Merek tried to reason.

“Dêo!” His mother yelled out for him, making him quickly get up and lock the front door.

“Yes?”

“Get the last three chickens we have in the back and cut their heads off. They will be the offering for the back door. Collect all the vegetables you can from the garden and do not. I repeat, do not. Mess up.” Her face was cross, teetering with red and anger.

Dêo ran out the back door and immediately got to work, running around and chasing the chickens he accidentally let loose. 

Just as he grabbed his first chicken, the back door slammed shut. Dêo looked up to find his mother blowing out all the candles in the windows. His heart dropped upon the sight.

“Whatcha doin’ boy?” Asked a man from behind Dêo.

Dêo jumped, nearly dropping the clucking chicken from his hands. “Wh-Who goes there?!” The fog was not thick at the moment, but the person was dark.

“It’s just me. Good ole Jinnian.” The man said with a hint of malice in his words.

“No… No, no, no, no!” Dêo let the chicken in his arms go and stumbled backwards.

“Oh there’s no point in that boy, you might as well give in.” Jinnian smirked.

Just as Dêo went to turn and run away several little pinches started at his ankles and climbed its way across his body. “No!” He screamed as he fell back, tiny little gremlin like creatures had engulfed his body. They pinned him down and tied his hands in rope. “Please! Have mercy! I do not wish to die!” Dêo screamed as he was thrashed around the dirt.

“Oh my dear boy. Now is that really the case?” The man questioned in his honeyed voice. Dêo froze as all the little gremlin like creatures got off and sat him up straight. “I’ve been watching you for a long time now, Dêo son of Dêarik … And I would think it is safe to say that you do not exactly have a fulfilling life.” Dêo stared at the man, his eyes wide in horror that at the fact the man had such knowledge of his father.

The gremlin like creatures stood Dêo up. “How do.. How do you know my father?”

“I know that in all your twenty years of life that nothing good ever came of your father’s death. I’ve watched you for twenty years now Dêo. I’ve seen the destitute life you live with your mother. Those bruises, those scars, that fresh one on your cheek. All from a life’s long work of nothing. All from a mother who never wanted you.” The man smirked.

“You are wrong!” Dêo tried speaking up.

“Am I though? You know just as well as I do that she blames you for her husband’s death. The way she treats Merek as if he was a saint next to the satanous shadow of you… Oh, it is a pity. And you do see what I know. You’re the flop, the mistake, the klutz, the one everyone nearly despises in all the village. With some help from that wonderful mother of yours.”

The words were like poison running through Dêo’s veins. They were nothing but the true, but it hurt to face it head on.

“I think you know your place now. The only good you can do your village now, is by willingly give yourself as sacrifice.” Jinnian’s words were honeyed over, trying to charm the boy into his demise.

Dêo stayed silent, thinking over his decisions. He watched as the little gremlin like creatures grasped onto his pant legs, waiting with devious smirks upon their faces.

He looked up to the man who was leaning against the fence, but found his face serious in a frown.

“You are early.” The man backed up, looking at something past Dêo’s face.

Dêo felt it, the evil that resonated from the creature just behind him. When he turned we was met with a talk and grotesque thing, wide and dark in all its features. It was ogre and beastly like, breathing heavy like a pig for food. It was holding out a noxious hand toward Dêo, making the boy stumble back in terror.

“You see Dêo, your sacrifice is inevitable… You might as well just go willingly. You know your mother doesn’t want you, and the village would be so much better off without you, as well...”

Before Dêo could open his mouth, two hands pressed down on his shoulders as a warm and vile breath blew into his ears. “Do it.” Jinnian whispered in Dêo’s ear.

Dêo shied away from the rank breath, inching his shoulder away as he stared at the monster just on the other side of the fence.

He knew his decision, he knew what he had to do.

What good came from him anyways? Unwanted by family and unwanted by the community. It was time he played his part and showed at least a little worth.

Dêo looked to the dark windows of his home, knowing his mother was somewhere watching from them. He did not know where Merek was; hoping his older brother would be there to offer comfort, but he was missing. Probably standing next to his mother, waiting for the decision to be made.

Dêo slunk his shoulders in defeat. Maybe Merek did not even want him to be his brother… All these possibilities and there was only one answer to them all.

Dêo took in a strong breath, puffing out his chest. “I. Dêo son of Dêarik, hereby offer my body and soul as sacrifice to the Wraiths. In return, they will not harm the village, or its people and livelihood until the day of next Harvest. Heavens have mercy on my soul—” Dêo started to recite the sacrificial words for his departure, but a scream came from the windows.

Merek was visible in the window, screaming for Dêo to not go. Just as he was about to run for the door, his mother wrapped a strong hand around his mouth and pulled him back into the darkness of the house.

Dêo and Jinnian both looked at the creature, it was twitching and getting angrier by the second. Low growls started to emit from its mouth as it brought its arms down. Both Jinnian and Dêo stepped back, afraid the beast would let loose. The creature let out one final scream and broke through the measly fence, ready to charge for Dêo.

Dêo ran for his life, all the gremlins had scattered as soon as the beast started growling leaving Jinnian behind.

As he ran, he knew he was being closely followed through the village circle. Running in and out of the alleyways between the wooden store buildings. He knew the creature was chasing him with the way it would crash through fences and posts, he just didn’t know how far behind it was. Dêo could hear the grunts and low stupid voice of the Wraith, breathing heavy as it ran.

Dêo ran into the center of town, looking left and right for his next escape route, knowing that the Wraith was just behind him. An idea suddenly popped into his head, and it had the possibility of ending his life. As soon as the creature rounded the corner, Dêo sprinted to an ally just behind the blacksmith’s wooden building. He ran all the way around, knowing the Wraith was just a hairs length away from him.

As soon as Dêo passed the corner to run in front of the shop again he stopped when a loud thud reverberated in metal. Dêo hid behind the corner of the building, waiting for any sound of movement. After a moment of waiting, Dêo poked a head around the corner to find the Wraith face first in the ground. The large cast-iron sign above was swinging violently back and forth. Dêo knew that the large sign was just the right height for the Wraith’s head to meet with.

Dêo did not dwindle longer than needed, he rushed through the town not knowing what was going to happen then. A pit opened in the bottom of his stomach, leaving room for his anxiety and nerves to fill. He found it weird how only one wraith was out, not the usual several that went door to door. It raised a suspicion in Dêo that made it seem as if this night was meant to happen, how could only one wraith be sent unless they wanted a human sacrifice?  

Before Dêo knew it he was headed back towards his home on impulse. It was the last place he needed to go, but he was in trouble and his natural response was to try and find solitude at home. But he knew he would only end up in more trouble if anyone found him there. He needed to leave, he needed to leave the village.

Instead of stopping by his home he ran past it and all the other houses until he found himself at the edge of the village. It was the swap line, where the fence for the village was never put up—the ground was too loose for it to be built. The fog and disturbingly green hue of it made him second guess himself. His hands were still bound but he couldn’t run back to the village, there would be no time. It was at least a mile to and fro from the swamp to the village. He stood there and scrunched his nose as he thought about what to do.

Dêo stepped forward, almost certain that his final decision was to run into the muddy swamp. However, his body stopped, the decision still was not final. He paced back and forth trying to figure out what the right thing to do was. He was scared beyond belief and wanted to run from his fate as soon as possible, but he knew there was no running out of it. He would get caught and would be in a trouble no one had ever dared be in.

Just as Dêo went to pace around again a voice took him off guard:

“Whatcha doin’ kid?” The voice asked as it munched on the crunchiest of substances.

Dêo whipped his head around trying to find where the voice was coming from. To his left was a man sitting at a picnic table. It was wooden with benches and everything, the only thing was that Dêo never recalled ever seeing one there.

“Wh-Who are y.. What do you want?!” Dêo stepped back, ready to run if it was another one of Jinnian’s goons.

“Ah, don’t worry don’t worry. I won’t hurt you.” The man had put a golden flake into his mouth from an overly bright bag, Dêo nearly mistook the bag for a small sun.

“Then… Then what do you want?” Dêo relaxed his shoulders a bit and kept a keen eye on his surroundings.

“The question is boy, what do you want?”

Before Dêo had a chance to respond he was back in his back garden, hands still bound and the man still eating at the table he was seated in.

“What…?!” Dêo frantically looked around, trying to look for the source of the sudden transportation. “How did you do that?!” Dêo asked terribly intrigued, yet frightened.

“That’s not the point right now kid. Ask the right questions.” The man popped another golden flake in his mouth and chewed it in content.

“What is your name?” Dêo asked finally after a moment of silence.

“I am Don, Master of the Revels.”

Dêo gasped, “Oh my heavens.” He nearly jumped and tried his best at a bow.

“Whoa kid, calm down.” Don chuckled as he watched Dêo bow. “I’m not a deity or anything, you don’t have to greet me so formally.”

“But you are highly revered by our people, sir. We are graced if ever in your presence.”

“Yeah and that’s hardly, if ever.” He mumbled under his breath. “Anyways, you seem to be in a pickle.”

“I-I am sorry? I do not understand?” Dêo leaned in with a shake of his head, brows furrowed at the odd expression.

“Means you’re in trouble. And Jinnian isn’t being so nice. I’ll have to talk to him.” Don looked past Dêo for a moment, holding a golden flake out before eating it.

Dêo looked behind himself, finding his mother and younger brother watching from the window. But also on the back door porch was Jinnian, dressed head to toe in his black attire. Dêo jumped and stepped away from him.

“So kid.” Don called out. Dêo turned to him apprehensive with what was going on. “What’s your name?”

“D-Dêo, son of Dêarik…”

“And why do you think you’re being sacrificed right now?”

“I-I do not know.. I just thought the Celestials hated me.. No one else seems to like me so why should they? No one in the village would have saved me, they would rather I end my life for them…” Dêo looked down, not particularly fond of the whole situation.

“That’s okay. I like you. You’re cute.” Don smiled as he stuffed another golden piece into his mouth, crunching it with an especially happy smile. There was something so delectable about what he was eating, Dêo just wanted to have a bite of his own.

Dêo stared at him with wide eyes. It was an odd thing for a stranger to say. No one ever dared to compliment him besides his brother.

“Don’t listen to him little Dêo, he’s feeding you lies.” Jinnian seethed maliciously through his teeth. There was nothing nice coming from his mouth.

Dêo froze at the sound of his voice, but certainly not being swayed by his argument.

“Come on Dêo, you’ll be doing good for your people this way. What means the life of one when you save the lives of many?” He tried to sound charming, something inviting for the boy to fall into.

“All lives matter.” Don said simply.

This earned a scowl from Jinnian.

Dêo turned around to Don, liking what had to offer and wishing he could get closer to him.

“Dêo. How would you like it if gave you a new life?” Don asked before Jinnian could step any closer to Dêo.

“Wh-What?”

“A new life, one where you won’t be treated like .”

“I-I—”

Jinnian snickered, “Don’t listen to him! He’s telling you lies!”

“Shut it Jin. Dêo, how would you like that? To leave this place forever and never have to live through these harsh conditions again?” His voice was soft and so utterly kind. He had even taken the moment to put his food down and smile at the boy.

Dêo felt warmed by his, he was seeking the comfort that radiated from the man.

“I-I.. I would like that. A lot.” Dêo said kind of absent mindedly.

“Perfect!” Don exclaimed as he clapped two hands together. He stood up and started to make his way over with the bright bag in his hands.

Jinnian scowled. “Come on Dêo, you wouldn't want to disappoint your family now would you?” Jinnian was desperate, a little more anxious to get what he wanted from Dêo as he tried stepping toward the boy.

“I said shut up, Jin.” Don shot back with a glare as he walked toward Dêo.

“But your family! And friends! You'll never see them again!” Jinnian nearly yelled as Don placed an inviting arm over Dêo's shoulder.

“I have no friends.. And.. What would make the difference? I would not see them if I went with you either.” Dêo had a solemn look upon his soft features as he stared at the window he could vaguely see his mother and brother staring out of.

Jin shut his mouth. He was put into his place. 

He was not okay with that, but he kept his mouth shut and stared with large observant eyes at the two.

Dêo walked with Don back toward the picnic table, a sudden rush of tears falling from his eyes as he did so. Dêo thought about all the things he would probably never get to see again, they were uncontrollable thoughts, memories of having fun with his brother flashing here and there. It was an uncomfortable feeling, especially since he could not stop the tears or emotions. 

The two had walked just a little past the picnic table and Dêo's backyard. They had stopped at the base of a cut down trunk, it was a stub really, yet large and taking the majority of its space. Dêo wondered why he had never come across it before, it was so large that he was sure to have crossed paths with it at some point.

“Now let's see.. Who are you linked wit—” Don mumbled to himself as he stood just next to the tree stub. Don's eyes were doing something extraordinary. They were hazed over slightly in thousands of little lights, as if the very constellations themselves were in his gaze. 

Dêo found it hard to concentrate on what was going on with Don's eyes, his own eyes constantly filling with tears as soon as he would wipe them.

“Just let them fall out, no use in fighting them.” Don said nonchalantly as he put another golden flake into his mouth, still searching through the millions of galaxies in his eye sight. 

Dêo hiccupped, not understanding what was going on still. 

“Ah. Here it is.”

The stub began to glow and hum, a lovely bright yellow hue shining. It captured Dêo's eyes, his mouth drawing in a gasp at the beautiful light seeping out of the cracks of the stub. A few specs of concentrated light, like little balls, started floating up. They were much to large to be dust, but still too tiny for the size of an eye. 

“Well?” Don's voice was warm and inviting, there was absolutely nothing malicious about him.

“Where will it take me?” Dêo whispered as his tears started to dry.

“You'll just have to find out.” Don smiled. 

Dêo looked one last time over his shoulder, back to the home he would forever leave behind. But it was better than giving his life to forfeit.

There was not a moment wasted after that realization settled into his mind. He now knew that his choice was the right choice, he could leave this all behind for a better life. Something he had always secretly yearned for, something he deserved. 

Dêo's eyes widened with curiosity as he stepped on the trunk. Nothing was going to stop him now, he was in charge of this decision. He was in control. Finally, a life where he could be free.

He reached a hand out to touch one of the specs, both his hands still bound by his restraints.

A bright light engulfed everything around Dêo. Not a regret left in trace as he faded from his existence.

⋐⋓⋑

“... Soo! ...Kyungsoo! ...Kyungsoo!” An overly panicked voice had been yelling some way off in the near distance.

Dêo's head throbbed as he tried willing his eyes to open. He felt dizzy and light headed, everything was spinning and hardly making any sense as his ears were bombarded with all kinds of sounds he had never heard before. It made his heart race, he had no idea of what was going on and he was starting to worry that he wouldn't be able to open his eyes in time.

Just as he finally pushed the grogginess from his eyes, a soothing and deep voice caught his attention. It was right in front of him.

“Are you alright?”

Dêo looked up to find a man standing in front of him with a hand held out. Dêo was somehow on the ground, trying to push his body up for support. 

The man was handsome. There was not a flaw on his features. Skin that was tinted darker than his own and eyes that sparkled with a passion Dêo had never seen before. 

He was enraptured by this stranger. His mouth agape and forgetting about all the pain that had been resonating in his body.

"KYUNGSOO! Oh my god! Kyungsoo are you alright?!" Another stranger ran up to him, he was small and slim, cute and a little baby faced. Dêo had never seen someone so small with such a deep voice either. 

Dêo looked around, trying to see who he was talking to. Surely it could not be him? For his name was not Kyungsoo. 

His neck strained, a pain shooting through his neck as he turned. 

"Oh don't move!" The person yelled again as he reached into his pocket to grab a rectangular looking device. 

Even their cloths were weird in Dêo's mind. He had never seen pants so tight or an outfit that looked so dull in color. The second man had an outfit that was completely gray, it was such a sad sight to look at for some reason. 

"Hello, yes I need to report a car accident! My best friend just got hit and I don't know if he can move or if he broke anything.." 

Dêo furrowed his eyebrows as the man talked into the flat rectangular box, his mouth moving fast in panic as he did so. The other man in front of Dêo had retracted his hand and watched the scene unfold. He looked warm, snug in a large looking scarf and coat. There was a cup of what Dêo assumed was filled with hot liquid. It was a white cup with some sort of brown band covering it, it looked to odd. 

"Hey, is everything a-alright? H-He's not d-dead is he?" A meek and hoarse voice asked from behind Dêo, followed by the sound of a closing door. 

Dêo tried turning his head, only catching a glimpse of something large and silver behind him. It scared the living daylights out of him, it was a giant mechanical looking thing that he had never seen. It seemed like a beast that was about to eat him. 

"Hey! You're fine." The strange man in tight pants leaned down to calm Dêo down, holding him up slightly as he tried to move his body away from the monstrosity.

"No he's not dead, don't worry." The gray uniformed man said with a gentle smile. "But don't worry, you'll be getting a visit from my lawyer." He smirked a bit sadistically, something very much threatening behind its connotation.

Dêo never got a look at the man, but he could only imagine how uncomfortable he must have been witnessing a sweet face turn so sour. 

"Kyungsoo.." The gray man whispered as he squatted in front of him and took the top part of his uniform off, it was almost like a jacket. "Kyungsoo how many fingers am I holding up?" 

"T-Three.." Dêo said when he finally realized that Kyungsoo was apparently himself, his nose doing a little scrunch. The stranger was looking right at him, there was no one else.

"Okay, what's my name?" He asked carefully. Nothing but worry on his soft features. 

"I-I... Um... A-Am I supposed to know?" Dêo pulled his head back, not sure if that was the right answer.

"Okay very funny, come on Kyung. Don't play around. What's my name?" The stranger in gray tried to play it off, waving his hand a bit then quickly clutching onto his phone.

"I am sorry... But.. I really do not know your name." Dêo furrowed his brows. He genuinely did not know him, or anyone for that matter, or anything that was going on really!

The strange man's face fell, it seemed like such a sad sight on his soft features.

"What's his name?" He quickly pointed to the other man next to him, the stranger who was very handsome. 

"I-I do not know.." Dêo muttered, feeling small under the gray man's stare.

"When's my birthday?" He asked quickly again. 

"I uh-"

"What's your name?"

"I do not-"

"When's your birthday?!"

"First Light of Undy." Dêo said for sure. That was his birthday and he knew that like the back of his hand. His birthday was the only day of the year when his mother would listen to him for a while and get him what he wanted.

"Do Kyungsoo do I look like I'm fooling around?" The man responded in a threatening tone.

Dêo looked away, knowing that this man was not happy with his actions.

Just as Dêo had looked away did a loud and constant buzz inch its way closer and closer. Dêo looked everywhere for the sound, not understanding the slightest tone of it or what it meant. 

When he turned to the two strange men, two others in similar uniform arrived in front of them, assessing the situation. They pushed the two men back, only allowing their presence near Dêo. They shined a weird bright light into his eyes, flashing it about as if checking for something. Dêo had no words and just let the two scary men inspect him. They asked questions about his pain and where he felt any of it, Dêo could only give minimal answers not really knowing how they could help him out with medicinal herbs nearby. When the two finished their questions they walked away, one looking for someone who could finish answering questions and the other going to retrieve another item.

Another man in a dark uniform was off to the side, a monstrosity behind him with flashing blue and red lights a top of it. The one man talking to the one in the uniform seemed nervous, one hand in his mouth as he glanced every so often at Dêo. 

One of the previous uniformed men came back with a large moving like table. The two uniformed men came back together and asked if he could get up on his own but Dêo flinched as he tried getting up. A sharp pain running through his stomach as he did so. The two others helped him onto the bed, strapping him down and making him comfortable in a neck brace.

Dêo looked out for the man in gray. He was his ticket in understanding what was going on, and getting out of whatever was going on. However as he looked for the man in gray, he caught the scarfed man instead. He had still been holding his cup and eyes wide with befuddlement. He looked almost just as confused as Dêo did.

"Sir, can you tell me your name?" Asked one of the light uniformed men.

"Uh.." He paused, not really sure if Dêo was the name he should use. He scrunched his nose trying to remember.

"Mild amnesia." Announced the other uniformed man as they pushed Dêo into a tunnel like thing, bumping around and shaking in the comfortable bed he had been strapped on."Most likely. Let's just make sure he's not hemorrhaging inside." Another announced as they closed the doors to the odd white tunnel. 

The man in gray called out to Dêo. "Kyungsoo I'll see you in a little bit!" He stood on his tippy toes trying to get every last look at the male.

⋐⋓⋑

Everything was pale. The people looked pale and so did the walls. Furniture was just as pastel as the recurring theme. It made Dêo uncomfortable being in the darkly lit room. All of the doctors had showed him a substantial amount of kindness in his stay, but the way the place felt was downright sickening. It made him srunch his nose in discomfort.

The man in gray was nowhere to be seen, the doctors just said a man named Byun Baekhyun wasn't allowed to see him. Who was Byun Baekhyun? Why was he not allowed to see him? What was a hospital? What was post traumatic amnesia? So many things seemed out of place, so out of place that there was no room for schemas.

Night had finally fallen on the building. He was at least six Giants in the air considering the view he had from his window. A single lamp was lit in the corner of his quarters, it was the most fascinating light source Dêo had ever encountered. He was only ever graced by candle light. This light with the simple flip of a switch. 

"Sir?" A sweet young voice called out as she opened the door.

Dêo turns his head to give her the attention she needed.

"Your parents and close friend are here. They're here to identify you for us." She smiled sweetly, the young woman was quite beautiful in Dêo's opinion.

He simply nodded.

He had no best friend and his parents were singled down to parent. He had no idea of what was happening. All he could do was watch as the people interacted with their environment and wonder if he might be dead. 

The door opened immediately, a figure not too much taller walked through. He was dressed in the same outfit he was last seen in, the familiar frantic man from before. But his name served no recollection in his memory.

"Kyung!" The man ran to Dêo's side, hugging him tightly and rather intimately.

"Uh sir! I.. I wouldn't do that just yet. He does have a concussion and is suffering from post-traumatic amnesia. He's not well enough to take in heavy force, sir." The nurse said gently as a doctor walked in behind her.

"Sorry buddy." He let Dêo go, smiling at the pale sight of his friend. "How are you? How are you feeling?" He asked quickly, a little breathlessly as he stared him up and down.

"I am.. Okay.." Dêo said carefully.

"Good, good! That's good." The stranger nodded his head.

"Sir?" The doctor asked this time to Dêo. 

"Yes?"

"Have you met this man before? Ever in your life?"

"Yes. Actually." Dêo said plainly, but it earned such an ecstatic response from the stranger that he wondered why. 

"You remember now?!" The stranger asked a little too excitedly.

"And what is the first and last memory you have of this man?" The doctor asked as he jotted a few notes down.

"Today. When I woke up and I was on the ground. That was the first time I met him." Dêo felt confident with this answer for some strange reason. 

But the emotion surging through the room was enough to put anyone down in the dumps. The doctors had been scribbling notes to themselves, the nurses all gave rather empathetic looks to the friend beside Dêo. 

"Kyung.. You.. You really don't remember?"

Dêo stayed silent, he hated that he was being called that name. A name that was most definitely not his. 

"It is not that I don't remember, but rather.. It is that I have never met you before."

The doctors all scribbled again. Another took a moment to note the strangers face. 

"Sir? Could you lift your right arm for us?" The main doctor asked as he walked over and pulled down the hospital gown sleeve.

 “What for, might I ask?” Dêo asked.

The doctor had not said anything and simply put his arm back down and looked to the others in the room with a nod.

“Well of course it’s him!” The stranger huffed as he stomped a foot. “I watched him get hit!”

“We’re just taking precautions sir.” Another doctor answered to sate the upset man.

“This is ridiculous!” He threw his hands up and walked away from the group of observing doctors.

“Sir, we will be letting your family in now. They will be the next to identify you and hope for some sort of recognition.” This time the nurse had come over to help fluff Dêo’s pillows as the doctors had all collectively walked out.

“P-Parents? I must apologize, but.. I do not possess parents. I have a mother.” Dêo straightened his back against the comfort of the bed, the pillows were a softness he had dreamed clouds would be.

The stranger turned pale, the nurse furrowed her brows and gave the bed ridden one a sympathetic smile.

“…Kyung.. Please, you have to remember me.” The stranger said in a hushed voice as he pulled a chair close the bed side. The nurse was checking vitals again, trying to ignore them but listening to whatever the friend had to say. “It’s me, your Baekie.. Remember? I’m your Baekhyun.” Baekhyun had taken hold of Dêo’s hand, pressing forth his desperation for his friend to remember him. “We’ve been best friends since college.. That’s almost nine years! You can’t tell me nine years of friendship is about to go down the drain…”

Dêo stared into Baekhyun’s eyes, trying to look for any possibility that he might remember the man. But there was nothing, no matter how hard he tried to put the man into his thoughts there was nothing there that reminded him of the latter. Dêo felt honestly bad about not knowing who he was, the way Baekhyun looked was heartbreaking.

Before another conversation was sparked again, two older and very worried people rushed into the room. Once the woman of the two made eye contact with Dêo, her eye had turned red with watering tears so she rushed to the male on the bed.

“Kyungsoo!” The woman hurried herself to the chair Baekhyun had given her and sat. “Oh my baby boy, are you alright? How are you feeling?”

Dêo was assuming this was his mother, Kyungsoo’s mother.

“I-I am well…” Dêo responded with a timid smile.

The woman’s eyebrows knitted for a split second. “Sweetie.. Do you remember who I am?”

“Are you not Kyungsoo’s mother?” Dêo asked.

The woman’s breath hitched, the wrinkles in the corners of her eyes trying to turn up in an understanding smile to nod.

“I must apologize but—”

“Ma’am, he is suffering from post-traumatic amnesia.” A doctor intervened before the male could offer his words of discomfort the distraught woman. “I did warn you j—”

“I know what you said.” The woman snapped at the doctor, a glare sent over her shoulder to him. “I had to see for myself what was wrong with my baby.” She had turned back to Dêo, taking his hand into her own and gathering the love she had toward him. “You really don’t know who I am?” Her voice sounded broken as she whispered.

Dêo stared at the woman and could not help but notice how unbelievably different she looked from his own mother. She was beautiful, there was not a doubt there, maybe even more beautiful once upon a time. Though, there was a similarity that had Dêo wondering what was going on even more, her eyes looked oddly similar to his own. But the facial structure came mostly from the assumed father. The man who had rested a hand on the back of the woman’s chair had a solemn face, but he was a hard looking man. Age was not in his favor as his lightly peppered hair swayed easily over the top. The man looked as if he had just rushed out of an important business meeting to anyone who didn’t know any better, however, Dêo did not know any better and wondered why the man was dressed in a similar uniform as Baekhyun.

The woman squeezed Dêo’s hand gently when the boy did not answer. This earned the strain of reality to dawn back on him, he gave the woman his answer with a shake of the head. There was not a shred of recognition of who any of these people were, he was almost frightened by it all really. This world was so… There was not even a word to describe what this world was like in comparison to his own. This world was faster, advanced in all kinds of ways. There was not a single thing the boy could recall to connect to anything, the only thing he could use was the fact that buildings kept him dry and warm. They were tall and large all around, it almost seemed that from what he could see through his little window was that the town was much bigger than his village.

None of it made sense. Where was he? And why did all these strangers believe he was Do Kyungsoo?

He felt an obligation, however, to know who these many people were.

As Dêo tried to ignore the crying woman beside him, he took notice of what the doctors were discussing amongst themselves.

“May we have everyone’s attention?” One of the doctors suddenly announced, it was the doctor who had been mostly taking care of him.

Everyone in the room had done so, turning toward the four doctors and two nurses.

“As you are aware, this is most definitely Do Kyungsoo. Blood tests came back positive for this information, he is indeed your son Mrs. Do. But as you are aware, there seems to be a sort of retrograde amnesia playing where your son does not remember a better majority of his memories. However, retrograde amnesia does not happen like it does in the movies. The most extensive that memories may be forgotten are about the recent years’ worth of memories. However, there has been no signs of damage to any part of his brain structures. The hippocampus is completely unaffected, the cerebral cortex shows normal signs of activity, along with everything else. The only thing we are unsure of are the synapses. There might be more problems involving them, however, there is no further damage. What we and after discussing with several other doctors in the area have decided is that he may be experiencing a slight personality disorder with the help of possible post traumatic amnesia. The event of the car accident might have triggered a persona to surface to hide the feelings of the traumatic events. The only problem with this theory is that the personality or personalities would be able to recognize all those in the said patient’s life… To further this investigation we would ask to keep Kyungsoo here for a couple more days to run a few more tests. From what we have, he’s nothing short of healthy. The most he’ll be suffering from is his mild concussion, a sore stomach and a stiff neck.” The doctor offered a small chuckle, trying to lighten the heavy air in the room.

No one had anything to say, they were all equally quiet.

“Just please tell me you can help him get his memories back.” Baekhyun whispered as he placed a hand on the male’s shoulder.

“Once we find the root of the problem we’ll start therapy immediately and give you and everyone else close in his life regimens to help him out.”

There was such a graveness to the room that Dêo winced and scrunched his new nose. He really did not understand what was going on, what any of these foreign words meant but he was willing to figure it out.

 

But the question that he really needed to ask, was how much time did he have like this?

⋐⋓⋑

“So… This is your apartment…” Baekhyun had graciously opened the door with a passcode that Dêo was not so sure he would remember easily. “You’ve been living here for eight years, right out of college. I live two blocks away from you.”

The place smelled a bit stale, it had been two weeks since someone had last been inside. Dêo ended up spending more time than needed at the hospital because the doctors simply could not figure out what was wrong with him and why he could not remember anything.

It turned out that the male had a hard time with anything related to education or skills. He had no memory of how to do simple math equations involving division or multiplication, there was no memory of world histories or literature evolutions. The most he excelled in was crafting. He had an extensiveness to creating things when he was presented crafts. It was easy to color on the paper and put little Lego pieces together once he got the hang of it.

However, the home was different than what the hospital looked. This place had more character and color, not the plain paleness of the bleak hospital.

Baekhyun had helped Dêo settle into the house and stayed with him for at least three hours before he decided to leave. He showed him the basics of the house and where everything had been located. He told him not to use the stove unless he was over to help cook. Dinner had been placed in the fridge from his mother once they returned with her cooking. Dêo was set for a couple days with a meal to eat.

But it was finally when Baekhyun left that Dêo sat in the newly addressed living room and just cried. He sat there with tears streaming down his cheeks and breath hiccupping every once in a while.

There was no physical pain, there was no actual discomfort. What he felt was emotional. He was overwhelmed with feelings of the unknown, he still had no idea of what was going on, why he was suddenly this Do Kyungsoo and what this highly technological world was. The streets were full of the monstrous contraptions that was behind him when he woke up. Baekhyun had named them ‘cars’ and that they were a ‘vehicle of transportation’, whatever that meant. It was apparent that the car had hit him just as he was crossing the street, but there was no recollection of that instance either. All he remember was walking into a bright light after Don had granted his wish and woke up to a rather handsome face. Dêo thought about the face often, wondering where the person was and how Baekhyun seemed to know him from that time so long ago.

Upon the memory of the warm smile, Dêo relaxed. He wasn’t sure what it was but there was a comfort from remember the face and he started to feel like the world was not all bad. As he smiled he fiddled with the ring on his finger. It was an odd ring, thick and a color so dark it almost looked charcoal. He had been wearing it ever since he had woken up, but he distinctly remember having never had it before he woke up. Dêo did not think of it and instead, he decided to focus on what he needed to do. He needed to familiarize himself more with his new home and understand how every little thing worked in this world.

By far his most favorite invention was his phone. It was a small black and thin box that looked similar to the one Baekhyun carried the first time he saw one. He found out about the wondrous mystery of the internet and how he could say anything he wanted to his phone and it would search it for him. He was really bent on constantly asking his phone for information, in fact, he spent a better majority of his two weeks on Earth learning all he could about the world. It really was a fascinating place, full of rich history and constant evolution. This place was so different from his small village, Earth was large and extensive, and it seemed that there was almost no end to it. That slightly excited Dêo, he had only ever known his small unproductive village, and there was nothing exciting about that.

The next best invention that Dêo loved was the chip. It was a thinly sliced potato that was deep fried to a golden crisp and salted to perfection. They were the exact crunchy substance that Don had been munching on before sending him off to this world. Dêo was glad he had the opportunity to snack on them.

Kyungsoo also had a job. He was an accountant for a local firm that he worked at with Baekhyun. He was currently on an indefinite leave of absence due to his situation. However, when he decided to search what an account was or did, he felt bored and uninterested in what that was. It was not like he could go back to that job anyways, he had no idea how to deal with this concept of money. He came from a place where sheep and chickens were the highest form of currency.

However, when Dêo finally found his urge of the bathroom to get the best of him he fumbled around before finally made it to one. When he had finished toying with the toilet and sink, he took a moment to stare at himself in the mirror.

Dêo was not there, there was no physical resemblance of what he once looked like. Instead, there was Kyungsoo. There was an obvious resemblance of the two, there was no doubt, but he was just plainly Do Kyungsoo. There had been previous photos in Kyungsoo’s phone of him and Baekhyun, a few other people he did not know and other weird photos that he did not understand the context to. There were a few pictures of men, all lined up and buttered in bronze oils. He had wondered whatever Kyungsoo could want with the picture but he did not question it further than needed.

Kyungsoo was not a very attractive person, he was cute, yes, but he seemed normal. Dêo was not sure if it was because he was jealous of Kyungsoo’s life but he liked to think he was cuter.

Kyungsoo did have a wonderful life, that much was prominent within the little time Dêo had spent there. He saw the love and caring that came from Kyungsoo’s parents and friends, the way the world just seemed to favor and fall into place around his life. Of course, a part of Dêo felt guilty that he was Kyungsoo; that he was taking over this life. But another small part of him was brewing as a small seed of greed; he wanted to keep this life. This life that showed him an enormous amount of compassion that his previous life could not afford.

And just maybe, Dêo would do just that and keep this life. He would be selfish for just a little while.

⋐⋓⋑

An hour had come to pass while Dêo tried to follow the directions his trusty little phone had been giving him. He would take turns into the walls of building sides, stub his toe on the curbs of stairs and cause accidents in the streets when he didn’t look both was before crossing. However, he had eventually found himself safe and seated across from the one man who relentlessly popped up in his life. Baekhyun looked exhausted, though, as if a long hard day foraging in the blazing sun had beat upon his shoulders. Though, he knew Baekhyun did not work outside or anywhere near foraging, he worked in a place called an “office firm” with Kyungsoo. Dêo wanted to ask if he was alright, but he was not very sure if it was appropriate to ask; he often asked things that made Baekhyun aggravated.

Kyungsoo and Baekhyun apparently often had coffee dates after work at a particular café. The shop was small with lightly colored brick walls, full of sticky notes that people were allowed to drawn on. It was cute little shop, warm with the never before heard music and chattering of young inhabitants. This was Dêo’s first coffee date and he was just a little nervous to know what coffee was. The smell was heaven, rich in mirth and toasty warmness against the cold biting air from the outside world. Dêo could swear he had never smelled anything more appetizing than it.

Kyungsoo was apparently an avid coffee drinker, Dêo was not very far behind him. Baekhyun had already bought a latte for male as he waited begrudgingly for him to arrive. Sweet caramel oozed at the bottom and Dêo could swear he would never get enough of it.

“I swear to god, you’re lucky as hell you forgot all your memories. I’m stuck at that boring damn office all day, counting and counting and recounting the books. Constantly typing into the computer then erasing the whole damn thing if I’ve done it wrong just to type it back in all over again… And today, oh, today Sheila was a goddamn .” His voice turned an octave higher to start mocking the said woman. “She was all like, Baekhyun, you better pick those numbers up. We’re losing precious money here. You’re working for two now, move that small little of yours! …Kyungsoo might not be gone forever, but you work twice as hard in the meantime.”

Dêo thought Baekhyun was an animated character, he always spoke in funny voices; there was never a dull moment when the two conversed.

“One of these days I’m going to rip that mole off that woman’s chest and shove it down . She never gets off my ! I get it, I know I’m gorgeous but that does not give you the right to instigate my every little thing. Jesus ing Christ.”

A giggle elicited from Dêo’s mouth, a small one—hardly audible, really.

Baekhyun simply stared the male down, as if he were waiting for something, something to happen. “That’s… That’s when you say, “yeah that mole’s big enough to choke” or, or “you know she just wants to get in your pants.” Anything along those lines..” Baekhyun nearly whispered as he finished his sentence. He was faltering in that confidence he held so surely.

Dêo tried everything in his power to not look at the man.

Baekhyun smiled awkwardly and brought himself back in, swirling the open cup of chai tea that had long gone cold. “You, you just get to sit in your house. Lounge around and play on your phone.” He snickered, it almost seemed as if the tension from earlier had not mattered.

Dêo wished Baekhyun could know just how wrong he was. He spent his time on his phone searching things up, trying to catch up with the world and how fast it moved in comparison to his small village. He would not lounge around his house all day if he was not so afraid of going outside. It was a wide scary world out there—something his rundown village will never get the pleasure of knowing.

Baekhyun stared at the man for a moment, deciphering what it might have been that Dêo was thinking about.

“Still no memories though?” He asked with a slight grimace.

Dêo stiffened but eventually shook his head in disapproval, his nose scrunching up slightly.

Baekhyun on his teeth, snickering again and muttering a few curses under his breath.

Just as Dêo went to look out the window and take a sip from his delectable little paper cup, the door to the ship had rung with its pretty sound. Dêo liked the sound because it reminded him of the glass chimes that used to hang from his back porch. They had such a beautiful tone.

“Ert. Six o’clock. Boy Wonder.” Baekhyun suddenly chirped under his breath.

Dêo sat up to get a good look at Baekhyun. Surely he could not have meant that? It was only two in the afternoon. He furrowed his brows and inquisitively stared at the male before him.

“Baekhyun friend. The time must be wrong. My phone device possess the time of five sixteen. Or seventeen sixteen to be exact.”

Baekhyun rolled his eyes and leaned over the table to grab Dêo’s face. “No you idiot. That means looked behind you.” He turned the male’s neck and made sure to motions with his eyes and chin for Dêo to keep looking all the way over his shoulder.

Dêo finally turned around on his own and saw two other strangers sitting at random tables in the shop—the rest hindered by the view he had of the place. However, his eyes had traveled to the register where he saw a man, tall and beautiful man waiting for the barista to fill out his order.

“You’ve got to remember him at least. Please.” Baekhyun heaved out in a whisper.

“I do.”

“What?!”

“He held my hand when I first woke up. Just down the street from here.”

Baekhyun sat back in his seat and smacked his forehead, but it was not enough to draw Dêo’s attention away. He was still so fixed upon the sight of the man ordering a warm beverage. His features were soft and pliable, yet there was a melancholy so prominent in the way he presented it. Dêo could feel sadness radiating from the man.

“Do you at least remember his name?” Baekhyun tried to calm himself down, it was really starting to irritate him that his best friend had no ability to remember anything anymore.

“No.. I never had the pleasure.” Dêo’s cheeks suddenly flared at the statement, he had never been so bold to say something so indecent.

“His name’s Kim Jongin. And you have a big fat crush on him… Okay, had.”

“What is a ‘big fat crush’? That sounds most unpleasant.” Dêo had finally turned his attention back on Baekhyun.

“What even are you?!” Baekhyun shook his head in exasperated distaste. Surely nobody was so mild that they did not have common sense? “A big fat crush means you secretly really really like him.” He whispered again.

“But why secretly? Is it, too, wrong to like another man here?”

“What do you mean here too?” Baekhyun raised a questioning brow.

“Uh.. U-Uh I mean.. Nothing, never mind it.”

“No it’s not really wrong for two guys to like each other but it is frowned upon by some. Most don’t mind it, though.” Baekhyun seemingly gave in to the peculiar question.

“And did you condone these feelings Kyungs—I mean I once had?”

“Condone? Where the hell… Yes, of course I did! I was all for it man! We used to sit here almost every day after work just to wait for him to walk in and sit behind me so you could look at him. I was always telling you to go up and buy him a drink but you were such a scared chicken .” Baekhyun chuckled to himself upon the memories. “I bet if you still had your memories when you woke up, you’d be ting your pants right now.”

Dêo was not so sure why Kyungsoo would release his bowels upon the sight of such a perfect figure, but he was slowly learning to not question things and just to let them be; instead, he scrunched his nose in confusion. Kyungsoo seemed to know this Kim Jongin and a part of him was jealous that he could not have the opportunity to know what laid beneath that melancholic face.

“Oh .. Oh , .. ! Act natural, act natural. He’s coming this way.” Baekhyun’s cheeks flared up as he tried to not make any eye contact with the oncoming person, his body tensed and simultaneously flailed every which way as he tried to calm himself. If Dêo did not know any better, it would appear as if Baekhyun was the one with the actual crush.

“Excuse me, I’m not interrupting anything am I?” A warm and low voice took Dêo’s senses right from under him. He could feel his skin pulsating, his chest thundering in odd waves of surreal. 

Dêo looked up at the honeyed face, the light above their table almost blocking his face out with the light shining from his chest down. Through the mismatched lighting Dêo could see those perfect plump lips once more, his blue and black stripped scarf sticking snug against him in the tan pea coat he wore.

Baekhyun looked over at Dêo, the two speaking through enlarged eyes as they had no idea of who should speak.

“N-No! Not at all.” Baekhyun suddenly blurted when the silence almost seemed too much.

“Oh, good. I uh… I-I bought you drinks. I um, well.. Here. Two vanilla lattes. I wasn’t sure what you guys liked so I played it safe.” The kind gesture let another wave of warmth surge throughout Dêo’s new body.

As the man placed two paper cups of coffee on the table, Baekhyun stared in awe at how thoughtful the man was.

“Thank you.” Dêo finally said as he reached a hand out to take the cup closer.

“I uh… I haven’t seen you around for a while and I was worried that something bad might have happened. But I’m glad to see that you’re okay!” The man was timid, stumbling over his words and hardly able to look at Dêo. “I’m sorry.. I know this must seem a bit forward, but you know.. We see each other all the time and I just wanted to introduce myself finally. Especially after witnessing you almost dying.”

“Bingo.” Baekhyun piped in suddenly. “That’s my cue to leave.” He started to gather his coat and belongings from work, he was really leaving Dêo alone with the man.

“W-Wait..” Dêo tried sounding out, but Baekhyun was already set in his ways and half way out of seat before he winked and patted the man on the shoulder.

Jongin stood there awkwardly, waiting for a word to be spoken between the two after Baekhyun had long left the café.

“D-Do you mind?” He motioned toward the seat in front of Dêo.

“Not at all.”

As Jongin sat in the seat Baekhyun previously occupied he sipped on his own drink as stared into the wondrous eyes before him.

He cleared his throat quickly before realizing what he was doing. “M-My name’s Ki—”

“Kim Jongin.” Dêo finished, a slight smile playing on his lips.

“Y-You knew my name?”

“Baekhyun friend just gave me your name. I did not know it before this moment.”

“Oh.. Heh.. Do you know how he knew my name?” He chuckled a bit timidly.

“I have not the slightest clue. I think he and Kyungsoo knew you before myself came around.”

“K-Kyungsoo? Who’s Kyungsoo?”

“Oh, my apologies. I am—… I am…” Dêo caught himself in his words. “I am.. Do Kyungsoo.”

It felt foreign, to have that name be addressed as himself.

“W-Wait.” Jongin chuckled. “You knew my name before the accident too?”

“It would seem so… But…The day I woke from the accident was the day I first laid eyes on you. Kim Jongin, I have no recollection of ever seeing you before that moment. I did not know my family and I did not know my friends. I have no idea of what any of this world means, yet I am still sitting here, acting as if I know what I am doing when quite frankly, I have not the slightest idea.” There was not a fault in his voice, he spoke with surety. He scrunched his nose up in distaste, Jongin’s eyes watching him like a hawk as he did it.

Jongin would open and close his mouth, trying to find the words he needed to say but nothing finding its way out.

“So.. You mean to tell me that, you had no idea of who I was when you woke up? Or anyone else?”

Dêo simply nodded.

“Wow.” Jongin nodded back, taking a sip of his coffee as he did so.

“So this is.. This technically our first meeting, yet, it’s not?”

“I guess you could say that.”

“Well, Do Kyungsoo. I’d like to inform you that before the accident, I liked to come to the coffee shop and sit right there,” He pointed to the booths behind him. “Just so I could get a look at you… I thought you were an attractive person.” A light blush crept its way to the tips of Jongin’s ears.

“Apparently, Baekhyun and I would do just the same.”

Jongin laughed a bit at that, a rise of satisfaction running through him to hear that. “…So…” He stretched the silence out a bit. “You wouldn’t happen to still find me attractive would you? At least enough to keep staring at me?”

“I think I would enjoy to do that.” There was a subtle smile playing on his lips.

Jongin did just the same and smiled as he looked back down at his cup. Dêo wondered why such a perfect face would want to shy away such a beautiful smile.

“Do you…?” He paused, unsure if he really wanted to ask his next question. “Do you wanna, get out of here?”

Dêo raised his brows, he had no idea of what the statement meant, but he was not sure if he should question it. “…Where to?”

“I dunno. Anywhere. Just you and me, you know?” Jongin stood up from the booth, ready to leave if the later said no or a surprising yes.

Dêo looked every which way of the room for something to verify himself with. This man was technically a stranger, he had never been asked to ‘hang out’ with someone that he did not know. Everyone knew everyone in his village, for the place was much too small to not know everyone. Then again… Dêo was also never approached by anyone back in his village to go away and be alone with them. This was a new experience he was going to indulge in completely.

“Y-Yeah. I would like that.”

Jongin bit his lip to contain the sudden surge of excitement rushing through. “Good. Great. Um.. Yes, let’s uh.. Why don’t I take you for a tour of the city? We can get.. Um.. We can get acquainted that way.”

“Sure.. I would like that very much.” Finally, Dêo’s lips had spread to their furthest corners—a beautiful, yet oddly shaped smile settling on his soft features. He would never know it, but it made Jongin’s heart beat against his chest.

⋐⋓⋑

“Can I show you something?” Jongin had leaned over in his seat to whisper in Dêo’s ear. The two had been sitting beside one another at a rather boring public lecture that Jongin invited Dêo to join him some days ago. It was supposed to be an informative lecture about memory loss and loved ones, Jongin thought that the gesture would be nice for the male, to help him along with his memory. But the look on Dêo’s face was anything but interested.

“What is it?” Dêo turned to look at the male, a playful yet innocent smile playing on the latter’s lips.

“Just come on. I want to show you part of my job.” Jongin had grabbed the male’s smaller hand and started to pull him out of his seat.

Dêo had nothing to say and simply followed the other, a small smile on his own plump lips as they exited the seminar’s building and out onto the streets of busy Seoul once more. It always seemed to end up like that, Jongin taking Dêo all over the town to his favorite spots. This time, however, was a little different—Dêo was finally going to see where Jongin worked. It was a question that he was often asking himself about, where the male worked or what he did for a living. There was excitement about what would ensue.

It took just a little over twenty minutes for them to safely make their way around the streets and stand before a small, almost vacant looking building.

“What might this place be?”

“This is where I work!” Jongin exclaimed.

Dêo simply stared at the building, his head tilting in confusion at the pillars and brightly colored signs outside of it. It was a small entrance, nestled between two other larger buildings as if to hide itself from the world. His head tilted to the side, wondering why it looked so undeniably sad.

Jongin just kept smiling, looking back and forth between the building and the male next to him. But when Dêo had not given him the response he was looking for, he started to shut down and frown.

“I-It’s a club. I work at a club.”

Dêo turned and looked at Jongin, his eye large with curiosity but an expression Jongin was not sure he understood.

“What?” Jongin asked with his frown furthering.

“What do you do at this ‘club’?”

“Well… I uh.. I dance. At this club.”

“You dance for money?”

Jongin’s cheeks turned bright red and he started to turn into himself. Dêo did not like it when he did that, it hid those wonderful colors that shaded the male. “Well geez, when you put it like that… That doesn’t sound so nice.. But essentially, yeah. I dance for money. But I’m not a stripper!” He made that very clear.

Dêo simply nodded and jutted out his bottom lip. Whatever that meant.

Jongin faltered for a moment, the awkward tension playing between the two as he was not sure what to do next. “C… Come on. I-I’ll show you my practice space.” Jongin shrugged and grabbed Dêo’s hand, walking into a doorway into the right building next to the small place.

They were silent as they walked through the small halls, the place being empty itself of human activity. Lights had all been turned off, the natural sunlight streaming in from every window that the place had to offer. But as the two stopped in front of a door, Jongin turned around and held onto Dêo’s hand just a little tighter.

“Before we go in…” Jongin did not look Dêo in the eyes. “I just want you to know, I’m not trying to be all sappy or anything, but I just don’t let anyone into this space. It’s a very special place to me, and I hold it dear to myself.” As he gained confidence, he found himself staring into those wondrous dark orbs that Dêo possessed.

Dêo simply nodded, waiting for Jongin’s next move.

“Right.” He nodded to himself for an extra boost of reassurance. He turned around and opened the door slowly.

The room was at least the size of the coffee shop that they often liked to have dates at if Dêo was not there with Baekhyun. Its floors were gray, the smell of a plastic and under tones of sweat playing on his nostrils as he noticed the wall across from him was completely made of mirror glass. Dêo saw himself and Jongin walking into the room, Jongin walking towards one end of the room to find a light switch while Dêo admired every aspect of the room. Walls were white, a few pipes and drains jutting out in the ceiling but painted in the same color of the white walls. Two large windows were placed at another end, and on the opposite were small lockers.

Jongin had turned the lights on, finally illuminating the space. “You look as if you’ve never seen a dance room before.”

“I have not.” Dêo muttered under his breath as his curious eyes ran all over the room. It was spacious and full of energy that felt so positive and uplifting, so passionate.

“What?! You’ve never seen or been in a dance room?!”

Dêo shook his head as neared the mirrors, his eyes trained on himself by that point.

It still hurt to look at himself.

He was still Do Kyungsoo.

“We gotta change that.” Jongin smiled as he took off his jacket and started to make himself comfortable in the room. “Come on, put your stuff down. We’re gonna be here a while.”

Jongin seemed to know the room like the back of his hand as he sauntered over to the lockers and started pulling out all kinds of black objects. When he made his way back over to Dêo, he started to disrobe and take off his shirt, this caught Dêo much off guard. The male turned the balls of his feet to look away quickly, his cheeks bright with embarrassment; however, as he looked away, he was only met with a different angle. The mirrored wall was showing the others near profile and it made him blush all the more terribly. Dêo quickly turned to his side and covered his eyes, not wanting to look any more than he had to, how utterly rude of him would it have been if he did.

“Goodness, you act like a ten year old. I don’t mind if you look at me. I have nothing to hide.”

“No, no. A man should not gaze upon a—” Dêo caught himself before he could finish.

“What, a woman?” Jongin snorted. “Well, you’re not wrong.”

“A man should not gaze upon the person he is courting.” Dêo slowly lifted his head from his hands, still not bothering to look at the mirror to his side or the man behind him.

“Courting?! Did I miss something here?! Are we skipping straight to marriage?!” Jongin guffawed.

Jongin’s reaction confused Dêo, was this not what they were doing?

“Look, Kyung. You’re cute. But we officially met two weeks ago. We should take this slower.”

“Slower?” Dêo questioned. “I have never witnessed a process like this… Most men would have given sheep by now to his potential betrothed’s family. I had half a thought to buy a few of those creatures you call dogs as my gift.”

Jongin had already been on the ground, fully dressed and putting his jazz shoes on when he keeled over to his side and started laughing harder than he had ever done so before. “Oh my god. Kyungsoo. You hardly say a word, but when you do you never seize to make me laugh or smile.”

Dêo really did not know why Jongin was laughing so much. Did he find this to be a joke? This was a serious matter! He had never harbored feelings for anyone before, surely this was the next step?

“Enough talk, come let’s dance a little.” Jongin had risen to his feet, walking over to a small stereo that Dêo has never seen before and watched as Jongin made loud and odd clashing sounds come out of it. He walked over to the latter and stood just in front of him. “Take your shoes off! We’re going to have a little fun.” The other smiled, his face full of excitement and childish behaviors that seemed too innocent for a man of twenty four years of age. “Just do what I do.” Jongin said confidently as he faced the mirror, legs shoulder width apart. Dêo hesitantly, but eventually followed in suit.

Jongin guided him through, instructing him vocally and physically to help him along the process. It was so much easier watching Jongin go through the steps, he would rather just watch him than do the actual work. There was a step he especially hated, it was the numerous amounts of bends Jongin would make his body do, lifting his torso from the ground to his knees. He was not so sure what Jongin called them over the loud music, but doing them to the beat of the song was like torture, he had never felt a burn so powerful before in his abdomen.

By the time the two finished, Dêo was sprawled out on the floor, his face red and forehead forming a thin layer of sweat.

“Your form of dance is so odd.” Dêo said as he panted, his nose twisting with the vexation he felt.

Jongin had gotten up to mess with his phone, it was hooked up to the special little speakers at the end of the room. He giggled, “That wasn’t the dance portion silly. That was our warm up.”

Dêo furrowed his brows.

“You can’t just start dancing without limbering up! You’ll strain something or hurt yourself if you don’t.”

“But you moved so smoothly to the music. You danced to the music.” Dêo tried arguing.

“It was still just a warm up.” Jongin smiled softly as the current song had changed to something slower, something more alluring and appeasing to Dêo’s untrained ears. “It’s a good way to see how well you stay in synch with the beat and rhythm. You do pretty well.” The male smiled as he spun his way over to the male, perfect pirouettes as if gliding on air. “You can sit out for a moment if you’d like to rest. I won’t rush you.” Jongin offered the kindest of smiles as he held a hand out to Dêo.

Dêo took the male’s hand and was lifted with a strong arm.

“I will just… Sit and catch my breath for a moment.” Dêo said as he slowly but shakily made his way over to the side wall with his belongings.

It may have just been his new body, but he did not remember being so out shape.

As Dêo sat and relaxed his muscles, he watched Jongin as the male’s body came to life. Every movement was like its own story, telling the thousands of words it had to offer. The song sang of a hopeless love, as growing hunger for the other yet unable to reach a point for the other. There was nothing but longing and desperate passion that seethed from the way Jongin fell to the floor and danced on the spot. The way his body would contract and retract to standing on his own two feet. It was grace on end. It was beauty blinding the eyes of sin. Oh it was an art that deserved no words, but a touch that could convey all the detail in the world.

Dêo was completely and utterly mesmerized. There was not a moment that he did not take his eyes away from the figure, not even when the song ended could he remove his gaze.

“Bugs will fly into your mouth if you keep it open like that.” Jongin chuckled as he heaved from his chest.

Dêo shut his mouth and blinked quickly.

The two were silent as Jongin walked across the room again, finding his phone to stop the next song from playing.

“…This is the dance of your people?”

Jongin chuckled under his breath again, “Yes, this is a dance of my people. There are all kinds of dances in the world, but these are the kinds that I love most.”

“What is the name of this dance you have done?” Dêo stood to his feet to stand in front of the mirror himself, wanting desperately to do the same as Jongin had just done.

“Well, it’s a fusion really. Ballet and jazz, and some hints of modern.”

“Ballet… Jazz…” Dêo let the words roll of his tongue, he liked very much how they sounded. As he played with the words, he tried replicating one of the dance moves that Jongin had done previously, messing it up terribly and stumbling over his clumsy feet.

“Here, I’ll show you.” Jongin had sauntered his long legs back over to Dêo and found his position in front of the mirror. “Try this first.” He began to move his feet back and forth, slowly enough for Dêo to do as well. “Right, right! Now add this to that.” He added two hand gestures and it almost made Dêo’s thoughts explode in a jumble of messes, just the simple addition became so difficult for his simple body to do all at once.

“Oh no..” Dêo would mumble here and there, he knew he was messing up and it earned the sweetest of laughs from Jongin’s perfect pink lips.

“Okay, right, good!” Jongin enthused the other once the steps were starting to sink into the boy’s body. Although, they were nowhere near as graceful or eye catching as Jongin’s, they were still earnest. “Okay, try this now.” Jongin took a foot back and slid with an arm up and the other down, Dêo really loved the way his limbs looked like a whole piece.

Dêo did as instructed, but for some reason his body would not allow a slide so he hopped back on his small feet.

“No, no. Like this.” Jongin did the movement again, even slower so the male could retain it just a bit better.

A tongue stuck out of Kyungsoo’s mouth, nose scrunching up against; Dêo was trying his darnedest to make his new body move in the simple yet more than complicated ways that Jongin’s did. There was a reality to it that he just simply could not move the way he wanted.

“Yeah, that’s it! Perfect!” Jongin praised and suddenly started to do the dance moves faster, hoping the latter would follow him. But Dêo simply gave up at some point in trying to follow the moves, he tried, he really did try, but it was difficult to keep up! He’d mix up a move from the one before and then mess up the dance and when he would start over to practice again, he was too flustered to remember the rest of the move.

Just at that moment, while Dêo fumed to himself and tried to perfect the steps, Jongin leaned in and kissed his cheek.

Dêo froze, stunned by the sudden and quick contact. When he looked over at Jongin, he found the male smiling from ear to ear, a grin so wide that it seemed to take half of his face.

“What was that?” Dêo asked in a voice that cracked.

“It was a kiss, you derp.”

Dêo furrowed his brows.

“Do Kyungsoo, I think you’re cute.”

Dêo winced. He could hardly find any joy from that just by the simple call of one name.

A name that still did not belong to him.

⋐⋓⋑

“Look at what I have made for you!” Dêo beamed at the male before him.

“Where on earth did you get the stuff to make that?” Jongin raised a questioning brow.

“Baekhyun friend took me to this place. It is a magical place. Grand and endless on size, and inside this place is several little shops. Shops that produce amazing devices and products of the sort. Some sold food that smelled so good that I nearly bought every last but of it with my little exchange card!!” Dêo spoke with grandeur, oh the excitement that filled his little heart. “It is called, Times Square…”

“The mall. Baekhyun took you to the mall. And you used a credit card.”

“Yes. This magical place… Called the mall. Baekhyun friend and I had much fun. It was so much excitement. There was a small box. A box just barely able to fit the two of us, and we sat in it. A screen popped up with our faces and we took photographs. Some were silly and some were serious, but overall, they were fun.” Dêo had got himself up from his couch and scrambled to his coat hanging by the front door. “Here! These are the pictures, they are quite entertaining.” He smiled brightly when he showed the strips of small photographed paper to the male.

Jongin nearly fell over as he guffawed, “Hun, you took pictures in a photo booth! Why do you talk like that? It’s so funny that I have no idea of what you’re talking about half the time.”

Dêo and Jongin were right next to each other, Dêo nearly sitting on Jongin’s lap and shoulder against his front arm, their faces so close as Jongin stared at the pictures. There was a wonderful smile on his precious lips, lips that Dêo only had the pleasure of feeling once in his life and in the time he knew Jongin. Suddenly, Jongin folded the thin strip of paper and ripped and started to shove the paper into his pocket. It was a picture of him smiling in a laugh as Baekhyun ducked out of the picture, the two having pretended to kiss and laughed it off the next.

“Hey!” Dêo exclaimed with a playful smile as he tried to reach for the ripped paper.

Jongin simply teased as he held the paper away and dangled it over the couch arm so the other’s little arms could barely reach.

The two laughed merrily, trying to wrestle one another on the small little couch that occupied Kyungsoo’s apartment. The two liked to hang out every once in a while, it had been a solid three weeks that the two would hang out and go on small dates. Today’s date was a small meeting in Kyungsoo’s apartment since they had not seen each other in a couple days. Jongin insisted that he go over before work, seeming that he really wanted to see the other.

“Hey, wait.” Jongin said to stop their bickering. “What is that anyways? That you made me? Is it a handkerchief?”

Dêo stopped and took himself off of the male, he pulled the white cloth out again and presented it to Jongin once more.

“Yes, it is. I used your initial and have made a crest with it.” Dêo smiled full heartedly, he felt so warm for a moment while watching the other marvel his work. However, he suddenly shut down and felt a bit embarrassed. “I-I made completely myself… N-Not the cloth, however, that I used my exchange card… A-And I know a woman would normally give a handkerchief as a token of her interest, but I just.. I thought.. It is something I know how to make, so, why not make you one?”

“You really made this?” Jongin looked at the other, a smile plastered on his lips still. “There’s not a flaw on this thing.” He said as he inspected the cloth further, it was embroidered with a beautiful gold crest in one of its corners. “Why a handkerchief?”

“Is this not a custom of your people either?”

“Not really.” Jongin chuckled.

“O-Oh. I must apologize. You must not want that, I will take it back—” He reached over to grab the white cloth but Jongin snatched it back.

“No! I admit it’s really weird, but… I like weird.” A reassuring smile placed on his lips as he folded the cloth and stuffed it into his pocket, he had been wearing a white button down shirt.

Dêo smiled complacently back, he felt accomplished with his choice. “By the way…” Dêo had looked at the time coming from the cable box on his television set. “It is eight thirty. Are you not expected in the work place soon?”

“It’s what?!” Jongin exclaimed as he shot up from his seat. “. It’s gonna take me forever to get ready tonight!” He quickly started making his way around the apartment, gathering his jacket and wallet and keys. But just before he exited the apartment, he made his way over to Dêo and kissed his cheek.

Oh how it sent shivers down Dêo’s spine. The feeling of butterflies fluttering about in his stomach extruding everywhere. It was soft and quick, but he loved every minute of it.

“I’m sorry we couldn’t spend more time together. I’ll see you soon, kay?” Jongin whispered as he pinched Dêo’s soft chin.

Dêo simply nodded in response, too dazed to fully comprehend Jongin’s retreating figure.

Oh how he wished the other would stay around forever.

 

 

Later that night as Dêo had been peacefully in his quiet house, messing around the all the embroidery items he had bought earlier in the week. He was starting to become accustomed to his small little living space, he had it to himself and no one to share. There was no nagging mother that constantly berated him with anger. Instead, a bustling old woman would visit him every so often to gift him with food and clothes. Kyungsoo really had a wonderful, beautiful mother.

But as he was quietly in the middle of new project, his mobile device vibrated with the tone of a text message. He leaned over in his desk chair to look at the screen of his phone, a couple messages from Baekhyun popping up.

Look who I found

(picture attached)

Dêo clicked on the photo, a picture of a familiar looking person showing up. Dêo thought he knew the person, but the problem was that the person was a she. Dêo only knew so many she’s in his time on Earth. He looked closer at the picture, the hazy pixelated photo of a woman dancing on the stage showcased her sultry red dress and killer red high heels. Her hair was dark brown, curled so tightly against her head and a mole on her left cheek. She was a voluptuous woman, beautiful in all areas.

Just as Dêo still tried to decipher who the person was, another message was sent. It was a video this time and of course he wasted not a moment in pressing his index finger on the play button.

The music was loud, the bass drowning out what the speakers could hardly pick up. In the video, through dark figures, a stage showed bright lights—red pulsing in designated spots while various other colors had spun as little spots. There was the woman again, once the video had stopped shaking around, Dêo could clearly see her dancing in and risqué manners. The male’s cheeks flared at the sight of such a beautiful woman dancing so suggestively, but there was something so familiar about her. Her makeup was done in heavy amounts, hiding much of the face and reshaping it to look different.

Who is that?

He texted Baekhyun back, yes the woman was undoubtedly familiar but he really could not put his finger on who she was.

It’s ya boi toy dip

Dêo furrowed his brows at the language, nose scrunching. Baekhyun often used ‘dip’ as an insult toward him, but ‘ya boi’ were two totally knew words that he was not so sure he knew what they were.

“Yah… Yay.. Yah boh-I. Yay boo-ie. Yah boo-ie. Yeah boh-ie. Boh-ie… B-Boh, boy! Ya boy! It’s yah boy toy dip.. It’s your boy toy? Is this what Baekhyun friend means? What is a boy toy?”

Dêo was very confused at the moment, but he kept on watching the video—trying to decipher whoever the mysterious woman was. But it was just then when the woman flashed an all too familiar smile. A smile that Dêo was proud to say was burned into his memory.

“Jongin…” He muttered under his breath.

⋐⋓⋑

“Hey, is this not you?” Dêo asked as he slid his phone across the table top. The two were comfortably eating an afternoon snack together at their usual coffee shop. The one they had most graciously met at. Jongin had been talking away, blabbering about all the things he had done in the last couple days since the two had not seen one another. Dêo was just very lovingly watching the male talk.

Jongin smiled brightly as he went to look down at the phone. However, his smile faded as soon as he came upon the sight of the screen.

“Where did you get this?”

“Baekhyun friend had sent it to me.”

“Where the did he find this?”

“He was there. A friend had asked of him to accompany him to a club last night.”

Jongin slumped back against his booth. His jacket riding up and hair tousling against the hood and booth backside.

 It took a great deal of time before Jongin’s cheeks turned bright red and he looked Dêo in the eye. “Yeah. It is.”

“What were you doing?”

Jongin raised a brow, “I mean it’s quite obvious what I was doing wasn’t it?”

Dêo shook his head, “You are dressed as a woman and dancing salaciously for people. I do not understand why this is.”

Jongin his teeth. “It’s ‘cause I dress in drag… Why do I feel so embarrassed?” He muttered to himself. “Look, I dress up as a woman and perform as a profession. What’s it to ya?” He snapped suddenly.

Dêo took himself and his phone back at the hostility emanating from Jongin. He did not really know why Jongin did that for a living but he figured this is a normal thing. This might have been one of those situations where it was normal here and not at his village so he chose not to question it.

“I do not mind.”

Jongin stared at the male in front of him. Sitting up and shifting oddly in his seat. “Y-You mean like you don’t care?”

“I do not.”

Jongin breathed out a laugh, he looked away and wiped his face with his hands. It seemed as if a load had just been lifted from his shoulder. “Jesus, I never know what you’re thinking Kyung. Sometimes I think you’re judging me but come to find out you’re just silently listening to all the coming out of my mouth.”

Dêo offered the male a smile, it felt nice seeing Jongin so listed in spirits.

“…Might I ask though… Why a woman?”

“She is my stage personality. She is everything I am not as Kim Jongin. She is cool and charismatic, silent but deadly. Kim Jongin is a mess. He’s a talkative son of a who doesn’t know when to shut up. She’s successful and making money where Kim Jongin is the college drop-out. He’s an eccentric idiot who’s clumsy and isn’t afraid to wear his heart on his sleeves.” Jongin’s face grew redder and redder with his tirade. He was did not seem angry, nor did he seem embarrassed. He just seemed distressed.

“…You seem to like her a lot more than yourself..”

“That’s the thing though. Both are me… I just.. The thing is, I like both of us. I love her and I love Kim Jongin. So I’m okay with where I am. I love myself and I love her. She’s just everything I’ve always wanted to be.”

“I did not know people could be more than one person.”

“It’s not that I’m more than one person.. I just have a love for her who is cooler than Kim Jongin… Geez, I dunno!” Jongin flew his hands up and sunk back down into his seat. “She is a big part of me, and that’s really it… I don’t think much about it anymore, it’s just who I am and thinking about this is all right now is giving me a headache.”

“Well. I think Kim Jongin is quite cool. I might like him more than he likes himself.”

Jongin chuckled, “Thanks. Kyung. That means a lot.” He looked down at his hands, fiddling with the ends of his jacket. “…Y-You would like her. You should meet her one day.” Jongin could not find his way to Dêo’s eyes.

“I would rather nothing more than that.” Dêo smiled whole heartedly. Yet another part, another secret opened up to him from Kim Jongin. It was beautiful, watching the bud of the man before him bloom into a beautiful rose.

“Her name is Kai.” Jongin smiled wistfully.

“And a very strong and mysterious name that is.”

“People… Think it’s weird that I like to dress as a woman for my personality. I think that that side of me is best expressed like that. Kai was always just a strong, independent person like that.. It felt right showing that confidence through a woman… God and there’s nothing more satisfying than the feeling of walking in high heels, lemme tell you.” Jongin was so animated. He went on and on talking nonstop about Kai and what she had to offer. Dêo thought that she sounded like a wonderful person.

They spent at least an hour more together, Jongin talking like it was his job and Dêo throwing in a sentence or two. But Dêo loved it, he loved every bit of listening to Jongin’s voice and watching the tales he told come to life on his face.

“Hey, I um.. I’m not going to be around during Christmas.”

“Christmas?”

“Yeah. My parents want me over for that week so I can spend time with the family over in Daegu. But they all know and I know it’s only going to go so well. So.. I’ll probably see you for the New Year. Is that alright?”

Dêo was silent for a moment, he did not know when this week of Christmas was or what the family of Daegu meant. “I am sure it will be fine.” He nodded, turning his empty coffee cup around and fiddling with it.

“I’m.. I’m sorry. I really wanted to spend the holidays with you…” He looked up at Dêo and smiled shyly before looking back down at his own empty cup. “I dunno.. I.. I really like you, Kyungsoo. You’re really different… I.. I hope that when I come back that week, we can still talk?”

Dêo was seriously confused at that point. Well, why wouldn’t they talk? “Of course.” He nodded vigorously this time.

“Good.” Jongin smiled, pearls of white baring over at Dêo as he did so. “Then I’ll see you later, okay? I have to go to work.” Jongin started to get up, Dêo sitting up as well and standing as Jongin gathered his things to leave.

Dêo nodded against, that irreplaceable smile on his lips as he watched Jongin wrap his scare on and prepare for the freezing winter air.

“Okay. Text me.” Jongin smiled but not before leaning in and leaving a quick peck on Dêo’s cheek.

Dêo sat back down and watched as Jongin left the store and down the side walk in a brisk pace. He was probably late to work again. The smile on Dêo’s cheeks still had not disappeared and the butterflies he felt in his stomach fluttered like the happy little beings they were. Part of him was already anticipating the next day, where he would be able to see Jongin and talk with him even more. But as he thought about Jongin he remembered and important little detail. He brought his phone to his face and held the middle button.

“What is Christmas?”

⋐⋓⋑

“Funny seeing you here.” Came sultry low voice. Dêo had become so accustomed to the beautiful voice that he did not need to look over, though mildly surprised to hear it.

Dêo was focused on the scene before him, staring with a rather angry looking face at the couple and children skating by. It was chilly, breath coming in white tuffs from every corner. The air was chilled but not freezing, the falling snow acting as a blanket of quiet and shield against the wind. The only illumination available came from the lamp posts and small fairy lights strung about, it made the snow look like small crystals of amber falling in gentle waves from the night sky.

A warm body made its way into the bench next to Dêo; he had not flinched and simply let the body rest against his side.

Thighs touching, shoulders bumping.

They sat like that for a while, the other body shaking his legs and chattering his teeth to the cold. He took a sip of his coffee, the smell filling Dêo’s nostrils in euphoria. Coffee truly was a wonder, an exquisite mystery he had been missing out on for far too long. As soon as the liquid had settled in the man’s stomach and warmed him, he paused his shivering and looked over at the smaller male beside him.

“What are you thinking about?” That deep timbre resonated in Dêo’s body, making a shiver of reality bring him back to the moment. He suddenly returned and realized just how close they were, a light blush hazing his cheeks as he straightened out.

Dêo decided not to answer, it was still best no one knew what was really going on.

By the time the stranger decided Dêo was not going to respond he turned back to view before them, watching the happiness of the other as sipped his coffee.

“I do not understand this day.” Dêo said finally after a moment of calm silence. “It is a religious notion, yet celebrated by those not religious or following of that religion and is idealized as a symbol of innocence. There are stories of a large red faced man in red clothes and yet another story tells the birth of Christ.”

“It seems to me you understand it just fine.” The man snorted.

“But they are conflicting parallels. Why must both exist? Should there not only be one?”

The other shrugged, “I dunno. It’s been this way for centuries now that no one really thinks too much about it. It just is. Just as everyone is complex, so is the holiday. Different people do different things with the holiday.” He chuckled a bit. “You’ve seriously no idea what Christmas is?”

Dêo shook his head.

The man stayed silent, never taking his intense gaze off of the latter for a moment. Dêo could feel his eyes boring down on him.

“Who are you?” He whispered.

Dêo’s body froze.

He looked up with brows furrowed at the man.

“…Who am I?” Dêo repeated, but asked him the question.

Their eyes connected. The man could see every last bit of confusion and desperation through those flowing orbs. Dêo knew he could do nothing, he could not tell this man who he really was. Whose life he was consuming, the deceit he had been feeding into all those who loved Do Kyungsoo.

They stared at one another, the leaning against Dêo’s shoulder getting heavy as a gravitational pull motioned their heads toward one another.

“Jongin?” Dêo’s deep voice sounded so unsure of what was happening, foreign and alien to his own body. The sensations running rampant through his body were unfamiliar, but not unwelcomed.

They had leaned in so close, eyes hazed with a hood of want. Dêo’s heart rammed against his chest, waiting for the moment it would burst and splay out for all those to see. He was nervous, oh so nervous to be so close to Jongin. Jongin who’s lips looked dark and electrifying in the biting night. Jongin who looked so ready to engage in a contact Dêo had never had the pleasure of experiencing before. Jongin who seemed so particularly flushed and drained of life and was ready to let the world fill him up in beautiful despair.

It was light.

Just a simple like touch that nearly drew all the breath in Dêo’s lungs. A simple graze of their lips and noses brushing against one another. Hardly any contact had ensued and yet Dêo had not had enough.

Dêo waited, he waited for more to happen. It was such a devilish pleasure to want more. The smell off coffee lingering heavily on the others breath in sweet caramel waves, making him want to drink what laid beyond the gates of Jongin’s mouth.

He leaned in just a bit more, pursing his lips to connect with the males. His eyes fluttered closed.

Oh how soft it was to indulge in such a moment. Dêo had never felt more at peace being so close to someone.

Just when Dêo thought that it could not get any better Jongin’s mouth began to move, lightly on his top lip. Dêo responded with the same light action not even realizing his body was acting on its complete own, as if he was meant for this very moment.

It was a light and innocent kiss, something both had been wanting to do deep down to each other for a while.

They stayed connected in their kiss for a while, ignoring all the stares that went their way. Dêo’s cheeks felt like prickling fire, he was both mortified yet thoroughly enthused with their connection. Both had entwined their hands and found comfort from eliciting the action from one another. When they finally parted, Dêo his lips, trying to take in all the sweet taste of Jongin’s coffee stained lips.

Jongin leaned in and pressed his forehead on the others. “Go out with me.”

Dêo seemed stunned by the sudden words.

“Are we not out already?”

“No stupid. I’m asking you to be my boyfriend.”

Dêo’s cheeks turned brighter than they already were. “O-Okay.” He smiled through his embarrassment.

“I was waiting for you to ask me to be your boyfriend. But at this point I’m not sure you know what that is.” He whispered through a smile as well, all kinds of mirth surging through him.

Dêo could only smile back with a low chuckle of his own. Little did Jongin know that he actually knew what a boyfriend was and that he had the ability to ask of him that title. He was just too embarrassed to go about it any time soon.

“I thought you would not be back for another couple days.”

Jongin looked down at their entwined hands, the top of Dêo’s pale fingers. “I had to come back early.. I can only stand to be with my family for so long until they really get to me.”

“What has happened?” Dêo pulled back, his face showing nothing but the absolute worry he shared for the male.

“Ah it’s nothing.. The same old with them wanting me to go back to school and to stop liking men and blah blah blah.”

“You would defy your family like that?”

“Yeah… I see no point in being near people who put me in abusive relationships like that.” Jongin shrugged, yet tightening his hold on Dêo’s.

“Wow… That is very brave of you. I did not have the courage to stand up to my mother like that…”

“Your mother? But she seems so nice. She’s always leaving you food and you always talk about her.”

“O-Oh… Yes, that is true.” Dêo nervously chuckled. “S-She just didn’t agree with me on a lot of thing and kicked me out of the house. But it is alright. Mother is kind now. She treats me well.” He smiled trying to cover up his blatant lies.

“Wow. I never would have pegged her for that kind of person.”

“Yeah.. And if she knew this now? To kiss or hold any intimate interactions before marriage, she would never recognize me as a human being anymore.” He laughed a little more, the thoughts of betraying his village’s values and his mother’s words scaring him to an extent.

“You’re kidding right?” Jongin snorted again. “Okay, I knew you were always weird, but I didn’t realize your family was too. And I never questioned it because of the accident, but Jesus you’re so old fashioned.”

Dêo smiled apologetically. If only Jongin knew the true differences between them.

“Ah. Whatever.” He leaned in and placed another kiss, not as long but just as passionate. “Merry Christmas, Do Kyungsoo.”

“Merry Christmas, Jongin.”

 

Humans of earth worked in relationships strangely.

⋐⋓⋑

“Knock, knock.” A bright and peachy faced Jongin greeted his boyfriend early in the morning at his apartment. Dêo had just woken up to the sounds of his door being rapped on and his phone vibrating on the table stand.

Dêo furrowed his brows and quizzically stared at the chirper man before him.

“Good morning sunshine.” He pushed through the front door, hands full of a bouquet of flowers, grocery bags and a red box shaped as a heart. He leaned in and placed a kiss on Dêo’s unsuspecting lips.

“’Morning…” Dêo groaned, sleep still playing on his hazy mind.

“I brought breakfast ingredients to make.” Jongin casually made his way into the kitchen area, placing the groceries down and the chocolates and flowers on the island counter.

Dêo just followed and decided against questioning; it was much too early to question Jongin’s usual antics.

“I know that you’re not allowed to touch the stove so I thought I’d come over and make you something special.” Oh the merriment that Jongin exuded, Dêo loved nothing more than the cheerful glow he had. “And then I thought we could hang out here for a bit, like watch a movie or TV show or something and then we’re going to go to the mall and I’ll buy you anything you want and then we’ll come back here and make dinner and then watch a movie and then…” Jongin trailed off, his smile growing even bigger.

Dêo raised a brow. And then…?

“And then we’ll see where that takes us.” He said as his justification.

Dêo shrugged. “What is the occasion?”

“What? Do I need an occasion to spend the day with more boyfriend?” Jongin snorted.

“O-Of course not! I was just curious to know why you would not be at work tonight.”

“It’s Valentine’s Day you big doof!” Jongin waltzed back over to Dêo and landed another kiss on his lips. “Please tell me you know today is Valentine’s Day? It’s everywhere. All the stores have decorations all the coffee shops have new desserts and drinks.”

Dêo’s face began to rise with his recall. “Oh… Oh! Oh not I’m not ready!” Dêo suddenly ran from the kitchen and down the hall to his room, his surprise for Jongin was not yet completed as he had completely forgotten the date he needed it ready by! What a disaster.

Jongin followed the male down the hall, his own confused yet intrigued smile playing on his lips.

“Kyungsoo? What aren’t you ready for?” Jongin teasingly asked as he neared the latter’s room.

However, Dêo shut the door as fast as he could and locked it. “I’m not ready for Valentine’s! Your present is not ready!” He yelled from behind the door.

Jongin just chuckled, “Alright, well while you do that I’m going to make breakfast.”

Dêo could hear the male’s feet walk away and he relaxed. Now he had to hurry up and finish his little project before breakfast ended, and he was not even sure he would get it done by then.

 

 

It took Dêo nearly half the day just to finish his little project for Jongin. He had not removed himself to eat breakfast or take a shower. However, that was okay, Jongin had burned breakfast anyways.

Jongin had gone up to Dêo’s bed room door and knocked three times. “Kyung?” There was no answer. “Kyung can you please come out? I’ve been here for hours and I want to see your face.” Jongin sounded a bit upset. “You can finish it later and give it to me another time.”

Suddenly, Dêo opened the door, slightly out of breath but still wearing the pajamas he woke up in.

“Here.” He shoved a handful of medium sized pillows into Jongin’s chest. “Happy Valentine’s Day.”

Jongin stood there, completely taken aback.

“Oh!” Dêo ran back into his room and shuffled around before a couple minutes before coming back with a small bouquet of flowers. “I grew them myself.”

A smile slowly spread on the male’s lips as he took the flowers and stared at the beautiful yet minimalistic decorated pillows.

“I know that you do not have pillow decorations on your couch, so I thought this would be a nice addition.” Dêo’s cheeks were bright red as he stared at the pillows, not wanting to look at Jongin in case the younger did not like his gift.

Instead of commenting on them and what he thought, Jongin simply leaned in and kissed the shorter’s cheek.

“Thanks, Kyung. I love it.”

Dêo’s cheeks turned even brighter, his ears feeling it and heart pounding into his throat. “I am sorry I ruined your plans today. But I had to finish this.”

“That’s okay. We still have time to go to the mall and have dinner at my place if you don’t mind.”

Dêo smiled.

“Would you like to go to the mall?” Jongin asked, a twinge of hope resonating in him.

“You know I cannot pass the opportunity up.” Dêo smirked. This was his great chance to purchase more embroidering tools and supplies. Maybe look at a few new interesting things as well, the Mall always had a large amount of different things to offer.

The two gladly got ready, mainly Dêo as he took his shower and changed into a white shirt and black winter jacket to match Jongin’s black shirt and white winter jacket. All courtesy from Jongin’s wonderful imagination.

Oh how Dêo loved the wonderful contraption called the Mall. It was a wonder to all eyes of how big it went into the sky and deep into the ground. It was bright and full of loud voices echoing everywhere. They had even had lunch out in one of the restaurants, enjoying another culture that Dêo had never heard or dreamed of trying. It was called Italian food and a wondrous invention it was. He had purchased a meal called chicken Alfredo and he had never felt so warm and full at the same time. Jongin and Dêo shared the fettuccine, his face messy with the white sauce and overly joyful to be eating such heavenly food. It was Dêo’s treat since he had missed breakfast and Jongin wasted his money by buying the ingredients and burning them later.

Then it was their turn to walk around and window shop. Looking at all the stores and what expensive items they had to offer. However, there was a little shop in the middle of the hall, it was a small stand that held a vast majority of priceless pieces of jewelry. Dêo was captivated by the absolute beauty of them, the shimming sheerness they possessed. 

There was a ring, not too far in the corner. Silver in all its delight and beauty of its feather design encircling it. The design was so beautiful and intricate that they almost resembled vines, and the small crystals of white jewels were the growing flowers. It really was a beautiful little ring.

"Do you like that one?" Jongin asked as he leaned on the male's side.

"It is most beautiful." Dêo said happily. 

"Why don't you try it on?" Jongin's voice was soft.

"Oh no. That is alright. I do not wish to purchase. The price is a bit much."

"Don't worry just try it on." 

Jongin wasted not a moment more and asked the clerk to let him try on the beautiful looking ring. 

Dêo slipped it onto his slim finger, it was now getting to a point where Dêo was starting to forget what it was like being in another body. He was so accustomed to Kyungsoo that it did not seem the slightest bit of weird to slip a foreign object on his finger. It was such a perfect fit that Dêo wondered it must have been fate.

"Wow. Now that's a sight." Jongin cooed as he took Dêo's hand and inspected the small beauty next to the black one on his index finger.

Dêo stared at it with wide curious eyes. They were sparkling as the crystals did in the fluorescent lighting, shimmering with the beauty he saw in the ring. 

"I want to buy it."

"One ring coming up." Jongin said with a glorious grin as he whipped out his wallet. 

"No. I want to buy it."

"Ha. You're funny Kyung." 

"No." Dêo raised a hand and settled it on Jongin's stretched one. "I have to buy this."

"Kyung, it's your special day. I'm buying it." Jongin insisted.

"No! I have to buy this. I have to own at least one thing that I know is mine."

"Why don't you split it?" The clerk nonchalantly slipped in. 

Both males looked at her, quizzical expressions on their faces. 

"It's not a bad idea.." Jongin pleaded. 

"And today is about us. Not just me."

The two smiled after one glance into each other's eyes. Their decision was made. 

"We'd like to split it." Jongin nodded to the clerk, her own face lighting up to ring up the item. 

There was an enormous grin on Dêo's face for the rest of the time that the two walked around the mall. He liked the idea that a part of him and Jongin were in this small little item. One of the first items he possessed that he could call his own was also a part of Jongin. 

Dêo really liked Jongin.

 

 

Dinner was adorably prepared by the two of them together at Jongin's apartment with no interruptions. Jongin instructed the male on what to do as they cooked a gourmet fillet mignon in the oven and a few side dishes. It was delicious as they shared off one plate and ate from the serving dishes. Dêo had never been so improper in his life and he could not help but giggle and love every bit of their antics.

He was happy, full of the widest ranges of mirth and butterflies every time he looked into the other's eyes. It was bliss, a happiness he had been feeling the last two months since he had been in this relationship with the younger.

Just as the movie Jongin wanted to play was going to start, Dêo had been behind the sink washing up the dishes.

“So Kyung…” Jongin called out as he leaned against the counter next to the male.

“Hm?”

“You know… How we’ve been together for a while and all, and we’re always over each other’s apartment? Well, I was thinking…” He paused a moment, it made Dêo look over at him. “I was thinking you should have this.” He held out a silver chain, holding a small sliver key on it.

“Jongin…?” The male questioned.

“I want you to have the key to my apartment.” The smile on his face grew tenfold, his beautiful lips shaping perfectly.

“What? Why?” Dêo’s face flared up, he started to feel that wonderful nervousness again.

“Because I want you to come over whenever you want. I want you to feel like you’re a part of my life more.”

“Jongin I… I…” Dêo’s stutters only caused the smile on Jongin’s face to widen. “Jongin I’m honored.”

“Don’t be. Just take it.” He leaned in and pecked the smaller male on the lips. Dêo smiled, his mind in a daze as the latter walked away to start their movie.

The movie that Jongin had set up kept Dêo intrigued to the fullest content. He loved watching movies and TV shows whenever he had the opportunity at home and this movie proved no different. It was funny and romantic, something Dêo had not yet had the opportunity to experience. There was a moment where the main characters were involved in a dance in a new kind of music, something that Dêo found fun to listen to and nod his head.

"You like this music?" Jongin asked with a smile. His arm had been dropped over the male's shoulders.

"I do indeed."

"Wanna dance to it?" Jongin asked with a sly grin. 

Dêo stared incredulously, him dancing? Now Jongin already knew that was a bad idea. 

"Come on!" Jongin wasted not another second and pulled Dêo from the couch and held their hands together. 

Jongin began to move his hips and feet to the music like he was born for it. All thoughts of the movie had left Dêo's mind as he focused on the mesmerizing male in front of him.

"Move your hips and feet like this. Come on!" 

Dêo tried to follow but he was a little awkward and had a hard time coordinating what his hips did in comparison to his feet. But then Jongin would spin him out and they would come back with almost a snap. Dêo almost felt like a rag doll, yet completely enticed with how close the two were. 

"What is this dance?" Dêo laughed out airily, his lungs trying to keep up with Jongin's endurance.

"Salsa! Come on everyone knows salsa!" He spun Dêo out. "The dance of love!" He spun him back in and tilted the male forward so that their body was flush against one another. "The dance of ." His voice was low and mischievous.

Dêo's eyes widened and cheeks flushed with the sudden change in mood. 

Jongin pulled the latter up with ease, making sure their noses were so close that they could feel each other's breaths on their lips. 

The movie had been long forgotten as Jongin let his hips gently sway into the smaller. Dêo could help but let himself sway back. There was a silence to them that only their eyes spoke, a hazing want for each other slowly building up as Jongin raised his hands and pushed Dêo back down into the couch. Jongin let his legs straddle the sitting male, Dêo’s chest heaving with the anticipation of what was going on. It felt intimate, so utterly intimate being so close and gazing lovingly into one another’s eyes. Jongin let a hand run through Dêo’s soft tuffs, making sure to leave a little tug at the end.

“I’m going to kiss you.” Jongin said in a tone so low and so salacious that Dêo started to feel a new sensation in his stomach, something growing with a burning hunger for more. It was almost a tickle the lower the feeling got and the more Jongin put his weight down.

“But you always kiss me.”

“I’m going to kiss you differently right now.” Jongin said not another word and pressed his lips up against Dêo’s, pressing his body further against the smaller’s and gyrating his hips in a slow and enticing motion.

Dêo was so overwhelmed with the sudden change of the kiss, their tongue were sliding against one another in gradual motions that increased with speed. They had had plenty of kisses like that before, but with Jongin on top of him and rubbing up against him he started to feel a new kind of way.

Jongin positioned himself so that he had his arms wrapped around the male’s neck, deepening the kiss and resting there.

“Are we…?” Dêo asked breathlessly as they pulled away, lips plump with their heated connection. “Are we about to do… Intimate things?” There was a haze in his voice, a greed forming that called out to him so intensely.

“We can.. If you like.” Jongin said just an octave lower.

Not a moment more was needed, and the two found themselves in a beautiful clotted mess under the sheets of Jongin’s bed.

Dêo had honestly never felt so alive. He would not mind taking every opportunity to get more if it ever passed him by.

⋐⋓⋑

Dêo had been laying lifelessly on the ground. His eyes open and mouth drawn open just like the dead body he had seen in the last movie he and Jongin watched together. He had been waiting for Jongin to walk into the living room, to catch him lying there as if just murdered. It was an honest joke.

However, Jongin had walked into the room and walked right over Dêo’s lifeless body.

To anybody walking by they might be mildly worried as to why there was a lifeless body on the floor. Yet Jongin went by unfazed. 

Instead, Jongin walked right out of his apartment door and was off to what Dêo presumed was work. It was about the time he needed to be out and it was a day that he did not usually come over. He thought he would surprise the later like he sometimes did, but Jongin seemed a little indifferent this time. Not even the usual kiss goodbye or slightest mention of a hello or goodbye had been given.

They had been dating for so long now that Dêo was sure he would at least be granted one of those.

But he simply got up and decided not to think much of it and left the apartment.

Dêo's nose crinkled, something turning unsettled in the pit of his stomach.

⋐⋓⋑

A year and counting was what the two lovers had been going on. Dêo was still on his indefinite leave from work, yet he had never been busier. Friends and family got wind of his embroidery skills and constantly sent out requests for personalized items. It was not long before Dêo had his own little business flourishing from his home. He was very content with that aspect.

Tonight, however, was the usual date night that Jongin and him would meet up have dinner, watch a movie and usually end their night in a ual sleepover. Dêo really liked these days, because he knew they would always happen.

However, in the midst of Dêo getting ready he received a text from Jongin.

Don’t come over, have work

Dêo was slightly estranged by the sudden text.

Jongin never had work on Thursday’s.

⋐⋓⋑

I am on my way over, gorgeous. Dêo sent a text to Jongin. Thursday had rolled around again.

Jongin had the habit of not responding to Kyungsoo often in the last couple of weeks, so he decided to wait a bit before leaving his apartment for the other’s place. Dêo along the way also gave Jongin his apartment key, however, Jongin stopped coming over as frequently as he used to.

Jongin also had a lot of work lately.

 

 

It was not until Dêo was half the way to Jongin’s apartment that he received a text saying something he found a bit confusing again.

Don’t come over, I’m tired

long day at work

Jongin did not work Thursday’s.

It was almost two weeks to their one year anniversary, why was Jongin ignoring him so much? He could not even remember the last time he saw the man.

⋐⋓⋑

Dêo felt quite alone as of late. He spent most of his time with Baekhyun now that Jongin did not have time to spend together. Dêo did not mind Baekhyun’s company, but it sure was different than Jongin’s. There was one thing that Dêo finally liked about Baekhyun, he seemed to have accepted the fact that this Do Kyungsoo was different from the last Do Kyungsoo. There was no longer a discrimination or constant bug that Baekhyun had towards him to be the old Do Kyungsoo.

But another Thursday had rolled around. It was the usual date night and yet Dêo still had barely a sliver of contact with Jongin. It was just one week before their one year anniversary and he had been planning all kinds of things to do and making all kinds of things as presents.

However, just as Dêo was about to send the latter a text that he was on his way over Jongin’s face had popped up on the screen. It was an incoming call.

“Jongin? Hello?”

“Hey.” His voice curt.

“G-Good evening.”

There was an awkward pause. Dêo could hear the younger breathe.

“Jongin? Is there something of the matter?”

“Um…” Jongin trailed off, taking a long pause as if thinking of something.

“I-I am on my way over…”

“Uh, no! Don’t come over.”

Dêo stood before his door, key’s shifting awkwardly as he tried not to let the disappointment settle in. “Wh-Why not?”

Jongin did not respond.

“Jong? Is something bothering you? You have been oddly cold toward me as of late. Have I done you wrong?”

“Listen. Kyung. I think we should take a break.”

Dêo was not very sure what that meant, but he decided against asking. “O-Okay. Sure.”

“Just like that? You’re okay with it?”

“O-Of course. I will do anything you ask.”

“O-Oh. Alright. Well. I better get going. So I’ll.. I’ll talk to you sometime.”

“Yes. Of course.” Dêo cleared his throat. “I love you.”

“I lo—” Jongin caught himself before breathing out. “Bye, Kyung.”

Before Dêo had a chance to say his goodbye, Jongin had hung up and his phone ended with a beep.

He did not know why, but his heart felt shattered. His stomach felt like thousands of butterflies were swarming about again, yet these were not the good kind of butterflies. These butterflies were destructive.

⋐⋓⋑

It was one year. One year to the day that Dêo and Jongin had been in a relationship. And it had been over a year since Dêo had been given this new, perfect life. However, it had been a solid week since he had last seen or talked to the male. It had been a solid week that things were not so perfect. Dêo knew that their last conversation was on the odd end of things, but he just simply assumed that a “break” meant a break from seeing each other every Thursday. So he decided to show up at Jongin’s apartment with his home grown bouquet and a small box containing a ring. He wanted Jongin to have a ring like he did, another similarity to share with one another.

Dêo decided to visit without texting or calling Jongin. He wanted his visit to be a surprise, something that would make Jongin feel happy.

However, as Dêo had easily made his way through the apartment building with the use of Jongin’s key, he found himself standing before the younger’s door, a smile on his face and chest puffed out with excitement.

He knocked three times, loud enough for Jongin to hear.

It took a good long moment before Dêo could finally hear shuffling on the other side.

“Kyungsoo, what the are you doing here?” Jongin whipped the door open, after having looked out of his peep hole.

Dêo’s face was still bright, curious as to why Jongin was shirtless and looked sleepy but nonetheless happy to see the latter.

“Hi! Happy anniversary.” Dêo held the beautiful bouquet of flowers and the small velvet box.

“What the…” Jongin stared incredulously at Dêo’s hands.

“I made a day full of schedules for us. Are you excited to go?”

Dêo stared at the other with a wide smile.

“…Listen Kyung… When I said we needed to take a break I mean—”

“Jongin? Who’s at the door?” A deep low voice came from behind Jongin, a tall man with short dark brown curls walking into Dêo’s view.

Dêo’s heart suddenly plummeted to the ground. The man was in nothing but black briefs, rubbing his neck with the sleep he felt.

Jongin sighed as he pinched the bridge of his nose.

“Hey, who is that?” The tall one asked as he tried to come closer.

“Yeol, hey. Not now. Go back to bed.” Jongin turned around and spoke in a calm and gentle voice, yet his face looked ready to kill.

The tall man stared for a moment, assessing the situation a little further before walking away.

When Jongin turned back around he found Dêo’s face pale, almost horror stricken.

“W-Who was that?” Dêo asked in a small voice.

“Don’t worry about it. Listen, Kyung, when I said we needed to take a break I meant it.”

“I-I thought you wanted a break from our Thursday dates.”

“No. It meant from us. Our relationship. Jesus, no wonder why you took it so well. It’s because you didn’t understand.”

“But wh—”

“Why? That’s why. Because you don’t understand anything Kyung. I don’t know who the hell you are, or where you came from. Honestly, at first I really liked you.. God I really really liked you. But I got tired of… Of…” He used his hands to gesture to the male. “Of you. I can’t tell if you’re faking half of the things we go through or not. Like.. This isn’t a joke Kyung, I wish you’d grow up and be a part of the real world for once—”

“I can change—” Dêo’s eyes were turning red with his agitation, the overwhelming emotion of fear and anxiety making him want to cry.

“No, it’s way too late for that. We’ve almost been together for a year and I honestly thought most of your little… Antics would’ve changed by now. But there’s been nothing. Honestly, you’re quite stupid and it gets annoying having to explain everything to you. You’re so weird Kyungsoo.” Jongin shook his head.

The world felt like it was spiraling, one arrow to the heart after the other. It was a feeling he knew all too well, that worthless no good piece of dirt in the world. It was that feeling that everyone was against him and that there was nothing left for him to live for. A feeling people used to make him constantly feel when he was at the village.

“I-I can change..” Dêo whispered in a plead again.

“No. Kyung. Ugh..” Jongin groaned. “…We’re not doing this anymore. We need a break, okay? Just… Just go. Please.” Jongin could not find his way to look at Dêo. “Let’s just not talk to each other anymore, and call it off? Okay?”

“But—”

Jongin held out his hand before Dêo could finish his sentence.

“Wh-What?”

“Key.”

Dêo’s breath hitched as he stepped back. He shook his head as his tears streamed down silently.

“Kyung. We’re not doing this. Give me my key.”

Dêo’s breath came out staggered, but his body moved on its own, taking out the key that he had put in his pocket.

Once the key was placed in Jongin’s hand, Dêo stepped back even further, feeling the distance between the two of them becoming larger without the physicality of it.

Jongin finally looked up at Dêo, his own heart tugging at the crying and scared face of the man if front of him. Despite his age, Dêo really did look young, lost like a child.

Jongin shook his head. “Goodbye, Do Kyungsoo.”

The door shut and he was gone. Not another sound came from behind the door and not a breath released from Dêo’s lungs.

“That’s not my name.” He breathed out in a whisper.

The bouquet of flowers in his hands fell to the floor as he lifted a hand to his heart.

It hurt, something in his chest felt heavy and overbearing on him. His throat was tense and his breathing was constricted.

Something about this all started to feel a little more intense than it had when he was back at the village, for this was Dêo’s first heartbreak.

He dropped the box in his other hand and quickly grabbed for his chest; he leaned over trying to push the tears back down but he could not help it when they fell.

Suddenly, a pulse radiated through him. It felt as if the whole building shook and caused him to stumble. He had no idea what the sudden eruption was but it scared him so much that he needed to run away, to get out as fast as possible from the place.

That was exactly what he did, he ran from Jongin’s front door and out of the apartment building.

Far away from where he could feel suffocated.

Little did he know, that a crack had instilled itself on his ring.

⋐⋓⋑

“Kyung… I don’t feel safe lately.” Baekhyun said lowly, checking over his shoulder every once in a while as the two were walking toward the coffee shop for a small date.

“What do you mean?”

“I-I dunno.. I just feel like someone’s always watching me. Like there are these black figures lurking every corner.”

Dêo knew the feeling, he was getting the same feeling anytime that he was awake. Even sometimes when he had been sleeping, he had been feeling the same exact thing.

“I just… I feel restless all the time.” The two had walked into the coffee shop the ring of the bell taking Dêo out of his trance slightly. “I can hardly sleep at night and I get scared getting out of work and going home. Like my boss actually makes me feel safe now. That’s how I know something’s wrong… And you look like lately. Are you okay? Like I’ve noticed in the last couple of days, but you look absolutely awful today. You literally look like death.”

“Y-Yeah… I’m..” Dêo breathed out. “I am alright.”

Quite frankly Dêo was not alright. Something was wrong.

He felt like he was being watched as well. He could not sleep at night without fear of being watched. It felt as if something terrible would ensue if he turned his back at any moment to these black figures.

Dêo also knew what these black figures were.

They were the Sentinels that he had wished to never see again. He had seen them a couple times before at his village before, but never this often. The more disturbing fact about knowing they were watching him was the fact that they were also watching Baekhyun. Something was most definitely wrong.

 

 

It had been well over two weeks since Dêo had last seen or spoken to man he loved to the moon and back. He had been distraught over the break up, but the constant strain of negativity following him everywhere he went made everything seem amplified. There was a shroud of dark consuming everywhere place he traveled. He honestly could have sworn that each day he woke up he would see just a shade darker than the last. It was odd, but his vision seemed to be fading. 

The ring on his finger felt tighter than usual. The one he first woke up with. Like it would snap his finger in half rather than glisten in the sunlight, however, there was nothing that made the diamond in it sparkle.

"Sweetie. Sit down, please. You've been pacing around the kitchen for half an hour now staring at your finger. And you look awful! Please, sit." Kyungsoo's mother had patted the seat next to her on the couch. She had made herself comfortable with a cup of tea and television blaring with her dramas.

Dêo froze for moment, but he eventually waiver to sit curtly next to his surrogate mother. 

"Now tell me, what is the matter with my baby boy?"

Dêo stared at the woman. He did not know where to start or with what to say. What could he say? He tried before telling everyone who he was, but they decided he needed psychiatric help. It had been long over a year anyways since the accident, there was no way he could keep up that supposed antic. 

"... I'm just tired." The male finally smiled. 

The beautifully aged woman stared at him, a smile on her features that did not seem to give the most pleasant of feelings. "You know. You look like my son. You sound like my son. You walk like my son. You breathe like my son. And you smell like my son... But in reality, you just simply aren't my son. I don't know who the hell you are, but I want my son back. I want the boy who would tell me every little detail of his day and wouldn't be afraid to share his feelings. I want the messy unkempt boy who would scream because he didn't want to wake up for work. Not this shy little boy who grows plants and sows in his spare time."

Dêo felt his heart opening up a new set of wounds, like the previous ones that were trying to heal had been slit up for a new wave of emotions to pour out.

"I'd appreciate it. To just have my son back." 

Dêo stood back up from the couch, look down the hall and catching the white beading eyes of a tall crooked and hooded figure. Its lanky and shriveled arms slowly lurked its way out of its cloak and spread them open, as if beckoning Dêo to them.

Dêo's heart rumbled, the ground shook and his started to spin. It was as if an earthquake had struck the very hour of his soul. He keeled over, grabbing his heart and waiting for the emotions to pass. However, when he looked back up, the wraith was gone. There was no longer a black hooded figure down the hall, and his eyes did not waiver with the fade.

When he looked over to make sure Kyungsoo's mother was okay, he instead, found her body sprawled on the couch. Her eyes had been rolled into her head, drool foaming out the side of as the Wraith withdrew its hand from her forehead. Her tea had spilled all over her cloths and carpet, yet the scolding hot liquid was nothing to make her body react.

Dêo stepped back, horrified by the sight. 

She was not breathing. Not a single raise from her chest showed a sign of life. 

The Sentinel looked up at Dêo, an expectant gaze boring down on him. 

Dêo stepped back even further, putting as much distance as possible between him and the creature. He bolted for the front door, grabbing his keys and wallet before doing so.

He needed to get out. He needed to escape, all over again.

 

 

Dêo stopped running when he finally felt safe. That way was farther past the coffee shop and almost close to the outskirts of Seoul. He had been walking along the side of the road when his phone rung.

"Hello? Baekhyun friend?"

"Look. Kyung.. I.." Baekhyun seemed distressed for some odd reason.

"Baekhyun? What is the matter?"

"Okay I can't beat around the bush, but you’re fired."

"I am sorry?"

"Today, big boss finally made the decisions to cut you off. She said that since you didn't get better by today there's no way you will get better. They needed to make budget cuts man... I'm sorry but I really tried. I really did try to stick up for you. To keep you this job. But... You just gotta come back Kyung. You gotta get your memory back. You need to come back Kyungsoo.... Kyung? ...Kyungso?! Kyungsoo!"

"... I.. I-I Can't.. You know I can't."

“I tried everything in my power to stop it but I just couldn’t. She made up her mind Kyung… I’m sorry but she wouldn’t listen to me. You need to… You need to get better.”

"Baek I-" suddenly, the wounds in his heart began to pour out. The pain began to resurface as an anxious mortification to escape. They were feelings that were reminding him of his time back at the village, his newly deceased surrogate mother and the heart break he felt for Jongin. His heart thundered against his chest, making him stumble backwards and the ground feel like that ominous earthquake. When it stopped he took a look at his hands, they seemed transparent, more so than they ever had. His vision was so dark that he could hardly tell what was going on.

Just as Dêo went to yell for help, Baekhyun cut him off—he seemed distant from the phone. 

"..What are you.. Wh-Who are? What the are you?!" Baekhyun's voice slowly filled with panic, seeming more and more in trouble. "Stop! No! DON’T TOUCH ME!" 

Just as Baekhyun was about to let out a bone chilling scream the line went silent.

Dêo stared incredulously at the blank phone. His vision back and transparency back at opacity.

What on earth just happened? Who was with Baekhyun, and why did he scream bloody murder? 

There was a vague idea running through Dêo's head, especially since his chest pounded and his finger began to hurt. The ring on his finger began to shake, shrinking and undulating violently against his index finger. 

Dêo quickly tried to call Baekhyun back, pressing the redial button over and over as his feet began to pick a pace and run away, yet again. This time however, he was on his way back into the city. 

There was an urgency to his step. A dire need to reach one more person before something happened to him. Before he finally let go of this beautiful life.

 

 

"Jongin!" Dêo furiously knocked on the male’s door. "Jongin please! I beg you open this door!"

It was not long before Jongin appeared in the doorway with a groan. "Kyung for s sake I don-" Dêo barged his way through the door, pushing Jongin aside and frantically looking around.

As he surveyed the living room he caught the sights of the pillows he had made so long ago still on the latter’s couch and the handkerchief that he had made hanging in a frame on the wall. It put a small smile on his face before he turned around.

"Are you okay?! Is anything wrong?!" Dêo asked hurriedly, making his way back to Jongin.

"Holy , Kyungsoo! I'm fine! What the hell is wrong with you?" He asked after taking into account of the way the male before him looked. 

Jongin looked tired, he looked as if sleep had not found his way in a good long while. 

Dêo had half a mind to launch himself into Jongin and kiss the upset look ok the male's face. However, he refrained from doing so and quickly walked away.

"Nobody's here right?"

" you Kyun-" 

"Just answer the question!" Dêo raised his voice as he began closing the blinds in the apartment.

"No! What the are you doin—"

Before Jongin could finish, a crash of pots and pans had fallen onto the ground. The blinds on the kitchen window had been ripped down and fallen into the sink. Dêo had disappeared.

"Kyungsoo?!" Jongin ran to the kitchen and found the latter on the ground, convulsing in movements that looked similar to shivering from cold. 

A weld was growing on Dêo's pale face. His nose had started a slight nose bleed from the pans that fell on his face.

"Jesus ing Christ are you alright?!" Jongin had pushed away the pans and held Dêo in his lap, cradling the male's head.

"I-I..."

Jongin's face fell, Dêo's body was doing something that he did not particularly consider normal. He could vaguely make out the outline of his hand cradling the underside of Dêo's head.

“What the..”

“My name is Dêo.” A soft voice had come from his mouth. 

“Wha—”

“Kim Jongin do you remember on Christmas Day when you asked of me, who am I? And for I could not answer?” Dêo paused a moment, letting the memory resurface. “Now is when I must tell you. Before I parish for good. You must know that my love for you was as endless as this beautiful life allows.”

“Kyung what the —”

“I am not from this world. I am not Do Kyungsoo... For some unknown reason our lives had been traded and I was bestowed his life. I may look like him, but quite frankly I am not.”

“I don't understand..”

“I do not expect you to. I could not ask that you do. But know this. Know that I should not be here. I was not meant to come here. I took the beautiful life of Do Kyungsoo, I took his world away... I ca not live with that anymore. A-And, and—and then! I fell in love, oh I fell in love with the most beautiful things of his life...”

“What did you fall in love with?” Jongin asked quickly, his voice breathless with the way Dêo spoke of his story. He seemed so caught up in it, almost as if he had no room for skepticism.“…You.”

“But I don't understand,” Jongin shook his head, not letting his heart be swayed by the man he knew he still had feelings for. “I fell in love with Do Kyungsoo! You're Do Kyungsoo!”

The ring on Dêo’s finger had shattered, the little pieces trickling to the ground in a beautiful chiming sound.

Dêo shook his head, “I am not. And I cannot stay here anymore. Everyone that was precious in Kyungsoo's life will die if I do. And I have to give back this lovely life to Do Kyungsoo... I have to atone for the greatest sin that I have committed. I took Do Kyungsoo's life away. A sin punishable by death.. Please—”

“Wait, Kyung—!”

“—don't forget me." There was a solemn smile on the male's face as they spoke over one another.

“Kyungsoo! We can—”

"I promise I'll make—”

“—work this out!” Tears began to rush down Jongin's face. He could not understand why Dêo was disappearing right from his very grasp.

“—things right.”

“KYUNGSOO!”

⋐⋓⋑

Everything was dark.

A bitter cold chilling him to the bone.

There was nothing. Nothing in the space that allowed it.

Dêo was on the ground of a dark and pitch black room. He felt bare, like not a spec of clothing had covered him. The same had been in front of him. It almost seemed like a mirror, like he was looking at himself yet eyes closed in the curled position he laid in. 

Not a breath rose in the chest across from him. Not a stir of life resonated on this person. Pale skin glistened in the dark room. Even Dêo's own body had its illuminance in the black.

“Kyungsoo...” Dêo thought out loud. His voice echoing into the nothing that surrounded them.

“It is nice to finally meet the man in which everyone so graciously talked of.” His thoughts were being projected aloud. A force speaking the things thought privately.

Dêo did not know how long he laid there, just staring at the fetal person before him. He just laid there, learning everything about the face that had once been his. It made him wonder if he too still looked like Kyungsoo or if he looked like Dêo.

“Time to wake up Kyungsoo.” Dêo reached a hand out to the closed eyes before him. “Thank you. For the beautiful life you had.” 

As his palms rested on the male's eyes he shifted them up, letting Kyungsoo's open. 

“Wake up.” A whisper echoed into the Nothing. A white light taking Dêo's vision and blinding him from everything around.

⋐⋓⋑

One eye after the other slowly opened.

Dêo was still in one piece. His body was intact and he could clearly differentiate that he was in his old body in comparison to Kyungsoo’s. The way his knees buckled in just slightly and the thinness of his thighs versus the thick and slightly muscular ones of Kyungsoo’s. He was still and in the void of Nothing, however, what looked like thousands upon thousands of stars and galaxies had illuminated all that was around.

Dêo looked up, finding a bright pool of light just beyond where he was standing. It looked as if there was no solid ground that his feet were feeling, it made him a bit woozy, but he was alright so long as he knew that where he stepped would not be over an edge.

When he turned around, he was met with a great dark looking creature. It looked all too similar to the Sentinels that had hunted him not so long ago and took the lives of those he found precious. However, there something most different about this Sentinel. It was large, a size so grand that Dêo had to crank his neck upwards to really get a good look at the beady white and glowing eyes it possessed.

“Who… Who are you?” Dêo asked. His voice echoing in the infinity of space.

The large creature had not said a word.

“Wh-What… What am I doing here?” Dêo looked around quickly, trying to find his answer. “Where am I?”

Instead of giving a vocal answer as Dêo would have hoped, he was given a slow movement from the creature’s hands. Its arms raising and a form of light creating in the small space between the boney and black extremities.

Suddenly, the light exploded into and array of little tiny lights. Galaxies and universes exploding throughout the entire space that the two occupied. The tussles of hair on Dêo’s face blew gently in the wind that passed him by, clusters of stars breaking apart upon impact with his face.

As Dêo dared not take his eyes off the outstanding moment before him, his eyes lined with unconscious tears. The wind blowing them away and letting them float into the spots that the stars were waiting to rest.

“By the Heavens… Almighty Celestial. The great Celestial.” Dêo fell to his knees once the stars and galaxies had seized. He looked up at the creature, a smile ever so gracious on his lips as he did so. “I am honored to be in the presence of the one my people revered as holy and mighty.” Dêo bowed his head, letting his hand place on his chest as he greeted the mighty creature.

The great Celestial had nothing to spare of words, instead, it held up a shaking finger and pointed to the large pool of light that rested behind Dêo.

He looked over his shoulder, wondering why it was that the Celestial wished him to look at it.

Dêo slowly stood to his bare feet and made his way over to the floating light. He craned his neck over the light, noticing that the pool of light was more of a well than anything; but as he stuck his head inside, the walls around turned black and a spec of white was settled at the bottom. Dêo squinted his eyes, for he could not tell if his eyes were playing tricks on him—it seemed as if the light below was gradually getting bigger and bigger. But alas, his eyes were not playing tricks on him. The light below grew large and turned into a place he knew all too well.

There was a car, from the top view, and a person laying in front of it. Another man had been holding his hand out and asking in a distant voice if the person was alright. There was another shrill voice as it came running into the scene, yelling ‘Kyungsoo! Kyungsoo!’ as it neared.

It started to hurt as Dêo watched it all over again.

He was once the man sitting in front of the car, heading spinning with the sudden infusion and senses frozen to the change.

Dêo eventually sat down. He did not know how long he sat there for, but it was long enough to watch the course of two weeks fly by in the world he was watching. He had been watching as Do Kyungsoo settled back into his life, as it should have previously been.

Everything was as it should have been before Dêo messed it up.

Everything was in its right place.

But it hurt.

Yes, it hurt an awful lot.

However, Dêo did not realize how hurt he truly was until he gazed upon the day he met Kim Jongin.

Everything had been playing out as it did so long ago. Baekhyun was getting up from his seat and Jongin was moving to sit in the newly vacant spot. Kyungsoo had cheeks brighter than the sun as he stared into Jongin’s eyes. He did have a crush on the younger from all that time ago.

This was what was right.

Kyungsoo was supposed to fall in love with Kim Jongin.

Not Dêo.

Dêo almost had not the heart to watch them. To watch as Jongin’s face fluctuated between the smiles and disapprovals. The hurt in his heart waved over him like a hot smack to the face. He felt mortified. To think he could ever be with Kim Jongin? To think he was the one who should be sitting in front of the other? How dare he.

But he did not stop there. He kept watching and watching as Kyungsoo and Jongin went on their dates. He kept watching as their relationship tried to bud into the beauty that was once his own. But as the first kiss on his cheek rolled by, Dêo had just about enough.

“Please… Celestial.. I cannot bare to look upon these images any longer.. I.. I have been punished enough by your will. The sin I have committed has been repaid, please, I do not wish to gaze upon this life any longer…” Dêo breathed out, his voice trembling as he looked away. Shutting his eyes in hopes to remove the images engrained into his skull.

The great Celestial stared at Dêo with its piercing white eyes, shadowing over every movement the boy made.

“I am ready for my final act, Celestial. You may take me and do what you must. There is happiness in Jongin’s life and I must—” He paused as the simplest shred realization dawned upon him. “No…” He turned back to the images of Jongin and Kyungsoo chatting comfortably. “If anything, he looks different. There’s something missing in his eyes when he smiles… But he is content. He is happy with what he has and what he is doing; but there is that spark of something missing.” Dêo furrowed his brows, his soft features contorting with his confusion. “I do not quite know what it is, though.” He suddenly straightened his back and let his features sooth into a soft smile. “…He will find his happiness. He will find his true happiness, I am sure of that. He is content now but when he grows to love Kyungsoo, as he should have, then I am sure he will have that spark.” Dêo relaxed and let his head tilt to the side as his smile widened. “Yes, this is what is right. I believe in his happiness. I know everything will be just alright.” He turned over his shoulder to gaze at the Celestial, its overpowering stare seeming less harsh now. “Then these are my terms Celestial. I give myself to your will.”

Dêo gave not another glance to the images and started his walk past the Celestial. In the corner of his eyes, however, the Celestial had held up its hand. Dêo stopped in his tracks, looking down at the decrepit black hands and bony features it possessed.

He was not afraid anymore. There was no reason to be.

Instead, he smiled.

He reached his hand out to place on top the Celestial’s.

There was bright white light, capturing everything in its ever glowing path. But there was no light brighter than the smile Dêo had.

⋐⋓⋑

Dêo woke slowly, his eyes fluttering with the only light coming through the window. His head was placed upon a soft fluffy substance, his body wonderfully relaxed in content as he woke with life.

There were walls surrounding him, all filled with pictures and wall units, dressers and cloths, a small TV upon the dresser and all kinds of small messes scattered about.

Dêo was confused. He was in what looked to be a modern home, but that couldn’t have been right. The Celestial had taken him, had it not?

As he sat up to get a better view, he noticed he was wearing an outfit that Jongin had once picked out for him. It was his dark skinny jeans, a dark logo-t and light cardigan. He stared at his sleeves and then his hands, turning them over to check if they were real. He brought his hands to his face and felt for anything that could be missing, but it was all there. All of his face had been intact.

The bed he was on was covered in an airy dark gray comforter, the sheets being sprawled around and crumpled as if someone has been sleeping in it for a while.

He let his feet hang off to the side of the bed, touching the fluffy carpeted ground with his socked toes. He was still apprehensive as to what he was doing, but he looked back up and out the window. There was a glare, too bright for him to look out of, but it was open. The early spring breeze and morning bustle of kids laughing from a nearby school had been pouring in, a warmth spreading through Dêo’s chest upon hearing it.

Everything in the room was familiar. It had been all the items he had bought when he was Kyungsoo. None of it was Kyungsoo’s but purely his. The room was not his, he had no recollection of the room in the slightest, but everything else was familiar.

He stood to his feet and turned his head to look out the opened door of the bedroom. It led down a small hall out into an open space where Dêo suspected would be a living space. His natural response was to walk out into the apartment and see just who lived here or what was going on, but as he started out the room, he caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror just about his dresser.

“It is me..” He muttered as he brought a hand up to his face, staring at a sight he thought he almost forgotten. Yes, he undoubtedly looked like Do Kyungsoo, but this was his face. It had been a good long while since he last got to look his own face, it felt right.

He let his hands roam his jaw and mouth for a moment until his eyes fell upon the sight of two pictures snuck in the frame of the mirror. It was him and Baekhyun from the day they smooshed into a booth at the mall.

Dêo’s face nearly fell upon the sight, he was so utterly confused now. Even though he took that picture as Do Kyungsoo, the man in the picture was most definitely Dêo. In order to understand what in the good name of the Celestial was going on, he kept on out of the messy room.

On the desk was also a ring he remember buy with Jongin so long ago. When he put it onto his finger he could not help but admire how it still fit perfectly.

There was virtually not a sound coming from the darkened apartment. The lights had all been off and every door opened wide, as if there was someone recently going about them. Even the bathroom looked like it had a freshly made mess of getting ready in the morning, something Dêo would never quite get used to.

As he walked down the small hall he noticed the extra door to his left. Inside was the makings of his embroidery work. A desk had been placed against the wall with rows upon rows of sewing string. Pins and needles lined every which space, objects that had not been finished were scattered across the small room. Despite the mess it still seemed as if everything was in its respective and perfect place. Most of the supplies that rested on top of the desk were the small things he had bought during his time as Do Kyungsoo.

There was a softness in his heart, a smile spreading upon his lips as he left the room. Some of it might not have been any of his belongings, but the sight made him nothing but happy.

When he left the small room he finally walked into the living room, it was connected to the kitchen by a small step. It was not a very large space like Kyungsoo owned but, in fact, just the right size of a single person.

Dêo wandered past the couch and to the wall shelves just on the other side of it. It was comforting and warm for some reason, plants placed about here and there, paintings strung on the walls that seemed to be done from an oddly familiar hand. But upon the shelves were books and trinkets of the like; all items he bought as Kyungsoo.

However, there were a few things that seemed out of place. There were a couple picture frames, black on the edges and vertical with position. The first picture made him visibly cringe, hunch his shoulders and shy his eyes away.

It was a long forgotten memory to him. One he wished would never surface again.

It was a picture of himself, standing next to his mother and brother. There was a question of how such a picture was taken when he distinctly remembered there never being technology in his village. Even so, there was a slight gratefulness to the picture. No, he did not want to see his mother, but he was okay with the sight of his brother. After all, they were once the definition of home.

In a second black frame there was another picture of him and Baekhyun. This picture had never been taken before to Dêo’s recollection. It was just the two of them standing outside of a café that he had never seen before. Baekhyun’s arm was wrapped around his shoulder while his other was holding an eccentric peace sign. Dêo himself was just barely smiling, a little shy—most likely from Baekhyun’s contact.

No matter how hard he tried searching for the memory, nothing surfaced. It did not make any sense to his jumbled mind. Then again, he was already having a hard time figuring the situation out.

Dêo eventually moved on from the frames and to the kitchen. Passing a desk full of papers, pencils and pens, a laptop, a telephone and an ID system, a passport, a wallet and a keychain full of numerous keys. He would check them later. First, he wanted to check out the window in front of his sink.

Outside the window was a rooftop full of all kinds of plants. He gasped upon the sight and covered his mouth. A smile danced on his lips. The plants ranged from all sizes and all types, tall and lean to small and poofy. Flowers colored the garden as splashes amongst the green and everything seemed perfect. A small rickety table and a couple folding chairs sat in the middle of the rooftop, little fairy lights decorating the various plants around the table. Dêo could only imagine how beautiful it must look at night when all the lights are on. But oh ho he adored it. He had always talked about having his own little greenery, decorating it real nice with little lights. It was something he used to talk about with Jongin when they would have their cuddling moments on dates.

Suddenly, a telephone began to ring; it caught him very much off guard. Dêo jumped at the sound and turned to find wherever it was coming from. His mind had slipped of where he had seen a telephone and let his head search in all directions for the source of the sound. By the time he had even come close to finding it the sound of the voice machine went off.

“Please leave a message, after the tone.” An automated voice said; strategically following after was a sound of a beep.

“Yo D! It’s Baekhyun, you gotta stop ignoring your phone man. I feel like a grandma calling her son’s house phone, no one even has a regular home phone anymore. Okay, at least bachelors don’t. Never mind. I was calling you because…” He paused, a long silence filling the room. “Geez, how to a say this?” He breathed out, sort of mumbling to himself and away from the phone. “..Well, quite frankly.. I miss you. I don’t know what the hell’s wrong with me, I know that we hung out just a couple nights ago, but I seriously feel as if this weird.. Gap tore us apart. It was like you were gone for so long.. And like there was a time we never knew each other existed, and I missed you. I missed you, the person I didn’t know. I’m not crazy, I swear. I think it was just the bad dream I had. You would not believe the ridiculous dream I had about you. You were like some person from another world who lived in the body of one of my best friends and it was crazy. I mean, I think I had the dream because you guys really do look alike. Like the straight up doppelganger of one another. You should meet him, he’s a cool guy—anyways! I just wanted to call you because, god damn it I miss you. And we should get some coffee soon, so I can tell you about the weird dream I had. Text me your schedule or something, I want to know when you’re free. Alright, well I gotta get back to work. Queen bee’s gonna eat me out if I don’t make this call short. So text me!!” He exclaimed. “I miss you.”

The message ended with a beep.

Dêo had found himself seated on the side of the sofa, staring aimlessly at the caller I.D as he listened to Baekhyun talk away.

Oh if only he knew the amount of truth to what he was talking about.

Dêo would have picked up his phone, but he couldn’t help but listen to Baekhyun go on and on about whatever it was he had to talk about. It was nice to hear the male’s voice after being away for so long, he truly did miss the male, too.

As he sat there thinking about the voicemail he couldn’t help but wonder just how much of this was real. Was he really back on Earth? Was he really back in Seoul, starting a new life as Dêo and yet keeping the aspects of his life as Kyungsoo? Like his friendship with Baekhyun? An apartment to live in and all the things he needed for a new life? It all felt so surreal, so uncharacteristically out of place that this second chance at life was given to him.

He wondered if something went wrong. Maybe he wasn’t meant to come back? Maybe the Celestial made a mistake? But there was no questioning the Celestial, chances are the Celestial did not make a mistake.

Dêo finally got up after the initial wave of shock started to die down. He walked over to the desk and picked up the wallet sitting on top. Inside was his driver’s license, two bank cards, a couple shopping cards and a few bills resting in the large pouch. He put the wallet down, furrowing his brows and wondering how he was given an identification as himself without ever having the proper requirements. He had no birth records, he had no guardian to vouch for him. Everything was slowly making less and less sense.

As he thought about what was going on, his cell phone began to vibrate. He quickly got up and checked on why it was going off and making such a pretty chiming voice. It sounded as if an alarm going off.

There on the screen had been the word: Reminder: Work tomorrow morning

Work? What work could someone who’s never stepped foot in this world have?

Dêo tapped the message and looked at the details that followed.

Go on website and take requests

Right under it was a link to a website that Dêo wasted not a moment to click. It was a website dedicated to all the works he had done. Pillows and their designs that were for sale, handkerchiefs and place mats with his special designs. All kinds of items had been for sale, most out of stock.

“Holy —” The words slipped out of his mouth and he quickly went up to catch his mouth.

A small smile spread his lips as he realized that he had just cursed. He always liked hearing Jongin say vulgar things, it was a wonder he had not started sooner.

As the night rolled around, Dêo made sure to send Baekhyun a text, telling him that they should meet up soon. It was something he was most definitely looking forward to.

Time seemed weird at this point. It had been almost a year and half since Dêo had left the world as Do Kyungsoo. That meant it had been almost a year and a half since he had seen everyone physically. But Dêo really did not care. What was important to him was the fact he was living a new life. One where people actually wanted him, one where people accepted him as who he was. No one was constantly asking him to change.

 

 

Two weeks had gone by with such ease. Things were perfect. Dêo really could not complain about anything.

It was even a regular day today. It was about noon when Dêo was on his usual route to the coffee shop. He was complacent, ready for the day and eager to get his favorite cup of caramel cappuccino.

However, as he stepped into the doorway, a man had been walking out and crashed into him. The coffee in his hands had spilled out all over Dêo’s shirt and jacket, causing him to yelp at the scalding heat.

“Oh my goodness. I’m so sorry!” A familiar voice said in a rush.

Dêo simply stepped back and tried to keep the heat from burning too much.

“Oh , I’m so sorry. Please here, let me.. Just.. Ah..” The man tried grabbing Dêo’s shirt, using his other hand to wipe the stain with a napkin. On one of the fingers Dêo could not help but notice a ring that looked so very familiar. Similar to one that he had bought once so long ago to celebrate a one year anniversary.

“It is quite fine.” Dêo chuckled, cheeks ablaze at the recognition.

The man quickly pulled away, his face frozen in fear.

Dêo’s own face fell as he stared into the man’s eyes. It seemed that not a sliver of recognition showed itself present in the later.

Kim Jongin seemed to not remember him.

“Ah.. If you will excuse me.” Dêo bowed politely.

Jongin nodded his head, a questioning look on his face.

“Oh. Sorry about your drink.”

“No! Don’t be! I really should be the one who’s sorry…”

“Right.” Dêo nodded and scrunched his nose up in distaste, that signature facial movement he always used to do. The awkward pounding in his chest made him want to escape the situation all the more. His cheeks flared and he did everything in his power to avoid the other’s gaze. Oh how he wanted to just crawl under a rock and hide the mortification he felt. 

But upon the sight of  Dêo's crinkled nose, a wave of realization had washed over Jongin's face.

“D-Dêo?”

 

 

 

---

For some reason the story copied itself seven different times on here and I literally almost cried at how slow it took to edit this until I realized how many times the document copied.

But honestly, I have no idea of what I wrote. I’m not sure even I understand this.

The beginning scene in the village, that was what the dream I had was based off of. I had a dream I was being chased around by the ogre and then this guy who looked like a shinhwa member came up to me and offered me a new life. And then the guy who was Jinnian was actually taemin in my dream. But don and Jinnian are actually shinhwa members Jin and Dongwan

This story definitely took some turns I was not expecting... Idk if I like this anymore

If you don’t get anything please let me know.