[CHAPTER 22]

"Friends"

Everything felt so sudden. All the things that InGuk have just told Hongbin was almost too hard to digest completely. The 'truth' was almost too frightening to accept especially when Hongbin realized that he, too, was almost bound by a place known as fate. Who would've thought that fate could be so scary and so uncontrollable? 

Hongbin swallowed hard. 

He sat there, trying to remain calm as he continued to hear about what InGuk had to say.

"I don't get it. How do you know that Hakyeon is looking for me?" the younger asked. "It's impossible..."

They've already erased his memories of me, so how can he possibly remember everything about me now and out of no where?

To be honest, erasing Hakyeon's memory of him was more of a punishment for Hongbin than death itself. Hongbin wasn't afraid of death but he was more afraid of losing Hakyeon. He never thought that falling in love would also mean that he would grow to fear of losing someone in the end. They told him that it was for the best of Hakyeon's fate, that the older would forget about ever meeting with Hongbin but Hongbin didn't want that at all. He went through so much in order to defy the laws and stay with Hakyeon. He knew that it would not last since the beginning but he had hoped, even if it was just a little, that he had hoped to stay with Hakyeon forever.

But now, a new fear grew within him as he listened to InGuk's story about the Goddesses and the secrets behind Moirae's Edge.

He was told that he didn't exist. He was told that no one born within the universe of Moirae's Edge would have ever existed if it wasn't for the Goddesses' powers. Would that mean he isn't real? If so, what exactly is he? Is he even considered to be anything at all?

A puppet... those words rung through his mind as he clenched at his heart with fear. 

"Hakyeon remembers you," InGuk continued.

"But how?!" Hongbin was in disbelief to know of such a possibility. "They've already erased his memories about me, so how would he remember? There's no way."

"That's what we all thought. But he really does remember you."

"How do you know for certain? I..."

"His book is back in our possession. And we were able to read about what is happening to him right now again," InGuk told him.

"Our? Who?"

"You should be thankful for having some good friends here. Even if they know that they're breaking the laws to help you, they still did it."

They... friends... in an instant, Hongbin knew of the answer because there would only ever be two people nosy enough to care for him.

"Jaehwan-hyung... Wonshik?" Hongbin asked to confirm even though the answer was rather obvious.

"That's right. Those two have stolen Hakyeon's book from the council's possession and is trying their best to help you."

"But that means they'll get into trouble too!" Hongbin worried. "Why would they do something like that?"

"Because they're your friends. Because they're just as crazy as you are when you decided to venture into Hakyeon's story even though it was obviously against the rules," InGuk let out a sigh.

"I see..." Hongbin almost felt sorry for making his friends go through all the trouble that he's caused alone. "But how do you play into all of this? I thought you... didn't care."

"I don't. Well not really about you anyways. I could care less about what happens to you or Cha Hakyeon," InGuk said boldly.

"What?"

"But I'm sick and tired of being controlled by those that call themselves fate. Being controlled and watched over by people you have never even met before and also the fact that I have to live by their beliefs rather than my own... it makes me nauseous just thinking about it."

InGuk have spent his entire childhood being bound by the laws of fate and the fear for the Goddesses of what they could do. Yet, throughout his time of fear and uncertainty, never has he met these so-called Goddesses before. He became to question why he had to fear of something he's never seen and why he had to continue to obey these laws or living in fear. He was told his existence was nothing and that he, along with everyone else, was just a puppet created by fate. He was forced to follow fate's rules instead of having a mind of his own. Even though he tried to be different from everyone else around him, he was forced to conform with the majority instead. If he didn't, who knows what would happen.

He's lived for a long time doing the things he didn't like and he thought that he would continue with this life until the day he dies. However, it all changed when he realized that he wasn't the only one who wanted to go against fate. 

It wasn't just Hongbin who broke the rules but also Hongbin's close friends, Jaehwan and Wonshik, as well. Despite the two being placed in high ranks of Moirae's Edge, they've come to place friendship over their positions. They valued Hongbin as a friend more so than their own lives. They were willing to break the rules, disregard the consequences and throw away their reputation in order to help Hongbin become happy again. 

"It was the first time," InGuk said aloud. "Those two told me it was the first time that they've seen you so engrossed into anything at all. They couldn't bare seeing you fall and lose yourself again like you did for a long time. Both of them just want to see you be able to follow your path and belief. They want you to be happy even if it means throwing away everything they've achieved so far."

"They're both so... stupid," Hongbin almost wanted to cry and smile at the same time. He's thankful for having Jaehwan and Wonshik by his side after all. The two of them never once gave up on Hongbin in the end.

"That's why I want to help them. I want to see Moirae's Edge fall into despair, watch the Goddesses' lose their control and power. I want to be free and be able to find the true reason of why we exist," InGuk told the younger. "I believe it's possible and that possibility can only start with you."

"Me?"

"Even though we can fight fate together, there are still many who believes in it. Even though we want to defy it, there are many who will continue to protect it. Despite the fact that both you and Jung Taekwoon have met Cha Hakyeon already, he continued to side with the Goddesses. He meddled with humankind but not because he wants to achieve freedom but because he wants fame and recognition. He's a good example of the perfect puppet for the Goddesses and surviving their beliefs. He is dangerous. Jung Taekwoon is willing to do anything to stop you from meeting Hakyeon again," InGuk warned.

"How could he... he's the one who changed Hakyeon's course of fate first! Yet... it's so unfair that only I received the punishment."

"It is unfair. His punishment was almost nothing compared to yours because he still wags his tail in front of the Goddesses as well as the facility. That's why you have to fight him and help me destroy the facility's powers once and for all. Free us all from the grasp's of fate. That way, you can be together with Cha Hakyeon again. Don't you want to be with him?"

"I do! A lot too!" Hongbin said. "It's the first time that I've ever felt this way before... liking someone so much to the point that it hurts. But what powers do I even have?"

"Don't worry. Both Jaehwan and Wonshik has found a solution. We thought it might be impossible to fight at first but ever since we found out that Hakyeon remembers you again, the impossible is now possible."

"What do you mean?"

"As long as a part of you continues to exist inside of Cha Hakyeon's story, anything is possible. Even the possibility of creating your existence."

My existence...

~

He’s real. No matter what anyone says, I know that he exists! 

Hakyeon have told both Minhyuk and Eunji about the young man named Lee Hongbin. He’s told them everything he could remember about Hongbin even though neither of his friends had any recollection of ever meeting such a person before. It was hard for them to digest at first and they might have even thought that Hakyeon have finally lost himself but the persistence in his eyes made them want to believe. Though they couldn’t remember ever meeting Hongbin before, they decided to believe in Hakyeon’s words and story.

”I used to not be able to believe anyone, I didn’t want to let anyone inside my heart ever again. That’s why it took me so long to get close to you two. I know that the both of you cared a lot about me and really tried hard to make me feel at ease but because of what happened back in Changwon... it was hard for me to move on,” Hakyeon revealed.

He told them everything.

He told them about his past, his hometown, what happened with his family and about Jung Taekwoon. 

Neither Minhyuk or Eunji could have imagined that so much had happened to Hakyeon in the past but they also came to realize that it was because of what happened before that made it hard to approach their friend. It wasn’t because Hakyeon didn’t want to be their friend but because Hakyeon was afraid of hurting them unintentionally.

”I’m sorry,” Hakyeon said. 

“What are you sorry about?” Eunji said with tears forming slowly in her eyes. She’s waited for a long time until Hakyeon was ready to tell them about himself and now that he did, she couldn’t help but empathize with him. 

“She’s right, there’s nothing to be sorry about,” Minhyuk held tightly onto Hakyeon. “I’m just so glad you’re still you and that you finally wanted to tell us about yourself.”

The two friends continued to hold tightly onto Hakyeon without letting go. Their hugs were comforting and warm just as Hakyeon had imagined it to be. He’s glad that he’s decided to trust in them and share his story with his two greatest friends. 

“I’m glad to have met you two,” he said as he wiped the tears in his eyes as well.

Moving on was a difficult thing for Hakyeon to do and it wouldn’t have been possible if it wasn’t for his encounter with Hongbin. Though every trace of Hongbin’s existence was gone, Hakyeon was certain that the younger was real. He sat there in his new apartment, where Hongbin used to live and reminisce about the past. Ever since he met Hongbin, he would frequent the younger’s apartment more so than his own. Hakyeon felt more relaxed being in this room more so than his own. He felt at ease even as he lied there to stare at the ceiling all night long. 

It’s strange isn’t it? Even though you’re not here, it still feels like you are... He thought to himself as he continued to think back at the two years they were together. 

But Hakyeon doesn’t understand why he would suddenly forget about Hongbin in the first place. There was just too many questions he wanted to ask yet no one could answer him. 

As Winter holidays began, the emptiness inside of Hakyeon’s heart felt more apparent. He could feel Hongbin’s missing presence more than ever since the past two Winters, he had spent it with the younger. But this year, he was alone.

Aside from moving his apartment into Hongbin’s place, he also took out his savings and bought the old secluded building from around the corner of the neighbourhood. Yes, the building where Hongbin’s bookstore is supposed to be. 

The building was still empty and untouched. The place was barely standing still and there was much to be done in order to make the building functional again. But Hakyeon didn’t give up hope. He thought that by buying this store that it would one day help him find out what happened to Hongbin. 

Clank. Clank. Clank.

As obnoxious as those sounds were, Hakyeon couldn’t stop himself from hanging a replica of the tin cans he remembers each time he walked into the bookstore. He also tried to find similar furnishing to create a replic of how the bookstore once looked like. To his surprise however, Hakyeon was able to find almost everything similar to how the bookstore once were from nearby antique shops. 

They were all stores that Hakyeon used to walk pass a lot and always think how he wished he could have a place of his own with similar furnishing. Strangely enough, now that Hakyeon thought about it, the bookstore interior was exactly to Hakyeon’s taste. Yet it was so different for Hongbin. He thought that it might have been due to Hongbin’s grandfather being the actual owner of the bookstore but it could also be that there was many other things that Hakyeon doesn’t know about the younger man.

For instance, where is this grandfather that Hongbin keeps talking about but have never met or seen a picture of during the two or so years that they’ve been together? Hongbin seldom talks about himself and he’s full of mysteries compared to Hakyeon who tried to keep his past a secret. 

Hongbin have only ever mentioned a bit about his two friends back home but exactly where is this ‘home’ that Hongbin always talks about? Even now, Hakyeon doesn’t remember ever hearing Hongbin mention the name to his hometown except that it was overseas...

This made Hakyeon question about the younger even more. Just who is Lee Hongbin? 

Clank. Clank. Clank.

Hakyeon turned towards the sound of the tin can to see the doors open. 

“Sorry, we’re not actually open yet...” Hakyeon wanted to say but in an instance, he was stunned by two men who walked in.

One had ash purple hair, droopy brown eyes and a sharp intimidating aura around him whereas the other who walked in, felt more friendly. The other had blondish short hair and a tall nose, looking almost like a foreigner. It gave Hakyeon quite a shock to see two rather good looking men suddenly walk in to the store. 

“Um, this place is still under construction so...” Hakyeon found himself having a hard time greeting the two strangers.

”We know,” one of the man said in a low baritones voice.

”We came to see you,” the other said to Hakyeon in a much more gentle voice. Amazingly, he spoke fluent Korean unlike his foreign outer appearance.

”Me? Do you know me?” Hakyeon asked.

”Mhmm,” he answered with a rather weak smile. 

I wonder what’s wrong, Hakyeon thought to himself as he stared at the two strangers.

”To think we finally get to meet you, Cha Hakyeon.”

”Huh? How do you know my name? Have we met before?” Hakyeon asked in confusion.

”Not really,” the stranger shook his head,” we know who you are but you don’t know who we are.”

”Huh?” 

“Enough with the wishy-washy comments and let’s get straight to the point, hyung,” the other man said with a rather scary gaze. 

“But Wonshik-ah, you’re going to scare Hakyeonie like that,” he told him. 

“There’s no point in introducing ourselves and idling around. We don’t have all the time in the world.”

”Fine,” he sighed. He turned back towards Hakyeon and approached closer to introduce himself. “My name is Lee Jaehwan and this is my friend Kim Wonshik. We’re happy to finally get to meet you.”

Hakyeon looked at the two strangers and still, he didn’t know who they are or why the one named Jaehwan sounded so familiar with him as if they have known each other for a long time.

”Why are you looking for me?” Hakyeon decided to ask.

”We’re here because of Hongbin,” Jaehwan said.

”H-Hongbin?!” 

Hakyeon shot up immediately from his spot and now full of attention towards the two strangers.

"You know Hongbin?! You remember him? Do you know where he is? What happened to him?"

"Woah, slow down. One question at a time," Jaehwan laughed. "We know him. He's our good friend after all."

"Friend?" Hakyeon looked at the two from top to bottom once more. "Are you his friends from overseas?"

"Ov-..." Jaehwan found himself chuckling away. He almost forgot the lie that Hongbin made him in order to enter Hakyeon's world. "I guess we kind of are? But at the same time, not really. We're from somewhere hat you can't get to even by plane."

"Huh?" Hakyeon found himself even more confused.

"Hongbin is in trouble," Wonshik interrupted the conversation since he couldn't stand around acting friendly without a concern. 

"T-trouble?! What kind of trouble?" 

"He's trapped back where we're from and can't get to you. You lost your memories about Hongbin until recently right?"

"Y-yes! How do you know?" Hakyeon asked.

"We know. We know why you lost your memories and what happened to Hongbin but we're more curious as to why you were able to regain those memories all by yourself..."

"By myself? I don't know... it just came back to me suddenly..."

"Then that proves just how much you love Hongbin right?" Jaehwan commented. "You love him so much that you've changed your own fate."

"We were never supposed to meet you like this Cha Hakyeon but the two of us can't just sit around and do nothing for Hongbin anymore. He needs you and I know you miss him a lot too. That's why we need your help," Wonshik told him.

"I'll do anything! I'll do anything as long as it's to help Hongbin! But... where do I begin?" Hakyeon asked.

"We can start by telling you the truth. The truth behind everything, why you lost your memories, who we are and who Lee Hongbin really is."