Crashing waves. Green scenery. White sand that slightly glowed under the moonlight. The undeniable, strong scent of salt water.

And a small house by the sea.

This was the sight that greeted Minhyun and Jaehwan as they finally reached their destination— after hours and hours of driving.

The two doctors, still seated in the company car, let their eyes roam around the view in front of them. 

After realizing that there was no proper parking lot, they had parked the car as near as they could to the house— which was still quite far. Minhyun had gripped unsurely on the steering wheel as he stopped the vehicle near the road, on a flat space of grass. It felt awkward and unsafe, but he didn’t see any other available option. Plus, there was another car parked there as well (“Probably Daniel’s,” Jaehwan had commented).

They were no longer near cliffs. As they drove, the cliffs were replaced by short green hills, stretching far in all directions, grass painted black in the darkness. In front of them, the hill descended until it met sand, and the sand finally touched the sea.

Kang Daniel’s house was built dangerously close to the waters. Jaehwan saw Minhyun shiver a little.

The scenery was as isolated as they imagined it would be. There were no other houses (or people— in that matter) in sight, no matter how hard they looked. The only light came from the moon and stars, and the windows of Daniel’s two-story home.

They couldn’t exactly see the details of the house since it was still quite far.

“Kang Daniel lives here?” Jaehwan asked.

“Apparently yes,” Minhyun answered, voiced laced with uncertainty.

“In the middle of nowhere?”

“Well, it looks like he has his own generator running. So he has electricity at least.”

Jaehwan added, “And some sort of phone signal, since he was able to call Sigmund Corp.”

“Yup.”

“But still, the middle of nowhere.”

“Like I said. Maybe he needed space.”

“This is a lot of space, though.”

Minhyun was about to make another remark when he realized that Jaehwan was combing his hair. He let out a small whistle. “Wow, I didn’t even have to remind you to tidy up this time.”

The younger doctor looked unfazed as he stared seriously at his reflection in the dark window. “We’re meeting a celebrity, hyung. I want to look good.”

“And you can’t be like that at home?”

“You’re not a celebrity.”

“The back is still a mess,” Minhyun said. He waited while Jaehwan attempted and failed to flatten out the mentioned part. He rolled his eyes and grabbed the comb. “Come here.”

Jaehwan stayed still as a statue while the older leaned over and did his work. A few seconds later and Minhyun finally got the chaos that was Kim Jaehwan’s hair (decently) under control.

“Your bangs are getting too long,” Minhyun muttered, slipping the comb back in the glove compartment. “They’ll get in your eyes and everything.” He unbuckled his seatbelt. “Come on, it’s time to meet him.”

Jaehwan did the same and flung open his door, a smile plastered on his face. “Let’s go, let’s go!”

The smile melted when Minhyun spoke again.

“It’s your turn to carry the equipment.”

Jaehwan groaned loudly.

“I carried it last time, so it’s your turn.” Minhyun smirked and exited the car, stuffing the keys in the pocket of his lab coat. He tried not to shiver again as the cool wind hit him. It was the middle of autumn, after all.

“But, hyuuuung, it’s heavyyyy.”

“Which is why we’re taking turns.”

The groaning intensified.

Minhyun watched as Jaehwan, mumbling under his breath, opened the car trunk and lifted a large metallic suitcase from it. It looked even larger in the younger man’s small arms.

“Don’t kill me if I drop this,” Jaehwan said menacingly.

“The one that’ll kill you is the director, not me.” Minhyun automatically locked the doors and began walking towards the house, giving Jaehwan another smirk over his shoulder. “Come on.”

“Damnit, hyung.”

And Jaehwan followed, lugging the large object in his feeble grasp.

----

It took them a full five minutes to reach the house. Their feet trudged over the comfortable gravel of the road before touching the soft and not-so-comfortable grass of the hill.

Not-so-comfortable as in Jaehwan nearly tripped at least a dozen times on the uneven ground.

(Minhyun kept his patience because it was dark and they could barely see anything).

It felt like a blessing to finally stand at Kang Daniel’s porch. The sound of the sea was even louder where they stood. As Minhyun knocked on the door, Jaehwan attempted to get his breath back, carefully placing the suitcase on the floor.

It was a small house— a cottage, perhaps. Built out of unpainted bricks, Daniel’s home stood two stories high.  Thin wisps of smoke slowly poured out of a chimney at the top, and square windows were seen on all sides of the wall. The wooden porch itself was quite small, decorated with two chairs and a petite table that looked like it had seen too many winters. Minhyun could imagine Kang Daniel and Yoon Jisung sitting on those chairs, staring at the sea during sunsets.

“No answer,” Jaehwan said between breaths.

“Yeah.” Minhyun was about to knock again when the door suddenly flung open, revealing a young, short man with a bright smile.

The man, holding a clipboard in one hand, was also wearing a white lab coat. His voice was just as bright as he said, “You must be the doctors from Sigmund Corp.”

“Yes. It’s nice to meet you.” Minhyun also pulled on a polite smile. “My name is Hwang Minhyun and this is my partner, Kim Jaehwan.”

Still tired, Jaehwan wheezed in response.

“Nice to meet you two.” The man grinned as he clutched the clipboard to his chest. “I’m Kang Daniel’s doctor, Ha Sungwoon.”

“You look a little too young to be a medical doctor,” Jaehwan commented, somehow having regained his strength.

Sungwoon let out a laugh that sounded suspiciously like Spongebob Squarepants. He didn’t appear offended though. “I’m sure that I’m years older than you, kid.”

Jaehwan blinked. “Really? How old are you?”

The shortest doctor leaned over and whispered in Jaehwan’s ear. The latter’s eyes grew large, stepping back in disbelief.

“No way,” Jaehwan breathed.

With a wink, Sungwoon nodded.

“B-But you don’t look that old.” Shocked, Jaehwan looked him up and down. “So you’re my hyung?”

“That’s right, kid.”

“Oh my gosh.”

“Anyways,” Minhyun cut in, clearing his throat rather loudly. “I think we should start.”

“Yes, of course.” Sungwoon glanced at his watch. “It’s now 8:11 PM.” Suddenly the bright smile disappeared from his face, replaced by a serious expression. “I think it’s best for you guys to meet Jisung first before I explain Daniel’s current condition. Come on in.”

The minute they stepped into the house, their cold bodies were instantly warmed by the blaze of the fireplace (a real and authentic fireplace!) located at one end of the room.

Minhyun took in his surroundings quickly. They were in a pleasantly cozy living room. In front of the fireplace were three comfortable-looking couches, with a table placed in between. A casket of what appeared to be pink peaches lay on the table. At each corner of the room was a tall lamp, illuminating the room in an orange glow.

He saw two other doors— probably the kitchen and bathroom.

“Daniel is upstairs in his room,” Sungwoon said quietly. “Jisung is looking after him. He’s really looking forward to meeting you two.”

And they followed him up the wooden stairs. During the ascent, Minhyun saw framed photographs on the wall.

He recognized Kang Daniel and Ong Seongwoo from their younger days. The first photo was of them in formal suits, holding hands and smiling as they faced each other. Minhyun saw the glint of the wedding ring that they each wore on their finger.

The next frame displayed an older version of Seongwoo. The gray was evident in his hair as he appeared to be walking in a park, surrounding by the orange and yellow of autumn trees. He was grinning fondly at the camera, and Minhyun could easily guess who was taking the photo.

The third photo was of the sea. It was the exact same scenery that had greeted Minhyun and Jaehwan a few minutes ago. The striking difference was that Kang Daniel’s house wasn’t in the picture. It wasn’t surprising though. According to the documents provided by Sigmund Corp, the house was built only six years ago.

Minhyun looked over his shoulder to see Jaehwan struggling to make it up the stairs, suitcase still in his hold.

“You okay?” Minhyun asked, brow furrowed in concern.

“Yup, never better.” Jaehwan looked to his right, seeing the photographs as well. “They looked really happy.”

“Yes, they did.” Minhyun suddenly halted and held out his hand. “Here, I’ll help you carry that.”

Jaehwan let out a groan of relief. “Hyung, have I ever told you how much I love you?”

“Just give me the damn suitcase before I change my mind.”

“Okay, okay.”

They continued climbing the stairs, Minhyun now lugging Sigmund Corp’s heavy equipment. There were more photographs that he didn’t see, having to focus instead on making sure he didn’t trip and fall on his face (or worse, damage the thousands of dollars' worth of equipment).

The second floor revealed a small hallway with two doors, one of them being slightly open.

Sungwoon nudged open the slightly open door. “The Sigmund Corp doctors are here,” he said softly.

There was a rustling noise and an elderly man appeared from the room. He swung the door open and grinned widely, his eyes shaped like crescents. With fluffy gray hair and wearing a wool sweater, he gave off a noticeable friendly vibe.

“Ah,” the man said, his voice gentle and rather soothing. “Dr. Hwang and Dr. Kim, right?”

At the confused look on both Minhyun and Jaehwan’s faces, the elderly man chuckled. “Voices carry very easily here. I heard your conversation downstairs. You mind if I call you Dr. Hwang and Dr. Kim?”

“Of course not,” Minhyun said with a smile. He slowly set down the suitcase, feeling the strength slowly return to his arms.

The man then introduced himself. “I’m Yoon Jisung. Pleased to meet you.” He then let out another chuckle. “I’d be even more pleased if you two simply call me ‘Jisung-hyung.’”

Jaehwan was grinning widely, already growing fond of this Yoon Jisung already. Of course it was more than weird to address a man probably three times his age like that, but who was he to refuse? “Okay, Jisung-hyung.”

Jisung seemed to radiate happiness. “I feel younger already.” With a final eye-smile, he walked back into the room. “Come in and meet Daniel.”

Meeting probably wasn’t the right word.

Already finished previous jobs at Sigmund Corp, both Minhyun and Jaehwan grew familiar with the sound of a cardiac monitor. It greeted them every single time they first met their client.

Kang Daniel was no exception.

Beep.

Beep.

Beep.

It felt like all the smiles and small laughs were out of the room.  Silence filled the air. An achingly delicate silence.

Jaehwan was the first to speak.

“How long has he been unconscious?”

His voice was soft, as if treading carefully on ice. It was the complete opposite of the Jaehwan that Minhyun was used to.

When Jisung answered, it felt like the bright man they had met merely seconds ago suddenly disappeared. “Since this afternoon. Daniel was outside, looking at the sea.” He stopped, breathing slowly. He continued with a shaky voice. “I was making dinner. I went out to call to him, but he was already lying on the ground by then.”

“His condition was fine these past few months,” Sungwoon said. “No one expected his illness to suddenly return suddenly like that. But he’s still holding on. He’s a strong fellow and his condition is stable at this very moment. But...” He then lowered his head, staring at the ground. “He doesn’t have much time left. Probably until the morning.”

Jisung nodded, his face unreadable.

“Here. I know you guys will need this.” Sungwoon pulled something out of his pocket and held it out to the Sigmund Corp doctors. “A portable heart monitor. It’ll keep you updated on Daniel’s condition.”

“Thank you,” Jaehwan said. He took the monitor in his hand, eyes glued to the line curving and moving in steady patterns. His eyes were solemn, as if thinking of the fact that hours from now, the line would cease to move.

Minhyun remembered receiving Kang Daniel’s documents yesterday evening. He and Jaehwan had pored over the papers meticulously throughout the night. Experience had taught them to always be ready to spring into action, anytime and anywhere— that the call to execute the procedure on a client could come days later, or perhaps the next day, or perhaps even hours after receiving the documents. In Kang Daniel’s case, it was the next day.

A few hours ago (5 PM, to be exact), a Sigmund Corp staff had informed them that they would perform the procedure on Kang Daniel that very night, as his condition suddenly changed from steady to worse to critical. So Minhyun and Jaehwan quickly threw on their lab coats and hopped in the car, leaving the city as quickly as they could.

And they now stood in front of Kang Daniel’s bed, looking at Kang Daniel himself.

Even though age has changed his face, he really wasn’t that different. It was like the young Daniel that Minhyun saw on television, but with white hair and wrinkles.

Yet there were more differences.

Daniel’s eyes were closed, and the exhaustion was clear on his features— as if the years had gotten to him too roughly and too quickly. The shadows under his eyes were prominent, and so were his slightly sunken cheeks. His plain white shirt was the only thing that Minhyun could see, since a blanket covered the lower half of Daniel’s body.

Minhyun’s gaze then roamed around the various hospital equipment that he had tried getting used to but never could.

Then he looked around the room, which was bathed in a warm glow from the small ceiling lights. The bed was located next to a large window overlooking the sea. With the curtains pulled back, Minhyun could see the full moon from it. At another end of the room stood a wardrobe and desk, with another casket of peaches placed on top.

In the middle of the room was a table with chairs on each side. Behind the table was a black couch, small pillows scattered all over it.

Just like the living room, the floor was also adorned with a carpet. With its soft texture and warm colors, it gave off the same cozy and comfortable vibe— but cozy and comfortable were the last things that Minhyun could feel at the moment.

And the same noise continued to fill his ears.

Beep.

Beep.

“Jisung-hyung,” Minhyun suddenly said, turning to the elderly man. “Do you mind if we ask you some questions?”

“Ask away,” Jisung answered.

“Why does Kang Daniel want to go to the moon?”

It was standard procedure for Sigmund Corp doctors to ask the people closest to their clients— or patients, as some would call— questions that might provide any key information. Of course they would be able to ask the client themselves in the memories, but another person’s view could be just as vital.

Jisung let out a sigh. “I... I really don’t know. I tried asking him before but he would just shrug in response.”

“I see. How about his two-year hiatus when he was an idol?”

Another sigh. “He said that he just needed to take a break from the busy schedules... And he needed time to sort some things out.”

Minhyun furrowed his brow. “‘Some’ things?”

“He wouldn’t tell me about that either.” The look on Jisung’s face showed how upset he was that Daniel kept information from him. He then turned to stare at his unconscious friend on the bed. “It was a worrying two years for me.”

“I’m sorry to hear that,” Minhyun said, and he meant it. He paused for a couple seconds. “Could you tell us a little about his relationship with Ong Seongwoo?”

“Ah.” Jisung’s eyes lit up, as if remembering a fond memory. “First of all, you boys should know that Daniel and I have known each other for a long, long time. Through the years, I’ve seen him grow up.” He smiled. “I’m only five years older than Daniel, but... I look at him as if he’s a child that I raised. As if he was my own child.” A warm chuckle escaped his lips. “It also doesn’t help that he calls me ‘mom’.”

Jaehwan couldn’t help but smile back.

Jisung continued. “Just like any protective mother, I was worried when he told me that he had fallen in love. He called me one day, telling me about a certain Ong Seongwoo that caught his attention.” Jisung’s voice was tinted with fondness. “I was worried. Daniel dating someone has always been something I fussed about. I was worried if someone took advantage of him because he was rich, or because of his fame... But...”

A pause.

“Seongwoo truly and genuinely loved Daniel as a person.” Jisung smiled. “He truly did. Can you believe that Daniel even asked for my blessing to start dating him?”

Minhyun tried not to notice how tears had started to form in the corner of Yoon Jisung’s eyes.

“They made each other very happy,” the elderly man said. “I was always thankful that Seongwoo made my little Daniel happy.” His voice started to shake. “When Seongwoo passed away, you can imagine how hard it was for Daniel. Daniel already reserved a spot to be buried next to Seongwoo’s grave for when he...” Jisung trailed off, and the doctors didn’t need him to finish the sentence.

When he passes away as well.

Another silence filled the entire room. From where he stood, Minhyun could see Sungwoon moving to stand in front of Daniel’s cardiac monitor, could see Jaehwan looking at Jisung with a concerned face.

Then Jaehwan put a hand on Jisung’s shoulder, giving it a little comforting squeeze.

The elderly man nodded in response. “I’m glad you boys are here. Technology is an amazing thing, isn’t it? Thankfully, you two are using it for a good cause.” He sighed. “I heard that people have been using it for bad things lately.”

Jaehwan attempted to smile back. “Yes. A good cause.” There was tenseness in his voice that only his work partner recognized. He then turned to Minhyun.

Minhyun nodded. “Jisung-hyung, do you mind if Jaehwan and I look around the house for a bit? It’s to get to know our patients a little more before we start the procedure. Don’t worry, we won’t go into rooms you don’t want us to.”

“Not at all.” Jisung wiped his eyes with a hand. “You’re free to go anywhere, even the kitchen and my room.”

“Thank you,” Minhyun replied. He then locked eyes with his partner. “Let’s go, Jaehwan.”

The first room they explored was Jisung’s. It looked exactly the same with Daniel’s, except with a table full of photographs. In many of the photographs were the young Daniel, Seongwoo, and Jisung himself. At the wall was a window with its curtains drawn.

They then went downstairs, carefully looking at the framed photographs as they passed. It was more pictures of the couple, some with cats in them.

“Oh!” Jaehwan pointed at one particular frame.  “Here’s a screenshot of Daniel’s music video where Seongwoo starred in.”

Minhyun wondered just how much research Jaehwan did last night. “So Seongwoo was a model for Daniel’s music video?”

“Yup,” his friend replied. “It was where they first met. Daniel talked about it during one of his interviews.”

“Cute.”

It didn’t take long to explore the remaining rooms. The living room was just as Minhyun had seen when he first entered the house, and the kitchen and bathroom provided no extra information as well. They even went outside and circled around the house. But it was just that— normal bricks, normal windows, a normal roof and a normal chimney.

In short, it was a very simple and humble abode.

“Well, I guess that’s it,” Jaehwan finally concluded, the cold wind blowing at his hair. He glanced at his watch. “8:42 PM. It only took us ten minutes to explore the whole thing.”

Minhyun sighed. “I guess we’ll have to depend on what we see in the memories.”

“It’s okay. We always find a way anyways.”

They ducked into the warmth of the house and trudged up the stairs again. Before reentering Daniel’s room, Minhyun grabbed the suitcase that he had left outside the door.

Sungwoon was still in front of the monitor and Jisung was seated on a chair beside Daniel’s bed. The elderly man looked up when the two doctors appeared.

“Jisung-hyung,” Minhyun said. “Jaehwan and I will start the procedure now.”

Jisung nodded. “Please do.” His hand was wrapped around Daniel’s as he locked eyes with both of the doctors— one by one. “Please make Daniel smile again.”

“We will.” The sincerity in Jaehwan’s voice was evident.

“We’ll do our very best,” Minhyun promised. The older doctor then gently set the suitcase on the floor near the table, unlocking the safety measures. With skilled hands, he began preparing the equipment.

The Sigmund Corp machine was really something. It consisted of three sleek, gray helmets and what appeared to be a complex, large rectangle-shaped hunk of metal. He grabbed one of the helmets and handed it to Jaehwan, who wordlessly walked over to the bed.

Minhyun then pulled out the rectangular-shaped metal and placed it on the table. A few seconds passed as he unfolded and set the parts. The finished result was an object that looked quite like a laptop but with three screens (one in the middle, and two on each side). He massaged his hands before he took a seat in front of the machine.

“Excuse me,” Jaehwan said to Daniel, though of course the latter couldn’t hear him. “I’m going to put the helmet on you now.” And that was what the young doctor did. He slowly and carefully slid the helmet over Daniel’s head, making sure that it was secure as he did so. A soft beep sounded as Jaehwan pressed a button on the side of the helmet. He then returned to Minhyun’s side.

“Kang Daniel is connected,” Jaehwan informed him.

The older doctor’s eyes were fixed on one of the screens, fingers flying over the machine’s keyboard. Jaehwan grabbed another helmet from the table and waited patiently for his partner to punch in the final codes.

“Okay,” Minhyun finally said. He turned to his friend. “You ready?”

Jaehwan nodded, determination etched all over his face. The two doctors turned to Jisung and Sungwoon, who also nodded in response.

“Good luck, boys,” Sungwoon said.

Jisung said nothing, but his eyes said everything.

Minhyun turned back to the screens as Jaehwan took a seat on the couch behind him. He heard a faint beep as the younger doctor activated his helmet.

It was Minhyun’s turn. He grabbed the last helmet from the suitcase and slipped it over his head.  His fingers used to shake the first few times he did this, but they were steady now. He had gotten accustomed to the job. Pressing a familiar button, a louder beep echoed in his ears.

Then he closed his eyes.

“Jaehwan,” Minhyun said. “Here we go.”

The helmet covered his ears, so his friend’s reply came muffled. Yet it was clear to him.

“See you there, hyung.”

At this stage of the procedure, the machine was voice-activated. Minhyun took a deep breath before saying the word that would send him and Jaehwan deep into the depths of Kang Daniel’s memories.

“Initiate.”

His eyes were closed, but a familiar blinding white light filled Minhyun’s vision, becoming brighter and brighter till it engulfed him.

Then everything went black.

Author's note:

My friend drew ToTheMoon!Minhwan and I cry —> click and cry with me

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The way I imagine Daniel’s house is more or less like this:

But for the location (the hills, sand, and sea + the distance between the house and sea), is more like this:

Yup.

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I’ll try to update faster. I have the whole plotline written out so all I have to do is write the chapters :) Thanks for reading ❤