The room is quiet with the exception of the beeping of machines that are working to keep Kim Yongsun alive. Her wife of almost fifty years sits by her bed, wrinkly hands holding on to a large tablet containing information that would determine what happens to her in the near future.

Moon Byulyi’s eyes scan the document over and over again, her eyesight isn’t what it used to be and she wants to make sure that she’s really read everything through. She knows what her wife’s final wish is, a few taps of her fingers on this screen would grant it.

Permanently.

“ Byul-ah? “ Yongsun’s voice wheezes weakly through the oxygen mask that’s keeping her alive, “ Byul … “ she calls out for her wife’s attention.

The ex-rapper shifts from her position, putting the tablet aside and reaching for her wife’s hands.

“ I’m here, ddunie, “ Byulyi smiles sweetly at the sickly woman, “ what do you need? “

“ Nothing … You just looked so serious, “ Yongsun could never fail to put a smile on Byulyi’s face even when she’s lying on her deathbed.

Byulyi scoffs lightly and kisses her wife’s hand gently, “ I’m old now, it’s getting hard to read. “

The two retired idols are in a private room of the hospital that Yongsun has been in for the past few months, age has been catching up to them and her health has been deteriorating more quickly as the weeks go by. Their hair, which used to be a multitude of colors, are both gray and ashy now. Byulyi loves to bring up the incident where the immigration officers didn’t think Yongsun was Korean because she had blonde hair back then, she teases that she could probably pass off better as a foreigner now that she’s picked up English. This used to earn Byulyi a smack on the arm, but lately, Yongsun can only manage a scoff under her oxygen mask.

Byulyi knows that she doesn’t have much time with the woman she’s spent almost her entire life with and it scares her, most nights she cries in the empty space left by Yongsun in their shared bed. Byulyi would never let her wife know though, if she did, she’d be worried and maybe even swayed to change her mind.

“ Byul-ah, when I go, do you think you’ll find someone else? “

Yongsun’s question takes her by surprise, as far as death is concerned, they don’t ever talk about it. The only exception being that Yongsun wants to move on instead of having her mind uploaded to the cloud. It’s the only talk that the two of them ever needed and Byulyi never thought more about that, except for how she’s going to live life without her Yongkong.

“ What’s with this, Yong-ah? “ Byulyi dodges the heavy question with a small smile, though she knows her answer well, Yongsun would probably want her to find someone else.

“ I just want to know that there’s going to be someone to take care of you … '' Yongsun mumbles, her voice is hoarse and barely audible, “ You know I can’t trust you with Wheeinie and Hyejinie … “

Byulyi’s nose scrunches up as she giggles lightly, giving her wife a gentle squeeze on her hand, she responds easily, “ What’s wrong with the Loser Crew? We’ve been together for almost sixty years! “

“ Yah … you’re going to end up breaking your back if you continue to play with them … “ Yongsun chides as she lifts Byulyi’s hand up and down, smacking it on the soft bed.

“ You already broke your back before you were even thirty, what’s wrong with me breaking my back now? “

“ Byul-ah, you’re almost 80 ... “

“ And you’re 81. “

“ Yah … that’s not the point … “

That was one of the last banters Moon Byulyi ever had with Kim Yongsun, it felt normal, it felt like Yongsun wanted to make the most out of her final day. Even if it was just to make sure that Byulyi would be okay in a world without her, even if it’s just for a few more years.

Of course Byulyi lied through her teeth to reassure her wife, she could never tell her how much she wanted her wife to stay, how much she wished they could live out a perfect forever like most people.

The next morning, Byulyi arrives a little earlier than her normal visiting time so she has some time to sign all the official documents that would prevent Yongsun from being uploaded to the cloud. When they got married, she promised she’d do anything to make Yongsun happy, and if her final wish is to leave, Byulyi would agree without any regrets.

Or at least that’s what she tells herself as she consents to Yongsun’s death.

The machines keeping Kim Yongsun alive are turned off at 10 in the morning, as per her own request. This would mean that Yongsun only has a few minutes to live once they are all off. Byulyi holds her wife’s hands tightly as she tries her best to control her tears, she didn’t want to cry in front of her, otherwise she wouldn’t leave with a peace of mind.

“ Take care of yourself, okay, Byul-ah? “ Yongsun’s voice is a little more audible now that the oxygen mask is off, but it’s weaker than ever, “ Make sure you eat well and sleep well … “

Byulyi nods with a forced smile, “ I got it, ddunie, you’ve been nagging at me for years. “

“ Because you’ve never given me a reason to stop worrying … Byul-ah … “

“ I promise I’ll be fine, come visit me in my dreams, okay? “

Yongsun could only manage a nod because it’s getting hard to speak without the oxygen mask, her chest feels heavy and she knows her time is almost up. As much as she worries for her wife, part of her knows that Byulyi will be okay in a world without her.

“ You’re going to bully me in your dreams too … “ she manages to whisper after drawing in a deep breath, her entire body hurts now that she’s off all sorts of medications.

It hurts Byulyi to see her wife in so much pain because she’d do anything to make it better, “ I promise I won’t, ddunie. “

Yongsun smiles and raises a hand with much difficulty to wipe away a stray tear on Byulyi’s cheek, “ Okay then, see you tonight. “

“ Mhm … I’ll look forward to it. “

There’s silence for a while before Yongsun wheezes again, time is ticking away slowly and Byulyi doesn’t know what to do.

“ Yongkong … “ Yongsun begins to say with a small smile, this never fails to cheer Byulyi up, especially Yongsun made her upset.

“ Are you serious? “ Byulyi forces a laugh as she clutches her wife’s hand tightly, as if having one last banter would extend her time in this world.

“ Just … play along … “

“ Byulkong … “ Byulyi continues as she cries freely while Yongsun’s eyes begin to close, “ Byulkong … “

“ Yongkong … “

“ Moon and … “

“ … Sunrise … I love you, Byulkong ... “

“ I love you too, Yongkong. "

Byulyi isn’t sure if Yongsun ever heard her last words, the grip on her hand loosens as she speaks. Time stops for Byulyi as she falls into a chair behind her, she doesn’t know what to do with herself now that her partner in crime is gone for good.

It feels like she’s entered a haze the moment Yongsun’s heart stopped beating, doctors come in after a few minutes and Byulyi is escorted out. She doesn’t really remember what happens next but Wheein and Hyejin are there throughout the day and for the months to come.

Grief doesn’t hit her until she’s alone at home with nobody to talk to. Some days she’s able to function, but most days she relives their life with videos that fans have taken over the years. She watches video after video, hour after hour, her life with Yongsun has come to a close as much as she hates to admit it.

Kim Yongsun has died.

She thinks about that a lot because not many people die in this day and age, not when Eden is a popularized reality for the dead and dying.

On days where she’s able to function, which are mostly Saturday nights, Byulyi makes use of the trial of Eden that’s offered to all seniors above the age of 70. Wheein and Hyejin would make plans with their caretakers to plug them in at the same time.

It’s the same every weekend, the Loser Crew would meet at the same club, have some drinks, drive around and have fun.

The only rule in the Loser Crew is to not be a loser.

The weekends help Byulyi forget the grief in her chest for a while, Eden acts as a place of solace for her. It’s a healing feeling to be young again, to have fun, to be reckless without any sort of consequence. These are all things Byulyi missed out on when she and the rest of Mamamoo were busy being idols, creating music that spoke to their fans and chasing after awards. Hyejin considers it making up for lost time and Wheein just wants to enjoy her definition of paradise without holding back.

It takes under a year of trials before Byulyi’s health starts to deteriorate, though she chalks it up to her age, her caretaker would say it’s the grief that stems from losing Yongsun. She hasn’t been eating and sleeping well without her Yongkong. She begins making plans, discussing it with Wheein and Hyejin whenever they see each other. The rapper, after experiencing months of Eden, didn’t want to leave and neither did Wheein and Hyejin. There’s so much of the virtual world that they’ve yet to explore, leaving now feels like a waste. Besides, after being uploaded, if they ever chose to leave, they could.

It isn’t just paradise for them, it’s a second chance for them to live out the lives that they couldn’t.

A year and a half.

That’s the amount of time Moon Byulyi had to live without Kim Yongsun in the real world. After that, she’s a permanent resident in the virtual world of Eden. Wheein and Hyejin jump at the opportunity to become permanent residents with their unnie as well. The whole point of the program was to ease the strain caused by the ageing population, so them signing their lives away to live in a perfect forever was more than welcomed by the government.

It didn’t matter much to the Loser Crew though, life continues as it has before and if anything, the trio has been living life to their fullest, trying anything and everything they could ever dream of. There’s still rules and systems in place in the society they call Eden, people still have to get jobs, it isn’t necessary and it’s only if they want extra perks in the system. The trio wanted the added perks because it meant they could own bigger houses, nicer cars and the best perk of it all? Being able to teleport in an instant instead of having to travel with regular vehicles.

And though the thought has crossed their minds, Mamamoo wouldn’t be complete without their leader. Besides, they’ve performed all their lives, it’s about time they’ve tried something new.

So in their paradise, Moonbyul is a charismatic detective, Wheein’s a budding artist and Hwasa, a gorgeous flight attendant.

This is the new life for them, Byulyi wonders how long it’ll take before she’s bored of it all, how long it’ll take before the distraction of Eden wears off and she’s unable to stop herself from missing Yongsun.

Until then, Byulyi is bent on living like she’s never died.

It’s been about a full year since the Loser Crew has fully migrated into Eden and it’s still the three of them. They have fun with strangers every once in a while but making friends outside of their friend group is a foreign concept to the trio.

Being in Eden helps Byulyi overcome her grief, but some days she’s still reminded of Yongsun. On those days, it helps that she’s able to visit the places they’ve been to before with a few simple taps.

Today, as she walks onto the stage where Mamamoo won their first award, she’s greeted with a familiar presence.

“ Joohyunnie? “

It's rare for anyone to ever be here, in this time period anyway. Byulyi has never seen anyone else here, other than when she's accompanied by Wheein and Hyejin.

“ Moonbyul-ssi? “

“ What are you doing here? “

The charismatic rapper comes face to face with the beautiful vocalist, they aren’t strangers, nor were they ever close. Years of being in the same industry have led them to be familiar acquaintances but never more than that.

Still, it’s nice to see another familiar face in this world, Byulyi notes as she closes the gap between them.

“ I could say the same to you, “ Joohyun shoots the younger girl a small smile, “ I’m only here for today. “

“ Ah … I see, “ Byulyi nods politely, “ I’m a resident here. “

Joohyun hums as her eyes drift around the stage that they are both standing on. They're no strangers to this stage even though it's just a replica. They've both had many music show wins here over the years and if anything, it's the only familiar place that Joohyun is willing to acknowledge here.

" It's a funny feeling to be back here, isn't it? " Byulyi muses in an attempt to break the awkward silence, " We've spent so much time on stage and when it's over, we come right back to it. "

Joohyun nods with a wry smile, " It's a little hard for me to process how technology can make things feel so real now. "

Byulyi chuckles lightly, " You'll get used to it, it'll be like you never died. "

The vocalist tenses up at the mention of death, unlike Byulyi, it's a foreign concept to her. She's still got a couple of months left before she really goes and frankly, dying still scares her a little.

" Sorry, I didn't mean it like that … " Byulyi rubs the back of her neck awkwardly as she realises how quiet the other girl has become, her words trail off and silence hangs in the air.

Irene has been known for her icy stares and that hasn't changed over the years. The rapper almost feels afraid of what the other might do to her.

The vocalist shakes her head slowly, " It's okay, I only have a couple of months left. "

" What are your plans? " Byulyi asks while playing with her fingers, the leader of Red Velvet has never failed to make her nervous.

Joohyun raises an eyebrow and offers a mere shrug as a response, " For today, I’m thinking about looking around this place they call paradise. "

Byulyi's nose scrunches up as she smiles widely, " Well, be glad you met me then, I know all the fun places around town. "

" Are you going to be my guide? " The leader asks with an amused smile.

" Well, it's not like I have anything better to do, " the rapper shrugs, " Wheeinie and Hyejinie are back in Jeonju so I'm alone for a little while. "

Joohyun nods understandingly, " What about Yongsun-ssi? "

Byulyi becomes quiet and hesitates for a moment, it's not that she minds people bringing up her wife, but every mention only makes her miss Yongsun more than before.

" She's not here, she chose to leave. "

Joohyun bites her lower lip as hard as she could when she realises her mistake, her memory isn't as good as it was before. She remembers hearing the news from her wife that Mamamoo’s leader chose to continue on to the afterlife instead of coming here to live out a perfect forever.

In some ways, Joohyun blames Yongsun for inspiring Seulgi to leave as well.

Pushing all thoughts aside, she approaches the rapper and takes her hand gently, " Sorry, I shouldn't have brought it up, it just slipped my mind and– "

Byulyi raises her hand to interrupt the older girl, she shakes her head slowly, " It's okay, it's nice to know that people still think of her. "

" Let's go have some fun, shall we, Moonbyul-ssi? " Joohyun quickly switches the conversation to avoid dampening the mood.

" Sure, and you can drop the formalities, you can call me Byulyi or just Byul. "

" In that case, what are the fun places around here, Byulyi? "

" What's your definition of fun, Joohyunnie? "

" I want to go to a carnival, do they have things like that here? "

" Of course, they have everything here, let's go! "

Byulyi takes Joohyun by the hand and the two leave their memories of the past behind. They return to the era where they were at the peak of their youth, years that were spent on their careers instead of on their lives.

Even in this paradise, Mamamoo was still treated like celebrities. Moonbyul, Hwasa and Wheein have all gotten a taste of this post-death fame, it has its pros and cons. Blocking sasaengs with a tap of a finger is definitely one of them, but also being able to meet and befriend their long-time fans is an added bonus.

Byulyi, not wanting to expose Joohyun to this side of the system yet, decides to transport them to the other side of the virtual world. She feels excitement surge through her body as they move from the stage to a carnival all the way across the world, to a place where nobody would recognise them.

Upon arriving, Joohyun feels overwhelmed by the loud sounds and couldn't help but cover her ears. Byulyi hovers closely around her with concern, aware of the fact that the leader didn’t deal too well with loud noises.

" Are you okay? " Byulyi raises her voice slightly to make sure Joohyun could hear her.

Her words didn't get through to Joohyun as the girl looked at her with furrowed eyebrows. The rapper then signals to the vocalist to adjust the volume settings on her personal menu, the technology here’s amazing like that.

After tweaking the background noises, Joohyun removes her hands from her ears and Byulyi could only chuckle in response.

" Yah, you hate loud noises but you want to come to a carnival? " She nudges the leader teasingly.

Joohyun huffs and crosses her arms across her chest, " I didn't expect it to be this noisy … and I like playing games. " she admits with a shy smile.

" Games? " Byulyi raises an eyebrow with a confident smirk, her greasy tendencies haven't faded despite the years, " I happen to be very good at darts. "

Joohyun's eyes light up at the sound of that, " Are you challenging me, Moonbyul-ssi? I'll have you know they called me the goddess of games back in the day. "

Byulyi lets out a loud snort and waves the shorter girl off dismissively, " If I remember correctly, Joy-ssi was the best at games. Plus, Irene-unnie, I didn't think people under 158cm were good at games. "

" Yah! Moon Byulyi! What’s the point of calling me unnie if you’re going to insult me? "

The rapper starts running before the vocalist could hit her as revenge. It's a good time to appreciate that height changing isn't implemented in the system yet, otherwise, the former would never shut up.

Joohyun chases Byulyi through the entrance of the carnival all the way to the center of the fair. She stops in her steps to admire all the bright lights around her. Before her, stands various rides of all sizes, anything you wanted to ride is probably there and if it isn't, it could easily be programmed in. It's been years since Joohyun has been anywhere like this. The years after her retirement were quiet and relaxing unlike the majority of her life and it was spent with the one woman who's been through thick and thin with her.

The real her hasn't been out of the medical facility in months, every day is spent in and out of sleep, occasionally, if she feels up for it, her caretaker would bring her out on walks. Even then, with a gentle breeze on her face, life still feels bleak and colorless

The world has become a harder place to exist in without Kang Seulgi by her side and she doubts it'll ever be easier.

" Haven't been to a carnival before? " Byulyi finds her way back to the older girl, " Was Red Velvet that busy? "

Joohyun glares at the cheeky girl and raises her hand threateningly, " It's been a while since I've been out, unlike you, I still have a physical body to live in! "

" Oh to be a ghost in the virtual world, experiencing life as it should have been lived. " Byulyi dramatically responds as she clutches her chest for added effect.

" I don't recall you ever being this noisy … " Joohyun sighs as she pinches the space between her eyebrows, " I wonder how Seulgi stayed friends with you for years … "

The rapper pretends to have been stabbed by an imaginary knife and groans, " Joohyunnie, your words are so hurtful, Seulgi loved me loads, you know! "

Joohyun rolls her eyes and cracks into an amused smile, she could see why her wife would’ve enjoyed being friends with Byulyi, " Okay, okay, enough with this, let's go play some games and let our skills talk. "

She begins looking around the area to look for the carnival games. When she catches sight of them, her eyes light up excitedly and she points towards the rows of toys on display.

“ Well, what are you waiting for? “ Byulyi looks at Joohyun with a small smile, “ Race you there! “

The rapper turned detective is fast and Joohyun cracks into a smile as she chases after Byulyi through the sea of strangers. It’s been months since she has felt alive, Joohyun secretly wishes that Seulgi could have been here to experience all of this with her.

The rapper and the vocalist spend most of their time on the carnival games, jumping from game to game and if Joohyun didn’t win, they would have a rematch. Needless to say, Byulyi got put in her place by the goddess of games and they both hold a handful of toys at the end of the night.

“ Okay, I’ll hand it to you, you really are good at games … “ Byulyi huffs as she holds a large rabbit plushie in her hand.

Joohyun laughs and sticks her tongue out playfully, “ I told you! “

“ One last bet, how about that? “

“ You’re on, what are we playing? “

“ That. “

By that, Byulyi means the big scary ride that spins at an intense speed. ‘Mach 5’ is plastered on the side of the ride and Joohyun’s jaw drops when she sees the ride in action. It’s spinning clockwise first and then suddenly, anti-clockwise, both at equally fast speeds which her eyes could barely follow.

“ Yah! I’m too old for this! “ Joohyun exclaims as she smacks Byulyi’s arm with one of the many plushies in her hand, “ I’m going to have a heart attack at this rate! “

Byulyi rubs the tender spot on her arm and laughs at Joohyun’s reaction, “ You can’t have a heart attack here, unnie! Besides, you’ve already agreed, so let’s go! “

“ No way! “

“ You said you wanted to have fun! “

“ Not this much fun! “

“ Yah! Joohyunnie! You can’t say you’ve visited Eden if you never even tried to live! “

“ … “

Joohyun questions her choices as she’s being strapped into the ride with an overly excited Byulyi by her side. Her heart has been pounding wildly since they stepped onto the platform and it’s only been getting faster and faster. It’s not like the rapper is good with thrilling rides either, but seeing how afraid Joohyun is calms her nerves slightly. Furthermore, living in Eden for a year and being friends with Wheein for years has strengthened her tolerance for thrills like this.

The ride kicks off and the older girl has her eyes squeezed shut, her hands grip the bars by her seat tightly and she’s praying for it to be over as soon as it starts. For the first minute, Joohyun is screaming her lungs out with her eyes shut tightly as the ride spins her entire body up and down, Byulyi on the other hand, is enjoying the wind in her hair, cheering and hooting with every rotation.

“ Open your eyes and look, Joohyunnie!“ Byulyi yells at the top of her lungs so the vocalist could hear her, she manages to move her hand over the other’s and gives it a reassuring squeeze.

The words that the younger girl said earlier ring in her head and Joohyun decides to live for a moment.

Opening her eyes, she watches the world spin around her and the night view feels surreal. She could feel tears in her eyes and she’s not sure whether it’s from the fear or the fact that she hasn’t felt this alive in a while. She takes in all that she can but her mind can barely process everything she's experiencing. With a wide smile on her face, she watches as the world spins around her without a care in the world.

The ride eases to a standstill and the two find themselves at the highest point of the carnival, even the ferris wheel looks short compared to where they are sitting. Joohyun is in tears at this point and she holds onto Byulyi’s hand with a tight grip.

“ Wow … “ was all she could mutter as her eyes took in the views the virtual world had to offer.

“ It’s amazing, isn’t it? “

“ I see why people call this a perfect forever now … “ Joohyun nods feebly, “ But I hate you for making me do this, Moon Byulyi! “

Joohyun can barely stand after the ride, her heart is racing too fast and all she wants to do is curl up into a ball and cry. Even if it’s virtual, it’s too much for her old heart. She sits on the ground just a few steps away from the exit of the ride, hugging a bear plushie that she won earlier and tries to calm herself. She's surrounded by a pile of toys and Byulyi wouldn't stop arranging them around her like mortals worshipping a god.

The rapper plays with the plushies that range from a bunch of different animals, she's currently playing with a cat plushie, making it bow towards the goddess they call Joohyun.

" Look, " Byulyi snickers, " It's like they're doing a ritual to summon you! “

After realising she’s surrounded by an army of plushies, the vocalist couldn’t help but snort and burst into a loud and uncontrollable laugh. She rotates in a circle, pushing over every plushie that Byulyi has spent the past five minutes setting up.

“ Yah! What are you doing! “ the rapper gasps dramatically as she rushes to return them to their original sitting positions, “ Stop bullying them! “

Joohyun laughs even harder at her reaction, she laughs until her stomach hurts and there are tears in her eyes. Using her finger to wipe away her tears, she looks up at the rapper who’s still busy rearranging her little army. Seulgi always spoke fondly about Byulie-unnie, Joohyun is slowly beginning to see how much joy she brings.

“ Now what? “ Joohyun asks once Byulyi is satisfied with her arrangements, she couldn’t hide the smile on her face now.

Byulyi glances at the augmented clock and notes that they still have some time before Joohyun’s trial is up, she hums quietly as she tries to think of what other places she could bring the leader to.

“ You’ve got about an hour left, where do you want to go? “ the rapper quickly gives up and resorts to asking instead.

Joohyun muses momentarily before answering, “ Can I still see the sunset? “

“ What did I say about anything being possible here? “

It doesn’t take much effort for her to bring her to the park by the Han River, every plushie that Byulyi had arranged earlier on doesn’t even move an inch as the world around them changes. Joohyun finds herself sitting on the grass, shielding her eyes from the sunlight momentarily as she adjusts to the changes in time.

It’s much quieter here compared to the bustling carnival she was just at, but the view’s just as surreal as before. Byulyi takes a seat beside her, just outside the ring of worshipping plushies and exhales quietly.

“ I used to come here a lot with Yongsunnie when we were younger, “ Byulyi reminisces with a sad smile, “ life’s much harder when you’re old. “

Joohyun nods quietly to acknowledge her words, she’s had her fair share of memories with Seulgi too, but they slowly stopped making new ones as they got older and sicker. She stares into the distant glow of the setting sun, the sky is a mix of oranges and purples. Even if it’s fake, it doesn’t stop her from admiring it, it looks real enough to her.

This world feels real enough to her, despite all her doubts.

The two don’t speak, they merely watch as the virtual sun goes down and darkness begins to swallow up the sky. Byulyi eventually lies down and stares up at the sky, for a moment, she pictures what it’d be like if Yongsun is still with her.

“ Thank you for today, Byulyi, “ Joohyun murmurs softly after a long silence, “ I had fun. “

The rapper cracks into her usual crooked smile, “ You’re welcome, unnie. Thank you for being my competitor today. “

Joohyun exhales softly through her nostrils, “ For the record, I won, right? “

“ Yes, yes, you did, “ Byulyi nods her head casually, tapping her feet casually against one another while she continues to watch the clouds move.

“ Will you continue to show me around next week? “

Byulyi rests her weight on an elbow while turning to face the leader with a raised eyebrow, “ I didn’t think you’d like this after that last ride at the carnival, are you sure you want round two? “

Joohyun scoffs under her breath, “ I think an evening here is too short to make a choice, I need another evening. “

“ Oh, is that so? “ the rapper says with an amused smile, she knew how new tourists are usually skeptical towards the system, after all, she was one of them too, “ You’ll fall in love with this place if you spend a couple of months here. “

“ I’m not going to spend a couple of months here, just one more evening. “

“ You wanna bet? You won’t just spend another weekend here. “

“ Byulyi, you’re not even alive anymore, what do you have to bet? “

“ Um … I have perks as a resident here, alright? “

“ No deal, just be my guide for another evening. “

Byulyi pouts and tilts her head, “ Fine, next Saturday, same time, same place? “

The leader nods with a small smile, “ That sounds nice. “

Maybe staying here and enjoying life for a couple of months could be fun, but she swears on whatever gods are up there that she will leave before she becomes a ghost here.

She’s not going to live out another life without Seulgi.