"Finally… after many failures… My perfect creation is ready to come to life!"

A man glanced up at the dark-grey sky above the glass dome with his arms spreading wide. His crazed laughter competed with the rumble of the sky. A blinding light flashed and dyed the place in an unnatural yellow hue, revealing a large bed in the middle of the room where a still body was chained. There were five lightning rods surrounding the bed— the head, the arms, and the legs. The man left the hall to start a generator and came back to observe the experiment excitedly. A crystal ball at the top of each rod lit up, light-blue electric sparks coming to life and jumping lively from rods to rods. Suddenly—

BOOM!

A deafening thunderclap crashed through the glass dome and hit the lightning rods. The man closed his eyes and covered his ears to block off the overwhelming brightness and noise. The room temperature drastically dropped due to the heavy rain falling through the broken roof. However, the man who just opened his eyes didn't tremble from the cold but sheer excitement. He watched as the electric sparks died down and the body on the bed slowly moved. It finally woke up, his creation after years of research. He waited impatiently for the creature to do something— its first move after being reborn…

"Achoo!"

The creature sneezed…

.

.

.

.

Victor K. "Kyuhyun" Frankenstein, a German-Korean renowned scholar well-versed in all branches of science and medical fields, had an unquenchable thirst for knowledge regarding the mystery of life and death. In pursuit of how to defeat death, he had created a creature from the bodily parts of dead people and gave life to it. When the lightning struck and the creature moved its short finger, he was so excited that he barely stood still. He wanted to know what kind of creature it would turn out to be.

He didn't expect it to be so dumb.

"Achoo! Sniff…"

Kyuhyun was rendered speechless as he dropped another blanket on the creature who was sitting in front of a fireplace. Just now, the thing almost crawled into the fireplace and said farewell to the life it just received, all because it was feeling cold. He carefully observed the creature that pulled the wool fabric tighter around itself. Although he successfully brought it to life, he still couldn't perfectly recreate all human bodily functions, namely the body temperature.

"Hey, do you know what type of creature you are?"

"Me? Achoo! I am…" the creature looked around the room, "a potato…?"

Kyuhyun followed the creature's gaze to a sack of potatoes at the corner of the room. Right, he did get the brain part from a farmer who died at a potato field after tripping and hitting their head on a rock. He should have been more picky choosing the bodily parts…

"No, you're not a potato, not even close."

"Then, what am I?"

"You're—"

He stopped. The thing was alive but dead at the same time. What should he call the creature? Human? Ghost? Undead? What did it mean to be alive though? At what point would you consider a person dead? What are the criteria? If there's any?

"You're my creation," Kyuhyun decided after a short while.

"Your creation?"

"Yes, I gave you life."

"So, you're my master. Then, master, why am I different from you? Why don't you have… this…?"

The creature asked and pointed at a metal screw that drilled through its head.

"Your brain kept splashing around in the skull so I had to screw it shut in place."

"Master's brain isn't like that?"

"No."

"I see."

The creature nodded and turned back to stare at the firewoods. Kyuhyun, who was sitting on a couch, continued to observe it quietly. It seemed stupid but at least it had self-awareness. Being able to distinguish and understand the difference between two things was a sign of intelligence. Maybe his creation might not be as stupid as he thought—

"Hey!! What are you doing!!?"

Kyuhyun shouted and snatched the creature's shoulder, before it put its head into the fireplace.

"Head. Wet. Don't like it."

The creature said to him blankly and Kyuhyun had a hard time suppressing a groan. He shouldn't have put too much faith in the creature that believed that it was a potato. Sighing, he used a towel hanging around his neck to dry the creature's damp hair. It sat obediently still during the task, only staring a hole in him.

"Master, are you not cold?"

"Nothing that I can't endure."

The creature nodded and did nothing for a short while. Suddenly, it bolted up from the floor and stepped forward. Kyuhyun's body stiffened, worrying that it might hurt him. However, the creature only sat down on his lap and spread the blanket over them.

"We're not cold anymore, master!"

While leaning on him, the creature glanced up and smiled at him, and Kyuhyun's heart misbehaved for a second. He sighed and properly tucked the blanket around them, before closing his eyes to take a rest. At least he didn't create something evil.

**************************

When Kyuhyun woke up, the blanket was pooling on the floor and the creature was nowhere to be found. He searched the entire place and eventually found it outside in the garden, staring at a wildflower.

"You, get inside now."

"Master, can I stay here longer?"

"No, we can't risk someone finding out about your existence. I don't want to be burned alive at a stake."

"But the flower…"

Reluctantly, the creature followed him back inside the abandoned church and sat down in front of the unlit fireplace with a dropping shoulder. Kyuhyun wondered if the creature felt sad because its brain belonged to a farmer, hence its fondness for nature. If so, could it be that human's soul resided in the brain?

"Why do you like that flower?"

"I want it."

"Why do you want it?"

"For you, master."

The creature said and got up, before disappearing into a prayer room. It came out holding a vase with a withered flower. It smiled and showed the dirty vase to him.

"I want to replace it for you, master."

"But I don't like flowers."

"Eh? Then, what do you like?"

"I want you to stay inside and don't wander out unless I'm with you."

If he didn't know better, he would've thought that the creature was pouting and sulking at him.

"Understood, master…"

"I'm doing this for our safety. If the villagers see you, they'll definitely accuse me as a believer of Satan and burn us at a stake."

"Why? Because I look different from them? Because I'm your creation?"

The creature touched its face and felt its patched cheeks, before dragging its fingers down to the neck where the head got sewed to the torso. After caressing the sturdy threads, the creature looked at him and tilted its head to the left where the protruding screw head was heavier. Then, it reached out to him and touched his face curiously.

"Do they look like you, master?"

"The villagers? Yes, they do."

"Why am I different from you and them?"

"Because you're my creation."

"Who created you?"

Despite his vast knowledge, Kyuhyun was unable to answer that. He once believed in God until his mother, a faithful believer, died from incurable sickness. Ever since then, he abandoned everything in pursuit of knowledge. If he studied the way of life and death, he might find the answer he was looking for. However, his success in making the creature only gave him more questions than answers.

"Why do you want to know that?"

"I don't want to be different. I want to be like you, master."

The creature's words prompted an ironic snort from Kyuhyun. Apparently, the need to belong was in every being, be it a human or this creature. He slightly shook his head in disagreement and rested his palm on the creature's rough skin, and chuckled softly when it leaned into his touch. The creature was too naive. It didn't know that appearance wasn't the only factor that divided one individual from another. No, life was more complicated than that but he doubted that it would understand his explanation— that they weren't different deep down, an outsider in the majority of people's eyes.

"You might find it hard to believe but we're not that different, despite our looks."

"Truly? Master, I don't get it…"

"It's obviously too hard for you in the current state. Why don't we start with something simpler? For example, give me a hand and help me clean this place."

"Understood!"

The creature nodded energetically and literally "gave a hand", by harshly pulling its left hand until the threads patching the hand and wrist together were broken. Smiling brightly, the creature gave its "hand" to him.

"Master, I give you my hand!"

"..."

Kyuhyun sighed. It seemed like he had a long road ahead of him before his creation became perfect.

.

.

.

.

After sewing the creature's hand back, Kyuhyun had the creature help him clean the place. He secretly moved into this abandoned church to conduct his experiment out of people's sight. Although the old church was in a run-down state, it was the best hiding place for him. He only had to keep it clean inside and fix the dome that got struck by lightning before another storm hit. Unfortunately, the creature was very clumsy and created more mess than cleaning. It even almost got its skull bashed by trying to move a large wooden shelf by itself. So, he had to give instructions step by step and keep a close eye on it.

"Be careful when picking up the broken shards and putting it in this box."

"Yes, master!"

The creature replied eagerly and got to work, while he detached the complicated tools into a smaller part to put them away since the experiment was already done. As an efficient person, Kyuhyun quickly finished his task in only an hour and a half. He turned to check the creature out of paranoia. Although it wasn't done cleaning the glass shards yet, at least it didn't actively try to get itself killed so he just let it be. He put away the experiment tool boxes in a storage room and began to wipe water puddles on the stone floor caused by the storm last night. Again, he finished his task within an hour so he turned to check on the creature. This time, he frowned when the creature still wasn't done cleaning the shards. If his eyes didn't deceive him, he felt like it was still holding the same glass shard that he saw an hour ago. Annoyed by its inefficiency, Kyuhyun stomped towards the creature to lecture it.

"I've already finished two tasks but you're still not done? What are you doing?"

"I'm following master's order to be careful when putting this thing in the box!"

The creature then demonstrated how it "followed" his command. Two ridiculously cute small fingers very carefully picked up the glass shard and put it away in the box. However, its hand speed of moving from the floor to the box was tediously slow and extremely annoying. In the end, Kyuhyun became impatient and snatched the shard from the creature, before throwing it in the box himself. He glared at the creature.

"I told you to be careful, not slow! Work faster!"

"U-Understood!"

Startled by his temper, the creature quickly swept all shards with its bare hands before he could stop it and gathered them in its palms, getting several cuts on its hands in the process. It dumped the glass shards in the box and indeed finished the task quicker. The creature stared at him with its innocent black eyes as if waiting for his praise. However, it soon winced and blinked rapidly to get rid of forming tears when the pain finally registered.

"Master, it hurts!"

"Of course it is!"

Kyuhyun sighed exasperatedly and carried the creature up in his arms, for he didn't believe that it wouldn't stumble into something on its feet. Sniffing quietly, the creature held its injured palms up and buried its face into his shoulder as if trying to not look at the wounds. He let it be and took it to the master chamber where he put all necessary items. He laid the creature on a bed and came back with a bandage, clean cloth, and water basin. Sitting down beside it, he began to carefully clean and bandage the injured palms. Once he was done, he decided that having the creature do nothing would benefit him more than having it try to help him.

"Stay still and do nothing."

"Yes, master!"

Then, he left his chamber to continue cleaning the entire place by himself. By the time he finished all tasks, the sun had already set for a while. He headed to his chamber after having a quick dinner, bringing a glass of water and dry bread with him. When he stepped into the room, he saw the creature still sitting in place exactly where he told it to sit. It beamed happily after seeing him but soon blinked cluelessly instead.

"Master, I can't move…"

"..."

Apparently, he had a very, very long road ahead of him before the creature became perfect. Kyuhyun could only sigh and feed it water and bread. Too exhausted to relocate the creature to where it belonged, he just pulled it to lie down with him and fell asleep just like that, holding the muscle-stiffened creature to his chest.

If there were any benefits of having the creature with him, Kyuhyun found out that he had a pleasant sleep that night and woke up feeling refreshed.

************************************

Kyuhyun spent the first few weeks teaching the creature about common sense and how to not get itself in a dangerous situation that could endanger its life or hurt itself. The notion of the overall circumstance was so ridiculous that he found himself sighing more frequently. At least his hard work bore fruit and the creature no longer ran into situations that could get itself killed every five minutes. Actually, he begrudgingly admitted that when he could talk sense into the creature and it understood him, the creature was kind of… adorable… Its bright smile and optimistic attitude towards the world that completely contrasted to his cold and calculated personality were very refreshing. Kyuhyun found himself becoming kinder to the creature and didn't mind when it clung to him. His improved relationship with the creature also benefited his research as he had an easier time observing and teaching it. After the concept of common sense, he moved on to the next step to make his creation perfect— teaching how to read and write— and he decided to teach both German (his mother tongue) and English. However...

"Master, there are worms on the paper!"

"No, they're the alphabet."

"Alphabet…?"

"Yes, you need to learn them to be able to read and write."

"But I can speak just fine?"

"Being literate is a great boon that can help you survive in this world."

"But it seems boring…"

"Don't you want to know what I've been reading? I saw you messing around with the books in the study."

As he expected, the creature that had been trying to be on his good side immediately paid attention. So, he began to teach how to read each alphabet and to his surprise, the creature was a fast learner. It took only a few attempts for it to perfectly memorize everything. Maybe the creature might be smarter than he thought.

How wrong he was.

Just as he thought that teaching should be easy, the creature soon ran into an obstacle: writing.

"Maaaster! I can't do it…"

"Then practice until you can. Don't give up just yet."

The creature whined but obediently continued to copy the alphabet, all the while Kyuhyun kept watching it closely. From his observation, it knew how to write the alphabet but couldn't move its hand as it wanted. Apart from the body temperature, it seemed like he also failed to tune the creature's muscles for delicate tasks. Each was shaking and uneven as if it was written by a man on the verge of death. Unable to keep witnessing the poor attempt, he decided to step in. He held the creature's hand holding a pencil and guided it on the paper, demonstrating how to write each alphabet one by one.

"Alright, you should understand the basics of it now. Any questions?"

"Yes, master, what is your name? How do you write it?"

"Why do you want to know?"

"Because I want to."

Shrugging, Kyuhyun wrote his name down on the paper— starting off with confident of "Victor", moving onto striking of "Kyuhyun", and ending with elegant of "Frankenstein".

"That's my name, Victor K. 'Kyuhyun' Frankenstein."

"Victor… Kyuhyun... Frankenstein…"

The creature repeated after him softly. Each syllable was spoken slowly with the utmost care by its dry lips, carefully forming a word as if it was tasting it. Then, the creature looked at him with determination shining brightly in its dull-colored eyes.

"Master, can I keep practicing?"

"Go ahead. I have to take care of my own research paper too."

So, Kyuhyun left the creature to its own devices to continue his research paper regarding the creature's improvement. He poured his soul into adding newfound information and correcting old statements. He didn't realize that time had flown by and the day had ended. By the time he realized that he should light a lantern, the sky outside the window had turned completely dark. He lit the lantern and left the study. He went to the servant's room where the creature was and found it falling asleep at the desk. Papers were scattered around on the floor. Placing the lantern down on the table, he picked up one of the papers and frowned after reading it. Then, he picked up the next one and read it. And the next one… And the next one...

Uictor Ky

Victoor Gyu

Victor Kyuhyun Fanke

Vigtor Kyuhun Fran

Victor Kyuhyun Frangenstin

It looked like the creature was trying to write his name, although it kept making mistakes so it had to start anew. There were such papers scattering everywhere as a record of the creature's failure. Kyuhyun then noticed a paper on the desk under the creature's head. He carefully pulled it out without waking it and read the paper.

Victor Kyuhyun Frankenstein

The said paper was a successful attempt of the creature. His name was written correctly and neatly. Kyuhyun had a feeling that the creature kept this paper to show it off to him later, but fell asleep while waiting for him. He smiled and gently caressed each on the paper.

"Of all the subjects that you could practice writing, you chose my name? What a waste of time."

Although he did say that, he didn't feel annoyed or upset at all. In fact, his chest felt so warm that the night's howling wind blowing through cracks on the window did nothing against him. He felt so full despite his empty stomach and his hand suddenly itched so badly. So, he let the itch take over him and reached out. He caught the creature's stray dark bang and gently brushed it aside.

"I barely understand you even though you're my creation. You truly are a mystery…"

Kyuhyun whispered while taking his hand away. Then, he carefully carried the creature in his arms while avoiding waking it up, before laying it down on an old mattress in the room. He covered it with a worn-out blanket and left the room after fetching the lantern.

He took the paper with his name on it with him.

***************************

A few more weeks later…

"Master Kyuhyun?"

"What is it?"

"What is my name?"

Kyuhyun put the book down beside him and stared at the creature that was sitting on the floor while putting its head on his lap. His hand that was petting its head also stopped so the creature looked up in protest. He played with its rough black hair and asked: "why do you want to know?"

"I want to be like you, master! You have a name and I really like it, so I want to know what my name is?"

"That…"

Kyuhyun went quiet. It had been a while since the creature made him speechless, even though he already foresaw the question. After the creature learned how to read and write his name, it wouldn't stop calling him, despite it having nothing not to say. He hypothesized that the creature had imprinted on him. That's why it tried to imitate his actions and impress him. It was highly probable, considering that he was the only human whom the creature interacted with. If he wanted the creature to grow more as an individual, he had to let it meet other human beings. But how? He doubted ordinary people would accept the creature and other scholars probably saw it only as an experiment subject—

Kyuhyun's train of thought came to a sudden halt. Experiment subject? Wasn't that applicable to him too? After all, he created it purely out of a selfish motive. That's why he didn't bother to name it, not even assigning a number like other general experiment subjects, and just called it "the creature" because he only regarded it as a thing…

But not anymore.

"I'm not going to name you unless you give me a proper reason why you want to have a name."

"Because I want to be like you?"

"That's not enough. Listen to me, names are a very crucial part of human beings. It symbolizes the birth of your being and defines who you are. It's something that will be announced to the world— it's me! It's something that belongs to you and only you. Therefore, I want you to think carefully before making such a request. Why do you want to have a name?"

The unnamed being absorbed his words attentively, before nodding and putting his head back on his lap. Kyuhyun picked up the book and resumed petting the messy black hair. For the first time ever since that stormy night, he genuinely wanted this nameless being to grow up for his own sake, not for the sake of his experiment. He admitted that he created the being out of his ego, believing that he could play God. However, he didn't want to be like that anymore. From now on, he would only provide guidance and watch the being grow up without interfering. So, Kyuhyun said nothing and kept petting the dark head, patiently waiting for the unnamed being to reach his own conclusion.

"Master Kyuhyun?"

"Hmm?"

After being quiet for a long while, the dark-haired being finally spoke up. Kyuhyun put the book down to give the being his full attention and chuckled light-heartedly when the unnamed being climbed up to straddle his lap. It seemed like he might have indulged the being too much. The said being put his arms around his torso and stared at him. His head tilted slightly due to the weight of the screw in his head.

"Master Kyuhyun, am I a potato?"

"Obviously, no."

"Then, am I a flower?"

"Of course not."

"A book?"

"That's not even a living being."

"Am I you?"

"No, I'm myself and you're yours. You can't be me."

"In that case," the being stared into Kyuhyun's soul, "what am I? Who am I?"

Kyuhyun let a proud smile blossom on his face. The nameless being finally got it, a proper reason to want a name. After all these times, the being finally stopped thinking about him and more of itself. With an arm around the being's thin waist to secure him, Kyuhyun caressed the being's face and spoke up from the bottom of his heart.

"You finally think of yourself before me."

"Does that mean that you will name me!!?"

"Of course. This is the perfect opportunity to start a new life by giving you a name."

"Then… What is my name?"

"Yesung."

Kyuhyun didn't have to ponder long. The name came out naturally from his lips, rolling off of his tongue and falling off just at the right time. The being, Yesung, hesitantly repeated the name.

"Yesung…"

"Yes, it comes from the Korean language that my mother once taught me, meaning art-like voice."

"Yesung… I'm Yesung… Yesung!"

Yesung kept repeating his name excitedly before beaming brightly at him.

"Master Kyuhyun, I'm Yesung!!!"

"Hello, Yesung, nice to meet you."

"I love my name! Master Kyuhyun, thank you so much!"

Kyuhyun's smile widened when Yesung hugged him out of the blue. The black-haired man was so happy that he could sense joy in the air. He returned the hug and replied in a hushed tone: "it's my pleasure, Yesung."

Kyuhyun kept hugging and patting the extremely excited Yesung until the man fell asleep from being too hyper. He didn't take Yesung back to his room. Instead, he leaned back against the couch and adjusted his position until he was comfortable enough. Then, he covered both of them with a blanket and closed his eyes, before falling asleep while being accompanied by their heartbeats.

***************************

After he decided to help Yesung grow up, Kyuhyun no longer interfered with the shorter man's life. He let Yesung try out many activities to find out what he liked, in order to learn more about himself. At first, Yesung always copied what he did, mostly reading books and writing research papers, even though Yesung didn't understand it or enjoy it. Now, however, Yesung found something else that he loved— drawing. Starting from simple objects, Yesung practiced drawing whenever he was free from cleaning duty. The shorter man's favorite things to draw were him and scenery.

"Master Kyuhyun, look! I made another drawing!"

"Really? Let me see it."

Kyuhyun smiled and took the drawing from the black-haired man, although his smile immediately faltered after seeing the picture. It was a drawing of a garden behind the church. What got his attention was a drawing of a cross that partially blocked the garden— a window. He knew that Yesung had yet to improve to the point of using a drawing to represent his thoughts or emotions. The man just drew whatever he saw, including the window that separated him from the garden. Whenever Yesung drew a scenery, he always drew the window in it. It had been about four months since he created Yesung. Except for that one single day, Yesung had never left the church because of his order, be it day or night, whether he was at the church or at the town buying food supplies. Yesung had never, ever, left this place…

"Master Kyuhyun? What's wrong? You don't like my drawing?"

"No, it's a lovely drawing."

Kyuhyun praised and returned the drawing. Yesung beamed and headed back to his seat by the window, probably to draw more. He bet that the window would be included in the drawing again for sure.

Unless he did something about it.

So, Kyuhyun waited until the sun set at the horizon and the moon rose up in the sky. When Yesung got up to head back to his room, he stopped him.

"Yesung, wait, don't go to bed yet."

"Huh? Why? What are we going to do?"

Instead of answering, he picked up a blanket from the couch and put it on the shorter man's shoulder, securing it around his thin frame. Then, he told Yesung to climb onto his back and close his eyes. After that, he grabbed a lantern and stepped out into the cold night. White snowflakes slowly fell down from the sky as he walked through a forest while carrying Yesung. During the journey, he felt more weight and heard quiet steady breathing from the man on his back. Apparently, Yesung had fallen asleep. Kyuhyun chuckled and secured his arm under the sleeping man's thighs. Lighting the path with the lantern, he kept walking until he arrived at a hill overlooking the town. He rocked his body and gently woke up the man on his back.

"Yesung, wake up."

"Mnn, five more minutes…"

"Wake up, sleepyhead, I promise you'll love this."

With a quiet whining, Yesung opened his eyes and got down from his back. Then, the shorter man gasped at the sight before his widened eyes— a sleeping town blanketed by a layer of snow where grey smoke languidly floated out of chimneys to the dark sky. The town was decorated by a few dots of yellow from the windows of still-awake households. Above the town, the lone crescent moon shone brightly and bathed everything in a gentle golden glow.

"This is…"

"The town that I often talk about to you. Having to stay in the church all the time must be boring, right? I can't take you to the town because it's too dangerous for both of us, but I can at least do this."

While Yesung was still gasping in awe, Kyuhyun unclasped the blanket from the shorter man's shoulder and placed it on the snowy ground together with the lantern. Then, he sat down and called the black-haired man while tapping his lap. Yesung eagerly and happily settled down on his lap. After that, he circled his arms around the abnormally cold body and put his chin on the small shoulder to share the warmth.

"Do you like it? Being outside?"

"Definitely!"

He hummed in contentment and watched Yesung skillfully guide a pencil in his small hand on the paper, drawing one amazing thing after another. They stayed like that until the moon gradually descended and the sun slowly rose up in its place. They watched the color of dawn painting the town in a warm shade of orange and went back to the church briefly after that to avoid being seen. On their way back, they walked hand in hand and Yesung couldn't stop talking about the sunrise, saying how stunning it was, and Kyuhyun couldn't agree more.

It was the most beautiful sunrise he had ever seen in his life.

***********************************

Time flew. Days and nights passed. The weather gradually got warmer as spring was approaching. While the layer of snow at the church garden had decreased, the itchiness in Kyuhyun's heart had increased. As of late, he found himself unable to control the urge whenever he was near Yesung. He wanted to pinch those chubby cheeks when Yesung smiled. He wanted to pet Yesung's head when the man showed him yet another drawing. He didn't want to let go of that small hand when they came back after a night stroll. He wanted to hold Yesung tight when the man shared a bed with him on a cold night. He wanted to kiss the alluring nape whenever Yesung sat on his lap. He wanted to taste those dry lips whenever Yesung said his name.

Kyuhyun had fallen in love with Yesung, his own creation.

When he first realized the truth behind his erratic heartbeat, he snorted at himself for almost a whole minute. He created Yesung just to spite God for taking his mother away but God got back at him by making him fall in love with the said creation. What an ironic tale. He still wasn't sure how and why he fell in love with Yesung. Was it Yesung's naivety? Or his cheerfulness despite their twisted circumstances? Maybe it was due to those dull yet lively eyes that always looked up to him? Or perhaps it was simply because of Yesung's beautiful smile that took his breath away…

He didn't know when it began. Just like the snow in the garden, he couldn't recall when it first appeared but when he turned to look at it, it was already there, piling up high to the point that he could no longer ignore it. He loved Yesung. The truth was as simple as that. However, the reality didn't appear to be as simple. He shouldn't have loved Yesung, not when the man didn't understand the concept of love. Although Yesung had grown up so much as an individual, he still couldn't grasp how emotions worked. To such a person, even simply showing an ounce of his affection equaled manipulation. As a sole pillar in Yesung's life, he could easily sway the man's opinions on him as he wished.

But he didn't want to do that. He wanted to love and respect Yesung as one deserved. He wanted to give Yesung a choice whether he wished to reciprocate his feelings or not. In order to make a choice, one must have enough knowledge and information about the matter at hand. So, Kyuhyun decided to teach Yesung about it, the complexity of the human heart.

"Yesung, can you come over here for a second?"

"Of course! Master Kyuhyun, what do you want me to do?"

"I'm going to give you some assignment but before that, I want you to stop calling me master, just use my name."

"But you're my master! You created me…"

"Giving you life doesn't make me your superior nor does it make me own you. Every individual's body, mind, and spirit solely belong to themselves, including you, Yesung."

"Are you saying that… I'm an individual…?"

"Correct, you may look different in terms of appearance but you possess the same attributes that other humans have. Well, you have most of them except the most important one— emotions."

Kyuhyun placed a pile of books before the shorter man. There were novels of all genres that he bought from the town. Although it wasn't exactly a reliable source, it was still an acceptable start to learn about emotions.

"Yesung, I want you to read all of these books and compare them with your situations."

"My situation?"

"Correct. Try to identify each emotion the characters were feeling and compare them to what you feel— the things in your chest. Then, take your time to thoroughly study them, what do you feel, why do you feel that way, and what is the name of those emotions."

Yesung nodded and picked one book from the pile before starting to read it. The black-haired man looked so serious about it that Kyuhyun couldn't help but caress his slightly cold cheek. Then, he allowed himself to touch the shorter man for a few more minutes and pulled back. Although Yesung stared at him puzzled and disappointed as if to ask why he stopped, he didn't waver and stepped away.

"Keep working hard, Yesung, I believe in you."

"Understood, master— I mean, Kyuhyun!"

Yesung's cheerful smile made his chest warm up and his hands itch. So, before he let the butterflies in his stomach get the better of him, he left the vast hall and headed back to his room. There was an open letter on the desk that he couldn't bring himself to reply to yet. Picking it up, Kyuhyun could feel the taste of a sigh at the tip of his tongue just sweeping his gaze over the paper.

Dear Brother Victor,

Father has fallen gravely ill and wishes to see you before he breathes his last. He has already forgiven you for your thoughtless behaviors so you do not have to worry. Do come back home and fulfill your duty as the oldest son.

Sincerely,

Igor

Kyuhyun eventually sighed and put the letter in a drawer. It had been more than ten years since he left the estate due to crashing opinions with his father. Just like other noblemen, his father wanted him to inherit the family's mining business and get married for a connection. However, his heart lay in study and research. So, he parted ways with his family to focus on his academic pursuit and never thought about returning to that place, not until the letter arrived two days ago. He held no love for the man who hurt his mother by cheating on her with her personal maid, an affair that resulted in his mother's health deteriorating and the birth of Igor, his younger half-brother. He suspected that his father called him back to pass down the family wealth to him, because his father wouldn't acknowledge Igor as a legitimate heir for having commoner blood— an amusing reason for someone who cheated on his aristocratic lady and had an affair with a commoner to begin with. He couldn't care less about the family's wealth or title, but he didn't want to leave any loose ends. He probably had to come back sooner or later. However, he was worried about Yesung…

"I hope you'll come to understand emotions soon… I don't want to leave without telling you how I feel…"

Murmuring to himself, Kyuhyun looked out of the window to the garden. The snow had begun to melt due to the approaching spring. It would be lovely if he got to celebrate Yesung's first spring with the said person here at their home.

Though he doubted he would be that lucky.

***************************

His prediction had come true.

One week after Kyuhyun received the letter, a telegraph message arrived from his half-brother, informing him that he should hurry up unless he wanted to be greeted by a funeral after arriving home. He couldn't postpone his due visit anymore. However, Yesung still had yet to understand love. The man had learned about basic emotions such as joy. But for something far more complicated like love and hate, Yesung hadn't grasped its concept yet. Unfortunately, he didn't have the luxury to wait longer. So, he prepared to leave tomorrow morning without taking Yesung with him for an obvious reason.

"Yesung, how was your progress?"

"Oh, Kyuhyun! Today, I started to understand what ecstasy feels like. When you told me that you'll spend the entire day with me, my chest feels so hot and stuffy as if my heart is going to explode, but I also can't stop smiling. Intense happiness... This is what ecstasy feels like, right!!?"

"You did a good job, Yesung."

Kyuhyun praised the shorter man and rewarded him with a head pat. Yesung smiled in return so brilliantly gorgeous that his vision was blind for a second. He truly loved Yesung. He would do anything to protect that precious smile, even though he would be the one who broke Yesung's heart tomorrow.

"What do you want to do?"

"Hmm, I have so many ideas! I want to show you my drawings, having you read a book for me, maybe we can clear the snow in the garden together, or maybe we should take down the wooden planks boarding the windows to prepare for spring, but I also want to clean the church, then again, doing nothing and just laying on a mattress with you also sounding amazing! Ah, Kyuhyun, I can't choose! This tender feeling in my chest that makes me want to run around is excitement, right?"

"That's right. It's clear that you're very excited now. But you still have to make a choice. So, what will we do today?"

"Alright, I made up my mind!"

Yesung grinned and suddenly tackled him, causing them to stumble back and fall down on a couch. Kyuhyun kept his arms protectively around the slightly cold figure while the smaller man snuggled up even closer into his embrace.

"Yesung?"

"What I want us to do today is doing nothing!"

Yesung said while nuzzling against his chest and hugging him tighter.

"Are you sure about it?"

"Yes, although I'm happy when we do something together, I'm happier when I can just stay in your arms like this, Kyuhyun. My body feels so light and warm now. What is this emotion?"

"It's probably bliss. The degree of happiness is as much as ecstasy but calmer."

"Hn, I see! I like it… I like this feeling of bliss when I'm with you… Kyuhyun, can we stay like this forever?"

Kyuhyun went deadly quiet. He didn't want to lie but he also couldn't tell the truth.

"Kyuhyun?"

"What else do you want us to do?"

So, he simply changed the subject. Luckily, Yesung didn't notice his avoidance. The black-haired man pondered his question so seriously before breaking out into a shining smile. Yesung took his hand and brought it to his patched face. Then, Yesung nuzzled his cheek against his palm and glanced up at him.

"I want you to touch me. I really like the feeling of your rough hands on my face or my head. I don't want anything else as long as your hands gently touch me…"

"Yesung…"

Kyuhyun almost failed to hold back and kissed Yesung, just almost. He looked away from the dry lips just in time before the burning desire properly formed in his heart. No, he would never engage in any ual activities until Yesung understood the meaning of consent. Instead, he complied with the man's innocent request and caressed his face. Placing his hands on the patched cheeks, he dragged his thumb along the imperfect contour and felt the unnaturally chilly skin. To this day, he still couldn't figure out a method to recreate the body temperature. Yesung easily got cold so that was probably why he liked cuddling with him very much. The smaller man hummed in bliss, genuinely enjoying his touch. Yesung's serene and overjoyed expression almost destroyed his resolve. He almost changed his mind and stayed here with his beloved person for eternity.

Alas, he couldn't forever run away from the place he once called home.

Glancing down at Yesung who had dozed off, Kyuhyun kept wistfully wishing that he could stop time. It would probably take months for him to go back to the estate, take care of the legal documents, and come back here. Will Yesung be alright if he had to live here alone? Will he be free from the villagers' watchful eyes? Will Yesung forget him? Most importantly, will he survive without having Yesung by his side? The path ahead of him was so full of uncertainty that he got scared. Him, the great scientist who wasn't afraid of the wrath of God, was now trembling in fear of having to part ways with his most beloved person…

"Kyuhyun? Kyuhyun?"

"Hm? Yes?"

"Your hands are shaking," Yesung said and held his right hand firmly, "are you cold? I'm sorry… It's because my body is chilly, right? I'll get up then—"

"Don't go."

Kyuhyun stopped Yesung who tried to leave him. He tugged the smaller man back into his chest and held him close. With his arms caging the slim figure, he nuzzled against the crook of Yesung's neck and whispered desperately.

"Don't go… Stay with me…"

"Kyuhyun, I'm not going anywhere!"

"But I have to leave soon."

Yesung's body froze in his arms. The beautiful dark eyes gazed up at him with confusion apparent in them.

"Kyuhyun, where are you going…?"

"My father has fallen ill and he called me back. I must go there to completely cut ties with them. Yesung, I'm doing it so that I can stay here with you forever. However, in order to accomplish that, I have to leave you for at least half a year…"

"What!!? That's not true, right…?"

"I have to leave tomorrow morning. I'm sorry, Yesung, even though I asked you to stay with—"

Yesung was crying. Kyuhyun felt like someone had stabbed his chest and gouged out his heart to trample it on the ground. He gently brushed his thumbs along the pale cheeks to chase away the tears.

"Yesung, don't cry…"

"Cry..?"

Yesung blinked and touched his eyes. The shorter man then frowned upon noticing the liquid flowing from his eyes. Yesung repeatedly rubbed his eyes but the tears wouldn't stop.

"W-What happened? Why does water flow out of my eyes? Why does my chest hurt so much? Kyuhyun… I feel like I can't breathe…"

"It's sadness, or rather, anguish, that you're currently feeling. I know because it's what I'm feeling right now too, Yesung…"

"Anguish…"

Yesung sobbed and hiccupped. The smaller man's eyes started to turn red from the rubbing so Kyuhyun stopped him. He held the endearing small hands and kissed them, again and again, until Yesung's cry slowly subsided.

"Kyuhyun… you'll come back, right…?"

"Of course, I swear upon my life."

"Then, let's stay like this until the morning comes…"

The black-haired man stared into his eyes and squeezed his hands back. Kyuhyun nodded and kissed Yesung's forehead, the only thing he could do for Yesung now. For the entire day, they stayed like that, unmoving. Even when the night fell, they refused to leave each other. Both of them were trying to engrave this moment forever in their hearts before they had to fight against loneliness by themselves. Eventually, the dawn arrived and shone the light into the dim hall. They reluctantly got up from the couch. Yesung waited for him in the hall while he fetched the luggage from his room. Then, they walked in melancholic silence to the church entrance where they had to bid farewell.

"The dry ration I bought should be enough for you to survive until I come back, and you know where to fetch drinking water. No matter what, don't go to the village. Stay in the church and continue to study emotions and other subjects. Take care of yourself, Yesung, I promise I'll come back as soon as possible. Here, take this so you won't be lonely while I'm away."

Kyuhyun put on a brown overcoat on the shorter man. He himself prepared a long black coat and top hat for a long journey back home. Yesung nodded without saying anything but he could tell from those dim eyes that anguish still had its grasp around his beloved person, and he was no different. He touched the screw stuck in the shorter man's head while wondering if Yesung would forget to polish it if he was gone. Then, he dragged his hand southward to brush under the saddened eyes. He hoped Yesung wouldn't rub his eyes too hard now that he wasn't here to gently brush off his tears. His hand traveled further down to the pale and cold cheek and caressed it, wishing for the impossible from the bottom of his heart that these lovely cheeks wouldn't be stained by tears. Finally, his thumb stopped just at the corner of the dry lips. His gaze lingered there for a very long while but he eventually pulled away. No, he would never confuse Yesung for his own selfishness.

"Then, I'm leaving now, Yesung."

"W-Wait, Kyuhyun!"

Kyuhyun's brow rose at the sudden call from the shorter man. Then, his eyes widened in shock when Yesung suddenly grabbed his collar and pulled him down. Their lips touched. Albeit briefly and feathery, like a butterfly landing on a flower petal and flying off, he still felt it all— the fullness, dryness, and bland taste mixed with the slight saltiness of tears. Yesung leaned away a second later. His patched cheeks were now tinged with pale pink.

"Yesung… did you learn it from the books?"

"Yes… in many books that I read, the male lead and female lead often do this when they have to part ways, so I want to do it with you. O-Or maybe I shouldn't do that?"

Kyuhyun put the luggage on the ground to free both hands. Then, he held Yesung's nape and cradled his face, angling his face up to place a soft kiss on the trembling lips.

"No, you did nothing wrong," Kyuhyun whispered against the pale lips, "in fact, your action has erased any fear in my heart. I sincerely thank you, Yesung, for introducing me to the most precious treasure in the whole world."

"I don't get it?"

"You have to find out by yourself, Yesung."

Kyuhyun chuckled and pecked the dry lips one last time. After that, he stepped back and picked up the luggage.

"Please wait for me, Yesung."

"I'll always wait for you, Kyuhyun."

Kyuhyun smiled and walked away from Yesung, the creature that he made only to challenge death and defy God.

The creature whom he had fallen in love with.

********************************************************

Author's note:

Woohooooo! It's here! I made it!! Well... the last chapter is actually not done yet but I want to stick to my schedule so here you are! The entire story is roughly based on the original novel so I hope you're prepared  :P

- The story took place in 18th century

- Don't ask me how exactly Yesung is created. It just happened, alright?  xD

- I'm sorry if you think the chapter is too long but I don't want to cut it. It flows better this way, the way Kyuhyun's feelings for Yesung gradually change over the course of the chapter.

-  Although this is without a doubt kyusung fic (as usual), another main point of this fic is Yesung's character growth. I hope that you guys stay with him and watch over his journey until the end  :)

Take care and love you!   <3