I need a remedy named 'You'

"Just can't control, just can't control." The music plays as I sang along to the latest title song of my favourite idol group, VIXX. Chasing idols was part of my life, ever since I got into Kpop. From the oldest H.O.T, to Shinhwa, then DBSK, Super Junior, then moving on to the recent new groups BEAST, UKISS, INFINTE, and then at 2012 came V.I.X.X. Standing for Voice, Visuals, Value In Excelsis, 6 hot boys have slowly creeped into my heart without knowing. 

Definitely, whenever a new boy group debuts, you would notice that one person and somehow, that person kinds of just sticks as a bias and that person was Leo. His cold-blooded eyes, distinct facial features like his jawline managed to capture my attention. Of course, let's not forget that he had worn translucent outfits for "Super Hero" promotions, which revealed his sculpted body. It was a first I was attracted to such a cold city guy. Being a fan of so many groups, it came to me as I compared my biases, that most of them were either fanservice kings or the aegyo type of guy. Leo was the first 'no-aegyo, no-fanservice' bias I actually liked. His nasal-sounding vocals were alluring instead of annoying, his cold-blooded eyes melted my heart instead of freezing it. I felt this sense of attraction at once. But recently, I noticed that Leo has been very sweet? Maybe with a little more fanservice and a lot more smiles than before. Most fans claimed that he has matured and warmed up towards the public and no longer hides behind his own private little shell. As an international fan, all we can see are variety shows because we are unable to go to Korea for their fanmeets, nor see them perform live on music programmes, we resort to searching "English subs for (some variety show)" on Youtube, Google so that we understand our idols better.

This was when I started noticing that Leo acts slightly different on every variety show I see. For one, VIXX recently had their own Diary programme, which was Plan V Diary. Within the 5 episodes, his personality was changing. There was the shy Leo who refused to play any games, do anything to please the fans, who ignored the camera despite its prominent existance. There was the violent Leo who managed to squeeze every inch of energy out of s because he was competitive in the games they were playing. Then, there was sweet Leo, who surprised s with a childhood number that cheered everyone up. With that, I wondered if he had some form of split personality. How could someone actually have so many sides to him? He is definitely NOT a 4Dimensional character. But then again, how is it possible to have split personalities, there has not been any proven examples. I laughed it off and continued to enjoy the show as pure entertainment. 

VIXX then came back with their new song Hyde. With their previous hit being wolf-like in "On and On", VIXX has received much love from the various broadcasting stations. Their eyebags were getting heavier with the lack of sleep, they had so many schedules that they actually fell asleep while recording (This is definitely possible, just like how students end up dozing off in lectures.). 

//

"REAL V! V I X X VIXX 입니다(imnida)!" VIXX greeted the hosts energetically. They were invited to a talkshow once they came back, proving their increasing popularity.
"Welcome VIXX to Mnet Open Studio!" The host Moon Heejun clapped as the members sat down.
 

"Since we do not know much about your group, tell us more about your group. How about some self introductions?" Heejun prompted  the rookie group. 
"I'll start first. My name is N! I am the leader and oldest of the 6 here!"
"My name is Ken! I am the moodmaker and vocalist of the group!"
The introductions went on and on and finally, it reached Leo.
"Hello, my name is Leo. I am the vocalist of the group." Despite with the mic, Leo's voice was a soft as a mouse.

"Ah, hello everyone! Oh, Leo-ssi! Do you usually speak so softly?"
"Uhm... I try not to strain my voice." Leo spoke with firmness.
"Ah I see, then this comeback's concept is strong and manly with the twist of you guys becoming evil after being injured in love right? How do you all feel about this concept?"

"Oh, we think that after the On and On concept last comeback, fans have come to see us as Vampires, so we thought that continuing with similar concepts would be good. I personally like this manly concept a lot because through variety shows we seem to be lacking in masculinity..." N spoke on and on as he explains the concept, being the talkative leader he is.

"Oh, how about the other members? Leo-ssi?"
"Oh, I think this new concept describes my feelings sometimes? I don't know if I'm the type of guy to be nice. Sometimes I also can't control my feelings, so this song really suits me." Leo spoke shyly as he continued to speak about the perks of listening to the song. 
I stared at my computer screen, reading the subs off the bottom of the video while observing Leo. "Huh, he can't control his feelings..." You stared and observed even harder as you slowly realise that every few minutes Leo twitches a little from within his seat. What the heck is he doing? But he looks adorable nevertheless But then you noticed N who kept glancing over to check on Leo. 

Jung Taekwoon's twitching... Aish... N's thoughts could be heard by Taekwoon, who replied with a "I'm trying to control it." Thankfully, no one else heard it. 

"Thank you VIXX for coming down to the studio! Let's say goodbye to VIXX now!"
"REAL V! V I X X VIXX 이였어습니다(e-yeott-seo-seubnida)!" The members bowed and left the studio.

//

"I can't control myself anymore. Help me."
"You know I can't help. You need to claimed soon, this is why the twitching is happening. You have to learn and get prepared to pick which personality you want taekwoon ah."
"DON'T CALL ME TAEKWOON! I'M LEO! LEO!!"
"You know you were Taekwoon just now at the studio."
"I AM LEO!" N sighs at Leo's fury. Why does he have to know his secret? He pushes and drags Leo back to the waiting room. Little did they know that some of the PDs were nearby and heard whatever they said. 

"What is up with Leo?"
"Beats me... kids nowadays are weird."
"Whatever, let's get back to work." 

//

I decided to sign up as a member as Daum cafe, so I can add myself to VIXX's fancafe. With the help of tumblr posts, I signed up quickly and for a first, I decided to type a letter to Leo. I was worried after seeing him twitch awkwardly, does he have some illness and did they force him up to perform despite being sick? 

Leo oppa,

I know it's hard for you to read English, but please try? I'm a fan from overseas who loves Leo alot. I have been watching every performance and show VIXX is on and you guys are doing so well! But Leo, are you sick? You kept twitching during variety shows, especially on Mnet's Open Studio! If Leo is sick, please rest well! I don't want any of you oppas to be sick! VIXX fighting!!

I can't type korean so I had no choice but to send my message in English. Hopefully, some one can translate this to him and I really hoped he would read it. I switched off the computer after sending the message and went to bed. But Hyde's melody kept ringing in my head. I was not thinking about the song, neither was I playing the song anywhere in the room but the song kept ringing nonstop. It was as though it was on loop. The lyrics "I am not a bad guy, I love you." stuck into my head. I simply could not fall asleep. The harder I tried to forget the song, the louder it became. 

Finally, i drifted off to sleep as I dreamt about the weirdest things happening to me. I dreamt that I got chosen to represent my dance crew for a competition! The competition was held at... SEOUL! It was like a dream come true and I even dreamt that I met Leo at the broadcasting stations but he was quiet and we simply passed by each other without greetings. But as they say, sometimes what you dream may come true.

The next morning I woke up to a text message by my mom.

We're going to Korea. Pack your bags, see you in 4 hours. It's summer there, pack right please.

I squealed! How was it even possible to even get tickets to Korea now that it was the holidays?! Nevertheless I packed and hailed a cab. I was going to Korea!!

//

Due to a slight delay in the flight, I had the time to check the Daum cafe before leaving. Surprisingly, I saw that there was a message for me in my inbox. I opened it and I saw an ID that I would probably never forget. taekwoon2310 Did Leo just write a message back to me? IN PRIVATE?! The message was in half English half Korean. I tried deciphering his message, using Google Translate and all sorts of tools online to help me and finally, I understood his message.

Hello there, you're the one who wrote a letter to me on the fancafe right? You mentioned that you've seen me twitching? How bad was it on TV? Can I meet you, this is very important to me and it is imposrtant as well that you tell no one about your meeting with me. But are you in Korea? I don't think you are Korean. How do I contact you then?

Please reply soon,
Taekwoon. 

I gasped. Leo wants to meet me, for my fancafe letter. At that moment I thank my mom for bringing me to Korea for a holiday now. I quickly replied a huge YES and asked where we should meet. It was a Thursday, which meant that VIXX would have their M!Countdown schedule today. I probably would have to meet Leo in the middle of the night.

Leo replied almost immediately with only a location and a time. I noted it down and replied an "okay". I was going to meet Leo! I could not contain myself.

//

At 7pm, I sneaked out of the hotel room and head to the location where Leo and I are supposed to meet. It was a restaurant, so I decided to have my dinner while waiting for him. As I ate, I noticed a black van stopping in front of the restaurant. 6 people wearing sunglasses alighted. I noticed that they had the exact hair colours that VIXX have, then it hit me. VIXX was coming to the restaurant to eat so Leo could talk to me?!

Leo saw me immediately when he came in and he pointed to the washroom and he walked towards the washroom. I followed his directions and went to the washroom. He led me into the handicapped cubicle without anyone noticing. I could not help but squeal a little, looking at an idol so closely was a first, not to mention that he's my bias.

"Hello Leo. I'm-"
"Please, call me Taekwoon."
"Ah, okay Taekwoon. My name is Hyerim."
"Yeah I know." He scratched his neck, showing his awkward smile.
"So, why did you ask to meet? I just asked if you were sick..."
"Well, I need you to promise that you can't tell anyone about you seeing me twitch because..." Taekwoon hesitated.
"I can promise!" Taekwoon chuckled at my rapid reply.
"Well, I actually... have two personalities."
"HAHAHAHAHA WHAT? Two personalities is impossible! It's not even proven to be true! HAHAHA!!"
"Hyerim-ssi, I know it's hard to believe but I have been switching from the evil me to the nice me quite often, that's why I'm twitching. I'm not sick, but rather in a dilemma. I have to claim myself in the near future, which will cause me to lose one personality."
I stared at Leo, no Taekwoon for a very long while. The man in front of me, the idol that I fantasize about, the leading vocal of VIXX that shines so bright on stage looks so vulnerable right now he could breakdown any time. I was the only one who knew his secret! Then I think back on his twitching, and indeed with each twitch his facial expressions change from being loving to being angry and back. So he does have two personalities, he wasn't lying.

"Uh, I'll keep it a secret. I promise!"
"Thank you so much for keeping this a secret Hyerim-ssi."
"You can call me Hyerim if you want..." I blushed at the slightest actions he made as he initiated a handshake. I shook his hand and my cheeks went red.

"Hyerim, since I'm asking you to keep a secret, is there anything you want? Perhaps like a fanservice?" He smiles shyly, just like a young boy who barely knew about the cruelty of the society.
Of course I have many things to ask from you, you're my bias in VIXX...
"Well, I'm not really asking a lot, but it's my first and probably last time in Korea and I was hoping to see you guys live and perhaps a signature... hehe" I sheepishly laughed as I looked at his eyes that were glowing under the cubicle light. Dang, was that too straightforward? The urge to withdraw my words was strong, until he suddenly said "Yeah, sure why not?"
He whips out his phone and calls his manager. After a five minute long phone call (and me being awkward while he talks very sweetly to his manager, almost aegyoing but not quite there yet), he hangs up.

"I have just gotten M!Countdown tickets for next week and I told the manager that you were allowed to come to our fanmeet as priority so you can simply come with the album and we'll sign it for you. All six of us, with your name and a small message in it!" His eyes creased into a crescent as he shared the good news. He reminds me of a little boy who accomplished his goals and then punches his hand in the air. But I was too busy gazing at his eyes to realise he had finish talking and I got myself the best deal ever.

"Thank you so much Leo, I mean Taekwoon-ssi! I will promise to keep this a secret!!"

Both of you left the cubicle at different times, to avoid confusion (and paparazzi obviously) and you left for the hotel.

//

"WE ARE AT A FOREIGN COUNTRY YOUNG LADY! WHERE DID YOU GO?!"
"I went out to eat and try some Korean cuisine... I had GPS and a korean language guide book! I could not have gotten lost." I explained everything to my mom (well, skipping the entire part where I met Taekwoon) and she simply sighs and forgave me after lecturing me for an hour. We both decided to sleep early since there was nothing much to do.

I am not a bad guy, I love you. The stare that looks afraid of me, please don't be like this. There's someone else inside me, there's another me inside me. The chorus kept repeating, as though on loop in my head. As much as i tried to ignore it and try to sleep, it was keeping me wide awake. When I finally drifted off to sleep, my dreams were filled with the lyrics of the song and I kept hearing Leo's part repeating, as if he was right next to me singing. The music got louder and louder in my dreams and I felt uncomfortable and I jolted up with cold sweat and the first thing I saw was Leo right in my room. Jung. Taek. Woon. Leo. In my room. I could not even think for a second moment when he suddenly rushed over and strangled my neck. His facial features were contorted. He was being Leo and I was losing air as I panicked.

"Taekwoon, stop please." I whimpered with the soft mumble I could speak with. Like on cue, he suddenly releases his hands from my neck and his face returned to normal. He sees me half gasping for air and half trying to not panic then he realises where he is at. Taekwoon sighs and walks towards me. I used my blanket and covered myself as protection. He moves back, realising that I was avoiding him. 

"Hyerim I'm so sorry, I don't know why but when I turned into Leo I came searching for you. Are you alright? I'm so sorry for almost killing you!" Taekwoon covers his face, being ashamed of what he just did thanks to his split persona.

"It's okay." I whispered. I sighed at the state of the man. He was sweating buckets and his face of remorse and guilt simply made me feel terrible. Why is there such a cute guy with such a terrible disorder? But then again, if he does not have such a disorder, would he still be able to go on stage?

"Does this happen often for you?"
"It did not happen as often as recently..."
"Have you found out why? Did you seek help?"
"Hakyeon says not to seek help, the doctors and paparazzi might share, it's bad for the company and the group."
"Hakyeon? N-ssi?! He knows?!" I nearly screamed. N KNOWS HIS PROBLEM?! Thank goodness I'm not the only one.
"Yeah, he's my best friend. He knows."
"Should we ask him for help?"
"Him? We?"
"Yeah, we! I'm gonna help you."
"You're not scared by the strangling? What happens if I do it to you again?"
 

"I just die then..." I said it jokingly, but his face was so solemn I thought he changed back into Leo for a moment. I looked at him and simply smile, showing him that I was really fine and I was just kidding before he finally rest his mind in peace and left the hotel room.

//

We agreed to meet the next day so we could talk about how to solve Taekwoon's problem. At 10am, I managed to sneak out again while my mom went to a spa. I went back to the same cafe only to see N and Taekwoon waiting for me with an extra cup of coffee. I scuttled over and sat down. 

"Sorry for being late. I have to sneak out in case my mom finds out."
"It's okay Hyerim. Meet Hakyeon, or as you know him, N!" Taekwoon introduces the charismatic leader of VIXX. I blushed at the close sight of such a charismatic man.
"Hello~ I am Hakyeon!" N brightly waves. You wave back as you notice that N actually twitches a little too. But not as much as Taekwoon. 
"I used to be like Taekwoon, just that I have already Claimed myself, so I don't twitch that much or anything. There's a reason why I have a stage name too~" Hakyeon explains why he knows Taekwoon's condition. My jaws dropped like it was dislocated, N WAS A WEIRD FREAK TOO?! My world was collapsing in front of me. Did all the idols have stage names because of this?
"No, Hyerim-ssi. Not all idols have this crazy illness like us. We just happen to be special. By the way, my power is to read people's mind, so be careful." My jaws stayed dropped. This is getting creepy.
"Hakyeon, stop scaring her please. I have a feeling I need her."
"Okay okay~ basically you have to wait till you are Claimed then we will know your real persona." Hakyeon takes a sip at his coffee, scrunching his nose because it was too hot for his tongue. I giggled but Hakyeon stared back schemingly. I looked down and drank my coffee and I end up burning my tongue too. 
"Stop teasing her Hakyeon!"
"Okay..." Hakyeon finally stops. 
"So, how can he claim himself?" I wanted to help Taekwoon with his disease. 
"Hmm... We have to wait till the next crescent moon, which comes in..." Hakyeon stops to check his phone, but Taekwoon replied cooly with "Next week.". 

"Until then, we can't do anything?"
"Pretty much." Hakyeon leans back on his chair and relaxes. Taekwoon and I both sigh together.

"Ah, Taekwoon ah, you have not explained to me... How did she come about?"
"Uhm, well... She noticed my twitching on TV." 
"SHE OBSERVES SO WELL?! She must be a real Starlight then?"
"I guess so..." I was listening to this entire conversation and smiling to myself. They recognised me as an official Starlight although I did not sign up for their official Starlight fanclub.

"Hyerim, why did you like Taekwoon?" 
"Hmm... I liked his voice, his charisma on stage when he simply belts out those notes with almost no strength. He is really handsome, with his distinct facial features. He's tall too and not too skinny." I shyly replied. Taekwoon was right in front as he hears all the compliments and he too was blushing. 
"Ohhhhh, Taekwoon ah, I think she loves you more than I do..." Hakyeon could not stop teasing the two of us. It was as though he was helping the two of us get closer with every joke. 

Hakyeon and Taekwoon both had to go for rehearsal for Music Bank so I left and returned to the hotel room, just nice before my mom came back. I casually pretend to use the laptop and thankfully, my mom did not catch me. 

Dusk fell and my mom and I decided to catch a Korean musical. It was called "When A Man Loves" with stars like Narsha and Brian as well as Hoon from UKISS. It was such an interesting musical, it was an eye opener as well. The musical ended very late and we only reached our hotel after midnight. I quickly bathed and lied down on my bed. Then I hear a familiar line. 

There is a crazy person inside of me. It was Hyde again. For the next few days, the same line keeps repeating. I start to doubt if I should help Taekwoon. What if he tries to kill me again, as Leo? Can I defend myself? I sigh at the thought of what I have gotten myself into. 

The night of the crescent moon arrived and coincidentally, it was the day I got tickets to M!Countdown. I showed my mom the ticket and we went down early in the morning to start queuing. I was going to see them sing live! 

In the early afternoon, they started letting fans in, I rushed in with my mom behind me and we got a relatively nice spot to watch. 
We waited patiently as the live stages started. The special MCs were Shinhwa's Minwoo and Junjin. The two veteran artistes spoke with such fluency and had such humour that everyone was laughing and smiling while waiting for the stages to come on. Finally, after an hour of stages, it was VIXX's turn. The music came on, Ravi rose from his position and the stage began! I looked at Taekwoon the entire time and I thought, thank goodness he was being Taekwoon. But I saw him twitch and he became Leo, I worriedly stared at Hakyeon, who somehow saw my worried facial expressions and glanced over at Leo. Thankfully, Taekwoon was controlling Leo and he maintained calm for the performance. I did the fanchant as I worried, but at the same time excited because I could hear all their voices live, it was so surreal. But I also realised Taekwoon was twitching more than usual. Was it because today's the night he is going to Claim herself? 

//

"Taekwoon ah, hurry up. You are twitching so badly." Hakyeon and Taekwoon were at the bottom of Namsan Tower. They had to reach the highest point in order for the transformation to take place. 
"I'm trying to run." Taekwoon was having difficulty running, since he was twitching and controlling the inner Leo within him. 

//

Where did they go? I went over to backstage to find the two idols but they had left the building already. The rest of the VIXX members were still around, so I tried getting hints from where N and Leo would have gone. 

"ooooo, ottokkaji? I don't know!" Ken panicked. 
"Ah hyung, shut up already." Ravi lazed around as he could not be bothered with the existance with the two hyungs. 
"You can try calling their phone numbers." Hongbin politely told me as the stylist noona grabbed him away.
"Uh, who are you?" Hyuk was dumbfounded at the random fan he sees (obviously). I introduced myself with the help of the manager who already found out who I was. 

"Ahhh... I heard N hyung saying about going to the highest place of Seoul. I wonder if that helps?" Hyuk answered without turning over as he played Fruit Ninja on his phone. 
"Sorry what? Could you repeat that? I can't really speak good Korean." I was having trouble understanding the members with the limited amount of Korean I could speak. Thankfully, they repeated slowly and with some help from body language, I understood their words. I thanked them, bowed to the manager and left to search for the highest place in Seoul.

//

"You sure about this? I am standing at the right place?" Taekwoon was at the edge of the barrier on Namsan Tower. Just one step and he could fall off the 480m tall tower. 

"This is the highest spot in Seoul Taekwoon. You don't really have a choice. Just stand and make sure you don't fall off. Till you transform, you're all on your own." Hakyeon chewed on gum as he sat down, waiting for midnight to come. 

//

"Hello, do you know how to get to Namsan Tower?" I had nothing but a korean language guide and my phone with no data plan. Desperate moments call for desperate measures, I mustered my courage and asked a passerby who happened to be a nice ahjumma and she told me how to get to Namsan Tower. Thanking her, I left for the tower. 

By the time I reached the tower, it was already 10pm. 2 hours to the Claiming. I ran as fast as I could to the top, to see Taekwoon sitting on the edge of the barrier and Hakyeon sitting next to him. I see the two of them talking, so I decided to go over but my steps were halted. 

"What if I become Leo instead of Taekwoon?" 

"You won't. Trust me. Look at me. I became the better one."

"If I ever turn into Leo, please just throw me down the tower. I don't want to live as evil guy. Oh and please take care of Hyerim for me. She's such a nice girl and I want you to take care of her while she is still here in Korea. Can you?"

"Please, you're going to turn into Taekwoon." Hakyeon looks at Taekwoon, who has turned silent. Hakyeon sighs and nods his head. 

"What were you guys talking about?" I pretended not to have heard any of what they said. The two guys turned around, shocked to see my presence. 
"Nothing much Hyerim ah! Haha!" Hakyeon laughed it off. These two guys, sigh... I thought to myself, I knew they would not say anything...

"Hyerim ah, why are you here?"
"I wanted to watch your transformation. I felt like I was needed and I wanted to be here." My voice softened at the last few words. I was leaving Korea soon and I wanted to meet them one last time. 

I joined them, sitting next to Taekwoon as we waited for midnight to come. Somehow, time flew by as we sat in silence, as though time knew how to fastforward. Soon, it was ten minutes to midnight and Taekwoon started to twitch very badly, but he held on tight to the barrier, just in case he fell off the tower. Hakyeon and I came down the barrier and stood at a safety distance away.

"It's to prevent anything bad that might happen to you." Hakyeon warned as I reluctantly stood further away from Taekwoon, who by now was turning into Leo then turning back in Taekwoon every few seconds. I could see the change in him, for a moment his face distorted and another, a face of desperation with thoughts of wanting this to stop. The time ticked faster and faster and it was a minute to midnight, I sense that he was afraid and somehow I had to give him strength. 

You can do this Taekwoon. I believe you. I didn't say that out loud, but I saw Taekwoon's eyes look at me in the midst of twitching.

Thank you Hyerim. I heard his reply, even though his mouth did not open. Was this some form of power that I do not know of? Why could the two of us communicate without even opening our mouths, like we could see each other's thoughts?

This is Empathy Hyerim. I usually Empathise with Taekwoon because we both are similar. But, how can I be Emphathing you? N looks at me while I hear his thoughts spoken, without his mouth opening. What is this Empathy and why can I do it? 

Midnight struck as the crescent moon is fully seen and Taekwoon suddenly screams. He yells and tries to strangle himself, nearly falling off the barrier. I hid myself behind Hakyeon because I was too afraid. Yet, at the same time, I was Empathing Taekwoon. 

Taekwoon ah, don't give up! Fight the demons inside you. It's dark but you can fight it! He didn't reply but I knew he heard it. His eyes were turning blue, then green, the gold then back to black. It was amazing to watch yet horrifying. Who gets to watch their idol transform like that everyday? Just then, Leo appeared and nearly came over. Well, he flew over and had the urge to strangle me again. He switched back to Taekwoon just in time and in that moment, it was one minute past midnight. The transformation was over. Taekwoon remains as Taekwoon. He crumbles down and was exhausted by the transformation. He has been Claimed, as Jung Taekwoon and will remain Claimed. Hakyeon and I ran over to help him as he caught his breath. 

"Well done my friend!" Hakyeon patted Taekwoon's shoulder. Taekwoon gave a slight smile. 
Thank you Hyerim.
You're welcome.
Hey, what about me?!
Thank you my friend. The three of us Empathied as we helped Taekwoon up. 

"Well, I better go back to the hotel. My mom is probably going to kill me." Because I have a plane to catch in the morning...
"Are you leaving Korea tomorrow?" I stared at Taekwoon, how did he know I was leaving Korea?
"I can hear your thoughts Hyerim..." Taekwoon smiled shyly. Damn his powers.
"I heard that." I facepalmed and sighed. Nothing is escaping his eyes nor mind now. 

"Yes I am going back to where I belong, as an international Starlight who supports 'Leo' aka Jung Taekwoon. Is there a problem?" I stomped my feet, pretending to be angry. Hakyeon suddenly turned away as Taekwoon moved forward and hugged me. Dang they Empathied without me and I don't even know what they say. So much for being a special mortal. Just then, Taekwoon whispered in my ear, "I'll Empathy you even if you are away. You will hear me everywhere you go and I will bring you back to Korea one day I promise." I simply soaked in all the fragrance he had on him. His cologne that reminded me of roses, his breathe that smelled like fresh peppermint, his shirt that had the detergent smell. I listened to his words as his voice travelled deep into my heart. I nodded and we separated from the hug. Hakyeon then turned back, but with a smirking face. I was half blushing and Taekwoon was too. 

"Are we done here? Let's go! I'll pay for the taxi ride!" Hakyeon offered. I looked at Taekwoon, whose eyes suddenly flashed a glint of gold. I was sure it was not any reflection and Taekwoon paused for a moment, before he nodded. 
Yes? What are you looking at? He Empathied me.
Nothing much. Just staring into my bias' eyes before I leave Korea. Taekwoon nearly broke into a smile, but he remained his composure. 

I was sent back to the hotel very quickly and I sneaked into the room. Thankfully, my mom was sleeping. I quickly washed up and climbed into the comforts of the cotton blankets. But, something was keeping me awake. Instead of Hyde, there is a quote that ran through my head and it worried me.

"Darkness never leaves." I reminded myself unwillingly about the one instant where I saw a glint of gold in Taekwoon's eyes. Does that mean that Leo was still within him? But I was in no position to say anything, since I was merely a mortal. 

//

Eventually, I returned back home. Many things have happened, whenever I see Taekwoon on TV making eye contact with the camera, I know he was trying to Empathy me. Somehow, Empathy doesn't really work across countries. Occasionally, I hear two or three words because Hakyeon was helping Taekwoon. With their combined powers, they managed to Empathy a few words across. Most of the time, we communicated like mortals do, via smartphones and social networking websites. Hakyeon reported a few days back that he knows Leo is still within Taekwoon and he saw the glint of gold during nights where the crescent moon hangs brightly in the sky. Hakyeon assured me that Leo will never be able to take over Taekwoon anymore. Taekwoon controls Leo now. The two handsome men became more successful with VIXX, holding fanmeetings overseas and mini concerts. 

As for me? I became a special Starlight in VIXX's hearts, especially to Taekwoon. Because Taekwoon told me once, if not for my Empathy, he was this close to becoming Leo. 

You are my remedy Hyerim. You saved me.

[Author's note: After an entire 3 weeks of plotting and writing. I finally finished this oneshot. The longest oneshot I have ever written probably. Feels good to finally finish it. I know it may sound a little fictious, because it is. Inspired by Beautiful Creatures, Demons by Imagine Dragons, I Hear Your Voice the new drama, the original Jekyll and Hyde and of course VIXX's Hyde, I have finished this fic. Thank you for reading! Give me a thumbs up and/or leave a comment to tell me how you felt about this! Helps me improve, lets me know how everyone thinks about my fic! Hope everyone enjoyed reading this! AND THANK YOU FOR WAITING!]