Chapter Text
Till was perched at the bar, his fingers curling around a chilled glass of alcohol. Despite its tempting amber hue, Till's expression revealed he was not in the mood to drink. The bar hummed with various conversations and laughter, but one particular discussion seemed to catch Till's attention with ease.
They talk about him.
Till can easily see this by watching other people point fingers at him from time to time. He wants to throw his glass at the first person who points the finger at him again, but he doesn't. Instead, he raises the glass and swallows it in one go. The taste of the alcohol burns his throat, but even that doesn't wash away the bitter salty taste on his lips.
Maybe he should go back to his room and try to sleep. It's always a plan, but before he decides to get up from the chair, Mizi and Hyuna come to his table. Hyuna snapped her fingers and a person standing next to her handed her a glass of alcohol, which she accepted with a nod of gratitude. Turning to Till, she asked.
"How are you doing, kid?" Till just shrugged, not particularly interested in engaging in small talk at the moment.
“Hmm, what's wrong?” Hyuna leans on the table looking at him with a strange look. "It's strange to see you so quiet when in the cameras you show yourself as a rebellious boy" Till silently clenches his fist under the table but he doesn't react to the taunt.
“Or maybe it's just an act you're putting on for the camera?”
"Come on Hyuna, we didn't come here to torment him" Mizi tries to calm down the situation. However, Hyuna appears to be unrelenting in her desire to provoke the situation further. She sets her glass down on the table with a sharp clink, indicating her readiness to continue with her behavior.
"What did you come here?" Till feels his teeth grind in frustration as Hyuna gives him a sly grin. Till's irritation palpable in the tense set of his shoulders.
“We already have a problem with medical supplies, I don't want another one in the hospital bed” Till raises an eyebrow, unsure of what Hyuna wants from him. Mizi seemed nervous about how this conversation turned out and smiled softly at him.
“Hyuna's point is that she's noticed that since you've been here, you've become quite… quiet,” Mizi seems to find a better kind of words after that and continues. “I mean… we noticed you weren't eating much and you seemed tired all the time. We just want to know if you're okay"
"I'm fine" Till clenches his jaw as he forces these words out. hoping this conversation ends.
"Do you think feeling sorry for yourself will help your boyfriend get better faster?" Till snaps, he grabs her glass and pours the alcohol over her head. Hyuna doesn't seem to care in fact, she seems pleased with herself for finally eliciting some sort of emotion from him. The bar falls silent as Till wordlessly stands up and storms out. Mizi follows him.
"T-Till wait, we just-" Mizi tries to catch up with him but Till turns to her, pushing away her hand she was trying to reach for him.
God... what happened to him. To make him treat Mizi like that?
“Leave me alone Mizi, I'm fine” Till turns his back on her and goes back to his room. Mizi doesn't follow him this time.
Till lies motionless on his bed, his eyes fixated on the ceiling. The only source of light that penetrates the dimly lit room is the occasional car lights that slip through the partially drawn curtains. The mattress, adorned with a few thin blankets and a single pillow, provides minimal comfort to Till's weary body. As he lies there, he can't help but wonder what transpired during the past few weeks that led him to this state.
First, Mizi's disappearance, then Ivan's sacrifice which almost resulted in his death, and now he's out in the middle of nowhere with the rest of the rebels doing- what exactly is he doing? During these few days, he did nothing for them but waste supplies that would surely help someone much more important than him.
Hyuna's words continue to echo in his head. Ivan is not his boyfriend. Till didn't even have any feelings for him until, like a complete idiot, decided to sacrifice himself for him. His hand grips the sheets beneath him tightly. Since round 6 ended, everyone believes that he and Ivan were some kind of secret lovers who were forced to sing against each other.
This thought irritates him and makes him feel unpleasant emotions. He can so easily say that he and Ivan are not lovers and end all the rumors he's been hearing since the day they arrived here. However, despite this, he remains silent and pretends not to hear them. The idea that he and Ivan could be- Till shakes his head is not the time to think about it.
Feeling his room becoming more and more cramped for his taste. Till goes outside. The sky was a deep shade of blue, and the stars twinkled in the distance. The air was no longer hot and muggy. Maybe a little walk will do him some good.
As Till walked through the quiet round, he noticed that the lights in the windows of nearby buildings were gradually disappearing. Most people probably went to bed to prepare for another hard day ahead. The recent rescue mission of Mizi and now him and Ivan had caused a stir among the alien oppressors, who now seemed angrier than ever before. Making the rebels work even harder than usual, at least that's what Till managed to hear.
Is it possible that he will actually live to see the day when humans will be free from being alien pets? Till doesn't want to dream about it. It's a stupid dream that will lead him to nowhere. This thought may be cluttering the mind of Mizi and Hyuna who desperately wants to turn this dream into reality. Till isn't that ambitious.
Or at least not anymore, his strength to fight went out a few weeks ago or maybe months ago? He stopped keeping track of time.
As he aimlessly kicks a small pebble with his shoe, his attention is drawn to a figure in the distance it's Hyuna. Initially, he contemplates turning back and attempting to fall back asleep in his room, but he knows it will be a futile effort. Instead, he makes up his mind to stealthily approach and eavesdrop on the ongoing conversation.
"His wounds are healing well but his immune system" Till doesn't have to guess to know who are they referring to. To listen in more closely, he presses his back to the wall and tries to catch every word they say.
“Our theory is that his close contact with death weakened his immune system,” Hyuna let out a deep sigh as she crossed her arms.
“This kid was completely soaked in cold water and his own blood. It took us some time to reach the ship, so I'm not surprised at his condition.” The memory of that day flashed through Till's head. Ivan lying on the wet floor covered in his own blood... dead.
“Our medical supplies should be enough to heal him, but it will pass-” Hyuna raises her hand to make the person in front of her stop talking for a moment.
"Use as many medical supplies as you need, the kid needs rest. So let him get it, the sooner he gets back on his feet the better" Till feels the conversation continue but on a different topic, but he can't focus on it as his head is once again taken over by thoughts about Ivan.
He can't sleep anyway, so a little visit to check on Ivan shouldn't hurt anyone.
Walking quietly around the area, Till came across many buildings not too different from each other. In fact, it was only thanks to his memory that he managed to locate a building that serves as a small hospital, although personally, Till would never call it a hospital.
The building was in a state of semi-ruin, with cracked walls and peeling paint. Some rooms were so small they seemed to offer no space for any kind of development, while others were so cluttered with medical equipment that it was difficult to navigate through them. Even the walls themselves were stained with dust and sand, giving the impression that cleanliness was a never-ending battle for those who worked here.
Of course, Till knew that the staff here were doing their best to keep the building as clean and functional as possible. But it was hard not to compare this dingy, run-down place to the sterile, white-washed walls of the hospitals he was forced to see almost every day of his life.
As Till walked down the dimly lit corridor, he couldn't help but feel a sense of unease. The only source of light came from a few small lamps attached to the walls, casting an orange glow on the surroundings. He took each step slowly and intentionally, aware that any sudden noises or movements could draw unwanted attention from any potential people in the building.
Despite the anxiety building up inside him, Till couldn't shake off the feeling that he needed to see Ivan again. It wasn't as if Ivan was still on the verge of death. But something inside Till still wanted to make sure that Ivan was doing okay.
After a few minutes of searching, Till finally found the door he was looking for. It was an unremarkable door, blending in seamlessly with the others surrounding it. Sighing loudly, he opened the door.
The room was dimly lit, with only a small lamp emitting a soft white light on the table next to the hospital bed. Till entered the room quietly, and as he moved closer to the bed, he closed the door quietly behind him. He paused halfway and looked at Ivan, who lay on the bed. This time, unlike the last time he had seen him, he was not strapped to multiple machines, nor was he wearing an oxygen mask
Till's eyes fell on Ivan's face, which was contorted in pain. Ivan's chest was heaving, rising and falling rapidly, as though he was struggling to breathe. Sweat dripped from his forehead, and his breathing was loud and labored. His fever had gotten worse.
Till came closer to Ivan and whispered a soft "Hey" knowing that he wouldn't get a response, he sat down on the chair close to the bed.
Till sat motionless, his eyes fixed on Ivan's heaving chest. He couldn't help but wonder if coming here was a good idea. He didn't know how to help Ivan, and that made him feel helpless and uncertain. As he contemplated his decision, his thoughts traveled back to his childhood memories in Anakt Garden. He recalled the memory of Ivan resting his head on his shoulder as he drew on a piece of paper. He remembered how Ivan had trying helped with him save a dying red flower that lay on the grass.
At that time, Till had never thought much about Ivan's constant presence and his willingness to play with him, despite Till frequently beating him. But now, as he sat there, he couldn't help but question everything. Had Ivan harbored feelings for him all along? When did Ivan decide that he would be willing to sacrifice himself for Till's sake? Did Ivan make that decision on the very first day they met, or did it happen later? These thoughts and questions continued to swirl around in Till's mind, causing him a headache.
Why hadn't he noticed this sooner?
“I knew I would find you here”
Till almost jumped out of his skin when Hyuna appeared behind him, holding a bowl of water with a cloth inside. She seemed unsurprised to find him there and simply walked past him to place the bowl on the table. Till was at a loss for words as how to explain why he was there. He watched as Hyuna carefully checked the IV that was attached to Ivan's arm.
"The doctors said that his wounds have no signs of infection, so his fever is from another source" Till stared at Hyuna, unsure of what to say or do.
“You can stay here, but not for too long. Do you know how to lower a fever?” Till just blinked at her with confusion on his face.
“How you know I was?” Hyuna snorted.
"You think I didn't see you spying on me?" Hyuna sighed quietly. She took the wet cloth, squeezed it back into the bowl, and placed it on Ivan's forehead for a moment.
"You should wet a cloth every few minutes and wipe his forehead, it won't do much, but it'll do something." Till just nodded and looked at Ivan's red face from the fever.
“Will he be like this-” Before he could finish his sentence, Hyuna laughed softly.
"Doctors say he may be susceptible to various illnesses over the next few weeks due to his weakened immune system, but I'm sure he'll be back to full health faster than you think."Hyuna smiled warmly at him and turned away from him to leave the room but before she closed the door behind her.
“Ivan is not my boyfriend” Till tried to say it as seriously as he could but it only made Hyuna laugh again.
"Whatever you say kid" And she left the room. Once again he was alone with Ivan.
Till dipped a cloth in cold water and wrung it out carefully before placing it on Ivan's forehead. A quiet groan escaped Ivan's mouth, causing Till to stop working for a moment before continuing. He felt that this was at least he could do for him.
"Stupid self-sacrificing idiot" Till said quietly.
It's gonna be a long night.