Chapter Text
Jihoon paces around the living room, trying not to panic. Okay, so maybe, he is panicking a little bit. Maybe a whole lot. Seungcheol says it’s year 2020 but last time Jihoon checked he was only 1023 years old. Though also, the last time he checked, he was lying in the middle of the snowy street in a place he was unfamiliar with.
He buries his face in his hands and screams, catching Seungcheol by surprise. He really was kicked out wasn’t he. This is bad. No, it’s worse. He doesn’t belong here, it’s not even his own time. It’s 997 years into the damn future.
“Seungcheol!” he yells, grabbing Seungcheol’s arm. “Please please please you gotta take me to Seoraksan! I need to make sure! I need to know i’m not stuck here!”
Seungcheol holds Jihoon by the shoulders, possibly in a reassuring manner. “Listen Jihoon, the roads are kinda fucked right now with the blizzard. I don’t think it’s safe to go there right now.”
“Buuuut! Seungcheeeeol pleeeease!” Jihoon whines.
Seungcheol shakes his head. “No Jihoon, it’s not safe. Let’s just think calmly about this?”
Seungcheol gets up from his chair and walks to the kitchen.
“Where are you going?” Jihoon pouts.
“Let’s have some hot chocolate, that’ll help you calm down.”
Jihoon doesn’t want to admit but that does sound good.
Jihoon lets the sweet aroma waft through his nose, calming him down a bit. He looks over to Seungcheol who is watching him with a reassuring smile. Jihoon feels his face heat up a bit then he proceeds to slurp the drink which causes Seungcheol to scold him for having no manners.
They sit in silence for a good while. Jihoon is lost in his thoughts, trying to make do of the current situation. He’s jittery again, moving his legs up and down and murmuring incoherent thoughts to himself. He wants to cry, he really does. His powers already feel like they’re half of what they originally were. He can’t magically transport himself back to heaven, he did try, but once you’re kicked out you can’t go back unless another god lets you back in. It’s stupid. The entire situation is unfair and stupid.
Jihoon groans in his hands. He needs to go to Seoraksan even if he has to walk for days in the snow. There’s probably a horse he can borrow somewhere or a wagon he can ride.
“Hey Seungcheol, do you know a place I can get a horse?”
Seungcheol gives him a pitying smile. “Sorry Jihoon, as far as I know, there are no horse ranches around here.”
Jihoon stands up and starts walking to door.
“Where you are going?” Seungcheol turns towards him.
Jihoon bows. “Thank you so much for your hospitality but I have to go now. I need to find out if I still have a home.”
“Woah woah woah there.” Seungcheol rushes towards him. “You can’t go! Not with the weather and certainly not with what you’re wearing.”
“I told you, I don’t get cold.”
“That’s not the point.” Seungcheol scratches the back of his head and sighs.
“Wait here.”
Jihoon watches Seungcheol head towards his room, noises of things opening and closing echoing from inside.
Seungcheol emerges out in a new, warmer looking attire and hands Jihoon some clothes.
“What’s this for?”
“Wear it, it’ll help you blend in so you don’t look weird walking around barefoot and in a hoody. Plus, you’ve been wearing day old clothes. Why don’t you shower first then get dressed? We’ll head out once you’re done.” Seungcheol says smiling.
Jihoon practically beams. “Are you saying you’re going to accompany me?”
“Well I feel bad and I can’t let you go out there alone when you know nothing about the current times. You’ll just get lost.”
Jihoon jumps and gives Seungcheol a tight hug. He’s on his tippy toes since the man is quite tall and not to mention broad.
Seungcheol gives him an awkward pat on the head and shoos him away to the bathroom.
Once Jihoon finishes showering, he puts on the all-too-big clothing Seungcheol has given. It smells like Seungcheol and it kind of gives him a sense of reassurance.
Jihoon gets to ride a car that he won’t stop fussing about. He asks Seungcheol how it manages to go fast and does it run on magic? Seungcheol patiently answers his questions about the so-called car. Jihoon finds himself switching his attention to the sceneries outside the window. The world before him so big and amazing, so different from what he knows. It kinds of makes him scared but excitable at the same time.
They arrive at what Seungcheol calls a “bus-stop” where they ride a “bus” which is a much bigger version of a car. They hop in there are a few other humans sitting inside. He sits as Seungcheol puts their luggage away at the top shelves of the bus.
Jihoon found himself enjoying the ride. The further they got away from the city, the more trees and mountain and hills he saw. The view was a bit more familiar, surprisingly, probably due to the amount of nature and quiet there was. As he turned away from the window, Seungcheol was already lightly snoring away. There was no doubt he was a beautiful man. Somehow there was something about Seungcheol that seemed so familiar. Something that felt so close to home. He’s not sure what happens the rest of the bus ride.
They arrive at their destination 4 hours later, the bus running a bit later due to the heavy snowfall. Seungcheol leads Jihoon to an inn where they’ll stay for the night. Seungcheol says it’s just for precaution since he doesn’t know how long it’ll take for Jihoon to sort out the problem.
Jihoon puts on his oversized coat which Seungcheol points make him look like a kid sneaking into the movies. Jihoon is not sure what a “movies” is.
“Okay, i’m off.” Jihoon says as he opens the door.
“Take care okay? You might not get cold but it’s hard to walk up there.”
Without second thought, Jihoon sets off.
Jihoon has never really climbed up the mountain before. He didn’t need to being a god and all. He’s quite glad humans decided to build a pathing for easier access when they needed to pray. Everything is a snow-covered paradise which makes it hard to appreciate. It’s most beautiful during spring and autumn when the colours are loud and vibrant, all thanks to him no doubt.
The trek wasn’t pleasant, not during a blizzard. He reaches the top later than he’d like but he was home nonetheless. Jihoon takes a deep breath. He feels a chill crawl down his whole body despite supposedly being immune to the cold. He proceeds to kneel and puts his hands together to pray, hoping to be heard, to be pardoned.
He calls out to them. No response. He tries a bit louder. Silence. With frustration growing he yells out into the sky. The only response he hears is his own voice echoing. Jihoon pleads, cries, prays but the only thing listening to his call was the snow-covered mountains. He couldn’t feel the magic. No one was listening. The heavens have forsaken me.
For the first time in his life, he’s alone in this world.