Chapter Text
Do you believe in a parallel universe? Do you believe that there are different versions of you living in a different world? And what if, you and the other you in a parallel universe switched due to the glitch in the galaxy?
Hanbin is sitting outside the emergency room, completely devastated. This morning, Hao woke up screaming. Then, he screamed at Hanbin, who woke up next to him. At first, he thought Hao was just having a nightmare and tried to calm him down. But then Hao aggressively avoided him, to the point of going to the corner of the room, telling him not to get close.
The most bizarre thing is Hao speaks Chinese the whole time. Hanbin only catches a few words that he understands. Who are you, Where am I, and don't touch me.
Hanbin didn't know what to do. He panicked. What was the reason for this sudden amnesia attack? Does Hao have Alzheimer's disease? Hanbin called Kuanjui to come over and help with the situation but it seems like Hao also forget who Kuanjui was. But Kuanjui managed to talk to Hao since he speak the same language and get him to the hospital.
The door suddenly opens and Hanbin instantly wipes his tears. The doctor explains that Hao seems like showing multiple personality disorder symptoms. The form that Hanbin filled out earlier and Hao's answer isn't matched.
He said his name is Haneul, not Hao. He is 20 years old and not 25. He said he was born in Fujian, China, and studied violin in the UK.
Hanbin drops his head upon hearing that. It was true that he was born in Fujian, but he never studied violin, abroad at that. His family moved to Korea when he was 18, and they enrolled in the same university, then started dating. And in three days, they're going to get married.
But now, forget about getting married, getting to talk to Hao seems impossible.
Hanbin noted down all the information and cautions about Hao's condition. No matter what, he'll walk Hao through this.
•••
The first 24 hours with the new Hao were complete chaos. Not only Kuanjui had to skip work and translated things for Hanbin, but He also had to straighten things out to Hao.
"This is Sung Hanbin, your soon-to-be husband, your 7 years lov-"
"What? Husband?"
Hanbin looks at Kuanjui, asking what did he say to make Hao react like that. Kuanjui just shakes his head, telling him it's just basic information that Hao needs to know.
"Yes, in three days you're going to get married."
Hao abruptly stands up, "What bullshit are you talking about? I knew it, it must have been your plan all along, right? You shady people abducted me and now what? Get me married to a man? What am I, homo?"
Hanbin is panicking witnessing Hao back to his aggressive behavior, "Hao Hyung, please calm down."
But that just makes Hao look at him in complete anger. "I'm not interested in men."
"Zhang Hao, please get yourself together, seriously. We're trying to help you here. And also don't be so mean to Hanbin, he's your lover. Your 7 years lover!" Kuanjui slowly losing it, the man in front of him right now is not the best friend he had for years. He forgets about him, he forgets about his lover, and he even forgets himself.
Hanbin tries to calm down the atmosphere despite not knowing what they were talking about. "Kuanjui Hyung, please don't get emotional. Let's take this slowly."
Kuanjui sighs and weakly nods.
"I want to go home." Zhang Hao demands with stubbornness in his eyes.
Kuanjui who plans on calming down earlier gets triggered again. "Ah, seriously-"
"Kuanjui hyung!" Hanbin stops him. "Today let's just stop here. It must have been difficult for Hao Hyung too, so let's stop here and try again tomorrow, okay? I'll take care of Hao Hyung, so now just go home and get some rest. I'm sorry for taking too much of your time and thank you for helping too."
•••
It's been a week and the wedding is pushed back to God knows when. The whole week was pure chaos. Hao refused to take the medicine Hanbin gave him and tried to run away a couple of times when Hanbin was at work. Fortunately, his first attempt was caught by Jiwoong, when he was in the area doing his daily patrols. He saw Hao in the street, looking confused, and when he approached him, he immediately sense something wrong and phoned Hanbin. Jiwoong is more than willing to help and suggests Hanbin install CCTV in the house so he can monitor Hao 24/7. It was weird for Hanbin to do such a thing to his lover but later he agreed to it since he was getting busier at school and taking private tutor to make up the money they lost to the canceled wedding.
Hao's aggressive behavior toward him still hasn't changed, but now he's more reserved and demanding. He demands a lot of things, he's a picky eater, he loves the room all to himself, he doesn't like loud noises, and he doesn't do chores. Hanbin is okay with all of that, he can tolerate all that.
But sometimes when he helps Hao with things, Hao said these words that slowly pinch his heart.
"Thank you, but I'm not going to marry you. I still love women."
When Kuanjui told him that this Haneul personality is a straight man, Hanbin was a bit taken aback. But he managed to get himself together and took it lightly.
Now that Hao said it on his own, it hurts somehow.
•••
Love is complicated, naturally. But the wise man said, "It's us vs the problem". Now what if the problem is one of the "us"?
Kuanjui couldn't help much these days, he's out of town for a business trip. Hanbin is still doing side tutor after teaching in school. So, Haneul mostly spends his time alone in the house before Hanbin comes home at about 10 pm or so. He's getting a lot calmer these days and just stays still in his room, well, it used to be their room but now Hanbin wasn't allowed to go in.
He lays in bed, lonely and bored. He is still confused about so many things. His finger itching to play violin and he misses his family. What year is it again? Ah, 2025. Still couldn't believe it. It still feels like a dream to him.
He gets up and walks around the house. It's so odd. No matter how many times he looks at the pictures on the wall, it looks just like him. That person was him.
Zhang Hao takes out an album, "Jeju, 2023." written on the cover.
It is a photo book of "him" and Hanbin's trips to Jeju. Jeju is a beautiful place, he murmurs, flipping pages through pages.
What makes you look so happy?
Before he realized it, he smiles along with the picture in the album.
•••
Hanbin walks out of the building. Today was so exhausting. He can't wait to get home and see Hao. Hao probably locked himself in the room again, but he'll come out once Hanbin brought him his favorite drinks. He smiles as he takes turns getting in line for milk tea. Today's line is a little bit longer. Is it because of the weekend?
Hanbin's heart is clenching when he sees a young couple holding hands in line. Hao Hyung and I hold hands whenever we go out. He loves holding hands even if we're watching movies in bed.
Hanbin smiles bitterly. How he misses those days.
Hanbin gets home on time as usual. He enters the house, takes off his shoes, and hangs his coat. The house, as always, is dark and cold. Hanbin turns on the light and knocks on Hao's room. But then he realized the door is not locked and the inside is dark as well.
"Hao Hyung!"
He's not there.
Hanbin's heart falls on the floor.
Where is he?
He checks out around the house and Hao was nowhere to be found. Hanbin is getting anxious and tries to call Jiwoong for help. He even calls Kuanjui just in case he knows where Hao would be.
Hanbin leaves the house and searches around the floor one by one, asking anyone he meets if they have seen a Chinese man in his mid-20s. They live on the 9th floor and he sweeps all the way down to the basement looking for Hao.
Where the hell he could be?
Hanbin searches around the neighborhood, showing Hao's picture to everyone he bumps into, and nobody seems to know. He blames himself for not understanding Hao's language, for probably making him uncomfortable that he run away again, and to the point he almost collapse to the ground, desperate and frustrated.
"Hanbin-ah..."
Hanbin lifts his head to the sound that he hasn't heard in so long. He immediately gets up and hugs Hao who magically appears in front of him. He tightens the hug as if to confirm that he's not hallucinating and that the person in his arms is real.
The middle age woman behind Hao smiles awkwardly.
•••
It's late at night and Hanbin is drowsy, from working all day, looking for Hao, and now he is asked to wait until Hao is done with whatever he is working on on Hanbin's tablet.
Hao visited the bookstore in the neighborhood today, the owner who assisted Hao back to Hanbin said that Hao wanted to learn Korean and stayed there all day studying until the store was about to close.
That's progress. He wants to understand Korean so he can communicate with Hanbin. It touches Hanbin's heart but at the same time clutches it.
Why didn't you tell me anything? If you want to learn Korean just ask me. If you need books, I'll buy it for you. Don't just disappear without traces.
But he can't bring himself to even nagging Hao about it. He's afraid of this new Hao. He's too far from his reach. So unpredictable. He only glances at that back, the back that was once his safest place to lean on. Is it okay if I hug you? Are you going to lash out at me?
"I'm done. Hanbin read this." Hao turns his back and hands the tablet to Hanbin.
It's a translator app.
I'm sorry for all the trouble and thank you for taking care of me.