Chapter Text
It had been nearly a month away from home, and the exhaustion is catching up to Sohee. The long, grueling schedules were wearing him down, and he needed to get the fatigue out of his system.
“Take me there Chanyoung-ah” Sohee said in hushed words. Even though they were alone in Anton’s room, he felt like speaking too loudly might get them caught by the managers. The tour had given them separate hotel rooms, but the maknaes couldn’t stay apart for long. They swapped their spare room keys, always ready to slip into each other’s spaces, just like now.
“Let’s go to the beach” Sohee urged again, his eyes shining with a mix of exhaustion and a desperate need for escape.
“Hyung” Anton whined, his voice betraying his hesitation. He was all too familiar with the strict curfew their managers had set. Besides, it’s dangerous—the kind of risk he wouldn’t take, not for himself and especially not for Sohee.
“Look outside, hyung” Anton gestured toward the window, where the night is well into its darkness. “It’s going to be midnight soon” The clock on the nightstand blinked 10:57 p.m., each minute ticking by like a warning.
“And there’s a beach literally five steps away, and we’re not going?” Sohee’s voice had a pleading edge, his eyes darting to the window as if the waves were calling out to him. “Please, I just want to go for a swim.”
Anton could see the longing in his hyung’s eyes, the way the thought of the ocean seemed to breathe a little life back into him. But before he could protest further, Sohee made up his mind.
“If you don’t take me, I’ll go alone” Sohee threatened, his tone light but serious enough to make Anton’s heart skip a beat.
“Hyung, don’t do this to me” the younger pleaded, worried evident in his voice.
“I’m doing this to you” Sohee replied nonchalantly.
“You’re so mean” Anton muttered, knowing he couldn't win over his hyung.
“I’m going!” Sohee declared, already moving toward the door.
“Wait up!” Anton called out, unable to let his hyung go alone, his feet already following before his mind could catch up.
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So this is how they end up, at the sea, swaying gently like a cradle in the embrace of the waves. The night is thick with a soft, almost velvety darkness, broken only by the glimmering stars overhead.
“There are so many stars tonight” Sohee said, his voice filled with wonder as he pointed up to the sky. Anton followed his gaze, eyes tracing the scattered lights across the expanse.
“Yeah, it’s really beautiful,” Anton agreed, his voice carrying a hint of awe.
“You won’t see this in Seoul,” Sohee remarked, taking in the scene.
He looked over at the younger, a smile tugging at his lips. “Don’t you think it was a good idea to follow your hyung here?” he teased and Anton just rolled his eyes playfully as he splashed some water at Sohee.
The older swims a few strokes to get away, creating a small distance between them. “But too bad the moon isn’t out tonight,” Sohee sighed, his voice tinged with disappointment.
“It’s okay; the stars are enough,” Anton reassured him.
“Should I call the moon out?” the older asked, his eyes twinkling with mischief. “Moon, dear moon, please come out and play~ We want to see you shine with the beautiful stars in the sky, so come out and play~” He sang a familiar tune, a lullaby-like rhyme from his childhood, his voice carrying across the water.
Anton laughed, the sound mingling with the gentle lapping of the waves. “You’re such a kid, hyung” This time he teases, but deep down, his hyung’s voice is one of his favourite things in the world.
Sohee sang again, his voice drifting out into the night, but the moon remained stubbornly hidden. “Oh well” he sighed, giving up. He let himself float on the water instead, the waves rocking him in their gentle rhythm.
Anton watched Sohee with a soft smile, taking in the peaceful way he was floating as he did the same. Closing his eyes, he opened his arms wide and let himself be enveloped by the sea. He could hear the soft humming reaching him, a comforting lullaby that lulls him to the darkness behind his eyes.
I guess this isn’t so bad after all, Anton thought, drifting in the tranquillity as the waves rocked him gently.
“Hyung” he called out softly, his voice blending with the whisper of the waves. “I guess your idea is not bad after all” He smiled as he finally admitted that his hyung was right, expecting Sohee to tease him back.
As the waves rocked him with a sudden force, enough to pull him under for a brief moment, Anton resurfaced, water streaming down his face, but the smile still lingered on his lips. “Hyung—” he called out again. Turning to his left, the smile froze and vanished in an instant.
His hyung was nowhere to be found.