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Snows sprinkled down from the sky, gently enveloping the whole world in its hand. One by one, the frosty flesh of winter tenderly hugged the man, leaving a residue of crystals.
Saheon looks up at the white sky; his clear eyes stare far away, probably at something that can't be grasped or seen anymore. He closed his eyes, breathing out a white layer of mist, and then slowly lowered his head.
"Saheon"
In a second of a moment, a voice suddenly called out to him.
The crashing voice resounded in Saheon's ear.
His heart trembled inside his body, every single one of his nerves tensed, and he choked on the blaring voice that ached every single one of his existence.
Saheon look to his right and stare at him,
Kim Soleum.
Perhaps he loathes him, perhaps he still has a lot of questions to ask him, perhaps he wanted all the points he spent on him back. Perhaps-
"Saheon, go back inside. It's too cold out there." A splitting image of two persons persistently contained in one body. One that he hasn't come to terms with yet.
That's right, he went into the darkness to see that person.
*-----------------*
A swirling steam arises from the ceramic mug. Every touch of that steam slowly heats a patch of Saheon skin.
Saheon stared at this black hair boy in front of him. The pale face, the slanted eyes, the long eyelashes, and the soft smile.
Saheon has never seen that kind of smile on that person's face...
Saheon looked down on the mug, his finger lightly tapping on it. A second turn to minute, a minute turn to hour, and an hour turn to a while.
He wondered. Why did he suddenly disappear, where did he go, what's he doing now, and why did he help him back then. That person who helped him at the Jisan Village, was it really him? He couldn't accept it, yet he felt like he could accept it as well. After all..
"S-Soleum"
"Yes?"
He really is that kind-hearted of a person.
Soleum looks at him with expectant glistening eyes; His eyebrows slightly slump downward in confusion, and his head tilted sideways, as if awaiting the other person's response.
Saheon returned that gaze with a slightly perturbed expression.
How is this guy..so normal?
This darkness records the actual person's personality from their core. It doesn't copy the memory that other people have of the person nor does it record the rumor spread about them. The darkness's strong ability to stretch out its branches to the truth is also why it's a B-rank darkness.
The B-rank darkness only allows one person to enter it. The person who enters it can pick anyone that they want to meet. In that darkness, they have to spend one month with their person of choice however they want.
It feels like an easy darkness. That's why the simpler it felt, the harder it actually is.
The truth of the target identity--the way they actually speak, feel, look-- all of these qualities intrigued a person's mind. As time goes on, the darkness will forcibly dial up the person's emotion. Eventually-- they can't help it but want to stay in the darkness forever.
"What is it?"
Soleum asked with a curious gaze.
"Nothing, forget it."
Saheon meticulously tapped on the mug before bringing it to his lip and gulping a huge amount of coffee.
'whats going on with this guy'
Saheon felt unnerved by this situation. After all, calling the crazy bastard in front of him by his name instead of 'sir' would surely get him killed.
And yet, the guy just responds to him as if it's normal.
Now that he thinks about it. Both of them have an arduous history with each other. Surely, one way or another, he would have some particular reaction upon seeing Saheon in front of him--and yet, he was looking at him as if looking at a colleague or a friend.
‘This guy.. Did he remember me at all?’
Did the darkness erase all the past memories that Soleum had with Saheon?
Was it that he never showed his real self to Saheon that it could erase every moment they have together like this?
So, to show who Soleum actually is, the worthless time they spent together has to be erased, as if it's nothing.
Well not that Saheon cares. After all, he spent most of his time trying to avoid that psychopath.
Now that he thinks of it, why Soleum?
Why did he pick Soleum instead of his sister?
Was it because he has subconsciously pondered about him that it ended up this way?
Thinking about the fact that he was even thinking about that guy disturbed Saheon deeply. His hand jolted a bit, spilling a bit of coffee on his suit.
"Saheon, are you alright?!"
Soleum asked out of fright. He quickly grabbed a nearby napkin on the counter and stumbled back to the table, trying to hand Saheon a handful of napkins.
Saheon was momentarily stunned by this sequential action. He quickly snatched the napkins and tried to rub the coffee out his collar shirt.
"If you would like, you can wear one of my shirts."
'i would rather die'
"It's just a spilled coffee, I'll be fine"
Saheon sighed frustratedly.
Soleum took a glance at the collar shirt stained by coffee and hesitantly nodded.
"I-I'll go prepare your room, if you need anything please let me know"
Saheon just stared at him. Honestly, it's not easy to get used to this person.
'But he's also that agent too'
That softened Saheon's heart just a little.
"..."
Saheon grabbed the mug handle and walked to the kitchen sink. He undone the button of his cuff and rolled up his sleeve. Pulling the handle of the faucet, he meticulously cleaned the mug, making sure every corner was perfectly shiny.
Behind the kitchen sink stood a window. The landscape outside the kitchen room is roughly covered by the swirling white storm, covering anything that it touches.
A breath of cold air slowly sifts through the window and linger around Saheon, stinging an inch of his skin.
He stands there, pondering on what actions he should do next, and sighs briefly.
He wonders how he can get through the whole month.
*------------------------*
The next morning, he was awakened by the sound of something being fried.
"You're awake?"
Soleum asked as he looked behind him.
"Yes s-" Saheon bit down on his tongue. He almost says sir at the end of his sentence.
Saheon crosses his arm and leans over the wall. He eyes the eggs on the pan and the bowl on the left.
"What are you cooking?"
"Bibimbap"
"..."
He never thought the day would come when that psycho would decide to make him a bibimbap.
After Soleum finished cooking, he took his bowl and sat on the couch, playing his favorite show.
Saheon leaned on the table and stared at Soleum.
Now that he thinks about it, the show he's watching right now is kinda normal. Why did he decide to watch cartoons with that plush everyday back then?
Saheon looks back at his bibimbap. He took a spoonful of the orange rice, veggies, and eggs, and put it in his mouth.
Delicious.
Time went on for the day.
Saheon didn't talk to Soleum nor look at him. As long as he ignores him, he can finish this darkness with little difficulty.
He does have a strong will to live.
Afternoon came, and Soleum was staring outside the window.
"I guess it's time"
"Time for what?"
"To shovel the snow"
He grabbed the shovel out of the closet and placed it next to the door. He then went to his room to grab some coat.
Saheon was baffled by this.
Why shovel in the afternoon when you can do that in the morning?
"..."
Sigh
Oh well.
After all, he did cook him food in the morning.
Saheon went to his room and grabbed his coat too.
Soleum went out of his room to see his roommate fully dressed in a coat, holding a shovel in his hand.
"Why?"
He asked in confusion.
"I also live in this house, shouldn't I shovel too?"
Saheon answered while nervously facing the other way.
Soleum glanced at Saheon with a worried look and eyes a scarf that laid on the couch.
He went over to grab it and tried to hand it to Saheon.
"Then..it's really cold outside, you should fully cover yourself"
Saheon stares at the hand that's holding the scarf. Paired with that concerned expression, Saheon remembered that agent that had carried him on his back.
The sturdy back that safety carried him back then. As well as that hand that warmly holds him.
...
Since it's just a darkness, maybe…
Saheon let his thoughts slip to his tongue.
“Wrap it on for me"
"..."
Saheon immediately regrets it.
Did he really ask that psycho to wrap the scarf around him??
And what was with his own tone? Did he really want to die?
Just as he was about to retract his sentence, Soleum stepped forward toward him.
One step…another step.
In an instant, he was standing right in front of Saheon, just an inch near.
Saheon's eyes opened wide.
He can feel the warmth radiating from Soleum body.
Soleum, holding the scarf, slowly wrapped his arm around Saheon's neck.
Saheon's breath completely stopped.
After laying down one layer of scarf, he looped the scarf around Saheon's neck again.
While halfway bringing the scarf around Saheon's neck, his finger slightly touched Saheon's face.
Feeling the slight touch of that finger, Saheon slightly jolted. The remnant of the heat electrified Saheon and lingered there for a second.
Saheon can feel his heart pumping like crazy, and his ear starts to heat up.
The whole time, Saheon looks down, trying to avoid eye contact with Soleum.
"Done"
Soleum smiled with accomplishment.
He went past Saheon, grabbed the shovel near the door, and twisted the doorknob.
"Shall we go?"
*------------------------*
Saheon wants to die.
Maybe he shouldn't have gone outside after all.
The snow has piled up, almost to the height of the window. And the sprinkling frost from the sky keeps stinging his face.
He tries to hide his face in the scarf as much as possible.
Not far away, Soleum has a deadpan look on his face as he struggles to lift the snow aside from the pavement.
"..."
Why did he even come out here?
Saheon gripped
Nightfall has arrived and they have just finished shoveling the snow.
Saheon grumbled in frustration; the snow would just piled up again at night, why did they even shovel anyway??
"Are you wondering why we were shoveling until night?"
Soleum asked, his face was worn out by exhaustion.
"Because, if we don't, this house will be completely buried by layers of snow. It has never stopped snowing."
He unknotted his scarf and laid them down by the couch.
As if he has just finished gathering his courage, he turned to Saheon and asked,
"Do you need help taking off your scarf too?"
Saheon jerks a little and looks away.
"N-no.."
After finishing undressing himself and putting on a comforting outfit, Saheon slammed his face right onto the pillow.
Every single one of his body sting.
His back, leg, and arm ache, and he feels like he would struggle to get up ever again.
Saheon turned around to his back and looked at the drawer.
He had searched every corner of this room and haven't found an item yet
'This darkness is useless'
Saheon sighs out a despairing breath.
He has tried to avoid Soleum, but in the end, he keeps getting more drawn in.
The effect of the darkness seems to be working too strongly.
He starts having doubts on whether he can finish this darkness.
Saheon shakes that thought out of his head--there's no way he would get attached to that guy.
*-----------------*
A full week has gone by.
Everyday Soleum would go out to shovel while Saheon prepared him a warm blanket on the couch and a hot coffee.
Since he has stayed at the house the whole time while the other person has gone shoveling, this is the most he can do.
It's not like Saheon cares about him or anything. This is just mutual benefits.
After waiting on the couch and watching television, Saheon hears a door creaking open.
Soleum, who looked dead and exhausted, closed the door and took off his coat.
Soleum walks near the couch and sees Saheon handing out a cup of coffee toward him.
He smiled gently and took it by the handle.
"Thank you"
"..."
Saheon looks back at the TV.
"Yeah..."
25 minutes has passed and the episodes have been finished.
Saheon glanced at Soleum.
Since he has been shoveling all night, should he reward him with watching a horror series?
He did say that he likes thriller.
'...'
'This damn crazy bastard..'
Reminiscing about the old days, his finger pressed the arrow button. He then found a series that looked scary enough.
'This should satisfy him'
Just when he's about to click the ok button--
"W-wait!!"
'Hmm?'
Saheon looked at Soleum with a confused expression.
Soleum, with his disheveled hair, faced Saheon with a scared face.
"I-I think we should watch another series.."
Saheon felt more conflicted.
"Was this one not scary enough?"
Soleum stayed silent for a moment.
"No... it's not that .... "
He looked down and his hand reached the back of his neck.
"I'm scared of horror stuff"
Saheon looks at him with a shocking revelation.
Scared?
This psychopath, this serial killer, this maniac, this uhh..
Did he just say he's scared of horror??
Saheon thought back to all the torment he's been through, remembering the time he's been tortured by this guy who was sitting in front of him. It felt like he doesn't even know this person at all now.
"Then.. let's watched...Pororo"
Soleum looked up at him with confusion.
"Why?"
"No, nevermind"
Saheon sighed.
He doesn't know him at all.
After a while, they find a new series to watch. An hour has passed, and Saheon has been criticizing the episodes in his mind.
Just after he got bored of the series, he felt a thud on his shoulder.
Saheon's breath stopped and his eyes opened wide.
"W-wha-"
He looked to his left and felt some hair ruffling his face.
"..."
A heavy weight lays still on his shoulder. Part of the air in the mouth slowly breathes in and out of that person. His long eyelashes twitch and his eyelid stays closed.
Saheon can feel the heat from Soleum laying on his shoulder.
Every bristle of Soleum hair tickles him.
Saheon looked down at the ground and bit his lips out nervously.
At this rate, he might pass out from not breathing.
He twiddle his fingers, and his face is flushed with heat.
He glanced at Soleum before looking down at his finger.
Should he move him, should he not?
He doesn't know anymore.
*--------------------*
Soleum was awoken by the smell of sweet food.
He sat up on the couch and looked around; he saw a pillow that he had slept on, a blanket over him, and a person in the kitchen, cooking something.
"Saheon?"
Soleum asked, gazing at him.
Saheon glanced back at him, and then looked back at his plate.
"Spam Musubi"
"Oh"
They ate the food while watching the tv again.
A week passed again.
Saheon sat on the chair, melancholy looking outside.
A fresh cold air hit his lung, and he breathed it out again.
Why..does it feel so easy?
As time went by, he should have a stronger feeling while being by Soleum side. And yet, he felt the same for a whole week.
He closed his eyes while thumping his fingers on the table.
He can hear the wind whirling around, as well as snows violently hitting all that they touched.
And then he hears a door creaking open slowly.
"Saheon"
Soleum slowly called out his name.
"Lets go outside"
Saheon's face got hit by the whip of the wind.
He scrunched his face and tried to hide in the scarf. But of course, the wind was stronger.
He should have stayed at home. Yet for some reason, he felt like he should follow Soleum this time.
He looked at his hand holding Soleum's. He can feel the firmness through the glove.
Soleum was leading the way through the forest. Saheon should have stayed cautious, yet he was blindly led by this guy.
"Soleu-"
"It's pretty isn't it?"
"What?"
"The forest"
Soleum turns back at Saheon.
For some reason, he looks different than before, his face expressionless.
"..."
Saheon narrowed his eyes and scoffed.
"What's wrong, shouldn't you still be pretending at this time?"
In front of him stood the darkness instead.
He can feel it.
No wonder, something has been bothering him the whole week.
'Soleum' tilted his head and smiled.
"This person... isn't someone I can pretend to be for long. Otherwise, I'll be erased"
Saheon frowned at it.
"Then go ahead, pretend until you get erased. That way I can finish this faster and get more points"
'Soleum' smirked.
"Why even bother putting up a facade, didn't you come 'here' because you feel something for him?"
Saheon quickly grimaces.
"W-what?!"
"So you 'accidentally' picked 'me' to be your partner. You unknowingly eat the food that I cooked, not even thinking if it can be contaminated. You let me use your real name. And you... glance at me every second and looked away when I glance back at you"
'Soleum' put up five fingers and put one down every time he finished listing it.
He laughed breathily.
"Saheon, don't you have a question for your darling?"
Saheon gritted his teeth. His face keeps changing from blue to red.
Saheon clenched his fist and looked up at 'Soleum'.
He shouldn't be swept up by this darkness.
"So what, can you even answer it?"
He crossed his arm and glared at the creature.
"You don't even remember me"
"Really?"
'Soleum' sneers.
"And what if I do? What if I can answer that for you?"
Saheon's eyes open wide, his pupil trembling at the words.
He quickly walked up to 'Soleum' and grabbed his collar.
"What do you mean, Soleu--ack!!"
Before Saheon could finish his words, strong wind and snow brashly blew on him.
He closed his eyes and held Soleum tight.
His figure wavered through every push of the wind; He kept slipping over and over again
Every single blister sting his skin. Every time he opens his eyes, all he sees is white.
And yet, he wouldn't let go of Soleum.
He couldn't let go of him again.
He doesn't know why.
He just wanted to be close--
"So are you figuring it out?"
A low voice came out.
A hand gripped him back, yet, Saheon can feel the touch of that hand trembling.
"How dense"
Saheon finally slipped.
Frightened by his fall, he hugged Soleum in front of him, making them both tumble down.
He lost consciousness for a bit.
When he opened his eyes again, he could hear a breathing person beneath him.
A slow breath trying hard to breathe–a chest that slowly raised up and down as it quivered.
Saheon can feel his own face planted on this man's chest.
Only for a moment, he wished he could stay like this forever.
"..."
He sighs inwardly.
Saheon used both of his arms around Soleum to push himself up.
And looked below.
Saheon's eyes enlarged.
'What a sight.'
Beneath him was 'Soleum' who was looking worryingly towards him.
Soleum eyes opened wide when Saheon pushed himself up.
Upon seeing that Saheon was fine, his eyes started glistening.
Saheon stared at the man beneath him.
'Soleum' eyes have formed in a crescent moon. His face flushed in red from the cold, and his lip lifted up in relief.
And finally,
Tears was streaming down his face.
He looked as if he could melt on the snow if he was touched any more.
'You speak as if you're looking down on me. Yet what's this now...'
Saheon couldn't believe his eyes for a moment.
He couldn't tell if the being in front of him was still behaving like Soleum, or if it's actually the darkness anymore.
Saheon has formed a guess that the blizzard wasn't caused by the entity at all.
It was just a random blizzard.
He can feel his own heart beating slower. He quickly calmed down.
He looked down upon this man and slowly opened his mouth.
"You said you can answer my question"
"..."
"Speak"
There was no emotion on Soleum's face anymore. As if he has no longer involved himself with this lingering emotion.
"The question you're about to ask---its about the Jisan Village isn't it?"
"..."
"It's simple, I just wanted to help the village and you were in the way"
"..."
Saheon bit his lips and held his head in his scarf. He squinted his eyes and a tinge of red started forming on the corner of his eyes.
He looked as if he wanted to cry.
... Soleum looked up at the man in silence. Unknown emotion stirred in his eyes before turning his face to the side.
He murmured.
"I also didn't want you to die.."
Saheon glanced back at him in surprise.
"Can you repeat tha-"
"Next question"
...Saheon sighed in frustration.
"Then, what do you see me as?"
"What?"
"Was I a nuisance, a peasant? Am I someone who you see as an acquaintance or a friend?"
..This question..Soleum couldn't quite answer it precisely.
"Everything"
Saheon tilted his head to the side.
What did he mean 'Everything'?
Just as Saheon opened his mouth to ask again--a voice interrupted him.
"Since I answered your question, shouldn't you answer mine too?"
'Huh?'
Saheon was momentarily confused.
They were exchanging questions the whole time?
"Baek Saheon"
Soleum face held a presence of judgement. His voice has become icy cold.
"Have you missed me?"
"..."
Saheon was completely lost.
Why did the entity ask him this?
Does he miss him?
Saheon didn't know either.
He thought he wouldn't. After all, he would just meet Soleum sooner or later again. He did always find him even when Saheon thought he was dead.
But then again, he has been wondering about Soleum, so maybe he has missed him?
Saheon burrowed his eyebrow in frustration--so what if he did? It's not like missing someone is that big of a deal.
Just as Saheon opened his mouth to answer Soleum, his word got stuck in his throat.
No...this
He tries again, only to shut his eyes in embarrassment.
Why is it so hard?
He just needs to say he missed him. Yet, why is saying it so hard..
Soleum stared up at the man before closing his eyes at an irritation.
"You"
Saheon flinched.
"Y-yes?"
"Get up"
Saheon instinctively gets up from the entity.
His eyes darted everywhere as he fidgeted.
Suddenly, he can feel his arm throbbed in pain. He realized that he had held that position for way too long back then
Saheon glanced back at the entity again.
'Soleum' has stood up, patting snow away from his body.
After most of the snow was gone from his cloth, he glanced back at Saheon again. His gaze held a distinct warmth in it.
"Lets go"
"Go where?"
"Home"
*------------------*
Once again Saheon was back at the house.
He could feel the warm air floating around the space and sat on the couch, relaxing his body.
He then felt the cushion beside him sinked in.
Feeling nervous, Saheon's eyes darted to the entity beside him, and then back to his hand a couple of times.
"So..sir..are you Soleum or the darkness right now?"
Soleum tapped on his thigh before glancing at Saheon.
"Both"
He closed his eyes and rested his head on his hand.
"I can feel myself fading away. If I'm fully him, then I'll disappear"
Saheon was baffled.
Just how strong was Soleum?
Then, there was one lingering thought inside of him.
"Sir, how am I going to clear this darkness"
..'Soleum' stared at his palm. He can feel the nervous stares of the young man pricking through him.
It's a shame that he's going to let him get away.
"Just one day.. just one more day and I'll let you go"
After all, the feeling that both of these two men possessed have affected him this much.
Saheon sighs a breath of relief. He can finally escape this place much more quickly. Additionally, his eyes flashed with greed as he counted how much point this darkness would give him.
Yet he felt a hint of regret lingering around his heart. He buried it with more greed as if possessed.
*------------------*
Morning comes. Saheon woke up to the smell of kimchi fried rice. That fact that he can tell the food with just a smell reminds him of last week, when he ate two plates of fried rice from Soleum.
Saheon rolls to the edge of the bed, swiftly sitting still, and then standing up with an empty stomach.
He walks into the kitchen to see two humongous kimchi fried rice on the plate.
It looks delicious.
"Help me put it on the table"
"Yes sir"
Soleum didn't eat on the couch like he used to. Instead, he sat on a chair with Saheon and ate peacefully.
Saheon secretly took a glance at Soleum sometimes before looking down to eat his food.
After stuffing himself, he sat on the couch, watching movies with Soleum.
Saheon hugged the pillow tightly. His eyes couldn't concentrate at all.
There's a set of vague feeling plague inside of him, setting to burst out.
Saheon doesn't know why, but he can feel that if he suddenly understands this feeling--grasping that tangled string with his hand, then he'll die.
He'll feel like he wants to stay here for longer.
Suddenly, Soleum got up.
Saheon flinched.
Soleum grabbed the coat that he had worn yesterday and tossed on the floor, and then grabbed the door knob and looked back at Saheon.
"Lets go out"
Saheon felt a slight hint of deja vu.
Outside, the snow on the ground has lowered itself to just an inch, as if following a person order.
Soleum led Saheon outside. The sounds of snow getting crunched under their shoes can be heard.
Saheon looks back at the house and then to the back of Soleum. They were walking halfway between the house and the forest.
Saheon wondered,
'Is he going to take him to the forest again?'
Just then Soleum stopped.
Saheon, who was a beat too late, stuffed his face on Soleum back.
"S-sir?"
He wondered why the darkness stopped. It then turned around to face Saheon, silently taking in the sight.
'Soleum' lifts his hand to his chin, and then opens his mouth with disappointment.
"Forget lasting a whole day, my power seems to last a few hours now"
“”..!”
Saheon opens his eyes with glee.
"You're happy?"
"N-no sir.."
The entity looks at Saheon with a smile on his face. Then he stretched his hand out.
"Then to celebrate your last hour here, will you grant me my wish to dance with you?"
Saheon felt perplexed by why a darkness wanted to dance with him, but he was glad to finally leave this place.
Saheon hesitantly took the entity hand and placed the other hand on his shoulder.
As both of them danced, all their movements were frigid and awkward, since they never had experience with dancing before.
Saheon constantly looked at Soleum, making slight eye contact with him, before looking down to his shoes.
He really felt wronged, dancing with a darkness.
He gripped Soleum shoulder, and frequently made sure not to slip on top of the snow.
'this feels strange'
After a while, Saheon felt an aching feeling growing larger and larger. As if, trying to swallow him whole.
'what is this feeling'
And then a voice whispered in his ear.
"Saheon, I missed you too"
"Wha-
"In fact, I missed everybody"
Saheon was baffled. Is this darkness roleplaying again?
"..."
He was silent for a moment before trying to play along.
"Then..after I gave you my points....where did you go?"
Saheon asked randomly. Of course this was the question he had wanted to ask, but he silently told himself that it isn't that important.
Saheon glances up at Soleum, and then his eyes widen.
Soleum smiled. His hair flows over his eyes, and he looks like the happiest person alive.
"Home, I went home"
"..."
Saheon stares at that happy man's eyes. His breath got stuck in his lung.
He felt as if...he saw a ghost of the real Soleum lapping over the darkness.
Well...of course.
"Of course, everyone would go home after work. What was I even asking.."
Saheon sighed and faintly smile
Now that he got one of his questions answered, he also felt a slight gladness, that the slime back then finally found his way home.
"..."
Soleum, or otherwise the darkness, took a quiet sigh at this brown hair man. After a while, he leans in slowly, touching his forehead with his.
"What are you-!"
"Baek Saheon"
He whispered slowly.
"Once you get out of this darkness, you will forget everything"
"...!!"
Saheon's breath shortened and his heart jumped out of his throat. In a panic, he grips the man's hand tight and leans closer to his face. Feeling every single one of his breathing respiratory.
"W-what do you mean forget everything?"
He asked desperately.
The darkness answered again, with a weaker voice.
"Everything..that happened here"
'Everything?'
Saheon thought.
His ear ringed from the shock. His head pounds as he mindlessly thinks about everything.
Everything.
No--- he can't forget it.
Just when he learned something about Soleum, he got all of it striped away.
Kim Soleum.
The one man he never knew about. Sometimes he doesn't want to think about him. Sometimes he wonders what he's doing now.
And then...he finally knew about him.
He quickly tried to remember everything that had happened.
Kim Soleum,
His colleague, and also his agent.
That's right, he's that person.
That person who saved him from the village. That person who would smile kindly at him. That person who's scared of watching horror movies.
Saheon stared at the Kim Soleum in front of him, as if looking at the real person.
"I-I don't.. want to forget you"
His voice shook a bit. He didn't really want to say this to Kim Soleum out of everybody.
'Soleum' looks back at the frightened Saheon with an intrigued smile.
He moves his mouth closer to Saheon’s lips, yet only an inch close.
"Unfortunately, I don't have any more power to mark the memory of 'Soleum' in you"
His eyes slowly close with a saddened look.
"I can do it with anybody, except him"
"..."
The darkness prolonged his silence for a bit. He wondered if he could eat this man whole and make him trapped here forever.
...forget it.
He then raised Saheon's hand, twirling him around, before backing away.
Looking at Saheon's lost face, 'Soleum' looks away, laughing way too happily.
"Then meet me outside"
He smiled joyfully and clasped his hand behind his back.
Although he wasn't sure if that black hair man would still be in that world.
"Meet me and get to know me"
Saheon stood still for a second, trying to take every single word of the man in.
The darkness stares at him lovingly before closing his eyes.
'No wait...'
"Then this is..goodbye...."
The snow falls heavily, covering his face. It felt as if he was getting farther and farther away from him.
"Hey wait...!"
Saheon rushed to the man.
He tries to reach him, only for him to grab the frosty mist.
All the locked feelings that Saheon has hidden away washed over him-- drowning him in tears.
He couldn't be away, he didn't want to be away from him. Guilt and despair stinged at him from all sides.
If only..he had spent more time with that Soleum when he joined the darkness.
Didn't he want to spend more time with that agent?
...
With Soleum..?
Every single knot built up on his throat. His eyes sting and some droplets fall out.
I should have said it–
I need to say it.
"I miss yo-"
In a blink of an eye, everything disappeared.
*--------------------------*
The full moon shines on Saheon's face.
"Ah damn it"
Saheon, who was illuminated by that moon, sat up on the bed.
For some reason, it felt like he had a nightmare.
He looked up at the ceiling, silently staring at it.
And then he suddenly jolted.
"Ack..ugh..ggk"
Every single one of his body hurts.
Saheon flailed out his arm, trying to reach something, yet all he could do was grab a whiff of air.
He doesn't know who he was reaching for.
'What is this ?'
Saheon grabbed his hair and kneel down.
He couldn't breathe.
He feels like retching.
'why am I feeling like this'
Some droplets of water fell down from his eyes. It plummets as if each tear weighs all of the memories.
"Uck...hgk"
Saheon couldn't help but cry all night.
The moon that was shining over the room was getting covered by clouds every second.
It reached Saheon's hair, as if caressing it, before slipping away, leaving Saheon in utter darkness.
The end.