Treasure tales

Jaehyuk #18: Brighter times

Jaehyuk turned to me with a surprised expression on his face. I gave him a small nod, quietly urging him to go on. He nodded nervously, and allowed Jeongwoo to lead him away.

"Finally," I heaved a sigh of relief. "Just what was going on between them all this time?"

"I'm still so afraid, though," Yedam responded, his two hands in his pockets. His hair fluttered slightly in the wind. "I'm glad that maybe that conflict is finally coming to an end, but now we have something much more urgent to think about. That world...that world isn't a good place to be. But Junghwan is most likely stuck there. Could we go back? Will we be able to save him?"

"That world? Do you know how life in that world is like? Wasn't the only contact we have from there Bigbang? Maybe the rest of the otherworld isn't so bad after all," Doyoung said in surprise. "It's bad to lose hope now. If there was a way we can contact people from there..."

"Forget it!" Mashiho thundered. Everyone turned to look at him in surprise, surprise because Mashiho was usually very sweet. It was not like him to get emotional. 

"I'd never want to go back there again," he whimpered, his voice trembling.

"What do you think, Asahi?" Yedam asked. 

Asahi furrowed his brows, as if he was thinking very deeply. After a while he shook his head and put his hands up, as if to surrender. He did not say a word.

"You were all very vocal when it was Jaehyuk in danger, weren't you?" Jihoon asked angrily. "What's with this mood now? Junghwan is our maknae. He's in danger. He--"

At this moment Junkyu pulled Jihoon into a hug. "Shhhh," he cooed comfortingly. Jihoon looked surprised, but he did not attempt to resist.

I watched the spectacle with no emotion on my face. It wasn't because I did not care. Rather, I felt complicated. I desperately needed to sort out my emotions, but the messy tangle in me proved difficult to manage.

"There is no difference between the way we feel about the two, if you ask me," Yoshi said after a moment of silence. "The difference is the circumstances. Jaehyuk was on earth. Junghwan is in the otherworld. It is phenomenally more difficult to rescue Junghwan, and probably requires much more sacrifice. From my analysis, choosing to rescue Junghwan would mean..." he trailed off, his head bowed. "It would mean..." his voice quivered.

"We may all never come back again. Or we'd just never be able to go there in the first place," I finished his sentence. "I think I can kind of understand. We're all finally safe, but to choose Junghwan means to potentially sacrifice all of us, after we went to hell and back just to reach this ending. This may already be the best possible ending for us right now."

"What about the first time Jaehyuk was taken?" Junkyu asked, perplexed. Then it dawned upon him. "Ahhh..I guess that does make sense. Yep, the series of events occurred very naturally. It is not as if we could've known anyway."

"What are you talking about, Kyu?" Haruto asked.

"He means we didn't know anything back then," Jihoon translated. "We didn't know what kind of horrors awaited us in the otherworld. Well, we still don't, but what we've gone through is enough. It probably really is. That's the difference."

A cloud of gloom passed over the members faces. We were all thinking the same thing. Should we try to save Junghwan, and potentially cause more casualties than just Junghwan? But then again, was it really okay to leave him there like this?

"You're being awfully quiet, Hyunsuk," Yoshi said after a long moment of silence. "Back before everything, before Rin even entered our world, I was your closest associate. The two of us bore the burden of every secret together. That's why I know that if one of us was in danger, you'll be the last to stay quiet. You've always prioritised our wellbeing. Where did that go?"

"I don't know what you all will decide," Hyunsuk responded confidently. "For me, though, my job here is done. This timeline is done for. This is the best ending it can reach. I will be satisfied with that."

"What do you mean?" The members asked in unison. I stayed quiet.

Hyunsuk met eyes with me, just for a second. 

I don't know exactly what Jaehyuk and Jeongwoo discussed. I was kept out of the loop. All I knew was that when they returned, they had reconciled. Jaehyuk and Jeongwoo walked out of the room with bright smiles on their faces, with one of Jaehyuk's arms slung around Jeongwoo's shoulder. He even ruffled his hair a little, just like he used to always do.

Jaehyuk's face also seemed brighter and more refreshed. It seemed as if he himself had reached some kind of new understanding, and it showed on his face. It almost seemed as if he was a different person from before.

"Jae...Jaehyuk..."I  stammered in surprise. "You look different." I was at a loss for words.

He smiled that sweet smile. My heart quivered a little at the sight of such a cute smile. "Do I?" He asked happily. "I certainly feel different. I think I understand some things better now." His voice dropped. "I've always tried my best to be there for everyone, Jeongwoo included. But now, he's the one there for me. It's odd how things go, isn't it?"

"Just what happened in there?" I asked, amazed.

"Whatever happened, I'm glad you guys finally reconciled. It was getting a little annoying," Asahi interrupted. "It's so much more fun when there's laughter and happiness, right?"

"It must be, especially since it's Asahi who's saying this!" Doyoung said, looking surprised. But he also seemed overjoyed. "I'm glad you enjoy our company, Sahi. I really am."

Asahi looked out of the window. "I admit I was cold at first," He said, pausing for a bit. His face still maintained his usual emotionless composure. Then a tiny smile appeared on this face. "But now, I think, your company is nice."

"Welcome to the group!" Junkyu squeaked excitedly as he pulled Asahi into a hug, of which Asahi responded with brutal rejection.

I watched quietly as rowdiness and laughter once again descended upon the group. A broad smile appeared on my face. This was what I missed the most about them, I thought. This was what I loved, and what I longed for. I was thankful for the opportunity to see this again.

"You're not going to join them?" Jaehyuk asked me. I jumped. I had not noticed him coming to stand beside me. 

Jaehyuk giggled. "Not joining the fun this time? Have you become Asahi? Even the quiet robot is acting a little more weirdly now." He was right. Asahi was currently doing what he called a 'robot dance'. Everyone was a little amazed by it, but they quickly warmed up to it and were now guffawing with tears in their eyes.

"I don't know," I murmured. "I just want to enjoy this sight. I didn't think we'd get to enjoy this again, you know. I really really missed it."