Harmless Faces - Enhypen x The Darkest Minds

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IL-SEONG NIM HAS NEVER KNOWN WHAT IT MEANS TO FEEL AT PEACE. It's possible he had felt at peace at some point before IIAN, though those memories had long become cloudy, distant relics of the past. Somewhere along the past 3 years of pain and fear, it began to hurt more to remember the simplicity he once had than it did to pretend these memories had never existed. Though if, for at least a moment, Il- Seong had known what it means to be at peace, he assumes that it would feel similar to this moment.

He sits in the front seat of the car, listening intently to the soft, slow breathing of the 6 boys in the backseat. Betty, sputtering, coasts along what Il- Seong assumes to be the interstate, surrounded by beautiful greenery and long-forgotten billboards advertising fast food stops and insurance companies. Heeseung sits behind the wheel, silent. They had been driving for upwards of 2 hours (if Il-Seong estimated correctly), not stopping once.

Il-Seong wanted to break the silence, to say anything to the boy that had helped save him. He wasn't sure where to begin, though. Should he thank him? Say he's sorry once again? He can't decide, so he opts to continue in silence. 

"Have you ever driven a car?" Heeseung asks, breaking the silence himself.

Il-Seong glances at him momentarily, noticing how his hands stay relaxed on the wheel. Maybe the Orange was only imagining it, but he almost senses an underlying tone of sympathy in his voice.

"Um, no. I haven't." He decides to respond.

Heeseung hums. "None of the others have either. I was the only one that had been old enough to drive before IAAN hit, so now they all get to freeload while I drive us everywhere." He concludes with a soft laugh.

Il-Seong smiles in response. He speaks fondly of his friends, even if his words had seemed petty.

"I was 16 when IAAN hit," Heeseung begins again. "I'm 19 now, but I'm one of the 'lucky ones'" He mimics air quotes with his right hand. "who got to keep their powers. Maybe it's just because I'm a Green, but I never really felt much a difference in my powers when I stopped being a kid."

Il-Seong nods, not sure how to respond. He feels as though any questions thrown towards the older would be intrusive, though thousands burn at the back of his mind. He's thankful for Heeseung's admission, though, and wants to sacrifice some of his own secrets in return.

"I was 13 when IIAN broke out. My sister was 11. She was a Green, too."

Heeseung glances at the younger out of his peripheral. He stares straight ahead at the road, almost forcing himself to avoid eye contact with Heeseung.

"What was her name?" Heeseung asks softly.

"Iseul." The boy responds silently.

Heeseung wants to comfort the younger, but is unsure how. He's not sure comfort is what the boy needs.

"I was an only child growing up. It was just my dad and I for most of my life. I always wanted siblings, you know." Heeseung offers, making quick eye contact with Il-Seong, soft smile on his face. "I guess I got my wish, in a way. Now I've got 6 younger brothers, but sometimes I feel more like their dad." He laughs again, soft and light.

To this, Il-Seong laughs as well. Although he had just met the boys, he had immediately understood that their dynamic was beyond a group of friends- they were family.

The two fall into comfortable silence once again, the only sound in the van being those coming from the boys' soft snoring. Il-Seong feels himself relaxing a little bit, though still maintaining his guard. He had already decided he wasn't going to sleep, afraid of what might happen to him if he succumbs to his feelings of fatigue.