Megaverse ⚔︎ SKZ

5

Yang Jeongin. Ian was this world's version of his ex-girlfriend. The more he thought about it, the more he felt shitty for calling him that. He had a different personality and hobbies. He wasn't the same person. But Chan couldn't get past those eyes of his. They were the same ones that looked at him during so many important moments.

The things he could remember that weren't distorted were mainly of her. He was able to trust those memories, unlike a lot of the others. It wasn't fair to compare them despite them being the same person; he knew that. Ian. . . no, Jeongin had feelings. He was a real person, not some dreamt-up character. Chan shouldn't be thinking of him as his ex.

He tried to keep that mindset, but his mind eventually killed his empathetic thoughts and took over the pitiful ones. Just like the Jeongin back in his world, the second Ian discovered how much of a beast Chan was, the second he would make a run for it. He didn't have time for friends. They always left him in the end.

Immortal people would be sentenced to watch everything they love perish with time. Time was his only true enemy. He turned over on his side and fixed his head onto his bicep—another sleepless night. He'd rather be back in his world fighting someone than force himself to keep hidden in this one. He'd prefer to go on pretending that Jeongin—both Female and Male—had nothing to do with him anymore.

Why did that seem so hard for the universe? Why did it shove Jeongin back into his life? He could have found himself and pretended to be a long-lost twin. That would have been much easier to put up with Ian. What a headache it was.

"You look sick."

Chan directed his eyes up toward the pink-haired mutant who was looking down at him. It had to be near four am. It wasn't rare to see any of the three up early, but even four was too soon for Seungmin and Hyunjin on regular days. Chan sat up and made room for Hyunjin on the couch.

"I don't look any different; you know that's impossible."

Hyunjin took his seat. "Well, maybe. Sometimes I forget," he said. His usual sweet gaze was cold, and he seemed more in tune with the darker side of his mind than the other, which screamed innocence and pure bliss. Hyunjin smoothed his hair back against the crown of his head and leaned backward with a sigh.

"Are we any closer to finding those damn symbites?"

"Symbiotes," Chan corrected.

"Whatever."

"I haven't found anything. Walking around won't gain us anything, and their team is about as useless as your and Seungmin's attempts to get me to give up killing. We'll have to stay here for years to catch a lead."

"Is there anything bad about that?" Hyunjin questioned. He could see how it would be tempting for Hyunjin, that world. They weren't the only mutants and heroes. Back home, mutants were unknown to the public eye. They weren't accepted, and if by some miracle someone caught sight of one and survived, they told tales of monsters, not heroes. This world called the names of those with abilities so fondly.

If Chan wanted to be a legendary savior, he would be happy to convince Seungmin, alongside his loving boyfriend, that this world was better for them. But he didn't, and he never would. He needed to go back. They didn't belong in that world. If they did, they would have been born in it. And who knew what the consequences of them leaving their world would be?

"It's not like we have anyone to go back to. Everything we need is here," Hyunjin continued.

"As long as you have Seungmin, you'll be fine wherever you go," Chan mumbled. If you were expecting Hyunjin to disagree and say he cared about Chan, you should be disappointed to find out he didn't. Hyunjin wasn't the type to lie. He only cared about one thing, and that was Seungmin.