CHAMPION | NCT

o50

However, despite my inducement, I went to sleep crying that night, curled on my bed, and drifting off to sleep with tears in the eyes and stars-spoiled dream of myself and a woman, who I called mother.

_______

Their death was confirmed. Today's marked as a tragedy for the entire of Neo City. The Capital was announced inaccessible for now, as a sign of mourning for its creator.

When we entered the hideout, everyone seemed ignorant of what happened. There was an expectant Chenle who was about to greet us, but I didn't have the heart to return back his brightness. Jeno too, who I regretted bringing with me, just worldlessly went straight to his room. Renjun noticed his friend's depressed action, so he followed him in.

I laid exhausted on the couch, but my eyes were still too stunned to even blink.

"Hey, Sooji, what's wrong?" Mark slowly occupied the space next to me.

I buried my face in my hands, feeling my heart about to break as I softly confessed everything to the youngest boss.

I wasn't able to look at his reaction, because I was such a coward to even form an eye contact with him after I just told him about the murder. But judging by the dead air that passed, Mark was as speechless as I was.

It took me breathing in so much air and clasping my gloved hands together to finally speak up. "Wh-Where's Yuta?"

Mark's eyes widened. "H-He... went somewhere an hour ago."

"Where?!"

"I-I don't know. He told me you'll know if I tell you."

Heavens. The beach? Grandma's house? Where?

Biting my lower lip, I stood up and gave a quick bye to the DRMs. "I'll go fetch him," I told them with wavering lips.

"Be careful!" they said.

And I left.

remember
what I told you
when you were
a little girl?

I palmed the Regulate on my pocket, equipping myself for what's to come.

I am sorry, Grandma, but I'm not a little girl anymore.

Then I tightened my grip on the device.

I can walk the woods alone.

______

The cool relaxing seabreeze crept upon with me ease.

The moon lay fair on the dark sky and reflected at the water's edge, resembling a pearl of quartz and flickers.

Behind me, the footsteps that I left on the fine sand were blur and indistinct, a trail of my deserted journey.

Then in front of me, was my journey's end. If I were a ship, he was where the tides would take me. The gift after shipwrecks and array expeditions. But he was greater than any treasure, and I was just a sailor who had her own bounty on her head. He was looking at the sea, so I could only see his hair and his back but it was fine. I needed to go to him and hold him tight.

The sea seemed to round the shore as I continued my steps, an unsteady rhythm of two limbs moving, rowing and rowing like wooden pedals that were about to break.

Gentle breeze began playing on Yuta's perfect hair and perfect face and perfect clothes and perfect everything. It was dancing with the wind, like a finish flag. This was an expedition, a race, and I was afraid that another ship would get to him first.