"And I would walk 500 miles,
and I would walk 500 more;
Just to be the man who rolled a thousand miles to
fall down at your door."
~Im gonna be (500 miles)
By The Proclaimers
And Jay walked closer to him as well.
"Us? Really? We are ignoring you?" Jay said before pulling Heeseung's collar.
And the other boys quickly run to them, trying to separate them from each other before they both cause any fight. They succeeded in stopping Jay as Sunoo and Jungwon pulled him back. But this time, Heeseung stepped closer to him in a hurry, and punched Jay's face. It is a natural nature for any fighter to clinch their fist when someone comes to attack them, so Jay did the same, clinching his fist while giving death glare to Heeseung, he also punched Heeseung on his jaw, as Heeseung stepped back for a second but again holding his grip he throws his hand towards Jay.
But this time, it was someone else who stopped him. The sudden change of height, and the person caused Heeseung to stop on his track. As he feels Jake squeezing his hand, signalling him to stop from whatever he was about to do a moment ago.
And then he realises that it was not his intention, it was something he wanted to do, it was not something he was ready for.
He is scared, he is scared to look at their faces. If he looks, then they might leave him, that's all could think at the moment. He feels extremely exhausted by his own deeds. Everyone is facing problems for him, so it must be him, who is the real evil between them. He exhaled painfully. And his body itself shifts backward. But this time, Niki has stopped him.
"Heeseung hyung" He said, and tried to reach Heeseung.
"I know, it is me, I know all of these are happening because of me, but.......can you please explain what I did? I swear I'll never bother any of you after this." Heeseung said in his low voice. Sounds like a request, yet sorry too.
"We are sorry for this. But, you felt something was not right right? When we didn't talk that much, just for a day we stopped clinging on you, teasing each other, talking about other stuffs......you did feel something is off plus wrong isn't it?" Niki said. Not in a rude tone, but like he is trying to make Heeseung calm. Heeseung looked up to him in confusion.
"What?" He asked. But all he can do is to answer what the younger asked him for.
"Yes." He replies. And then he can see all of them sighing, maybe they are tired too.
"That's what we felt when you didn't let us stay with you." Niki says. And this time, Heeseung looks at him, in between getting something at the same time in confusion.
"In this past month you have never let us live with you when we always used to sleep together most of the time, you stop talking with us like before, you stop spending extra time with us, you also don't want to play games, bullying others.........it hurts to see you change this much."...................."We don't know what it is, we thought maybe you are making other friends, those who we, you used to bully. You have been starting to treat them nice. We don't complain about it.....but you change a lot as our friend Heeseung."
Jay and Sunoo blunt out everything in one breath. Not letting Heeseung process anything in his brain, because there is nothing to process, they are not hinting about anything, they are just spilling everything they had to; word by word.
Heeseung just listened to them. Their words find their way to his ears and then to his brain, but more than half of it goes to his heart as he feels an ack in his heart.
"And it is happening for a month now, we did try to ignore that, but no we can't. So we thought of staying with you the way you like." Jay's voice cracked on the last one. Heeseung looks at him, he can see his red eyes and can feel Jay's gaze on him becoming weak.
"Well we didn't expect you to act like this. We thought.......you would feel comfortable, not complain about anything." Jungwon said while looking on the bench where Heeseung was sitting.
Heeseung can't see them like this. As he stood up, not knowing what to do adjectly.
"I'm sorry" he whispered. And the other guys look at him.
"If there is any reason behind it, I hope you will tell us." It sounded like a mock yet it was really sad to hear. Heeseung stayed still. Thinking about everything, what did he have to tell them?
"If you don't, it is okay." Jake said again. Taking back his sentence. And even if a second ago it was hard for Heeseung to decide what he should do, now he knows what he should do.
"No... I'll tell you."
_________
Heeseung sat on his bed as he felt his thoughts are entangled in his head, or maybe in his lips. He is going to elevate a whole new thing that he is not sure who will believe him and sure that no one could believe him. And there is no point to say such things like this when he knows, they will take all of it as an elench.
All then are surrounding him on his bed as they are waiting for him to explain.
And at last, he stopped his incertitude to focus on what he should say or from where he should start.
"So.....when we were visiting grandma..." He looks at the others, as they nod.
"It was all fine, we all fell asleep really quick.....................Jake you remember? (Looking at Jake)....I was outside on the first night, and you also followed me...and you saw me standing outside......"
Jake nods. "Yes, you were nere to that....to that mango tree, that was mango tree right?" Jake says.
"Yes it was, when you came I get a little shock, but I followed you later. Did you find any odd in my behaviour in that night? Means at that moment?" Heeseung is trying his best to go to the main topic slowly, and doing his best that they are understanding everything that is saying, and they are getting every hint from that night that something was up to him.
"Lol, you being outside, infront of that big mango tree is enough to doubt." Jake says.
"Yeah. And the next day, you told grandma about it.............and from which everything starts." He finishes as all of them look at him.
"What do you mean by starts? Like what? That's all you had to explain?" Jungwon blurts.
As Jay and other roll their eyes.
"Heeseung......fuck bro, really? That didn't make any sense-"
"Shut up all of you, will you?" Heeseung had stopped Jake from saying further. All of them look at him again. Heeseung closed his eyes, rethinking again.
"So listen, that's not the full story, it is just something from where the real story started." He says and glares at them.
"STORY???????"
"So the first night, I had really a bad headache and I did look for you if anyone is awake, but no...and then I went outside after giving a last glance to my grandma, she was sleeping. I just thought of walking to the baranda and again back to the room.......but, I didn't."
"And?"
"The sky catches my eyes, I think you remember I talk about it right?...yes, the sky was so clear on that day, when it should be cloudy..."
"Yes and?"
"I......" He takes a deep breath and look at the other guys. They are looking at him with those eyes, and ready to complain when he stops.
"So I walked out and just admired the sky for a moment........and I swear, you believe or not, but I hear something on that night...and later I find out that someone was whispering, it heard like someone was whispering from inside the tree.....that mango tree........and then Jake showed up."
He stops again.
"I know you are bubbling a self making story but it is still fucking affecting me..." As Sunoo grabs Jay's arm. Heeseung sighed. He knows they will never believe him.
"I'm saying what I had to. I don't care if you believe me or not, if you don't want to believe, then better get out" He says in a serious tone. And Sunoo look at him, not only him but all of them because they were thinking same as Sunoo. Sunoo mouthed a 'sorry' for what he did.
"Okay okay, continue."
"And the next night, I don't know in what situation or what state you found me, but I'm telling you what I saw........ promise, you will hear me out?" He says almost indirectly begging them to trust him.
"Promise, promise....." They say hurriedly.
"I saw something in the sky, I don't know yet what it is..........but, the first time I saw it, it was so amazing, mesmerizing.....felt like millions of stars are falling or traveling the sky. I can't describe it by words."
He zone out. It was extremely breathtaking. So beautiful, which was holding a new future in Heeseung's life.
"Hee?" Jake shake his body a little.
"I know, you will never believe what I'm saying, and will never trust me for this......but it is what I saw." Maybe they are not showing the contempt, and even if they were about to, but just Heeseung's words, and his sudden calmness stopped them from doing that. Like Heeseung's mysterious soft smile is holding many secrets.
"And when I woke up.......I was somewhere else-"
"But you were in home."
"I was at home after seven months staying in a coma.......but before it, in these seven months....do you know where I was?"
They look at him again. What he meant by after seven months? And what he meant by where he was?
"Where?" Jungwon asks. As Heeseung looks at him before fixing his gaze on his fingers.
"I was far from here, so far than you can think of. I live in someone's house, it was small, yet cozy and comforting. The peoples were good too...."
"But...where you were? Means your body was here, on your bed, we come to see you every weekend, I'm not getting what you are saying." Jay asks him. He furrowed his brows showing he tried to get the dots, but he is not getting anything from it. And same with the others.
"I don't know how my body was here when I was in a different place." Heeseung says. He is honest though. He also doesn't know about it.
"Means, you felt you were somewhere else? Or..?"
"No, I didn't feel, I was really there, I was really on that place."
"Which place?"
It takes him back. How to answer this without saying that word.
"I said far....."
"Europe?"
"No.......a di.... different ...universe."
"Heeseung, we know we shouldn't act like aashole because we already promised you but....how on earth we can believe this, tell me. At first you said you were in a different place when your body was here, on the bed, and then now.............the whole concept is changing to a multiverse...are you sure you are not bubbling something stupid?, please if you are trying to prank on us then stop it already."
Heeseung just smiles. He knows they will say something like this. He knows they are not going to believe and not going to shut their mouths the time he will say the main thing.
"I know you guys will never believe me, not only you but no one..................but I was in a different universe, the places names are totally different from ours but the country and continents were the same. I lived with an average middle class family, trust me, from where I changed. I was there for seven months but I didn't realise my changes in my own behaviour." He says all of those in one go that he himself feels not putting any effort in it, because considering the matter, he should give them a little time to understand.
It was a huge silence. And Heeseung doesn't care about them, because he knows, he will never believe it and he also doesn't want them to believe it. He can see their eyes are looking at each other, maybe trying to find some suitable words, they are hesitating to say thinking that will make him sad.
"Okay....so....the conclusion is that, you lived with a middle class family, and...as a result, your, means you have changed, from that spoiled brat to a gentle man......" Sunoo says before joining hus both palm to make a clap sound.
As Heeseung pats him on his head.
"Just he is being gentle doesn't mean he have changed." Jay side eyed him.
"But Heeseung, how did you come back again?"
And Heeseung explains. Even if it is impossible for the other guys, but they are trying to get along with Heeseung.
"So, what now?" Jungwon says after hearing all of that. And his question make everyone look at him.
"What now means?"
"Means.." he sits comfortably beside Niki as he comes closer to the middle. "If it is real..then, what about the Heeseung...who was there with them? Don't you think your sudden absence will......" Then he looks at Heeseung. He already can understand by seeing Heeseung that he already knows about it.
"I know, I don't know if anyone will miss me or their memories related to me will disappear....." His voice becomes low.
"You do want to go there right?" Jake asks, and Heeseung nods. It is unbelievable for them to accept that Heeseung is saying something real, but they will try to comfort him.
"Then go......" So simple, for Jake it is simple to say but Heeseung looks at him with wide eyes.
"But ...how? I can't." He says.
"Are you trying to convince yourself about not knowing how to go there or you don't want to?" Jake normally does not act like this, but when he speaks, it's everyone's time to shut their mouths and listen to him.
"What?" Heeseung asks him again. And he really wanted to hear it from Jake, and confirm what he really wants to do.
"Heeseung, if it is really real, you should go back, at least to give them the last goodbye, you miss them I know."
"But, you have to go your grandma village again." This time jay joins. Heeseung takes a few seconds to confirm that it is really Jay. He never thought Jay would trust him, and he thought he would just throw a few words with his angry face.
"Yes, and no way your mom will allow you to go there again." Sunoo says as he looks at Jungwon and Niki to tell something. When Heeseung did the same.
"But........you know we can do whatever we want right?"
The other boys look at Jungwon.
"Then, let's do this....for Heeseung, and if he is lying then we can kill him without letting anyone know." He finishes before giving a death glare at Heeseung.
"So, Heeseung has to come to my place, and then we all head towards the village."
"Yes, and no one will know. But you have to do everything fast. Jay's parents will come back after two weeks."
"WAIT......." Heeseung face palm. He then look at the other five. They are deciding everything without letting him say anything.
"What are you all talking? It is not that easy. I'm not pranking on you guys, I fucking want to go to a different universe-" and before he finishes, Niki shut his mouth by his hand.
"Hyung, we are doing this not because we trust you or not because we don't trust you. But it is your only chance to prove that you are not lying." He says before making sure Heeseung will not speak he let freed his mouth.
"And also it is the only chance for you to go there, if it is real." Jungwon said.
And they are not wrong. He wants to go there, with the same time he also wants his friends.
He didn't want to lose anyone, and also didn't want to hurt anyone.
He missed them, he missed his friends when he was there, but now, he is missing those people that he had never thought he would miss. Especially that particular one, that he was never interested in, he misses him the most. Maybe his little fight with Sunghoon was deeper than any other bond that he wants to go back and wants to fight with him again, wants to tease him again. Maybe, unexpectedly, Sunghoon was the closest person in that universe. The boy that Heeseung thought of as his enemy, how funny that he misses his enemy the most.