"I watch you shining and
reflecting on every single
sparkling thing
I'll wait for you no matter where
I want to see you,
even if you're pretending,
please hold this hand"
"Aunty, we are planning to stay in Jay's place till his parents come back." Jake said. The others are nodding with him. In which Mrs. Lee looked at Heeseung with a little surprise.
"You are going there?" She asked Heeseung. Her tone was not rude, but Heeseung could feel her judging eyes on him.
"Yes" he replied shortly without looking at her.
"They will be back after a month, if I'm right-" she looks at Jay after saying that. Jay tilted his head.
"Ye- yes."
The boys look at him, of course trying to not look suspicious but they did glare at him. No way his parents will leave him for one month because they know how their son is. And if it is true...then great.
They know that Heeseung's mom will agree with it. So it was a success. Heeseung moved to Jay's mansion that same day along with the other four boys.
Now they are sitting in the big living room. No fear of anything, no tension of someone hears them talking.
"Heeseung, when will you be planning to go?" Jay asked him from the other side. Heeseung dropped his phone on the edge of the sofa and looked at him.
"They will be back in two weeks, so let's go tomorrow?" He said looking at other other boys.
"Yes, tomorrow will be perfect." Jungwon agreed.
"Um"
"I don't know, but I'm kinda excited. Hehe." Niki said while trying to solve the cube.
"Damn I'm not lying Niki." Heeseung groaned as he said that.
"Cool down, I'm not saying that I don't trust you...but still."
____________
The next day in the Village
(I don't want to explain how they reach their villages again because you already know them 😌)
"Heeseung are you fine? I called your mom, and she said all fine. Oh my god." His grandma hugged him.
"I'm good What about you?" Heeseung asked, caressing her white a little damaged hair. Because her height is so small compared to him, and his grandma is acting like a baby.
"Yes I am. I was really scared." She said still hugging him.
"Grandma, I'm fine, look I'm totally fine." As Heeseung pulled out a little to show her that he is fine.
"Yes indeed. Because you are my grandson." She said playfully hitting his chest.
"Oh my dear, sit. I was really out of my mind..oh god." She panicked thinking she forgot about the other boys.
It was all fine when their heartbeats don't give a sign to stop. They are beating crazily and Heeseung's more. Because if Heeseung is lying then it is okay, but if not then????
After having dinner they sit on the metres when grandma is busy preparing their beds. In every second they are sharing glances over her and then each other. Not knowing how to start and when. But they know they can't do anything when grandma is awake.
"Grandma, we will do this by ourselves. You should go and sleep." Heeseung said, taking a blanket while showing that the other one will change the bedsheets.
"You can't, let me prepare the beds for you first." She said, not looking at them.
"But atleast, we can do it. You should really go and sleep." He said again. The others are just looking at him and grandma, not knowing if Grandma will give up or not.
"Okay" at last she said. As all of them sighed in relief. Heeseung almost chuckled.
"I know one day, you will come back again." She said and looked into Heeseung's eyes. Heeseung smiled.
"Yes." He replied.
"You have made a big mistake Heeseung-uh"
It is the tone in her voice, her playful tone suddenly changed to a sad one, and her cold stares towards him that he can't resist himself to look at her eyes.
"You are here to go there again."
And Heeseung looks at her dumbfounded.
"Even if you try to ignore the urge to go there, you can't. You will suffer, you will never trust yourself for what you did. And that's why he will try your best to go there again, and even if you have to die for it, you will. You had made a big mistake Heeseung." She said. And she comes closer to Heeseung. She put her hand on his shoulder.
"I'm scared of losing my precious one's smile." She said, when her eyes got teary and Heeseung couldn't do anything.
"Grandma, what are you saying?" He asked, yet he knows what she is saying. But he can't believe that she knows.
"But, all I can do is pray, for you to get, what you want."
"But .....what do I want?" He asked as he felt restless with the same time loss of hope.
"You want something, that is impossible to have."
"I don't know...I just...just want to go there."
"Yes you do. That's what I am saying."
"But I don't want anything. I just want to go there to bid them my last goodbye....and.. that's all."
"At first go there, you will know by yourself. You will want to get those things that without them, you will feel your whole life is an empty hell." And she pushed him.
The other boys start to panic by hearing her. And when she pushed Heeseung, Jake stood up and balanced himself while grabbing Heeseung's arm.
"Heeseung...." He called, when Heeseung and his grandmother were staring into each other's eyes, talking, arguing, or maybe begging.
"Heeseung, let's go back. You don't need to go back to that universe." Jake said in his ears, as his eyes become teary. Soon it will flow down from his eyes to his cheeks.
"Heeseung, let's not do it." This time it is Sunoo, he started to sry a while ago, when his grandmother started everything. He sobbed.
"We don't want to lose you. If anything happens then?" Niki said as his grabbed Heeseung's hand while pulling him to sit on the metres.
And when Heeseung breaks the stare from his grandmother, he shrugs, as he makes a little distance from Jake and the others. They all look at him.
"I can't, I have to go there." He said. From the corner of his eyes he can see his grandmother stepping back a little.
"Heeseung, grandma is right. Let's not do this." Jay, who proceeded to come towards him, but Heeseung stopped him by his hand.
"No, I can't step back after coming this far. I promise I'll be back in two weeks."
"But-"
"Let him do whatever he wants Niki, at least, it will make his heart calm." Jungwon said, stopping Niki.
And Heeseung looked at them all and for the last time, he looked at his grandmother. Her eyes are dry, but red, can see through her eyes how hurt she is. And he made his way to the door.
"Wait, we are going too." Jake tried to run towards him.
"You can't. You can't even see the lights." Heeseung's grandmother said.
When Heeseung already stood in front of the mango tree. He felt exhausted when he felt he was liable. When he felt he wanted to outstrip from this situation. But something is still pushing him towards the tree.
Heeseung went closer to the tree when he placed his both hands like what people do to whisper something on someone's ears. But before whispering anything, he stopped there for a moment.
"I miss you Heeseung."
"Why did you do this to me?"
"Where you are please come back."
"I just pray for his safety and waiting for miracle to happen."
"You abandoned our basketball team."
"Please come back."
"I'll give you whatever you want."
"Why should he go like this? Can't he just utter a word about it? Were we that bad that he ran away?"
"He was really the best. I miss him so much."
"I love you."
"I'm feeling empty, without you."
And Heeseung moved his posture, and he whispered.........
"I want to go back to that same universe, where I once lived for seven months. I want to meet Sunghoon, Mrs. Park, grandma, my classmate.... everyone."
As he waited to see the lights. And also scared, thinking what if it will not work?
But it will. He can see the sky turn into a yellowish white colour, when he sees the big light coming across the sky, covering him with it. And he closed his eyes, allowing them to carry him.
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When he opens his eyes, he doesn't take much time to realise his surroundings.
The familiar chirruping of birds, the familiar breeze of winds, the familiar smell of the orchids............he smiles lightly...as it becomes wide and changes to a chuckle.
Nothing has changed. Everything is in its own place. It is dark, but he can see his surroundings for the solar lights. How much he wanted to be here, and how much he missed this place he can't explain.