C H A P T E R
F O R T Y
When the sunset was beginning to appear on the sky, I left the city before it gets dark.
Everything was happening so fast. I still wasn't able to obtain any further information about Hendery or Jaemin.
When I arrived at the DRM's headquarters, the lights were kept off. What are they playing at this time? Last night, it was a salon. Do they get bored that much that they really needed to do something, I don't know, ridiculous just to entertain themselves?
I looked for the light switch to turn it on and when the room flickered into brightness, I earned a number of groans.
"Ah! Turn that off! Off, off. Now," Donghyuck whined, kicking the air with his tan legs.
Confused and curious, I studied where the boys were splayed over a carpet on the floor. They were sitting side by side in a circle, all of them facing the center where a machine that I couldn't identify was located.
Yuta and Jungwoo were included too. The older man was handling what seemed like a remote controller in his fingers. He was so into it that he never bothered to glance at the doorway where I was standing. On the other hand, the younger looked at me with an expression that screams the 'it's-not-what-you-think-it-is' look.
"What are you guys - ?"
"We're testing a weapon," Yuta answered, blue eyes wide and heavily focused at the object that he's grasping. "And we can't see the results if you won't close the lights for us."
An exhausted sigh raised from my throat as I turned the light switch off. As soon as I did that, a bright ray of rainbow appeared from the center of their mini-circle, giving the dark gloomy room a shade of fantastical and blinding colors of seven.
"Wow," I cooed, looking at the exhibition with starry eyes. A wave of excitement tingled my heart as I was lured into the eye-pleasing light, like a candlelight attracting a moth.
When I was a foot away from their mini-circle, nobody complained. But when I attempted to squeeze my body in and join the group, Renjun reacted.
"Nooooo," he said. "The chain will break. The chain will break!"
I laughed nervously, almost feeling like an outcast. "Wait, what?"
"Don't interfere the circle," Donghyuck said with a 'duh' tone. "If you don't get that then let me rephrase it: don't step inside the circle."
Mark elbowed the younger harshly and hissed, "Hey, not like that. You can explain properly!"
Donghyuck pouted and sarcastically explained to me what was going on, acting like a nursery student who's excited to answer a teacher's question.
"Um, you see, this weapon works with seven holders. And how many are we already?" he playfully pointed each of the boys one by one and started counting. "Onetwothreefourfivesix...aaand.. me, seven!" he clapped his hands together and fluttered his long eyelashes. "And if you step in, that makes us eight and that, as Renjun said," he slapped his palm against his lap, "will break the chain."
Yuta silently snorted. "My Champion isn't so lovely when you get into her nerves."
Certainly.
"You can take my spot if you want," Jeno said shyly. He couldn't even look at me in the eye. I wondered if he told anyone about our conversation from last night. Maybe he didn't.
"No, no. It's fine. I'll just take the couch," I said. "Also, I prefer to observe you guys," I gave them a smile. "I'll be your eye."
With that, I sat on the couch right in front of the boys. I looked at each their faces, until I observed something. "Where's Jisung?"
"He was trying a weapon. Knocked him down. An accident. He's now fast asleep in his bedroom," Mark explained.
"Oh. Is he injured?"
"Nothing physical, don't worry. His Neowaves was just interrupted," Yuta said hastily, as if he's being chased by someone. "By the way, can you keep quiet for a moment? We need to concentrate. The machine can sense if the user is distracted."
I bit my lower lip and sighed, "Fine."
Silence filled the room. There's nothing that we could hear except the tranquil hum from the machine. Just sitting on this couch felt like I was inside an elevator, as if the atmosphere was hoisting up a part of me in different levels.
Now I understood why the machine only requires seven persons.
Seven persons for seven colors. Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet. A rainbow. The colors spread from machine and throughout each of the boys, forming a breathtaking color wheel that glows.
Donghyuck wolf-whistled. "This aurora sure looks pretty."
"It's a rainbow, genius," Yuta commented. Since when did these two start to get along?
Oh, like calls to like.
"It's really amazing!" Renjun said with a cheery chuckle. "But now what? What does it do?"
"Observe carefully. What do you see?" Yuta asked.
The six younger men stared more intensely.
"Um, a color wheel?" Chenle said, as if that wasn't obvious enough.
"The colors!" Jeno beamed. "The colors are not in order. It doesn't follow the color of the rainbow."
A grin tugged on Yuta's lips. "True. And why is that?"
"It's the wavelength," I answered for everyone. More likely guessed. "It has something to do with the wavelength."
"Oooohhh," the rest of the boys cooed.
"And what is its connection to the arrangement? Why does Mark have the red, Jungwoo the orange, and so on?" Yuta said, eyes locking with mine. I knew that he knows the answer. He just wanted to find out if I do to.
"The colors bend depending on energy. Your Neowaves are the cause why. The one with the strongest Neowaves -- the strongest color faces him. We all know that Neowaves has something to do with a person's brain cells. So if there's a damage under any condition that disrupts a person's brain then their Neowaves are weakened. That's why that machine scattered in no particular arrangement, because it follows its bearer- the one whose waves could match with their own. That's also explain why the infected people musn't see red. Because they can't take it. The strength of the color disrupts their Neowaves. That's why they feel pain. It's like forcing a needle on a cloth that musn't be impaled in the first place."
Clap. Clap. Clap. Clap.
The rest of the boys were clapping, taking me by surprise.
"Wow. That's more detailed than what you said at the Capital Dome during the competition," Mark said, jaw slacked open.
"Crazy smart!" Chenle barked. "How did you know all of that?"
I suddenly recalled the brown-eyed boy that I met at the river when I was small. When I was plucking apples from the forest. When he was staring, fascinated, at the scatter of colors stretching upwards from the water.
"From someone," I murmured.
Yuta looked at me dead in the eyes. He never said a word and neither did I. But I saw the tension of his muscles, of his sharp face and cold blue eyes.
"It's a very cool invention," I said, standing up. "Now I need to take a sleep."
"Already?" Chenle pouted.
"I need to wake up early tomorrow to go back to the city." Again. "Good night, guys. Take some rest."
They said their respective goodbyes too. And when I was already a good distant away, I could still hear them throwing compliments about me.
I stiffened when I arrived at the front of my room. Uneasiness gloomed in my chest as the picture from earlier played in my mind.
Yuta... The last color... Violet... It was facing him...
Is it because he missed his home? His parents? Is he homesick? That's why his Neowaves are weak?
Or is there another reason?
It's just homesick.
It's just homesick.
It's just homesick.
There's no need to be nervous.
Don't worry.
But no matter how much I urged myself to stick to those thoughts, my knuckles were as pale as ghost when I reached for the doorknob.
________
Eleven hours later.
In the city.
"Pretty exhausting to travel back-and-forth, huh? Not to worry! You're going to have a good, good meal after all those travels!" Ten said with a huge grin, patting me gently on the back three times.
I gave him a small smile. "What place do you think would Distingué Taka and Distingué Mayuu simulate this time? Last time, it was a forest. I kind of want the same."
"The Distingués prepared a special place for the lunch," Jurina, smiling widely, said as she continued escorting us through the hallway. "The Capital has invited very important guests for today," she glanced over her shoulder to look at us. "Including the Champion and her friend, of course."
"Sweet," Ten said.
After a couple of minutes, Jurina opened a tall, regal door for us. The scene was perfect, so perfect that it took my breath away.
"This is not a simulation, by the way," Jurina told us with a warped smile as she ushered us to go. "Welcome to Capital Sky."
A mellow light tenderly coated the table with fresh and mouthwatering cuisines. We're on a rooftop, at the toppest part of a skyscraper. The clouds from above were puffy and beautiful, adding an aesthetic look to the majestic-blue sky. It looked like a painting that's made by someone with such brilliant mind and talented hands.
Mayuu was waiting for us near the table, standing straight, with a warm smile spread across her lips.
"Welcome back, Sooji and Ten."
"Our pleasure to be back here," I said and bowed down. Ten followed my movements. "It's an honor."
"Thank you so much for the invitation, Your Distingué," Ten added and straightened his body back, silver eyes curiously eyeing the entire place. "If I may ask, isn't your husband going to join us today?"
She waved her head with a smile. "It's just me now. My husband has a schedule. As a compensation for his absence, he brought a gift for the both of you."
Right after she said that, a cyborg presented us two boxes. One for me and one for Ten. It was light and small.
"It's a totem-maker of the Capital's symbol. Our most talented artist presented it. Very elegant and beautiful once it etches on one's skin. I bet it will look grand on your snow-white complexion, dear Champion," she glanced from me to Ten. "And will look good on your friend's honey skin too."
So it's like a tattoo.
Ten looked at the complexion of his skin, studying if it really looked like honey.
"Wow," he huffed. "I'm really a golden boy."
The pun was very intentional. I bet he'll talk and brag about it for days; about someone as regal and beauteous as Mayuu referred to his skin as honey.
"Please," Mayuu said. "Take a seat. The rest of the visitors have not yet arrived. I hope you don't mind waiting a bit. It's our tradition not to eat unless everyone is complete."
"Of course we don't mind, Your Distingué. Thank you very much."
After that, Ten and I found our respective seats. The cyborgs were quick to offer us some drinks. As the minutes ticked by, people started arriving as well.
They were not new faces to me. I often saw them on the news, on billboards, on the internet. But never met them personally. They were more likely contributors, sponsors, supporters, or engineers for the Capital's creation.
Everyone made sure to introduce themselves to me. Not a single one of them haven't complimented my fair looks. The compliments were too much that it either made me feel shy or uncomfortable.
One of them was a very talkative man named Kim Heenim, who seemed to be the mind behind the establishment of the Capital's place of entertainment: such as the Dome and the Fortrent.
"The rumors don't disappoint," he chirped, rubbing his chin with his fingers as he looked at me in amusement. "You're indeed as beautiful as a red rose. My curtains are always ready to open for you so the whole world could see."
I pursed my lips together, but a giddy laugh still managed to emerge from me. "Why, thank you."
There was a very beautiful woman named Im Yoona as well, who was the iconic fashion designer of some of the woman clothes you could buy from Phase 4.
"Is that my dress that you're wearing?" she giggled, cheeks so rosy and lips so lovesome. "Feels brilliant to see my work worn by the Champion herself. Oh, you could send me your address if you want. I'll make my assistants deliver aaaall the dresses that we've designed recently. You'll look lovely in them!"
I politely declined by saying that I had enough dresses and that it would be good if she sends it to a full-time model instead, in order to promote it better.
A courtly chuckle left her lips. "Oh, youth," she smiled at me. "I suddenly miss my younger days."
More and more attractive and famous people started to arrive. Ten seemed to be friends with some of them already, like that gorgeous Taemin guy who sponsored a lot of talent shows in the Capital and stunning Hyoyeon who worked as a partner to that sponsorship.
I tried the best that I could to appear nice and friendly to them. Ten was making less efforts than I do -- he's naturally good at these stuffs.
There were about nine guests all in all, close enough to occupy the table.
Mayuu then announced for us to lower down our voices and welcome the last visitor, for he is on his way already.
With anticipation, we did as she told.
It wasn't more than a minute for Jurina to whisper to Mayuu that he has arrived. Mayuu nodded, stood up, and eyed the door.
"He's here already," I heard Heenim whisper to his seatmate, the attractive and handsome Siwon.
Then the door opened. And the sight made me grasp Ten's hand below the table, heart thumping furiously and chest swirling into a whirlwind of emotions.
It was Hendery, along with some of the men I competed against back then at the Dome for the Champion's title: Yangyang and Xiaojun.
And behind them was no other than the most awaited guest, Jaemin.
_______
A/n:
*gasps*
/ l a m e
c h a p t /
BUT!
\ w h o \
/ c a r e s /
Way V :D
Is :D
Coming :-)
To :)
Town :")
See you in your dreams cause I see all my revision~~
Till next time, seasonies!
Lumi💕😋