Chapter Text
18 minutes and 14 seconds
Hongjoong opened to fridge to see it was completely empty even though he had bought food the day before.
"What happened to the groceries I bought?" Hongjoong asked the first person who into the kitchen.
It was Yunho, "We ate it all, remember?"
"Did we?"
"Yeah, we had to feed eight people last night,"
"Eight? Oh yeah,"
"Does this mean there's no breakfast?"
"I guess not,"
Yunho sighed and sat by the table.
"I have to go to class," Hongjoong picked up a pair of keys.
"Alright, be safe!" Yunho yelled as his friend left the room. Hongjoong responded in a head nod.
4 minutes and 45 seconds
The light turned red and Hongjoong slowed down. He rested an arm in the steering wheel and impatiently watched the traffic lights above him. In the corner of his eye, he saw something sitting in his backseat. It was Seonghwa but it wasn't his Seonghwa. This Seonghwa was dressed in High School attire and had red marks on his neck. He watched outside, paying no attention to the driver.
"Seonghwa?"
No response.
"Seonghwa!"
Beep! Beep! The car behind Hongjoong brought him back to reality, Seonghwa was gone and the light turned green. Hongjoong sped up the car and looked forward. He drove peacefully for a few meters until Seonghwa had appeared again. The High School-dressed Seonghwa had shown up, this time, in the middle of the road. Startled, Hongjoong's first instinct was to turn the steering wheel, completely redirecting the car into a pole. His body flew forward, but his seat belt pulled him back. The impact crashed the front of the car and the pole leaned against it. The airbag triggered on contact but Hongjoong was completely knocked out.
0 minutes and 0 seconds
He woke up in a completely white room. His clothes clean, his body completely unharmed. Hongjoong stood up straight and whipped his head around several times.
He called out to the void, "Hello? Seonghwa? Anybody?"
Nothing.
There was nothing until he felt something grab his ankles. He looked down to see a hand, almost like a shadow holding onto. Hongjoong tried to kick his leg forward, hoping to throw it off but the hand refused to budge. It's arm extended from an entrance that was pitch black, Hongjoong couldn't see what was on the other side. Soon, more of the shadow hands flew out of the entrance, clinging onto Hongjoong and slowly began to pull him back. Hongjoong screamed and thrashed his body around, the hands wouldn't move and he didn't know how to get them off.
"Hongjoong!"
Hongjoong looked up to see Seonghwa who was running towards him at full speed, scythe slightly raised above his head.
Seonghwa struck forward, completely missing Hongjoong and slicing off the hands behind holding Hongjoong back.
Before Hongjoong could say anything, he was pulled away by another reaper who's mask covered their face. He was passed onto the reaper who looked familiar to Hongjoong. This reaper had pulled Hongjoong behind him and lead him out the room. When Hongjoong looked back for Seonghwa, his guardian was being pulled into the entrance, completely helpless. Hongjoong screamed but the reaper who held onto him ignored his pleads.
They were soon in front of a new entrance that looked like a waterfall. The reaper pushed Hongjoong into it, and instinctively, Hongjoong reached out, taking the reaper's mask with him.
41 years, 491 months, 14965 days.....
Hongjoong woke up in a hospital bed, dressed in a gown and hand gripped tightly on the mask. He was surrounded by his friends, and lunged at him with hugs and attention. Wooyoung held Hongjoong's face in his hands and cried. Mingi held Hongjoong's hand.
Hongjoong's eyes wandered the room.
Finally, he spoke, "Where's Seonghwa?"
41 years, 491 months, 1493 days.....
Kim Hongjoong once lived a normal life. He grew up to study music in college and later discover he would die. He lived in a house, and helped with rent. He looked after his younger friends who lived in the house with him. He made a new friend who dressed in black. He watched his life flash before his eyes and watched as his friend was dragged into darkness without giving him a final goodbye or thank you.
As Hongjoong stared at the blank music sheets, there was a knock on his door. Being the only one in the house, he went to open the door himself instead of making the youngers do it for him. There, at the doorstep, stood a blonde boy. The boy wore a black sweater that were a bit longer than his arms. His eyes were brown but they gave Hongjoong a sense of comfort. On his neck were fading red markings.
Hongjoong began to lose his balance.
The boy smiled and said only one thing to Hongjoong, "I told you we would meet again, Hongjoong."