◃◃ New Memory #6 pt. 1 ▹▹

Lee Minhyung

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"Thanks for coming with me Renjun"

"Of course hyung. I know this means a lot to you"

"Yeah..."

We teleported back to the first house we grew up in, but we didn't stay for long.

Mark led me in the direction that he came from the first day we met as kids. It wasn't the long of a walk, and we finally made it to our destination.

Mark's original home.

"W-What the?! My parents...!"

"They're gone?!"

"H-How is this possible?! They never left from that spot after I froze them! How could they have just disappeared?! This doesn't make any sense!"

Mark began frantically looking around for them, trying to find their bodies, but there was nothing outside.

On top of that, something happened to Mark.

Even though he was panicking, he suddenly seemed to get annoyed and angry. On top of that, a light grey aura suddenly appeared around him.

Then it got even worse.

I suddenly heard an unfamiliar noise behind us. And when I looked back, I found an unfamiliar figure seated on the floor, surrounded in grey smoke!

This has to be Mark's Stand!

Its face and body are patterned by horizontal lozenges of alternating shade, and armor pieces are present on its shoulders, elbows, and knees. It has spikes along its back, and it has a long, flowing cape. Its lips and appendages are loosely stitched, and its eyes have distinct irises with miotic pupils. And on its head is a helmet that looks like it was inspired by Roman design, with a transparent visor in the approximate shape of a beak.

It seems that Mark hasn't even noticed it's presence at all yet.

"Where are they...?"

Though Mark looked like he was trying to keep his cool, he only seemed to get angrier, and so did his Stand as it suddenly stood up.

"Hyung?"

I tried getting his attention, but he didn't answer at all.

"WHERE ARE THEY?!"

He yelled once more, and his Stand reacted.

"UBASHAAAA!!!"

The Stand suddenly lunged past us and repeatedly punched the front door, until it completely broke down!

"W-What the?!"

Mark was completely startled by his Stand, and stumbled a few steps back.

"W-What the hell is that thing?!"

Mark panicked when his Stand just stood in front of us, staring at him.

"Mark-hyung. It's ok. This is called a Stand. To make a long story short, it's a physical manifestation of your own soul, as well as your spiritual and life energy. I have one too, and so does everyone in Force 127 and BTS"

I explained.

"W-What?"

Both he and his Stand looked at me.

It might be better if I just showed him...

"Gold Experience!"

I called him out, and he immediately came out and levitated beside me, resting its hand on my shoulder.

Thankfully, he seemed less scared once I showed him my Stand.

"Woah..."

"I'll fill you in on the rest later, but you have to promise to not let any of the others see your Stand yet. They can't know any information on Stands either. They need to experience it for themselves like you did, then and only then can we show them our Stands and give them more information on them"

"I promise. But gosh, this is so weird..."

"It was weird for me too. But I have a feeling that they'll be very helpful in the future-. Wait, what's your Stand doing?"

Mark's Stand was examining the doorway, and then looked up the stairs.

It stared for a few seconds, but then looked back to us.

"Ubashaaaa..."

It mumbled, its drool endlessly dripping down its chin.

"I think it wants us to go up the stairs hyung"

Mark finally got the confidence to approach it, and he was happy to see that it didn't attack him.

The smoke around it had disappeared too. But, that only makes me wonder even more what it's ability is...

Mark then made the next move, and gently pet it on its helmet. To our surprise, it started making incomprehensible happy mumbling noises. It smiled too, even if its mouth was stitched together.

"Awww, it's actually cute. It may have startled you a bit, but it looks really nice. It doesn't mean any harm"

"Yeah...~"

Mark smiled at his Stand's reaction, and the two of us ventured up the stairs with our Stands following us.

We soon made it up the stairs, and entered into the only room on the second floor.

A bedroom.

And lying on the bed were Mark's parents, but they weren't frozen anymore!

"W-What?!"

Mark immediately ran to the bed, and I quickly followed him.

"Help me out, Gold Experience!"

I touched Mark's dad, while it touched his mom, to check for any signs of a living soul inside.

But, I felt nothing.

We let go of them, and I mentally called Gold Experience back into me.

"I'm sorry hyung. I couldn't feel their souls at all. Their bodies are completely empty vessels, despite them being defrosted. I doubt that they've been alive all of this time after being frozen for so long. But if they did manage to somehow survive that long until they were somehow defrosted, then we just didn't make it in time..."

Mark looked really sad, and he subconsciously called his Stand back into him.

He then went to the closet in the room and rummaged around inside it, until he pulled out an old blanket.

He shook it out and I helped him cover them up, leaving their heads uncovered. He then sat down in the chair next to bed, not saying a word.

"Hyung, I'll wait outside if you want. I know that you need a moment"

"Thanks Renjun... I'll only be a moment..."

"Take as long as you need hyung"

I quietly left the room and waited for him outside, thinking of a great idea to preserve his parents and their house.

-

1 Hour Later

-

"Thanks for waiting up Renjun. I really needed that"

"How'd it go hyung?"

I asked, noticing the tear stains on his cheeks.

"It went...as well as it could've gone I guess. I talked to them, and told them about everything that's happened since the day I froze them and ran away. I hope that their spirits were able to hear the stories, and find peace with them. It would've been so much better if I could've talked to them while they were still alive though..."

"I understand. I wish I could help you see them again..."

"It's ok... We should head back though..."

"Right. Just, one more thing"

"Hm...?"

I walked past him, and stopped in front of the house.

I knelt down, and I lightly touched the ground.

With a little help from Gold Experience, I imbued the dead bushes around the house with life, allowing them to grow new flowers.

After a few seconds, the once dead bushes became beautiful and healthy thorned rose bushes.

"Renjun... Y-You..."

"I remember you told me once when we were kids that your parents loved roses. I feel like it's only right that they get to be surrounded by one of the things that brought them joy. It's pretty fitting for such a nice home and such lovely people, don't you think~?"

I smiled.

He suddenly engulfed me in a hug, hiding his face in my shoulder.

"R-Renjun... T-Thank you so m-much..."

Even though I know that he was trying to hide it, I know he was crying again.

I could hear the pain and sorrow in his voice, but there was also a bit a happiness there too. I gently rubbed his back and comforted him, as his continued to cry against my shoulder.

It's a hard truth to face about his parents and the old life he knew before, but this is  good for him. Now he can find peace from this trip.

He can finally heal now.

"Anytime hyung...~"