the sky was dyed a deep orange, purple hues seeping from the horizon. jeongguk blasted music as he sped down the asphalt highways of busan, exhaling thick grey smoke through his lips.

he burned through 2 cigarettes before he realised how far he'd driven away. he unwinded the tinted glass windows of his father's car. the scarce, lonely buildings around him were bleak and unrecognisable. the damp, salty scent of the sea wafted through his nostrils.

jeongguk's tired eyes shifted as they gazed at the vast water body, watching the glittering waves bask in the golden rays of the setting sun.

although his body was sat in a stolen black maserati speeding down an expressway, his mind couldn't help but wander back to hyerim's apartment. back to hyerim.

he wondered what she was doing... snap out of it.

jeongguk hit the acceleration pedal, driving continuously, yet aimlessly. where was he headed? why was he leaving? who was he running from?

his range of sight narrowed as the sky grew darker and darker, coating his surroundings in a thick, opaque, black. the phone in his pocket vibrated lightly, filling the car with a persistent buzzing noise.

hyerim was calling. he stared at the green 'answer' button wistfully.

——————————

it was 11.09 pm.

the room was filled with an unsettling silence, apart from the slow tick of an analogue clock and the occasional mewl from cat hyerim.

the human hyerim curled up on the orange sofa, sighing inwardly with every click of the second hand on the clock.

11.10 pm.

where was jeongguk? she hadn't seen him since that morning. during lunch break, she'd dragged eunwoo to accompany her to the oak tree. but to no avail, the tall, raven-haired boy was no where to be seen.

where did he run off to this time? hyerim scoured her memories, trying to recall if jeongguk had mentioned places he frequently visited. then she remembered the day he stumbled home past midnight, walking as if the ground were a storm-tossed boat.

...was he at that club?

11.11 pm.

it was an auspicious time. hyerim hitched a breath and sealed her eyelids shut, pressing her tiny hands together. she prayed with all her might.

"i wish for him to find happiness."

she took her phone and dialed his number. a tension arose in her heart as she waited, the repetitive ring of the phone-call echoing in her ears. a hissing click announced that jeongguk had picked up.

"hello? jeongguk, where are you-"

"hyerim..."

she heard a loud crash, followed by the eerie chime of the dial tone.

——————————

a dark gulf, void of all sensation and feeling. it was neither cold or warm, and he couldn't feel his feet beneath him. he was just... there. he just existed.

jeongguk was lost in this abyss for both a single moment and a thousand years... it all happened quickly and slowly concurrently.

dreadful memories of his childhood... enchanting recollections of hyerim's warmth... everything played in front of his eyes simultaneously, yet his mind separated them into different events clearly.

the memories with hyerim stood out particularly, glowing in this limbo he was trapped in. then he felt two warm sensations pressed against his cheeks, the only warmth in this chasm between life and death.

it seemed to chain him, and drag him to the surface.

when he awoke, he was greeted by a teary eyed hyerim, who cupped his cheeks with delicate hands.

"welcome back, jeongguk."