linked lines-hwang hyunjin x male reader
+hwang hyunjin+
+003, linked lines, hwang hyunjin, _chansslvr+
+genre; angst+
masterlist
©_chansslvr do not copy, translate or change any of my work
warnings: mentions of bl00d, beating the reader up, angst, divorced parents, abuse, swears (i think im not too sure lol)
m/n lived in a world where everybody had soulmates. they could communicate by drawing/writing on their body. most people found their soulmates, but m/n wasn't keen at all. in fact, he promised himself that he would never meet his soulmate, he would only drag them down.
m/n hated his life at this point. he was depressed, and if he said he wasn't he'd be lying. even though it was pretty severe, he was still popular. people did notice how he was usually upset or quiet, but nobody commented on it. he was popular due to his looks. did he like the attention? sometimes. and those 'sometimes' were very very rare. he was pretty, and everybody knew it.
m/n was currently in maths, and he hated the subject. hell, he hated school. what was the point? it wasn't gonna get him anywhere anyway. m/n furrowed his brows as his teacher kept on talking about algebra. how the hell did letters have anything to do with numbers? he looked down at his book, to be met with a few answers he copied from the person next to him.
with a sigh, m/n grabbed his pen. after a few seconds of hesitation, and thinking of the detention he was 100% going to get, he began doodling on his arm. it was small, nothing too special. it had loads of lines, like he was sketching. except it was on his arm. m/n continued doodling until he got bored. he sighed again and looked back at his book, deciding to focus on his work.
towards the end half of the lesson, m/n felt a tingling sensation on his arm. he pulled his sleeve up ever so slightly to see the words 'you're a good artist!' with a small smiley face. m/n furrowed his brows and picked up his pen, quickly writing down 'no i'm not.' he watched again as the tingling sensation came back. now the words 'don't think so badly of yourself' proudly presented themselves on his wrist.
m/n frowned and put his pen down, resting his elbow on the table and letting his head lean on his palm. before he knew it, the lesson ended. with a slight groan, m/n stood up and packed away his belongings before abruptly leaving the classroom, ignoring the yells from the teacher saying stuff like, "i didn't tell you to pack up!" and scoldings, along with the murmurs and whispers from the class.
it was now saturday, which m/n dreaded. tomorrow, he had a taekwondo competition tomorrow, which he was not excited for. he heard rumours that a group called 'stray kids' were going to perform. he shrugged it off, and sat at his desk. he put on his headphones to ignore the yelling coming from downstairs as his father yelled at his new 'girlfriend.'
his parents had gotten divorced when m/n was around ten, he remembered the day as if it was yesterday.
"i'm sick of this, minjun! we have been married for fourteen years and you're deciding to cheat on me now?!" m/n's mother yelled at m/n's father. m/n watched from behind the wall, tears streaming down his cheeks. his parents had gotten into fights, but they were never this bad.
"for the last time sun hee, i was not cheating!" m/n's father screamed back. the day was perfectly fine before m/n's father had brought someone home from work. m/n saw it too. he watched as his father made out with some young, ugly woman. 'doesn't papa only do that with mama?' m/n asked himself as he watched from the sofa, as his father was now unbuttoning the lady's blouse.
then, they went upstairs. m/n furrowed his eyebrows, before shrugging and turning back to the tv. after a few hours, m/n heard the front door open. m/n's mother entered, she looked tired as usual. she entered the living room after taking off her heels and replacing them with slippers."ah, m/n. has papa fed you yet?" m/n looked up at his mother and shook his head. m/n heard his mother sigh, probably from fatigue, and gently kissed m/n's temple. the gentle, loving gesture being cut by a loud moan. m/n's mother pulled away from his son's forehead and looked at the stairs.
"one second, mama will be back, okay?" m/n's mother ruffled m/n's hair and went upstairs. m/n looked at the stairs for a few seconds before looking back at the tv. all of a sudden, m/n heard his mother scream. it was more of a gasp, but the kid was nine, his imagination wild, what did you expect? m/n went upstairs, and watched from behind the door as m/n's mother stood, frozen in shock, horror, disgust and anger as she saw her husband sleeping with another lady.
"what the hell?!" m/n's father yelled in english, looking up to see his wife. he sat up and glared at her.
that's how they were in the situation now. after a few minutes of loud yelling, and the lady getting up, dressing herself and leaving, m/n's mother now grabbed a suitcase and began packing her belongings. "yah, sun hee! what are you doing?!" m/n's father yelled, standing up and watching as his, now, ex wife packing to leave. "i'm leaving. forget you and your cheating ass!" m/n's mother cursed as she opened the closet, grabbing all of her clothing. after what seemed like hours, m/n's mother left the bedroom, then noticed her son. she put the suitcase down so it stood up and kneeled so she was on the same eye level as her son.
she gently caressed m/n's wet cheek, dripping with salty tears full of upset and horror. "m/n, mama will be back okay?" she pulled m/n into a hug, but all m/n could do was stand there in shock. "mama, where are you going?" m/n managed to say, his eyes wide and lips trembling. "mama's gonna take a break from papa. be a good boy for mama, yeah?" m/n's heart broke as he realised his mother was leaving. for good.
"why are you leaving me, mama?" m/n asked, his little face now scrunched up in upset. "mama isn't leaving you. she's gonna be back when she can, alright? don't cry my baby." she brought m/n's head to her chest, caressing his scalp gently. all while this was happening, m/n's father glared daggers into his son. he was the problem, and he knew it. but he still blamed it on his good for nothing son. after a few minutes of m/n's whimpering, his mother pulled back, smiling slightly, her eyes red from crying too much. she kissed m/n's forehead and stood up, dusting off her skirt and leaving. m/n ran downstairs, he couldn't let his mother leave him. no way. his heart got shattered into millions of pieces as his mother walked out, not even looking back once.
then, m/n just grew up. he was hit, by his father, but also hit with the emotional trauma and depression he had got gifted. now and again, m/n's father got a new side hoe, m/n was so grateful for those times. then, he wasn't hit. instead, it was the women who got his pain.
m/n shivered as the memory bubbled back up from the deep dark depths of his mind. he looked down at his arm, still seeing the writing from earlier. he scrubbed his arm with a wet tissue before giving up and starting on his long pile of homework. after completing three assignments, one being of art and the other two science (more specifically chemistry and biology), he felt the tingling sensation on his arm. he looked down and saw a few sentences. m/n's brows furrowed as he read through them. it clearly read 'hey, yk we are soulmates and all, right? i was wondering why you never write. like, the only time i hear from you is when your doodling all over our arms, and then writing random letters.'
m/n groaned and picked up a pen before clearly writing 'i don't want a soulmate. i don't want you, and you shouldn't want me either, okay? i'm not interested, alright? and also, why don't you get it? if im not writing, it's pretty clear i want nothing to do with you. leave me alone and don't write to me.' m/n could feel his heart wrenching when he wrote that. he didn't mean to word it so harshly, he just didn't want to make his soulmate feel depressed because of his pity story. he rubbed his eyes, tears now threatening to fall. he played his song louder to drown out the yelling from his father and starting his english essay.
*hyunjin pov*
hyunjin felt his heart breaking as he read the words his soulmate wrote. he was in the practise room, he was sitting in the corner, leaning on the wall. the other members were drinking, more like gulping, down water. hyunjin, however, thought that this was the perfect opportunity to communicate with his soulmate. seungmin eventually noticed hyunjin's heart broken expression and sat down next to him and glanced at his arm.
*sorry i don't rlly know what to write here- but it's basically all the members finding out that hyunjin's soulmate was a 'bitch'*
m/n sighed as he pulled off his shirt to change. it was now sunday, which meant he had a huge taekwondo competition. he was in the changing room, and was getting changed. his coach was trying to hype up m/n with shoulder pats and words of advice. basic stuff like, "you're my best student kid, you can do it." and "i have faith in you."
after changing, and being introduced to one of his many opponents, the competition began. m/n was quite a thin boy, due to the basic lack of nutrition his father provided, but still managed to beat the other, much bigger and muscular, guy. m/n put his pain and trauma into every punch and kick. it wasn't like anybody was rooting for him. why was he even doing this in the first place? all these questions bombarded m/n's mind and before he knew it, the second round was over. with a few pants for breath, m/n bowed to his opponent before his coach came into the ring and patted m/n's back with a proud grin.
"m/n, i knew you could do it!" m/n looked up to his coach and smiled slightly. for once, he seemed slightly proud of himself. he was brought to a bench to recharge for his last and final opponent, he was pretty big so m/n had to work pretty hard to win. there was a short break and stray kids came up on stage. m/n raised a brow as he began drinking his water. so the rumours were true. stray kids began to perform venom and maniac. through the performance, m/n was sat next to his coach, who was telling m/n how proud he was, and stuff like that.
m/n's coach was the only type of father figure he had, and his coach understood m/n's situation and had loads of sympathy for the boy. m/n's coach was nice, friendly, the middle aged father figure everybody needed once and a while. m/n could remember those nights where he couldn't handle it anymore, and whose arms did he run into? his coach. m/n knew his coach since he was five, where his mother and father brought him to a taekwondo class. his mother said it was needed in case m/n was in a risky situation, but never expected m/n to get a brown belt when he was nine. his father, however, couldn't give a shit.
m/n rested his head against his coach's shoulder. "hey, who organised the whole performance thing?" m/n asked curiously as he watched stray kids perform maniac. "oh, one of the directors, i believe." m/n's coach replied, watching the performance too. "ah, okay." m/n nodded slightly, sitting up and drinking some of his water.
after the performance, stray kids sat back down in their seats, the next and final match beginning. the members had to admit, that the h/c boy was pretty good. especially if he took down all those bigger guys he had to go against. after a few minutes of throwing punches and kicks at each other, m/n's opponent finally fell to the mat. m/n looked up, panting, and looked at his coach who was grinning so hard his jaw probably ached.
"l/n m/n has won the competition." the presenters announced through the black speakers located around the hall/stadium. m/n's coach practically burst into tears as he watched m/n's arm get raised by the referee (im not rlly sure, i don't do taekwondo, please correct me if i'm wrong). after m/n's win was announced, m/n's coach quickly ran up to m/n and hugged him tightly. "m/n! you did it! i knew you could!" m/n could hardly hear his coach as the crowd erupted into screaming. m/n smiled slightly, just slightly and was brought off the mat. he was given his bottle of water and a few minutes later, had to go back up to receive his award by the idols.
chan gave m/n his medal with a smile and congratulating him. m/n muttered a small 'thank you' as he received the award. when m/n reached his arm out to be handed his medal, all the members then saw the writing that had also been on hyunjin's arm. hyunjin's smile just faded and the same thing happened with the rest of the members as they were now slightly glaring at m/n. after he received the award, m/n's coach approached m/n and brought him back to the changing rooms, now pulling him into a sort of side hug.
now m/n was by himself in the changing rooms. he pulled his shirt off of his shoulders and shook his head, trying to get some of the sweat out of his hair. he was about to change, but he was suddenly pushed to the lockers, the lockers banging loudly against each other. m/n's breath hitched as he looked up at the guy who he thought was going to kill him. to his surprise, it was the guy who gave him the award.
"shit." he curses and began struggling against chan's grip. "what the hell? get off of me." he tried to push chan off, but his grip tightened. all of a sudden, m/n felt blood coming out of his mouth, and leaking from his nose. it took him a few seconds to realise he just got punched in the face by one of the other members. 'fuck, i'm going to die today. twice.' m/n thought as he realised he was probably going to get beaten up here, then get beaten to a pulp at home by his father, who was most likely already beginning his drinking cycle.
he tried to kick the two members off but only got met with a punch to the stomach. m/n shook his head and began to feel lightheaded. he was used to it, though. his body just got used to the beatings, but some places weren't quite prepared. as soon as he felt another punch in the shoulder, he knew he was gonna faint or die. whichever came first.
before he knew it, his head just lunged forward as he lost consciousness. chan immediately let go of the boy, his body going limp and falling to the ground, unfortunately for m/n, head first. "chan, what the fuck did you do?!" minho whisper yelled as he looked at the now bleeding boy. "i didn't punch him! it was changbin and jeongin!" minho turned to the two boys who just stared at the unconscious boy laying on the, what seemed to be, concrete floor. "fuck, we're going to prison." felix said and shook his head before trying to grab the boy. seungmin nodded slightly and helped felix, now laying the boy on his back so he was facing the ceiling.
well, if he was alive anyway. chan, along with the rest of the members leaned in ever so slightly to see the boy's injuries. han flinched and took a few steps back. to say they were bad, would be an underestimation. m/n now had a bleeding nose, blood literally oozing out of his mouth, a bruise on his temple and a cut on his forehead. "shit." chan whispered. "someone check his pulse." felix suggested and changbin quickly brought two fingers to the boy's left upper side of his neck. "he's alive. i think." seungmin rolled his eyes and put his hand on the boy's now bruised chest. "yeah, he's alive."
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Utopia. - 성화 🌷
🌷 Reaper! Seonghwa x Female! Reader
🌷 genre: fantasy au, soulmate au-ish, angst, fluff if you squint.
🌷 warnings: major character death, english is not my native language, reader is too naïve, this was supposed to be a drabble .
🌷 word count: 3.9k
🌷 now listening to: Utopia by ATEEZ
a/n: this is my first fanfic! if you find any mistake let me know, and i recommend listening to this playlist while reading it. hope you like it!
Deep in the woods, far away from the town, you had settled into a small cottage. Surrounded by trees but found in the middle of a clear, rested, a delicately organized garden. Filled with the purest of white roses, the most innocent pink tulips and all types of colorful crops.
Life was peaceful, and when the time came to visit the town for supplies, everyone was kind.
In the country in which you resided, Wonderland, everything seemed to have appeared from a fairy tale.
When the summer arrived, the small river near the clear was always filled to the brim with fresh water to swim in. The animals would get closer to the rushing flow and take a sip to run from the blazing sun that, although the calendar marked June, looked like it was hoping to be merciful to the creatures that inhabited the earth, and its rays only caused the most minor inconveniences.
In autumn, the leaves of the surrounding trees turned all kinds of beautiful reds, oranges, and burgundies, making the view a spectacle for the eyes. The crops would grow healthy and robust, juicy and ready to be collected, so you would get to work the first morning of the season to stash them safely in the crates of your kitchen.
Springs were your favorite. Quite fitting for the dream life you had. After all, your flowers bloomed like none other, leaving every passerby, both animals and humans, breathless before their beauty, including yourself. Some nights you even dreamed about fairies visiting your rose bushes, just to bask in their absolute magnificence. The birds would chirp every morning, gently rising you from your enchanted sleep, and you would leave them a bowl of water by your window for them to enjoy. The mere thought of spring gave you butterflies. The same butterflies a lover feels when they finally get to see their significant other after time apart. The same butterflies you felt when you allowed yourself to run freely through the full bloomed and green woods along the other forest creatures. You loved times like this, where you felt free.
Even if sometimes minor setbacks appeared along your way, you always managed to handle them with a smile. Truly, you felt like you lived high up in the clouds, where nothing could go wrong. Where the rain never reached, and only the sun shined upon. A fairy tale for children to enjoy, in which the red riding hood never met the big bad wolf.
That’s why, when you heard talk in town about a bunch of robberies occurring on the outskirts of the village, you didn’t think much out of it.
-
This time around, the usually crowded streets were silent, and only a few figures could be spotted rushing from side to side. After all, the winter had arrived, and no one wanted to fall ill due to the freezing temperature outside. Every single soul knew to stay inside for the upcoming days, until the soft fall of snowflakes ceased.
Honestly, there’s nothing you wished more at the moment than to be snuggled up in your blanket at home, near the crackling fire, a good book in hand, quietly sipping on a cup of warm cocoa. But a sudden need for groceries had forced you to leave the comfort of your cottage to travel to town. Thankfully, you were already making your way onto the woods that separated your house from the rest of the population.
The robust trees reached high up into the sky, though, as the winter had long since arrived, they found themselves lacking any leaves to cover from the merciless breeze. This allowed the last rays of sun that managed to filter through the clouds, to enlighten your path home.
Soundlessly stepping on the white blanket that stretched as far as the eye could see, you hugged your cloak closer to your frame, in an attempt to guard yourself from the cold, and tightened your hold on the bag of groceries that had caused your current misfortunes.
Just as the familiar shape of your cozy cottage on the snowed clear started to form in your vision, a snap made you turn around.
It had come from the forest that now laid behind you.
As time seemed to still, you followed its state, unmovable like a statue, you kept your eyes fixed on the two trees from which you believed the sound had been caused. As fast as it came, a pure white bunny, the same shade of the roses you grew in the garden, flew across the similarly coloured scenery. Heaving out a sigh, you returned to a more relaxed position, releasing the stress from your shoulders.
Still, although the culprit of your previous distress had already shown itself, and had quickly ran away from the scene, you felt at edge. Like if something was somehow out of place.
Two eyes followed your every movement.
A small cloud formed in front of you as you once more exhaled, furrowing your brows, concentrating on your surroundings, you kept your eyes fixed on the same spot as before.
While the mist created by your own breathing swirled towards the sky, it dissipated from your view, allowing you to see clearly once more. Exactly then, you saw him.
Him.
A young man, clad in gray and black had emerged from behind one of the multiple trees. A cloak was draped over his tall and slim frame. Blonde short hair peaked from under his dark robes, delicate jewelry adorned his clavicles and fell onto his chest. Although his face was sharp and his stance towering, his features seemed strangely kind, forgiving, almost comforting. His plump lips shined in contrast to his pale skin, and his somehow benevolent expression fitted his two beautiful and kind, brown eyes.
Two eyes that now stared back at you.
“Show yourself.” After your initial shock, you quickly demanded of the stranger. Even if his beauty was unparalleled, such as the one from your flowers, he was still an unknown figure wandering near your abode.
The mysterious man stepped away from his hiding spot. Slowly approaching your smaller figure.
“I’m Y/N. Do you perhaps have a name?” You cautiously asked him as he stilled.
“I’ve been called by many names, but if you wish to, you can call me Seonghwa.” the sweetest of voices answered your question. A honeyed liquor after a day of work, a breeze slowly creeping in from your windows in summer. Truly, you had never heard such a pleasant sound.
Seonghwa...
How could a name make you feel at home? How could the mere mention of it, raise goosebumps on your every portion of skin, make you inhale. How could it bring you back the spring butterflies in your stomach that you so much adored?
Dazed once again, you spoke.
“And what business do you have here... Seonghwa?”
“I was just passing by, but you should know, there have been rumors of violent thieves attacking young and beautiful ladies like yourself around these lairs... You shouldn’t be running about this late at night.”
Although his warnings would probably have angered you if they had come from anyone else, thinking they were questioning your ability to fend for yourself, you carefully took in his every word, enchanted by his mere presence. Still, you voiced your thoughts non aggressively.
“Well, thank you for your concern, but I can take care of myself. Now, I don’t really know you, but I know we’re both freezing in the cold and the nearest town is miles away from here, so perhaps, you would be interested in having a cup of tea at my house? As long as you promise not to be one of those violent robbers, of course.” You kindly offered the beautiful man, since you had felt so at ease by his side that you didn’t see any harm in letting him warm by your fireplace.
“If it isn’t much of a bother, I would be delighted. And no, I don’t happen to be one of the bandits.” Softly chuckling at your remark, he took your offer, and started to follow you into your small cottage.
What you didn’t notice then, were his soundless steps never leaving a mark on the fresh blanket of snow. Or the way the seams of his cloak seemed to evaporate into thin air, waving as he moved. Nor the way he sadly smiled at your back, an hourglass attached to his belt flowing endlessly.
-
After your fateful encounter, and after enjoying a warm meal together, you both continued to meet, usually by the ends of your garden, wrapped in blankets. Well, at least, you, made sure to always be covered in blankets, not wanting to risk catching a cold. Seonghwa, for some reason, always wore the same beautiful clothing that almost completely revealed his clavicles.
He had been one hard to crack, but after a couple of months, in which winter still remained, but the snow had stopped, he finally spoke to you in a less cold manner. Honestly, although you had known each other for only a little time, your romantic feelings for the man had begun to quickly bloom, exactly like your tulips once April arrived.
70 days had passed since your meeting.
“I’m sorry, but I’ve always meant to ask you. How are you not freezing?!” One day you managed to address the matter, heavily worried about your new found friend.
The man that sat close to you on the same log, once again softly chuckled.
How you loved to see his smile. You were hoping for the day when he would finally allow himself to audibly laugh, and see how it reached his eyes and brightened his features.
“I told you Y/N, I’m not human! The cold doesn’t affect me like it does to you.”
This was true, in one of your talks, he had hinted this. He wasn’t human, he seemed to claim. The first time he had mentioned it, you had brushed it off with a laugh of your own, but as he repeated himself from time to time, you started to doubt your own beliefs about the man’s origins. And after one sleepless night in which the images of the man didn’t let you sleep, (Your everyday was plagued by his melodic voice, his graceful posture, and his kind eyes.) you had actually wondered about what he could be if he truly wasn’t human.
‘An angel. He was certainly an angel. There isn't anything else that could explain the warmth and gracefulness that surrounded his every action.’ You had thought that night.
“Okay. Let’s say I actually believe you are not human... Then what would you be, Mister?” You playfully answered back.
“Should I really tell you? Won’t you run away?”
His questions confused you, but what confused you further, was the way his words were spoken care freely, but his eyes were clouded by sorrow.
His eyes. His big brown gorgeous eyes. Filled to the brim with kindness, and yet each time you caught a glimpse of them when he didn’t see you looking, you could admire a deep pool of grief swirling on the mist of his gaze.
You truly didn’t understand him, but only you knew how much you wanted to get lost in the maze that his whole existence was.
“I promise I won’t run away Seonghwa. I would never run away from you... You know how much it took me for you to answer my questions with more than a mere word!” Not wanting to ruin the happy mood that surrounded the both of you, you still spoke half-jokingly, but sincerely letting him see just a peak of what you felt. After a beat of silence, he talked.
“I’m the reaper.”
He sounded serious, and for a moment, you were taken aback.
His once gentle eyes, now intensely stared at your soul. Your breath hitched and the butterflies on your stomach seemed to once again take flight.
Coming down from your cloud, you finally answered him.
“Well, then, if you truly are the reaper, then you are the most angelic reaper I’ve ever met.”
Still a bit dazed, you quietly whispered your words.
Seonghwa’s eyes softened once again, and looked back at you almost with what appeared to be pity.
You lowered your gaze to his lips, and as you did this, he leaned closer to your form. Now, almost grazing his nose with the tip of yours due to your proximity, he whispered only for you to hear.
“Really? I never would have guessed you had met other reapers before.”
“What? Jealous?”
Instead of words, Seonghwa answered by closing the small gap between the both of you, gently connecting your lips with his. You responded by circling your arms around his neck, deepening the kiss.
You had been attracted to each other since the beginning, as if a magnet had pulled you in, not giving you any chance to oppose. Of course, you would’ve never chosen to escape the claws of the big bad wolf, that now so delicately held red riding hood between his arms.
As you both separated, breathless from the kiss, you gazed once again into his eyes.
“I think I’m falling in love with you, Y/N.”
The sun had already hid behind the far away mountains, and another day had passed. Destiny had seemed to link your heart with his by a thin red thread, one that so easily could be severed.
How incredibly vicious this Destiny could be. It had allowed the beast to love pure and innocent Belle, and yet, now forced them to suffer the consequences.
-
“Seonghwa I’m so thrilled!”
“What for, darling?”
“There are only thirteen days left for spring!”
The sudden kiss you both had that night, had led you both to share your feelings for each other, and a week had passed by in a blink. You had spent your last days fooling around in the woods, relishing on a hot cup of tea in a small cafe in town, and enjoying your dates and time spent with each other.
Inexplicably so, Seonghwa seemed to turn more sour every passing day, but you didn’t feel brave enough to confront him about it, since he only showed this side of himself whenever he thought you weren’t looking. You thought it best to give him a bit of space. After all, you had only been dating for the last seven days.
“I’m just really excited for you to experience your first spring in Wonderland. And our first spring together, of course.”
“I’m sure It’ll be lovely, but don’t be surprised if I seem unfazed, Utopia’s springs are ones like no other.”
Utopia. You had asked once about where he came from, and he had told you that he came from paradise, an unknown land, to most called Utopia. A place where all the fairy tales you could dream of, came to life, and a place where an endless happy ending awaited for everyone. You really didn’t know what to think of the man in front of you anymore. He had said the most far-fetched things you had ever heard of, but still, you felt enamored at every single one of his stories.
“Well, then I’ll show you how much better it can be with me by your side!” Your playful conversation continued until you reached your destination. On one of the edges of the forest, near a cliff, where you both could enjoy the warmth of the sunrise. Another of your cute and exciting dates.
As you approached the ending of the cliff, you spotted a log where the both of you could seat comfortably in, and retook your conversation.
“Remember those thieves that had been causing trouble when we met?”
“Yes, of course.”
“I heard talk in town about them finally being caught!” You eagerly announced.
“I’m glad, I had worried about you coming back home alone everyday.”
“Aww, that’s sweet of you Seonghwa. But like I told you then, I can defend myself.”
“I know, I know...”
A breathy chuckle erupted from his chest, and as your conversation seemed to reach its end, the sun finally began to shyly rise above the mountains.
The view in front of you was magnificent, and slowly but surely every other creature awoke to witness it along your side.
The chirping birds, the small rabbits hiding inside their lairs and the little squirrels, all began to rise for the day ahead.
Just as the gentle but bright rays of sun started pouring into the earth beneath your feet, you took a look at the man beside you. At your lover.
At your strange and mysterious lover, who claimed to be the reaper. A majestic man with platinum hair and black clothing. An angel whose only lacking features were his missing wings. Had he lost them? Or had he never had them in the first place? Was he really what he claimed to be? Or was the bizarre hourglass hanging from his belt just an odd fashion statement?
You really didn’t care. Because no matter what he was, you loved him, and if he truly wasn’t an angel, you would collect every feather you could find, to give the man wings of his own to fly. To be free. Free from whatever shackles bound him to this earth, and were making his eyes look like they looked right now.
The white beams coming from the star now shone upon him. They quietly surrounded his every curve, creating a halo around his figure. His blonde locks framed his face, and a soft breeze made them slightly sway to the music of the chirping birds. His features were sharpened because of the shadows cast by the light, but his eyes... This same light filtered through his eyes, making them appear as if they were precious gems instead of part of a human being. The look that adorned his face was one of absolute calm. Unlike the calm before the storm, it seemed to portray an even motherly comfort, the calm of the sea after having witnessed so many years of despair.
Because regardless of how calm he looked, his eyes always told a different story.
One of pure anguish, of fear, sadness and guilt all mixed into one. Like if he had seen the most cruel of battles, as if he himself had fought in a war, as if the world was ending tomorrow. His eyes, the window to his soul, only showed you a broken heart.
Regardless, no matter what his worries were, you had promised to stay, to never leave and to never run away. So you took his face in your hands, turned him so he could look at you, and gazing softly into his eyes, you smiled.
“It’ll be okay, Seonghwa. Whatever it is, I’ll be with you.”
Sharing a kiss by the sunrise, a single tear was shed from your favorite pair of eyes, ones that you could have spent the rest of your life gazing into.
-
“Seonghwa!”
In distress, you ran towards him, who embraced you after crashing into him.
“What’s the matter?” He asked worriedly. When he would have usually asked you in a motherly and playful voice a ‘what did you do this time’, now he seemed oddly concerned.
“You would not believe what just happened. And on top of that, just a day before spring!”
"A day before spring...? Is it already this late?"
"I don't know what you're talking about, but hear me out! I woke up this morning to find my house completely torn apart! The thieves must have escaped prison. It's a good thing they didn't get to my room on the second floor, or else, who knows what could've happened!"
Seonghwa didn't answer. He didn't move.
"...are you okay?"
Snapping out of his daze after hearing your voice, he looked back at you.
"Yes..., sorry my darling, you just took me off guard. Why don't we walk towards our spot near the cliff, while I tell you some stories about Utopia? That way you can forget about the incident."
"Sure, but only if you promise to help me clean my house after."
"Of course."
His eyes had been emptied. Of any hope. Of any light. He was tired. But he walked by your side, holding your hand.
90 days had passed since your meeting, and a corpse laid dead on the bed of the small cottage inside the forest.
-
Seonghwa was the reaper.
A lost soul meant to wander through this earth, guiding every passing heart, that unlike him, would reach Utopia with his aid.
He had seen so many people come and go into his "life". None of them could stay. And just like everyone else, you would eventually disappear too.
This time, his "mission", had involved a pure soul, innocent and enamored with spring.
Since his tormented heart could come as a bit too much to some, he had intended to keep himself away from you, until the time to lead you to Utopia came. He didn't want to put out your spark before your moment arrived.
But Destiny wasn't having it his way. One day, while he was looking out for you, a white bunny had revealed his hiding spot, forcing him to approach you. Despite being originally manipulated by a greater force, just like magic, he had felt incredibly drawn to you by your mere presence. So much so, that he alone was the one that chose to continue visiting your cottage. Out of his own will, not obligated by Destiny's wicked tricks.
Although he knew he shouldn't have, he knew it would only break his heart, he could not deny he had already fallen for your smile.
Despite his growing feelings, his mission was still clear and his hourglass mercilessly reminded him everyday, that you both only had 90 sunrises before your time came.
He confessed his love to you on the 70th day.
But even if he wished for every single star in the sky to not let you be taken away, to spare you from the cruel Destiny that awaited you, he received no answer from those above.
Although his broken heart would never be mended after your loss, he would always remember the words you said to him on a night in which the full moon hung from the sky.
"Seonghwa, even if you were to be the reaper, I could never be scared of you. I never was scared of the reaper even before I met you. After all, if someone offered to walk you home in the night, wouldn't you accept? Wouldn't it be lovely to have a hand to hold? I believe the reaper to be a gentle guide when it gets dark."
Those words would be forever engraved into his heart. Since that day, he promised himself no matter what, he would be with you every step of the way, until you had to part. Tightly holding your hand.
-
So now, on the day before spring, you both walked side by side, hand in hand. At every step you took, the snow blanket melted, and a white rose bloomed in its place. Behind the two of you, a new glorious garden began to flower. Filled with pink tulips and rose bushes.
He gently grasped your hand, whilst his soothing voice told you of all the stories this Utopia had to offer. Enchanted by his beauty and by his words, you followed him blindly through the forest. Not a thing mattered if you were right next to your soulmate, the reaper.
While his heart was heavy, yours was light. And even if you didn't actually know what had happened, you were content. How could you not? How could you not be content? You were walking beside your beloved and, after all, spring had arrived early.
"Goodbye, my dear rose."
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