rewrite the stars - jaywon

chapter 36

"What are you doing? " Jungwon squeaked.

He ran to them, dropping his chair, letting it fall to the cement floor with a clatter.

"I have to get to his chip," Soobin said.

"Excuse me?" Jungwon seized his arm, stopping him in his path to reach another button.

Jungwon felt his cheeks heat up, a wicked flush probably working its way across his face. He released Soobin's wrist-- he was embarrassed for just grabbing onto Soobin.

But, looking at Jay's shirt, half the buttons undone, he couldn't say he regretted it.

"You need to strip him to get to his chip?" Jungwon's voice was pitched high in his stress.

"Not strip. I was just going to open up his shirt a bit," Soobin frowned at Jungwon, massaging at the wrist Jungwon had grabbed.

Jungwon felt small under his gaze, but he didn't stand down.

Then, Yeonjun came up with a chair in tow, cutting the staring contest between Soobin and Jungwon short.

As Soobin turned away from Jungwon to face Jay, Jungwon could have sworn he'd heard Soobin mutter something that sounded awfully like 'demon child'. But that couldn't have been right.

Soobin gently pushed Jay down into the chair Yeonjun had brought. Jay, of course, went down obediently, without question or protest.

Soobin glanced Jungwon's way, rolled his eyes. "Now, may I please unbutton your 'bot's shirt in a respectful way so that I can get his chip and get on with fixing him for you? Or are you going to assault again if I try?"

"I didn't assault you," Jungwon muttered, his eyes falling from Soobin. But he nodded his head to give the okay, feeling properly censured.

Jungwon felt his face heat further as he watched Soobin unbutton the rest of Jay's shirt, as Jay stared ahead with an unchanging expression.

Jungwon had to look away, for a moment, as Soobin guided Jay until his shoulders hit the back of the chair.

It was just strange, Jungwon thought, to see Jay treated the way Soobin was treating him and having no apparent reaction at all.

Yeonjun was frowning, "I'm not the biggest fan of this either, just for the record."

"Yeah, it's starting to feel a bit voyeuristic," Beomgyu called. He and Taehyun were hanging back by the door. Taehyun still looked nauseated.

"Hey-- who's the 'bot expert here?"

Soobin's disgruntled reminder came as he drew his fingers in a line down Jay's front, starting first from a point at the base of his throat, then going down.

Jungwon swallowed, hating every second of this and knowing how necessary it was.

Soobin made a soft exclamation when his fingers came to a point where Jay's sternum would have been, if he had one. Soobin looked up as he, inexplicably, pushed down Jay's chest at the spot he'd reached. Even more inexplicably, that part of Jay's chest went down. It depressed with Soobin's push, in an area the size and shape of Jungwon's phone screen.

Jungwon involuntarily took a step back as what looked to be a panel opened in the middle of Jay's chest. It slid open with a hiss, revealing an illuminated rectangle of exposed circuits and wires. Brows drawn low over the rims of his glasses, Soobin turned back to dig through his bag.

"Jesus, Jay..." Jungwon eyes flicked from the open panel to Jay's blank face above it. Jay continued to stare ahead, slumped back against the chair.

Drawn forward like a moth to a flame, Jungwon took a step towards Jay. With a shaky hand, he reached out. His breath caught as his fingers passed the panel's opening, as he reached in hopes of touching the odd rim of light that lined the panel's opening.

It wasn't just lit with white, he realized. It was hard to tell, but as the light undulated with surges that came at intervals that seemed to be synced with Jungwon's heartbeat, it fragmented into multicolors.

"Kid, are you sure you should be--"

"Out of the way, you."

Jungwon snatched his hand away and sent Soobin a guilty look. He ducked his head and moved to Jay's side as Soobin drew a small tool that resembled tweezers out of his bag.

With the tool, Soobin reached in slowly and carefully to the open panel at Jay's chest. Tongue poked out in concentration, Soobin stopped moving. He hesitated, his eyes meeting Jungwon's over Jay's form.

"Say your goodbyes now. Your 'bot might not come back the same."

Jungwon nearly stopped breathing. Panicking, he dropped down to face Jay at eye level.

"Hey," Jungwon spoke to the blank Jay. Even now, with his chest opened up and a strange bespectacled man rummaging around inside him, Jay hadn't changed his expression. If he knew Jay could feel anything at all, Jungwon would've said he looked bored.

Jay raised his chin slightly, as he turned to the aside to look at Jungwon.

Jungwon bit his lip, as it threatened to wobble.

"This...," Jungwon tried to think of a way to describe Soobin, "...big guy's gonna fix you up now. When he's done, you might start remembering things. Apples, old American R&B, the stupid puns you used to make. Hopefully, you'll even remember me," Jungwon broke off, his voice giving out.

Unable to resist, he reached and placed his hand on the side of Jay's face. He felt cold, far cooler than Jungwon's hand, colder than Jungwon remembered him being before. 

Jay's eyes flashed bright, then slid shut. His head went limp, falling into Jungwon's hand.

"What?" Jungwon's heart picked up pace, it hammered against his ribcage. He gently cradled Jay's head, lifting it up, 

"Jay? Jay!"

— the end of chapter 36 ♡

apparently, i didn't fool anyone with my soobin antagonist agenda 😿💔

anyways, there are LITERAL tears in my eyes rn 🥲 i'm so so sad for jaywon plz