WHO ARE YOU?|ATEEZ FANFIC (In Editing Progress)

Chapter 30|Me, myself and I|Freedom

His eyes closed and breathing deeply, San sat in the driver's seat of a truck, resting. His T-shirt was soaked with sweat, and his hair was plastered to his forehead, while beads of sweat slowly rolled down his cheeks. He had worked hard for several hours. He had carried boxes from one apartment and loaded them into the truck until it was completely full and the apartment was empty. He had then driven the truck a few blocks, which had been more difficult than expected, and then loaded all the things in the truck into a new apartment, as written in his letter and on a note stuck to the truck with further instructions. His legs ached from climbing the stairs, and the wound on his left upper arm throbbed, as if the blood in his arm was trying to burst through the stitches Wooyoung had put there. Breathing deeply, he gently rubbed his hand over his arm and tried to relax. He was completely exhausted.  He'd carried the last box in about ten minutes ago, and since then he'd been sitting in the cab of the truck, hesitating to go back to the others. It was so quiet in the truck. Although he always enjoyed spending time with his friends and wasn't really bothered by the noise on some days, he now enjoyed having a few relaxing minutes to himself. The truck was parked at the side of a crescent-shaped cul-de-sac, at the end of which stood a few small apartment buildings, each no more than three stories high, with the windshield facing west, where he could see the sun slowly sinking behind the houses. The sky had turned orange-red, while the trees and houses slowly cast larger shadows, turning the street and sidewalks dark gray. San sighed softly.

It's about time.

He thought. He had to get back slowly before the others started worrying about him. Besides, he was worried about the others too. The fact that Wooyoung had told him not to wait for him or to come and pick him up still bothered San. It wasn't that he didn't trust Wooyoung to find his way back on his own, but rather that San didn't trust the surroundings, and the thought of Wooyoung wandering through this area all alone bothered him. With that thought in mind, he straightened up in the driver's seat and opened the door to his left, jumped out of the cab onto the street, and then closed the door behind him. As he turned toward the street that led back toward the department store, he sighed. He was at the end of the long street, which meant it would take him at least twenty minutes to walk back. If he hurried, maybe fifteen. As he took a step, all the streetlights around him suddenly switched on, illuminating the street with a warm white glow.  It was already so late. He took a few steps away from the truck, keeping his gaze straight ahead as he passed one of the lampposts, noticing out of the corner of his eye that it didn't fit there. He stopped and hesitated, then cautiously turned his head to the right. The lamppost stood a few meters away from him on the side of the road in front of the small apartment building at the beginning of the row that wrapped around the crescent-shaped street and ended on the other side. The light from the streetlamp illuminated a small area below it, and although San couldn't see anything in the light itself, he glimpsed something hidden in the shadows behind it, staring straight back at San. Goosebumps ran down San's body as he gazed into empty gray eyes from afar. At first glance, San was frightened by the black silhouette wearing a fedora hat and a black suit. The Halateez stood still, unmoving, staring at San with an emotionless gaze, as if waiting for San to do something. But what?  San hesitated and turned fully to face the Halateez. They stood facing each other, a few meters apart, and the bright light of the streetlights. A strange feeling spread through San, and after a brief hesitation, he took a step toward the shadow, then stopped again, his eyes still on the Halateez. For a moment, neither of them moved. Silence hung in the air; not even the chirping of birds could be heard, when the Halateez suddenly took a step forward as well. The light from the lamp touched his black shoes and part of his satin trousers. Nervously, San held his breath and took another step forward, which the Halateez followed again. He stepped into the light, making him easier for San to see. A shiver ran down the blond boy's spine as he looked into the Halateez's face. It felt strange. The Halateez had his face, but it was different from the one in Manson.  The Halateez's face appeared younger, almost childlike, with large gray eyes and the still undefined features of a teenager. Physically, he was slimmer and shorter than San himself. He appeared quite thin, and the Halateez's clothing fit loosely. Greenish strands of hair peeked out from beneath his black fedora hat, hanging in front of his sad-looking gray eyes. From a distance, San wouldn't have recognized him as his spitting image, but now, standing barely two meters apart and looking directly into each other's eyes, San could see it. It was as if a younger version of himself stood before him. San gulped nervously. It was a creepy sight, yet he was fascinated, but also afraid. He cautiously took another step forward, so that the Halateez even had to raise his head slightly to still be able to look San in the eye.