Just The Two Of Us | ʰʸᵘⁿʰᵒ

XXXII ; Where Is He?

...

The equivalent of a month has passed. Thirty days, stuck with just the two of them alive.

The rest of the world was still asleep and nothing had worked since. None of their ideas had helped to fix the problem. They tried everything, but nothing seemed to work.

They had even tried the craziest ideas, but again without success.

They have been fighting relentlessly for thirty days to find a way to free themselves from this strange dimension, but in vain.

*****

Sitting against one of the walls of their hotel room at the Park Hyatt, Hyunjin hides his face in his arms resting on his knees. He didn't say a word, letting himself be beaten down by the stopping of time.

Minho, on the other hand, is lying curled up on himself on the double bed and he lets the silence make him sink slowly into a sort of trance.

The place is poisoned by despair and defeat.

The two boys haven't even spoken to each other for two days. They created a kind of routine.

They both went to have lunch downstairs, each on their own, then they thought and racked their brains all day, to end up falling asleep, back to back in the big, cozy bed.

But after two days of complete silence, Minho finally opens his mouth, drained of energy and mentally abused by the lack of life.

- Maybe... It was our destiny to die of boredom.

Hyunjin doesn't even bother to answer him. He's way too busy feeling guilty for no good reason.

- Hyun'... Are you listening to me?

Silence serves as his response.

- Hyun', damn...

Minho sits up on the bed and sets his tired eyes on the unwilling boy.

- You suck.

- I don't want to talk to you, Min'. Shut up.

The atmosphere, unlike the first night they entered this room, has changed a lot. It has now become heavy, stuffy, asphyxiating, tense and cold.

- Anyway, it's all your fault...

Hyunjin slowly raises his head towards the one who is watching him wearily.

- Should I remind you that I'm the one who gave the most ideas between us?

- And they all screwed up. Just like your bogus plans to travel around the world.

Hyunjin ends up taking offense at the smaller one's words.

He gets up from the ground and comes to stand in front of the other, giving him a dirty look.

- I forbid you to talk to me like that.

- I don't give a shit anymore... Either way, we're both gonna die without having been able to say goodbye to those we love.

Hyunjin shows a face that turns out to be a little more sad than upset this time. He slides his hands towards the collar of the brunette's sweater and grabs it to shake it slightly by planting his gaze in his.

His is empty. The twinkling stars that dwelt there had completely disappeared.

- Min', can you hear yourself talking?

Minho looks down and lets himself go, having lost all sorts of motivation. The taller one bites his lip-now healed-and he scans the older one's face, feeling a part of his heart shatter into a thousand little pieces.

- Where is the Minho who was sure of himself and who was always positive...? Where is the Minho who smiles all the time and knows how to make me smile back? The one who dreamed...?

Minho, seeming almost indifferent to his words, keeps his eyes downcast.

Stunned to see Minho in such a state, a state far worse than the one Hyunjin himself was in, he says in a much softer, almost breathy tone as he lowers his eyes as well.

- Where is the Minho I fell in love with...?

...