Be the Light

13. The Sun

Shell-shocked, Wooyoung stood and wiped his eyes. Even from a distance, the light stung as if someone shone a flashlight right into his eyes. Its color was warmer than the fluorescent lights he was used to from the shelter and this facility; so cozy.

For whatever reason, the sight tickled his nose and Wooyoung had to sneeze. Confused, he shook it off and stared back out into the world that was bathed in more light than he ever saw it in.

"Go ahead. It won't harm you," Seonghwa offered. His avatar stayed on his computer and Hongjoong didn't care for anything else as he remained glued to Seonghwa's side.

Jongho ventured first, and Mingi huffed to get up and follow him. In an instant, Yeosang scrambled to his side to support his shoulder. Together, they tumbled through the open doors and stepped into the light-flooded corridor. Jongho held out his hands to let the rays dance over his skin, and a noise of awe escaped him.

"It's warm!" He exclaimed and Mingi checked for himself, making sure it wouldn't harm Jongho.

Wooyoung was rooted to the spot. He wanted to take a look as well and find out what they worked so hard for while trusting Seonghwa blindly. But his duty was to watch San and even if their bodies were entangled in too cozy of a position to count as a proper watch, he didn't dare to pull away.

But it was too late now, wasn't it? The sun shone after ninety years, and the water crashed down hard enough to make the world tremble. They were beyond the point of reversal and what San dreaded already became reality.

Before he had to figure out the physics behind Seonghwa's cure, San picked up on his hesitation. When he spoke, his voice was scratchy and so quiet Wooyoung barely heard it.

"I won't do anything. Just go."

Wooyoung paused. He hated to regard San with caution after how close they became. Every touch sparked along his skin and he just wanted to cozy up and look at the sun together.

Not everything was lost. They didn't have to become strangers. But his betrayal stung and even now, he didn't look at Wooyoung.

This pain that he kept to himself gaped between them like a canyon. San treated it as a concern that only applied to himself, but Wooyoung would have loved to be part of his life. So long as San didn't let him in, there was no exchange.

Too curious to communicate this dilemma right now, Wooyoung stood. It was too late for San. Even if he kicked and punched at the computer now, Seonghwa already did the deed.

And if what he said was true, then the world was healing, and the skies cleared. 

Wooyoung hurried through the room to catch up with his friends and left it to Hongjoong to defend his obsession in case something happened. When he stepped into the golden rays, he could feel their warmth on his arms, and they weren't scorching. They cradled him with a heat unlike that of a fire or a blanket. 

Awed, Wooyoung lifted his eyes out of the window to stand in marvel with his friends.

Everything was so bright. The golden hue danced over the dead trees and glistened on the surface of the pool down in the backyard. It brightened the bleak concrete and lit the looming shadows.

All the light came from a massive ball of it that had been hidden behind the smog. It shone with so much force that Wooyoung teared up just looking at it and illuminated its blue surroundings.

Blue.

The sky truly was blue. A hue so unnatural, yet so soothing to look at. It was deep and wide, spanning across the entire field of sight, and though Wooyoung didn't understand why it was blue and if there was another layer beyond, it was spectacular.