checkmate ; xdinary heroes

26.

a month or so had passed after that very day and jungsu's wound was healing very successfully. it definitely wasn't something easy to heal, obviously it wasn't some random scratch you get when you fall because of whatever reason. 

rightfully so, he had been staying home most of the time and it was getting boring sometimes. 

sure, he was never fully left alone as one of the others would keep him a company, but still, he wanted to go out too and if not steal anything, then just walk around. 

seungmin for some very obvious reasons was really strict and didn't let jungsu go out till his leg had fully healed. and that day, he enjoyed it so much. they all went out, having so much fun in a small field where they went for a picnic. getting some food from the convenience store and just enjoying the day. 

yet, it all still didn't fully feel like it. something big was missing and even though, none of them even dared to say a word about it, they all knew exactly what it was. 

it had taken quite some time, nearly a whole week of sleepless nights and a lot of shed tears to finally accept the fact that gunil had really left and wasn't coming back. ever. 

if you asked jiseok, he would very confidently tell you that now, gunil was protecting them from up there. watching every single step of theirs, comforting them and smiling at them. he just wasn't physically there with them anymore. 

❝he's here.❞ jiseok told jooyeon one day, placing his hand gently on his heart. and the younger agreed to that. he was there. he would always be. 

seungmin developed a habit of sitting in the small yard they had, very late at night. whenever he wasn't able to fall asleep staring up at the dark starry sky, thinking what gunil would tell him that time, if he was there. he kept repeating some certain sentences gunil had said before, which he always wanted to remember, also try and not forget the elder's soothing, always calm voice. 

none of them had ever thought to just move on. they were accepting it ⸺ trying to do so at least ⸺ but not forgetting. they could never. gunil had done so much to them. 

they would often sit down in a living room, create a small circle and talk about gunil. remember and recall all the memories, what they had done together, what he had said and such. yes, most of the times, if not always, they would end up being in tears. but not like they cared. 

it was their coping mechanisms at this point. 

but on the other hand, the thought of revenge was eating hyeongjun up. he desired it badly. he just wanted to do that. and not because of his own satisfaction, but because he wanted for the person who killed gunil to know, that gunil wasn't alone. he had people with him who would always remember him and do everything for him. 

he wanted for the man to pay for what he had done. 

❝i think it's time.❞ hyeongjun's soft voice echoed in the living room and suddenly all eyes were on him. they all looked at him with pure confusion displayed on their faces, trying to understand what hyeongjun meant by those words that were said literally out of nowhere. 

while the living room was silent, the only noise ruining it being the sound coming from the old tv they had there, hyeongjun took all the time in the world to collect his thoughts perfectly and think of how to word them better. 

❝i will understand if you won't want to go with me,❞ hyeongjun started very slowly, as if he was choosing each and every word very carefully.