Dandelion | ATEEZ Hunger Games!AU

5: Grey Canopies

Yeosang stood on the balcony of his room, watching the colourful lights below.

Though the sun had already set and the night had continued to fall, the city didn't seem to rest. He could still hear the sounds blaring from all directions; car horns, music, yelling. It wasn't something he was particularly used to back in his District. Where he came from, he had lived a secluded life near the mountains, away from the busy villages. Surely not as busy as the Capitol, but he preferred to keep as much silence as he could. It was all he ever knew. The silence that filled his ears as he walked through the beautiful paths along the mountainside. The sweet scent of wet grass after a night of rain. The sun that would shine through the trees and fracture into a thousand light rays. The sheer beauty that came from simply nothing.

Where he resided now, that all didn't exist anymore. There was hardly any true nature to be found in the Capitol, and although his District was known for its stone architecture, visibly contrasting the more evergreen Districts like 12, there was still some part of Mother Nature to be found there, and he cherished it. Yet, among the gleaming skyscrapers and artificial landscapes, everything felt strange.

Yeosang sighed, his breath visible in the cool night air. He leaned on the railing, the metal cold against his skin. The Parade had ended hours ago, but the roar of the crowd was still echoing in his head. He could still hear the screaming of the crowd, the loud noises of the chariots as they passed by those who'd play a crucial part in whatever he'd become in the Games. He thought back to how he must've looked like as he stood in that wagon. He had worn golden attire, made to draw attention from all around. They made him look like a God, using his so-called beauty as a means to gather Sponsors. A known trick in the eyes of those looking for a cheap way to get the public on their side, he thought. And perhaps for that reason, he found himself rather being dissociated during the Parade.

He glanced down at his hands, still adorned with the intricate gold paint his stylist had insisted on. It felt foreign, like a mask he couldn't remove. No matter how hard he had scrubbed to get the paint off, some bits seemed to be stuck to his skin, and he hated it. He wanted it gone.

The paint made him think back to the Parade, to the person that wasn't even him. The cheers and adoration from the Capitol citizens echoed in his mind, but it all felt hollow. They were enamoured by his looks, by the glittering costume his stylist had designed, not by who he truly was. His beauty was his curse, a mask that kept his true self hidden and unnoticed. And for that, as a simple protest, he remained silent. He didn't wave to the public like the other Tributes had done, he hadn't given a single smile. Instead, throughout the ride, he stared straight ahead. He knew of the consequences, but he didn't care. He merely wanted to go back to his old ways, the version of himself that he was before he had been given the graceful opportunity to become his District's representative.

He closed his eyes, letting the memories of home in the mountains wash over him. In a way, they cleansed him from the awful stares he had to endure tonight. He remembered the small house he shared with his family, the way his mother would hum a tune while tending to their garden, and the comforting warmth of the hearth during winter. A tune he had come to remember after all those years, and often found it singing himself. It was a comforting sound to him, not only for his ears but his heart as well. It reminded him of all that he had, and the more he thought back to it, the more he had to fight the urge to leave.

A sudden knock on his door pulled him from his reverie. He turned to see one of the servants of his suite standing in the doorway of his bedroom, and he knew that the time had come.

''Dinner's ready, Mr. Kang.''

With a nod, he dismissed the servant. Briefly turning back to the busy metropolis that went on down below, he braced himself for what was about to come. Perhaps he could find some distraction in the flickering lights, but it was to no avail. They were far from the serene he was used to, and in moments where the calmness brought him peace, the Capitol would never seem to bring him in such a state.