SHADOWLESS |seongjoong|

#17#

Seonghwa:

The moment Hongjoong kissed me, the world around me disappeared. Only the two of us were present in the moment. And I could sense everything. The faint scent of citrus and wood, Hongjoong's scent. The gentle touch of his hands, playing with my hair. The sound of my heart pounding like a drum inside my chest. And the soft and warm lips softly kissing mine. All that was a gentle invasion of my senses, causing my head to spin. I could feel the longing coursing through myself. I was melting under this unfamiliar and intoxicating touch.

I felt like I had been waiting for this moment my whole life. Until now, I was deprived of this perfect madness. And the warmth that spread through my body. All of it felt outwardly. Because the time stood still in this perfect moment of chaos. We could stay forever in this moment if we didn't need to catch our breath.

Our lips parted with a soft pop when we pulled away, breathless. Hongjoong's face was flushed an unnatural shade of crimson. And his eyes, full of satisfaction, fixated on my lips. My heart was ready to escape my body every moment now. Blood rushed to my head, making my face burn as if set on fire.

A heavy silence fell between us, broken only by our rapid breathing. The silence was painful and dreading. Then, Hongjoong cleared his throat, his voice rough with emotions. It was the first time I saw him so insecure and shaken.

"Seonghwa, I want to tell you something. It's something I realized way too late," Hongjoong began, his eyes shifting between my eyes and my lips. "I'm in love with you, Park Seonghwa."

Hongjoong's confession hung in the air, heavy with unspoken words and emotions. I couldn't believe what was happening. My thoughts were rushing through my head with the speed of light. Was this real? Was I dreaming? Did Hongjoong confess to me? Did the cold-hearted grim Reaper just confess to me? Everything felt unreal. I had to confirm it was real. I gazed at Hongjoong. His eyes were looking all over my face, and I could see the growing anticipation.

I wanted to open my mouth and say the four simple words. The answer to Joong's confession. But my voice wasn't coming out. My body was failing me in such an important moment. I had to do something. Think, Seonghwa! I heard my inner voice. But before I could think about a way to say the words, my body acted on its own. I grabbed Hongjoong by the collar and pulled him closer for a kiss. Once again, our lips met, creating a beautiful chaos.

Beomjoong:

I was having tea with San and Jongho. Both of them were helping me catch up with all the changes in the world. I had observed the progress of the mortals through my scroll, but it couldn't compared. The world had changed too much, and I needed to catch up because I was a mortal now. I knew the adaptation wouldn't be easy.

"Hyung, did you decide where are you going to live?" Jongho asked me, sipping his coffee.

"Yes. I decided to stay with you," I said. "It will best for me to live with mortals."

They nodded before San took out a small rectangular device. He explained to me it was called a smartphone. Then, San started explaining more about the device. I could only compare it to my reaper's scroll, but better.

...

At some point, Hongjoong and Seonghwa returned. The moment I saw them, I knew something had changed between them, and I knew what it was. The signs were obvious. Both of them were unusually close. Their faces were slightly ruby. But the biggest giveout was their lips. Their lips were all swollen and red. I tried to act natural, expecting they were going to tell me the good news. Yet, they were trying to act as if nothing had happened. Their acting was even more suspicious. A faint grin crept on my face.

My brother, the cold and collected grim reaper, had finally found his happiness. It was showing quite a lot. Hongjoong was practically glowing. As for Seonghwa, he kept quiet and behaved shyly. I couldn't help but feel joy. Seonghwa had managed to melt the thick ice covering Hongjoong's immortal heart.

"Don't you have something to tell me?" I asked them, unable to hide my excitement.

Hongjoong and Seonghwa exchanged nervous looks. Their faces flushed a deeper shade of red. Both of them tried to avoid my gaze. It only made me smile wider.

"You know, I'm happy for both of you," I said, feeling the warmth in my voice.

"Thank you, hyung," my brother said.

Seonghwa was too shy to say anything, but he bowed. Their eyes filled with gratitude. I could see their tension melting away. I wished they would be more relaxed around me because I could only wish them the best. Their happiness was the most important thing for me. It was my duty as an older brother.

"Hyung, did you decide where are you staying?" Hongjoong asked me the same thing Jongho did.

"Yes, I decided. I'll take Seonghwa's offer."

"Don't you want to live with me?" Hongjoong next.

"I do. But it will be better for me to live among mortals," I explained.

Hongjoong sulked a little before accepting my choice. Seonghwa, on the other side, was happy that I was going to stay with their family. He promised to help me adjust to my new life. This kid was as kind as always.

...

The lovebirds declared their new relationship during dinner, including all of their friends. We all tried to pretend we were shocked. But we knew from the beginning. Hongjoong and Seonghwa were the only ones realizing their feelings this late. The chemistry between them was too strong to deny. But we cut them some slack because of all that happened recently. Well, except for the constant teasing from San and Wooyoung. Those two were a little too immature in this situation.