Everyone is Obsessed With Me (reupload)

Chapter 6

Hanbal is in a predicament. He's lost and alone in an unknown forest. Which was worse since everything from the branches to the tree bark looked the same. How did he even get here?

When he snuck away from the old man, he thought he was sneaky, so he glanced back and saw the old man staring dead at him from the cracks of the door. This spooked Hanbal, causing him to speed walk away and turn as many corners as he could to avoid Osric. Which proved to be successful since he could no longer feel Osric's piercing eyes staring at him from a corner. On one of his turns, he realized he walked out of a door and into the forest that surrounded the manor. He was so frightened by the Duke that he lost track of his way and got lost.

Hanbal sighed, as he thought, his sense of direction still hadn't improved one bit. This was like the time he got lost on his first day of school and had to ask a kid for directions to his first class. It seems no matter where he goes, he can never escape his old self.

"What now.." Hanbal asked himself and sighed lightly. It was already getting dark when he blindly ran into the forest, and he was pretty sure he wouldn't get out until the next morning, only if he was lucky. But due to many changes in events, he is anything but lucky. Old? yeah. Depressed? Sure. Murdered? Totally. But lucky? Nuh-uh. He has never been lucky.

But this might be a good thing. Because Hanbal was planning on running, it was best to scout the forest for an easy escape. It's always better to be overly prepared than to be under-prepared.

Hanbal's family might not care that he's gone. Well, there might be some slight changes. Hanbal isn't sure if this is a new torturing technique, or, by some miracle, Osric decided to turn his attitude around and started to treat Hanbal like a human being for once. But whatever it is, it's not normal and Hanbal needs to always be alert.

"Hm, maybe I should build a hut, or at least mark some trees..." Hanbal said to himself. He walked further into the forest to look for a good spot to build his 'escape hut' while tying vines on tree branches so he could remember the way back.

"This should be good" Hanbal mumbled when he spotted an open space next to a small pond. The grass that surrounds the pond is lush and green while the flowers decorate the ground like a canvas. The pond was not big, but it was not small either. It was more pool-sized. And it certainly looked deep.

The pond was roughly 30 ft wide and 20 ft long. The rims were decorated with large rocks and mosses that grew on top of it. Lily pads and lotus plants were floating above the crystal-clear water. And occasionally, little ripples of water appeared, indicating that there was life in it.

The calming scenery calmed Hanbal's anxious heart slightly. For the first time in his 30 years of being alive, he felt at peace. The city life filled with busses and cars, and the office life with loud co-workers and atrocious bosses all seemed to fade away when he took in the scenery. He was at peace. This sense of peace reminded him of his death. The way death wrapped its cold arms around him, embracing him as if he were a child once more. When he was young, he has always been scared of death, like many others. After his father's death, he has always wondered what death was like. He wanted to experience what his father had experienced. He wanted to reunite with his father once more. He had tried many times, but he was never the lucky type. Until his ultimate death, but even then, he was still screwed over.

"Father, you would've loved this..." Hanbal hummed and leaned on a tree besides the pond. It'd be perfect if everyday was like this. Some days when he's at peace, his mind returns to his father, because his father was his peace.

Hanbal smiled, his lips plump and his cheeks flushed from the heat. He placed a hand on his heart and felt his beating chest. He is still alive and breathing. He wonders, would death finally let him reunite with his father once more after this?

He stood up and walked slowly towards the pond, the grass tickled the bottom of his bare ankles while Morning Dew dirtied his shoes. He glanced over the pond and saw his old reflection, except his face was blurred from the ripples of the water. But he can still see the warm smile he used to have, the short hair he used to cut every once a year on his father's death day, and the wrinkles from stress. It beckons him. It begged for him. So he gently closed his eyes. With a sharp breath in, he leaned forward, letting his entire body fall into the crystal clear water.

But just as his body leaned forward, a large tug pulled him back, causing him to abruptly open his eyes in shock. He glanced back but saw that there was no one. So who was the one who tugged on his shirt? It's not possible... Ye Joon turned back to the pond, only to met face to face with his own reflection in the water. Staring at him, was a malnourished boy with sunken cheeks, scars, and a pair of pleading eyes staring straight into his. Suddenly, he saw Hanbal, not Ye Joon. He remembered that this was Hanbal's body. Hanbal, a child who never got to be a child or an adult. Hanbal, who begged for God to save him every day. This wasn't his body to throw away. He made a promise to this lonely child who just wants love. He made a promise that he would keep.

Ripples after ripples disturbed the crystal clear pond. Drop after drop, it fell from his eyes and onto Hanbal's reflection. But unlike his old reflection, he could still see the pleading eyes, the stitches that sewed Hanbal's mouth together didn't form a smile, the short white hair that was rudely cut off by a dull sword, and the scars that cracked his porcelain face. He was not Ye Joon anymore. He was no longer...him.

"I'm sorry Hanbal, this pathetic old man is selfish.." He sobbed, burying his face in his hands, feeling the helplessness of a child. Suddenly, a hand touched his, causing him to jolt upwards. But to his surprise, he was face to face with, himself. No, with Hanbal to be exact. But unlike the reflection from the pond, hanbal was neatly dressed with a white and golden gown. He had a sweet and loving smile on his face that looked childlike and innocent. His hair, long like silk, flowed in the wind gently, and his face looked youthful and beautiful. He had the plump cheeks of a kid who was still growing, and in his hands was a flower that looked lively and colorful. Hanbal stared at him before reaching out to Ye Joon, who stood as still as a tree. The child's hands were see-through, like a ghost or an apparition.

"Mother said that the past should not be something you should embrace. Instead, it is the future.." Hanbal spoke, his voice soft and sweet, like it was cotton candy. "I am looking forward to starting a new future...with..you..."

Ye Joon, out of instinct, reached out to hold the Hanbal, who seemed to be fading away at every word. But before he could hug the poor child, Hanbal was gone as quickly as how he appeared. Ye Joon was left alone in a field holding a flower that lost all it's petals.

A moment of silence passed, then, Hanbal smiled through choked tears. "Hanbal, let's live a peaceful life together. I will make sure you're happy.."

That is because Ye Joon is Ye Joon and Hanbal is Hanbal. No matter what, he can never be the original Hanbal. He has no right to take away a life that isn't his, to begin with.

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Sad wahh wahh anyways yall. My legs hurt >-<