Letters from the Void // ASTRO ✔

Chapter 7

The vivid memory of him holding a scalpel, while bravely slicing the sleek metal across his own skin kept sitting in his mind. Though he tried to push it away, tried to think about other things, clearly it's not as effective as the memory currently occupying his mind. He couldn't remember whether it was painful or not; but he did remember he was so desperate to cover his tracks that he would do anything, including blindly ripping the ID chip off his neck. He couldn't see the wound, but from his senses he could feel the lines etched across his skin. He disinfected it, but the scar would definitely remain. The only solution he could use was to cover it with his clothes. Besides serving as a disguise, the hoodie he wore could cover up the desperate attempt for him to erase his tracks.

Without his ID chip it's hard to keep living, since almost everything nowadays would require identification. Even the act of buying a drink from a convenience store could be tracked. Luckily, he had someone who's willing- or at least half-willing to help him. However, he didn't know how long he could last. If he's lucky, they might never track him. But he probably couldn't stand it. If he's not, they could burst in through the door any minute. Then he would bid goodbye to his two-week journey as a runaway.

He took off his hoodie and threw it into the sink in the bathroom. The bathroom wasn't exactly clean, but he could live with it. Grime could be seen covering the surface of the tiles, and he couldn't even see his reflection clearly in the mirror. He's in no position to complain, and he didn't need a mirror to tell him how he looked like. Not that it mattered anyway. While half-naked, he spun the tap to let the water flow, grabbed the detergent powder Yoongi was kind enough to give him and rubbed it on the article of clothing. After making sure it was clean enough to be worn again, he hung the hoodie near the window, hoping the sun would dry it up faster.

He went to the bathroom again, scooped some water in his hands and splashed it onto his face. That at least helped him feel a little bit fresh. He hadn't had breakfast yet, and Yoongi hadn't been knocking on his door either. He was too paranoid to go outside, yet his stomach kept telling him to go find some food.

He had no money, so what was he supposed to do, steal?

He might be the most wanted man in the country, but he couldn't bring himself to do that.

He wet his hair, pushed it back and let out a deep breath. Just around one month ago everybody praised him, yet now all of them were turning their backs on him. How could all of this happen in such a short amount of time?

Humans. They only believe what they want to believe.

***

She woke up to an empty apartment, but this time around Eunwoo left her a note:

I'm out for a bit. If you're hungry, go cook yourself.

She rolled her eyes at his 'thoughtfulness' and was about to curse him when she saw another message at the bottom.

P.S. I'm just kidding. You can go to the restaurant; MJ hyung would probably be there and you could ask him to cook for you. Just, be careful on your way there.

"Huh, so he's not that bad," she whispered to herself. She tried to put on a straight face when she caught herself smiling at the note. She looked around, as if Eunwoo might be spying on her. Pushing away her paranoia she got around to take a shower and put on the restaurant's uniform. Eunwoo dragged her home last night that she didn't even get to change at the restaurant. She grabbed a long coat, since the weather was chilly. She was still cautious around the 100, 000 won dress; she hadn't even touched it ever since she saw the price tag.

Putting on her shoes; she made sure she grabbed her card with her and set off towards the lift. There was a couple waiting for the lift, and the both of them nodded slightly to her. She acknowledged them, but she wished the lift would arrive faster as she didn't want any unnecessary questions. She was relieved when the door opened and they filed into the vehicle. Since the three of them were in the lift, she didn't have to take out her card to make the buttons appear. The girl asked her what floor she was going to and she just mentioned the ground floor.