DAY 88 {a kaisoo fanfic}

Chapter 8

Imagine that you are someone who goes outside every single day. Every weekday you go to your college to attend one or two lectures or classes. Then you go to the library to get some coursework done. Then you often go meet a friend to have some coffee and you go home again. In the evening after dinner, you go for a jog, take a shower and settle on the couch or in your bed and watch some Netflix. On the weekends you usually go to the library to study, meet up with some friends, work out and go to your part-time job. You don't have a car or a driver license for that matter, and bus fees are too expensive. So you go everywhere by bike, which is not unusual for a college student. You only use public transport when you go home to your family. When your life looks like this, simple as it may be, you're outside all the time. Whether you're working out or traveling from place to place, you're outside.

Now imagine that you, who leads this kind of simple life, haven't been outside for what seems like decades, even though it's only been a little less than three months. Eighty-three days to be exact. The only light you have seen during this long period of time is the artificial lights in the building where you have been held captive, the light of screens and that of candles.

Now imagine that you, who used to lead this simple life, but have been held captive in the darkness for so long, feels the sun on your skin once again.

***

Kyungsoo woke up to the sound of chirping birds. It was once a sound he wouldn't even spare a thought, but seeing is circumstances for the past three months he was upright, awake and alert in seconds. The sound wasn't the only thing that was out of place. The smell of freshly cut grass, the feeling of sunlight and a soft breeze against his skin and as soon as he registered his surrounding... the view. He was outside.

After he had drunk in his surroundings and fully grasped the situation at hand, he decided to make a plan. He stood up, walked around a bit, inspecting where he was. He was in a park, that much was clear... but he had no idea what park, what city or even what country he was in. There were almost no people and based on the placement of the sun in the sky Kyungsoo thought it was safe to conclude it to be very early in the morning. Kyungsoo started walking in the direction of the exit of the park, which he could already see in the distance.

Later in the morning, when the streets had filled with people that were starting their day, Kyungsoo was walking around. By now he knew exactly where he was. As soon as he had exited the park he had recognized the city to be his hometown. He walked around observing, it was so fascinating. It had been so long since he had seen any other human being except Kai. Not that the soulless psychopath really counted as a human being...

He saw the interaction of two friends who hadn't seen each other in a few weeks. "Hey! How have you been?" the one asked enthusiastically as she gave her friend a hug, to which the other girl replied: "I'm good! So much had happened this past month, I can't wait to fill you in!"

Next, he noticed a street musician who was playing a song he vaguely recognized, it must be something well known. He watched for a while to take in the music before walking on again.

He also saw a woman, approximately in her early 40s with short grey hair. She had a pretty face on which the wrinkles that were visible were only laughing lines. She had a young child with her. The boy was loud and energetic. Kyungsoo thought of his own mother. His mother whom he had not seen in four months now. He didn't have the best relationship with her, but he loved and missed her so much. The troubles with his mother had started when he was around 14 years old. That was the time he started to develop individualism and stopped listening to her. Something that she, being the extremely micromanaging person that she was, couldn't handle. Though despite their troubles, he loved her, missed her and wanted to see her again.

***

He brought his trembling hand up in front of him and took a deep breath. "Just knock. One, two, three. It's not that hard." He mumbled to himself. He brought his balled fist to the door in three curt movements. He heard a woman's voice yell: "I'm coming!" His breath hitched. Then she opened the door. His eyes became watery upon seeing her beautiful face. Her eyes were wide from surprise, or was it fear? Was she afraid? "Mom..." he said softly. "Mom... I'm back." The tears fell.

"What are you doing here?" Her face was white as a sheet of paper. "Where were you?" He sighed, "I..." Before he could answer she interrupted her. "Are they right? Please tell me they're wrong... please tell me you didn't do those horrible things." He looked down to his shoes shamefully. "They're right, aren't they? You did it. It was really you." "Mom... I didn't have a choice." He wanted to explain himself, he didn't want his mom to see him as the piece of shit he really was. "How dare you?" She spat, "I defended you! But I lied. Because you did it." Tears were running over both her and her son's face. "Why? I Didn't raise you to be like this!" Anger, fear, disgust. This was what Kyungsoo saw in his mother's eyes. "I taught you to love and respect your fellow man. I told you to follow the path that God made for you! This can't have been it, this can't have been what He wanted for you..." She was out of breath. Kyungsoo bowed his head shamefully and guilt-ridden. "I'm so, so sorry mom." He sighed. Then he spoke what he knew would be the last words she would ever hear from him. "I love you mom and I'll never stop loving you. Goodbye."

He walked away.