Ishihara // ATEEZ ✔

43 |1| Light

1 year later

"I can't believe I'm already 21 years old this year," Jongho complains, his lips forming a pout as he frowns at his own reflection. He screams in pain when he receives a slap to the back of his head, and he turns to see Hongjoong's smiling face, but it's coupled with a threatening stare.

"Stop saying that, because there are people who are turning 25, all right? I'm going to keep on reminding you about that even when we're old."

"Fine, but stop hitting me. I'll hit you right back if you continue doing that."

"Can both of you stop bickering? We're going to be late if you don't stop fighting," Yeosang comments as he takes a peek inside Jongho's bedroom. Hongjoong had been helping Jongho get ready, but the doctor had to check when they're taking too much time. "The rest are already waiting downstairs. It doesn't help that your bedroom is on the topmost floor, Jongho. I thought I almost died when I was climbing up the stairs. Why did you even pick this room when there are a lot of other empty bedrooms?"

"I like being away and on top," Jongho replies.

The doctor ignores his remark before gesturing for them to hurry up. Hongjoong helps the youngest to fix his bowtie before the three of them exit the room, scampering down the stairs as they know they're already late. San and Wooyoung might start nagging at them if they still haven't arrived in the next minute. They burst through the main doors to see Wooyoung leaning against the carriage, his arms crossed while San is frowning. All of them don black suits with white undershirts. Wooyoung, San and Yeosang opted to have a tie around their neck, while Hongjoong and Jongho chose to wear a bowtie.

"What took you so long?" Wooyoung asks as he opens the carriage door. "We can't keep them waiting."

"Sorry, I was struggling with my bowtie," Jongho scratches his head.

Hongjoong looks around. "Where's Seonghwa? Is he not coming with us?"

"He's already there, you know how he always arrives the earliest. We'll meet him there," Yeosang offers. He boards the carriage, taking a seat beside Wooyoung. He taps the seat beside him before saying, "Come on, we can't waste anymore time."

The rest file in one by one. As Jongho closes the door behind him, the coachman looks back once and when he sees that all of them are already inside, he starts the journey. They decide to keep the atmosphere in the vehicle quiet as they get lost in their own thoughts. It takes a few minutes for them to arrive at their destination, but when the carriage comes to a stop, all of them stay unmoving. Even Jongho and San, who's closest to the door, stay rigid.

"It's... been one year but it's still hard," Wooyoung mutters. They don't reply, but they agree.

San takes a deep breath before reaching for the door handle, pressing it down and pushing the door open. "Let's go and meet them, shall we?"

They alight the carriage slowly, fixing their suits as they do so and making sure that their expressions are orderly. They catch sight of Seonghwa alone, reading a book as he sits under a tree. He smiles when he sees the rest, puts his book down and stands up. As they approach him, their eyes fall to the three stones on the ground erected as a mark, side by side. They trace the names on each of the stones: Song Mingi (3069-3091), Jeong Yunho (3067-3091), Akira Hwang (3068-3091).

It's been one year since the three of them left, but it still feels new. The vivid memories of Mingi's body when they found him and Yunho and Akira laying on the floor as the poison shut down their system burn in the back of their minds. They can't forget about it, and they never intend to. The three of them hold special places in their hearts, despite them only knowing Yunho and Akira for a short while.