RED

Epilogue

The skies were hues of yellow and white, like an old page. If his story was a book, then many pages had been flipped ever since he last stood there. In the past one year, he'd visited Chanyeol's exhibition and cried over the beauty that was Phoenix. He had made love, fallen in love and experienced love. He'd found his Eomma again, through Yee Hun. His Eomma was now better. She had beaten cancer once again. He had also delivered his precious baby angel, Haneul, into this world.

Haneul, the prettiest baby girl in the world. Chanyeol had been a great help, in fact she always went to the artist whenever Baekhyun would ask her to go to 'Daddy'. Chanyeol loved her too. The paintings in the artist's room now included their baby angel too. Not only that, Chanyeol was a very popular artist now. In only a year, his painting 'Red' and 'Chanyeol' and some other paintings had gained worldwide popularity. The painting 'Little Bird' and the attached poem had won hearts.

Baekhyun had also learned that it was Junmyeon that had spread the news about him. He hadn't really been surprised - okay, he was lying. He remembered that he had choked after Kyungsoo had revealed the news, and Chanyeol legit had to pat his back for half an hour. Kyungsoo was happily dating Jongin. And Minseok and Chaeyoung ended up together - their shared passion and love for archery made their relationship sail smoothly. Not only that, Yixing was actually dating Yee-Hun. They'd formed a bond a year ago in the World Archery Championship and stayed in contact till then. Another 'love' that had bloomed was Jongdae and Sehun. Neither of them had even been gay initially, but they'd been wasted on Haneul's birth and then...well, things happened. Jongdae also found a career in songwriting, and thus he left the Byun family.

And then there were his parents - they accepted that he won't forgive him, but sometimes he'd call them up on holidays too - nothing too special, just a simple greeting. His mother had many regrets in her life. She had become the story of Orion and Artemis come to life.

Oh, and it was hard, but all the Parks finally softened up to him, which was relieving because Chanyeol was such a family man.

So much had happened in one year. Baekhyun had left archery after World Archery Championships to take care of himself...and at one point, he'd decided to never come back to it. But then Chanyeol had made a special exhibition for him, one that showcased all his paintings of him - Red, Yellow, Thorns, Roses, Target, Bow, Arrow, Love, Smile, Little Bird...and so many endless more. Baekhyun remembered the day as if it were yesterday. He'd bawled his eyes out and he'd realized that he loved archery - not as a sport, not as a bragging right, not as...anything he'd thought...

But quite simply because it was his form of communication. An artist had art, and an archer had archery.

As simple as that. He loved the sport. That was enough reason for him to continue. Not to mention his baby angel loved it when Papa was shooting. Her cheerful shrieks were the only sound in the otherwise still grounds.

Everybody was holding their breath. The whole world was waiting. But Baekhyun didn't care. He was surrounded by the smiles of his loved ones - Chanyeol and Haneul, Eomma, Kyungsoo and Jongin, Junmyeon, Minseok, Jongdae, Chae-young, Coach Song, Mr. and Mrs. Ah, Sehun, Yixing, their biological families - everybody was there, even his old competitors.

Baekhyun didn't have to think twice. He could hear Chanyeol's voice in his ear - I love you Byun Baekhyun. I love Haneul. I love myself too.

He drew the arrow, tugged the string, pressed it to his lips and released it...into another tomorrow...into another colour - Haneul shrieked and Chanyeol smiled as the burst of yellow filled his vision again, for Haneul's voice was yellow.

They were happy. They were in love.

And the arrow stuck the bullseye.

Silence. The beautiful silence that spread throughout nature after a storm, where the flowers bloomed and skies were blue.