Loop Away (OT8 ATEEZ storyline event entry)

CHAPTER 6

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        Wooyoung randomly teleports through time to transiently see his friends in a distance, this being far from his control.
        First was Seonghwa expeditiously running in that same street with unwavering tenacity. Wooyoung finally saw the unhazy image of the street he's been walking towards. After a nanosecond of that vision was Wooyoung instantly warping to a nearby tree that hid his figure from Jongho.

        As if by extreme psychic abilities, he "hears" a narration to the situation in a harsh, straightforward manner.
        Jongho sees a crying kid with a broken pinwheel so he can snap out of his thoughts and actually help another person, which he's always wanted to do, and he'd feel relieved, that sharing a moment was the answer. But his decision always opposed.

        Someone who didn't want to get close and see something so precious so clearly because it'd hurt more with the inevitable parting ways later. But now that he's truly lost the friend, he thinks that he should've done better at being more sincere and sweet. The later shouldn't have mattered.

        Wooyoung then sees Jongho comforting the child, patting their small head until their parent arrived. He smiles at the guardian but the unrelated hurt in his eyes contradicted.


       His only transition between these scenes were simple lights on and off, and it clicked again, Wooyoung now standing behind a preoccupied Mingi in the night-fallen park.
        He reads what Mingi has written down.
        Try to look at it
        its so small, a speck flickering in the middle of all dark
        red white red orange, I'm not sure, I'm getting cross eyed but I like looking
        its so steady on its twinkling. even though countless have seen it, gazing at it from far away, it seems unbothered and keeps shining on, we all want that.


        It went dark again immediately after reading the last pencil-ed down word, an engulfing sound filling his ears. He snaps out of it as soon as his eyes focused on Yunho looking sickeningly sweet at Hongjoong, and an oncoming voice speaks itself in Wooyoung's mind. 

        The present journey's much worth it if it's with a growing person.
        Wooyoung winces at the cringe. In this series of flashbacks he assumes he's getting, it's only the fourth one but he has quickly accustomed to it's pattern and was at least glad he's going to get out of this one soon, but more of it flashes through like switching TV channels, complete with the static noise that would pierce Wooyoung's ears thinly.

        There was Yunho again.
        I kinda wish I was a fairy godmother instead that you met so I can repay you for all of your kindness.
        And then Hongjoong from a different time. Wooyoung with amplified senses quickly grasped the situation as his first meeting with Yunho, seeing Yeosang walking out of the room to get water.
        "Why not grab the challenge with both hands and see where it takes you?"

        Wooyoung hisses. "I didn't know they were this cheesy around each other...", staring off feeling drained while he's... somewhere. "Seriously, are they living a teen manhwa? Ouh Yunho doesn't talk a lot but when he does," Wooyoung stops himself and shudders at the thought again.
        Finally, his vision goes even darker than he thought was possible and a light bulb tink-ed above him, illuminating a rest stop devoid of customers but a car with an open back passenger door.

        The sun shone it's soft light as it goes to rest. And on a young man running away it did shine on too, seeming to be the most passionate one in the world with his burning efforts that even his thoughts were out of breath.
        The reality I made through a promise with myself pushed me. And its good that I created a goal so on the way that is all completely up to me, its still personal and customizable, I'm still free.
        My journey is still left untouched, and its me who'll see and feel how I spend it.

        The one spectating from afar eventually grew jaded after hearing many prospects. The energy-sucking episodes didn't stop Wooyoung from wondering why that running stranger showed himself to him though. He did feel better that it was the images that are moving now, and not him.

        Just as he's thinking if this will ever stop, he sees the last friend he's seen back when he was in the present, as well as the friend he's been calling. The meeting allowed the sky's collective celestial bodies' gleam to flow more freely.
        Yeosang ran to Seonghwa to hug him.


        Once more the scene warped away to be replaced with another lone clip.
        It was his turn to translate his own but illusioned seeking.
        Wooyoung runs towards himself but he was halted by a force. His feet stopped at the very edge of that barrier. He can only go so far from where he started, stuck in the same situation of not being able to do anything as his lost self beyond his reach.
        A wave of discouragement threatens Wooyoung for how many times now but he refuses. He tries to shout, and when sound did come out was he startled that he could, but continued with all of his will to beckon for that far Wooyoung's attention.
        He screams and calls himself names he'd think he'd respond to. But no reply.

        Wooyoung crouches down and saves his energy to try again, head held low supported with a sigh.
        "I stand there, my mind being beautified with videos of happiness, but beauty looks better coming out from me too."
        He denies he'd be stuck now, or come another trial of being persuaded by an entity. This time, he'll do it himself.

        Wooyoung then hears his own desperate voice from that unreachable Wooyoung. "Seonghwa hyung! Park Seonghwa!"
        The name that escaped his own lips made the present Wooyoung tremble with realization. He struggles to stand again with his recovered power and tried even harder to get to himself. "Jung Wooyoung, don't call him! Wooyoung, stop!"

        Because Seonghwa tried so hard to get to it which wasn't from his time or point, but a timeless void. With his yearning to go wherever that call was, he didn't know he was going towards that kind of place.
        And so disassociating from his universe in order to answer that with all his might, because he heard it with an invitingly warm voice. Seonghwa only wanted to respond to his friend's call.
        But that Wooyoung never got to meet Seonghwa neither.

        Tears indicated Wooyoung fighting giving up. He wanted to stop himself from his initial, innocent desire of getting everyone together again, or stop himself from calling, or coming there, or even Jongho from dialing his number.
        But he couldn't stop what has already happened, so at least he tries to stop himself from taking the hourglass.

        "Wooyoung-a! Wooyoung! Hey, stupid!" Wooyoung calls heartwrenchingly for himself who he sees is reaching his hand to nothing, the same he did when taking the hourglass and the offer.
        The current Wooyoung feeling a heavier weight than what the Wooyoung he's looking at experienced, but at the same time feeling like he's being lifted up. The contradicting extremes drained out Wooyoung fast, not helping the way he wanted to tell himself to give up and let himself be stuck here instead. He fights it.
        Subsequently, he picks up a thought from that far away version of himself: To meet that dazzling light, I am going to try even harder! Seonghwa hyung, I'll be there, just wait!

        His resentment for him getting lost as well as his own greed for trying to get out of it was growing, but he knew it was still his decision. Wooyoung's feelings weren't right nor wrong, it's only right to call for a missing friend. He just wishes he could do something to just sacrifice himself so this all would have never happened.

        From my thoughts of really letting him go and letting my friendly hand reaching out to him feel the cold, should I just stop here.