Let You Go - K.HJ + S.MG (Ateez Short Story)

Chapter 6

SATURDAY

"We have arrived, Hongjoong. You may now park the car, autopilot no longer available." Hongjoong nodded to no one in particular, a hand holding onto the brunette's seated by his side on the passenger seat.

"Here is fine, Violet." At the statement, the car shuts off.

He looked out the windowshield to a lonely pier, leading to an abandoned lake, as the night stars shone down, mirroring themselves on its surface.

"This place... Is this where you wanted to take me to today?" The man next to him asked, his intentions being nothing more than guaranteeing Hongjoong accomplishes all his wishes.

"Yeah..." Hongjoong smiles softly at the taller, but glancing up at him with sad glossy eyes, unsure how to feel. Which feelings were affecting him the most among all of them? Was he more scared or sad? More anxious or relieved?

He is quick to give up on the answer. Whatever it would be, wouldn't change the fact that he had an important task to perform today.

"Are you okay?" The deep voice asks softly filled with concern, trying to comfort Hongjoong in some way, although not really understanding the contrast between his soft smile and teary eyes.

"Yes, we... Me and Mingi... have been here many times before..." The blonde pauses, but as his mind knows exactly what he's going to say next, he looks up trying to defeat gravity and keep his tears from falling down. Not now, I'm almost there. "Mingi loved how... How shiny the stars looked from here in the night sky."

"I can't really see it from here, though." The droid frowned.

"You will once we get to the pier. Come with me." Hongjoong motioned for the other to follow him as they both got out of the car.

Walking side by side along the pier, Hongjoong suddenly halts, and the taller follows. "Sit at edge and wait for me, okay? I'll be right behind you."

Mingi nods and obeys him with no further questions. Hongjoong tenses up from stress, second guessing himself for a second, he crouches down releasing a deep breath that he didn't meant to come out staggered, but it did.

It's going to be over soon, I need this, I can do this.

His hands carefully search through his pockets, and as soon as they touch a small, cold object, he takes it out and holds it on both hands. As he blankly stares at it for a long moment. The liquid in the syringe shifting its silvery glow before his eyes, bright and lively, despite the dimness of the ill-lit pier at night.

"You probably have noticed that already, they all have this plug behind their ears, a little up into their hairline, on their scalp, hidden behind their hair. It is used for repairing and system updates, however rarely much needed. There are small holes there, apply this there, press the plunge once the needle is inside. It shouldn't take long, before his system is corrupted and he shuts down completely. It will be impossible to repair him once this substance gets into his system, so bear that in mind." The voice of the creator of the substance laying on his palms echoed in his head, a chill runs down his spine and Hongjoong nods to himself in understanding.

Standing up, he looks in the droid's direction, and sitting down on the edge of the pier just like he told him to, he looked exactly like Mingi, his Mingi.

And right then at that moment, looking at him, it was like Mingi was there again, alive, just waiting for him to sit by his side so they could enjoy another night together.

It was like he had never left Hongjoong behind.

As much as Hongjoong would love to believe that to be true, his aching heart knew it wasn't very well as a lump formed on his throat while he fought the urge to cry.