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Minkyun smiles as he looks at the others happily playing in the pool. Jaeyoung dashes from the corridor of their rental and snatches Hyojin up by the waist, sending them both crashing into the waters. Changyoon screeches as some of it splashes in his eyes. Yuto laughs heartily, and Minseok hides a smile behind his hand.
They were lucky enough to have the time to all go out together and plan a trip far away from home, and LA was their decided destination.
He's having fun — he's never been to the US before after all — but there's a little part of him that... doesn't feel right. Like he doesn't belong. Even though Yuto clings onto his arm when they're at the mall, still a little terrified of all the new sights and all the people. Even though Jaeyoung ushers him to the strays that he sees wandering the roads, letting Minkyun use his uncanny ability to lure cats to him so that they can all fawn over the animals. Minkyun doesn't feel like he's in the right place.
Even now, as he records Hyojin screaming bloody murder, trying to dunk Seungjun back in retaliation, he thinks that if he weren't in the scenario, then everything would still be the same. That he isn't needed in this section of the play.
It's such a... foreign feeling to him. He hasn't felt anything like this before.
Minkyun spots Seungjun out of the corner of his eye, sneaking back around to the rental and copying what Jaeyoung had done a few minutes prior, dashing across the brick and leaping off the edge.
"Careful!-" Minkyun calls out, but before he can chide Seungjun for the risk of slipping and cracking his head on the floor, he falters.
Neon lights. The roar of cars underfoot. The strong winds of being up high.
Seungjun. His hair is oddly dyed, partially red on the left side of his head.
He runs. He leaps.
And Minkyun watches as he disappears from view from the building's edge.
They're at the football field of a high school, the sky a beautiful cerulean as the sun beats down on them. The grass seems incredibly green, but Jaeyoung laughs, calls it "turf" as he picks up a few bits of black in between his fingertips.
For a moment, they're passing a football around, playing in odd teams of three as Seungjun sits on the bleachers, playing referee. Minkyun yells to Hyojin, watching the man's pastel pink hair fly as he turns towards his way. Minkyun's always liked pastel colours. So soft. So gentle. Not something that he could pull off, really.
Their game comes to an end, and while Hyojin and Jaeyoung head off to the basketball court, the others decide to laze on the bleachers instead.
"We should've brought umbrellas or somethin'." Seungjun groans, fanning himself with his hand.
"Suck it up, hyung. 'Sides, they're literally in the truck. We could just go get 'em." Minkyun comments, standing from his spot. "Last one there pays for ice cream next!"
With a yelp, the other four scramble to their feet, jumping down and dashing across the turf. With a snort, Minkyun follows suit, dragging Minseok along with him. He seems reluctant to go, for some reason. Keeps on gazing at the sky. To the north.
He slows to a halt, eyebrows knitted in concern. "You alright?" he murmurs, following Minseok's gaze.
Meteors falling from the sky. He's in the mouth of a dragon. The smell of rain is sharp in the air.
He's walking towards a building. His steps are slow. Languid. An unknown weight rests on his shoulders.
He watches the meteors fall without remorse.
He knows what he's done to the world.
The beach has begun to get quieter, now that the sun has started to set softly in the sky. They're all perched on some towels, Minkyun strumming his guitar lightly as Hyojin hums a melody. Yuto rests his head in Seungjun's lap. Changyoon has his head on Jaeyoung's shoulder, and the man is also holding Minseok in his arms.
They're at peace.
The sky bleeds with lilac and marigold, a hint of azure swirling through while the sun burns a warm honey. It's one of the prettiest things Minkyun has ever seen in his life. He's so entranced in the moment, all of them quiet with just the sounds of the sea, of the people around them, of his guitar and of Hyojin's voice. All of it combined with the beauty that is the sunset.
The sun bleeds a horrible red. There are ruins everywhere.
Dead.
Dead dead dead they're all dead and Seungjun is the only one alive, he's clutching Hyojin in his arms and screaming to the sky in agony, and he is alone-!
"Minkyun."
He snaps back to reality, sees everyone's worried eyes on him. "Hm?" he hums.
"You stopped playing." Yuto whispers.
He looks down. His fingers have indeed stopped strumming. "Ah." Minkyun picks up his song once more. "Sorry. I got lost in the beauty of it."
"I don't blame you." Changyoon pipes up. "It's stunning."
Minkyun just turns back to the sea.
"Someone please tell me why we thought that going to a desert would be fun."
Jaeyoung deftly parks the truck, putting the breaks and stopping the engine before hopping out.
"You were the one that wanted to go see the plane wreckage, Changyoon." he calls out, helping the younger ones down.
"I knew it was a bad idea!" he yells back, but hops out to go see anyways.
"I mean, on the bright side, we did bring those cool smoke bombs! I bet we could get some really cool pictures, right Yuto?" Minseok chimes in, slinging an arm around Yuto's neck. He nods, holding his camera up.
It's then that Seungjun grabs Minkyun by the wrist, dragging him along to go make fun of Changyoon.
Yuto takes many pictures, some of Hyojin on the roof of a ruined car, Jaeyoung standing on the plane wreckage, Changyoon sitting inside the plane, a few where they've activated the smoke bombs, creating clouds of pinks and blues for them to pose in.
Minseok gets the idea to grab one of the smoke bombs and activate it on top of the plane, and with the wind blowing rather strongly, sending the pink smoke flying behind him, it's a rather beautiful composition.
A lost boy.
Yuto takes as many pictures as he can while the smoke bomb still lasts.
Not the same.
Minseok's feet shuffle to strengthen his footing.
He doesn't exist anymore.
Yuto yells something he can't catch.
Reds and blues. The wail of a police siren.
Minkyun inhales sharply and turns on his heel. He stalks away to the truck.
"Minkyun?" Hyojin catches his elbow, and he twists away.
"Not now." he hisses.
Meteors.
A key that was thrown away.
A spaceship headed north.
You don't belong here.