Chapter Text
The gentle touch of the sun rays of his face made his cold skin tingle as he sat on the wheelchair, squinting up at the clear sky slightly but it gradually turned into him closing his eyes since it felt too comfortable.
"Sir?"
He opened his eyes and turned to the bodyguard by his side and smiled. "I'm okay. Let's go."
"Are you sure about this, sir?"
Seungyoun sighed and nodded. "My parents left me their company... And I haven't been able to do anything for them in return. The least I could do is weed out all the bad seeds before giving up my position to someone more worthy of it."
"Understood."
His bodyguard wheeled him into the police station and Seungyoun never thought he would feel so calm walking into this place that he once feared a lot. One look at him and the police were surrounding him, each wanting to get the job of interrogating him to boost their own status. Seungyoun just waited until they settled who would be taking him on, watching in amusement when they even resorted to rock, paper, scissors. Finally, the police who took him came up to him. He seemed friendly for the most part and Seungyoun's guard brought him into the interrogation room before leaving him inside.
Once inside, Seungyoun couldn't help but to feel jitters. It was still an interrogation room and he had done wrong too so if he were to get arrested now, he wouldn't even be surprised. The police came in with the usual pen and paper, taking a seat and started to ask him questions regarding his conference. He answered as honestly as he could and the interrogation finally came to a place where it was do or die.
"So... If we were to ask you to give us all the names of the involved, would you corporate?"
"Yes. But in exchange, I want what little freedom I have left. I know I've done wrong but... I have also been asleep for almost 2 years," he said and the police nodded.
"After hearing your story, most of us don't think you are guilty. You lost everything and when presented with an opportunity, your uncle used you too. You still might be placed under house arrest first but... That won't be necessary right now."
Seungyoun nodded and after a few more questions, he was allowed to leave until further investigation had been done. His bodyguard wheeled him out and he sighed.
"Something on your mind, sir?"
"Hmm? Yes, well.... I keep thinking that there's someone I have to meet here but I can't remember who."
"Shall we walk around for a bit then?"
"If you're feeling up for it," he replied with a gentle smile. His bodyguard nodded and started to walk along the streets and down the paths. Seungyoun wasn't sure why he felt some form of familiarity but eventually, something clicked in his mind. "Could we go that way?"
"Hmm? Of course, sir."
He kept giving out directions until they reached a rather high rise apartment. He looked inside and wanted to push himself off the wheelchair to walk but couldn't find the energy to do so.
"Sir? Are we going inside?"
"Yes. I know this place..."
They went inside and up the elevator. Seungyoun looked at the buttons and found himself pressing what felt the most right.
"Um... Where are we headed?" his bodyguard asked out of concern and even Seungyoun wasn't sure what to answer him.
"Somewhere familiar," was all he could say instead. They reached the floor and Seungyoun was wheeled out. He knew that he knew the place but why or how? He showed his bodyguard the direction and they stopped in front of a door. Seungyoun gulped and knocked on the door. He stared at the door, unsure what he was waiting for and knocked again.
"There doesn't seem to be anyone home, sir."
"I guess not. Sorry for this. Let's go home."
"Not at all, sir. I do not mind."
Just as he turned the wheelchair, Seungyoun looked up to find two males walking hand in hand towards them. He looked at their faces and felt a sudden pang of pain and excitement in his chest. He wanted to call out to them but didn't know their names yet somehow felt as if they were nagging him right at the back of his head. They headed to the door opposite the one he waited at. The taller one turned to look at them while the shorter one opened the door. Their eyes met and for a second, it was as if electric had danced against his skin. His mouth parted but no name appeared at the top of his head while the taller male gaped at him.
"Minhyun? Let's go in. Minhyun?" the shorter one said but noticed the shock on the other's face. He turned and looked at Seungyoun as well. "Oh. Seungyoun."
"You... Know me?" Seungyoun blurted out stupidly before rectifying himself. "Ah. I was on the news a few days ago."
"That's him, isn't it?" Baekho whispered and Minhyun's eyes became teary.
"You're really... Alive... I can't believe it," he said and Seungyoun became surprised. He wasn't sure how to react to such words but somehow he knew they were true. He understood them even though he didn't.
"Who may the two of you be?" his bodyguard asked and they looked over to him.
"Oh... Friends of his," Baekho replied since Minhyun was too caught up in staring at the other. The way he breathed, the way his eyelashes flickered. He was the same... Person.
"I see. Do you remember them, sir?"
"I... No... I want to say yes but... I can't really remember. If its not too much, maybe you could tell me how we met and what we did together?" Seungyoun asked, wanting to connect with them.
"You may not believe me though," Minhyun said and smiled sadly.
"It is worth the try. I don't want to have made my way here for nothing either."
"Come on in then. Let's not crowd the corridor," Baekho said and motioned them inside. "I'll make tea."
"Thank you." They entered the house and Minhyun led them to the living room while Baekho went to the kitchen. He sat down and stared at Seungyoun who smiled. He flinched unintentionally.
"Seungyoun," Minhyun said and he nodded.
"That's my name. And you're Minhyun, right?"
"Yeah... You really... Don't remember me?"
"I'm sorry. I feel a sense of familiarity but I don't know who you are."
Minhyun nodded and took a deep breath, adjusting his posture. "This might be a bit difficult to take in but..."
Minhyun started telling him about how they met. How Seungyoun was a ghost and how things started to become complicated. Seungyoun didn't think Minhyun was lying at all from how serious the other seemed. His bodyguard had his doubts but he felt Minhyun's sincerity in his words. Baekho served them tea and sat down beside Minhyun.
"So... After I found out the truth, I went back into my body. Is that what you're saying?"
"Yes. It is... What I'm saying."
"That... That's amazing!" Seungyoun chuckled to Minhyun's surprise. "It sounds like a crazy adventure that I would want to remember. Sadly, I don't really recall anything when I was in coma."
"So you trust me?"
"Of course. I don't have a reason not to and it's not like you can make up a story like that out of the blue."
Minhyun breathed a sigh of relief. He wasn't sure how to convince Seungyoun when they did meet again, not that he did think about telling him but it somehow was easier than he thought.
"Speaking of which, there's still a lot I don't know about you," Minhyun said. "We weren't really able to talk during those sudden final moments. And by the time I heard the flatlines, I thought..."
"Oh. What do you want to know?"
"Everything that has to do with this whole thing?"
"Right. Since you were indirectly and directly involved, you do deserve to know what's going on. It started when my parents died. None of my other relatives would take me in and at first, I was fine with that. I still had my scholarship and my friends over at Brazil. But then, everything changed after my parents' will were read out to a selected few. They left the company to me for when I turn 25. I had no interest in it but my uncle had different ideas. When he first approached me, he offered to take care of the company until I turn 25 and in return, I just had to help him with some things. Being the naive kid I was, I thought it was fine since my uncle was older and he would know better but then I caught onto him."
Minhyun raised his brows. So that old man had taken advantage of Seungyoun after all.
"I didn't know my friends had come to visit that day when I tried to stop him from continuing his illegal activities... He caught them... Just like you had been caught and then used them to threaten me. It was very effective.... After he shot Yibo... The others thought I had betrayed them for some reason... They thought that I let it happen... Maybe it was all my fault for being so weak and I don't blame them for leaving me but it also hurt that they didn't trust me. So I started to do as my uncle wanted... If I wanted my other friends to live. Everyday, I would print fake money and hand it out to the distributors or investors. I tried not to think too deeply about what I was doing and because of that, I made Woodz, my persona as you know. I wanted someone to blame but I didn't want to blame myself so I put everything... Onto him. He was me. Everything I didn't want to be."
So that's who Woodz is and why he didn't hold much memories about Seungyoun. Just a cover up for who the person inside was.
"That's when I met Wooseok. I saved him from a burglary and he started to help me to print the money out but I'm not going to mention him to the police nor am I going to seek him out just in case the police ever suspect that I have an accomplice... He's done more than enough for me... I don't want him to end up in jail because of me. I know I broke my promise to him but I was... An idiot as always. I started dating Ha Ri shortly after I met her in a bar. She was a nice and sweet person at first. We made many promises to each other and I thought I could be myself with her. Seungyoun and not Woodz so I hid my job from her... Who knew she already knew everything, who knew she was sent to me and who knew... She would have been the one to shoot me too. I was so blindly in love that I just couldn't break out of the relationship even when it was becoming toxic... When she started to yell and argue with me over the smallest things or... Broke into my house that one time. I didn't realise what she was finding for. My workshop. All she wanted was the money whether they were fake or real. I feel stupid now that I know everything..."
Minhyun felt bad for Seungyoun but he was somewhat relieved too that the other had a second chance now to make things better for himself now that many loose ends were tied.
"The day I decided to leave everything behind and start a new life, we met up at our usual spot. I got there first and waited for her, thinking that she wouldn't come.... But she eventually showed up. I thought everything was going to be fine and then... She shot me in the head. Funny how I managed to survive that. Maybe it would have been better if I truly... Sorry, it must sound silly of me to be ranting to you," Seungyoun said with an apologetic smile and Minhyun quickly shook his head.
"Not at all. We are friends after all," Minhyun said and smiled. Seungyoun felt his heart falter and he held back his tears, feeling something warm in his chest. "Besides, if you hadn't been near death instead. None of this probably would have happened so I think the outcome was still... The best it could have been in this situation."
"Friends, huh..."
"That's right. I'm glad to be able to meet you again, Cho Seungyoun."
"And I am too, Hwang Minhyun."
Fin