Chapter Text
Several vans lined up at the hangar where Yeosang’s private jet was stationed that night. Yunho saw how everyone, including Yurika, Makoto, Issei, and Mio were already standing by, ready to see them all off. Most of them, that is.
Kento got down the first van, pulling a door open for Mark, Lucas, Ten, Jongin, Baekhyun, and Taemin to get out. Yeosang got out in the next van, along with San, Seonghwa, Hongjoong, Mingi, Wooyoung, and Jongho. Mackenyu, Yunho, Junhong, and Mirae got out from the third van, and all of them gathered together.
“The plane is ready,” Yeosang was told by the first officer of the jet, who soon rushed back to boarding the plane.
“Come visit again soon, all of you,” Yurika told them.
“We’ll have some fun next time,” Makoto added, and they laughed.
Yeosang glanced at Yunho and Mirae, then at the rest of them. “I must admit, it has been quite a time. I look forward to meeting all of you again, somehow,” He said. “Except for some of you, I see your faces all the time,” He eyed Kento and Mackenyu, and they laughed. “As I can sense you all need some time to say goodbye, I’ll leave you all for a moment.”
They watched Yeosang walk off to the plane, walking stick in hand. “Not me, I have some business to attend to in Geneva. It was nice working with you all, but not too nice,” Lucas said, and he vanished.
Mirae eyed San and gestured to the vans. “I’ll talk to the rest of you too, including you Junhong,” She said, and the tall male nodded in understanding.
The two of them walked to the side of the van, where it seemed quiet in the midst of some chatter among the group. “Yeah? Your bedroom’s untouched, if that’s what you want to know,” He chuckled then hugged her.
Mirae swallowed and hugged him just as tight before pulling away. “San, there’s something I need to tell you, and it’s got nothing to do with the state of my room,” She said quietly, looking down for a moment.
“What do you mean?”
Mirae took in a breath then looked him in the eye. “San, I’m not coming back with you to Korea,” She said. “I’m staying here.”
He stared at her, a pang of anxiety setting in. “Staying? Like on a vacation?” He said, and she shook her head. “....For good?”
“For good,” Mirae repeated with a nod, her eyes welling up. “I’m already dead in Korea. As far as we know, everyone that’s known me, knows I no longer exist. I told Midam this before he left, and he didn’t take it well either.”
San was still staring at her. He was also welling up. “But-but what about-”
“I know, but you, you and the guys? You’re still needed there, you’ve got a life there now, Sannie,” She said.
San swallowed hard. He kept fighting back the urge to cry. “You haven’t called me Sannie in a while, and the first time since then that you do, it’s when we have to separate, huh?” He said.
“I know, and that’s mostly because Yeosang already tends to call you that,” Mirae nodded. “But it’s not like I’m very far away. We’ve spent a lot of time apart too.”
“But that’s why I looked for you, so we could be together,” San sniffled and looked down, wiping his eyes. “I guess it means we’ve both grown up.”
Mirae sniffled. “I guess it does. I’m leaving the store to you, the guys to you, even Junhong, so you better protect him,” She said.
San nodded and hugged her tightly. “I’m going to miss you a lot,” He said.
“I’m going to miss you too,” Mirae replied, hugging him just as tightly. “I’m gonna be a video call away or something, once I’ve settled down, you know.”
“I know, but it’s not the same as when you’re really there,” San said as he pulled away. “I’ll call Junhong,” He said, wiping his eyes again before walking back to the crowd.
Mirae noticed Junhong’s concerned expression when San told him to go to her, and he rushed toward her. “What happened? San’s crying,” He said with a chuckle.
She took both of his hands. “Junhong, you’ve known me since I entered the center, you’ve seen me in my best and worst days, so this is going to be hard for me to say,” She said.
But Junhong seemed to know what she was going to say. “You’re not coming back,” He said, and Mirae just smiled an apologetic smile. “You’re staying behind, staying here,” He added, and she nodded.
“You guys are still needed in Korea, and as far as everyone knows, I’m already dead to them,” Mirae repeated. “I may be needed here now,” She added.
“Mirae,” Junhong pulled her into a tight hug. “I’m really going to miss you, you know. There’s no one else to test the things I invent,” He said, trying to keep her from seeing that he was already crying.
“I’m going to miss you too,” She said.
Junhong wiped his eyes and cleared his throat. “You know, I always thought that down the line, we’d all have our own compound on an island somewhere. Like that cartoon I watched, Jonny Quest.”
She chuckled. “That could still happen, you know, maybe someday we’ll all be staying there,” She said. “I told San I’m leaving everything to him, including you. They also need you, you know.”
“I know, I need you though,” Junhong said, wiping his eyes. “Ino’s not here anymore, Chanyeol hyung, Hyuk hyung are gone, and now you’re not coming back to Korea.”
“It’s not like I’m living on the other side of the world,” Mirae said, patting him on the arm. “I miss Chanyeol and Hyuk too.”
“Then, in that case,” Junhong took something out of his pocket. It was the hourglass necklace. “I modified it, it’s like a homing device. Twist it if you miss us, and we’ll come here for you,” He said. “We’ll always have your back, just as you had ours.”
“I still do have your backs, though,” Mirae pointed out. “Only I’m just in another place.”
Junhong hugged her again.
~
San felt a hand on his shoulder as he watched Hongjoong and Seonghwa take in the news. Wooyoung, Mingi, and Jongho looked glum yet understood her decision. After everything that happened, it was all bittersweet. He looked around. Mio was standing beside him. “Hey,” She said. “Goodbyes are hard,” Her hand moved down to his back, rubbing it soothingly.
“I know,” San nodded, appreciating the gesture. “She’s the only family I’ve got left. But you’ll see her around more, she’s staying here.”
Mio nodded. “That’s good news,” She said.
San turned to face her. “Mio,” He said, then kissed her on the cheek. She froze, cheeks turning pink at his action. He took her hand. “You’ll give me another reason to keep coming here,” He said, in an attempt to confess.
She smiled. “You’re very sweet,” She said. “When you come here again, make sure to tell me, maybe we can have a meal somewhere.”
San nodded. “Maybe, I owe you that much for saving my life at the blood bank, and Junhong’s life too,” He said.
“That too,” She laughed. “Besides, it’s nice to know we’ve got people to count on here.”
“And if you’re ever in Korea, drop by Empire Records. I work there,” San said.
“We will,” Mio said as Issei soon approached them.
Issei shook his hand. “I heard Mirae is staying behind,” He said and they nodded. “I wonder what’s going to happen to Onyx now that Asa’s dead.”
“Vampires will still be there, Issei,” Mio said knowingly. “It’s not over, but at least we’ve got the Soul-taker with us.”
San smiled at her. “You’ve got me too.”
Issei grinned at Mio, who was turning a darker shade of pink. “Hopefully we’ll meet again when there isn’t much trouble going around,” He said.
“Yeah,” San said.
“We’re going to board now,” Seonghwa approached them, exchanging bows with Issei and Mio. San could tell that he cried. “Nice to meet you, both of you.”
Mio and Issei said the same. San turned to them again. “Well, this is it for now. If you hang out with Mirae, I’ll make sure she tells me,” He winked at her, before he walked off.
The two of them watched San try and catch up with the rest of the group. “He’s cute,” Mio said quietly. “And very sweet.”
“He’s probably been like that since the first time he saw you,” Issei teased, nudging her.
San nearly caught up only for Yunho to pull him to the side and once again, he felt his heart sink. “Are you staying too?” He said, seeing Mirae walk up to them.
Yunho shook his head. “No, no, I’m not staying behind,” He said. “But I’m not coming back to Korea either. I’m heading somewhere else. Romania, to be exact,” He said, while taking Mirae’s hand.
Mirae stared at him. “Kento told me you were chosen,” She said quietly, squeezing his hand then wrapping her arms around him. She glanced at San, who looked even more crestfallen. “Looks like we’re going our separate ways…”
“Do the guys know?” San gestured to the plane.
Yunho nodded. “I told them just after Mirae talked to them. They didn’t take it so well, but I knew they also understood. What I have to do, is much bigger than all of us. It's a chance for me to do more than just teleport,” He chuckled, trying to lighten the mood, yet he knew it didn’t work.
“So…this is it for us?” Mirae looked up at him.
Yunho closed his eyes and rested his forehead on hers. “Yeah, it is…But I’ll always love you,” He whispered, sniffling as he kissed her.
Tears streamed down her face as they pulled away, Mirae wiping his cheek. “I’ll always love you too,” She said.
“I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but I think it’s time for the plane to take off,” Mackenyu suddenly appeared with Kento.
The three of them hugged each other tightly, eyes teary as they pulled away. San wiped his eyes again as he slowly went up the stairs to board the plane, the door soon closing behind him. Yunho and Mirae walked back to where Mio, Issei, Yurika, and Makoto were standing.
They saw San wave at them from his window seat as the plane began to move down the runway before taking off to the air.
Mark returned to them. “Well, Yunho, it’s your turn,” He said. “As Yeosang is already on that plane back to Korea, I am on my way to Poland to meet with a few investors so you will have to fly with me,” He said. “I don’t doubt your navigational skills when we get to Warsaw.”
Yunho nodded. He hugged Mirae tightly again, wanting to remember the feeling. “We’ll meet again someday, hmm?” He whispered before pulling away.
He stood next to Mark, touching his shoulder. “Goodbye,” Mark said to them.
“Goodbye,” Mirae said quietly, and the two of them disappeared.
The End.