Incarnadine | Prequel to "Viridescence"

56

11th March
2026

Seonghwa paces back and forth in the courtyard while Hongjoong sits on the bench with ice cream in his hand.

"What are you worrying about this time?" Hongjoong asks before humming out of delight as he puts a spoon of ice cream into his mouth.

Seonghwa shakes his head and bites his nail harder. "I'm just excited. Jihyun should be coming over any time soon, right? She said she would," he states. Hongjoong freezes and puts his cup down. "You're right! I'm so excited," Hongjoong exclaims while jumping up too.

"I can't wait to tell her about my progress this month," he grins, eyes glowing. Seonghwa smiles, warmth bubbling up in his chest.

The word "progress" evokes many emotions inside him. It makes him think about the past every time he hears it.

And even now, twenty years later, he can't help but think about the time when he first met Hongjoong:  witnessing him brutally murder his own mother while getting dragged around the town as he tried to find a way to escape.

He smiles to himself as he recalls the fear he felt that day. He finds it amusing that he used to be so scared of everything. If he weren't such a pushover back then, would things have been different?

He thinks about how he accidentally got himself and Hongjoong involved with MX. It's been way too long since he's thought about that gang. How he used to cower in fear at the sight of Hoseok and Hyungwon. How he felt when he first held his gun. How concerned he'd feel every time Hongjoong behaved so nonchalant about being in a gang.

He remembers how embarrassed he felt when Hongjoong begged his way into SS. His heart aches as he remembers seeing Jaehyun's warm smile for the first time, and then for the last time too.

He thinks about the day he met Yeosang. After killing MX and losing all of SS, that was the day he found a new family. He felt so alive and everything felt perfect when he was living with Hongjoong and Yeosang. He couldn't have asked for more.

Bringing San and Jongho into the gang is another fond memory for Seonghwa. It doesn't hurt anymore to think about ever since San and Jongho forgave him recently. Now they talk to him and Hongjoong again, and Seonghwa couldn't feel happier that his family is coming together again.

For the most part.

As he thinks about all of his memories with Hongjoong, he looks at his best friend with glossy eyes. His whole life has amounted to this moment. Would his aunt and uncle be disappointed in him? Would Jaehyun be proud? Does Yeosang forgive him yet?

"Park Seonghwa? You have a visitor."

Seonghwa snaps out of his trance and whips his head in the direction of the voice of the officer, Hongjoong reacting similarly beside him.

Seonghwa stands up and wordlessly follows the officer growing excited to see Jihyun again. He's become close to her. She's basically a sister to him after all.

He excitedly hops into the meeting room and plops himself in front of the glass before looking up, heart nearly jumping out of his chest when he sees who it really is.

Kang Yeosang stares straight at him with nervous eyes. A surge of energy bursts through Seonghwa and he feels like he has the power to punch a hole through the glass in front of him.

"Hi Jihyun!" he begins, nodding to the girl sitting beside Yeosang. But then he returns his attention to his beloved brother in front of him. "And Yeosang, it's been so long! I really missed you," he adds on, blinking back his tears.