《Finding Dysphoria》

Chapter 5

Eclipse:

Khun refused to listen. What if they were wrong? What if they were trying to fool them all?

Hansung Yu smiled and sipped his coffee carefreely as the Khun worried and stressed. Out of rage, Rak had gone rampant, running around the room of red doors while yelling at the top of his lungs, Bam following, trying to calm him down. They had all seen what was down that hole. It was absolutely grotesque and horrific. He wished he could’ve concealed Bam’s eyes from it.

“Mr. Khun?” Mr. Khun? Bam had interrupted Khun’s dark thoughts from momentarily seeping in. It had already been four and a half minutes, what were they supposed to do? Was he really going to trust a plastic bag with his life?

A loud shout startled the both of them as Rak kicked open a door. Khun fell into a panic. “You idiot! What do you think you’re doing!?”

...PING!!

Bam slowly walked over to Rak with wide eyes. The doors had turned green. Then that must mean…

Hansung Yu glanced over to Khun, his smile ever present. After another sip from his cup, he stood from his cushion. “Congratulations on passing the test, Regulars, you have done well. You are fortunate for such teammates, little Khun. If you had overthought any longer than five minutes, you all would have failed.”

Rak gloated proudly towards Bam, showing off his “instinct” and “bravery.” Bam, of course, was super impressed, a smile still bright on his face even when Rak marched out.

“Little Khun Aguero Agnes, you strive to protect those eyes, no? Better hurry now. You wouldn’t want to carry an even heavier burden if you let them down now…”

Khun gripped the handle of his suitcase and glowered at them silently, turning heel to follow Bam shortly after. From the moment that boy told him what this “Rachel” person had said to him, he wanted to give hope and light to those eyes instead of the doubt and despair they have yet to see.

"It's just that Rachel told me something. Something about my eyes…"

“What about them?” Khun couldn’t find a single flaw in them, what could that girl possibly say?

Bam refused to look at him even through urging back rubs. “The moment Rachel disappeared, she told me that whatever my eyes saw, they would vanish or eventually leave me.” He buried his face further into his knees. "I've been afraid of looking at people more often and I—"

"You actually believe them?" Khun asked, a brown raised. "I think that—" sounds ridiculous.

Suddenly, Bam leapt from his spot and wrapped his arms around the other, toppling them over and onto the ground in a mildly uncomfortable embrace. “You won’t leave me too, right, Mr. Khun? I don't want it to be true!”

With his hand resting on the small of his back and a sapphire gaze directed towards the tall ceiling, Khun made himself a vow as he returned the embrace. “No, I won’t ever leave your side, Bam. I will never abandon you.” Unlike Rachel.

Khun didn’t have to see to know that Bam’s smile was even brighter than the sun or any star.

—+—