Part 22 ❀

The CEO of EFN finally got out of her office chair 'Time to go over there, I guess..' but after taking a brief glance at the kitchen, she decided to make herself some more coffee first.

~~

The blonde let a light glower set on his face as he looked up at the older and declared bluntly

"I'm not going with you. I'm staying here."

Beomgyu stood still, his mind was too busy registering what the younger just said. Is he joking? He can't be serious.. there's no way.

A few words faintly escaped from his mouth "What did you say?"

"You heard me. But you, you gotta go."

Taehyun asserted in an unfriendly manner, pointing at the exit.

Beomgyu's expression greatly saddened, he really couldn't believe what was going on right now.

Staying here? Is Taehyun out of his mind? And why is he saying this now? When everything was supposed to be over. He stepped closer to the blonde and put his hand on his shoulder "Why... just why..? What has gotten into you, are you being serious...?"

Taehyun hit his hand away "Stop. Just leave.." he turned around, backing the older "it's my decision okay."

Beomgyu retracted himself and made a fake chuckle with a shake of the head. He was confused, despairing but mostly angry.

he whispered "Ungrateful... You're so selfish..."

"Hm?"

"YOU'RE SO F*CKING SELFISH!" He yelled at the back of Taehyun's head. And without realising that he dropped the lifeless teddy tiger. His gut of anger took over as he continued yelling at the younger,

"Everything that I've done to be with you... I've been trying so hard for us to be together, for I don't know how long, even bringing you back to life.. I went through the pain of losing you once..and you.. AND YOU SAY THIS AT THE LAST SECOND?! WHAT'S YOUR DEAL? WHAT THE HELL?!!"

Taehyun grabbed his own head in irritation and abruptly turned back to the older "Shut up!! You're so noisy! And you're the one who's selfish!"

Tears of frustration threatened to escape the dark-haired's eyes but he was completely raged at the other's behaviour "How the hell am I selfish?!"

Taehyun's crossed his arms and said bluntly "I never asked you to do all of that. Stop messing with events to your own benefit! What if.. what if I actually wanted to die? What if I actually liked this place?"

He continued with a sarcastic rolling of the eyes "But noooo.. Beomgyu wants to be with Taehyun SO Beomgyu will be with Taehyun, even if Taehyun doesn't actually want to."

Beomgyu was now speechless.

Is it true that he's being selfish?

Just because he wanted to be with the one he loves?

His tears finally escaped his eyes and rolled down his cheeks. The other's were still outside and started to wonder why the pair still hasn't come out. Beomgyu wanted to join them...But with Taehyun.

"I can't believe it... Is this really what you want? Is this really how all this is going to end?"

Taehyun didn't want to fight, he isn't even angry at the older. Same for Beomgyu, he's just beyond confused and heartbroken.

The blonde advanced closer to him and wiped his tears away "Yes.. I know how sudden this is, and I'm sorry about that... But this is what I want, but what I want more than that, is for you to leave this place and move on. Be happy for me..."

"No.." Beomgyu muttered as he wrapped his arms around Taehyun, then leaned the other against the red wall "I won't be happy if you're not with me. Call me selfish all you want.." he rested his forehead on the other's shoulder "I don't know why you want to stay here and you're not obliged to tell me if you don't want to.. But I-I'm willing to stay here with you if that's what it takes.."

Taehyun tiredly giggled and lightly pushed the older's head away so he can look at him in the eyes "Please don't.. Come on you need to go now, before it's too late." Right after saying that, Taehyun thankfully remembered that there's something that he really wants but also has to do, his heartbeat is speeding up at the thought..

"But no..! Please I can't leave you behind. I don't think you understand how much I lo—Mmph?!"

Taehyun had reached slightly up and pulled him down by the nape, and the rest of Beomgyu's words muffled against the younger's lips, that had captivatingly claimed the older's.

The dark-haired completely froze in utter surprise for a brief moment, batting his eyes. Slowly processing that the literal love of his life is kissing him. He could feel himself soundlessly squealing against his lips with his cheeks reddening.

Taehyun had taken over all of Beomgyu's senses and occupied his whole mind in just a second. All he could hear was his own heartbeat, all he could smell was the younger's gentle vanilla fragrance, all he could feel was Taehyun's warm body and soft lips pressed against his own.

Beomgyu soon melted into the touch as his clutch on the younger's waist tightened gently. He deeply kissed the other back, pulling him in a desperate kiss as their lips meld against one another.

It was getting impassioned plus Taehyun was kissing him hard, demandingly tugging his shirt.

The more they pull away for a breather, the messier the kiss gets when their lips smash back together. It was filled with love only, okay with a slight bit of lust- K maybe a bit more. OKAY they're both thirsty as hell. Can you blame them.. They've been yearning to kiss each other for years and that moment finally came.

The others who were on the field were getting worried as to why the two didn't leave the building yet. And they were planning on catching the earliest train to finally go home. Minhee decided to run back there with his super-speed to check on the two.

"Guys.." Minhee entered the red room

"Is everything ok—"

He paused as he perceived Beomgyu and Taehyun kissing against a red wall. A sly but awkward grin crept onto his face "Am I interrupting something?"

Finally taking note of the male's presence, Beomgyu faintly pulled away from Taehyun, their lips weren't in contact anymore but their eyes surely were.

They stared into each other's eyes while panting for air, Beomgyu noticed how Taehyun's cheeks were now a baby pink colour "Cute..."

Taehyun made a shy little chuckle and Minhee's presence was forgotten once again as they both leaned in and kissed each other's lips multiple times.

"Oh okAy." Minhee clasped his hands together and hummed while staring at the ceiling 'Maybe.. just maybe I should I go.' Glancing at them again, and seeing how personal it's getting, he started to cough "Sorry. *cough* there's something in my throat *cough* probably *cough* singleness"

He brought his nonexistent watch to his face "Well! Would you look at the time, hmm I should get going-"

"No wait." Ending their longing kisses, Taehyun left Beomgyu's arms to approach the tallest male "Could you do one last favour for me?" He whispered.

While the two were talking, Beomgyu kept his stare on Taehyun, stuck in a love daze. He touched his lips with the tip of his fingers, feeling his ears burn, probably even blending perfectly with the red walls. Still processing that he made out with the one and only person who he feels serious romantic attachment for, beyond in love.

After some time, Taehyun advanced towards him and whispered after pecking his cheek "Don't dwell on what's going to happen. After what we did, I know it'll be fine.."

Beomgyu snapped out of his daze and opened his mouth to question what the younger just said. But before he could, Minhee grabbed his arm and speedily pulled him out of the red room, which also means out of EFN.

"What are you doing?!" Beomgyu yelled out confused "Tyun-ah??!"

But Minhee forcibly brought him outside, joining the others. The door closed behind him as Taehyun locked it. Minhee then told the group to head as fast as they could to the train station, the blonde told him to tell them that.

Beomgyu tried to run back to EFN, but all the guys stopped him from doing so, they didn't t know why they were doing that, they just followed Minhee's immediate action. "No Taehyun!! Why?!"

~

In the red room,

Taehyun approached the teddy that was on the floor and picked it up "You're good at playing dead."

« I know. »

"Did you put your message in his pocket?"

« I did. »

He then retrieved a big container of explosive gas and sat beside it. He was crossing his legs with the tiger sitting on his lap. "Are you going to die too?"

« We both won't feel the pain but... »

A sigh escaped from his mouth 'I guess this is it.. it's time.

'Sorry Beomgyu, you would've stopped me if I told you my true intentions'

That container will play a small role in what Taehyun was about to do. His eye irises turned red and he started moving his hands in a circular motion, a floating fire sphere appearing before him.

'I unfortunately need to stay in this position for it to work...'

Soon a door of the red room barged open, a lady with a coffee mug came in. Her eyes widened at the sight of the boy sitting on the floor while generating a constantly growing fireball, and had a dangerous gas canister next to him "Taehyun?"

"Hi Eunhye, how's life? Well your life will be over soon so.." Taehyun had his whole attention on his hand movement.

She advanced towards him but the heat of the fireball that was getting awfully big was too extreme. "W-what are you doing?"

"Putting an end to all of this." He continued his motion, the ball of light and fire was almost occupying the whole room. The lady really felt the need to back away or she'll be toasted "But what do you mean?"

Taehyun made an exasperated sigh "You will never stop abducting kids to this nightmare of a place. And the government is doing nothing about this because they trust your lies. I don't want any other innocent ebysers to feel the torture that I felt."

He smirked, "So why not just blow this place up?"

"WHAT?!! ARE YOU CRAZY?!" The woman dropped her mug and tried to run away by using the red room exit.

Eyes still on his increasing flaming ball of destruction, Taehyun used a bit of his remaining strength to conjure a fire rope that laced around the woman's ankle, making her trip and her body fell on the red floor

"Tut-tut you're not leaving, you're the main reason why I'm even doing this, Eunhye. We're in this together! You, me, my teddy, and the 50 staff members."

"IT'S MRS GWAN! DO YOU NOT REALISE THAT YOU'RE TAKING YOUR LIFE TOO?!"

"Oh I'm aware. Any death wishes? None? Ok so quiet please, this takes a lot of my energy." Taehyun said nonchalantly.

"You never should've existed! Your kind is a mistake of nature.. the only thing you ebysers are good at is making me money."

The blonde rolled his eyes with a sigh "Boohoo now could you shut your piehole? I'm concentrating over here!"

Taehyun closed his eyes.

~

Why did you think I wanted to do cleaning duty with you? I had to spend my last moments with my half-witted Beom hyung heh.

Also, I wanted to kiss you really badly.

No homo.

But I ended up hugging you instead.

Ah I regret it!

~

He chuckled 'In your face! Past Taehyun from the other universe. I ain't no coward since I actually kissed him.

"No homo" that was a good joke, I'm so funny.

~

"Gyu give it up!" Yeonjun, Jeongin and Minhee were holding the male by the arms who was desperately trying to go back to the white building. But something caught his attention "Wait..."

He brought his hand in front of his face and stuck his pinky out 'What's this red glowing string circling my finger?'

His eyes soon widened when he realised that the red string that had its extremity attached to his pinky, was going all the way to the EFN building.

'Wait don't tell me-'

~

The blonde smirked after eyeing the sudden glowing red string around his pinky.

"Jessica.. can we hold hands? I'm actually really scared..."

The teddy raised its paw and Taehyun grabbed it « Are you sure you wanna do this? »

He smiled, "I do... We checked the future together.. remember?"

The ginormous firebomb was getting out of hand, even if Taehyun wanted to stop it, he couldn't anymore and it was finally time to unleash the whole thing.

Taehyun gulped as he forced a smile "I'm so sorry mum, I hope you'll be okay.." Anxiety suddenly swallowed the boy, it's normal to fear death. He made a deep inhalation with the clutch on the teddy tightening "I'm sorry Beomgyu, looks like I'm the selfish one.. I love you"

Taehyun calmed down "Jessica, I'm giving you the honour to say the word."

« Detonate. »

Beomgyu's heart dropped, same for the other's when they heard that explosion coming from EFN.

One thing that distracted Beomgyu from that bang was that the red light that his string was radiating suddenly turned off.

He started running ahead beyond panicked and worried for Taehyun, the others followed.

But when they all arrived there, their jaw dropped.

The whole place was on fire, a complete firestorm, and EFN was falling to burning pieces.

"I'm going in there.." Beomgyu whispered.

"Have you lost your mind?!" Jeongin pushed him away from the conflagration.

"G-guys.." Nari uttered "The fire is spreading quite fast.. M-Maya?"

The younger girl looked at Hikari and they nodded simultaneously. The boy went behind her, circled her waist and darted upwards towards the sky.

While in the air, she closed her eyes then sensed some water nearby, it was the ocean. Her eye irises glowed blue as she telepathically brought an enormous wave and splashed it on the burning building, extinguishing the fire immediately.

When it was done, Beomgyu took a few steps forward with his lips parted. He didn't know what to think. He then heard a voice from behind him speak up.

Soobin wore an afflicted expression on his face "There's only.. one person.. who could've caused this..."

Refusing to listen to any of that, refusing to believe that Taehyun may have committed su*cide, Beomgyu ambled towards the ruins with non-stopping tears rolling down his face.

"TAEHYUN!/TAEHYUN-AH!/TAEHYUN-KUN!" They all screamed in panic while running towards the destroyed building, Beomgyu still slowly following from behind.

The girls gasped in fear at the sight of multiple charred bodies. Beomgyu caught up to everyone but just stood there and listened to their screams.

They started searching for Taehyun among all the deceased bodies but with no success.

But something then caught Beomgyu's teary eyes. From the corner of them, he perceived certain blonde locks. His red string that was now flickering, connected to those blonde tufts as well.

And he instantly ran towards there "T-Tyun?"

The others followed him, thinking he found their friend.

Beomgyu kneeled down and removed the bricks and concrete that were covering the person's body.

"Taehyun?!" Huening exclaimed. It was indeed the blonde they knew, but something was off.

Unlike the other bodies, the boy was completely clean and unburnt.

They also noticed that the teddy tiger was right beside him, partly charred and missing an eye.

Taehyun looked peaceful while lying on the ground with his eyes closed. And after checking his heartbeat, his body temperature, his breathing, they concluded that...

__________________________________

That this chapter is over.