Chapter Text
Cheong San watched in horror as the entire building being set ablaze by the booming flash of the bomb that was dropped into the Hyosan area. He had lied before, only one person's going to die here today and it's going to be just him. Cheong San had faith that Suhyeok, Onjo, and Namra would be able to lead everyone to safety. Cheong San was afraid of the time that he had left and he only had time to say a goodbye to Onjo, which in his heart he thought was the only thing he needed. However, if he was being honest, Cheong San wished he got to say goodbye to Suhyeok. When they had looked at each other before Cheong San left to meet his fate, the taller boy looked like he had wanted to say something to the shorter, but they never got the chance to say what they needed to say. Despite not having any adult help, their group had managed to make it all the way here and Cheong San was proud of that. The only thing he could do now is make sure the pain in the ass by the name of Yoon Gwi-Nam goes down with him.
Cheong San grunted and leapt to his feet and grabbed Gwi-Nam by the torso, dragging him back into the elevator shaft. He didn't know how he could hear Gwi-nam's curses and screams through the crackling of the flames, but he did and Cheong San could only open his mouth in a broken scream as the inferno engulfed them both.
Then there was flash of white. And then nothing. Nothing at all...
Suddenly it felt like multiple parts of his body was spasming at once and Cheong San felt like his consciousness was being stuffed into somewhere like how one would try to stuff their clothes into an already overweight suitcase. His body felt like each individual fiber of muscle was relearning how to operate and it felt like an excruciatingly painful electrical bolt was ripping through his body. It was just for a moment, but it felt like Cheong San had suffered eons of suffering in an instant. His lungs suddenly knew how to breathe again after being held in for so long and Cheong San gasped and quickly sat up from whatever position he was in. Was this how it felt to be manhandled by the universe? This wasn't how he imagined going to the afterlife would be.
It had taken a few moments to adjust to wherever he was sitting up from and it hit Cheong San that he was sitting on somewhere soft.
A bed?
Cheong San tried to will his brain to move what was hopefully his eyes open and closed, blinking several times before the sight before him suddenly came into view. Cheong San was in an infirmary, the school's infirmary nonetheless and sitting at his side was two people he was extremely relieved to see: Onjo and Gyeong Su. They had looked like they had flinched just moments ago, probably from Cheong San sitting up so suddenly, and it only took a moment for them to have such relieved smiles on their faces.
"Cheong San-ah! Thank God! You fucking scared me man!" Gyeong Su doubled over in relief before lunging forward to hug Cheong San. It took Cheong San a good moment to realize that his best friend was hugging him. He could feel his best friend's warmth and Cheong San had almost forgotten what Gyeong Su had even sounded like.
Cheong San felt his lip tremble slightly before he hugged his best friend back just as tight and he couldn't get but let out a sob, "Gyeong Su-ah! You're alive, you're actually here!" Cheong San swayed with Gyeong Su from side to side.
"What do you mean? Of course I'm alive! You're the one that collapsed right in the middle of class screaming, do you not remember anything?" Gyeong Su pulled away, slightly confused by his best friend's choice of words and Cheong San pressed his tongue against the side of his cheek knowing that he did mess up slightly.
Cheong San furrowed his eyebrows and thought about it, but when he tried, his head immediately hurt and Cheong San held his hand up to cradle his head, "No... not really?" Cheong San answered and Onjo decided to speak up at that moment.
"Yah, Cheong San-ah, do you really not remember anything? That tall guy carried you all the way here," Onjo looked over at the aforementioned tall boy who was standing on the other side of the room and Cheong San could recognize that head of gelled hair anywhere. The boy looked over at them at the mention of his presence and Cheong San could only look between his friends with a confused look.
"Tall guy? Guys come on, yah, Bare-su? What are you doing over there? It's not like you to be so distant," Cheong San called out and Suhyeok raised an eyebrow at the boy questioningly. Gyeong Su turned to Cheong San with an odd look in his eye and Cheong San briefly glanced over at his best friend.
"Bare-su? Since when did you call him Bare-su? We just know him as one of Meong Hwan's cronies that never participates in any of the bullying," Gyeong Su stated as a matter of factly and Cheong San could see Suhyeok wince slightly out of the corner of his eye.
Scoffing, Cheong San looked between the two guys, with his gaze resting on Suhyeok, "What? Don't tell me you forgot, remember that we came up with that nickname for him because he never wears socks for some reason but he never gets caught for it? Plus, one of Meong Hwan's cronies? You're kidding right? Hyeokie's one of the coolest guys we know, I know that, I introduced him to you guys!" Cheong San explained almost in disbelief and Onjo only looked at her childhood friend worriedly. Gyeong Su shook his head and tilted his head at Cheong San.
"I don't remember that? And since when did you call him Bare-su and Hyeokie? You give him nicknames as if you've known the guy forever, we're only in the beginning of our freshmen year," Gyeong Su folded his arms as he thought about it and Cheong San froze at the last few words in his sentence. Cheong San looked to Suhyeok, who he noticed had a faint blush on his cheeks as the taller boy looked back at him with slight intrigue and surprise.
"No.. that's... how... no, no, no, no, no," Cheong San murmured to himself before he forced himself out of bed with Gyeong Su steadying and Cheong San looked almost pleadingly at Suhyeok. Beginning of freshmen year? That would be just a couple of months before Cheong San would meet Suhyeok and ultimately have him join their group. Why did Cheong San have to come back to this moment?
"Umm Cheong San-ah, are you ok?" Suhyeok asked tentatively, taking a slight step back as Cheong San just smiled bitterly at him.
"Huh... so it's true, it is the beginning of our freshmen year because you usually call me by Sannie, what in the world is going on?" Cheong San let out a sharp exhale of breath and Suhyeok felt his eyes widen in intrigue at the notion that he has his own nickname for the boy. Cheong San couldn't help but notice the way Suhyeok just looked like a confused puppy. It would totally be endearing if he wasn't on the verge of a mental breakdown.
"What do you mean by that? I mean Cheong San-ah, I only vaguely know you because we're in the same class, but I don't know what gave you the impression that you know me or that we're friends since I usually hang out with Meong Hwan, Gwi-nam, and the others," Suhyeok explained carefully to Cheong San, who gritted his teeth at the mention of Gwi-Nam's name.
"No we don't just know each other vaguely, you dumbass, we were best friends. You don't recognize any of the nicknames we have for you? Bare-su? Hyeokie? Teddy? Hyeokie, come on, I know that you hate those guys that you hang out with. Now we're... back in freshmen year?" Cheong San said that last part silently to himself and huffed in disbelief. It just felt like his head spinning again. He clearly remembered the events of the apocalypse. He clearly remembered tackling Gwi-nam into the elevator. Cheong San figured that all of that did happen, and he just traveled back in time somehow. There was no way him being best friends with Suhyeok was just a dream. This was merely a second chance, a second chance to do things differently.
"I didn't think I made it that obvious, but I guess you could figure out that I don't really like those assholes either," Suhyeok gave Cheong San a small smile, but something was nagging at him. Why Cheong San act like they weren't supposed to be freshmen? The shorter boy seemed almost devastated that Suhyeok didn't know him as much as Cheong San knew him. It evident by the fact that only Cheong San had the courage to approach him despite his reputation.
"Exactly... damn, if that's how it's going to be, then... I'll just have to go with what I got," Cheong San debated something within himself and settled with his answer. Cheong San turned to Suhyeok and held out his hand. Suhyeok looked dumbly at his outstretched hand for a moment before looking into Cheong San's eyes. They had this shimmering determination yet a wisdom that went beyond his years as if he knew something Suhyeok didn't. Suhyeok glanced down at his hand, then back up at Cheong San before glancing at his two bewildered friends beside him.
"Yah, Suhyeok-ie, starting from today, you have three more friends," Cheong San declared confidently and raised his hand slightly in a gesture for Suhyeok to take it. Suhyeok looked at his hand with the softest gaze and after a few moments, Suhyeok felt a smile growing on his face before placing his hand in Cheong San's. The sunlight from the window illuminated their faces and Cheong San felt like he had a momentary lapse of function for a minute as he processed Suhyeok's smiling face in the sunlight. However, it was worth it because Cheong San knew for sure that Suhyeok was always meant to be their friend. Cheong San just didn't think that this time around, he would also end up feeling something more.