Chapter Text
1995
sitting in the hospital, outside Yi chan's room, Eun gyeol is lost, he failed his mission, he failed his dad,
somewhere in his heart, all Eun gyeol can do is pray "don't let it be it, don't let him be deaf" tears falling down his face, blood still feels fresh on his clothes for him, he feels too guilty to enter, knowing that his prayer will do nothing, knowing that once Yi chan, no, his appa wakes up, he would be devasted by his new world where he is no longer the head of watermelon sugar, no longer in a world where he lived 18 years of his life.
Eun Yu can see him, she wants to be there and hug him, to lie to him on how this is surely not it, even if its a small comfort, seeing from afar how Eungyeol cant even enter Yichan's room, she doesnt know why, could be fear, could be guilt, but she knows Eungyeol cant be alone right now, and yet, she cant let herself go sit beside him, she doesnt know what to say or do, how would anyone know what to do?
seeing Eun yu standing there in the hospital corridor, Eun gyeol stares for a few seconds, his limbs once feeling numb, let him get up, he doesn't give her a smile, his face dry with old tears and new ones forming, but her look is enough, giving him enough strength to enter the room.
As he gets close to the door, holding the metal handle with one of his hands, he can see Yichan unconscious on the bed, he looks like he is sleeping, but yet not, he opens the door, forcing himself to look, sitting beside the bed, he doesn't know what to say for a minute, not wanting his dad to see him like this, even if he is not his dad yet
"i am so sorry appa, i couldn't save you" Eun gyeol managed to say as he tries to calm down, not knowing if he heard him, if he even knows he is here, it feels strange seeing Yichan this calm as he sleeps, the layers of loudness, of a kind kid, of a loving friend, full of optimism, now gone under the fading anesthesia in his body,
what would Eungyeol wouldn't do to bring him back.
Falling asleep is hard for him, but he managed to get his head down, near Yichan, near his dad, imagining him praising him, how he did a good job, its oddly comforting knowing its a lie, knowing how he didn't do a good job. finally falling asleep hours later, dry blood on his shirt, the memory of the accident still runs wild in his head.
Simply walking in the night, just a few minutes before the accident, thinking how its all over, he saved his dad, saved his mom, he did well for his parents, not knowing that fate is a funny thing, that by saving his mom from her step mom and siblings he caused anger in them to come out for the loss of riches.
Cheongah's step brother was driving in the red car, boiling with rage at Eungyeol, not thinking how he himself was part of the bad guys for hurting his step sister, practically wanting to kill the kid that came out of nowhere and got under the tail of his step father with one move, while he still failed after many attempts. Seeing Eungyeol, he wanted to kill the guy, he wanted revenge, he took something from him, then his life should be taken away like the no good kid he is, practically driving to hit Eungyeol.
Eungyeol saw it at the last second, it took him a few seconds to realise that he is fine, the car drove off, seeing Yichan on the concrete road, bleeding, unconscious, his dad saved him, and yet, Eungyeol didn't see it this way, all he could do is hug the unconscious body of Yichan, crying, yelling his lungs out, everything to not keep things inside, he cant keep those inside even if he wanted. others just looked at the situation, made others call an Ambulance and the police, but not getting close, looking at the situation.
As he watches Yi chan gets put in the Ambulance and Eun yu giving her side of things, he can hear a pay phone ring in the distance, breaking him free, telling him that its a dream, well, nightmare fits more, based on what happened
finding the payphone was not hard, picking up the phone, he can hear the master speak first
"the door to the future and the past will open soon, tomorrow, do you plan to stay and abandon your future self or get back from where you came from?"
Eungyeol stares for a second, he want to curse at him, how dare he give him so little time, but then again, he has to leave, he cant stay here forever, feeling the yet fresh blood on his clothes from hugging his unconcious and bleeding dad in the dream, not knowing if his dad would be fine, after all who he saw right now was being put on a stretcher and onto the Ambulance, but there is one person that he cant leave, she knows everything
"what about Eun yu?"
the line takes a second to respond
"so i see you met your little helper"
Eun gyeol stares for a second, voice angry at the riddle right now, giving himself a moment before cursing him out, he can hear him continue
"she is with me on leaving, choose wisely, i know you love her"
waking up in the morning he remembers the dream, but seeing his dad awake, yet staring away, and looking at the window, all Eungyeol can do is look at him, praying to god that he is not deaf
" yi chan" eun gyeol calls out, voice almost pleading, but there is no answer back, making his fantasy that he had for a moment that he is hearing, disappear back to its freshly excavated grave, the hope is gone
"i think something is wrong with my ears, i cant hear anything"
this buries the hope, giving Yi chan a smile, Eun gyeol begins to sign to him 'don't give up hope'
making Yi chan stare at him, he didnt know what he was feeling right now, but hopelessness is one of them, and somehow Eungyeol knew that.
'Its my fault' Eun gyeol signed, his heart heavy, and it was showing in his eyes and posture, like a little kid who done something bad
"its not your fault, i wanted to save you" Yi chan said, not yet giving a smile, but wanting to make it clear
"i will make it past that, i will be fine" he continued, making it harder for Eun gyeol to hold his tears.
Hours later Eun gyeol finally hears the surgery prognosis with Yichans grandma, he couldent even speak much hours before, so he didn't ask about how it went, he just knew that his dad is currently alive and that it went well, as the doctor explains the procedures and the surgery, a line Eungyeol doesnt give too much toughts to comes out
"all tough in the middle of surgery, we found a little red spot on the brain, taking it out could have killed him, so we left it as it is, it does not look like it could affect his life or his lifespan"
Eun gyeol seemed worried for a second, but as Yichans grandma and the doctor calmed him down, he tought there was nothing to worry about, being told its not his fault earlier from Yi chan calmed his mind, and this calmed his mind even more. Even Eun yu hearing that didnt seem worried, so he didnt think much of it.
Eun yu took him to the side, she herself still holding herself the way he does, but she is determined "you know we need to leave tonight, don't tell me you are not going"
he looked at her, her eyes so.. he couldent explain it, but already feeling better, he knows he has to leave, to go back to his life, yet, the worry for his teen dad, a new world for him, such worries "i can't, i feel like he would need me"
"he can make himself better, he needs you as his son, lets go to the future together"
after hearing that, he takes a few seconds but he nods to her, trusting his dad would become his dad, trusting that Yi chan and Cheong ah would continue to help each other, he did all he could.
When the night comes, they are together, he needs her right now, and she needs him, saving each other, and now, continuing with his heart still heavy, but she makes it a little less heavy
going together to the shop, each enters alone, going to there future, hoping to meet again