━═━═━═━┤EIGHT ├━═━═━═━

song recommendation: NFWMB - hozier

━═ Jungwoo's POV ═━

My head rests on Doyoung's thigh, his fingers in my fluffy hair as he grins down at me. "Do you remember when you tried strawberry ice cream for the first time?" I shake my head at his question, and he smiles fondly. "I took you to the cutest little ice cream parlour in town, so you could try it for the first time. When the server gave you it, you got so excited that you dropped it all down your shirt. She felt bad and gave you another one. You ate it so quickly we had to go home because you felt sick. You never ate strawberry ice cream again." He laughs softly and I smile.

Taeyong's loud and hurt voice breaks the content silence between Doyoung and I. "Do I really mean anything to you at all? Or am I just another character in your stupid fucking game?" Doyoung's worried expression reflects my own.

"Should we go check on them?" I ask, sitting myself up.

Doyoung shakes his head "it's fine, Jungwoo." He smiles reassuringly until Taeyong yells again.

"You would hurt Jungwoo again, right? He doesn't mean anything to you. He's just pixels." The toxicity in Taeyong's voice fills my veins, an uncomfortable feeling sinking in my stomach. Doyoung's eyes darken.

"Doyoung, what does he mean? Jaehyun hurt me?" He averts his eyes from mine. The front door slams, the loud bang echoing throughout the house. "Doyoung. What did he mean by that?"

"It's not important, Jungwoo. Just leave it." He stands, brushing my hands away from his.

"If you won't tell me, I'll just ask Taeyong." Huffing, I leave the house, hurt by Doyoung's negligence.

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Taeyong's silhouette is illuminated by the orange streetlights as he slouches against the metal rail of the bridge. Rain pelts him from all directions. His body language in this manner oozes sadness. I walk up to him, sheltering him under my umbrella. "Tae, are you okay?" He laughs slightly at my question.

"I've had worse." His eyes stare out across the shimmering water. "I suppose you want to know why we fought."

"If it's okay with you."

He exhales deeply before speaking. "Jaehyun is the creator of the game we came from. I don't fully understand his motives for making it, but I'm pretty sure it has to do with Doyoung not returning his feelings."

"Jaehyun liked Doyoung?"

"Yep, until he made me, that is. Anyways, there were many flaws in the game, like us coming to life, and it all centers around the café. Jaehyun, being the owner of it, decided to include it in the game as a date spot, but he didn't realise that the café could bring us into their world."

"Is that why I first met Doyoung there?"

"Yes. And I always thought we would be able to return to the game through the café but we can't. We can only return to the game world if we are reset."

"How are we reset?"

"If our 'portal' is destroyed. I guess you don't remember." Taeyong's facial expression contorts into one of disdain. I shake my head. "At first, our portals were the phones used to play the game. There was an accident and Doyoung saved Jaehyun from being hit by a car, but that caused his phone to be crushed. I was reset then. Jaehyun must've gotten angry and thrown Doyoung's phone off of the bridge out of revenge, because you were reset too."

"No wonder Doyoung didn't want to talk about it." I feel remorseful for storming out on him before, but the need for answers is too great.

"After we are reset, we have no memories of our previous life. We stay in the game world unless the person who summoned you the first time touches something of yours, which creates a new portal. That new portal is why you're here right now and the reason why you can't leave."

A/N

exams are finally over so I can update more regularly
also simon says slayed my existence oof

also thank you for everything,, i love y'all sm

- c