~projectdepression

~
김
네
복
~
Kim Nebok

Never in my entire life have I felt so... So speechless before. The alley we were in seemed to fade into black, leaving me to stare at the person in front of me. I was a guppy. My mouth moved, but no words came out. Tears fell down my eyes. I couldn't believe it anymore. 

I would recognise that face anywhere. Even if he was now wearing glasses, using a green jacket, a white shirt, long beige pants with a black jacket tied around and blue shoes, no one could fool my eyes of Cha Duri.

"H-How?...." I barely managed to choke out. I was desperately praying for this to be a dream. There was no way. There was no way this was Cha Duri.  He ... I was sure that he had died! Acnee would never let anyone who knew the truth live!

"Nebok-hyung....." There was this brief feeling of anger from his tone, but I could see... Worry and concern in his eyes.

And that just made me feel even worse. Was this his way of tripping me up? Kindness? How? He had died by Acnee's hand because of me....

"W-Why are you being so nice even though I killed you?! Please... I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to let go of your hand that night, so please! Stop torturing me! I see it every night already!" I sobbed out, nearly collapsing were it not for Duri. Flashes of that fateful night stabbed me in the heart. I couldn't bear it. I killed someone all because my mom died... How could I?! Selfish selfish selfish-

"NEBOK-HYUNG! SNAP OUT OF IT!"

One moment I was standing, but now I was on the ground, barely feeling the punch I had gotten-

Wait, punch?

Wait, he's warm too...

So...

Does that mean that he is alive?

"Nebok-hyung, we can't stay here. If the Bikerbots find us, we're done for. We need to get a move on," he firmly stated, holding his hand out to me. He seemed focused now. So different from the Duri I had known before....

I was hesitant, to be honest. Why was he still alive? Shouldn't he be dead? He fell into the sea! No one... No one could survive that! I was....

I was scared. I was scared that he still held a grudge against me.....

But if there was something I knew, it was that Duri knew what was going on here.

That's how I managed to gather my courage and took his hand.

A smile formed on his face. He looked happy for once as he turned back, "Alright, stay with me, Nebok-hyung. Every step counts in the dark side of Daedo City."

With that, the two of us disappeared into the shadow of the alley in the midst of the uproar lit by Acnee. Using the shouts from the main streets as our shield from our enemy.

There was practically no light around us a few minutes into our journey, but I mainly stayed behind Duri, allowing him to slither between the alleys expertly. He seemed used to this, even though it had only been a year or so. He seemed different too. Smarter. Kinder. Even.... A bit darker.... But still determined. A feeling seemingly lighting his heart to continue his mission.

It only fueled the feeling of regret in my heart, though.... How could I have exposed Duri to this?... He was only what, ten? He didn't deserve this so early into his childhood. He didn't deserve this kind of suffering.

"Don't think too much about it, Nebok-hyung."

I nearly tripped hearing that, barely being caught by Duri (once again) as he held me in place, "H-Huh?"

"I said, don't think too much about it," he repeated, smiling at me all the while. "You can't be distracted now. I can promise you one thing; we'll talk when we get to my apartment."

"Apartment?" I blinked. How did Duri have an apartment here? Acnee was sure to have tracked him down by now if that was the case.

"Long story," he quickly added, helping me up once he was sure I was stable enough. His balance had definitely gotten better since I last saw him. "But, as I keep saying, we'll talk later. Acnee has eyes and ears everywhere."

I understood that, for sure.

I just nodded, and so we rushed, running every few seconds at the slightest sound. Duri was in the lead, sliding and stopping on reflexes alone. This must have been something he was used to. A habit grown over more than twenty-one days, the psychological amount of days usually needed for such a habit to be grown. He had truly become an expert; a fact I was amazed by. He was so... So charismatic.

However, I didn't get the chance to say that, cause for the entire time, we were tense. Our muscles stiff, seemingly in a daze of running. It was as it was a dream, and when I woke up, it would still be how it was before.

However, that wasn't the case. I knew that for sure.

If that was the case, then an entire year had been a total dream.

All my hard work had been for nothing.

Now, my grip was tight. My knuckles tight, I inhaled and exhaled, keeping the oxygen in my head constant to keep it level. I couldn't lose my head now. Not now, when I was so close to the truth. I could tell that Duri held the final piece of the puzzle. The final piece of the conspiracy we had both found ourselves sucked into out of nowhere more than a year ago, that fateful night.

Thankfully, the oxygen helped a lot, because after some more twists and turns, I found myself looking at an apartment that looked like it didn't belong in Daedo. At all. Moss grew on its walls, and small vines had begun growing around its windows, reminding me of the old houses one usually saw in a place where no one cares for the garden anymore. Well, its beginning anyway.

"This is your place?" I blinked, perplexed. What was this... This strange place? Daedo was an advanced city, right? How did this place end up here?

"When I was first brought here, I thought the same," he chuckled good-naturedly, striding towards the entrance. "But it's become like home in the year."

"That's nice... I found my solace in Odaiba," I finally admitted, sheepishly smiling for the first time since I returned here. It did feel nice to be able to talk with someone familiar at long last.

"In Japan?" He laughed softly, fishing out a small antique key from his pocket as he inserted it into its hole, twisting it right. "Wow, that's a far way from home."

"I agree. It feels nice being back home at Korea," I grinned, stepping into Duri's apartment after being prodded by said dongsaeng with a simple stare. 

I then found myself in a quaint room, filled with books, papers, and files. A small closet was under a huge board, which seemed to contain a lot of notes. I noted that it had important dates on it, like when Acnee first appeared, my first appearance, the Corona Lens, whatever it was, and so on. The photos of the robots she had created were also there, labelled so meticulously I was a bit creeped out by it. Duri must have noted all this since he began his work as a Tobot Pilot..... I moved a bit to look at the clues he had gathered while listening to his reply.

"I know. That's why I never left here, even if Acnee was threatening me. I wanted to protect Daedo from her," his eyes glazed over. Then, he allowed himself to sit on the computer chair which had been tucked under a laptop on the desk. I found myself on the single bed which was neat, tidy and without a speck of dirt. He was real thorough-

Wait, that's not the point here! The point was Duri's cuteness-

Wait what?! My head flushed red. What was I saying- no, thinking?!

I was confusing myself now! Just get back to the point!

"I-I see...." My heart felt heavy after finally loading his words completely. "Look, Duri, about what happened-"

"I already know, Nebok-hyung," he interrupted, shaking his head as he adjusted his glasses once more.

My eyes widened, nearly falling off the bed, "W-What?"

"The three days I was Acnee's prisoner, she boasted about that. About how she emotionally manipulated you into dropping me into the water."

"O-Oh...." A wave of relief washed over me, just like that. A weight was lifted off my shoulders upon hearing that. In the end, it wasn't just me.... It was Acnee's manipulation....

Tears flooded down my cheeks, and the next thing I knew, I was hugging my current crush, sobbing uncontrollably, "Oh Duri...! Thank you! Thank you so much!"

"N-No problem, Nebok-hyung," his warmth consumed my body, and I felt some tears from him. "I... I-I should be the one apologising."

"B-Baka, that's not how it goes... You did nothing wrong," I sniffed out. Why was this kid so... So pure and caring?! Ahhhh! My face flushed over, which overall made a strange scene.

Duri seemed to have noticed, cause he let go to face me.

Then, he snickered softly, "This... Is quite the scene. Your face is so.... Hilarious."

At that, my embarrassment skyrocketed, prompting me to flush all over again, but with more blood pumped into my face.

Why? Why, Oh Lord, did I have to end up falling for such a pure angel?!

Duri laughed quietly, a giggle barely escaping his thin lips, "W-We should get back into business, b-but...."

I looked away, hiding a smile of relief, "W-We should..." Thank goodness! I thought I was going to lose my blood from all the blushing I was doing!

"Well, I want to know what you have so far, so we can formulate something from combining that information."

"Sounds good," I set my bag on the floor. "I'll get my car later, so for now, let's get to work."

He nodded, getting serious in the process, "Let's start planning."

I crossed my arms on the ground, getting my notes accumulated over the year and setting it down on the floor.

It was time to get serious. We couldn't afford any failures. This was the only time we could stop Acnee.

After all, it was nearing that time.

We had to be ready for that, no matter what.

"Okay, so what do you have so far?" Duri asked me, adjusting his glasses as he took out a book from under his pillow. 

"Here," I rummaged through my bag to get my notebook out, handing it over to him and allowing him to read it while I observed the living space he had called home for more than a year. It made sense that he would choose this place, since it would be more effective and faster. 

"This should be good enough," Duri finally closed it, smiling at me lightheartedly. This brought a blush to my face, which I tried to hide by looking away. I was not going to embarrass myself any further! 

"Thanks," was my final response, looking back once I was finally confident enough with my face. "But we don't have enough. We need a lot if we're going to accuse her of being corrupted." 

"Good point," he sighed, rubbing his temple. 

"That's why I had a plan to find that piece. Thankfully, now that I have you, the plan will work perfectly." 

"Huh? Plan?" he blinked. 

"A plan that will help the Tobot Pilots and us equally," I smirked. "So, you in?" 

Duri hummed for a while, eyes narrowed in concentration. I bit back any words that might indicate my worry, which was totally understandable! What if he didn't accept?! I mean, it would be rational and all that, but still! This plan was now better with the truth of his survival out. Dai could even help us out here! All we had to do was do it, and make sure nothing went wrong. 

Please, please, please, Duri. Please put all your grudges aside for this!

"Fine then," he spoke at last, grinning at me determinedly. 

This spawned a cheer from me, one filled with happiness and relief.

I have never felt more relieved than I did now.

He had forgiven me....

And that was the best gift I could have ever received.

~
권
세
모
~
Kwon Semo

"THIS IS ALL MY FAULT!!" was all I could hear from Hana's screams as he kept on sobbing into his pillow, hugging it tight as if it was his lifeline. His entire tone had regret in it. Filled with self-hatred, a trait I had never associated with Cha Hana before. It made sense, yes, but still... It was so strange... So foreign to me. He was usually the optimistic kind. The north to Duri's south, and to my East/West. He was a kind soul.

So to see him so... So heartbroken, so hurt... It hurt me as well.

It wasn't like Duri's betrayal didn't hurt me either, honestly. I was stunned. Angry. Enraged. How could Duri betray his twin? His brother? His blood and flesh? That was the worst thing he could have done to Hana's already unstable mentality.

The worst strike to his dad, too.

Doun-Ahjussi was looking down, mumbling, "No no no no no.... This is... This is my fault... How could I.... How could I... I-I failed you, Yeobo."

"I'm so sorry... Doun, Hana.... I'm sorry.... This is my fault...." Appa was hunched over his pillow. Tear marks were evident on his face. He was still blaming himself for being the final nail to Duri's mental instability, and it showed now, the time of Duri's insanity peak.

I bit my lip, feeling the wounds I had made with my sharp bites. All I could feel was failure. I was a failure. I couldn't save Duri from his darkness in the end. I had indirectly caused this. He was now our enemy. All.  Because. Of. Us.

We had done it.

This was all our fault.

The metallic taste of blood stung my tongue, bringing tears out. Regret swirled in my head, screaming angrily. How could I have let this happen? Duri was my friend. I should have been more attentive. More caring. Instead, I was horrible to him. I treated him like an extra. We all were to blame for this.

Hana gripped his pillow tight, unable to move anymore. His energy had been horribly depleted in the entire year that Duri had been missing, and then with Duri's body found. But now... With the truth out now, the worst one of all, it had hit him hard. The part that had been buried deep within his heart, it had been scratched out so roughly. It must hurt so much.

Especially since Hana's scars were still so raw after everything.

"Hana...." I finally broke the silence, moving to take his hand to my palm. "You've had a long day. You should take a rest."

"But it's just 5...." Was his weak protest.

"No buts, Hana," I was not going to let him force himself any further. "Let's go."

He went silent, making me worry for a moment that he wasn't going to agree. We both knew that he needed it, but.....

"Fine...." He decided at last, exhaling a sigh. There was a slight, broken smile on his face, which only served to break my heart even more. I liked the happy Hana, not the present one. I didn't fall in love with this Hana.....

I kept my smile, though, as I quickly helped him up and escorted him to our shared bedroom, where I directed his dazed self through his usual routine before I let him head to bed. I didn't forget to activate the calm music from the music box as I went through my own routine. 

Sliding my headphones to their usual position around my neck, my hand found itself moving towards Hana's hair. I stroked his hair, humming the melody. I made my movements match with the tune, calming me down in the process. 

A smile made its way to my face. I liked seeing him so calm. The music had always been a great remedy to his tornado of emotions, a cure to his inner pain. 

"It's amazing how music can affect someone, huh, Hana-ah?" I patted his head once more, my smile now as big as I could manage. I felt so much better now that he seemed calm. Hana deserved it. 

Then, I made myself comfortable on the bed beside his, and put my headphones on as I played my usual songs. 

I'm sorry..... Duri, we all did this to you, I thought to myself, allowing some tears to finally fall down my cheeks. My head on the pillow, I tried my best to wipe the small tears around my eyelids. 

"You are allowed to cry, Semo. You don't have to fear any judgement from me. *chuckles* I can tell you that I've cried one too many times in my life. And believe me when I say that it feels good to cry in the open while being accepted by your close friends. I mean, when you first found me crying all by myself that night, you didn't judge me either. *smiles* I'm  not the kind to judge others when they've shown so much love to me, so it's okay to cry with me, okay, Semo-ya."

My eyes widened in shock. That voice... That sweet, caring voice.... It was the real Duri's words. It conveyed his love for his loved ones. One thing I've always loved about him. 

And it was a part of him that may be buried within him. Shut in no thanks to Nebok and Acnee. 

The real Duri was in there somewhere. 

And we were going to bring him back. 

No matter what. 

A plan, small in its beginning, formed. 

And a smile appeared as my exhausted mind slowly returned to dreamland. 

A determined one. 

Duri, we will bring you back from despair, no matter what. 

That's a promise. 

~

"

김

태

우

"

~

"Kim Taewoo"

"I can't believe this. After all this time... After all this time, why is he surfacing NOW?!" I hissed, glaring at the android I had made. Having spotted him using the surveillance cameras, you could say that I wasn't just mad. I was enraged. I was irritated. That kid had always gotten in the way of my plans since he found those stupid files, and  I had been trying to get him back ever since. I had wanted to manipulate him into working for me. 

But instead, look! He ended being one of my biggest adversaries! He was now in the way of my conquest.

"Well, at least I beat him to his revelation," I smirked slightly.

A laugh echoed from the laptop behind me, "Oh puhleeze. To say he was shocked would be an understatement. I would even go as far as to say he was.... FURIOUS."

"Fits the bill," I hummed. "You're getting smarter. I like that."

"Thank you," he bowed. "However, you should go rest, Lady Sora. After all, that time is approaching soon."

"Indeed. I already have Angela and Huijuk working on the campaign. Father will deal with the main things. You should just focus on your own duty."

"Very well. Until we talk again, Wang Sora."

"Likewise."

I was not about to let that kid destroy everything I've worked for. This was for him. This was all for him, after all. Anyone who stood in my way....

Would perish.

At all costs.