Work Text:
49 Days after Wooseok's Death
Seungyoun travels in the to the countryside admiring the field of crimson red spider lilies nearby his destination, he pays his best friend Seungwoo a visit to check him out and of course for a follow up on a book that they are working on. More importantly, he wants to offer the emotional support that Seungwoo needs since Wooseok died.
When he arrived the neat and organized Seungwoo that he knew is a mess.
"Seungwoo I know that you're grieving but you need to pull yourself together" Seungyoun finally breaks the silence after the older one gets to seat in front of him facing a couple of hangover pills and soup just to have something on Seungwoo's stomach.
Seungwoo stays silent, he follows what Seungyoun asks him to do over the days, he may appear normal to Seungyoun doing his daily routine and tasks but at night he engulfs himself with alcohol making his body go numb when his heart remains to hurt because of a deceased lover.
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It’s noon when Seungwoo wakes up. His room is clean, with no traces of alcohol bottles and discarded clothes around. Seungwoo thought that Seungyoun must've cleaned up since his room is a mess. He walks down the hall to greet his friend, he felt sorry all this time but he doesn’t know how to pull himself back together after the hard knocks that happened recently.
Wooseok is his life, his world revolved around Wooseok and now that his lover is gone Seungwoo is a piece of shattered glass. At the end of the hall there's no Seungyoun, but only Wooseok who's staring at the scenic view outside. They picked the specific location of their house in the countryside since Wooseok wants to concentrate on his novel and working on the same field Seungwoo gladly accepts Wooseok's offer of living together.
Seungwoo walks down fast pulling Wooseok into a hug, hot tears streaming down his eyes. He can't believe it, Wooseok is in his arms looking healthy and alive. Wooseok can only chuckle petting Seungwoo’s hair. “Missed me? I only have a short time in this dream, my love”
Wooseok looks radiant as ever, the sun shines beautifully at him, and if only Seungwoo could stop time he’d spend the rest of the afternoon admiring Wooseok. “I told you to stop smoking you’re so stubborn”
“We’re all gonna die anyway. There’s no stick of nicotine in heaven Seungwoo” Wooseok chuckles holding his lover’s hand. He missed everything about Seungwoo, if he only listened to the older one who always nags him, the one who’s taking care of him he could’ve lived longer.
Slowly, Wooseok disappears and Seungwoo wakes up with a heavy heart and traces of tears on his cheek.
100 Days after Wooseok’s Death
It’s already summer and Seungyoun decides that maybe it’s good to accompany Seungwoo taking a time off from the city. Today he forces his best friend to tour him around the countryside, with him driving Seungwoo shows him around Ulsan. Seungyoun learned why Wooseok loved the place. It’s because of the stunning scenery, color painted houses, and the paddy ricefields were some spider lilies grow.
“Spider lilies bloom in autumn.. on Wooseok’s birthday.” Seungyoun regrets asking too much at Seungwoo. The older one tells him it’s fine talking about Wooseok and Seungyoun thinks that maybe it’s a good sign.
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At night Seungwoo strolls nearby the river taking a long drag of his cigarette puffing it into the air. “When did you learn how to smoke?” Wooseok disturbs Seungwoo’s peace walking beside him enjoying the view, full moon shining against the crystal clear water; Wooseok picking up long stems of spider lilies holding it in his arm.
“You really love those Wooseok, they represent death and nothing comes good with that flower” Seungwoo glances over his lover. He already got used to Wooseok appearing in his dreams, he smiles bitterly at the thought of waking up into the reality that Wooseok is gone. Wooseok purses his lips into a thin line “Should I stop visiting in your dreams? These spider lilies bloomed beautifully and ready to serve as my guide to the afterlife”
The thought of not seeing Wooseok even in his dreams wrecks Seungwoo, it feels like getting separated to Wooseok for the second time. That would be too much for Seungwoo to handle, he takes one of the stem from Wooseok’s hand dropping his unfinished cigarette on the ground. Seungwoo plucks its thin petals “How about I live in this dream with you?” Wooseok links his fingers over Seungwoo’s pulling his big frame into his chest. “You have to wake up soon please” Wooseok cries softly knowing what could happen next if Seungwoo stays longer.
That night Seungyoun notices from his window two people nearby the river holding onto each other.
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The following day Seungyoun gets up early to bring coffee to Seungwoo’s room, he felt exhausted in the morning dreaming of Seungwoo and Wooseok by the river. Today he decides to take Seungwoo out to tour him again. He tugs Seungwoo’s arm calling him out, but the older one won’t budge. Seungyoun is worried calling the ambulance, seems like Seungwoo is not breathing.
As soon as they got into the hospital it was declared that Seungwoo died in a sudden cardiac arrest.
“Time of death, four in the morning. Please contact his relatives, Mr. Cho” Seungyoun leans on the wall having a break down as the doctors’ words encrypt on his mind ‘Seungwoo is dead? Cardiac arrest?’
Seungwoo wakes up laying over a bed of crimson red spider lilies while holding Wooseok’s hand smiling in peace. “Why did you come after me? What about our book?” Seungwoo rubs his thumb over Wooseok’s skin before answering “I want to live in this dream… don’t worry Seungyoun will finish the book for us”
A year passed and Seungyoun became a multi-awarded writer with his book about a couple who lived in a dream.