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The Bros

WC: 6969 (why. WhY?! God has forsaken me, I have forsaken me, my hands are forsaken me, I am HANDLESS) Legit didn’t edit this bc 6969 IS PERFECT NOTE: This is for @rainsonata‘s birthday that was weeks ago and I’m late and I’m soRRY1!11!1!!! PAIRING: RSDC/RMFPish EXTRA NOTE o uob: Please, DC is done calculating :^) he’s looking at this word count and has a gun to my head-

Chung didn’t believe he would require help. At the budding age of sixteen, he had become known as the Deadly Chaser whose duty was to strike down enemies with his Silver Shooters. His strength was admirable for someone his age, but he wasn’t strong enough. No, he was never ready for something this world-shattering. By the age of sixteen, his father had fallen victim to the demons’ influence and attacked Hamel’s protectors in obedience. The teenager cursed himself for not being capable enough and armed himself with the Destroyer and his trustworthy Silver Shooters. They were loaded with destructive bullets that could be refilled anytime Chung so desired. With his weapons ready, he launched himself onto the battlefield… How could he have known this would happen? How could he have known that his father--under the influence of the demons--had become stronger than before? All those times he had sparred with his father meant nothing. His pride had been destroyed to an immense degree and he could feel his bones cracking upon impact of his father’s cannon. Skin broke way to flesh, flesh broke way to marrow and he fell upon the bloodied ground of Hamel. His body was so heavy, so filled with shame and hesitation. This wasn’t the time to hesitate, yet there it was. It reared its ugly head at him, snorting and breathing upon his shoulder. He could feel its metallic gaze, filling his nostrils with its tainted air. He couldn’t die like this, not when his father was still there, not when he could still save him from this! “F-father…” he croaked, struggling to pull himself up from the ground. How many of his bones were broken, or fractured? He didn’t care. There was simply no time to care about something as feeble as shattered bones. A bellowing roar striked at him, pushing him into another stone wall with unrelenting force. Chung could no longer feel the pain by then and his own body automatically tried to get up, ignoring its own protests. “...f-father...it’s me…” “How dare you challenge the demons?!” came the roaring response. “This is it! I will exterminate every bit of you!” It hurt. It was painful. It hurt so much. The boy had no choice but to raise his wounded arm, heavy as a stone pillar, to fight back. His Silver Shooter had never felt so cold before in his bloodied hand, but he could not feel its weight more than he did of his arm. There was nothing more painful in his life than to point his gun at his beloved kin. His chest heaved in air, trying to dull the pain with the sensation of breathing, and his eyes were unfocused and pained with dried tears. His father was splitting in two images, phasing in and out of reality. If this was some wicked dream, or hallucination, Chung would rather have that than this outcome. It wasn’t a hallucination. This was real and he was on the battlefield facing his father’s outrage. This was real and he was dying fast. Still, he raised his gun at his own father and he gritted his teeth in agony. He couldn’t pull the trigger in time when his consciousness finally gave in. His mind blacked out and there was nothing to catch his fall to the ground. The burden of his fight was lifted off, but maybe it would be his last fight. Was it better this way? Better to die, than to suffer living a life without his father? Maybe so...maybe it was--

He woke up. His consciousness seeped into his vision and he blinked away the tears that had formed. The dream of guilt and shame was flickered away with his awareness. Was it a dream? He damn well wished it was. Any minute now, his father would be checking up on him and he would have had passed out from a spar, or something. Life was never forgiving and the numbing pain in his body showed it so. He couldn’t sit up to wipe away his own tears, or to hide his freshly made humiliation. There was no one in the room and he felt stupid for expecting his father to be there. It dawned on him that reality had too much in store for him, too much for him to bear. A boisterous noise was coming from the other side of the door and it was here that he met Elsword, the Rune Slayer. At first, he couldn’t believe a kid his age would be so loud and so cringey at the same time. It came as a surprise when Elsword had revealed himself to be the younger brother of Elesis, the Red Knight. She was a legendary Knight whose ability to handle both demons and enemies was superb and inspiring. Chung had heard of both her accomplishments and of the Elgang’s. He thought it was lead by Elesis who was vastly experienced in leading soldiers and higher ranks. This made him think back to himself. At the age of thirteen, he was given command of a small unit and taught how to lead men into battle. It required many practice drills and sleepless nights of poring over books, absorbing tactics and the art of war. Not that his family specified in war, but they have certainly dipped their feet in it. Even so, he could feel an inferiority to both his father and Elesis Sieghart. Elesis had also commanded a smaller unit at a young age and proved her skills through determination and hard work. Chung had done that, too, but tales of the Red Knight of Velder spread throughout the land of Elrios, and she was formidable and powerful. Compared to himself, Chung was mostly known as Helputt’s son and heir to the Seiker position. Where was the recognition for his own ability to command and to fight? Was it because he abandoned the use of the Destroyer that people grew to be ashamed of him? That could be the case, but this was the path he forged and this was the path he would continue on until the end. Despite his resolve, it was easy to be disheartened by his father’s shadow and the shadow of Elesis herself. She was an independent, yet courageous young woman, and to meet her face-to-face was intimidating. He didn’t need that right now when he had lost his father to the demons. “My name’s Elsword Sieghart! I’m the Leader of the Elgang,” were the first words from him--wait, what? Chung made a confused noise and looked from Elesis to Elsword to Elesis and back. She wasn’t the leader? He wanted to ask Elsword how old he was because he must’ve been the same age as himself, but it would be rude on their first meeting. He chose to stay quiet for the time being and only talked when he had to. Throughout his recovery, he had gotten to know both of them and the rest of the Elgang. It came to his attention that Elsword was more similar to him than he expected. Elsword had been in the shadow of Elesis for so long and was still being misunderstood. There it was, the guilt. He was guilty of not recognizing Elsword’s achievements of leading the Elgang. To lead such an amazing group of people at the mere age of sixteen was immensely demanding, yet Elsword managed to take on that burden along with the disappointments with it. It was praiseworthy, but pitiful at the same time. It would probably take a lot for Elsword to be recognized for his talent and ability. No one would care to think that a sixteen year old was the leader. Chung could easily see that either Elesis, or Raven would be seen as the leader, given their actual experience. But, Elsword? He would always be in their shadow and feel insecure about himself, or at least, that was what Chung thought. It never occurred to him how cheerful Elsword was for a while when all he could think of was his lost father. Once he got up and walking, he joined the Elgang since his goal aligned with theirs. To defeat the demons and restore peace to Elrios. He would not turn his back on them and not to Elsword.

He often compared himself to Elsword. The young knight had a heavy burden thrusted upon him, to save the world from both demons and any threats. One could compare this burden to carrying the world on his very shoulders. Even if Elsword wasn’t alone in this, it would still be hard and painful to do that. Was that the one thing he couldn’t compare, however? Chung never had responsibilities quite as large as Elsword’s and that was where the comparing skidded to a stop. He couldn’t relate and he was alone once more. He shouldn’t complain. He was wrong. The more and more closer he got to the Elgang and Elsword, the more attached he became to his new friends. Chung became appreciative of Elsword’s ability to lead, seeing the Rune Slayer try his damndest to protect and lead his friends. Could he ever be as strong as him? Maybe never, maybe so. That didn’t matter now. What mattered was that he would help Elsword carry his burden as a close friend. Were they close? It appeared so. For each time they fought alongside each other, they would fight in unity and covering their backs. Sparring had never been so much fun, as well. The Chaser remembered having bruises and cuts from sparring with soldiers and his father, but never quite enjoying it. With Elsword, it was a different story. He was easily enjoying the young knight’s skills and energy. … This was getting out of hand. Why was it getting out of hand? It was because he found himself thinking about Elsword the more he sparred and was with him. There became a point in time when he wanted to know what Elsword was doing, how he was doing and where he was when they were separated from each other. Sometimes the Elgang had to split into groups to complete their tasks and he didn’t always get to pair up with Elsword during so. He felt a great trust being emitted from Elsword. Chung proved himself to be a trustworthy and strong member, and earned Elsword’s trust when it came to advice on how to lead the Elgang. Although Raven and Elesis had more expertise, Elsword always seemed to come to Chung for advice. It was strange, and it was giving him mixed signals. Was he feeling something he shouldn’t be feeling? That was how he thought. He had to stay focused on the task ahead, but his mind always wandered to Elsword and thinking about what he was doing. Their adventures to defeat demons and monsters became dangerous and arduous as it had always been, but Chung had the thirst to become stronger. He had to become stronger, or else something might happen again. Since he had joined the Elgang, there had been a debilitating fear that he might lose them, too. Why was this appearing now all of a sudden? The Chaser stood in Elysion amongst Nasods and the heavenly background. Chung felt like he was going to lose something soon, like an ominous omen that strikes out from the blue. Was he going to lose something precious to him? He had to become stronger before that happened and to an extent, he had. He had transcended from his previous stage and had taken down so many enemies. His white armor had been bloodied in many battles, growing crimson red before washing down to its white and black. Even with his growing strength, the fear wouldn’t stop assaulting him. Again. He was bleeding hard, again. Not physically like he had before, but it was painful. Extremely so. It felt like he was bleeding from every orifices, especially from his own heart and chest. There had been a blinding light of turquoise, flooding into them and overwhelming their vision. When it had settled down, Elsword was no longer there. Where was he? Why was he gone? He was there a moment ago and now he was gone. What happened? What was Elsword’s decision? Chung had told Elsword to go through with his choice, and that of course was right, but was it really? Was this what his fear was? That Elsword was no longer here? The discord in the Elgang was immediately noticeable. Rena was the first to react, then Eve, then Solace. Chung was the last. The Rune Slayer had been absorbed into the Giant El as a result of his decision. He was gone. Why? Solace told them that Elsword had sacrificed himself and that the ancient city of Elrianode was awakening. That didn’t matter, the city didn’t matter, but what mattered was the fact that Elsword had given himself up. It wasn’t out of pure heroism, out of the kindness of Elsword’s heart. No, Chung had a feeling he knew why Elsword sacrificed himself, and it shattered him. It became difficult to care about anything else after that. Harnier, the El Lady, had woken up from her long slumber. Someone was given up and another was given back. Aside from that, everything was static inside his mind until Rena noticed his silence. “Chung?” she asked, placing a hand on his shoulder. His silent mind was buzzing anew as he looked at Rena. “I know it may be hard, but you have to stay strong. We can still save Elsword in time if we hurry.” That’s right… he thought. Solace had told them that Elsword was inside the El, not that he died. “Thanks to Elsword, the El is being restored to its original form. I, too, was able to wake up with his power. However...if the El keeps absorbing him, Elsword will eventually disappear.” In that sense, Elsword had truly sacrificed himself knowing that he might not be able to turn back on his choice. He chose to restore the El over his own life, over repeating a cycle of more sacrifices. … He will save him. Chung could feel a new resolve growing inside of his chest. He gripped the handle of his Silver shooter and pieced himself back together. It wasn’t too late to save Elsword. It wasn’t too late to find another way.

Chung told himself he would never hesitate. He would stand tall with his Silver Shooters and own resolve. His father had always told him to never wave in his own belief, that to waver in the face of changing circumstances was weak. The coldness of the air breathed down upon him, wearing his body and watching his every move. Translucent figures stood ahead, still as if encased in ice and rigidness. They were not ice and their moves were smoother than the wind, almost unnaturally so. They had formed from the power within his Guardian Stone and called out to him, trying to turn him around to return from whence he came. For some reason, he knew that was not the case and heard their discouragements. “Turn back, Seiker. We have become whole as a result of the El becoming complete. If not now, then when is the perfect time to save your father? Was that not your end goal? Did you not once swear to him that you would bring him back from the demons? So why continue? Turn back.” He had a reason to keep going. It wasn’t just because his convictions would never waver, but because he needed to bring Elsword back. This gaping hole that spread within his own chest was agonizing and he could not live life knowing that he could’ve done something. His own convictions will not stop here, it will not turn back and adapt to the ever-changing circumstance of life. That convenience was wretched. Understandable, but cowardly. Chung ventured forth, shooting his bullets through illusions of himself. Their voices went inside one ear and out the other as quick as his shooting. “Do you think he wants to be saved?” What kind of stupid question was that? Was it not obvious that Elsword required…? “No. Do you not remember? That amount of burden he felt...you felt it, too.” His bullets stopped shooting across the air, becoming stale and dissolving into nothingness. Chung couldn’t move from where he was and the Guardian Stone’s form walked towards him, in his silhouette and with no intention of attacking its bearer. The very air and its particles stopped moving, like a sheet of rain frozen mid air. The silhouette walked through the solid air, ephemeral in its form and ghostly in its essence. “You remember, don’t you? He doesn’t want to come back. Don’t you understand?”

“Chung, you’re here?” questioned Elsword, sitting by the edge of the camp. No one else was attracted to this solitary place where only the two remained, staring at the crescent moon that floated in the dark sea. The meaty smell of finished dinner roamed through the air still, but all was quiet and peaceful. Swimming across crisp air and cascading coldness, giving away to a strange sense of warmth that echoed in their bones. The Guardian sat next to the Knight, both grown and strong in their ability to stand fast. Their silence seeped through the foliage of the trees, rustling through and peering at them with blackened eyes. White dots from the lights reflected off of them, rippling still. “You’ve been a bit distant from the group,” noted Chung. “You can tell me what’s wrong.” “Thanks, but...well, there’s nothing to hide from you,” chuckled Elsword. His laugh vibrated through the air like stone skipping across water. Body movement. Head tilting down and moving elsewhere into the darkness of the canvas in front of them. “There’s no hiding the fact that I’ve finally…” Chung listened, given the serious atmosphere of the night. “Finally decided to be proud of my belly nudity!” “You what…?” Chung dropped the serious listening and stared at him with his armor clinking. “There have been many times where Aisha kept pointing out that it’s not necessary, but I will not hide the fact that I’m proud and loud!” The Guardian sighed. One part of him was relieved, but he knew for sure that there was a secret being hidden. Elsword may have a brilliant personality, yet he had flaws just like anyone else. There was a hopelessness in this. Humans change the subject when prompted with an uncomfortable topic and it was preserving at most. But it only delayed the inevitable, and the inevitable always arrived in shocking ways. Even so, he chose to chuckle at the silliness shown by his close comrade. Elsword patted Chung’s shoulder, “What? It’s nothing serious, friend, I’ll be there with everyone in a second! Go ahead and wait for me, aight?” “Alright…” The trees rustled further with leaves drooping from the lack of sunlight. He stood up to give them a last glance before taking a few steps back to the camp. “Elsword. You know you can tell me anything, right?” He did want to know what Elsword was going through without making assumptions based on observations. Hearing the truth was harsh, but nothing was worse than avoidable consequences. He wanted to know everything there was to know about Elsword, everything that preoccupied the teenager and everything he did. For some reason, the place where he was patted was tingling through the armor. Why, then, did it appear that Elsword was so alone? He waved back in response to Chung’s offer and resumed his activity. Elsword was alone and Chung understood, then, one of his insecurities. The slayer had never told anyone how he truly felt, never tried to reach out for help himself despite helping others often. How hypocritical it must’ve been yet without a doubt selfless to do. Chung didn’t like it. Why did Elsword have to sacrifice his own emotions so much for the wellbeing of others? Eventually, it led to this one moment. To this one realisation. The reason why Elsword sacrificed himself was because he wanted a third choice...and partially because he didn’t want to come back when he was rarely considered the leader. When he was always being compared. The shadow of Elesis Sieghart, his older sister, was bigger than anything else. And it swallowed him whole.

“It would be selfish of you to undo his actions. The El is complete and so is your power. This is the chance to save your father, more than ever.” “Selfish, you say?” Chung gritted his teeth, gripping onto his Silver Shooter as he pointed it towards the ghostly figure. “It’ll be selfish for me to change my faith just because of changing situations! Elsword has always been saving others, putting people before himself! It would be selfish of me to leave him to die as his friend!” He pulled the trigger, blasting forth a deadly bullet exploding from its chamber. It pierced through the figure, which disappeared from Chung’s view. As if from behind, the Guardian Stone’s voice walked on by, “If you’re doing this, you best stay true to your heart. If your convictions will not waver as Helputt has taught you, you best stay brave to the unspeakable.” The guardian clad in a blue scarf and his white and black freiturnier, ran forward with his Destroyer on the back. He ran like a man with an ironic weight on his shoulders, feeling resolute in his choice. To save someone who doesn’t want to be saved was difficult. You carried the possibility of ruining what little pride they had left, humiliating them from their sacrifice and bringing them back to a world of pain. That was a possibility, yet it was one Chung would risk to bring back someone he cared about. It was because of Elsword that he gathered the resolution to save his father and put back together the broken shards of his life. Each glittering a sadness of regret and despite this, Elsword helped him glue back the pieces. Fragile work, it was, but it was work and it helped him stand back on his feet. For that, he was grateful and even more than that. He wouldn’t let Elsword die like this. With all the things Elsword had accomplished and led, his life was more than just something to throw away. It was a life Chung desperately held onto. Everyone was there, in the center of the El, yelling out for their leader. Chung couldn’t say it right at this instant, but his voice rung out pure emotion than usual. “Elsword, the El Search Party’s mission is not yet complete! Please come back!” No one else had noticed it, but the magician had sensed it. Aisha looked at the guardian, shouting out as loud as he could and possibly would. She had a feeling it was more than just a desire to get Elsword back. She couldn’t point fingers, not now. There was a tug at her heart and in one moment, she could see beyond Chung’s act that he held up.

“What is it, Aisha?” he asked as they moved to an isolated area. The sound of the others could be heard, chattering and sounding jumbled. They wouldn’t be able to make out what Aisha and Chung would say from that distance. He waited for her to say something and found that she was staring only at him, eyes trained on him which made him uneasy in some way. Yet there was a sense of urgency in her purple eyes. The purplette with her revealing outfit and twin ponytails was not usually without Angkor. The bat was off somewhere, supposed Chung. It was just the both of them, alone and standing upon the stone grounds. “I love Elsword.” Those were the three words she said. She did have a planned talk before this, but in the moment she was in, it felt like those were the only words she needed to say for Chung to understand. It was a confession, but it was not a command. It was not her way of saying that Chung had no chance because she knew she couldn’t stop the guardian. Her confession was more of a declaration of resolve. There was no tightness in her tone, no spite or hate for the friend that was close to her love interest. Her nature did not lie in psychopathic tendencies, the intricacy tied to mental instability. He wondered what to say. What was there to say? Should he, too, declare his resolve in front of Aisha? Chung remembered the earlier times of the El Search Party, when he had once called Aisha ‘Big Sister’. She was just like that. A big sister that liked magic and was willing to do everything to take her former power back. Now, they were on equal terms. Equal enough to see each other as people with their own emotions and complicated inner workings. Clink went his armor as he looked up to her. Need he say that he loved Elsword? Aisha wouldn’t have told him if he wasn’t, otherwise. Not with this timing and place, alone and near the end. Instead, he smiled and it was as if his heart had decided on its objective. A sturdy strength that kept him standing. He spoke with confidence and knowingly, “I know.” Relieved that her assumption was true, she let out a sigh empty of sadness, “We both fell in love with an idiot, haven’t we?” To that, he had to agree, “Yeah, we have.” It didn’t feel like a rivalry, not an unhealthy one or one made out of jealousy. They were going to walk forward on the pathway that laid so brittle and uncertain. What Aisha hadn’t told Chung was that she was sure she wasn’t going to win Elsword’s affection, if he held any. She wasn’t as close to him as Chung was, but then that may be his downfall. She had heard of confessions that have ended in denial, yet of half-assed acceptance. Her resignation hoped that Chung attained what he wanted. If it didn’t succeed, they would at least have each other to console and continue living on for their own sake.

A glob of blood was spat onto the ground. He pulled the trigger, shooting metallic bullets that sliced forth from their barrels. Bullet casings splatter onto the ground like raindrops, echoing through the air and deafened by the sound of explosive attacks. The monsters twisted up into the air, sliding eerily onto platforms before eyeing their arrival. There were voices. Voices again. They came to him in silence before the storm, vibrating through the air particles in echoing tones. They knew he was here and they knew what he came for. Harsh, bitter words striked down on him from above, but they only strengthened his resolve to go forward. Suddenly, each of them were alone in the final battle inside the sanctuary. Chung was prepared for everything at this point and he could feel his power becoming stronger. The Chrysalis appeared before him, having opened a rift that distorted the sanctuary in the first place. All of the voices had stopped, then, peering at him from the distance as he knew they were there. He couldn’t see Elsword anymore, but his resolve stayed strong. The slayer was surely fighting his own battles now and Chung needed to remain adamant in his stance. “I will not falter,” he said, but to no one in particular. The battle was hard won and the Chrysalis was defeated before re-entering the Void, leaving a tired Chung behind. He took another swig of a health potion, trying to re-energize himself in case something else happened. Footsteps could be heard striding across the cracked grounds of the sanctuary, tilting Chung’s head up to a familiar white figure. There was something different in the way the figure held itself and its form was noticeably different, taller somewhat and proud. “You’ve arrived.” Its words resounded, calling for resolve. “I knew it, you’re…” “Determination is your greatest strength. Without it, you are but a candle standing in front of a howling wind.” It raised its head. “Prove to me you are worthy. Show me not only your strength, but your will to cut through insecurity!”

“You are capable of wielding this power…” said the figure. It walked towards the fatigued guardian and placed a hand on his shoulder, looking down at him, “You must go now. To him. Even if things might not end well as you hope it will, do not falter where others would cower. You’ve earned this more than enough.” Chung breathed in the air once more, and it was strange how it tasted like something new. It was sharp with a tinge of a new environment, but it was not like he was in another place altogether. The smell signified his growth of a newer power, unraveling a means to stand by someone’s side. He wished that side to be Elsword’s. Gritting his teeth, he noticed that fear of failure clung to him like a cloak. The El Search Party’s leader was unaware of many emotions his comrades held towards him--well, a couple of them anyway. There was admiration and trust shared amongst the party. With the exception of a few. He stood up tall with a couple injuries bleeding out. A bottle of red liquid was pulled out with the lid twisted off and held in between fingers, before it was tipped to a mouth and emptied readily fast. Liquid health cascaded down his throat, tasting strange and sweet. However, the scent of it was bitter and made for the strangeness of said liquid. Once the bottle was finished, he twisted on the cap and towed it away for future refilling. Feeling invigorated, he set about exploring the place for any other entrances than the one he entered in. When he saw that there was nowhere else, he returned to the previous cavernous room. The heaviness of his armor was forgotten when he walked on in, seeing Raven and Ara sitting somewhere. They noticed him coming back from the battleground and waved at him. Chung noticed that they felt stronger somewhat, just like him. “Is Elsword back yet?” “He is,” answered Raven. “Aisha wanted to go tell him something so he’s alone with her.” “Miss Aisha looked very nervous,” said Ara. “I think she’s going to confess to him!” “She sure did look like it.” Rena was walking towards them as well. “It’s about time she worked up the courage, and perfect timing, too~” Chung didn’t say anything and his silence was noted by Rena. Without saying a thing, she went towards Raven and Ara to sit beside them as Chung waited. The surroundings echoed in quietness, tingling through the air with its gloomy appearance. Darkness covered the backgrounds around them with the absence of corrupted monsters, or were they simply Henir’s monsters to begin with? They didn’t know about this place until Hennon was defeated with their previous strength. Nonetheless, Chung wasn’t paying attention to any of these details and simply thought about Elsword. If what Rena said was true, Aisha was the first to confess to Elsword. It made him nervous once more and almost jealous in a way. Not in a vicious way as described in romantic novels, but in a friendly manner that Chung wasn’t the first to confess to him. There were no voices telling him that Aisha might succeed in winning Elsword’s affections. He wished her good luck with it instead. In several minutes, Chung spotted the magician returning with Elsword in tow. Her expression gave away nothing when she saw the El Search Party returning, but when she glanced at Chung, there was a soft smile that told him something. He couldn’t pinpoint it, but later he would know. Elsword looked confused. He’s grown stronger, acknowledged Chung. I knew he would. There was the concern that he would bombard Elsword with two confessions in one day and the timing was becoming too old to continue with. Yet, it was still the matter of ‘now, or never’. The slayer looked at Chung, approaching him instead of the others. His heart skipped a small beat and an apprehensive emotion flooded inside of him. Even though Elsword’s gaze returned to Aisha as he walked towards him, he was thinking about how he should confess his feelings. It was, without a doubt, something courageous and required thinking and overthinking once more. Love was a strange thing, but it could be explained by the characterisation of hormones flooding the body and thoughts wafting through the mind. “That was weird,” said Elsword as he came close. “Let’s go talk over there.” He pointed towards a ledge that could be sat upon. Chung knew what had happened, but he still found himself asking, “So what did Aisha want to talk to you about?” They were just out of earshot as the other members understood somewhat. “She confessed to me,” he said, spiral eyed. “Or, at least, I think she did. I don’t know.” “Did she say she loves you?” “Yeah. It’s kinda a blur, haha. I think she meant that she liked me as a friend.” This. He understood what was difficult about confessions to Elsword. The Leader wasn’t aware of what love was, what sex was, what hormones raged in the body and attracted one to another. Maybe it was due to Elsword’s lack of exposure to these sort of things and engaging in countless battles against hatred and demons. It was frustrating. Aisha was serious when she wanted to confess to Elsword, but the reason why it was blown away was because Elsword didn’t believe in her. Chung swallowed. This was what would be called, ‘helping the enemy’, but Aisha wasn’t one. “What makes you say that?” “Well, I like her, too? As a friend, I guess? She may scold me from time to time, but she’s a really nice friend to have.” “So you compared her feelings to your own and disregarded her confession.” “No, that’s not what I…” Elsword sighed. “Does she really feel that way towards me?” He knew that Elsword, in a way, liked to avoid the truth and his own emotions. Liked to make jokes when things got awkward, ran away when things got hot. It was ironic. Despite being a master of runes now, he liked to grapple his way out of situations that would require things he never knew about. Facing the unknown was scary and Chung knew that. To face a world without his father, to face a world without the sea by his side, it was all unknown. Back then, he attempted to change his way of thinking. Change was inevitable. It came for everyone and it could launch someone’s world upside down like it did to him. All they could do, was go through it together. He wanted to do that with Elsword, but all this time, he had hesitated for so long. “She does,” answered Chung. He thought, then, it was too late to confess for now. He pocketed his words as he waited for Elsword to start talking again. “I don’t know what to do about that, haha...I’d have an easier time dealing with if she wanted to put glitters in my eyes,” he joked once more. Chung only gave him a serious look as if saying any more jokes would be bad. “I don’t know if I want to say yes, but I don’t know if I want to say no. I mean, I don’t want to hurt her feelings.” “You’d hurt her feelings more if you did say yes, but didn’t mean it,” he said. “You’d continue along a committed relationship without returning her feelings. That’s harder than saying no.” “I suppose you’re right. It’s not like I know too much about love, or anything like that.” He sighed. “Hell, I’d have an easier time believing if you confessed.” It skipped. Chung returned his gaze to the ground, almost as if he was gripping onto the pocketed words. He strained to keep them there. This was a mixed signal, a few words said by Elsword that weren’t meant to be serious. Yet, he knew he wanted them to mean something. The soon-to-be-known phantom wished he could disappear from the world, riding along the currents of “I know this is wrong”. Even so… Even so…! “What would you do if that was a thing?” “Eh? Uh...well, if you actually liked me, then uh…” Elsword rubbed the back of his head, caught in a web of confusion and complicated feelings. Feelings that were nervous and stretching the limits just a bit too far. “This is an ‘if’, a...hypothesis like Add says sometimes...if you did, I guess I’d be more curious about it? Like what’s there to like about me, or what one does in a situation like that. I don’t know if I would be able to deal with something like that, haha…” Chung rested his elbow on his legs and his chin upon his hands. “Well, deal with it, because it’s true.” … … …

He said it, didn’t he? The moron named Chung Seiker just said it, didn’t he? The future Fatal Phantom opened his mouth and said it, didn’t he? The young adult had fucked up and he knew it. If it was a fuck up, he would know it for real soon. He could feel the stare turning to him before it went elsewhere, before it zoomed in on him like a gawk--no, it was a gawking. Summoning non-existent courage, Chung turned his gaze to Elsword next to him without moving his head. The former Slayer sat there with face gawking open, position ajar and the incoming El Search Party unknown. “Wait, true...wait, what’s true? Huh?” Chung sighed, scratched his head repeatedly and stood up in a quick manner. “Figure it out yourself,” he said bluntly before turning away, his cheeks flushed and warm. He looked to the side into the darkness of the Sanctum. The El Search Party didn’t hear what was going on, but they were close enough now to hear. “Wait, wait, wait, don’t just walk away like that!” called out Elsword who rushed up to Chung and placed a hand on his shoulder. “Y-you actually like me?!” Oh, El, fuck no. Why does he have to be like this? Thought Chung frantically. “Ehhh?!” went Ara. “Hoho...oh, I see what’s going on now,” said Rena. Aisha just did a thumbs up to Chung who looked like he was done with the world. He turned around as prompted to and didn’t expect to see the red-head glowing bright with pinkish red. “W-w-well, uh, Chung,” began Elsword who stood straight, turned an apologetic glance to Aisha who just said, “Tell him what I told you.” Huh? “Aisha told me I would understand soon enough, so she told me after she...confessed, that someone else liked me also. Not for the longest time like she did, not for the battles alongside me like she did...but she told me it was someone I least expected it to be.” Chung had no idea what was going on at this point. “I asked Rena for advice about something once, but I didn’t think it would be this important. I told her that I kept thinking and watched someone a lot, and she told me that I was possibly ‘pining’ as she says it. So, I think it’s probably safe for me to say...Chung Seiker, I think I like you, too!” The whole Party--well, almost all of them--erupted in a cheer that Chung felt like had been planned. If it was, they would have someone to answer to. Someone ultimately confused. Someone ultimately needing some answers. And someone, ultimately in love.

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