Countdown

Awakening from his battle, Erin saw his dear brother tightly clutching his hand, asleep on a chair beside him. Chuckling slightly, he wriggled his hand out of the grip, ruffling the younger's hair cheekily.

"Wake up, sleepy," Erin fondly cooed.

Stirring in his sleep, his eyes began to flutter open, smacking his lips distastefully. He craned his neck upwards, and Erin watched any ounce of drowsiness present in his body completely eradicate. He couldn't help but beam at Gihyun.

"Erin! You're back, how was it?" he excitedly inquired, loud and clear.

He laughed. "Shh, headache. It went...really, uh, quite good," he noted, then eyeing his brother. "Oh? You got your hair cut," he chuckled, ruffling his brother's hair. "This cut suits you well, Hyunnie," Erin praised, happy to see his brother happy.

"Thanks, but, Rin, you all good? You seem a little weird."

"Gooder than the word good."

He eyed him suspiciously before saying, "you should get yours cut, too. I can just about see your eyes," though it didn't really need a trim at all, reaching just below his brows. He just wanted an excuse for his brother to leave this hospital room, too.

"Mhm. Check your bank, by the way. There should be about.. five million Won in there, more or less," Erin sighed. At least it was something.

"Five million? Damn, we're rich. You've been at it too much this time," Gihyun scolded playfully, opening the bank app on his cracked phone.

Fiddling with a few buttons and passcodes, Gihyun's eyes practically fell out of his head, choking on his saliva.

"Erin? You said five, where the hell did this other 20 come from?" Gihyun almost yelled, a hand automatically gripping his scalp. Erin didn't have the energy to physically show his shock, but a raging tornado tearing up a flimsy house would be an accurate description of his state of mind.

"What - Gi, where are your glasses? You sure you read it properly?" Erin sat up, attempting to read the screen. After squinting, he just about differentiated the monotonous scramble of letters etched across the screen.

5,000,000 Won- Parvaneh.ltd

20,000,000 Won- K.Uriel.ltd

Wow. He's either being mocked, made a fool of, was a charity case, or all of the above. Does he think his play money could make him all compliant and pretty? Regardless of his intentions, money is money. Cold, hard, cash. He needs every penny available, no matter how he is perceived. He'll take the money.

"Oh my god, this can't be real. He's mad. This whole world is mad. This is twisted. What is he planning? Oh, I'll never sleep again. What if-"

"Calm it, who did this?"

Silence.

".. A, um. Some random kid?"

Meanwhile, Uriel logged back online, cussing at any and every player who rubbed him off the wrong way. Even if they stepped a little too wonky in his presence. Even when his neck was still burning.

"I'm telling you, he's not like that," V seethed as he smacked his arm against the bulletin board, watching it quiver.

"Dude, the hell is your issue? He's being banned anyways, now move outta my way!"

"Deny me, and you'll be the next one banned," he sucked the air through his teeth, gritting them as he spat the venomous words.

"Listen man, can you just leave me alone? It's just a damn game," the man raised his voice, puffing his chest out.

The man Uriel was currently quarrelling with, by the skin of his teeth, was one of the in-game workers hired to maintain the flow of quests being distributed. If Erin can't land a quest, Uriel would assume a lot of his purpose on his game would be diminished, assuming by his high stats he's worked so clearly hard for. Erin could probably still get some quests, but probably the overly simple, or the over-exerting, difficult ones. Balance. Nice.

"Piss off, I'm just trying to cram some truth into your sad excuse for a brain." He burned with anger, scoffing before walking off furiously.

He himself didn't know why he even tried so hard. It wasn't that deep when it boiled down to the original elements, but Uriel could only guess the irrefutable damage he inflicted upon Erin wasn't to be taken lightly. He himself didn't notice Erin watching from behind a building.

Unaware of his surroundings, he stormed off into the town centre, bumping into a tense body. Stumbling backwards, he caught his balance again, falling two steps behind his original position. Glaring at the ground, he growled.

"Oi, watch where you're goi-" Uriel paused once he looked up, seeing the same timid, yet firm boy he always seems to run into. "Oh, Erin. Fancy seeing you here."

"Why did you do that?"

"Do what? I've done many things since birth," he sarcastically replied, anger diminishing from his body ever so slightly.

"I- well, the first thing- the money. Was that you?" Erin stuttered, rubbing his arm birthed by his nervous habit. It was one thing to ask if he got gifted money, but an entirely different thing to ask how he got Erin's details to begin with. He decided he'd rather not care. Knowing his details or not, Uriel couldn't do more than input money, even if he wanted to, meaning Erin was hopefully safe.

"Hm? Oh, yeah," he nonchalantly stared, though, he was ragingly bashful on the inside. Kim Uriel? Help? No, they did not mix. Their combination was like oil and water. One floats to the top, as the rest squabbles below, desperately flailing its aqueous limbs to kiss the air.

"I'm not giving it back. Make a mockery of me, make me wail in pain, do whatever, and I still won't give it back." Erin made eye contact. "Whatever you do to me, just know, I am not your little project or charity case."

"First, you didn't talk at all. Now, you talk too much. It's exhausting," Uriel hushed.

Erin just stared at Uriel, wide mouth quivering as a silent tear cascaded over his lips. He stood stiff in his place, dragging his skin harshly as he wiped stray tears away. "You're the only person I've ever wished the worst upon, and I won't take it back. I'm not giving in to you, you hear me? You've given me highs and lows, so please, just leave me alone, I am asking you, Uriel, leave me alone." Erin whispered the words out, but his posture remained firm. His tears made his skin glisten and glow, like a wet diamond, as the loose drops caught in his short lashes, daintily painting the image of a weeping angel.

Uriel blinked slowly, as a warm tingle coated his cold skin. Well spoken, well deserved. He didn't know what to do. He just awkwardly stood there, unsure of how to proceed successfully. Besides, this was the most he'd ever spoken to the likes of Uriel, and unsurprisingly, it consisted of Erin declaring his undying odium and how he wished he had choked in that battle. Once again, well deserved. Staring at the boy, he noticed how unapologetically light he truly was, but never hid it. Is light the word for it? The type to give a traffic-stopping smile, and laugh at anything and everything. That was what light meant to Uriel. Breezy. Not that he'd get that privilege.

.

"Uh, don't cry. It's okay," he 'comforted,' watching the pearly eyes release a few more orbs.

The pair stood there, unsure of what to do, until Erin broke the silence again. Erin just could not understand him. You just can't ever say you truly know Uriel, because you never will. Even if they barely knew each other, that much is a given, whether you spend five days or five years with him.

"Don't defend me, by the way. I saw. Don't bother. I am not a -,"

"Charity case, yada yada, I know. Mind your own business."

Erin squinted. "Yeah, I did. Look where that got me. A server ban and no income."

"You're getting real cocky, sassing the person who got you here in the first place."

"I have nothing left for you, Uriel. I have nothing that could possibly please the sheltered kid from pretty little Japan."

Uriel scoffed, and knew he had no right to. If he can't handle honesty, he might as well never leave his house. "Let's wrap this up," he patted Erin's shoulder.

Uriel was a walking contradiction. It made it nearly impossible to form a straight opinion on him, because he was either the worst of the worst, or the bearable. And this was only the tip of Uriel's personality. There's only so much Erin knew about him, but it clearly wasn't enough.

Uriel brusquely began to walk, signalling for Erin to follow authoritatively. Trailing behind, the latter jogged to catch up with the taller, feeling conflicted. This boy was a juxtaposing mess. A puppeteer, a brilliant manipulator, perhaps. He became Erin's grave, shot him down, cussed like there was no tomorrow, but gave him food, money, defended him, and sent him a friend request? He was simply another breed. Abruptly, Erin pondered back at one of his thoughts. The friend request. Making a small 'oh' sound, he tapped on the pending friends, as Uriel silently watched, gulping.

His aunt would be aggrieved, Erin can't help but think. The kind soul she was, she used to tell him that life was too short for meaningless grudges, that it would be far too heavy, walking around with a heart weighed down and tainted by bitterness and animosity. Let go of that anger, Erin, let go of it before it consumes you, his aunt had whispered once, holding him as he had wept into the coarse fabric of her cotton gown. And he had tried. For her, he had tried and tried. But it was a bit difficult, letting go of the only thing that kept him going sometimes.

"What do you want from me, Uriel? Why give me money, stand there and take my anger, send a friend request? Why will you not stop bothering me?"

Uriel sighed. "I don't know."

"What?"

"I don't know. So until I figure it out, I am in your radar 'til the moment you leave."

"You are unbelievable. My god. Do you know what you're asking of me?"

"Kim Uriel, is an admitted asshole who wants his own way. Kim Uriel wants what he wants, and will ask for it shamelessly. I am asking for you to put your needs aside for me, living up to my asshole title. Give this to me, and I'm out your hair after."

Erin wanted to cry out of frustration, wanted to scream at Uriel. Once again, he knew better than challenging the hierarchy. He released a shuddery breath, suddenly appearing really.. vulnerable. "I am human, Uriel. You don't want to treat me like one. Fine. Just please, don't make my last couple days worse than it already is." He opened the friend request menu.

His hand wavered, hovering back and forth, before releasing a gruff and smacking down on the accept button. He was insane, but who honestly, cared anymore? Not him. Especially since he wouldn't remain in the game much longer.

Uriel's brows relaxed, as his mouth moved to form a sigh of utter relief. There were so many things his heart knew and felt that his brain hadn't caught up with yet. The organ drumming away in his left ribcage knew, but it patiently sang away. His heart ached.

They went wherever their legs took them. It was a peaceful walk, as the nameless birds chirped a soulful tune, sun beaming brighter than it did a few minutes ago. The untainted warmth it released tinted their skin golden, as they basked in the newfound tranquillity the game surprisingly offered.

"It was.. uh, nice seeing you, Erin. I'm busy, so I'll catch you later, I guess," he waved half-heartedly, as Erin only grew even more perplexed at his almost polar personas.

"Okay. Thank you for the money," Erin bowed, oozing sincerity and gratitude. Erin had his morals to follow, even if lowering his body cost his pride. It took Uriel by surprise, making his body stutter. In a daze, he watched the shorter walk off into the honey pool that was the sunset sky.

From then on, Erin killed like there was no tomorrow, took all available quests, and battled every being on this game. After all, that's all he can really do. Kill after kill, the clock struck midnight, repeating all over again. Eleven days became ten, ten became eight, eight became one. To say he was fatigued would be an understatement, not forgetting it takes a toll on your mental sanity and wellbeing killing things that look just like people and animals. He's accumulated a total of 3.6 million Won, which is more than he'd usually earn in three weeks. He was that driven about it, he assumed. Uriel was online, but not too often. The log ins dramatically decreased after the Battle Royale, and Erin understood why. It was truly traumatising being the hand to kill a replica of organisms, knowing they'd return to reality with genuine bruises littered across their skin.

Today marked the last day of logging on. The last day of feeling no physical pain, the last day of having wings, and the last day of his 'friend', whom he didn't see since adding him, Uriel. It was weird, to say the least. He was so hellbent on invading Erin's bubble, but was nowhere to be seen. He had spent most of his day in virtual reality for a whole year, but soon, he'd only have the painful truth of reality that didn't bend its rules for anyone or anything.

Twenty minutes left. Twenty minutes left to spread his limited wings and soar, but for once, he didn't want to battle. Instead, he wanted to sit by the balcony, and stare at the rising Moon.

"You may not be the real Mr Blue, but I'll certainly miss you. Thank you for helping me make the right decision. I got twenty million won out of it, you know? Do you think my brother's happy?" Erin paused, letting the Moon 'speak' with its silvery sweet aura. "I think he is. He's very humble; a bit too humble at times. There are times I worry he doesn't ask for enough. It took months to convince him to get a haircut," he chuckled, voice as bright as it could be, despite what was about to happen in less than ten minutes. "Say, do you think that another type of reality exists? For me, it's quite unimaginable for anything apart from virtual and physical reality to breathe, but then again, I'm not very creative," he played with the string on his pinkie, going silent as he just submerged in the lake of light the Moon irradiated.

"Well, you are creative. No one else even thought of creating a splash poison," a voice from beyond the shadows echoed, causing Erin to release half a yell before realising who it was.

"Wh- how did you get in? Why are you even here? What-"

"Shush, all you do is wonder," Uriel silenced, sitting on the opposite side of the balcony, whistling at the view. "Damn, you cashed out on this place, huh?"

Erin could only stare. Relaxing his startled body, he leaned against the wall again, allowing the breeze to displace his hair. "Are you here to see me off?" Erin interrogated, to which Uriel simply shrugged, staring at the soon to be midnight sky. Scoffing lightly, Erin mimicked his actions.

"Why would you give your brother the money? I would've just kept it to myself if I were you," Uriel began, asking questions with no filter. Classic. Sighing, Erin glumly forced a smile.

"He deserves it," Erin said without a second thought. "Besides, I have no real use for it," he muttered beneath his breath. Erin had no room to be selfish the way Uriel is. He just doesn't, and it didn't bother Erin nearly as much as it should. "You listened to the whole thing, didn't you?"

"Makes up for you listening to mine last week," he bumped his shoulders up, and Erin reluctantly admitted it was only fair.

"Three minutes left," the shorter whispered as he glanced at his wall clock, slightly frightened of how he's going to get kicked off. Would it be painful? Would it glitch? Could he get stuck?

"Uh, yep."

One minute passed, of Erin just staring at the Moon fondly.

"Why do you log on so often?"

The question lingered in the air, as Uriel waited for Erin to grab hold of the it and throw back an answer.

Uriel knew. Yet, he still asked, so Erin answered plainly. "I have nowhere else to go."

Thirty seconds, twenty nine, twenty eight, twenty seven.

Squeezing his eyes shut, he curled into a ball, preparing himself to get disconnected. He wanted to milk out every second he could from this world, knowing he couldn't physically afford to buy another game and recreate his character.

Thirteen, twelve, eleven, ten, nine.

"Thank you, I suppose. You had your perks, V."

Uriel felt his cheeks redden, twisting and gnawing away at his bottom lip. He felt like a fool, and rightfully so. To say Uriel was slightly regretful would be an understatement. Only a person like Erin could thank him despite all his wrong doings, and wear a sad smile regardless. He watched Erin meticulously.

Three, two.

One.

His eyes were padlocked shut, not opening for anything or anyone. He felt nothing around him; not necessarily nothing, but the feeling of nothing changing. One eye fluttered open, as the grip he had around his body tightened, seeing the same old Moon shine brighter than before. By now, he was in a mental frenzy. Both his eyes shattered wide open, pupils dilating. Hastily rising to his feet, he ran across the balcony, darting his vision back to the clock. It was one minute past twelve.

"Did I get the times wrong? Is my clock broken? Did the creators forget?" he hurriedly mumbled to himself, dashing to the clock to see if anything had happened to it.

Chuckling heartily, Uriel just watched the boy frantically run around, now catching his attention.

"What did you do?"

"Nothing."

Erin jogged lightly to sit in front of his 'friend', eyes still wide and shaky. "Why am I still here?"

Huffing lightly, he released a drawn out cloud of air, before opening his mouth to mould a sentence. "We got off on the wrong foot, it was my fault, and for that, I.." he clenched his eyelids shut. "I'm sorry, alright? It wasn't cool of me," he burst out, cheeks clinging to a light shade of candy floss pink.

Ogling, he patiently waited for a punchline that never came. Then, he had a flashbulb moment: Uriel wanted someone. He just wanted someone, but didn't know how. He gets it now. He had to be in a twisted reverie. He rubbed his eyes, massaging his temples lightly. "Are you being serious?"

"I'm not saying it again. Take it, or leave it. I don't care," he groaned lowly, averting his gaze to the Moon.

"Hey, it's okay."

Uriel snapped his neck to Erin so fast, he got whiplash. "Huh?"

"Well, it will be, at least. Look, I - Uriel?"

Erin paused mid-sentence, chimes of Uriel logging off ringing in his ears. He very much wanted to be mad, sad, and everything in between, but he didn't have the energy for it. If future Uriel messed up, then it'll be future Erin's problem. He doesn't make the rules. The smile that creeped its way onto the smaller's face was so sly, so unnoticeable, but so very obvious at the same time.

"Coward."