Goodbye

It was cold on that day, but inside V's house, it was pleasantly warm. The Beatles' Here Comes The Sun played unironically in the background. Along with the already beautiful photographs displayed in neat frames on the walls, bright yellow flowers flown in from Holland were arranged neatly in the living room.

It was them again, the RFA. Despite V's weak protests not to bother, Jumin insisted on having a party after his eye surgery. He arranged everything to be bright and colourful, from the decorations, the food, and the Christmas sweaters (Yoosung's idea, which was happily or reluctantly followed by the other members, depending on who they were). The smell of warm chocolate, Turkey, and stew filled everyone's nostrils. As the doors closed, everyone cheered.

"To V! To V's Vision!"

He laughed. He still had his sunglasses on. "Thanks everyone, but Dr. Lee told me that it might take a month or so after the corneal transplants before my vision is stabilized." He looked around and gave a warm smile. "I see enough, though. All the lovely colours, all your smiles. It's very nice."

"I'm relieved to hear that," said Jaehee. "Even if you don't see us in detail yet, we will take a lot of photos so you would be able to appreciate these later."

"We'll post everything in the messenger app, too, so you can go back to it anytime you like," piped up Yoosung. He smiled at V, one of the rare genuine smiles he's ever given him.

"Anyways! V doesn't need his vision to eat, right?" Seven was already chomping on a turkey leg and had another in his hand as he said this. "Let's eat already! I'm starving~"

"Oi, oi, oi. What do you think you're doing! Aren't we supposed to say grace first and all that! And I told you earlier that I got dibs on the turkey leg!" Zen protested as he attempted to steal one from Seven, who swiftly dodged his attacks.

"You snooze you lose, dude. Dex -1 for Zen. That's what you get for drinking beer on an empty stomach!"

"Wait~~ I wanted turkey legs too, Seven~~" whined Yoosung, and the three of them chased each other around the dining room and kitchen, while Jaehee sighed and decided to set up the rest of the food by herself.

"… idiots," mumbled Jumin from V's side. He looked at him and gave a small smile. "I'm happy to see you so well, my friend. Dr. Lee's the correct choice for your eyes. But how's the rest of you? How have you been doing in physical therapy?"

V adjusted his position in his wheelchair to look to the person pushing it. "I can stand and walk a bit by myself now, but I get tired easily… M.C. has been a great help to me, though. I wouldn't have had the energy to keep coming back to rehab medicine if it weren't for her."

"Is that so?"

M.C. knew that V wouldn't see her smile yet, and so she smiled at Jumin, creasing her eyes. "It's all V's efforts, though. He looked very strong the last time I went with him to physical therapy. I just know he'll be back on his feet in no time! And now that his vision might stabilize, I'm excited about his next art projects!"

"Yes, I too am excited about the photographs that V will produce after he recovers." Jumin said, handing a glass of wine to both of them. "Before you say anything, I asked your surgeon about alcohol intake, and he says it's okay."

V laughed. "Actually, Jumin, I was about to say that I won't do photography as much once I can see again…"

Jumin stopped.

"Don't give me that look." V smiled sweetly at M.C. "I talked to M.C. about this, too. I thought it was about time I pursued my first love, which is painting."

"Oh. This is amazing news." It was in Jumin's usual deadpan voice, although to the trained listener, a lilt of excitement was noticeable in his statement. "You are a talented artist, V. As a businessman and your friend, I look forward to having collaborations and investments with you."

They lifted their glasses with a mild clink, and the three of them took a small sip of their wine. It was a good vintage, and M.C.'s eyes widened a bit at how nice it tasted.

Their nice, quiet moment shattered, along with what sounded like the tower of glassware in the kitchen, followed by Yoosung's screams, Zen's curses, and Seven's guffaws. This was followed by Jaehee berating everyone else and the unmistakable sound of the three boys being made to clean up after their messes.

"I suppose we better move there before they break all the dishes and leave us nothing to eat with," said Jumin.

"I hope none of the glassware is mine," said V in a bright (albeit incompatible) voice. M.C. couldn't help but giggle as she pushed the wheelchair towards the bright dining room, where the familiar chaos of the RFA welcomed them.

It was later that evening. Most of the members of the R.F.A., except V and M.C., had a decent amount of alcohol intake. They went out to the yard, and Zen and Yoosung lit up fireworks for everyone to enjoy. In the background, it sounded as if Jumin was giving Zen a hard time about something again, and everyone was joining in on the fun.

"This is nice, M.C. I'm very happy that we're all together again… even though Rika isn't here with us…"

A bit of silence. M.C. probably bit her lip in thought at this point, pondering upon the kindest way to phrase her words. "Even though it hurts me too, thinking about how her illness has taken over her… I have hope for her too, V. I think in the future, it's possible for us to see these fireworks together with her."

V thought about his next line deeply too. "You think so, M.C.?" Laughter and explosions continued on in the background, in a reality distant from the two of them. "I'm a bad person, M.C… I know about her, I know about her illness, but right now, I honestly don't want her to enjoy this… what little beauty I am seeing as I stare at you against the sparkling sky…"

"V…"

"I know, I know. It's just that… sometimes, it scares me how close she was to taking you… if you weren't as strong as you were, M.C., you would still be with them. And I would probably have just died…"

A short sigh escaped M.C.'s lips. "You guys went through so much," was all she said.

V must have looked to the sky at that point. "I know. I'm getting better thanks to your efforts, M.C. But I still feel quite broken…"

"You're not broken, V…"

"I am, M.C." He probably looked at her with his half-blind gaze, probably had a painful smile at his face. The pain reverberated in his voice. "And I think… I think I depend on you too much, M.C. You are a wonderful person, and dependable. And all I want is to be whole before I even think…"

The two of them stared at each other. V took another deep breath, as if exhausted, before saying, "Before I could even think of loving you."

"… oh." M.C.'s voice came up weakly after that statement.

"Sometimes, I think I… I think I fall for you on some days, M.C… and then I get afraid, so afraid… that I'm too ill, that you'll get sick of me, or that you're passing up better things, better people—"

"V… please don't…" Her eyes must have been struggling to keep dry here. After a while, she shook off the bad vibes, and regained her composure. "I know, V… I know that it's not an easy time in your life right now… and I'll be here, helping you while you need me. I'll give you as much time as you need. I won't be angry or insulted. Because I cherish you, and I'd like you to find yourself again…"

From the corner of his eye, Seven watched this interaction unfold between them. He saw them embracing each other, a glisten of a tear threatening to reveal itself under V's sunglasses.

So it was no surprise for him later that he announced that he was moving to Alaska in the next couple of months, as part of his recovery process. He didn't know when he would come back—all he said was that he will come back once he's whole again. Everyone else, even Jumin, was shocked, and expressed their sadness and well-wishes for him. Seven nodded with everyone else. He gave V a tight embrace, and afterwards gave M.C. an even tighter one. He held her hands in his very briefly, and notes the weight of her smart phone in her hands, which was slightly heavier with the device that Seven implanted earlier to hear her conversation with V.

He hasn't talked about him with her, either… he thought solemnly as he drove home in his sportscar. He didn't know whether to feel relief or restlessness. The tightness in his chest remained.

It was his instincts that told him to follow her today, of all days.

It was a cold winter's day, and M.C. went out of her apartment with a resolute look in her face. She didn't wear her usual pastel colours today, but instead opted to wear a black and grey outfit, paired with a shockingly magenta scarf. She barely looked to her left and right as she went on her way.

It wasn't a day for V to have physical therapy, as Seven knew, and he also knew that M.C. did not have work on that day either. Making sure to keep his distance and to keep his shocking red hair out of sight, he followed her three blocks down.

She stopped and entered a flower shop. He felt bad for doing this to her, but years of working in the agency told him to never ignore his guts. And his guts told him that he needed to do this.

Seven took his smart phone and activated the microphone he attached to her phone. Through his earbuds, he listened to her pretty voice as she spoke with the owner.

"Good morning! I ordered something a week ago. Is it here yet? Here's my claim slip."

"Hmm. Oh~ yes, the bouquet of blue roses. Quite an unusual order, so I remember it. Yes, I'll have it prepared for you, if you'll give me a second."

"Yes, thank you so much!"

Seven narrowed his eyes in curiosity.

"You must be giving these to someone special, aren't you?"

"Yes, you caught me." She laughed. From his vantage point from some ways away, through the shop window, Seven saw her face light up pleasantly, and he felt his heart throb a little bit. "It's someone I haven't seen for some time now."

"You are a sweet girl, aren't you?" The shopkeeper, an elderly woman, smiled back at her. "But blue roses are unusual… you know the meaning of these, don't you? It symbolizes the impossible—"

"… or the unattainable." M.C.'s eyes creased as she smiled, but there was an unmistakable flash of sorrow which only lasted a millisecond. "It's fine, though… it's just that it's a beautiful colour…"

"… all right. Well, they are beautiful, even if I have to say it myself." The flower shop owner put the last ribbon on the bouquet, placed it in a paper bag, and handed it to her. "Here you are~ Keep smiling, young lady, and I hope these flowers help you and the person who will receive them somehow…"

"I know they will. Thank you!"

Seven hid himself from plain sight, and watched M.C. walk away. Again, he trailed behind her, his curiosity growing to almost harmful levels. Were they for V? But V lived in the opposite direction… and, for that matter, none of the members of the R.F.A. were to be found in the direction that M.C. was going.

Were they for someone else? Seven had some ideas about M.C.'s acquaintances outside of the R.F.A., but no-one he knew would merit a bouquet of beautiful blue roses from her…

It was a long walk, but M.C. appeared to have a lot to think about. The smile on her face that she showed in the flower shop faded, and a blank, almost sad look replaced it. By the time she (and Seven) reached her destination, she did not feel the need to hide the sorrow on her face any longer.

… a cemetery? Thought Seven. In his mind, he tracked back on all the information he had of M.C., and to his knowledge, apart from a grandfather who was cremated a decade ago, no-one of her acquaintances had died.

The skies were overcast, and a chill wind blew, letting her magenta scarf float against the stark background. In what seemed to be a secret place there, where beautiful flowers grew in abundant bushes, was an unmarked grave. M.C. stopped here, laid the blue roses over there, and sighed.

To his surprise, Seven suddenly heard her voice, clear as day, through his earbud. "Ray… it's been 6 months…"

Ray? The hacker?! Seven almost let a loud sound escape through his mouth, but he caught himself on time.

"I still can't believe you've done this to yourself… I thought… I thought that we were doing the right thing, Ray… I thought that if I went with him, we could make plans to save you from that crazy place too… and I would have kept my promise to you, to never leave you alone, to be with you forever… but…"

Ragged sobs, unlike Seven's ever heard of before, emerged through his earbud. From a distance, he watched M.C. bow her head and cover her mouth. Her small shoulders shook violently as she cried.

"I can't believe you would do this, Ray… You told me you loved me, so why…? When I, too… I…"

Loved her? That crazy hacker? And M.C, too… Seven felt weak at the knees suddenly. He was barely processing what he was hearing, and yet his heart felt as if it were being stabbed violently multiple times.

What happened to them?

"I… I thought I loved V, and I know you hated hearing his name… I was so, so, so cruel to you… I know now that I'm too broken to even think of moving on… And he left us, left all of us again…"

Seven regretted placing the microphone on her phone, regretted ever following her. What he was doing was wrong, very wrong. His heart fell to pieces every time her shoulders shook when she cried. He took off the earbud from his ear and decided to leave her be.

From a distance, he took one last look at her—M.C., the woman that Seven wanted to protect, no matter what—and saw a stranger in black behind her, about to put a blindfold over her face.

At first, his secret agent instincts kicked in. He reached for a gun inside his coat, and aimed at the stranger's head.

But he froze and almost stopped breathing when he saw his own face from a distance.

"S… Saeran…"

His hair was ghost-white, and his face was pale from the cold. Half of his face was covered by a bandage, and scar tissue (from burns, probably) peeked from beneath. However, there was no doubt in Seven's mind that it was Saeran. His gloved hands silently and gently placed a blindfold over M.C.'s eyes. She gasped in surprise at first, and then froze in shock.

"Hello again, my love." He didn't hear it, but Seven read it from his twin's mouth. Flustered, he hid near the bushes again and placed an earbud in his ear, watching the shocking scene before his eyes.

"… Ray… you're…" Flustered, M.C. tried to take the blindfold off of her eyes, but Saeran held her hands from behind her and gave her an embrace.

"How many times have I imagined doing this to you, my love… I missed you… it hurt every day more than my wounds, knowing that I've left you alone with them… but now you're here… Oh, I've missed you…"

"You're alive, Ray? Please, let me see you with my own eyes—"

"Please don't…" Saeran held her hands again, and as she turned around to attempt to face him, he held her so that her face was against his chest. "I've only come here so that you won't cry anymore, my love… It hurts me even more to see you in pain, because of me…"

"Ray," said M.C. She was barely able to hide her tears, but now a smile was fighting for the surface. "Ray, you're really here… Please, let me take care of you… I promised I won't leave you alone, and now I can keep my promise to you…"

"It's all right, M.C… I'm preparing something for us, something beautiful… Something that I don't want to ruin by telling you right now. You have no idea how happy it makes me to hear that you still remember your promise to me."

"Ray, don't…"

"It's the only way we can be together, my love," said Saeran.

"No, it's not… if I take you home with me right now, right here, in the city…"

Saeran smiled. "He's still with you. I can't just come back."

"He…? V? He isn't anymore, Ray. If that's what you're worried about… Please, we can work something out…" The desperation in M.C.'s voice grew and grew. The anxiety made her mouth tremble and quiver.

"Not him…" And in that moment, Saeran glanced at Saeyoung, his eyes falling naturally to his eyes. He knew all along that he had been there. He looked back at the blindfolded M.C., whose tears were flowing freely behind the blindfold, and gave her cheek a kiss.

Then, without turning back, without another word, he left. By the time M.C. was able to pull the blindfold off her eyes, all she saw was his silhouette, and when she tried to chase him, he disappeared. She collapsed once more in a hopeless heap on the cold hard ground and cried. After this, she mustered up all her strength, dried up her eyes, opened her messenger and pretended to be fine, and went home.

Seven, too, tried to chase him. He chased him, attempted to search for any trace of him that he left. Later on, he would review all the footage he could get from satellites or nearby CCTVs. And out of all of these, none would give him any information on where he had gone.

Ray smelled the blue rose in his hand, and remembered the taste of her tears.

How he missed her. But he will be with her very soon.