The car drove along the long road before finally reaching the main gate. As we waited for the guards to open it, Vincent told me we still had a long way to go and that I should sleep if I was tired.
I had been starting to feel drowsy anyway, so instead of answering, I simply reclined my seat slightly. Watching the scenery blur past as the car started moving again, I must have dozed off without realizing it.
“Seo-yul hyung, wake up.”
His voice roused me from sleep, and with some effort, I managed to lift my heavy eyelids. The car had stopped.
I was about to ask if we had arrived when he suddenly leaned in and brushed a soft kiss against my lips.
“We’re here.”
The unexpected kiss jolted me fully awake.
As I shot up in surprise, he smoothly pulled away, stepping out of the car. By the time I had regained my senses, he was already outside, circling around to open my door.
Ignoring his outstretched hand, I stepped out on my own—and was immediately greeted by the sight of smoke painting the sky a deep crimson.
I’m really outside.
A lot had changed since I last saw this place eight years ago, but the thick plumes of red-tinged smoke and the bustling crowds remained the same.
As I stood there, taking it all in from a slightly higher vantage point than before, Vincent reached for my hand and tugged me forward.
“Let’s get cotton candy.”
“I don’t like sweets.”
“Then I’ll have cotton candy, and you can eat something else.”
His steps bounced with excitement, like a child who had been let loose at a festival.
I wondered how he could still get so giddy over something as trivial as cotton candy at his age.
But as I watched him, a faint ache settled in my chest, reminding me of that first outing we had together.
—Then it’s the first time for both of us today.
—I guess so.
—That makes me really happy. That I can be the first for you, too.
I had thought that first would also be our last.
But against all expectations, here we were again.
Though this time, it really would be the last.
“There are a lot of Shining here today, too.”
Just like before, the streets were filled with people wearing red wigs.
Because of that, Vincent’s distinctive hair—which would normally stand out—blended in perfectly here.
Tightening his grip around my hand, he led me further into the heart of the marketplace.
The air was thick with the scent of food, the lively hum of voices, and the booming rhythm of music.
It was chaotic, overwhelming—
But strangely enough, I didn’t hate it.
“Seo-yul hyung, here.”
While I had been lost in thought, Vincent had already bought food. He handed me a skewer before taking a bite of his cotton candy.
The way his eyes curved into a soft smile as the sweetness melted on his tongue made it clear how much he enjoyed it.
Hesitating for a moment, I finally took a bite of the steaming skewer. As I chewed, the mix of sweet and savory flavors from the sauce settled on my tongue.
It was familiar, yet unfamiliar at the same time.
“Should we check that out?”
Hand in hand, with food in our free hands, we wandered through the village.
Several times, the dense crowd nearly knocked me off balance, but each time, Vincent caught me before I could fall.
Occasionally, some people noticed not just his red hair but his crimson eyes as well. They stole glances at us from a distance, but no one dared to approach.
Strangely enough, I felt freer here than in the estate.
Maybe it was because no one here knew I was an omega. Or maybe it was because I was surrounded by the overwhelming presence of red—so much so that even he blended in.
The sense of liberation was so intoxicating that before I knew it, I was laughing alongside him.
It felt like stepping back in time—eight years ago, when I had roamed the streets with Vin, hand in hand, just like this.
“Do you want to take a break?”
We found a spot by the fountain at the village center and sat down.
While Vincent went to throw away the trash, I remained alone, watching people pass by.
Everyone was wearing red wigs, dressed in red clothing.
The sky, the streets—everything was painted in the colors of Shining.
The colors of District 1.
Wouldn’t now be the perfect time to run?
No one was watching me.
Vincent was far enough away.
Logically, this was the best chance I would get.
But my legs wouldn’t move.
Because I hadn’t seen Se-yul yet.
Because I had made a promise to Choi Yeo-min.
Excuses filled my head, one after another.
And in the end, I just sat there, waiting for him to return.
“You’re not tired, are you?”
I must have been frowning at my own foolishness, because Vincent mistook it for something else and asked with concern.
I shook my head, and he let out a small sigh of relief before sitting beside me.
A gentle breeze ruffled my hair.
Since the wind was blowing from his direction, the light scent of flowers mixed into the air.
“Seo-yul hyung, give me your hand.”
I narrowed my eyes at him suspiciously.
What did he buy this time?
Still, I held out my hand.
Instead of food, he placed a small yellow flower in my palm.
A primrose—its scent reminiscent of his own.
“I saw a bunch of them over there.”
Following his gaze, I spotted a patch of yellow flowers blooming in full.
In District 1, where the moon always shone, there were more primroses than sunflowers.
“You like flowers, don’t you, hyung?”
In truth, it was Se-yul who liked flowers, not me.
But I didn’t correct him. I simply nodded.
I carefully lifted the flower—
And at that moment, someone passing by accidentally struck my hand hard.
“Ah.”
“O-oh, I’m so sorry!”
The person immediately apologized, looking flustered.
The flower had already fallen to the ground.
By the time I looked down, it had been trampled, its petals crushed beyond recognition.
I should have told them it was fine.
But for some reason, I just sat there, staring at the ruined flower—too upset to speak.
“Are you alri—”
“Just go.”
Vincent cut them off sharply, standing in their way before they could come closer.
Faced with the blazing fire in his eyes, the stranger must have realized what he was—a Shining. Their face turned deathly pale, and without another word, they hurried away.
“I’ll pick a bunch of flowers for you later.”
“No, you don’t have to.”
“…Then, that’s good.”
Vincent stood and extended a hand toward me, suggesting we go somewhere else.
I hesitated, glancing once more at the crushed flower on the ground. But in the end, I took his hand and let him pull me up.
We wandered for a long time after that, but with the moon eternally hanging in the sky, it was impossible to tell how much time had passed.
Just as my legs were starting to ache, he suddenly said there was one last place he wanted to go.
Too exhausted to ask where, I simply followed him.
It wasn’t until the terrain began sloping upward that I finally realized our destination.
“Do you remember this place?”
I avoided his gaze, turning my eyes toward the village below.
This was a place I could never forget.
Because this was where I had sent Vin away, eight years ago.
I had expected it, but facing it in reality was different.
My hands trembled as the memories surged back.
That day, I had let him go.
And then, I stayed behind and cried until I collapsed.
“Sit down.”
Vincent pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and spread it out on the ground before gesturing for me to sit.
I hesitated, unable to move.
Seeing my reluctance, he took my wrist and gently pulled me down beside him.
“I always wanted to come back here with you, Seo-yul hyung.”
He rested his head against my shoulder as he spoke.
The reason he had brought me here was obvious.
He wanted to overwrite that day with a different memory.
I clenched my fists, forcing myself to steady my breathing.
Looking down at the festival below, I tried to keep my expression neutral, but the more I struggled, the more my face twisted.
“Do you remember? This is where I first confessed to you.”
“…….”
“And your answer was—”
“Stop.”
I cut him off before he could finish.
My breath trembled as I turned to face him.
He sat up slightly, smiling at me, his expression so heartbreakingly beautiful.
Unlike me, who was barely holding it together, he seemed completely composed.
“‘I don’t like you that way.'”
He finished the sentence I had been trying to prevent.
Tears slipped down my cheeks before I could stop them.
His hand reached up, wiping them away with a tenderness that only made it worse.
But once the dam had broken, there was no stopping it.
“So tell me again.”
“…You know I can’t.”
His hand fell away.
The smile he had been forcing cracked apart, revealing everything underneath—grief, resentment, devastation.
If anyone had suffered the most from returning to this place, it was him.
Because he had to relive the moment he was abandoned.
Vincent exhaled deeply, then reached for me again.
His hands, now cradling my face, were trembling.
His red-rimmed eyes glistened, the unshed tears barely holding back.
When they finally spilled over, sliding down his pale cheeks, it seemed as if he didn’t even realize he was crying.
“It doesn’t have to be the truth. Just say it. Just once.”
My lips parted.
For a moment, I almost gave in.
But I had sworn to myself—this time, I wouldn’t make the same mistake.
So I swallowed the words before they could escape.
“Seo-yul hyung….”
Ignoring the desperate plea in his voice, I turned away.
Across the village, I spotted familiar figures approaching.
They were here to call us back.
“Our break is over.”
“Let’s go back.”
I patted his trembling shoulder.
When he looked up, his eyes were bloodshot.
I pried his hands off my face and stood.
Without looking back, I dusted myself off and walked away.
