arrival (light at the end of the tunnel)

[heonynchans]

"Hoonie, wake up," a gentle voice calls out, soothing as a hand jostles Younghoon's shoulder. Younghoon's eyelashes flutter open gently, blinking the sleep out of his eyes as he sniffs, pushing himself up. He half expects the train to jostle underneath him like the rickety subways he'd have to take back home. Seoul's trains, however, are smoother, almost like those futuristic stories he'd always read about. Younghoon sighs internally. He can't let his country bumpkin innocence get the best of him. The city isn't that foreign. It's just a city. The largest city with peace in the world during this never-ending war, but still just a city, right?

"We're almost there," Changmin whispers, tapping Younghoon's shoulder and pointing at the window with childlike excitement in his eyes. His spirit magic rolls off of his in waves, amplified with his excitement. Younghoon resists the urge to smile fondly. Changmin's only been away for the city for about a month and he looks like he hasn't been since 10 years ago. Younghoon shifts, turning to look through the window and accidentally jostles Chanhee awake, who's been sleeping and leaning against his left shoulder. Younghoon flinches at Chanhee's gentle stirring, watching his magic aura spike up ever so slightly before dimming down into a soft hue of pink, his breath evening. Younghoon exhales. Out of the corner of his eyes, he can see Sangyeon give him a raised eyebrow while hanging onto the pole in the middle of the train car for stability. Younghoon looks away, trying to hide his reddening cheeks. Sangyeon may be his future crime-fighting partner or whatnot, but he does not need to know about the little flutter in Younghoon's heart. At least, maybe not yet.

"Just a few more seconds, just you wait. It's absolutely beautiful," Changmin mutters, eyes glued to the passing grey tunnel they're travelling through. According to Changmin, you haven't lived until you've seen Seoul from the mountain train coming into the city, a landscape apparently so incredibly picturesque it resembles a painting. Younghoon had simply complied out of need to keep Changmin from chattering the whole train car's ears off. Chanhee almost slapped him in an attempt to get him to shut up. A super-powered magic spirit slap, if the way his magic was pooling in his fists was any indication. Younghoon opens his mouth to tell Changmin to keep it down again, before bright sunlight filters through the window, interrupting Younghoon as he squints. Changmin is silent, mouth open in a soft gape as Younghoon turns around to look out the window, careful not to wake Chanhee up.

And well, to say Changmin wasn't wrong would be an understatement.

"Wow," Younghoon whispers, awe in his tone as he watches the scene unfold before him. Rolling mountains and hills run over the part of the city closest to him, dotted with tiny houses and clumps of forests, a beautiful hue of green and white to them. A large window runs through the middle of the city, practically cutting it in half as a glimmering blue sheen reflects off the sunlight so brightly, Younghoon swears he can see every little droplet. Towering skyscrapers reach into the sky everywhere, the dull grey Younghoon expected replaced with beautiful glimmer of silver that seemed so beautiful from afar. The scene was simple, yet even a million words couldn't describe how picturesque the scene looks.

A soft camera clicks behind him, breaking the soft silence in the air as Younghoon whirls around to find Sangyeon holding his polaroid camera in one hand and newly snapped picture in the other. He's shaking it, a smile on his lips as he eyes the photo. Then, he looks up to face Younghoon and shows him the picture, which captures both his and Changmin's agape mouth and the scenery with surprising quality, even down to the mop of tussled pink hair on Chanhee's sleeping head.

"I think I'll call it 'light at the end of the tunnel'," Sangyeon says softly, a glint of fondness in his eyes as he watches Changmin trace the edge of the skyline. Younghoon sighs, wondering how he ever doubted he'd make it through the city alive. He has a Spirit Guide and possibly two of the most powerful spirits by his side. It doesn't matter how many years late to the Anchor program he is. He'll survive.

After all, there's always a light at the end of the tunnel.