Record #07

Next day I woke up fully rested and surprisingly no nightmare haunted me this time. I grew confused, but relieved. And the moment I saw Taehyung's hand protecting mine as his arms were crossed, laying on my bed and supporting him, made me blushed. His sleeping looks were admirable. I was able to catch the shape of his lips and his defined noise, his long eyelashes hidden behind his fringe and his soft breathing. I felt the same warmest coming from his hand through mine last night. I had the thought of not letting go from the touch, but I did so when sat up straight. Almost immediately I saw Anri wake up. She pushed Jungkook's head to the other way and he didn't seem to feel affected at all. In fact, he was still deep asleep.

"Morning, Eunbyul," she said with a tired smile.

"Morning," I answered back. "If you are still tired you can go ahead and sleep a little bit more."

She shook his head softly to which I find difficult insisting. And the sudden ask about my current state made my thoughts drifted away. I reassure her I was fine, though the look of my still recovering arms said other thing, but, mentally, I was stable.

Anri stood up and came to sit in front of me, her legs crossed as we faced each other. I recognized the look on her eyes. She wanted me to tell some facts and wanted to ask some things I bet she already discovered, but wanted my truth answers.

Anri was able to guess you so easily.

And she did so. I confirmed her my fear to wolves since little and how it happened. She reprimanded me kindly for not using the gun correctly and for not being careful enough with the wild animals, but also she congratulated me of how I managed things out there. She was surprised of what I could do and what I knew and did to survive.

She also explained details about the heterochromia wolves I didn't know of. Studies said that wolves affected by the Kangren virus were left by their packs by instinct and it only affected 20% of the entire wolves’ packs population. Also only the 10% of the wolves affected by the virus tend to survive due to the strong effects of poison and side effects on their body. Only the strongest one tend to survive.

"And how did you meet Ace?" I asked full with curiosity.

"You seemed to loosen your fear thanks to him, don't you?" She said and I couldn't help but agreed. "It happened a few years ago. I helped him and he helped me back."

I rolled my eyes waiting for a longer answer. Her explanation was really vague for my liking and I wanted more details, because getting a heterochromia wolf as a comrade is almost impossible. In fact, being attach to any wild animals affected by the virus is dangerous because of their bipolar behavior.

Anri giggled. "We crossed paths when he was a pup. He was in the verge of undernourishment and I gave him food. I barely knew about their kind. All I saw was a poor little animal dying from his injuries and in hunger that I couldn't help but assist him."

"Ace helped you back?" I asked growing in curiosity.

"Just like what happened to you," Anri said. "The only difference is that I was facing two infected lions."

I blinked and gasped. All I knew from infected lions is that they were hidden deep in South West's forest. The most problematic Senrate, the poorest one and the most hazardous place to live.

Anri grew up in the South West Senrate. The most fearful one, the place where most people have nightmares of and doesn't even try to land their feet on. I knew it was the most needy and deprived place in Arbem. A place where envy develops the most and where human traffic is the most popular job even if they were supposed to promote mining.

But how such a precious person could be from there? Anri, whose kindness reflected in her orbs and actions, had grew behind a dark background. And now I get to understand the silent resentment deep on her. Feelings hidden in her smile and more secrets from those invisible scars.

"You've reacted better than expected," she said breaking the awkward silence. She knew I was smart enough to realize lions only grew in South West forest.

"I’m just really surprised," I said.

"People usually grew in fear of me or look down on me because I was poor," she was still glowing with her confession and there wasn't a single reflection of sheepishness.

I show my admiration for her, which currently busted to the top, with a smile.

Anri, who never lost her kindness even what has happened to her, was kind of secretive with her memories. She tend to sum to the maximum, avoiding any kind of compromising details, or tends to avoid questions about her herself with others topics. And getting to know where she was raised was a baby step to uncover all the disguises behind her delicate, but already broken smile. How many secrets does she held so much?

“Just for you to be aware of," she paused to inhaled air as she glanced at Jungkook and then Taehyung. "We all carry secrets that had hurt us. We all have life experiences that had made us stronger and turned us into survivors. I've experienced Hell one time of my life and so the boys, and every Hybrid affiliated to BHE or any similar company." Anri stopped for a moment and caressed my hair. "Because in this completely devastated world, there isn’t anyone who hasn’t lost something important.”

Her words made my spine grew rigid and my hands trembled. Not because of fear, but realization. I've experimented Hell too. Watching people die, my closest ones disappearing. It's what I address as it. I've lost important people, the ones I loved. Seeing North fall down is heartbreaking. But seeing Anri and the sudden change of the look of her brownish eyes, I knew she went through a lot more than losing someone close.

And I suddenly wonder the kind of suffering Jungkook had went through, but also, and I was the most curious about, Taehyung's. Though asking now will be kind of inappropriate. Sometimes, curiosity can be as sharp as a knife.

By this time, Anri volunteer to change my bandages and even combed my hair. She styled it into a ponytail with french braids to the sides. We talked as she did caressed my long hair.

"You know, Eunbyul. We've been guarding every single move you did out there," Anri started as she massaged my hair with her small hands.

"Did you actually install cameras everywhere?" I asked in astonishment. "How?!"

"Actually, the some cameras were installed long ago. I just visited the forest to check up things, the cameras near and the places you might have ended up. We used another kind of cameras.  Flying ones. You might haven’t notice them because you were so absorb to do well out there. Sometimes we forget to see the smallest but most noticeable details in pressure. And I visited Ace too," she said. "Though you know what the funniest thing is?"

I shook my head as I felt her braiding the left. I couldn't see the look on her face, but I bet she was already smiling as she reminisce of what she was thinking. "V was in the burst of running to the woods every time you got in trouble or hurt. But I had to stop him because you were under an important test, even when our rules says he could do so."

He did? "Why?"

I felt Anri stopped for a second, still having my hair between her fingers. "He hasn't tell you, has he?"

Was there something for me to know? He hasn't informed me anything important. And I suddenly grew to feel kind of unimportant for him.

"He's in charge of your safety since he's the one who found you in North."

"Wait. What? What's does it means?!" I asked in bewilderment and confusion.

Anri laughs echoed my ears. "Because you were kind of a novice Hybrid, we, BHE and other Hybrids Companies, tend to protect the ones who hasn't bonds with any kind of company of our kind. This means we take full responsibility of your safety for time being. And this rule applies to the Hybrid who founds you first. This case, Taehyung was the one."

I blinked several times. "So this means if I find another 'novice' Hybrid, their safety is under my hands?"

"Exactly, even if you are practically knew, it is. Though it also would be Taehyung's since he's in charge of you."

I turned my eyes to his sleep self and smiled fondly. "Why hasn't he said anything?"

Anri secured my hair as she answered. "He's the kind who takes care in silent. But he's evident with his duties. I still remember how anxious he was every time you faced the wild animals, and how proud he was when you recognized the Belladonna's eyes and used it wisely." I knew he was. I sensed it.

"Have you been in charge of someone before?" I asked by the time she finished with my hair.

The sudden felt of Taehyung already up left my question flying by and never answered. Anri stood up to wake up Jungkook, who, let me add, didn't seem to wake up by any means. And Taehyung notifying me the youngest of the room being the most difficult to wake up was the most funny and cutest thing ever. Though, surprisingly, Anri was the only one he ever met, who could wake him up.

I saw her trying gently first, shaking him, but it was obvious, for her and us, it won't work. She called him softly, but nothing.

"I don't know why I always waste my time with the soft ways when I always end up doing through the hard way," she sighed.

Anri sat next to him and got closer to his ear. The sudden jump from him out of the couch from her loud scream made the three is us burst in laughing.

"Oh man, holy , Anri! You just gave me a freaking heart attack," Jungkook complained with one hand resting on his chest.

We all continue to laugh, Anri enjoying the moment the most, making Jungkook flustered cheeks turned into a deep pink.

"I always love when I get to see when Anri wakes you up, bro," Taehyung said still laughing.

"Most people tend to enjoy someone else's misery," Jungkook said as he glared at him. "Especially your closest friends."

"C'mon, golden boy, this is what you get for being so lazy to wake up yourself," Anri said.

Jungkook turned to look at her with an evident smirk though his expression showed a bit of irritation from the nickname. "If you were gentler, I wouldn't mind. Though I like it the hard way too."

Anri punched his arm as she didn't seem to enjoy the joke. "Idiot bunny."

Then, there's was a 180 degree change on his features as he faced me. The playful eyes were gone and replaced by worry. And realizing it when he asked me about my state too, made me smile in thankfulness.

All grew worried about me. All cared about me as much I was growing to care about them.

Jungkook and Anri left the room to bring breakfast for all, and I was left alone with Taehyung. Even if we were comfortable with each other, I felt a sudden rush of emotions knowing the truth.  He cared of me because I was his responsibility. If it's a good or bad thing, I don't know. Because a part of me wanted to believe that it was kind of forced, or relationship, and the other, despite knowing this, he really grew fond of me.

I started wondering, if someone else had founded me, would Taehyung behave the way he was doing now? And I grew to realize the answer, he would. Because he's nice, funny and kind. I knew if I weren't his responsibility, we would have been friends too. And I was sure it applies with Anri and Jungkook too.

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