Jinwoo could see the talons coming towards him, and it all seemed like some obscure dream; as if he’d had a similar experience before.

 

His body felt frozen but he fell back just as his head started throbbing like crazy.

 

Jinwoo clasped at his head with a scream of pain as he fell to the ground, and there was an almost equally loud yell as someone came flying out amongst the trees.

 

Jinwoo saw the talons abruptly being pulled away from him as if someone had roundhouse kicked Taehyun to the ground; he saw it all in slow motion as a loud ringing penetrated his ears.

 

He continued to scream and groan in pain, his hands ravaging his scull to try and deal with the pain.

 

“Jinwoo!!” Someone yelled, but Jinwoo’s consciousness was leaving him and his vision was blurry.

 

Darkness appeared at the edge of his vision, like going into a tunnel the darkness overtaking everything.

 

The last thing he saw was a blurry face and a pair of arms lifting him, but the voice was muffled as if behind a thick glass, he couldn’t understand what the person was saying.

 

He could feel himself being carried away just as he passed out.

 

*

 

Jinwoo woke with a throbbing pain in his head.

 

He reached up and touched his head with his fingertips as if his cranium was as fragile as he felt.

 

“Jinwoo!” Seungyoon exclaimed in a strained voice.

 

“Don’t yell, please.” Jinwoo begged in a low groan.

 

“Sorry.” Seungyoon whispered.

 

The man came in close and brought Jinwoo water.

 

“How did I end up here?” Jinwoo asked after a few moments.

 

He realized he was lying on Seungyoon’s couch-bed.

 

Seungyoon didn’t say anything, and Jinwoo started to worry if he had indeed imagined the whole thing.

 

“Actually, Mino came to the bar, carrying you and asked me to take care of you.” Seungyoon looked very uncertain, as if he couldn’t really believe what he himself was saying.

 

“Mino?” Jinwoo couldn’t remember seeing Mino, however he did recall being saved If that was the right word for it.

 

“That guy, he’s really scary though…” Seungyoon continued.

 

“What?” Jinwoo looked sideways at the man.

 

“You don’t think he’s scary?” Seungyoon asked incredulously.

 

Jinwoo closed his eyes, his head was still throbbing, he opened them again and looked at his friend.

 

“No, not really…” Jinwoo mumbled.

 

“Are you sure your head is alright?” Seungyoon stared at Jinwoo with big eyes.

 

“You’ve already asked me that…” Jinwoo complained rubbing his temples with his fingers.

 

“Well, Mino is definitely real…” Seungyoon concluded aloud.

 

“Yes? Your point?” Jinwoo was feeling very tired and he really just wanted to rest.

 

“Well… I dunno… he wouldn’t tell me what happened to you, he simply told me to take care of you before he hoisted you into my arms and left without another word.” Seungyoon looked at the watch on the wall.

 

“You’ve been out for three hours…” He said calmly.

 

“Seriously?” Jinwoo removed his hand from his face and stared at ceiling of Seungyoon’s room.

 

Jinwoo let his mind wander back to the dark forest, his head throbbed and he groaned with displeasure.

 

He thought about Taehyun, about his hands turning into talons, but what had him was the sense of déjà vu.

 

He replayed it in his mind; the hands transforming before his eyes and reaching for him.

 

His head pulsated and he opened his eyes and looked at Seungyoon.

 

Come to think of it, this whole mess right now was because Taehyun had wanted something to do with Seungyoon.

 

“Are you OK?” He asked outright.

 

“Me?” Seungyoon looked puzzled.

 

“Nothing, odd’s happened right?” Jinwoo frowned at him.

 

“Like what?” Seungyoon frowned at him.

 

“I dunno, have you seen anyone, besides Mino, that you’ve never seen before?” Jinwoo urged.

 

“Not that I can think of…” he looked thoughtful for a moment.

 

“Why?” He added abruptly.

 

Jinwoo was slightly taken aback “No reason.” He said a bit too quickly, Seungyoon eyed him suspiciously.

 

“I can’t believe you, Jinwoo.” He said darkly.

 

“Earlier today you come storming in here, you run off in a fit, I find you in a place you’ve never been before, and a few hours later this scary looking stranger shows up with you in his arms and hands you over and leaves… and now you ask me whether I’ve seen anyone else that I haven’t seen before? I’m not stupid, Jinwoo.” Seungyoon glared at him.

 

Jinwoo fell silent for a moment contemplating how what to say.

 

“Look, I’m just a bit on edge ok?” Jinwoo attempted, he eyed the other carefully monitoring his reactions.

 

“I get that…” Seungyoon grumbled, turning away and leaning back against the edge of the bed.

 

“But… what happened?” Seungyoon looked back at him again.

 

Jinwoo felt a slight wave of panic come over him.

 

Should he tell Seungyoon everything or should he keep it to himself?

 

He frowned and bit his lip.

 

“What?” Seungyoon turned around to face him, he even scooted closer.

 

Jinwoo felt a bit intimidated and averted his gaze.

 

“I was just walking around outside and I fainted, I guess Mino found me.” Jinwoo lied.

 

If Taehyun’s problem was people knowing, so keeping it a secret from Seungyoon had to protect him.

 

“Well, if that’s the case I suggest you don’t wander around alone from now on.” Seungyoon gave him a meaningful look as if warning him in an I-know-better-than-you.

 

“Shut up!” Jinwoo groaned feeling annoyed and he reached out to slap his friend in the head.

 

“What about work?” Jinwoo propped himself up on his elbow to look at Seungyoon.

 

“Ah, when Mino showed up with you Boss told me to take the rest of the day off to take care of you. Your mum dropped by earlier so he knew that she went to the mainland.” Seungyoon got to his feet and walked over to the kitchen.

 

“Think you can stomach some food?” He asked while looking through his cabinets.

 

“Dunno…” Jinwoo mumbled, he didn’t feel queasy or anything.

 

“How about some porridge?” The other suggested throwing him a quick glance.

 

“Sure.” Jinwoo sat up, his head felt groggy and he held his hand to his face.

 

After they’d eaten the porridge they both went to sleep.

 

Though he’d barely been awake for an hour after being out for three he, surprisingly, fell asleep mere seconds after his head hit the pillow.

 

*

 

The branches were dancing as if caught by a violent wind, but Jinwoo couldn’t hear even the rustle of leaves.

 

He looked around, everything seemed so big; he didn’t know where he was, but as he looked back he saw the sign pointing to the shrine in the distance between waving branches.

 

He faced forward and was just about to take a step and suddenly he stood face to face with Taehyun; however he was much taller, almost as if he, Jinwoo, was a kid.

 

Taehyun looked at his hands; they were shaped like claws and what would be the top of his hand and the wrist was clad in what looked like feathers.

 

Jinwoo stared the man up and down; in Taehyun’s eyes there was a savage rage and they were focused on him.

 

Taehyun took a step forward, Jinwoo a step back raising his arms in front of him to stop the other from getting to his face.

 

Taehyun’s face broke into a twisted smile as he raised his fanged hand; he brought it swinging down and Jinwoo just managed to escape the blow, but he fell down and started using his feet to desperately push himself away from the man.

 

But Taehyun was faster and he towered over Jinwoo who screamed soundlessly.

 

Suddenly Mino appeared behind Jinwoo, flying at Taehyun and pushing him over end.

 

Jinwoo knew he was crying as Mino fought off a raging Taehyun who only seemed to grow angrier at Mino’s appearance.

 

“I will take it back! To defile nature in such a way!” Suddenly Taehyun was yelling, screaming at the top of his lunges and trying to get away from Mino but he wasn’t having it.

 

“You can’t blame the boy, Taehyun!” Mino bellowed, but Taehyun was deafened by his rage.

 

Jinwoo woke abruptly and sat up in a hasty motion that knocked him off balance and his head was spinning.

 

He held a hand to his forehead, he looked out into the darkened room and then he noticed the man sitting just on the edge at the foot end of the sofa-bed.

 

“Mino” Jinwoo breathed and the man looked at him.

 

There was a dim light illuminating parts of Mino’s face; he looked very serious and he had scratches and marks on him.

 

Jinwoo got on his knees and crawled a few steps and reached out for him.

 

“Mino… You’re hurt…” Jinwoo whispered and touched the side of Mino’s face and turned it towards himself.

 

“It’s nothing” Mino reached up, grabbing Jinwoo’s hand and gripping it tightly before he removed it.

 

“What about Taehyun?” Jinwoo asked cautiously.

 

Mino sighed.

 

“Don’t worry. It’s been taken care of.” He finished after a few seconds.

 

“Taken care of? Wait. That conversation I overheard… the underworld? But it was my fault that he got angry.” Jinwoo explained, but Mino’s expression remained unchanged.

 

“Regardless, those were his terms, and he broke them.” Mino turned his face away, biting his lower lip as he did.

 

“But…” Jinwoo began but Mino stopped him with just a look.

 

Jinwoo looked down at his hands that were tight fists clutching at the blanked.

 

He looked back up at Mino who was now watching Seungyoon.

 

“He’s a good friend.” He said suddenly not taking his eyes off the other man.

 

Jinwoo looked at Seungyoon as well; he smiled a little to himself and took a deep breath.

 

“Yeah.” He breathed and sat on his pulling his knees up and close to his chest.

 

“Mino…” Jinwoo whispered staring at Mino to see if he could see some sort of reaction from the man.

 

“Un…” the other grumbled without looking at him.

 

“Please, tell me what was Taehyun’s original crime?” As he watched Mino visibly twitched.

 

“Don’t worry yourself about that. It doesn’t concern you.” Mino sighed deeply, but his entire body seemed stiff.

 

“Liar. Every time Taehyun spoke of his punishment I was mentioned…” he paused wondering if telling Mino about his dreams were a good idea; he decided to throw caution to the wind, since it was only then that he’d made things happen that had revealed more about the strange things going on around him.

 

“I keep having these dreams, and just now I dreamt about Taehyun attacking me just like yesterday…” He watched as Mino became even more rigid where he sat.

 

“and you saved me… just like this time… only in my dream… how should I say this… I felt like I was smaller, almost as if I was a child…” Mino clearly gulped.

 

“Your body betrays you Mino.” Jinwoo hissed darkly.

 

Mino turned to look at him.

 

“Please Jinwoo, any more and everything will be ruined.” He whispered back his brow furrowed.

 

“Hey, if this everything is about me I deserve to know about it!” Jinwoo spat.

 

“NO!” Mino hissed back.

 

Jinwoo felt annoyed as he clenched his jaw tight and glared at the other man.

 

“Look, I don’ want you to go and do anything to put yourself in more danger, OK?” Mino turned to look Jinwoo straight in the eyes and his wish was so sincere, but Jinwoo could feel that he was inching closer to the truth.

 

“I’d better go. You go back to sleep.” Mino brushed him off and started to get up.

 

“Wait!” Jinwoo hissed and came after him.

 

Mino turned and held a hand out to stop Jinwoo from moving.

 

“Please, Jinwoo. I don’t want you to get hurt.” He looked worried and sad as he said it.

 

Jinwoo pouted but stopped walking forward.

 

Mino sighed and turned around to walk away.

 

Jinwoo watched as Mino left the room, but on a sudden impulse he followed the man and hastily pursued him.

 

Jinwoo didn’t say anything but simply reached out for the other man.

 

Mino turned suddenly and saw Jinwoo’s hand reaching for him and as he tried to get away he tripped over Seungyoon’s shoes and fell backwards.

 

Shocked Jinwoo went after him and held on to him, but Mino was too heavy for Jinwoo to counter his momentum and they both fell.

 

Yet again JInwoo found himself on top of Mino.

 

Mino groaned deeply with his hand rubbing the back of his head.

 

“Are you alright?” Jinwoo asked and reached up to touch Mino’s face.

 

“Yeah, we didn’t wake your friend right?” Mino grumbled with his eyes closed, still rubbing the back of his head.

 

Jinwoo looked over his shoulder “Nah, I think we’re good.” He muttered and turned back.

 

Jinwoo was again struck by how handsome he found the other; he kept staring at Mino’s face until he peeked back at him.

 

“Wh-What?” He looked flustered and so did Jinwoo as he quickly turned his face away; feeling a slight flush across his cheeks.

 

“Sorry.” Jinwoo pushed himself up and got off Mino, but he just sat on the floor next to him clutching his knees to his chest.

 

“Hey…” he began gently staring at the floor.

 

“Un…” Was all he got in reply.

 

“You…” Jinwoo hesitated “Since Taehyun…” he tried, but his words failed him.

 

Jinwoo grimaced before he took a small breath and while keeping his eyes on the floor, with Mino’s fuzzy outline in the corner of his eye.

 

“You’re not human are you?” Jinwoo’s chest felt tight with worry of what the other might do.

 

After a few short moments Mino snorted and shifted into a more laidback position than before.

 

“It’s pretty obvious now isn’t it?” He smiled; his sad expression featured a somber smile.

 

“Then are you… a demon?” Jinwoo’s voice shook slightly as he asked, and he hugged his knees tightly.

 

Mino laughed it off, shaking his head.

 

“Then what are you?” Jinwoo looked at him, Mino gave him a soft smile.

 

“It’s not important, Jinwoo.” He looked down and fiddled with his hands.

 

“Seems pretty important to me.” Jinwoo snorted, he got annoyed since it seemed as if Mino was trying to avoid the issue.

 

“Look…” Mino began but Jinwoo couldn’t let it go.

 

“Mino, for several months now I’ve had weird symptoms that no one can understand. I return home and for some reason my mum is hysterical and suddenly I find myself in the company of you and Taehyun, who seem to be magical of some sort, and I keep having nightmares and just now things I’ve had nightmares about has happened in real life, including almost being killed – I can’t just let it go!” Jinwoo’s lecture came to an end.  

 

Mino stared at him, and Jinwoo could see the wheels spinning in his mind.

 

Having said it out loud yet again, and seeing Mino hesitating Jinwoo’s mind also started spinning; he remembered all of Taehyun’s words, adding them to the mixture of ill-fitting puzzle pieces his mind churned.

 

“Wait, have my parents done something to piss Taehyun off?!” He felt a wave of panic, the same but worse than the fear he’d felt when he thought that Taehyun could come after Seungyoon.

 

Mino’s face became oddly stiff.

 

Jinwoo stood up abruptly, so quickly that he made himself dizzy.

 

Mino followed his hands raised with his palms towards Jinwoo in an attempt to calm him down.

 

“Mino, you tell me what the hell is going on now! If Taehyun wants to hurt my parents!” Jinwoo hissed loudly, Mino made gestures and told him to stay quiet.

 

Jinwoo couldn’t stay quiet; his body was filling with adrenaline.

 

“Mino! If Taehyun hurts my parents! Or Seungyoon!” His voice rose in volume and Mino seemed to panic looking back into the room where Seungyoon was sleeping.

 

Mino tried to calm Jinwoo, but all his attempts were in vain as they only riled him up more.

 

In desperation Mino took Jinwoo’s flailing hand and held it steady as his other hand flew up behind Jinwoo’s head and pulled him in; their lips met at speed and for a moment they only stood there in the darkened hallway; Jinwoo’s eyes were large and his heart was thumping hard.

 

Jinwoo was shocked; he couldn’t move a muscle and remained frozen as Mino’s warm lips were pressed against his own.

 

He blinked, his body relaxed a little as he was able to breathe; a strange feeling started in the centre of his chest; a sort of hot sensation that spread out to the rest of his body.  

 

Mino pulled back and his eyes darted all over Jinwoo’s face.

 

Jinwoo stared at the handsome man in front of him and his free hand went along with the rest of his body as he stood up on his toes a little to reach and he kissed Mino.

 

---

 

A/N posted on 19/6-16

Look guys RL is kinda stressful atm, but I promise you that the chapter is like 90+% done! I'll have a talk with my friend and discuss some matters with her and see what I'll do about the next chapter.

 

I'm really sorry OK? Please just wait patiently just a little longer.

 

Best regards!

 

---

 

Thank you to the people who commented on the A/N, I am still pretty stressed, but I promise this fic will be done before the end of July, even if I have to post multiple chapters. 

 

Hopefully you enjoyed this chapter :) 

 

BUT if you feel like this chapter is a mess I want you to tell me so that I can edit the story!

 

Comments are love!