The good thing about Namjoon was that no matter how busy he made himself sound, he would never miss a phone call or text, even at midnight that was supposedly past his bedtime.

This, Jungkook was grateful for.

After what went on with Taehyung’s sudden decision, Jungkook had been quick to let the elders in on it — he’d called the alpha following the five full minutes of pestering he’d gotten from the other — and a meeting had been set with Namjoon’s father to get down to business the very next day. Frankly speaking, it all sounded a little rushed to the younger, not to mention impulsive considering none of them had any knowledge of how exactly memories can be restored to a person, supernatural or not, but Taehyung couldn’t wait anymore.

And Jungkook had never been good at telling him no.

From the leather seats of the silver SUV, the neighborhoods and high streets were a blur of lights and achromatic streaks, zipping by the windows as the vehicle coursed through the town. It was a left-turn to the outskirts of Shinbi, where buildings grew sparse and appeared more aged, surrounded by trees just as old.

The sidewalks were free of human life; rarely anyone ever came to this part of Shinbi, considering there were barely any houses or stuff except for some motels, bars and a gas station.

Most people who did come though, weren’t there for any of those.

“Park Jimin, for goodness sake, stop touching my radio,” said Namjoon, grumbling at the red Harley Davidson that sped past his car close enough to nearly knock out his side mirror.

“Okay first of all hyung, your CDs are like ancient creatures,” remarked Jimin, as he fiddled ceaselessly with the skip buttons next to him in the passenger seat. “Why do you even have the The Eagles in this mixtape?”

“Those are prized classics you brat. And you’re questioning my taste when you still have Jonas Brothers in your playlist?”

“Hey, I grew up with them okay!”

“Tch, and this me judging you— JIMIN! Quit messing with my CDs!”

Amongst the ruckus of their bickering and sporadic playbacks, a sigh resonated from the backseat, hushed and amused. Jungkook was slumped next to Taehyung as usual, both occupied in their own little bubble of mindless musing.

“You’re awfully quiet,” said Jungkook, when he shifted his line of vision from the window he’d been gazing out of to steal a glance at the boy on his right.

Taehyung still had his attention locked on the brume of roads and traffic lights outside, eyes mapped with wanderlust.

“I think I’m just... tired,” he said, tampering absentmindedly with the strip of his seat belt. For the record, half of it was the truth; indeed he was pretty exhausted, after the hours he’d stayed up the previous night with the brunette binging on Overwatch.

“You sure that’s all there is?”

They were speaking rather quietly to each other, as if their conversation held clandestine secrets only meant for them to hear. Taehyung leaned back in his seat after a while, and turned to face the latter, “Of course.”

“That’s got to be the worst lie you’ve ever told me in your history of lies. You know I can sense every emotion you’re feeling, right?”

Ah, the beauty of werewolf abilities.

Pouting, Taehyung willed himself to keep his jittery hands still. “Fine, I guess I’m kind of nervous.”

“Well, it’d be amazing if you weren’t,” Jungkook said, chuckling lightly. “It’s not too late to back out if you still want to, Tae. I mean, it was just yesterday that you made your decision after all, you should give yourself some time to think it through. There’s no need to rush.”

“I feel like I’ve been waiting too long already,” Taehyung reasoned, “If wait any longer I’ll probably chicken out so, it’s fine. I’m fine, I want to do this.”

“...Okay. But, in case you change your mind, just remember you still have that option.”

The twenty minute or so journey hit its mark as the Lexus began to slow at the upcoming slip road that approached, and peering back out the windows, a small, Victorian rowhouse had come into view. Upclose, with its walls of brownstone and fading bricks, it looked rather run-down, marred by tiny cracks and chipped edges here and there.

Namjoon pulled up in the parking space in front of it, facing a short incline of stairs that led to the only apparent door of the building, a striking white against the reds.

Shinbi Animal Clinic — appointments only, read the sign.

Wow, did this place really have clients?

“We’re here.”

The engine was cut with a hum, and Namjoon slipped out of his car, followed by the three youngers amidst the slam of doors shutting one by one. At the sight of the strange-looking place, Taehyung made no move to advance any further, only casting wary glances at the shady interior he could make out from the glass window. He shuffled closer to Jungkook, instinctively reaching for his jacket sleeve. He felt strangely nervous for some reason; damn, maybe he really should have thought this through.

“Aw come on, it’s not as spooky as it looks,” Namjoon smirked, like he’d read his mind. “You’ve met my dad before, right? He’s pretty well known as the best vet in the whole of Shinbi, and lots of people come here for his services. Hence, the appointments only sign.”

“Y-Yeah, I remember,” Taehyung mumbled, flinching when a crow flew past them.

“So tell me again why your dad, of all things, decided to run his own animal clinic instead of fighting crime with you?” Jimin asked, as Namjoon motioned for them to head off. “Do werewolves like, have retirement plans too?”

“I guess you can call it that,” Namjoon mused. “Werewolves can’t lose their powers exactly, but they do get weaker if they have offsprings, even as an alpha. Something like a transfer of power, so technically my dad’s not as strong as he used to be. He probably could’ve chosen anything when he decided to stop and get a job, but he’s real good at stitching people up.”

“And helping people get back their lost memories?” added Taehyung.

Namjoon chuckled, teasingly. “Yeah, he’s been… getting good at practicing.”

There was a bell that hung above the shop’s door — the old-fashion kind — which chimed as the four entered the clinic, surprisingly big. Stepping into the space of gray concrete walls, a reception counter was the first thing they saw on the right end, adjacent to racks of animal food and supplements. On the other side was a short, wooden fence, locked and marked with a ‘Authorised Entry Only’ label.

“Dad?” Namjoon called, approaching the fence. “Hey, Dad, are you there?”

The seconds that they waited were filled with the soft scuffle of shoes coming from somewhere ahead, drawing nearer and nearer until another door was being pushed open, and Namjoon beamed even before he saw who it was. In his white-coat-and-gray-haired glory, Taehyung could recognise him almost instantly too, despite how long it’d been.

“Well well well,” said the male that had appeared by the fence, “Hey there son, it’s about time you visited your ol’ man.”

“Hi Dr. Kim!” Jimin greeted enthusiastically, waving so hard his blonde hair bounced.

“Hi boys, good to see you again.” Dr. Kim, glasses hanging low on his nose, spared a longer once-over at Taehyung. “My, you’re Taehyung, aren’t you? You’re lookin much better since the last time I saw you. Have the boys been treating you well?”

“H-Hello sir,” Taehyung started bashfully. “Yes, they have been.”

“That’s good to hear.” The vet lifted the latch and stepped aside to let them in, closing the fence back after. “So, what brings you four to this part of town today?”

“We’re uh, actually here for a favor from you,” Namjoon said, tone suddenly serious as he dug his hands into his pocket thoughtfully. He exchanged side glances with the rest of his packmates. “A business favor, involving Taehyung.”

Catching the hidden meaning behind his son’s words, Dr. Kim raised his brows. “Oh? What kind of business?”

Namjoon cut right to the chase, “Taehyung wants to get his memories back.”

It was silent for a moment as Dr. Kim blinked at him, expressionless, before scrutinizing the rest of the boys’ expressions. He hummed ponderingly to himself, then straightened once more.

“Alright then, I’ll need you to help me change the sign outside to closed.”

~

If Taehyung thought the building was creepy enough, the clinic’s surgical room definitely beat that by tenfold.

At first glance it looked just like any other surgical room, much like the cabin’s very own makeshift clinic — a surgical bed, medical equipment, cabinets with various bottles of medicine — but then Taehyung stepped inside, and a piercing, pungent stench filled his nose.

Skunk glands, Namjoon had mentioned, nodding at the shelf of transparent jars next to the medicine cabinet. Indeed, one of it was filled with them, freshly harvested. There was that, alongside other extracts of scales, claws, feathers, even a tail, that he could make out under the dim lighting. And… was that an eyeball?

“So, tell me, Taehyung. What made you change your mind?”

Taehyung looked up from the shelf, coming back to reality upon finding himself standing by the surgical bed. Everyone else was there gathered around it in a circle. They were staring at him, and  realising that he’d spaced out, he gulped. “Uh, sorry?”

Dr. Kim, smiling, repeated himself, “I asked, what made you change your mind.”

“Oh.” Taehyung’s hands fidgeted where they were hidden behind him. Why was he still so nervous? “Well, I was just… I was listening to someone telling me a story about their family one time, and after that, I found myself suddenly thinking of my own family, but then I couldn’t remember anything at all about them because of my amnesia so, I thought I shouldn’t be running away from something like that anymore.” His eyes unconsciously hovered to glance at Jungkook as he spoke, who met his gaze in a way that said, I’m here, don’t worry.

“That’s a good mindset to have,” Dr. Kim said, breaking their little moment. He adjusted his glasses out of habit, before shifting his weight with a sigh. “But, you do know that getting back your memories isn’t going to be so easy, right? What you’re asking for, it involves some really complicated means to achieve. Not to mention dangerous. I can’t assure you of what might happen, whether you get what you’re looking for since I’m no expert myself, but if you’re afraid, then I suggest you take some time to think about it. Because fear’s what’s going to affect you the most.”

“I-I’m- not afraid,” Taehyung said, voice wavering slightly. He could feel a hand inching closer to his, grazing the back of his palm with its fingers. Naturally, he clung onto them with his own, knowing it was Jungkook.

“What exactly are the complicated means you’re talking about?” Namjoon asked, as he rubbed his chin musingly.

“There are a few methods that can be done,” said the vet. “What I would reccomend for your case, which I consider something relatively less dangerous, involves putting the person in a trancelike state, just like hypnosis. In this state, it’ll feel like you’re dreaming. You’ll wake up somewhere, depending on what you think about, but you’re actually in your own head, in a part called the subconscious. Your subconscious mind is where years and years of memories are stored, even those that you can’t remember, and you’ll get to see them like you’re reliving the exact moment.”

“Woah, that sounds cool,” Jimin said, raising his brows.“How do you do that, though?”

“Well to put a person into a hypnotic state, you’ll have to slow his heart rate down significantly,” continued Dr.Kim. “By lying in an ice-cold bath, the induced hypothermia will do the trick. As a werewolf, your body will half-transform in reaction to the slowing heart rate.”

“...How slow is slow?” Namjoon asked.

Dr. Kim paused to give his son a hesitant look. “Almost dead.”

“But it’s safe though right?” Jungkook cut in, frowning skeptically. “You said that it is.”

“I only said that it’s less dangerous. I never said it’s completely safe.”

Taehyung, who had been silent for a while, straightened from his slight cower. He’d had enough of this. Enough of the uneasiness and the sickening churn of anxiety sweeping through him, but most of all, it was the sense of uncertainty he couldn’t take every time he thought about his own past he’d forgotten about, so without any restraint, he blurted, “...I’ll do it.”

All three heads of his friends snapped towards him, so fast that he flinched.

“Tae,” Jungkook protested, eyes practically pooling with concern. He held onto Taehyung’s wrist. “What are you saying? Don’t you want some time to think about it?”

“There’s nothing to think about,” he muttered, shrinking under Jungkook’s intense gaze who opened his mouth to speak again, but Namjoon beat him to it.

“I think we should let Taehyung decide on this one,” the alpha said. “After all, it’s his memories. He should have a say on this. He’s rational enough to judge the circumstances on his own.”

Ignoring the baffled look on Jungkook’s face, he turned to his father, “We can bring him out of it right? In case his heart rate gets too low?”

“Of course,” Dr. Kim said, and proceeded to pick up a watch-like device from the table behind him. “He’ll have to put on this heart rate monitor before going in, so that we can track his heart the whole time.”

“Alright, sounds… safe enough.” Facing Taehyung, Namjoon didn’t say anything at first, appearing to be pretty conflicted himself despite his authoritative guise, but he managed to shove it away and said, “So, what do you say, Taehyung? Are you up for it?”

The question was redundant as it seemed, as Taehyung didn’t need any more consideration for his answer.

“Yes, let’s do it.”

~

The ice bath, to say the least, didn’t look as pleasant as anyone thought.

It had taken a couple of minutes to prepare; Jimin and Namjoon had dragged the metal tub right out of Dr. Kim’s storeroom, and filled it to the brim with bags of ice that — for some reason — had been lying around the vet’s preservation freezer. Jungkook, on the other hand, had stayed put the whole time, lingering and observing by the sides as the rest worked.

Clearly he was not appeased by any of it — the whole idea, about watching Taehyung put himself in danger, about seeing him trying to put up a brave front in front of the others; nope. He didn’t like it.

He didn’t like it at all.

But what could he do about it?

“Okay,” said Dr. Kim as he took a step back from the tub. “We’re all set.”

“Damn, this is freaking cold.” Jimin, who’d been glancing timidly at the overflowing bath, shivered for a second when he unintentionally grazed his leg against the side of it. “I-Is this even… possible to sit in?”

“For a regular human, no,” the vet said honestly. “But for a werewolf like ourselves, our accelerated healing gives us a much greater advantage.”

From the back, Jungkook couldn’t help but scoff. An advantage? Right. He tried hard not to think about all the times Taehyung nearly froze his fingers off by falling asleep without a blanket. How was Taehyung going to survive sitting in a tub of ice?

“Alright, Taehyung,” called Dr. Kim, breaking the brunette out of his musing. “Are you ready?”

The boy looked up from the portion of the ground he’d been staring at, cheeks lightly flushed. His lips were nearly gnawed raw in the midst of his overthinking, palms still clammy, but in spite of himself, he managed to nod. It’s now or never.

“I-I’m ready.”

“Good. Now, go in slowly.”

The way Taehyung approached to the tub was cautious, steps deliberate as if he were fighting hard to keep himself calm, and he was certainly still shaking, as he took Jimin and Jungkook’s waiting hands to climb into it.

For what’s worth, he had no idea where this sudden spark of bravery had come from, but nevertheless, it hadn’t been enough to settle him.

The chill, he realised belatedly, was no joke indeed. Taehyung hadn’t gone in yet, but he could already feel the mist that drifted off the surface, filling his skin with goosebumps all over. He was beginning to regret taking off some of his clothes at this point; he’d toed off his shoes prior to this, along with his hoodie specifically not wanting to get them wet, and that left him clad in only a thin black shirt and sweats. Definitely one of his worst life choices by far, because the moment his foot touched the frosted water, he let out a shaken gasp.

“O-Oh my god,” Taehyung breathed, startled by the freezing jolts of prickles that shot through his nerves like a million needles at once.

“Taehyung?” Jungkook was quick to haul the other off, about ready to pull him back entirely, but Taehyung took him by surprise when he plunged his whole self straight down into the tub. “Taehyung! What the f- he said slowly!”

There were puddles of water and ice cubes scattered all over the ground from where they spilled from the tub. Taehyung couldn’t hide the little whimpers that slipped past his lips as he forced himself to a sitting position.

“O-Okay, t-this i-is real-ly c-c-cold,” he stuttered, teeth chattering uncontrollably.

“You don’t say,” Jungkook said with a roll of his eyes, wanting to smack the boy so badly, but he held himself back, worried enough from how hard Taehyung was trembling. He could practically see his skin turning blue.

“Are you feeling okay?” Namjoon said, growing uneasy as well from the sight of Taehyung. “It’s not to late to—”

“No, I-I’m f-f-fine,” insisted Taehyung, as he wrapped his limbs around himself in a futile effort to fight the cold. His whole body felt like it was about to explode and combust.

Jimin spared a flustered glance towards Dr. Kim. “Uh, so what do we do next?”

The vet was relatively calm as he spoke. “You’ll need to hold him underwater.”

Jungkook’s eyes flew open wide as saucers. “What? But why?”

“It’ll quicken the process. So that he won’t have to suffer the cold as much.”

“B-But he could drown-”

“And we’ll all be there to pull him out before he can,” assured Dr. Kim, sensing Jungkook’s apparent distress. “I know you’re worried about your friend, but you have to trust that he’s strong enough to deal with something like this.”

Chewing on the inside of his cheek, Jungkook sulked in disagreement, obviously trying to think of something else to say, but at the icy, quivering touch that curled around his wrist, he jumped on reflex, and found Taehyung gazing at him with pleading eyes.

“J-Jungk-kook,” he whispered, so soft and weak it nearly broke the other, “P-please, d-d-don’t worry. I-I’ll be o-okay.”

And that was all it took for Jungkook’s resolve to melt away.

“...Fine,” he said, under his breath.

Following Dr. Kim’s cue, Jimin and Jungkook took their positions, each grabbing hold of Taehyung’s shoulders and waited for the vet’s next commands. It felt like eons had passed before he was finally counting down, then at three, Taehyung was being pushed down into the water, fully submerged, disappearing past the blocks of ice cubes.

For the first minutes, they could feel Taehyung struggle, fighting against them as his lungs began to burn from the lack of oxygen. It took a lot for the two to stay put, to heed the orders being given to them and not crack under the pressure of knowing that their friend was being held underwater, even more to ignore the fact that he could already suffering from hypothermia and could very well drown, something that terrified the out of them. But the next thing they knew, all of a sudden the movements ceased, and all went silent apart from the gentle sloshing of water in the tub. When they peered back inside, they almost collapsed from shock — Taehyung was lying there, eyes wide open and glowing a dazzling sapphire blue, so still it didn’t look like he was even breathing. If it weren’t for the soft, agonizingly long pace of beeps that came from the strap he wore on his wrist, they would’ve thought Taehyung was really dead.

He certainly looked dead.

“Okay, now what?” Jimin dared to speak up, as the two boys retracted their hands from the water. Shifting back, they watched Taehyung’s scarily motionless body float up through it. His eyes had shut eventually after some time, as if he’d fallen asleep.

“I’ll need everyone of you to keep quiet,” Dr. Kim said as he crouched beside the tub, right next to Taehyung’s head that had surfaced. “Only I talk to him. Too many voices will confuse him, and we can’t have that.”

Nodding, the three wolves let the vet take the reins.

“Taehyung?” he started, calmly and gently. “Taehyung, it’s Dr. Kim. Kim Namjoon’s father. Can you hear me?”

The surgical room was so quiet you could’ve even heard a speck of dust that fell to the floor. Everyone held their breaths in anticipation, until the answer came.

“Yes.”

~

Dr. Kim hadn’t been lying when he said it would feel like a dream.

Right here, waking up to find himself in darkness, in a place he couldn’t quite make out, Taehyung definitely felt like he was dreaming.

At least it's not cold anymore.

Taehyung’s vision faltered for a split second, and he rubbed his eyes hard, trying to rid them of weighted sleepiness. It took him four tries to get on his feet without stumbling; by the time he did, the aphotic void around him had dissipated enough for him to see, and he recognised it.

Leaves. Huge, huge trees. Rays of moonlight bathing the muddy ground in its beautiful glow, bright as the luminous petals of silver stars in the sky above.

He was in a forest; the exact forest he’d been living in for six years of his life.

“Taehyung?”

Taken aback by the voice that had appeared in his head, the boy jumped out of his skin.

“Taehyung? Can you hear me?”

That voice. He knew that voice.

“...Yes,” Taehyung whispered, bewildered yet amazed by what was happening. Was this really real?

“Good,” said the vet, voice a looming echo in his head. “Can you tell me where you are?”

The omega scanned his surroundings once more, as if to make sure his speculations were right.

“I think I’m… in a forest. The forest I was living in, back when I was still a wolf.”

Just as he’d said it, a wave of something reverberated through his chest, taking away the wonder that previously sedated him. It made the hair at the back of his neck stand, like the touch of a ghost as he recalled the haunting memories that came with the treacherous glade. Beckoned by the illusory crepuscule that veiled hollows of the archaic woods, he took a daring step forward.

“What are you doing right now?”

“I’m… walking.” He paused, struck by uncertainty of his conduct. “C-Can I do that?”

“Of course, that’s fine. Keep going.”

So he did. He passed by thickets of shrubs, wreaths of overgrown moss, and of course, lots and lots of trees, as he ventured deeper into the abyss. There was nothing but the gentle rustle of foliage amidst howling tendrils of a breeze sweeping through the woods, until he caught it — the metallic tinkling of a lake. A couple of paces later, he found himself in front of it, completely entranced by the lucent flecks of moonlight skittering across its surface.

He’d always loved coming here.

“Dr. Kim? I don’t… understand what I’m supposed to do here.”

“You’ll know when it happens. Just keep walking. Think of something you remember from your childhood.”

“From my childhood? I-I can try but, I don’t remember anything except for—”

Stopping short in his tracks, Taehyung doubled over, tripping over a loose root and landed face-first into the mud. He frantically grappled at the imaginary tentacles of shock that encased him, expression a mask of horror.

What did he just…?

///

“... Cannonbaaaaaall!”

Splash.

A shriek blared that rattled his eardrums, breaking the peaceful flounder of waves.

“Oh my god! You got water in my eyes!”

The boy, gliding about in his swimming trunks, threw his head back in laughter. “Sorry, little sister. And hey, how many times do I have to tell you to call me oppa??”

The small girl looked no younger than six, and had her hair binded in two braids. She stuck her tongue out at him. “Well you don’t act like an oppa.”

“Oh yeah? I’m gonna teach you a lesson then!”

“Not if I get ya first, Taehyung!” She squealed, splashing a whole flood right his way.

///

Taehyung was gasping for air by the time his haze disappeared, and he scrambled to sit upright.

“Taehyung? Taehyung, are you there? What just happened?”

“S-Sorry I- Um, I just-” God, if only he knew the answer for himself.

“I-I don’t know. I was just walking when I suddenly, saw this… thing in my head. Like an image. There was a young boy and a girl, playing in a lake that looks like the one next to me right now, and…” He dared himself to say the words, “I-I think that boy was me.”

No response came from Dr. Kim for a while, and then, “Taehyung, I think you just had a vision.”

Taehyung swallowed. Visions…? Right. Jungkook had told him this before, when the same thing happened.

“Does that mean I’m… starting to get my memories back?”

“I would believe so. Keep going, and tell me what you see.”

Out of everything, Taehyung had chosen a raspberry bush to approach, and told the vet exactly that.

“A raspberry bush? Okay, that’s perfect. Now go to it.”

And Taehyung obeyed, though rather warily.

“Pick a berry, Taehyung. Pick one but don’t eat it. Imagine that those berries are your memories, and each one you pick will show you a different one.”

Furrowing his brows in confusion, Taehyung took a moment to understand, but eventually found it in himself to try anyway. Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath.

Then he pulled the first berry he touched.

///

Humming. All he could hear was humming, as he entered the threshold of the marble walls and cream, ceramic tiles. The sublime scent of melted butter hung in the air, weaved with those of pancakes and maple syrup.

Ah, his favorite sort of breakfast in the whole wide world. But that could never beat the voice humming melodies of serenity he loved even more.

“W