xxi. Bonding Time

Sunggyu twisted his body, his hands gripping down onto and tossing the weight that had thrown itself at him. The weight that was Kyung’s dark auburn furred werewolf form. Kyung went flinging back, not able to stop himself due to the momentum, his snout colliding with a nearby tree in the process. A small yelp escaped him, followed by a higher pitched one immediately after that did not belong to him.

No, it belonged to Sungjong who went tunneling after Sunggyu right behind him and ended up pinned to the ground like a helpless leaf underneath a steel-toed boot. In this case, however, it was a leaf-like Sungjong trapped under an imposing, powerful Kim Sunggyu who had yet to transform. Sungjong wasn’t sure which he’d rather be facing, human Sunggyu or wolf Sunggyu. Though as he felt Sunggyu’s arm press down onto his throat, he knew in an instant he preferred it to the feeling of sharp teeth at his nape instead.

Kyung bared his fangs, wasting no time to shake off the hit he had endured, and sprung forward to Sungjong’s aid. He would have at least, if not for the person who had stepped in front of him, blocking his way forward.

Taeil.

An untransformed Taeil.

And as such a disadvantageous Taeil.

But, this was all a part of Sunggyu’s plan. To even as they faced their probable elimination from the training exercise, not to transform. To not shift into their wolf forms. What purpose did this serve? Sunggyu had said it in a roundabout way yesterday but Taeil was able to deduce what he meant, no matter how ambiguous he sounded.

“He who shifts first, loses.”

Why? Because it left them exposed. Shifting allowed them a boast of strength, speed, and stamina. It was their main offensive weapon against whatever threatened their existence. But, it left their shortcomings out in the open for the world to see. Upon shifting, the strength, the speed, the stamina they would showcase was at its maximum limit, at its peak. There is a power in knowing how far a person can go. A power another person can use over them. Can use against them.

“He who shifts first, loses” is akin to “he who shows his hand first, loses.”

This is why Taeil remained the same in his petite human form as Kyung came charging towards him, a pair of claws sprawling outwards, tearing the surface of his jacket as he stepped backgrounds, just slightly out of range of Kyung’s lunge. Taeil didn’t expect Kyung to allow him even a single moment’s rest, and he didn’t. Kyung came at him again, his teeth ripping through the air and chomping down hard onto Taeil’s thigh, piercing through his skin with ease.

Taeil winced as searing hot pain shot up his leg. Kyung had bitten him in the past. Back when they were younger, it wasn’t at all a rare occurrence for Kyung or Zico to go on a rampage before they had fully gotten control of themselves with the help of the Wolfsbane they ingested each day. He had been bit where his neck met his shoulders once and if not for his nature and if not for it having been not long since they had started their Wolfsbane regimine, he could have died.

The pain he felt that day was immense and Kyung had never forgiven himself for it. It was the catalyst that stopped him from transforming any more after that. Whatever unforgiving guilt he felt however, Taeil had forgiven him for it. He understood the conflict Kyung was experiencing because he was going through it himself. And before that his arms had been treated as chew toys. So, he definitely experienced things much more painful than this.

However, that doesn’t mean it hurt any less.

In fact, Taeil felt like cursing outright as Kyung’s fangs dug into him, ripping into his muscle like it was tissue paper. But he held it back, instead channeling all of his pain into his hands which gripped onto Kyung’s jaw of sharp teeth and pulled, slowly pulled, open Kyung’s mouth. He succeeded in doing so. Succeeded in prying Kyung from him and shrugging him to the side before landing a single punch.

A single punch right onto the sore spot on Kyung’s snout.

And another yelp escaped the dark auburn werewolf’s throat.

At least, Kyung thought it had been himself that let out a cry of pain. But, it wasn’t. It was Sungjong’s howl that rang through the air as his body went colliding with the trunk of a tree, Sunggyu’s swift kick sending him there with such force that an audible crack could be heard.

The breaking of one of Sungjong’s bones.

Which one? The adrenaline rush that pumped through the young werewolf caused him to be unsure of the answer to that question. It would heal, whatever it was that was broken, but again, that didn’t mean it didn’t hurt like hell. And Kyung rushed to him as he lay writhing on the ground, struggling to get up, driven by pure instinct to do so. Sungjong growled as he caught sight of Kyung at his side, not liking the sudden protectiveness that Kyung displayed. Kyung’s the one who said they were destined to argue. Destined to never be friends. And if he meant that, Sungjong wanted to yell at him to stop making him feel as though the exact opposite were true.

However, there was no intermission to be had on their part. Taeil took quick advantage of the two wolves.

And this is when he shifted.

Right at that moment, Taeil sprang forward, a blur as his clothes ripped away, his skin turning into a deep brown, thick coat of fur.

The two wolves, Taeil and Kyung, collided and tumbled, fighting for dominance. Jaws snapped. Claws slashed. Guttural growls echoed through the air. All in the matter of a few seconds mere meters away from where Sungjong stood up weakly and cautiously on all four legs.

And one of them won. And through this victory, Sunggyu’s words were proved correct. Proved correct through the sight of the deep brown furred werewolf that pinned down the other dark auburn colored one, teeth at the latter’s throat, hanging in midair, deathly still instead of committing the act that would have ended their scuffle.

Taeil had won against Kyung.

He had won because he had seen Kyung’s hand. He had judged through the amount of strength he had put into yanking Kyung’s jaw open that if he was able to pummel him, just once, just enough to knock the wind out of him, then he could send Kyung down with ease. Just one strong yank, that’s what it took to unlatch Kyung from his thigh. Just one running hit, that’s what it took to bring Kyung down. It was simple. It made sense. And Sunggyu’s advice, his plan to hold off on transforming until the end, proved to work brilliantly.

Yet, Taeil who had transformed only now did not foresee that Sunggyu’s words were more than right. They were exact.

Taeil’s transformation signified his end.

How so?

His end came to him swiftly. It hit it him without a single inhibition. What hit him? What force pinned him against the tree in a single second, away from the now eliminated Kyung?

Nothing but the force of Zico.

A single one of Zico’s hands held the wolf form of Taeil against the trunk of a tree. His fingers flexed, increasing pressure only for a moment, causing Taeil to squirm under his grip, before he released the pressure. Before he let Taeil go sinking onto the ground.

And Taeil was now out.

Taeil was out because Zico had the opportunity then if this were real, if the two weren’t as close or possibly closer than brothers, to kill him. To end him then and there.

Zico’s eyes fell to Kyung who went to Taeil immediately, nudging at the disappointed older werewolf with his snout. As though to comfortingly say, “You got me, even if it was short lived,” as he helped bring Taeil to a stand on his legs.

Now the only person left from the Blue Team was their leader, Sunggyu. Sunggyu, who was letting Taeil push ahead, letting him take care of Kyung while he kept his eyes on Sungjong, who he was having trouble watching in pain but was enduring the sight nevertheless. Though once this was all over, he would surely see to it that he, Kyung, and Taeil made quick recoveries.

Now, however, was not the time to think about this.

Now, he stood alone.

He stood alone as Taeil and Kyung left together, leaving a weakened but still fighting Sungjong and an as swell as can be Zico behind. Judging from the look Sunggyu saw reflected in Zico’s eyes however, it wouldn’t stay this way for long.

Sungjong looked up at Zico, a silent question conveying itself through his narrowed eyes. A question that should have been the obvious one to ask now that Zico had appeared so timely as he did.

The question of “Where is P.O?”

Zico glanced at Sungjong’s wolf form, his eyes lingering only for a moment before he dragged them upwards again, locking his gaze with Sunggyu instead. The powerful Sunggyu whom his post-Wolfsbane self had yet to go up against. The wise beyond measure Sunggyu who even now must have been thinking. Thinking of all the chinks in Zico’s defense, all of the flaws in his offense, of all of the ways he could be taken advantage of. And it caused a surge of energy to flow through him, the female hunter’s words resounding in his mind now and him not rejecting them in the least this time.

Because they were true.

They were true and he wasn’t so prideful not to admit that now.

He was excited.

The thought of fighting Kim Sunggyu was exciting.

He probably thought about it at least once every day, if not more. And now, Zico had the chance to do it. To go up against Sunggyu one on one. To test his metal or, now that things were as they were, his fangs against him.

He wasn’t going to let such an opportunity slip through his fingers, especially when Sungjong at this point had somewhere much more important to be.

“Long story short, he’s out and you should go look for Myungsoo and Hyunjoo.” Zico advised him, his eyes not leaving Sunggyu’s own, an inhuman grin spreading across his face in trepidation of the events to come, “I’ll handle this.”

And thus began perhaps the most anticipated fight in this training exercise pitting Red against Blue.

Pitting Woo Jiho against Kim Sunggyu.

He shouldn’t have helped him. Kyung shouldn’t have jumped in between himself and Taeil. Because he did, he was out now. Because he did, Sungjong was now left to assist Hyunjoo and Myungsoo on his own. Alone. Despite having objected to the idea at first, the idea of the “Buddy System” that Zico stated was their main plan of attack, he couldn’t help but hear it. He couldn’t help but think it. He couldn’t help but be frustrated because of it. Because of that word.

Alone.

He wasn’t technically, he knew that. Sungjong could feel it though. He felt as though another set of paws should be running beside his own. He felt as though the right side of his body was empty without another person there. Without Park Kyung there. He felt exposed and he hated it.

He missed Kyung and he hated it.

How long had it been since he started to run as he was now, his legs carrying him as fast as the four of them could, away from Zico? Away from where he left Zico and Sunggyu to themselves despite his better judgment to stick around. Zico had told him where he needed to be however, and he would go there without hesitation. There, to where Myungsoo and Hyunjoo were, a less-injured-than-Zico-would-like Woohyun approaching them.

Woohyun, who fought against Zico and P.O alongside Jiyeon and U-kwon.

Jiyeon got out by P.O. That was something Sungjong could tell as he smelled her scent leaving the forest not long ago. Kyung had confirmed his realization to be true then as well. A threatened and disadvantageous duo of Woohyun and U-kwon fought Zico and P.O.

U-kwon got out next. Without a doubt, dealing with the adaptable Zico and the brute force that was P.O was too much for Woohyun to handle alone. So, Woohyun got P.O out quickly, taking advantage of the slight pause in P.O’s movements as U-kwon’s termination from the exercise was being affirmed, before hauling it out of there, as fast as his human legs could take him.

And instead of following Woohyun to the werewolf and the human he could smell in the distance, Myungsoo and Hyunjoo respectively, Zico went running towards the sound of Sungjong’s howl that cut through the air painfully.

Thus, Sungjong was left to help and he willingly would. He would willingly help even if he was alone now. Alone and injured.

And he couldn’t help but have his mind drift. To have his mind wander as he ran alone through the thin layer of snow coating the ground. Through the silence that drowned out the sound of his paws crunching down.

To wander, to drift, and to call to his mind one particular question.

Why did Sungjong hate Kyung in the first place?

As he remembered almost immediately the events that occurred in the not so distant past, Sungjong reflexively growled.

Kyung had threatened you. He had threatened your wellbeing. Your health. Your life.

Sungjong’s growl however faded, disappearing back down his throat, as he felt his logical self, his consciously rational self, interject with the following.

Now, Kyung would do anything and everything he could to keep you alive.

It wasn’t fair.

How was Sungjong supposed to keep up the arguments, the insults, and the banter now? How when he no longer had any reason at all to hate Kyung but had so many reasons to hate that he wasn’t there with him at that very moment?

Without warning, he left your side, rushing forward, a blur of black amongst the white, snow covered surroundings. Passivity was no longer in his dictionary, the meaning of the word defense incorrectly defined. You reached out, grasping onto the tips of his jacket before he had gone too far. It was like grabbing onto a speeding bullet train’s railing. He carried you with him for a good ten feet before you went falling flat onto the ground face first.

You cursed profanities you didn’t even think actually existed in the human language as you pushed yourself up, melting snow coating your face. You blew a raspberry, getting any dirt that may or may not have stuck onto your lips off as you blinked rapidly, clearing your hazed vision.  What you saw was a punch throwing Myungsoo and a fist catching Dongwoo.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa,” Dongwoo said in repetition as Myungsoo came after him again and again, each one of Myungsoo’s hits being deflected with a simple hit to his forearms each time. Dongwoo took steps back. One step each time a punch was thrown. He was backing away. He was backing away from the uncharacteristically assertive Myungsoo.

It was abnormal, unheard of even, for Myungsoo to be so forthcoming with his attacks. He was the type to plan his moves in a calculated manner. The type to think through every action to the point in which it became routine for him. The type to calmly carry himself. Not at all the type to strike with reckless abandon as he was doing now. Woohyun had mentioned in passing to be wary of Myungsoo and now Dongwoo knew why. Myungsoo had changed his strategy completely, opting out for unpredictability with the hopes of catching Dongwoo off-guard.

It didn’t work.

Myungsoo was fruitlessly wasting energy trying to break down the brick wall that was Dongwoo and was failing. Failing miserably. That’s what Dongwoo thought. That’s what you thought as well. You would have continued to think so if not for, through blurry eyes, you saw what was happening.

With each punch, Dongwoo was stepping back. Giving in more ground each and every time Myungsoo swung at him. Maybe he was doing it due to shock. Shock with a mix of confusion as to the sudden change in Myungsoo’s style of fighting. Or maybe he was doing it because he didn’t think Myungsoo was ballsy enough to actually incorporate a certain something into his plan of attack.

A certain someone.

Without realizing it, the next punch sent Dongwoo backing up into a tree, locked for a moment with no way of escape. His eyes widened, the reversal of the situation just moments before sent him on high alert and as Myungsoo’s next reared back punch came crashing down on him, he blocked it.

He blocked it with ease as he had all those before it.

But, Myungsoo hadn’t intended a single one of his hits to land.

And a flash of a smile was all Dongwoo saw before Myungsoo went dodging down out of his view and another fist came flying towards his face. It almost hit him square between the eyes, right on the bridge of his nose, if he hadn’t been so quick to react. If he hadn’t been so quick to turn his face away and shift to the left, almost stumbling onto the ground in the process. Now that he was out of the danger zone, he picked himself up with a heavy breath of relief and looked back. He looked back so that he could see exactly what it was that almost succeeded in landing a hit on him.

At who it was.

At who it was that Myungsoo incorporated into his ploy.

You.

You, your fist colliding with the bark of the tree instead and causing a stinging vibration to travel up your arm like electricity. You withdrew your hand quickly, biting down on your bottom lip to suppress the curses that attempted to stream from your lips as best as you could. Instead of conveying your agitation with words, you shot Myungsoo a look, your eyes narrowed into dangerous slits. Myungsoo pursed his lips at you in response, a shrug of his shoulders the only answer to all of the silent vulgarities you threw at him.

Dongwoo hadn’t expected this. He hadn’t expected the two of you to work together in tandem like this. Then again, he wasn’t sure what to expect at all when he encountered you two in the first place. But, you two were together for a reason. A reason that escaped him until now. Until he could see the two of you looking at each other, communicating in a silent language he couldn’t decipher.

Myungsoo and you.

Myungsoo, failing to cradle and protect you like most of them would because he knew you could take care of yourself. Myungsoo, who had no desire to restrict your freedom to do just that. 

You, who were more than willing to take any opportunity Myungsoo gave you to aid him. You, who could read Myungsoo’s intentions as easily as Dongwoo could read the meaning behind your tell-all expressions.  

And he saw something shining in the eyes of the two of you. Something bright he only ever noticed when the both of you were together. Something so vividly glowing that he didn't know the definition of until now.

Mutual respect.

Mutual respect was shared between Myungsoo and yourself.

Even if the two of you didn’t see it, Dongwoo did.

And it made him just a teensy bit worried.

Just a teensy bit as he straightened himself up, finding that he couldn’t be as careless as he had been earlier when Myungsoo drove him into a corner. Just a teensy bit as he watched you kick Myungsoo’s behind in retaliation for whatever answer his dark eyes had given you in response to your unvoiced statement.

“What did I do to deserve that?” Myungsoo asked out loud with furrowed eyebrows as he glanced back at you, the corner of his lips hitching upwards just slightly in amusement that he was holding back.

And that teensy bit of worry was coupled with a newfound exhilaration. Across his lips splayed a large grin. No longer was this situation simply “interesting.” No, it has escalated past that. Now, Dongwoo’s smile meant something else. 

“This is definitely going to be fun.”

And what followed Dongwoo’s words was the arrival of a certain werewolf with an equally as large, yet much more cheesy in comparison, grin.

“Can I join in and enjoy it with you?” Woohyun asked as he took his place at Dongwoo’s side. A place that now filled, allowed Dongwoo’s nerves to relax. And his worry disappeared, leaving only a feeling of anxious anticipation in its place.

But there was something that was telling him, whispering to him from the recesses of his mind, that no matter who stood beside him, he should be worried. Much more worried than just a teensy bit.

Much, much more as he saw it again.

The conversation Myungsoo’s eyes and your own were engaging in.

A conversation that ended with a smile on your face that despite the implications, left Dongwoo feeling as though he couldn’t care less if he won or lost to you.

And he couldn’t.

He truly, sincerely couldn’t.

“It’s unfair!” Sungyeol yelled as he came to a skidding stop, his heels digging into the dirt beneath the snow. He was sent flying back by the powerhouse that was Hoya just seconds ago when he once more attempted to get a hit in on him. “He’s built like a tank!” Sungyeol complained to none other than his partner, Jaehyo.

Jaehyo shared the same sentiment regarding Hoya. However, while this was Sungyeol’s first time going head to head against a member of his own pack, Hoya in particular, Jaehyo had fought the werewolf countless times before. And he considered himself lucky to have ever survived all of those encounters. Jaehyo soon realized after living alongside Sunggyu’s pack that they were holding back. That certain individuals in particular were holding back whenever a fight broke out.

Those werewolves would be Sunggyu, most obviously, Dongwoo, the other powerhouse in Sunggyu’s pack, and Hoya. These three hid their strength because their strength was their greatest asset. Because unlike Sungjong, they couldn’t move faster than a speeding bullet. Because unlike Sungyeol, they weren’t as agile when it came to dodging incoming attacks. Because unlike Woohyun, they didn’t have an endless amount of stamina and endurance. Because unlike Myungsoo, strategy and wits had nothing to do with their plan of attack.

They had strength.

And that’s all they needed.

If Jaehyo had to rank the werewolves from strongest to weakest, Hoya would be in the top three alongside Sunggyu and Dongwoo. If Jaehyo had to rank who he’d like to fight the least to who he’d be confident fighting the most, Hoya was a sturdy fifth.

Who was first?

Myungsoo.

Because he matched Jaehyo the most in terms of offense and defense. Because he pulled no punches and struck at the enemy’s weak points quickly and effectively. Because the fight would surely last an eternity, Jaehyo’s chances of winning in the end slim-to-none. Second was Sungjong simply for the fact that the young werewolf was quick enough to best Jaehyo without much of a fight. Third was Sunggyu because he was Sunggyu; that reason is more than sufficient. Fourth was Dongwoo as he was the stronger of the two powerhouses.

And to clarify, Sungyeol was who he’d like to fight the most. Because he knows how to get under the tall werewolf’s skin and he would take the utmost enjoyment in doing so.

So then, it was good that at least two of his top three where on his team. It was also good that Sunggyu was off somewhere far away, Zico’s scent close by. Which meant the odds of Jaehyo having to face Sunggyu were astronomically small. It was also good he wasn’t going against Dongwoo, who would have already put both him and his partner, the now annoyed Sungyeol, out long ago.

It wasn’t good however facing Hoya, even if he was the fifth rung on the ladder.

Because Hoya was patient.

Because for the past ten minutes, Sungyeol and Jaehyo were throwing themselves at him to no effect. He was like a cement wall. Like an impenetrable tank. Which means they had to get him moving. To get him to react to something, anything.

And that’s when an idea sparked inside of Jaehyo’s mind.

“You really think whining is going to help our situation?” Jaehyo shot back at his complaints from earlier, his eyebrows furrowing downwards, “If that’s all the help you’re to provide then I’d prefer if you would keep your mouth shut and take your frustrations out on the enemy.” 

Sungyeol flared up almost immediately, “I don’t see you doing much to help our situation!”

“At the very least I’m not wasting my life away whining about wanting to see people who already abandoned me years ago. You should focus on those right in front of you instead of chasing those who could do, and were able to do, without you.”

And that was it.

That was the one thing Jaehyo could have said then, that he could have ever said, that did it.

That broke him.

That broke Sungyeol.

That broke him into tiny bits of debris and sediment, the unmerciful wave that was Jaehyo’s words hitting him, carrying him away into the unknown.

Sungyeol’s eyes widened into pools of agitation mixed with annoyance mixed with just a hint, just a hue, of betrayal. It wasn’t long however until the latter disappeared and all that was left was rage. Pure, unabated rage. “Then you handle this, partner. Try to make sure you don’t end up losing. What would I do without you, after all?” Sarcasm coated every single world Sungyeol uttered.

And just like that, Sungyeol left.

Sungyeol left a silent Jaehyo and a startled Hoya behind.

Moments passed.

Moments passed in which the two simply stood there, Jaehyo’s eyes boring into the ground as though he were digging a hole for himself so as to bury the immense amount of regret he felt for speaking in such a way about Sungyeol’s desire to see his family again. 

Moments passed before Hoya spoke up, “You took it too far.” He didn’t know what the two were talking about. But, he didn’t need to. He didn’t need to know what Jaehyo was referring to to know that his words hurt Sungyeol. That they hurt Sungyeol more than a knife to his back.

And Jaehyo without a word broke into a charge straight towards Hoya, the dire straits he faced calling for no other solution than frontal confrontation. Jaehyo’s leg cut through the air, aimed right at his temple, Hoya’s stance remained the same. He did as he had been doing since he first encountered Jaehyo and Sungyeol as he lifted his hand up to his head, blocking Jaehyo’s kick with his forearm. Hoya promptly extended that same arm and wrapped it around Jaehyo’s thigh so as to grab down onto his leg before the brown haired werewolf had a chance to retract his failed offensive attack.

Jaehyo was given a taste of Hoya’s pure strength once more as the powerhouse pulled his leg upwards, causing Jaehyo to be swept off of his feet. Hoya lifted him higher, almost dangling him above the ground upside down now. Jaehyo scowled as his mind worked a million miles a minute. He planted his hands onto the ground firmly, bending at the elbows, to avoid being completely handled as though he were a doll.  

If anyone had stumbled upon the scene, it would look as though Hoya was teaching Jaehyo how to do a handstand. It would look as though Jaehyo had did not have the adequate amount of strength it took to hold his body up, thus his bent arms. It would look as though Jaehyo couldn’t get his other leg to join the leg Hoya so kindly held up for him. Thinking about it like that made Jaehyo laugh.

It made him laugh at the fact that it looked like his previous plan wasn’t going to work out after all. Which meant he had to do something to fight back on his own.

So, Jaehyo breathed in and out. Calming himself. Gathering his wits about him, which he had many of to be sure.

Then, with renewed energy, he twisted his arms, now looking as though he were attempting a b-boy move, and his legs went spinning out of Hoya’s grip. The action caused Hoya to take two steps back. Sure, it wasn’t all that much. Still, it was something. And Jaehyo would take something over nothing right now more than ever.

Jaehyo landed on his back hard, a small pinch of pain that was nothing compared to the pain he knew he would endure from then on. And he was right, it was in no way, not in the least bit, comparable. The pain he felt as he swiped his legs, causing Hoya to tumble down onto one knee while Jaehyo quickly recovered by rearing his legs back before shooting them up, forcing himself into a stand, and sending a punch sailing downwards towards Hoya’s face only to be hit first, was incomparable. The pain from a hit that came from Hoya socking him in his abdomen with a merciless uppercut, his body feeling as though it had been slammed against the impenetrable tank that was Hoya himself, couldn’t even be described.

Jaehyo staggered backwards and he could hear his stomach groaning out in pain, crying out from the beating it had just taken. The beating of just one punch. One and only one.

He couldn’t do this by himself.

A shadow descended down upon him, the light of the sun that hit Hoya’s back blurring out his features, and Jaehyo took a deep breath for the second time. And as he breathed in, he smelled it.

He couldn’t do this by himself.

And he didn’t have to.

Jaehyo had smelt that which Hoya was too distracted to notice. Too distracted to realize that someone else was above them in the trees. That this particular someone descended down with agile dexterity. And with this same skill set, said person approached Hoya from behind, taking him by surprise as Hoya suddenly found his arms being lifted up, another person’s own hooking around and up the front of his body from behind.

It was Sungyeol’s face Jaehyo saw underneath the sunlight that shone through the leaves of the trees now. Sungyeol, who was looking down at him with an expression that seemed to say something.

That seemed to say, “Sorry.”

“I’m sorry for leaving you.”

And, “I forgive you.”

“I forgive you because you didn’t mean it.”

How did Jaehyo know Sungyeol would come back? Because he trusted him. He trusted him so deeply, so strongly, that he was willing to bet his life that Sungyeol would come back. And if this had been real, he would have.

And even though this wasn’t real, there was no one Jaehyo trusted more at this moment than him.

No one he believed in more than Lee Sungyeol.

No one else as he sprang to his feet, heading straight towards a now restrained Hoya. 

A/N:

Only one day late! Why? Because fights scences are both fun and hard to write. Also, I just made a fart joke on one of my other story's A/N. I'm so ashamed yet so proud at the same time. And I can't top it. I just can't. So, instead of the usual long Author's Note, I'd like you all to read this.

It's not anything bad, don't worry! I promise it's not! The trolls are in deep slumber underneath their bridge so safely click on the link. If you dare! Mwhaha..haha..ha...Okay, just joking. Seriously, it's nothing bad! It's the reason I didn't update last week (among other things). I was working on it for class and well, it just turned into that. Yep. That's all folks! 

Random Dancing Party Time anyone?

Edit: I have read all of your comments (many times in fact) but will only be responding to those for chapter 20 (instead of chapter 20 and 19s comments) this week.