lxiii. Epilogue

“I just don’t understand. Why is he hanging around us so often nowadays?”

Ricky clutched down onto Niel’s forearm, whispering loud enough for the entire next aisle of the grocery store to hear him. Niel decided to let his clinginess slide this time. He knew his shorter best friend was already wallowing in his self-dug hole of jealousy right about now. Besides, Niel couldn’t help but find it just a tiny bit funny that Ricky kept asking the question of why.

It was too obvious to miss.

Yura, Minah, and Sungjong were currently discussing Ricky’s dinner menu for the night further down the meat section. A conversation Sungjong had been a part of for each and every Friday without fail since August began. He wouldn’t stick around for the meal either. He would leave Yura, Niel, and Ricky to enjoy it themselves as he took to the task of walking Minah home — she had a strict curfew to uphold recently.

The two always left the house yelling at each other.

But, sure enough, Sungjong would show up that next Friday. 

Yura said he did so out of boredom.

Ricky retorted saying the last thing he could possibly be with Bang Minah was bored.

“Shoo fly, go away!” Ricky hissed, waving a hand in Sungjong’s direction. Taking same said hand and holding it up, squinting one eye as he squished Sungjong’s head with his fingers. 

“That’s a problem I can make go away, if you’d like.” The voice of their newly acquired friend, a relationship forced upon them whether they liked it or not, interrupted their daily couple time.

“Don’t bother me while I’m plotting my enemy’s demise.” Ricky shot back at the smiling boy nicknamed L.Joe, glaring on at Sungjong’s handsome looking frame. “When the hell did you get so manly?” No matter how many air pats Ricky delivered to Sungjong’s shoulders, they remained as wide as ever. “Screw you and your growth spurt.”

“Have you even tried asking Minah if she still likes you?” Niel threw a pack of discounted ramen into the shopping cart for good measure. The last dish Minah and Yura cooked for them didn’t turn out as well as they hoped.

L.Joe tsked, clicking his tongue against his pearly whites, “One does not simply talk to the girl of one’s affections.” Only to immediately laugh as he changed sides, betraying Ricky for the umpteenth time, “That’s what manly men do, after all.”

And Ricky didn’t miss L.Joe’s gesture in Sungjong’s direction.

In fact, he declared a vow of silence against their unwanted friend for the night that followed.

“Third-wheeled again.” U-kwon gagged. 

Just in his line of sight was the entryway to the kitchen. Blessed with eyes to see, whether he wanted to or not, he caught the couples of Jaehyo and Jieun, Taeil and Hana, and Kyung and Sunhwa cooking tonight’s meal. The process was going rather well thanks to Sunhwa and Hana.

Thankfully, Jiyeon had decided it was date night and removed herself from the list of designated chefs for the evening. There was no doubt in U-kwon's mind that herself and P.O would be out until midnight. It’s almost as though they knew the horror of putting up with other affectionate couples all to well to subject themselves to such torture. They got out while they still could.

U-kwon could only regret that he missed the chance to do the same.

His body sunk further into the couch beside Hoya. Hoya, who was quite possible the only male not preoccupied with someone of the opposite . Unlike their fellow hunter brethren, U-kwon figured Hoya was like him: slow to get over things. It took U-kwon a month to get over Zico releasing his pet frog into the wild when they were ten. It took him three times that to get over a rejection from the girl he liked. Clearly, his priorities were questionable. 

“Speak for yourself.” 

Hyoyeon spoke up from Hoya’s opposite side, mashing away at the buttons of her nintendo 3ds. She was currently Mario Kart racing against Niel and Ricky — the two sneaking in a match before dinner. She wasn’t into gaming until she met them just two weeks ago at a get-together planned by Sunggyu. Surprisingly, it allowed her mind to focus on something besides the words that weaved themselves through her head, knot after knot after knot unraveled only with the greatest of effort. 

Consequently, she had solved her long-windedness all on her own. 

“We’re not dating.” Hoya made sure to clarify. “She’s in love with Luigi.”

“I’ve always liked the second male leads more.” Hyoyeon agreed, blowing a kiss at the screen as Luigi passed the finish line in first.

“Hey,” U-kwon suddenly got an idea. Sitting up completely, he tentatively asked, “Can I play?”

“No.”

Hoya couldn’t hold back his laughter.

Hyoyeon merely shrugged, “You’ll ruin my record.”

Just as he expected, Sunggyu’s fist connected with Zico’s temple.

Zico scrambled to his feet before Sunggyu could take advantage of his hunched over form. Despite his efforts, dodging Sunggyu’s quick snapping right jab caused him to fall over again. The heir, and now owner, to the Kim Throne had recently developed a habit of acting first and thinking never.

On the other hand, his everyday demeanor hadn’t changed. So, Zico had no reason to call him out on it. In fact, the only time he was so impulsively ruthless was when the two of them would spar alone. While no one was watching Sunggyu would treat him like his own, personal punching bag. Of course Zico welcomed it. It was good practice, he first thought.

He was tired of getting beaten to a pulp, he now thought — two weeks later.

As he took a kick to the gut, Hyosung’s laughter from the back porch delivering another to his ego, he decided he would finally say something about it, “Did I do something to deserve your murderous intent or what?”

Because what else could possibly be stuck up Sunggyu’s ?

Sunggyu jeered at that, tackling Zico headfirst into the trunk of a tree without warning. That was the least he could do, wasn’t it? “Hey, Zico, I’m going to beat the out of you today” was at least more honest than “Hey, Zico, want to have a friendly spar?” In the past, Zico would have sailed the seven seas to fight against Sunggyu. Now, emphasis on only two weeks later, all he wanted was to take a cold bath and dream the bruises away.

“Just letting off some steam.” Was Sunggyu’s answer, hand to Zico’s throat as he pinned him against quite possibly the most uncomfortable expanse of bark Zico’s ever had the pleasure of being choked against.

Zico managed a laugh between precious gasps for air, “Just don’t hit my face, alright?”

Thankfully, Jung Soryong chose then to visit Sunggyu’s home — thus interrupting the one-sided fight. A solemn expression on his face, he conveyed to them some things that had happened in the recent past, along with some precautions they would have to take in the near future.

The lake had become a public attraction once news of the imfamous Song Hyunjoo's party got around. After the police department conducted a test of the water’s ph levels, they deemed it safe to swim in. Teenagers flocked like seagulls. College students back for summer break didn’t dare miss out on the rare opportunity to swim when the nearest beach was hours away. The crowd not bothering them in the least, three native Springfield citizens now gathered at the tree line to do what they did best: people watch.

The two people they watched in particular were currently talking by the newly installed, town funded, grill set.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen Dongwoo talk to a girl besides Hyunjoo before.” Woohyun chalked up a laugh, fingers mindlessly pulling at the grass beside his crossed legs. 

“That’s because he doesn’t flirt with everything on legs.” B-bomb shot back jokingly. He received a hit to his shin in retort that caused him to go plopping down onto the ground beside Woohyun: who, since you had left, was spewing cheesy one-liners everywhere he went like a broken faucet. 

“He said they went skydiving last week.” Myungsoo chimed in absentmindedly. When he felt the shocked eyes of his fellow Wolfketeers on him, demanding an explanation, all he had was a lacking, “He’s got a thing for heights recently.”

“I wonder how long the suspension bridge effect lasts.” B-bomb mumbled beneath his breath, sure enough of neither Dongwoo’s nor Yoona’s intentions to call heads or tails on their odd relationship. 

The distance between the two as they laughed along to some inside joke or other was too close for comfort to warrant simple friendship. Whether Dongwoo noticed it or not, he physically backed away from Yoona when Seohyun and Sooyoung approached them — the two girls apparently not willing to pass up the chance to take a dip in the lake a second time. His ears red and his smile large enough for his cheeks to crack, he went back to grilling a rack of slightly burnt ribs. 

Considering the rare sight before them, the last thing B-bomb expected was Myungsoo’s following confession of: “Hyunjoo and I kissed.” 

B-bomb almost choked on his spit. He looked up to Woohyun who was stunned into an emotionless state, eyes staring straight on at nothing. No matter how right it was for Myungsoo to tell him, the way he was doing it was clearly wrong. There was no startup or intro. It was just out there, sprung forth into the cruel world, without a paddle.

The chances of it sinking, of Woohyun’s reaction being negative, were high.

“I don't want to step on anyone’s toes by hiding it, you know?” Myungsoo said in an attempt to justify his even crueler act. “We haven’t talked about what we are yet. Haven’t had the time, really.”

Woohyun managed to shrug after a moment, responding with a detached, “Good for you.”

The news was clearly not blowing over well. Thinking about it again, though, B-bomb figured there was no good way to say it. The fact that Woohyun had replied with sarcasm, that he had replied at all, was a good thing.

“I don’t know if it’s love. I don’t know if your feelings are stronger than mine.” Myungsoo ran his hands down his face, laughing at himself, “Hell, they probably are.” 

An action Woohyun failed to imitate as he would in any other instance.

“What I’m trying to say is, I don’t know a lot of things right now, Woohyun.” Myungsoo reached out, pulling Woohyun to join himself and B-bomb where they sat, “But I do know that you’re my brother. You’re my best friend. You both are.” Selfishly asking for Woohyun’s support. Whether it be in this matter or others. “And I need you. I need you so don’t, please don’t, shut me out.”

B-bomb’s worries were cast aside as he saw a hint of a smile light Woohyun’s face, “I’m the jealous type. Can you handle that?”

And Myungsoo smiled back. “I’m sure I can manage. For you.”

You picked up your teaspoon, inspecting your reflection meticulously. Your neck, more specifically. There was no need to slap a gauze on it for over a week now. Considering the gravity of your injury at the time, you were surprised it healed so well. Only one scar marred your skin, down your neck in a trail your fingernails had taken as you gasped for air. Faded pink in color, it was surely there for the long haul.

It’s very existence fascinated you. 

A constant reminder that you were still human.

“You visited the Meiji-mura museum yesterday, right?” 

Hwang Tiffany’s voice snapped you out of your daze. Pulling you into a new one with her smile alone, as always, she stopped you before you could answer.

“I’m not interested in architecture, I’m afraid. I won’t understand anything you’re about to praise.”

“You can still listen.” You said with a laugh, fondly remembering a special pair of listening ears hundreds, maybe thousands, of miles away from the tea shop you now sat in.

“That I can.” Tiffany nodded, laughing as she pulled at her ears, “That’s what these are here for.” Laughter fading in an instant, she gathered her hands together in her lap, “But today I need you to listen to me, okay?’’

“Of course.” You agreed without thinking twice.

Hwang Tiffany had woken up from her six-month-long coma this past summer. The exact date was fuzzy even to her. She had been purposely prolonging her stay there under her grandfather’s advice. There was talk of her stepping aside to allow Sunggyu free claim on his own grandfather’s throne. He successfully pulled through with overwhelming Elite support, no one able to argue that they should push the responsibility onto an incapacitated Tiffany. His grandfather was highly respected among the Human faction as well — granting Sunggyu the key votes of confidence he needed to drive the Hunters out of Springfield.

It was the middle of the night just yesterday when Tiffany texted you. She had arrived in Tokyo that afternoon and wanted to meet up today in this small shop, only two weeks after you left Springfield, in order to convey all of this information to you. Thanks to Soryong, she had already extended her stay in Shibuya by two extra days. She was there for reasons she didn’t divulge. You were too happy to see her again to think twice. To think at all.

As she proceeded to make her reasons known, it took you more than just a moment to understand.

“Five days ago, there was an Elite Convention in Thailand to foster the bonds between the Werewolf, Human, and Hunter factions. Believe me when I say everyone who was anyone was there — my grandfather included.” She paused to gauge your reaction. To make sure you were still listening. “Kim Sunggyu included.”

She expected your unchanging expression. 

Because even though she was talking, speaking, conveying an idea to you at this very moment, she hadn’t truly said anything quite yet.

“At events like these, it’s common for fights to break out. For one faction to target another for their own unspoken reasons. For some individuals to take advantage of such a rare opportunity for what they would call ‘justice.’” 

“Tiffany.” You warned her to get to the point. She had beaten around the bush to the point where she was kicking up chunks of grass and dirt. The last thing you had patience for recently was tiptoeing around particular subjects and sprinting head first into others. Every topic should be said if it had to be. Not whispered. Not yelled. Simply said. “Why are you telling me this?”

Why had she come all the way to Japan to tell you this?

To speak to you in a tone of voice that sounded methodically practiced and forced?

“One of these individuals was an Elite Enforcer, rank EN10.” Tiffany swiped her tongue across her cracked lips, eyelashes fluttering, “His name was Jung Daeryong.”

“What do you mean ‘was’?” You voice stuttered out. Your call of her name stumbling off your lips, “Tiffany?”

“As the three Faction Delegates stood on the stage to give their closing toasts, Jung Daeryong climbed the stage. With the intent to murder the leader of the Hunter Faction, he yelled incoherently before shifting in front of the entire room.” Tiffany caught her breath palms swiping at her eyes, smudging her eyeliner across her temples. Dark circles were revealed beneath her lower lids, her concealer failing on her. Her attempt to conceal her true feelings on the matter, despite her tone, an utter failure. “He was gunned down in mere seconds.”

“Tiffany,” your voice bubbled up from your throat, nearly a whisper.

“Jung Daeryong’s time of death is recorded as August 19th, 7:23pm.” 

You stood up from your seat, shaking your head. Denying her words. Knowing that wouldn’t change anything. Accepting it as you heard her speak between strangled sobs.

“An Elite Enforcer, rank EN05, was his accomplice in his crime. She was shot in the head as she tried to drag his body out of the panicked crossfire that ensued.” Tiffany laid her forehead onto the table in front of her, shoulders trembling, “Her name was Sunny. She was twenty-three years old. We grew up together along with the twins. She was my best friend and I wasn’t there. I wasn't there for them when they needed me. When they needed my influence more than ever, I—” 

You were hugging her before she could finish.

Staining her shirt as she stained yours. 

Screaming silently into her shoulder as you felt your entire world crumbling. As the fact that you would never hear Daeryong call you “Jojo” again set in, the desire to turn back time and change things burned against your tearing eyes. But as this thought crossed your mind, you started to do more than just listen.

Because there was a reason, wasn’t there?

There was a reason Jung Daeryong fought a seemingly unwinnable battle. 

He took the risk, he made this last gamble, because he truly thought he could win.

Never one to turn down a challenge, you wiped your eyes dry and said, “Well then, where do we go from here?”