CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

“However, this is still a theory and I’m not exactly sure if it’s even true so if ever you meet one of them, please, please, keep your emotions in check. Do not show any sign of recognition,” Jaehwan sighs as the scene from last night repeats itself in his mind. How could things end up like this? What wrong have they done to be separated like this? They were family, weren’t they?

Jaehwan gets caught in his thoughts and finds himself in the playground near the apartment they were staying in, not sensing the presence that has been following him since he left the building. Still stuck in his thoughts, Jaehwan walks towards one of the benches and starts playing with the sand on the group, a loud sigh escaping his lips.

“What can I do? What do I do?”

---

“Are you sure you’re not just imagining things, Wonshik?” Hongbin asks, taking the emptied glass from Wonshik who shakes his head, slow but sure. “I don’t understand. I think you’re…, he couldn’t have possibly controlled your mind, has he?” he says and looks at Wonshik who gives him a look of disbelief.

Taekwoon enters the room and silently closes the door behind him. He leans on the doorframe and looks at the two boys who were watching him. “Do you know why they said that Hakyeon was the strongest, strong enough to even best the three of us?” the two boys shake their heads. Taekwoon looks away, feeling an emotion close to sadness bubble inside him as he speaks the next words. “It’s because he has done this the longest. He has stayed at the facility the longest. He hasn’t met his parents. He hasn’t seen the outside world like we did. He has experienced things we can only imagine. He did say before that he used to see his parents on holidays; that was a lie. It was true for you, Hongbin, but not for him,”

The two boys feel their hearts sink at Taekwoon’s words. The older gives a short sigh before continuing. “It was during the first assignment the two of us had. It was a long time ago, but I can still remember it clearly; the way he had broken down after shooting the man. How he had asked me if life in paradise was to my liking. But what’s more is how he had looked as he told me how we were being manipulated. It was as if he had given up on life. That was the first and the last time I saw that look but I’ll never forget it,”

Hongbin frowns, taking in Taekwoon’s words. He didn’t believe them, at least, not fully. He knows that they’re the enemies, at least, he thinks so. It was what was said to them; it was their job. And yet, while listening to Taekwoon’s words, he feels a sort of nostalgia, almost familial in nature. “How do you know this, hyung?”

“How? Simple; blood is a lot thicker than water,”

---

“Jaehwan-ah,” Jaehwan stiffens at the mention of his name. He nervously looks up only to let out a huge sigh of relief as he eyes Hakyeon looking down at him. Hakyeon gives him a small smile before sitting beside him, the two boys not saying anything and just wordlessly takes in their surroundings but maybe words were not needed, maybe they understood each other even without one talking. And they did.

Hakyeon knew how Jaehwan felt; both on the other boys and about himself. He knew and believed that the boy would get over it, that he would realize that he was just as important as any of them were, that he wasn’t the weakling he perceived himself to be. He was no longer the same clumsy yet determined boy he was. He had matured, Hakyeon knew that. He had watched the boy. He was still clumsy, still very determined, but he saw how the boy had mellowed down.

It was a minute into their silence that Jaehwan speaks. “You know, right, hyung? You know how I feel about the others, about us…,” Jaehwan trails off, finding himself unable to finish his words. He himself wasn’t sure of how he felt, but one thing’s for sure-

“You love Taekwoon, and not in a familial way, and he loves you too, I know that,” Hakyeon says. Jaehwan looks at Hakyeon with wide eyes and the older boy finds himself chuckling. “He may not show it, but he does. I can see it in the way he looks at you and how he takes care of you, in his own way, at least. Though, I don’t think he’s aware of this yet,”

Jaehwan almost feels happy at the thought but finds himself frowning. “I don’t think so, hyung. You’re the one closest to him, so…,” Jaehwan doesn’t finish, rather, he couldn’t find himself to finish.

Hakyeon smiles and shakes his head. “We’re close because we’re the same age. Besides, our relationship is more in the lines of companionship; we understand each other well because we’re the same age. I confide in him just like how he confides in me so trust me when I tell you this; our relationship is nothing more than familial love and friendship,”

Jaehwan finally smiles as he nods his head and takes Hakyeon’s hands into his, slightly surprising the older boy. “I love you hyung, just like how I love Wonshik, Hongbin and Sanghyuk,” Jaehwan slightly blushes. “I just happen to love Taekwoon-hyung a lot more,”

“I’m glad you’re feeling better, Jaehwan. Just talk to me whenever you need someone to talk to,”

i finally updated!!! this might sound like an excuse but i've just been really busy with school, and then VIXX's UTOPIA happened, and then i drowned in my feels (DAMN!! they're so handsome in person!! and then the hi-touch, gosh. i can't even look at them in the eye but daaaaaamn). but to make up for it, here's a slightly longer chapter. it's almost 1000 words long (longer than my usual but not really that long). i'm actually typing this up while listening to Hakyeon's radio VIXXNKpop. i've been listening to it everyday.

and i mentioned this in the previous chapter, but the story WILL BE ENDING SOON, OR RATHER, THE FIRST BOOK WILL BE ENDING SOON. THE NEXT BOOK, TITLED: "BLACK PARADISE: WHERE MONSTERS ARE CREATED" WILL BE POSTED ONCE THIS STORY FINISHES. IT WILL FOCUS ON THEIR LIFE AT PRESENT. SOME CONFIRMED CHANGES FOR THIS IS THAT THE CHAPTERS WILL BE LONGER SINCE I'LL BE USING  A DIFFERENT WAY OF WRITING. also, some have said that this story does't have romance themes, well, those romance themes will be more apparent in the 2nd book. so stay tuned for that.

comments are forever appreciated!!!