~ Yong JunHyung ~

“Thank you, again,” Hyuna says to YongGuk, as she helps support JunHyung by his arm. She looks to him worriedly, and glances to YongGuk with an appreciative smile.

The boy looks from JunHyung to Hyuna, and smiles back. “It’s no problem,” his expression changes to anxiousness as he takes a step closer and carefully reaches for Hyuna’s cheek. She lightly gasps and pulls back a bit, looking down to her hands that grip JunHyung’s upper arm. Guk brings his hand away slowly, frowning and placing it back to his side. He looks down the road, “Make sure you put something on your cheek to help the swelling. Use a slab of meat,” he says glancing down to his feet.

Hyuna nods and straightens, “I will, just…thank you again for helping us like that. I don’t know what we would have done without you. I don’t know how we can ever make this up to you.”

YongGuk blinks as his lips turn up into a crooked smile. He looks back to her, his eyes sparkling, “Well, you could show me around a bit more tomorrow,” he looks down the street and then to the sky, “It’s not too bad here.”

“It’s not, you’ll see.”

“Can…I see you tomorrow, then?” Guk lightly smiles.

Hyuna smiles, “Of course! Come by the shop though, I can’t leave.”

YongGuk laughs and nods, “All right, see you then.”

He backs away and then turns to head down the road, towards the forest trees. JunHyung sighs, bringing Hyuna’s attention back to him. “Are you sure you’re okay?” Hyuna asks, as she turns to unlock the back door to the shop.

“I just have a headache, I’ll be fine,” JunHyung tries to pull his arm out of Hyuna’s grip with a reassuring smile. He backs away, swaying on his feet. A small line of blood comes down from the corner of his lip, where a bruise has started to form along his chin.

“JunHyung, you’re bleeding,” Hyuna says softly, reaching forward and gently placing her fingers on the side of his face to get a better look. JunHyung watches Hyuna’s eyes sweep across his face, and his mouth twitches into a smile, making him wince at the pain. Hyuna gasps and steps back, “Why don’t you come up and let me look at it? There has to be something we can do.”

JunHyung sighs and glances down the alley before looking back to her, seeing her worried expression. He smirks and nods and she pulls him towards the stairs.

They mount the steps to the apartment and Hyuna enters the pin, letting them both in. She helps lead JunHyung to the couch in the living room and lets him sit. She leans down and looks to his chin, turning her face around his to look at it better. Again, JunHyung has to clench his teeth together in order to keep himself from smiling.

Hyuna stands up and rushes to the kitchen and starts to open some pantries.

“Aha!” She exclaims, a smile in her voice as she pulls down some band aides.

She then goes to the fridge and takes out a bottle of alcohol and grabs a slap of steak while she’s at it. She towel on her way out and sits in front of JunHyung’s lap.

She sets the supplies on the floor and sits forward, reaching and taking JunHyung’s face in her hands, she pulls him closer to her. She sits back and reaches for the towel and alcohol, splashing some into the fabric and then turning back to him.

“Sit still,” she mumbles, glancing to his eyes before refocusing on his wound.

JunHyung’s breathing comes steadily in and out of his nose, his warm breath along her hands as she works. She carefully pinches his chin, causing his eyes to squeeze shut at the pressure.

“Does that hurt?” she asks.

“A little,” he admits with a smirk as he opens them and looks down to her.

She gingerly touches the wet towel to his lip, the alcohol stinging the cut. He grunts and the air comes faster out of his nose, as his face grows warm and his heart picking up pace. “Sorry if it stings,” she says softly as she wipes away the blood.

“It’s alright.” He exhales.

She places the towel away and pulls out a band aide, steadily spreading it across the cut just under his lip. She sits back and looks to him, turning her head to the side.

He smiles, “Does it look good?”

“I think so.” She states.

“Am I still handsome?”

“Whoever said you were handsome in the first place?” Hyuna scoffs, gathering up her supplies.

JunHyung chuckles. As Hyuna stands to go to the kitchen, he reaches out and takes a hold of her hand, turning her back towards him.

“Come here,” he says softly, with clear eyes.

Hyuna stands before him and he tugs her down to the couch by his side. He reaches down and takes the steak from the floor and turns his body towards her. Her cheekbone has been bruised and the rest of the flesh has become red and swollen from the man’s hand. JunHyung sighs and purses his lips as he gently touches his thumb to her cheek, tracing from her cheek down her jawline. She blinks as JunHyung brings the steak to her face and lightly touches it to her skin, causing her to close her eyes.

“It hurts?” he asks.

“It’s cold,” she smiles, keeping her eyes closed.

JunHyung smiles as he holds it against her, looking at her eyelashes and her smooth skin. He looks up to her dark hair, and how it shines in the light of the lamp. Her hands are folded in her lap, her slender fingers crossing over each other. Her chest slowly rises and falls with each breath.

JunHyung’s heart pounds inside of him, almost to the point where he worries whether or not she can feel it through his hand. He slowly pulls his hand away from her face, and her eyes flicker open to look at him.

“Hold it against there for a while,” he says as his other hand takes her and puts the steak into it. “I have to get going,” he smiles.

“You’re leaving?”

He nods, “It’s late.”

She looks down and brings the steak to her cheek, “Okay.”

“Keep that on there to help the swelling,” he instructs as he rises and walks for the door.

Hyuna gets up and follows him, keeping the steak on her face. “Will you be able to get back okay? You’re not dizzy anymore?”

He shakes his head, turning to her as he opens the door. “I feel better,” he smiles.

Hyuna looks to him with her wide eyes and he sighs, reaching forward and placing his hand lightly on hers that holds the meat to her face. He gently pulls it away and leans closer, “Let me take a look at it,” he whispers as he looks at the red skin along her face. She turns her head to the side to give him a better look, and he quickly places his lips against her cheek, just once and then pulls away with a smile.

She takes a step back and looks to him with big eyes and an open mouth. He smirks to her and places her hand with the cold steak back to her cheek and stands back. He blinks and ruffles the hair on top of her head before turning and walking down the steps. “I’ll stop by tomorrow,” he calls as he goes.

“See you,” she says softly and then the door shuts and automatically locks.

JunHyung stops on the bottom step and looks up to the door. He smiles and sighs with the thought of Hyuna waiting for him until tomorrow. But suddenly, the feeling of aggravation rises when he remembers YongGuk wanting to see the town with her the next day. If JunHyung could do anything about it, he would be sure that those two wouldn’t end up alone.

JunHyung sighs as he walks back down the dark street to his own apartment, thinking of the stranger that has appeared in his life. In Hyuna’s life. Who was this YongGuk? Why was he here? Did he have interest in Hyuna? From the way the guy looked at her, he seemed to have some sort of feelings for her…but he had only known her for a day. Why was she okay with it when it had taken JunHyung a week to be this comfortable with her? JunHyung’s lip curls in jealousy, causing him to wince and touch the band aide on his face, but then he smiles and remembers Hyuna’s touch. He trusts her.

~ Kim HyunA ~

Hyuna had waited until she knew JunHyung was well gone to go out and go to the woods. She knew that she had to find BoHoJa and see him for the day, but she didn’t want to bother JunHyung with going with her. He had been dizzy and weak after the bar incident, and she just wanted him to sleep. Anyways, she has traveled by herself for the last year, she could certainly walk through a town on her own. But when she got to the forest, she couldn’t find him. BoHoJa was nowhere to be found. She had called and called but the dog never came. She walked some ways into the trees, searching for him, but she couldn’t find any trace of him. She thought about shifting to find him, but decided that she was too tired to deal with the whole ordeal of shifting at that moment. She didn’t want to have to hide her clothes and go through the painful process of shifting and then spending the night running through the forests looking for her companion. In the end, she had given up on looking for him that night. BoHoJa had never been more than a few miles away from her at one given time. She had even been separated from him for three days once when she was arrested for stealing in a different city, and still he had managed to find her later on. He could track her down miles away. Surely, the wolf was out there, probably watching her, but still hurt by what had happened the day before. Perhaps JunHyung was right, and BoHoJa just needed some time. But he would return.

Not long after Hyuna had arrives back, the phone to Chaelin’s apartment starts to ring. She hurries to pick up the receiver and find the button to make it work. “Hello?” she asks awkwardly into the phone.

“Hyuna?” a male voice comes in on the end.

“BiRain oppa?” she asks.

“Yes! Hyuna, where have you been? I came by the shop after work but no one was there and it was all locked up. Did you close early?”

“Oh!” Hyuna brings her hand to her head in the feeling of stupidity, “I did! JunHyung came by and wanted to go out for dinner. I locked everything up and left early. I’m sorry! I forgot you would come by! I’m so used to just leaving in the evening like that now, but I guess since I’m in charge of the store, I shouldn’t do that anymore.”

She listens to Rain laugh on the other end, “No, it’s okay! CL’s lucky the store is up and running without her there at all! She’s making a profit for having a vacation! Anytime you need to leave, just make sure you lock up like you did. And if you can, let me know.”

“Sure thing, BiRain!”

“Okay, well, did you two youngsters have a good night at least?”

“Well…”

“Doesn’t sound promising.”

Hyuna sighs, “Just drama.”

“With?”

“Well, I guess I kind of made a new friend today, and JunHyung doesn’t seem to like him much.”

“Him? Ha, no wonder, kid. Don’t mind JunHyung on that.”

“Huh? Uh…okay. And we saw Hara tonight…”

“Oh boy.”

“Yeah, that wasn’t great. Oh and…we sort of got into a fight.”

“With each other? Who won?”

“What? No!” Hyuna exclaims, trying not to laugh, “With some random drunk guy at the bar!”

“Oh, is that so? Hm. Well, my money would have been on you anyways. But hey, are you guys alright?”

“Yeah, no permanent damage done. We’re all at home. I locked up and I’m going to bed now.”

“Okay, sounds good. I’ll check in on you tomorrow then, kiddo.”

Hyuna smiles, liking the feeling of security that BiRain gives. “Alright, thanks, Rain.”

“Night.”

“Goodnight.” She hangs up the phone and turns out the lights to the apartment.

She walks back to her room and locks her own bedroom and window, just in case, feeling a little more vulnerable being by herself at night in the city. She changes and lays in bed, thinking of JunHyung and hoping that he isn’t upset about the bar. Hyuna can’t think of any reason as to why that man had called her such names, yet, it was as if he could read into her mind and find what hurts her most. She did feel like a beast…a monster…a freak…an outcast. And JunHyung had tried so hard to protect her, getting the blunt of it for her. But then YongGuk…he came in and helped them both. Something about YongGuk brought comfort to Hyuna. She liked how easily they connected, how he was funny and nice and caring, and how they had some similarities. She found that she was looking forward to seeing him the next day.

~ ~ ~

The next morning, Hyuna follows Chaelin’s routine for the day and begins work at the shop. She bakes new goods, helps the customers, and keeps the place clean.

A little after opening time, YongGuk enters the shop, again wearing a black top with blue jeans and sneakers. He laughs as he looks to Hyuna with white powder all along her apron, hands, and face.

“You can bake?” he asks as he takes a seat near the counter.

“CL unnie taught me,” Hyuna laughs as she pulls out a fresh loaf of bread.

YongGuk glances at the baking supplies scattered along the countertop. He raises an eyebrow, “All of that powder stuff turns into bread?”

Hyuna smiles at his innocence, “Yes, it’s weird to think about right? That’s what I thought too when I first started working here. I guess it’s just a minor detail that we don’t normally look at.”

He nods and then stands up, walking over to watch her work at the counter. “Anything I can do to help?”

“Hmm,” Hyuna smiles to herself as she looks down at the mess, “Actually, that would be great,” she exhales, wiping her forehead with her sleeve.

YongGuk smiles and stands up, placing his hands on the counter. “Okay, show me what you know.”

Hyuna laughs and they begin to work together, straightening up the shop, baking batches of KkwaBaeGi DoNeoCheu, and talking and laughing.

~ Yong JunHyung ~

A little before dinner, JunHyung enters the shop with BiRain at his side, pausing upon finding YongGuk wearing an apron with white flour smeared around his face, and standing behind the counter with Hyuna at his side. His eyes narrow as they walk to the counter.

“Hyuna,” BiRain smiles, leaning forward on the counter, “You look as if you’re running the shop pretty well!” he glances around at the ceiling, his eyes stopping at a spot above the counter. “But how the hell did you get flour on the ceiling?” he scoffs.

Hyuna’s eyes widen as she looks to YongGuk, seeing the same expression mirrored on his face. They both spurt out in laughter, and YongGuk reaches for Hyuna’s arm, placing his fingers along her elbow. JunHyung’s lip curls in disgust.

“What is he doing here again?” JunHyung mumbles, causing BiRain to look from him to YongGuk.

Hyuna smiles, trying to plead with him with her eyes. “He was just helping me,” she says calmly, “I don’t know how CL ran this place by herself for so long.”

“Wasn’t easy for her, that’s for sure.” BiRain says, taking a seat and putting his feet up on another chair.

Hyuna nods, looking back to JunHyung as YongGuk takes off the apron and sets in behind the counter. He walks around the side, wiping his hands on the back of his pants. He stops before BiRain and slightly bows before offering his hand out.

“Hello, sir, my name is YongGuk. I was passing through town and well…” he glances to Hyuna, “Hyuna and I seemed to have become friends.”

Hyuna laughs and rolls her eyes at him, placing a hand on her hip.

BiRain smiles and shakes his hand, “I am BiRain, another friend of hers. And this is JunHyung…”

“We’ve met,” JunHyung mumbles, pulling the other vacant chair out and taking a seat by BiRain. He leans forward, clasping his hands together on the table, staring up at YongGuk.

YongGuk raises an eyebrow at him before standing up and turning back to Hyuna with a smile, which she returns easily.

JunHyung purses his lips, wondering how they seem so happy and comfortable around each other so fast.

“Feel like closing up and getting something to eat?” BiRain asks, and then he turns to YongGuk. JunHyung opens his mouth to protest but Rain speaks too fast, “YongGuk, do you like Gimbap? I know a great place not far from here.”

“I love it!” YongGuk smiles.

“Great! Hyuna, how bout we all go get something to eat? I’ll help close up shop with you.”

“Sounds good to me,” Hyuna smiles, taking off her apron.

JunHyung sighs as he sits back and watches BiRain and YongGuk start to push in chairs and pull down the window blocks. He grinds his teeth and then rises to help clean off the tables and Hyuna locks the register.

~ ~ ~

At dinner, JunHyung sits next to Hyuna, with YongGuk sitting by BiRain directly opposite. They order different platters of Gimbap, and BiRain gets YongGuk into conversation about music, something that YongGuk has mentioned interest in. YongGuk speaks about the music of nature, and art, and how he finds everything about it intriguing. Although JunHyung approves of his love for music, mimicking his own passion for rap, he can’t help but think that the guy is a sap. BiRain begins to tell YongGuk that his deep voice would be good vocals for his songs, and JunHyung finally feels relief for the first time during the evening, as he turns to Hyuna at his side.

He leans forward to see her cheek, and gently touches the tips of his fingers near the light blue and black mark on her cheekbone. “Does it hurt?” he asks quietly, trying to keep his voice down so that neither BiRain nor YongGuk can enter the conversation.

Hyuna lightly smiles, looking down to her hands as she pulls her check away from his touch. She turns to him and sits up, “It doesn’t,” she answers, “It just doesn’t exactly look very pretty.”

JunHyung smiles, “You always seem to look pretty.”

Hyuna’s cheeks begin to turn pink as she looks away from him, making him smile at her bashfulness. She sighs and then looks back to him, catching her eyes. “I don’t wear any makeup,” she nervously laughs.
JunHyung smiles, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, “You’re naturally pretty.”

YongGuk scoffs and they turn to see BiRain and Guk watching them. “I agree,” YongGuk smiles, “But you, on the other hand, JunHyung,” he shakes his head and BiRain laughs.

“What?” JunHyung says through closed teeth.
“Not so naturally pretty,” YongGuk teases, holding out a strand of his own brown hair.
JunHyung glances up to his hair, a light brownish blonde and he sneers. “This is natural,” he mumbles, touching the tips of it.
“What?” YongGuk laughs out loud and Hyuna turns to JunHyung.
“That’s natural?” Hyuna asks as she laughs, glancing to his light hair.
“I swear!” JunHyung whines, turning to her, “I’ve never dyed my hair before! It’s just always looked like this.”

“I didn’t know that,” BiRain mumbles as he swirls his drink around.

“Hyung!” JunHyung protests, “When have you ever seen me dye my hair?”

BiRain shrugs and then smirks. “Never I guess, but I’ve only known you for a year now. I guess I just assumed that you have some long lasting hair dye.”

“It’s not that,” JunHyung says as he looks around the table, “It’s just naturally this color.”

Hyuna purses her lips and nods her head, looking at his hair. BiRain laughs and pushes YongGuk lightly by the arm, mentioning dying hair for his music group MBLAQ. Again, the two enter a conversation of their own and Hyuna looks to JunHyung. Her expression softens as she gingerly reaches forward and touches the scrape along his chin, under his lips. His heart stills for a moment at her touch, and then picks up pace. He’s forced to close his mouth and concentrate on his breathing.

“What about you?” she asks softly, looking down to his bruised chin.

“I’m fine,” he smiles, taking a hold of her fingers and holding them in his own.

He tenderly runs his thumb along the back of her hand, feeling her soft skin in his grasp. She smiles back and blushes, blinking lightly in the dim light of the restaurant.

YongGuk clears his throat, and the two turn to see him and BiRain looking at them, BiRain with a faint smile, and YongGuk without expression. YongGuk’s lips part into a smile as he turns to Hyuna. “Did you rest well last night?” he asks her.

She nods, “I did, thank you.”

“You put something on your cheek?” he points to her face, and she shies away from his touch, bringing a smile to JunHyung’s face.

“Yes, a slab of meat,” Hyuna laughs.

“Don't worry,” JunHyung says, glancing to YongGuk, “I made sure she kept it on for a while to keep the swelling down.”

YongGuk blinks and then brings his attention back to Hyuna. “So you stayed in the rest of the night, then?”

Hyuna’s face twists as opens but no words come out. “Actually,” she mumbles, “I did go out later.”

“What?” JunHyung’s mouth gapes open as he turns to her in shock.

“Well,” Hyuna glances to him from the corner of her eyes, but she doesn’t look directly to him. “I went out for a moment to search for a friend of mine.”

“A friend?” YongGuk asks, his eyebrow raised.

“Yes, a very dear friend of mine is staying near town as well. And I usually see him ever day, but I couldn’t find him.” She looks down, her eyes showing her pain.

“Hyuna,” JunHyung says calmly as he reaches for her hand in her lap under the table, “You shouldn’t have gone around town by yourself so late at night.”

She sighs, looking away from him, her hand tensing within his own. “I needed to see him,” she says quietly.

JunHyung squeezes her hands, trying to let her know that he isn’t mad at her. “I know,” he replies, “But next time…just don’t go alone.”

She sighs but nods, and JunHyung looks across to YongGuk. The man’s eyes focus on Hyuna, but when he feels JunHyung’s gaze, he looks to him, and a slight smirk plays along his lips, as his eyes seem to know. JunHyung glares at him, hating the guy more and more each minute. ~ ~ ~

At the end of dinner, BiRain and YongGuk say goodnight out front of the bakery, and disappear into the night down the road, still talking of music and art. JunHyung sighs to see them go, but when he turns to Hyuna, she’s already unlatching the back door to go inside.

“Wait,” JunHyung sighs, taking her hand, “Are you angry at me?”

She pauses, and without turning around, she shakes her head. “I’m not angry.”

“But you’re upset, right? Because you think I’m telling you what to do.”

She turns her face away from him and shrugs.

JunHyung takes a breath and looks up to the night sky, the stars dimly glowing down above the city lights. “I’m sorry,” he breathes, releasing her hand, “But just know that I only act that way because I care about you. I don’t want you going out alone at night because I don’t want any of those others coming after you again. And…I don’t necessarily like this new Guk guy either, I know you can tell. But that’s only because I don’t trust him.”

“You don’t know him,” Hyuna states.
“Neither do you,” JunHyung spits out, and then stops his temper. He closes his eyes for a second and then looks to her. “I’m going to try, okay? But please just try to understand my side of this, too. I’m just worried. And…I’m a bit jealous.” He scoffs and looks away towards the back alley.

He can feel Hyuna’s eyes turn towards him, and a smile comes to her face. “I knew it,” she breathes.

JunHyung purses his lips as he looks down to her knowing eyes, as if they play with him. He rolls his eyes and then turns to walk away back to the street. Before he reaches the sidewalk, he hears Hyuna’s feet run after him, and then he feels her arms wrap around his waist from behind, as she buries her face into his back. JunHyung stops and stands still, his eyes wide and his heart in his ears. He looks down to her hands clasped around his stomach.

“I’m sorry,” she says into his back, his skin feeling the warmth of her breath through his clothes. “I know that you don’t like YongGuk, but it’s not often that I find someone that I just…get along with so well and so fast, you know? Being around people is sort of…new to me. I want to make friends now to make up for not having any this whole time. I trust YongGuk…and I can’t explain why, so I only ask that you trust me, okay?”

JunHyung sighs and looks up again. “Okay,” he agrees, “I’ll try to get along with this guy but…you still can’t be running around by yourself, alright?”

He can’t see her face, but he can almost feel the smile spread across her lips, and the pull of her head as she nods.

She releases him, and he turns to face her, seeing her smile and bright eyes. He sighs, and she backs away.

“I mean it, Hyuna,” he calls after her, “Don’t go out alone.”

She waves to him from over her head, and then opens the back door to the bakery.

~ ~ ~

JunHyung can’t get the picture of Hyuna out of his mind. The way she smiles, as if toying with him. She must know how he feels about her, because she knew that he was jealous. But when could he tell her how he really felt? That he was interested in her more than just as a friend. With this new guy hanging around her, JunHyung feels a sense of urgency in telling her first.

He paces the sidewalk outside of his own apartment, trying to figure out his thoughts. In the end, he decides that he has to tell her, and he turns to run to her apartment. On the way, he thinks of how much better it would be to tell her in a special way, rather than running up to her and just blurting it out, but his heartbeat urges him on.

He stops down in the alley way and knocks on the door. He breathes heavily, half from running and half just from the nervous feeling of actually telling her. “How do I say it?” he asks himself as he knocks again, “Just say…‘I like you’?”

He takes a deep breath and then rings the bell on the side, looking up to the windows above. “Hyuna!” he calls up, thinking maybe she won’t answer the door if she thinks it’s a stranger. “It’s JunHyung! I need to talk to you!”

He waits and holds his breath for a response, but nothing comes. He backs away and looks up to the window to see nothing but darkness. Did she go to bed? he wonders. It’s not that late…and I was just here not thirty minutes ago.

“Hyuna!” he cups his hands around his mouth to amplify his voice, but again, there is no response.

He sighs, feeling an overwhelming amount of emotion. He feels disappointed in not being able to contact her, but he settles that his confession will just have to wait. He wonders whether it will be enough to keep her here longer, rather than having her run of at the end of the week again. He purses his lips and scowls with the thought of YongGuk confessing to her first…but she wouldn’t accept him after only two days…would he?

JunHyung’s eyes widen and he looks back to the door. The sudden thought of Hyuna running through the dead of night comes to mind, and he looks to the street. No way she ran off to look for that wolf…he thinks.

JunHyung grinds his teeth together and marches to the road, thinking that Hyuna might have actually gone to look for BoHoJa, despite saying she wouldn’t. JunHyung pauses and stares ahead as he thinks, she never actually said she wouldn’t do it again. He grunts as he runs to the forest.

~ Kim HyunA ~

Even though she had told JunHyung that she would try harder, when Hyuna was left alone in the apartment, she felt strange. She had the opposite feeling that one might have of someone watching her…but she felt as if no one way…she was alone. Lonely. Her heart ached to see BoHoJa again. The thought of him running off on his own without her tormented her. Finally, Hyuna could take it no longer, and she ran out of the apartment in search of her friend.

Her mixed thoughts about JunHyung and YongGuk had clouded her mind, and made her desperate for the familiarity of a friend during a time of change and doubt.

The crisp, night air feels good as she fills her lungs on her way out of the town. She runs past others walking on the street and into the meadow, bounding over the cattails, browning with the change of seasons. When she gets to the forest edge, she pants as she looks around, but there’s no sign of BoHoJa.

“BoHo!” she cries. “Where are you?” her voice cracks with disparity as no response comes.

Not even the crickets of the night sing to welcome her back to the woods. She feels awkward…out of place…alone. “BoHoJa!” she screams, bending forward as she pushes her lungs empty. Her heart beat picks up pace as the panic sets in, her friend is missing. Her only companion for a year has left her. She has no one, no family, and now no friends. JunHyung, Chaelin, BiRain, YongGuk, but even they couldn’t be counted at this point as her mind only searches for BoHoJa.

She blows into the wooden whistle with all of her breath, the silent sound echoing out and reverberating off the trunks of the trees. If BoHoJa was anywhere near Chinju, he would have heard that sound, and originally, he would have come running for her. But now…things were unoriginal, and he did not come.

Tears fill Hyuna’s eyes as she runs into the forest, desperate to find him no matter what. Adrenaline pumps through her body, supplying her muscles with added energy to get her through the terror. She nears a clearing, not far into the forest and pauses as she looks around. She pants, listening to the sound of her heart and her breath. She grinds her teeth together as she decides that BoHoJa is more important to her than anyone else at this moment…even herself.

She sighs as she pulls her shirt off, followed by her shoes and shorts. She tosses them into the bushes and looks around the opening, feeling vulnerable. She closes her eyes shut and steadies her breathing. She concentrates, and feels her heart pound like a drum inside, echoing to every inch of her body.

Her eyes clench tight and her yells get drowned out by the clap of thunder that comes from her as her bones break and re-mend within seconds, her skin stretches and collapses, her cells blend and multiply. Through a quick and painful process, Hyuna has shifted voluntarily into the black stallion once again. She breathes in huffs out of her nostrils, the fog gathering around her nose and then dispersing in the night. Her heart pumps powerfully inside of her as her strong lungs fill and empty in rhythm. She stands up and glances around the meadow, feeling secure and confident…free. The wild nature that she held inside had again become her entire being, and she felt great.  

She closes her eyes and takes in the fresh air of the night, feeling ready to run miles upon miles in order to find her trusted companion. She opens her eyes and tosses her head back, looking up to the forest. Then, Hyuna’s eyes widen and her breathing pauses, leaving only her heart thudding in her ears as she stares at Yong JunHyung standing by the clearing, his mouth open and his eyes wide, his hand rested on the trunk of a tree.

Ahhhh! Hyuna screams inside as she stares at him, and he back at her, how long has be been there? Hyuna thinks back and is sure that he was not there when she had shifted, but how long into that process did he arrive? To shift only took three seconds max, surely he did not see it. Most likely, though, he had heard her cries and the tremor of the sound, which brought him here. But now, Hyuna stares into JunHyung’s eyes, thinking that her secret is finally in the open for him to see, and she wonders whether or not he understands it.

~ Yong JunHyung ~

Upon entering the forest in search of Hyuna, JunHyung had marched through the woods trying to find her. He had called to her repeatedly but without response. He hadn’t planned on going too far into the dark forest, but something kept him going, as if something was leading him through the darkness. His pulse thudded in his ears, and his breaths were shallow.

After a few minutes, JunHyung pauses as he thinks he catches the faint cry of a girl coming from ahead, along with a roll of thunder in the clouds. He looks up, seeing only the stars of the night and the full moon, not a cloud in sight.

He ran then, through the trees, not sure of where he was going. He breaks out into a clearing, gripping the trunk of a tree for support as he tries to catch his breath. He pants and blinks, looking up and catching the eyes of a beautiful black horse standing in the midst of the clearing, just looking back at him. His mouth freezes open, and he stares into the bright eyes of the magnificent creature.

The horse raises its head as JunHyung straightens up and it begins to back away. What is this doing here? JunHyung thinks, taking a step closer to the animal. Did a farmer’s horse get loose? This cannot possibly be wild in an area like this. He puts his hands out in front of him as he enters the clearing, being cautious with the horse. The horse gives a quiet whinny and backs up towards the trees. The horse paws impatiently at the ground, pulling up grass and dirt. It glances between JunHyung and the forest, blinking softly, its heart pounding noticeably within it.

“Easy,” JunHyung talks to it, getting nearer, “Easy…”

The horse’s head comes up straight and everything pauses for a just a moment before it turns and takes off into the woods.

“Hey!” JunHyung shouts, breaking into a run in full chase.

He jumps over shrubs and dodges trees, surprised that he can catch glimpses of the wild animal in the dark of the night. The horse’s size makes it more difficult for it to weave through the thick forest, but the black color of it’s hair blends with the black of the air. For a split second, JunHyung thinks that he might be able to catch up to it, when something shifts to completely confuse his mind. As the horse leaps over a fallen log, the animal changes from a black horse, to a black wolf. By the time its feet touch the ground again, the hooves have become paws in one loud clap of thunder. The dog snarls and sprints through the trees.

Like an explosion from JunHyung’s mind, his mind works fast to try to comprehend what has just happened. He blinks in disbelief as he continues his chase, hurdling over the log and following after the beast. He suddenly wonders whether he has seen what he thinks he has seen, or whether he drank that night at dinner. Then he feels as if he might be dreaming, and he becomes confused, as he doubts whether this is reality. Still, he runs after the dog, watching as it slips through the darkness ahead.

The animal’s snarls echo back to him, making him think that whether or not this was a dream, it was happening in some sense. JunHyung pushes his body forward, huffing to keep up with the animal, but now it seems impossible.

The next explosion that comes is from his heart, as the shock of something so unbelievable sets off a reaction within him. JunHyung pauses in the woods, bending forward in pain as his heart shoots blood throughout his body. He shrieks as his body uncontrollably shakes, and it begins to happen. His body becomes warm, and his skin tingles as long white hairs come from every pore in his body. His bones snap and crack, his breathing hitches, his heart beats so fast it almost feels like one long pump of blood, and every cell in his being changes. Through one of the most painful processes he has ever been through, JunHyung shifts into a wild, white leopard in a matter of five seconds, no longer.

His eyes pull open wide, as he stares down into the grass, his breath coming out fast and ragged and his heart slowing pace but still not normal of a human pulse. He glances around the forest and then to his paws, moving each toe with a long dark claw on the end. He glances back and twitches his long tail, dotted with black spots. The flies of the woods tickle his whiskers, and he looks forward, pausing his breathing to listen.

His ears turn and he catches the cry of a wolf, not far in the distance. His lips peel over his fangs and he hisses into the darkness before jumping forward, continuing his chase.

The echo of his cry breaks through the trees before he does, and he jumps out to find the black wolf standing among the trees. The dog looks to him, ears forward, eyes open, stance frozen. For what seems like minutes only lasts seconds in a stare before the wolf turns and makes a run for the trees. The leopard cries out to it again and leaps off the branches to follow.

JunHyung’s muscles push and pull as he easily weaves through the trees, feeling more agile and quick than ever before. His heart supplies his body with the energy to keep running, in pursuit of the black wolf.

JunHyung’s claws swipe the tip of the wolf’s tail, resulting in the animal howling into the night, and again, before JunHyung’s eyes, the creature changes. Starting from the tips of the wolf’s toes to the end of his tail, in one flash and smack of sound, the wolf shifts into a cheetah, fur as dark as the night. The cheetah’s cries echo out into the night, blending with JunHyung’s own shrieks.

The cheetah pulls away from him as he fights to catch up. It feels as if he runs after this shape shifter for miles before they both break out into another opening. JunHyung’s eyes widen as he watches the cat before him near a cliff overlooking the ocean, but still he chases it at full speed. He catches his breath as the cheetah doesn’t pause upon nearing the edge, but rather, the cat jumps over the edge, falling out of view and down toward the crashing waves below. JunHyung pulls himself back, digging all four of his feet into the soft dirt and leaning backwards. He slides to a stop at the edge of the overhang, his claws catching into the ground. He cries as his body lurches forward, looking down to the water below. In a rush of air, what he guesses had been the cheetah is now a type of bird, a hawk, still pitch black in color. It soars up and past him, forcing him to back away and look up to the night sky as the bird screams out and soars overhead. His eyes watch as the bird flies over the tops of the trees, calling out as it goes.

JunHyung pants, watching the sky, his heart pounding and his mind working.

I’m not the only one, he breathes, there are others like me.

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~ LC ~

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