"Sanggyun-ah, carry me," Yooncheol commanded the young one wrapping his arms around Sanngyun’s shoulders.

Without complain, Sanggyun did as he was told. He hugged Yooncheol’s arms around him. The young one couldn’t actually piggy back his tall friend, so he was half-dragging and half-carrying him.

"Good job, Hyung," Sanggyun whispered as Yooncheol rested his head on young one’s shoulder. Sanggyun was proud at how nice his friends were, so he wouldn’t have any complain for them. He liked them the way they were.

They walked for an hour and a half until they reached the bridge crossing the river. Then they decided to rest for the night near the river. They set up camp, made fire, ate, and cleaned up. Everyone was all set to rest.

"Waa, that was a long walk!" Sangwon exclaimed.

"Don’t worry, Aelena said that we’re almost half way there," Taeyang smiled.

"So what? A day or two of more walking?!" everyone groaned.

"Wait. Where’s Aelena-noona anyway?" Hansol asked.

"She said she’s just going to the river for a bit, but she’s taking long. She left awhile ago." Yooncheol replied.

"Anyone want to check up on her? Making sure she didn’t ditch us?" Sangdo asked.

No one answered as they were all already laid-back on their spot. Taeyang and Dongsung sitting by the tree; Hansol sitting with Yooncheol leaning against him; Sangdo, Sangwon, and Sanggyun already lying on the ground.

As no one volunteered, Sanggyun groaned and stood up to check up on Aelena.

"Good job, Sanggyun-ah, but don’t try anything funny on her!" Yooncheol grinned.

"Very funny, Hyung! And if ever I do anything funny, she’d already beat me up." They all chuckled. Then he got going.

He looked for the river and unhesitantly walking by the riverside mesmerised by the view; the moon was shining bright high up with the stars and water sparkling above and under him. He kept walking looking aimlessly when he saw Aelena in water . She didn't see him because she had her back on him. Before he saw anything more, he turned quickly around. Not that he saw any of her body, except just her head, neck, and black shoulders. Then, he furrowed his eyebrows. Was it just the nightlight playing tricks on him or he really saw her shoulders all black. He shook his head. He shouldn’t be thinking about her body.

"U-uh Aelena-noona!" Sanggyun shouted still his back on her. He heard splashes of water thinking she might be surprised him seeing her . "I-it’s alright! I didn’t see anything. I was just checking in if everything is okay since you've been out here for awhile."

No response.

"Ok, I'll just return to camp," he started walking.

"W-wait," she hesitated before she continued, "please stay there for awhile."

Didn't know what to do, Sanggyun sat down still not facing her. They were both quiet feeling awkward. Before, Aelena would not allow an opposite gender to be there whenever she bathe, but she just felt comfortable with his presence.

Sanggyun, on the other hand, felt very uncomfortable sitting there with a girl behind him. He was at the age where he was becoming interested with girls. But, being there was a bit too much for him, so he could feel his face heating up. He took deep breaths and thought of other things to keep his mind occupied.

For awhile Sanggyun started to drift away to dreamland until Aelena spoke up, "Thank you for staying with me."

He was surprised that she was standing there and already had her clothes on. Then they went on their way back.

"You saw, did you not?"

"What did I saw? Your body? N-no I didn’t! Maybe just your back and nothing all."

"My shoulders."

Caught, he didn't know what to say, so he just nodded. He was right of what he saw on her shoulders. He was curious deep inside of what it was, but he didn't want to ask if it's personal.

"I am sick," she said. "It first started out from my chest, then as time passes it spreads out. You saw my shoulders."

Sanggyun suddenly wide eyed moved away from her. Aelena gave him a confused look. "Sorry! Just taking precaution in case you're infectious," he chuckled nervously.

"I am not infectious!"

"Oh. Ok then," he moved closer back.

"I do not have any other explanation for it other than, no one knows what sickness it is or even the cure for it. And if I ever suddenly die, I will die peacefully knowing I served my land right."

"O.k. Then why are you telling me this?"

"I know you are curious," she smiled.

He smiled for her answer and honesty. At first he thought she was just an uptight girl who keeps her duty, but she was beginning to feel comfortable around him and everyone. But mostly him.

When they came back to camp, everyone was already asleep, so they did too.

-- -- -- -- --

"Hmm, what's that delicious smell," Sanggyun said as he woke up and opened his eyes.

He was hoping he would be back at their dorm, and his Hyungs were up early cooking bacon for breakfast. But he was completely wrong. He was still at Veridia, and it wasn't his Hyungs who's cooking instead the girls were. His eyes grew wide at the sight of girls dressed in long white gown huddling by the campfire roasting what he guessed must be a boar.

Sanggyun looked around and saw the members waking up one by one. Like him, they were surprised at the sight. Sanggyun crawled to Yooncheol and sat comfortably in front of him.

"Hyung, who are they? What are they doing here?" Sanggyun looked around and counted four girls dressed in white.

"I don't know," Yooncheol yawned hugging Sanggyun for warmth.

In a few seconds, the girls finally turned around revealing their beautiful faces. They all had long wavy brown hair, big eyes, full lips, and rosy cheeks. They had beauty that the boys haven't seen before, plus the girls looked about the same age as the boys.

"Whoa!" Sangwon exclaimed fully awake now.

"Oh who are these beauties!" Dongsung grinned making the girls giggled.

Hansol crawled next to Sangdo, hugged the older friend's arm, and whispered, "They're pretty.."

"Yes they are!" Sangdo smiled.

Like the others, Taeyang was captured by their beauty, but deep inside him something didn't feel right. He looked around. Other than the beautiful ladies and swooning friends,  Aelena wasn't there to be found. He frowned. "Uh, had anybody seen Aelena?" he asked bursting everyone's scene.

"You mean the girl who was with you?" One of the girls asked.

"She left you," a second one answered.

"We saw her walking away with bags all packed up saying she is fed up something about boys."

"We did not know what she was talking until we came upon you," the third one smiled.

Taeyang frowned.

"It is alright now! We are here! We also hunted and cooked a boar for all of you!"

Without hesitation everyone dug in for the food except for Taeyang, Yooncheol, and Sanggyun. But after seeing everyone eat deliciously, they dug in too. To their surprise, it was delicious. The meat was very tender and juicy. It's pork like theirs, but it was a hundred times more delicious.

Everyone kept eating until they were all fully satisfied.

"Wow! That was the best meal I've ever had!" Sangwon beamed making the girls delighted at his compliment.

"Just a suggestion, let us all go to the river and have something to drink or washed up."

Of course everyone agreed except for the same three before.

"I don't feel right about this," Taeyang said to Yooncheol and Sanggyun.

"Me too, Hyung," Yooncheol agreed.

Sanggyun nodded in agreement too. He remembered last night how Aelena was all noble and righteous for her duties. He knew that she would never leave them just like that. "Something's wrong here." And another thought haunted him, why were there beautiful girls wandering around the forest and willingly accommodate strangers?

When they got to the river, some drank and some washed their face. "That's refreshing!" Sangdo exclaimed feeling refreshed.

"Right!" one of the girls smiled and began stripping her dress and dipping a toe in the water.

Everyone's eyes grew wide.

"Come on! The water feels great!"

No response. The group started to feel uncomfortable.  Seeing this, the girl took Sangdo's hand with her as he was the closest to the water. Sangdo was restraining himself but the girl was surprisingly strong. She kept pulling until she was already knee-deep in water.

"Come on! Let's go for a swim!"

"No thank you," Sangdo replied.

"Let's go!" the girl pulled harder, but Sangdo planted his heels on the ground.

"No!"

"Play with me!" she shouted this time.

Everyone shivered at the sudden tone and a few seconds later, it wasn't a girl anymore. It was a monster. Sangdo screamed, and one by one all of the girls started turning into a monster. A monster that looked like a bear except that this monster looked like a hideous beast with big pointy teeth, menacing eyes, long claws, and big flippers.

"Ahhhh!!" everyone screamed.