Random Rambles: Hi guys, sorry for taking a while with updating! I'm already happy that I'm able to update this chappie, so I didn't proofread it xD Lazy Nin-Nin is lazy, jehsonghamnida OTL Anyway, hope you like the update and I'll try to write more soon ^^ As usual, thank you guys so much for the support; y'all are FANTASTIC BABY ;P <3 <3 chu chu~

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The rain fell from the sky as though an army of Angels were weeping. The drops crashed unto the earth in a fast rhythm, drumming on the pavement, on windows and roof tiles. The water rolled down the green leaves of tall trees to such an extent that hiding underneath these quiet giants brought no shelter from the rain. 

The wind swept through the waterfall from the dark skies, blowing them in every direction to ensure that nothing could stay dry. In addition, the lightning struck in timed out intervals, illuminating the sky before making way for the inevitable roar of thunder. The last lightning bolt that crashed through the grey clouds seemed to have caused the major blackout on the entire island. It almost seemed as though the lightning and thunder wanted people to remember that their power could not be tamed. Nature's electricity was wild and free and could not be stopped by something so trivial as a blackout. 

To see nature do its work without letting anyone or anything stop it, was rather terrifying. No one would think less of a person for staying inside where it was warm and safe. But staying inside would also mean that Nature's wild beauty would be utterly missed. 

Most people hated storms. Lightning and thunderstorms in particular. But Chen, he loved them. He loved watching the rain fall, the lightning bolts in the sky, the sound of thunder. To him, it was a beautiful orchestra, playing a brilliant symphony that no one could replicate because each storm was different, each storm was unique Hence, no song was ever the same.

Of course there were implications with storms like these and Chen was no fool. People feared them for a reason and they were right to do so. However, the fact that these storms were dangerous never stopped him from going outside to enjoy them. He honestly didn't mind the downpour of water, or the biting cold sting of the wind. He liked how the water beat against his skin, though the wind could get annoying, he always felt refreshed by it somehow. And the thunder and lightning - oh man, that was his scene. While normal and sane people stayed away from lightning, Chen always sought out every way possible to get closer to it. He wanted to get struck by lightning because he knew there was no better feeling in the world. The way every fiber in his being sparked and tingled without ever hurting him, how it energized him and allowed him to play with this raw force of nature was amazing to say the least. Lightning never hurt him. It embraced him. And Chen's way of hugging back was to zap the lightning back into the air, creating effects in the light and intensity that made the air literally buzz and crackle with mesmerizing electricity.

It was therefore not entirely surprising that he was outside at this very moment, to watch the storm rage while simultaneously clearing his mind. 

Suho had called in an emergency meeting after their encounter with that creepy woman, and decided that everyone should stay low while they figure this out. Which unfortunately also meant that they shouldn't contact Jae-noona out of fear for any possible repercussions. None of them wanted a repeat performance of seeing Jae like that, but Chen had been one of the brothers that protested against Suho's decision. Sure, he was always down with not having to go to school, but not if that reason was so they wouldn't have to see Jae. 

Even though they called in sick at school, they met up at Suho's place secretly, since he lived in the more isolated part of the island in one of the biggest houses. His parents weren't home anyway, and his older brother couldn't be bothered less with what his kid brother was up to. Chen had to put in a bit more effort himself to get out of the house without his mother finding out. In the end, he bribed his older brother to cover for him just in case. He had second doubts whether it was worth the twenty bucks and the weekend's worth of having to do his brother's chores on top of his own, though.

The pack came together to try and figure things out, but they all agreed that it felt wrong to do so without Jae. Suho then made a point that Jae got into danger in the first place because she knew them. She was close to them and that brought her trouble. Chen understood what Suho was trying to do, but protecting the girl this way wasn't the answer. he tried telling the leader that no one else was to blame except for that woman, but at the same time, he was aware that Suho only acted this way because the cruel words uttered by that woman against him, had hurt him bad. Suho was questioning his leadership abilities and no matter what they said to convince him otherwise, he didn't believe them.

Chen pushed his wet hair from his face as he breathed in the scent of wet earth. He looked behind him to see the Kim mansion in full glory, standing firm and strong amidst the storm. He had walked through the vast garden to stand on a green hill that could oversee the entire property. He just needed to get out of the house. 

Things had become tiresome when everyone started to argue, up to the point that they weren't even having a discussion anymore. Everyone just ended up actually fighting. Chen tried to remember when he had seen D.O. so angry before and found that he couldn't really recall. Kai, surprisingly, sided with D.O. on the matter of keeping in touch with Jae. Apparently the kid finally turned around and had started to see the girl as a full-fledged member of the pack, which Chen could appreciate. 

Things heated up when Suho forbade everyone to reply to Jae's messages and even though they complied, they didn't necessarily agreed in full. At the same time, they weren't sure what to do instead, either. Truth was, they were scared. All of them. Scared for their own safety, and that of each other's. They had never been threatened like this before because all this time they thought that there was no one that knew about their secret. And now it turned out that there were people who, in fact, knew. People who seem to know a great deal more than them, even. No wonder they were all on edge. 

It was a ridiculous situation they were in and Chen still wasn't sure what had happened. Recent events threw them off balance for sure and Suho's overreaction was obviously a result from the whole ordeal, but none of them knew what to do. 

Were they in danger? Had they brought Jae in danger? Would it truly be safer for her to break all ties with them, or would that only make matters worse considering that it would mean that they have left her vulnerable?

Chen took a deep breath, turned to face the wind and screamed. He screamed out his frustration and confusion, his agitation and anxiety. It helped to make him feel just a bit better, but he knew it didn't solve any of their problems. For a brief moment, he wished that things could go back to what they were before. When Jae joined their pack, and they just had fun, and the only thing he had to worry about was how to avoid detention when playing pranks on teachers and schoolmates. 

When he felt his phone buzzing from the inside pocket of his jacket, he was reluctant to check it. Jae-noona had sent him messages and it literally hurt for him to not answer them immediately. Chen wasn't sure whether he had enough strength and discipline left to keep from answering if she had sent him more messages. 

Ignoring the vibrations for now, he gazed up at the sky with the best of his capabilities since the rain made it harder for him to keep his eyes open. Then, he surrendered and closed them while feeling the air slowly thicken with electricity. His fingers tingled, small bolts of lightning sparking from his fingertips. Tiny bulbs of white formed and sparked around him. Chen heard the world quiet down in anticipation of what was coming and he smirked when a bolt of lightning crashed through the sky and slammed right onto him. The buzz of electricity swirled around his body and Chen played with the lightning, staying unharmed and smiling. He was a beacon of sparking light amongst the darkness of the storm and he made sure to enjoy the feeling when the thunder came and sent more flashes up into the sky. 

Maybe it wasn't helping much in terms of lessening the storm, but Chen didn't care at the moment. He let out another sigh when his phone buzzed again, and he thought to himself how buying a custom-made rubber case was one of the best decisions he made in his life. He chuckled when he saw that the battery was fully loaded, but his elated mood sobered when he saw the notifications. 

"Don't do it, Chen. You know what Suho-hyung said. You know how he feels about this. Don't do it," he muttered strictly to himself when he found his finger hovering over the screen. He had used his jacket to shield it from the rain, holding it underneath the clothing. 

He bit his lip when he saw Jae's screen name - Jade-Mi - and squeezed his eyes shut. 

"Nope. You've already decided, Chen, you're not gonna look," he stated firmly, the phone in his hand as he looked away. He didn't move for about three seconds when his thumb moved and he pressed to open the messages anyway. 

"Whoops, look at that, my finger slipped! Oh no, what an unfortunate accident! Yah, who would've seen this coming?" he yelled loudly, keeping an eye on the mansion in the distance, where he knew his brothers were individually blowing off steam as well. He sighed to himself. 

"You're an idiot, Chen, but it's a good thing you're already aware of that," he muttered and eagerly read the messages Jae sent him personally. 

He chuckled and shook his head when he read the messages she sent to the group chat. Here was another wolf that was on edge and agitated. He smirked evilly to himself when he imagined what it would be like if he pitted Jae-noona and Suho-hyung against each other in a fight. He was pretty sure Jae would win. That girl was something else. Instead of asking them worriedly where they were or telling them how she hoped they were alright, she scolded them and threatened them!

Then again, Jae was a wolf after all. Tough love was the best kind of love, Chen then decided. The teen didn't even flinch when a strong gust of wind picked up and forced him to brace himself for balance when he went to check on the messages she sent him privately. 

Twelve messages. Was that a lot? How many did she sent the others?

Jade-Mi: Chen, are you there? What happened?

Jade-Mi: Can you let me know you're okay?

Jade-Mi: What's with the silent treatment? No one is answering my texts! Yah, I know you're not really sick, Chen! Reply!

Jade-Mi: You're angry at me, aren't you? Don't shut me out. Let's get everyone together and talk Please?

Jade-Mi: This is none of your fault, you know. I should've stayed home when I felt like crap...Send me something, so I'll know you're alright. No one has said anything yet and it's starting to freak me out!

Jade-Mi: YAH! If this is some kind of prank from your part, Chen, I'm going to kick your ! It's not funny!

Jade-Mi: Where are you? Please don't tell me that that woman did something to you...CHEN! Respond! If you don't want to talk to me that's fine, but just give me something so I know you're not in danger and there's no need for me to play superhero to swoop in and save the day. 

Chen gazed at the messages with a sad smile, seeing the cursor blink in anticipation for him to type something. 

I'm sorry. Don't worry. We're fine, noona, was what he wanted to say, but his fingers didn't move. He sighed dejectedly, letting the rain beat against him. He was soaked to the bone, but despite of it, he still felt the hairs on his arms and back of the neck rise when lightning struck not all too far off. 

He turned around and walked down the other side of the hill, so that the Kim mansion disappeared behind him and a massive lake appeared before him. The water waved and crashed violently at the mercy of the storm and seeing the water like that brought some worry to Chen. The lake came into existence many years ago as a result of a natural earthquake. It once was a river, until the earthquake created a landslide dam, and now, that dam kept the lake from overflowing. It was amazing to Chen how terrifying the water seemed in the storm, while he remembered having fun near that lake during the summer. 

A lazy smile appeared on his face as he reminisched about his carefree, childhood days. Chen jolted slightly when the thunder drummed loudly in the sky, as if it was telling him not to daydream during a time like this. 

"Araso," the teen muttered, clacking his tongue. "You're not going to stop anytime soon, are you?" he asked, whilst looking at the sky. Another lightning bolt crashed in response and he chuckled. "Didn't think so." 

Chen tucked his phone in his pocket, feeling guilty for not responding to Jae, but he couldn't blatantly disrespect Suho's wishes either. "Ah," he groaned. "What to do?" Just thinking about her confused him at the moment. He wanted to protect her, to keep her safe, but he didn't know how. None of them really knew how. If only they knew what was going on. That would help immensely! But... Where to start looking? That woman? Chen shuddered just thinking about it. He was brutally reminded that she took samples of each of their DNAs and he didn't want to think what she could do with it. 

Then again, it made him curious. That creepy woman seemed to know something about them, seemed to know exactly what was going on. Was she really like them, as she said? Then, why was she so cruel? Who was she? What did she know? Why would she ask them how their memories were? Was she a part of those memories? 

No way, he shook his head. He would've remembered someone like her for sure. Chen startled. Wouldn't he have remembered someone like Jae-noona for sure as well, though? 

Ahhh, Jae-noona, why do you do this to me? he whined to himself, rubbing his chest like he was aching there. "What should I do?!" he yelled to the sky, the symphony of the storm reaching a crescendo, causing his scream to sound like a mere whisper. 

Chen thought that he had lost his mind for sure when he thought he could even smell Jae. The delicate, gentle scent of jasmine vaguely tickled his nose, a sweet and pleasant smell that had no place in the fury of the storm. 

He coughed when he inhaled, getting water up his nose. Pushing his hair back and rubbing the water from his face, Chen braced himself and started walking towards the path, just to make sure he was imagining things. There was no possibility of Jae wandering all this way in this storm, was there? School had finished about an hour ago, she was probably home. 

Unless she was crazy enough to go looking for us, he swallowed. Suho and Lay were in her year, in her homeroom, which meant that there was a possibility she knew their addresses. Chen shook his head. No one in their right mind would walk all the way to the Kim mansion. Suho gets to school every day by car because the trip is too far to walk on foot. Maybe it was doable if one was, let's say, a wolf, but in human-form, in this weather? 

You'd either had to be stupid or stubborn to think you could make this far, Chen was about to turn around to head back to the mansion, playing with the lightning as he zapped a few bolts in the air, when his ears picked up a squeal behind him, coming from the woods. He blinked and peered into the distance. This time when the thunder roared, he threw his head back in frustration. 

"Yah, shut up for a moment!" his body was briefly surrounded by electric sparks as the thunder quieted down faster than usual. His heart started beating faster as he picked up a soft voice. He frowned and squinted his eyes, brushing the excess of water from his face. 

"Hey, who's out there?" he called out. "You shouldn't be out here, this is private property!" he threatened, which wasn't necessarily a lie. The Kim family owned this whole patch of land, lake included. 

"Chen? I-is that- ack!" 

The voice cut off into a squeal and that was when Chen pushed away his feelings of hesitation and ran towards the gentle voice. A gale of wind pushed him back, but Chen strongly ran against it, keeping his balance until he was out of breath and panting, leaning against a tree trunk for support. He shielded his eyes to be able to keep them open and felt his heart thumping anxiously when he saw a young girl helplessly bracing herself against a tree to prevent from being blown away. She crushed her eyes shut at the sound of thunder and lightning. 

"Jae-noona?! What the heck are you doing here?!" Chen exclaimed, walking towards her, shaking his head at the girl when he noticed that she wasn't even wearing a jacket. She looked like a drowned cat, hugging a tree. He immediately covered her against the gust of wind by shielding her body with his as he stood behind her.

"Chen!" she called out helplessly, tugging at his heartstrings. He sighed and clacked his tongue. 

"Come on, noona, it's okay," he said, wrapping one arm around her as he guided her through the storm, and out of the wind. They arrived near a row of giant cedars and Chen picked out the oldest one, whose trunk seemed to have been carved by nature and time itself. The tree seemed to be completely undisturbed by all the ruckus around it and appeared to welcome the two teens into the hollow of its trunk. 

Chen felt his ears popping at the sudden silence and shook his head and body to get rid of most of the water. Jae did the same, looking terribly worn down by the weather. The girl was shaking, panting and desperately hugging herself to stay warm. Despite of this, Chen was surprised to see the fire in her eyes, and despite her discomfort and obvious fatigue, Jae was spitting that fire straight at him. Not wanting to be thrown back by the girl, he firmly, though nervously, stood his ground, puffing up his chest and lifting his chin slightly. 

He cleared his throat and took the upperhand while he had it. "Noona!" he started firmly. "What do you think you're doing? Going out in a storm like this?! Don't you have any regard for your own health and safety?!" Chen felt pretty proud of himself for being able to stand up to her, but then again, it only came natural for him to want to scold her. He only did so because he cared. And Jae was absolutely insane for being out here on her own. Poor girl must've walked all the way here...It's amazing the wind hadn't swept her up and taken her away...

"What were you even thinking to walk all this way by yourself, noona?" Chen continued when she had remained silent. "What if you fell or got yourself injured? Yah, did you know that there are mudslides here too, especially with all this rain!" 

Maybe he was pushing it, maybe he was overstepping boundaries, but Chen thought he was in the right to scold her. She should know better after all, and truth be told, he kind of thought it was fun to be able to reprimand Jae-noona for once. A smug grin appeared on his face when Jae still hadn't said anything, but too late did he find out that the reason for her silence wasn't because she felt bad. Chen swallowed as Jae's eyes darkened and the atmosphere seemed to simmer in something dark, something terrifying. Chen witnessed how Jae turned from a regular teenage girl - to an angry one. 

"What was I thinking?" Jae started, and Chen was already flinching, backing up slightly. "What was I thinking?! Well, lets put my thought process under a loop, shall we? Hm, perhaps if a certain group of teenage boys would respond to all the freaking messages I had sent, I wouldn't have gone to look for them in this freaking storm! How is that for an answer?" she replied bitingly. 

"Y-yah, noona! You can't blame us for that, we-,"

"Oh, you can bet your that I can, Chen!" Jae interrupted, and he regretted taking her into the safety of the cedar tree. The ground here was covered in branches and rocks that she could easily throw at him. He stood with his back against the wall as he was already preparing himself in case she started throwing stuff at him. 

"You guys disappear like that from school, don't let me know what's going on or where you are- you think that helps anything?!"

"But it was S-Suho-hyung, noona," Chen started, leaning back when Jae stepped forward. Why are teenage girls so scary when they're angry? They're scary enough when they're not...

"Suho? Suho?! Oh, he'll get a piece of my mind as well, don't you worry about that, but you're stuck with me right now, buddy, and I want answers! What made you think that it was okay to just disappear from the face of the earth like that, huh? Did you honestly think that I was going to let it go? Of course I would look for you!" she raged, flinging her arms around. "We're a pack, aren't we? So why would you think that you'd go through fire and water for me, but I wouldn't face a storm for you?! Babo! And why do you keep flinching?!" she blurted in agitation while Chen tried to make himself smaller, which wasn't easy considering that the hollow of the tree wasn't that big and if he stepped a foot forward, he'd stand toe to toe with Jae. 

"Because, when you get angry, you have the tendency to throw things, noona," Chen answered honestly, already shielding his face in case she'd do it. 

When nothing happened, he peeked at her, and it appeared as though she had calmed down somewhat. "Dork," she mumbled, but her tone was inifintely more gentle, so Chen worked up a beaming smile at her and lowered his arms. He grinned even wider when he saw that seeing his smile made Jae chuckle before she rolled her eyes. She obviously was still trying to stay angry at him, but was failing. 

"What are you smirking at? I'm not done with- ACHOO!" Jae sneezed and Chen was just in time in preventing himself from cooing at her at hearing the sound. 

"Noona, here," Chen removed his equally wet jacket, but he thought it was better than nothing at this point. The girl sniffed as she watched him cover her with the wet piece of clothing. He smiled brightly because now he knew that there was no way for her to stay angry at him now. 

"T-thank you," she said meekly, looking at her feet. "What about you? You're going to get sick," she pointed out, noticing that he was wearing a very drenched, very clingy, black tank top. 

"Nah, don't worry about it, noona. Storms can't get to me," he showed her his hand as little sparks of electricity slithered over it. "Lightning, remember?" he winked conspiringly. 

"Ah, I see. I don't suppose there's anything you can do about the storm, is there?" she asked, and Chen bit his lip while shaking his head. 

"Sorry. This is nature's work. Can't mess with it. It's heavier than usual, though," he glanced outside and there was so sign of the storm laying down any time soon. "Can't remember the last time it rained so much for so long," he mused. 

Chen looked to his side when Jae came standing next to him, and it was only now that he became aware to how closely they were squeezed into the hollow of the cedar like this. His skin came into contact with the jacket around her shoulders, but he could feel her body heat radiate from it. And that was when Chen felt the nervousness kick in. He wished he could go back out into the storm, where it was loud and no one could hear what he would be screaming anyway. The silence inside the shelter of the tree was too nervewracking. 

"A-are you okay, noona? Is this better?" he asked quietly, briefly touching the jacket over her shoulders, only so he could catch a bit more of her warmth. 

Jae nodded and tightened the jacket around her, the scent of fresh jasmine floating in the air, mingling with the scent of the old cedar tree. Chen's senses were on overdrive, but he managed to control himself. 

"I'm sorry I yelled at you," she then said softly. "But you get why I'm angry, right? You could've at least said something," Jae muttered quietly as Chen admired the soft blushes appearing on her cheeks. See? he thought to himself, tough love. 

"I'm sorry, too, noona. I'm sure we all are, but we're in panic-mode. That's why Suho-hyung ordered everyone to stay away from you, for your own sake, just for the moment," he elaborated and stared at her. How was it possible that she looked like a drowned cat, but still seemed so beautiful to him?

Chen startled when Jae suddenly turned to meet his gaze, tiger-like eyes watching him curiously. "What is it?"

"Oh-ah...uh," he scratched the back of his neck. "D-did you really mean what you said, noona?" he quickly thought up. "About facing a storm for us?" 

Jae chuckled and nudged him softly which made him laugh quietly, too. "I'm here, aren't I?" 

"Fair enough," Chen conceded, shuffling with his feet when the silence overwhelmed him again. He never really was good with silences, he always had the urge to move around, to talk, to sing, to joke and tease. Silences made him feel uncomfortable. That was probably one of the reasons why he liked storms so much. There was no room for silence there. 

"So," he started, popping his lips. "How did you know that we were here, noona?" 

"We, huh?" she side-eyed him and he winced. "I didn't know that you were all here," she answered, looking him straight in the eyes. "I just thought I'd check on Suho first since I got his address. I thought of going to see Lay, but then I figured I'd try the leader first, just in case. Guess my hunch was correct. Didn't know that he lived so far away from the school, though," she complained, which made Chen snicker. 

"I have to say that I'm impressed you made it this far, noona. A lot of people wouldn't have done what you've done," he commented. 

"You mean a lot of people wouldn't have been so stupid to undertake the trip," she corrected, giving him a lopsided grin. "I'm glad though, that I went. At least now I know you're all safe and not at the hands of that woman," she remarked, pulling a face as she almost spat out the last two words. Coincidentally, the thunder rumbled and the two looked up at the sky. 

"I'm sure you were very worried about the others," Chen nodded, but was met with Jae frowning. 

"And you, too," she answered casually, though her reply made his cheeks feel hot to the touch. He felt so ridiculous for suddenly feeling so giddy. 

"Really?" he asked innocently, and Jae looked at him in disbelief. 

"Of course, Chen, don't be silly," she said. 

Chen smiled brightly and looked outside again. "So...you don't want to go out and find the others?" he asked cautiously. Jae shrugged. 

"I do, because we seriously need to talk," she answered straightforwardly, "but for now that can wait. It's nice to be out of the storm. Kind of strange how quiet it is in here while outside it's- well," she gestured forward and Chen nodded in assent. 

"I don't like silences myself, noona," he blurted and Jae chuckled. 

"I've noticed. You can't even stand still, can you?" she pointed out with a smirk and Chen laughed, purposely wiggling around to relieve his own tension. 

"Can't help it, noona. I'm always buzzing with energy," he joked, waving around with his hands covered in lightning. "I don't know. I guess I'm naturally restless, always on the move," he added a bit more seriously, looking outside instead of at Jae. 

"I get that," she nodded understandingly. "I'm not fond of silences either, but, I don't know, I guess it can be pretty nice if you share it with someone you're comfortable with. And there's something peaceful about being at quiet places while the rest of the world is in an uproar." 

Chen blinked before he looked at her. Jae wasn't looking back this time, she only glanced outside, unconsciously moving closer to him when the lightning flashed. Peaceful silence...sharing it with someone you're comfortable with. Is Jae-noona...I mean, does she mean, me? He shook his head at the outrageous, preposterous, absolutely ridiculous thought. 

He peeked at her from the corner of his eye. And yet... he smirked to himself. He was aware of the silence between them right now, but for once he didn't feel the need to fill it. He's never been this quiet for so long before with company other than his brothers. Chen wasn't sure what they should do now. Do they wait until the storm was over? That could take hours and they were soaked to the bone. He was fine, but Jae might catch a cold. He made a decision then. Even though he was younger than Jae, he was still the man, plus he was taller and liked to think he was physically stronger as well, and so, it was his duty to take care of her. If he thought about it long enough, it was more or less his responsibility to do so, considering that Jae wouldn't be in this mess if his brothers and himself had responded to her messages. 

"Noona," he started, shyly reaching out towards her hand, surprising her. "Suho's house is nearby. We should go there," he decided firmly, using a tone he hoped she wouldn't protest against. But this was Jae-noona, of course she would open . 

"Um, Chen, have you seen this storm? We'll both be blown away before we could reach the house," she chuckled, though she did grab his hand which sent pleasant jolts through his body. 

"Don't worry, noona," he said enthusiastically. "Chen-Chen is here to protect you. It's better than staying in the cold like this. If you get sick, then I'll get the blame for sure," he added. "Please? I promise I won't leave your side. You can hold onto me!" 

"I don't know, Chen, it looks rough out there," Jae hesitated, biting her lip and tugging at his hand a bit. 

"Yah, noona. Do you trust me?" he asked, realizing very well how childish he sounded. "You trust me, right?" 

His heart stuttered happily when Jae grinned at him and leaned closer towards him. "Nope," she answered, but her eyes were filled with playfulness, so Chen didn't even startle. 

"Well, too bad, I'm all you got at the moment. Come on, you hold on to me, okay?"

The moment they set foot out of the safety of the gigantic cedar tree, Chen felt a slight pang of regret. Alright, maybe not. It was true that he thought it rather worrying to see Jae struggling in the storm like this, but it caused her to cling to him more, which he didn't mind at all. The wind blew harder though, and the rain fell in buckets. It was no surprise that both of them lost their footing while climbing up the hill and no matter what they did to keep their balance, Chen found himself rolling down the hill with Jae-noona in his arms. He did his best to protect the girl from the impact of the ground, but it still resulted in him landing on top of her. 

"Jae-noona! Are you okay? Are you hurt? I'm sorry," he immediately apologized, scared that the girl might be injured. To his surprise, she started laughing, a little ball of sunshine in the midst of a hellish storm. 

"Chen, this is crazy! What were we thinking?" she chortled, as he couldn't believe what he was hearing and seeing. What was with this girl? He was sure girls got angry and upset when they fell and got dirty, but why was Jae laughing? Wae?! I can't explain what I feel, and it's confusing! 

The world seemed to be moving in slow-motion and Chen felt like he was losing his mind. They were in the middle of a heavy storm for God's sakes, but all he could think about was what it would be like to keep Jae-noona close to him forever. Where he knew that he could keep her safe from all harm. He wondered what it would be like to have her smiling and laughing always, where no pain or sadness could ever touch her. Was that strange to wish that for someone? 

"Chen? Are you alright?" Now it was Jae's turn to be worried, but he kept quiet for once. As if in a trance, he was unable to stop himself to reach out and brush her wet hair from her face so that her eyes were clearly visible. He let out a breathy gasp when she cupped his cheek to inspect him. "Did you hit your head?" 

"N-noona," he started, feeling nervous. "Um, I-I, that is, uh, I-," he was cut off brutally by the sound of the crashing waves of the lake in the landslide dam nearby and whatever moment of opportunity that presented itself, had passed when Jae broke eye contact to look at the lake. 

"Chen, we should probably move," she started, but he still only had eyes for her. "Chen! I'm serious!" Jae grabbed his cheeks and turned his head so he was looking at the lake as well. 

"Ah, noona, don't worry about that. The lake gets that way during heavy rainfall, it's normal," he reassured. 

"Oh, I see. So, the dam is supposed to break then?" she asked as he helped her get to her feet. 

"Yeah, it does it all the time- wait," Chen froze and sharply turned around to look at the lake, his eyes widening at the sight of the water spilling over and escaping through the cracks of the natural levee. "What?! Oh, crap!" he cussed, tugging at Jae's arm. "Noona, we have to go!" 

"Oh my God," Jae exclaimed as they struggled to ran up the hill. "Chen, that lake is huge! If the dam breaks..." 

Chen understood what Jae meant as he racked his brain, but there was only one thing he could come up with. He grabbed Jae's hand firmly and pulled her with him. 

"Where are we going?!" she shouted over the wind, but even then her voice sounded so quiet and gentle. 

Chen quickened his pace when he thought he heard something heavy creaking and cracking behind them. "Suho-hyung, noona!" he yelled, and Jae immediately understood. Tightening her grap over his hand, she ran swiftly beside him as they hurried over to the Kim mansion. 

Behind them, atop the landslide dam, stood a lone snow white wolf, watching solemnly at the pair running off to get help. It ruefully watched the world slowly destroy itself and jumped away before the dam would break- and along with it, the wolf's hope.