Listen to 그럴겁니다…잊을겁니다…by CNBLUE : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TtxiocBIn-c

                                                                                       KAIRI

Due to a favour he had fulfilled in the past, Woohyun was liked by the natives of Paradise—as we all called it now—and all of them considered him to be their son. He didn’t try too hard to be warm but nevertheless they would look towards him with big smiles, knowing well that this was a man who they owed a lot to.

“How come he’s close to them and not us?” Hara muttered, clicking her tongue. I followed her gaze and watched as Woohyun towered over the young boys of the village, instructing them on keeping our whereabouts a secret. The boys obviously found it fun and enthusiastically agreed on the little ‘game’ their hyung had started.

“The villagers know what we’re here for,”I asked Hara. “Right?”

Hara widened her eyes. “Of course they do! Come on Kairi we’re not that evil. We’re not like the Pied Piper, ready to let them enter a dark cave. They know what they’re in for and if things go awry, they have our backs.”

I blinked at Hara’s confidence. “Really?”

Hara tilted her head and in a low murmur, said, “Well… that’s what I hope for.”

My jaw dropped but before I could say anything, Hara ran away and I was left alone with the food supplied in a scatter around me. I sighed to myself and continued my assigned work. Settle between luxury items and daily ration, I reminded myself.

“Hey.”

I looked up and gave a small smile. Hoya sat down on his knees and watched me. Despite us having grown a little closer, I could not help but feel a bit uneasy by his gaze. Hoya noticed and shot me a grin.

“What’s making you so queasy?” he teased. I ignored him and focused on my job.

Suddenly, as I was storing away the ramyun and eggs for dinner, a hand placed itself on mine. I turned around and found myself meeting Hoya’s concerned eyes.

“You’re training with us now,” he said. My throat ran dry and I found myself blinking at a fast pace. My stomach entangled into itself as I spoke.

“I know.”

“Just…” Hoya removed his hand and the warmth that was left behind seeped through my skin and into my nerves. “I just want to make sure… make sure you know what you’re doing. Woohyun’s giving you the benefit of the doubt.”

“Hmm,” I nodded and looked down at my fingers.

“I believe in you,” Hoya said, ruffling my head and leaving me to get my heartbeat back on track.

                                                                                                               WOOHYUN

“Remember what I told you?”

“YES!” the boys chorused, shooting me toothy smiles that made me shudder a bit. Kids, I thought and shook my head.

From my peripheral glance I saw Hara run past me. I narrowed my eyes.

“Aren’t you supposed to….”

Hara gave me a sheepish look and ran inside the bigger cabin. “Kairi might not want to see me for a while!” she shouted.

I pursed my lips, wondering what Hara might have done now. Kairi, I thought. Where all have you taken us in the past two months?

Two months. I gritted my teeth. The General really cares for his daughter doesn’t he? And Joon, that jughead. One look at him and I knew he would do nothing to fight for her.

My mind drifted back to the moment when I first saw her. Green eyes, terrified but proud. That pride had disgusted me in the beginning but over time, it endeared me to her presence until I realized that she had somehow, become a part of us. She too had been abandoned. She too had been thrown away. There was no more difference between us and her.

“Kairi,” I sighed. The image of her staring at me through that over-sized helmet shrunk something inside of me and in turn, my facial muscles shifted.

A smile. This is what they called it. Branches of memories reached out to find the last time I had done so.

“Don’t worry,” Seungyeon said, placing her hand on his cheek. “I’m the sensible one in the group, that’s why I’m going, remember?”

“Still,” Woohyun said, heavily breathing, unable to vent out his frustration on this decision. “You.. you’re going there without me. I feel…..”

“YongGuk and JongHoon will be there, so will Inguk and Yonghwa.”

“How does that make me feel better? They’re not me!”

“Aigoo, you still have the energy to be an arrogant kid.” Seungyeon lightly knocked on his head, forcing a smile out of the distressed man.

“I love you Woohyun.”

“Seungyeon-ah…” The soft cry surprised me and I took in a shaky breath. I could feel my eyes going moist and quickly pinched the bridge of my nose to stop the incoming flow.

“I have to let you go now,” I whispered. My eyes found themselves on a curled up body, staring at the ramyun packet in her hand without any expression. Kairi gulped then shook her head, losing her balance and falling on her in the process.

The smile returned and I knew then that I had made the right decision.