Sunggyu switched holding Hoya - from Myungsoo - at the back while walking towards the deep forest. The path’s getting dark but their eyes adjusted perfectly with the surroundings and their dried shirts were quickly soaked wet again from their heavy sweats. They had walk for more than an hour and there’s no sign of finding anything alive yet.

“Hoya, are we near? Yet?” Sungyeol said while slapping and fanning away the mosquitoes from his face. He saw Myungsoo was continuously scratching his forearm – who told him to wear short sleeved, humph – and shortly realised he’s twitching from scratching it.

“Yeah, I think so. Just follow this flow. We should be reaching his cabin soon.”

“Haish, you said those 15 minutes ago!” Myungsoo barked. Hoya’s getting limp. Myungsoo saw by the way Hoya’s body slowly sliding downwards from his brother back but then he’s tired as hell and there’s something he needed to do, urgently.

“Myungsoo, Hoya’s - ”

“Ah, there is it!!” Sungyeol cut Sunggyu’s words. He rushed to the front, where middle-sized cabin was standing alone with abundance of big trees around it. It’s kind of creepy at a glance, like who will not be taken aback with a small – haunted looked – cabin in a middle of forest. But it’s emergency, and Sungyeol trusted Hoya with his life, this time only.

So Sungyeol gave three hard knock on the - almost collapse – dark chocolate wooden door and waited impatiently. They had a patient here that Sungyeol could not give any tolerance for a wasted time. He supposed Hoya had holding back his injury for quite a time now looking the way he’s breathing, getting slower and raspier. Sungyeol demand nothing than getting Hoya treated. He didn’t know what contribute to his current condition, he seemed better in the car before, maybe the water and cold air had weaken his immunity and there’s no pills and medicine to endure all that for a while.  He realized now how much his subordinates meant to him.

When the door cracked open, Sungyeol blinked confusedly as it’s nothing like what he’d imagined before, yet a completely different atmosphere. Standing there, a big goofy smile with thick lips, pretty eye smiled that readily welcomed any guest with a big hug, greeting them to a very much friendliness. Sungyeol perplexed for a while, whether he had come to a right place.

Sungyeol suddenly being shoved to the side, when Myungsoo “Where’s toilet?” the stranger and dashed in after being told the direction.

Ahh, that’s why he’s too brusque before.

Sungyeol really can’t help to looked over Sunggyu and laughed – almost too loudly that they sure Myungsoo could hear them from where he done his nature calls – before passed Hoya to the stranger that they instantly learned named Dongwoo.

“Why can’t you just do your business at the forest if you can’t hold it that much?” Sungyeol asked. He really - must - had to ask, while clamping his lips tight trying to hold his laugh, when Myungsoo’s out.

And Sungyeol was holding his stomach and bending when Myungsoo answered “I have to respect the mother nature”

“Don’t laugh!!!” But how could that stopped Sungyeol? Myungsoo then lift his forearm, pretending to hit the Young Master that’s too damn annoying to his likes, but soon his wrist was safe on Sungyeol’s hand.

“I thought so, you’re injured.” There’s a long cut on his forearm that almost reaching his wrist when Sungyeol twisted the other’s arm. Not too deep, Sungyeol could sigh half-relieved but how Myungsoo – this kid - handle this without a sound and trying to make this like a mosquitos bites.

Myungsoo yanked back his arm. Somehow, it felt warm wherever Sungyeol touched him. “It’s nothing. You’re over-worried.” His eyes darted to the floor, tried to hide from Sungyeol shocked face or whatever excuses from looking at him.

Sungyeol furrowed and later furious, Sunggyu and he had enough, been lectured by the Doctor-slash-Pharmacist-slash-Mechanics-slash-Hacker Dongwoo - that able to fix anything includes human body – because they return Hoya to him too late. Sungyeol had no time arguing that Hoya was his – naturally, Hoya was supposed return to him, the Main House - as they both being left dumfounded.

Dongwoo spent 30 minutes, - while working his skilled hands on Hoya - preached that Hoya couldn’t be left untreated with that condition far too long, soaked wet and cold and hurt and possibly infected by bacteria. Sungyeol couldn’t catch other things that slipped his thick tongues as – what language did he used - he said sentenced that didn’t passed his recognition in English. Nothing they could do other than apologising to Hoya and him purposely.

Sungyeol hurriedly escaped from there, leaving Sunggyu to handle the mass with an excuse to look up for Myungsoo. Although he wanted to stay there longer, the place where Dongwoo set aside for his unexpectedly patient was really cool, filled with a combination of fancy doctor’s things, mechanics tools and a top-notch sparkling laptop that’s connected with high-definition speakers. 

Nevertheless, he’s indeed opposed his own idea to go back to them, although it just an act of shoving Myungsoo to Dongwoo and it’s all done, because he’s partly still felt guilty towards Hoya and partly didn’t want to enter the world of alien with Dongwoo.

But his heart clenched tightly remembering how Myungsoo flinched at the forest before.

“Just come with me!” Sungyeol grabbed Myungsoo’s other arm towards Dongwoo’s medical centre.

“I’m fine!!! Just leave me alone!” Myungsoo could yanked his arm easily from Sungyeol but somehow he just let himself been dragged.

“This is my courtesy for you saving me twice before” Sungyeol’s two stepped away from them that he could hear loud laugh entered his eardrum.

“Dongwoo Hyung, please fix this thing too” He shoved Myungsoo to the front.

“Ya!! I’m not a thing!! Don’t shove me as you like!”

“What? You’re hurt too?” Dongwoo scanned Myungsoo’s whole body. Dongwoo furiously shoved Sunggyu from his seat and gestures Myungsoo to seat, sternly, because Myungsoo seemed refused to.

Sungyeol huffed from the side, satisfied with his little work to convinced Myungsoo – forcedly – to get his forearm done.

“Hmmm…” Dongwoo hummed while crossing his arm at the person sitting in front of him. Then he abruptly pulled up Myungsoo’s shirt, making Sungyeol turned away – like a girl – but turned back to him when thinking that they were both guys and there’s nothing to hide, but still barely opened his eyes to take a peek.

“Hyung, I think he only scratched his arm. There’s no need to undress him right?”

“This looked like a scratch to you?” Dongwoo poked Myungsoo’s ribcage. Myungsoo screamed immediately, hand covering his ribcage.

Sungyeol opened his eyes widely, staring at the big bruised, dark purple mixed with bluish colour. “Myungsoo, why didn’t you tell me? Is this from the river?”

“No, this looked like from days ago. Looked there’s also an old bruise” Dongwoo poked again. Sungyeol saw this like fun and poked together with Dongwoo.

“Don’t ing poke my body you ungrateful brat!” Myungsoo screamed.

However Sungyeol could only found this funny and let out good lough. Myungsoo really looked like an angry kitty, a hurt angry kitty. He totally did not sound angry with that high-pitched comical voice.

Sunggyu came from behind and plowed his knuckles onto Myungsoo’s head. “Don’t be rude to Young Master”, making Sungyeol laughed harder.

“Anyway, you all should rest for tonight. Especially you Sunggyu” Dongwoo eyed the now perplexed person. Sungyeol turned to Sunggyu with worries. “Do you think I didn’t noticed how you limping before?”

“What? Why’s everyone hurt?” Sungyeol asked the question more to himself. He felt guilty towards them, moreover how could he didn’t notice they were hurt.

“Ah, it’s nothing Young Master. We’re fine. These are nothing to us. We still could continue sneak up to the Main House after you take a good rest.”

Sungyeol scrunched his eyebrows, not a bit satisfied with his butler decision.

“Yeah, I told you before. I’m just fine. We should talk how to get into the city fast.”

“No!” All the eyes on Dongwoo when he suddenly spoken. “I’m so not letting you all go before you got yourself treated”

“No, I’m sorry Dongwoo-shi we-”

“And do you think you could enter and exit my castle that easily?” Dongwoo smirked. A smirked that kind of creepy to Sungyeol.

But Sungyeol couldn’t agree with the stranger he just met an hour ago any less. “He’s right.” Sungyeol sighed while looking at his subordinates, eye on eye. “I ordered we all stay until Dongwoo said otherwise”

“Wha-?”

“Young Master”

“Especially both of you!”

“But we are fine!” Myungsoo barked.

“Young Master, look… we-”

“Stop with your ty and Yeollie, can you take another chair so your butler could settle down?”

Sungyeol immediately searching Sunggyu’s chair and order his butler to sit down with his eyes, cutely – together with his lips pursed out and his big eyes-.

“You don’t have to Young Master” Sunggyu looked defeated and complied nevertheless.

Sungyeol took another chair and seat himself. He took a deep breath “I’m just worried for all of you” while eyeing both of them. Dongwoo busied himself with Myungsoo first, placing an ointment on Myungsoo’s rib.

“There’s nothing to worry about, Young Master. This is normal when we stakeout or do our job. Master is the most important thing now. With my phone buried in water, we don’t even know his condition. Weren’t you worried?”

“Of course I’m worried. I’m so damn worried for father. But I believed he’s safe for now. My instinct said so. But I’m also worried for three of you. And I don’t know you two took acting classes too? How could you hide your injury like that?”

“This is why I hate working for this Young Master.” Myungsoo huffed.

Sungyeol’s lip twitched upwards. “You…”

“You can’t blame these two… ah these three… They received harsh training to protect you. Those hiding-injury-act was not an act, it’s their nature. They will stand it until they collapse, like that guy on the bed.” Dongwoo interrupted. His voice was monotone, not telling a slight emotion. He finished his job after placing a big bandaged and shoved Myungsoo his special medicine. He ignored the younger’s glare and continued with Sunggyu.

Sungyeol could just open his mouth, not able to speak a word. Sunggyu and Myungsoo both averted their eyes.

“Okay, up you go” Dongwoo said while pulling Sunggyu’s shirt up. He sighed heavily while looking at the too much bruised and wound. “I thought so. You are so lucky Sungyeol ordered you to stay you know.”

“This… how…” Sungyeol was at loss of words.

Dongwoo sighed again. “Long ago, I was one of them. Even before your father was elected as the seventh. We were trained until we could not feel hurt, until we feel numb from injury and could ignore it like nothing. It’s damn hard and the leader was freaking mean towards us. Haha, I’m too young then. And I met Hoya. He’s such a scaredy-cat and small. I don’t know why that cute kid stay then. But I had enough so I flee. But maybe he was destined to serve your House, looking at his achievement now.”

“Don’t go babbling about my past while I’m asleep, and please, I’m not cute.” There’s a hoarse voice.

“Oh, you’re up! Haha!” Dongwoo laughed at his friend. He hurriedly finished with Sunggyu and jumped – glommed - towards Hoya.

“Oww, owww!!! That’s hurts godammit!” He pushed the excited Dongwoo away. He could breathe properly at last when he barely escaped from him. Dongwoo continued with his animatic laughed.

Hoya miraculously pushed himself up and sliding his back to the wall. Sungyeol shocked, how could he be up this instantly when just before Hoya was really weak.

“Waoo Dongwoo, your meds works really well. Ah, I feel alive again” Hoya cracks his head and his hand while sighing in relieve, satisfied with Dongwoo compassion.

“You’re just lucky that it suits you. I formulated that for a preggie horse.” He snickered.

“What?!!”

All of them tried to puke out the pills given by Dongwoo before. And Sungyeol couldn’t help but laughed frantically with Dongwoo.

888

“There’s a way in??!!” Sungyeol jerked in shocked.

“Yes. There’s a way into the city. How could you expect me to not to go there and explore? Hehe” Dongwoo said proudly.

Tonight surely Dongwoo was busy. His hand was occupied with the phones that soaked in water before. Sungyeol was eager to find his father faster and fought with his sleepy eyes to stay up with Dongwoo, together with also the stubborn Hoya and Sunggyu. He felt weird though, Myungsoo was long gone to dreamland 30 minutes ago after he washed himself, and his head comfortable on Hoya’s patient bed with both hand slipped between his legs, cold maybe, so Sunggyu placed the comforter over his shoulder.

“Hyung, you just got here 2 weeks ago. And it’s damned hard to hacked the systems. Those were created by genius you know? How can you possibly?” Hoya gave him judgemental looked.

“Tsk… tsk…” Dongwoo’s lead finger moved right and left in front of Hoya. “Don’t underestimate me my friend. Don’t you know this spy is always reliable about hacker things?” He patted his chest hard, proudly.

“Spy?” Hoya crooked his brows. “I thought you work independently?”

“Opps, I slipped my tongue. Haha…” Dongwoo looked at them and smiled mischievously at Sungyeol. “Ah, whatever. Your father looked up for me years ago, I think It’s around time you start rebelling and don’t want to succeed the house, whatever I can’t remember. The payments are big and I don’t bound by the House rules so I’m in. So when he’s decided to stay low, he asked me to looked up a place he can settle down after travelling with his, ah your late mom, and the city were perfect for your father. But of course I would have a backup plan if something ever happen, like this time.”

“Oh my god Hyung!!! You are our lifesaver!” Hoya jumped forward and hugged Dongwoo’s shoulder.

“That’s why I always keep in touch with you whenever I moved on to another place” Dongwoo smirked playfully.

“Hoya… I don’t think you could be this friendly with people. I thought you’re always awkward with people.” Sungyeol remarked. He was indeed astonished by Hoya’s act, the always serious and guarded up Hoya could smile loosely towards another human.

“Ah, no… It’s just… I’m… ahhh… I’m just comfortable with him” Again, Hoya’s back to his awkward self and Sungyeol really want to break those feeling between them and just naturally talk to him. But again, Sungyeol maybe not comfortable enough compared to this bubbly and fluffy Hyung. He sighed defeated.

“So… what’s the plan?”

“Before, when I tried to go in without registering my identity, I cracked the CCTV’s scanner and defied the systems and lastly planted a new fake person for myself. Those itself took me almost a week to do so. Getting into the systems that constantly changed password everyday randomly was hard enough, adding with hacking into it at every stage, and I had to re-create myself from zero.”

“It took a long time,” Sunggyu said, thinking to himself.

“Have you physically tried to go in?” Sungyeol asked enthusiastically.

“That’s the problem. I thought I succeed, but the systems were far more complicated than I speculate. I tried to really go in and almost lost my head when the police robot chase after me. I could barely survive for 30 minutes before the systems catch up the bugs. And those metals were no kidding man. Super fast.”

“Then how?”

“I’m getting stuck at the last stage and we need an expert.”

“I thought you are the most expert.” Hoya dissed sarcastically.

“Unluckily I’m not an expert of puzzles and makeup” Dongwoo flailed his arm mindlessly.

“Huhhhh???!!”

“And fashion”

“Oh, and Barbie dolls too” He added.

“What?!!”

888

They need an expert. Like a true expert, that only one or two could handle it or solve it. Really, Sungyeol could handle the puzzle part. He tried to not to sound too proud but he’s the first runner up of Korea Puzzle Championship. But the makeup and the fashion and lastly the Barbie dolls? How could he, slash that, them conquer that? 

Sungyeol sipped his third mug of hot coffee, a bitter one, just like the way he liked. Sunggyu always know what the best for him. But his systems seemed to reject the caffeine effect and didn’t worked well, instead his head became dizzy and heavy like he had dozens of alcohol. He stood his head with his hand, elbow on the coffee table at the cosy cabin Dongwoo had.

His mind started to drift away. Sungyeol blinked again with the loss of focus and shook his head, but the dizziness hit him hard. He almost kissed the floor if Sunggyu had not caught him by the shoulder.

“You should sleep by now Young Master” Sunggyu said softly.

“No…” Sungyeol shaking his head cutely. He frowned again with the giddiness. “I want to stay up and contribute something.” He said that, but both his eyes were closed and his body limping out of energy.

“Okay, okay. At least can you stand up?”

“Enghhh… can’t… pull me up” Sungyeol reached his hand up. Eyes completely closed, tightly.

Sunngyu chuckled quietly. His Young Master was so stubborn even in his sleep. He pulled his Young Master up by his shoulder. But instead putting him back together with Hoya and Dongwoo, where they two were ecstatically argue about working out their plan, he half-dragged Sungyeol towards the bed, where he put Myungsoo before.

Myungsoo was already comfortable with his position on the bed, pillows between both arm and legs, with covers above him in the middle of the bed. Sunggyu nudged him to the side a little bit before flopped the now already sleep Sungyeol beside him, tugging him another covers. Sunggyu sighed in satisfied, just let this two kids sleep peacefully, so that their discussion was uninterrupted with a noisy bickering sounds.

He let out his soft chuckles when Myungsoo unconsciously snuggled towards Sungyeol. Hand letting go the pillow under his arm and searching for the older’s waist and cling to it effortlessly. Sungyeol seemed uncomfortable for a while, with his scrunched nose, but at last bore with that and let it be. They were cute like that, not like before, always quarrelling like a middle-school kids. Sunggyu sighed contently, the world’s getting quiet only when these two were sleeping, really.

Sunggyu slightly shook his head and turned towards Hoya and Dongwoo. Okay, where the hell they need to find some make-up artist with a good fashion taste that have a kink towards Barbie dolls?

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Yeay!!! The coffee worked!!! & here the latest update,,

I was dry from ideas, & can’t think properly,, nah,, just being a lazy bum,, keke

& yess!!! Those last Myungsoo-cuddled-up-to-Sungyeol was a bonus for you,, hehe

I intent to put that in the next chap,, but thinking,, why don’t I just?? & walla,,

What the heck im babbling 4 in the morning,, =.=

But anyway,, please enjoy reading,, & comment please,, Ur comment is my new favourite flavour of coffee,, keke