Chapter 7 

“Forest”




It’s around 10 o’clock. Jaejoong is wandering alone in the hallway, looking and taking some pictures of himself. He likes to use the unique design of the wall as the background. Meanwhile, Yoochun and Junsu have already gone into their room. But since, Junsu can’t sleep, they decide to play hide and seek for a while.

“Chun! Can you hide more professionally? Like in the place that I can’t find you?” Junsu protested. It’s the 3rd time he finds Chun’s hiding place, just in a few second.

“YAAA! Where else can I hide? Am I supposed to hide in the water closet?” Yoochun asked,” This room is just too small to play hide and seek…”

Yes, they’re playing hide and seek in their bedroom. Poor Yoochun, he’s just another victim of Junsu’s childish behavior. Well, he doesn’t mind though…He always doesn’t mind to do anything if it’s for Junsu or . He loves very much.

“Hmmm…I think so…” Junsu said as he pouts,” Just hide behind the wall or anything…You can do it, don’t you?”

“If I do that, we’ll disturb the next room’s guest, and at the end we’ll kick out by Jaejoong hyung...Then…” In the middle of Chun’s explanation, Junsu leans on his shoulder. Yoochun stops, he looks at Junsu, he’s already asleep. Yoochun just shakes his head.

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Slowly, Yunho gets into his room. He doesn’t make any noise because he’s afraid he will wake Min if he’s already asleep. The light is still on, but Yunho can see Min’s figure on his own bed. He walks toward Min and he sees that Min already sleeping, but in weird position. 

He doesn’t use his pillow for his head, but it’s covering his face. Gently, Yunho takes the pillow from Min’s grasp and fix Min’s sleeping position. Then, he covers Min with the blanket; acting just like a big brother who take cares his dongsaeng. After that, he sleeps too.

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Next morning…

“Where are we going exactly?” Yunho asked as he yawns. They’re all in a car; Yoochun is the one who’s driving.

“To do our mission~” Junsu smiled.

“What our mission again?” Yunho asked. He still doesn’t know the mission.

“Oh…It seems I forgot to tell you…” Jae said as he looks back. He’s sting in the front. Junsu and Yunho in the middle, meanwhile Min is in the back.

“There’s been a strange phenomenon in one area of the forest next to this city…whoever goes there…they’ll never come back…” Jaejoong said in a scaring tone. Yunho certainly doesn’t like Jae when he teases him like this.

“So…Any clue about what we’re dealing with?” Yoochun asked, still concentrating on his driving.

“Nope…” Jae answered shortly. Min just stays silent all the time.

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Finally they arrived at the forest. A thick mist is covering the whole forest. Tall trees and brushes can be seen everywhere; the environment still so natural, all from the realm.

“We’ll need to walk from here…” Yoochun said. They all get out from the car. Map, compass, and of course weapons are the stuff they bring now.

“We need to head west…” Jae said to the other,” Let’s go…”

Yunho takes his gun and puts it in his pocket, just in case anything happen.

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They have been walking for about 40 minutes. There’s no road or walk path. They need to be so careful all the time; the sun hasn’t rise, since it’s just 4 o’clock in the morning.

“Are we there yet?” Junsu asked. He really can’t do much walking in hard surface like this; especially in his human form. He feels tired.

“Almost…” Jae answered. He’s the one that leading the way.

“Hyung…you said that ten minutes ago…How far exactly is that area?” Junsu asked again.

“Stop complaining, OK?” Jae said.

“Hmmm…” Junsu pouted.

“Want me to piggyback you?” Yoochun asked all out of sudden.

“WHAT?” Yunho aksed unscounciously. He’s just too shocked with Yoochun’s offer.

“I’m not a kid…” Junsu makes a statement for himself.

“OK.” (Chun)

Few minutes later…

“Let me see the map…” Yunho said as he takes the map from Jae’s hand. He’s just too curious. He saw the map in a blink eye just now. The distance doesn’t seem to be so far away.

“Jae…can I borrow the compass?” Yunho asked and Jae gives it. Yunho can’t believe what he sees. The pointer of the compass shows east; that means they all have been going the wrong way!!! They suppose to go to the west. Jae sees Yunho’s expression, and then he asked,” Are we…heading to the wrong direction?”

“WHAT?!” Chun and Junsu chorused together.

“I can’t read compass or map…it’s my weakness…” Jae said bluntly.

“Then why didn’t hyung let Yunho be the one who lead us?!” Junsu asked. He just can’t take it anymore; his poor feet have been walking for nothing.

“Hyung…” Chun shows his disappointment too.

“Hey! People make mistake and so is a Vampire…” Jae said, trying to clear himself, but at the end, he said,” Sorry…”

“OK now, that’s not important anymore. Just…let me the one who lead, OK?” Yunho said.

“OK…” Junsu agreed.

“Hey, where’s Min?” Jae asked as he looks around. He saw that Min was following them a few minutes before, but where’s him now?

“MIN!!!” Junsu shouted. 

No answer; the forest just stay quite. Yunho cursed in his mind because he feels so stupid, not realizing Min, who’s right behind him, disappeared.

“What should we do now, hyung?” Chun asked.

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“Hyung?” Min called. No one answer.

He looks around. The forest seems to be changed a bit since the last time he’s been here. It’s still vertiginous, without a map and a compass; it’ll take forever to get out from the forest. The fear attacks him when he certainly sure that he’s alone. He can’t feel ’s existence or mind. He’s totally alone.

He’s so sure that he walked behind Yunho, but something must have got into Min’s consciousness. He just woke when he’s alone, few minutes ago.

The memories get into Min’s mind. Min doesn’t want it, he wants to forget all of it, but it just keeps coming.

[FLASHBACK]

The young Min ran through the forest, he needed to run away; it’s his only chance. No way he would let himself went back there. That place was hell to him.

“Aaaa!!!” Min shouted when he slipped. He’s afraid, he tried to get up, but he hurt his foot pretty bad. He crawled slowly as he hid behind a tree. Luckily, ‘they’ didn’t find him.

[END OF FLASHBACK]

Min feels someone’s presence in his back. He immediately turns back, facing ‘it’.

“It’s been a long time, Changmin…” ‘it’ smiled.

“…” Min doesn’t answer. He just…doesn’t know what to answer.

“Still remember me?” ‘it’ said as he walks near Min.

The wind blows as the two friends meet again. It just a pity that now, they’re not longer a friend.

“I would never forget…” Min said, he needs to face his fear,” Since the day that you betrayed me…”