[tattooed]

Crescent
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Seonghwa wraps a scarf around his neck, bopping along to the song on the radio as he waits for Byul and Yeosang to emerge from the ground. The ground seems to rumble for a moment as the opening is revealed, with a slightly confused Byul following Yeosang.

She, yet again, is wearing borrowed clothes from him, which look baggy as it doesn't exactly fit her. He has more clothes than he actually needs, that even if they were to create another closet for her from his clothes, his wardrobe would still be full to the brim. He buys his clothes impulsively, and as he had claimed to the rest of the boys, it's 'retail therapy'.

Since they are planning to go out, Byul has dressed less like her and more like one of them; she has fitted a cap on, slid on a hoodie and a pair of faded loose jeans, which needs a belt to hold it in place. Yeosang is wearing the same thing as her, but he forgoes the cap and instead pulls up his hood. They had to go out through the headquarters because she needed to avoid the cameras in the cafe at all cost.

This left them no choice but to take the long and slithering way out, which involved Yeosang calmly guiding her through the maze of their headquarters, while Byul couldn't hide her astonishment as they delved further. Along the way, they didn't bump into San, whom she didn't know whether he's still inside or has went out through where they are now. Something feels unsettling as she kept on remembering the look he gave her before he disappeared behind the washing machine.

From their small adventure through the hallways of their headquarters, she also apparently learned that Yeosang's codename happened to be 'Statue' and he begrudgingly said that it was all because of Wooyoung. As they stepped into the garage where their vehicles are kept, she didn't stay so subtle when she let her jaw drop open from the range of cars, vans and bikes - which are all, apparently, from high-end brands. All of them don't go below 100,000 chromas.

"Huh, one of the cars is missing. Was it San?" Yeosang had mused to himself when they passed the row of vehicles. He didn't seem too concerned about it, as if it was just a passing thought.

She had stared longer at the empty spot, her mind racing with what could have happened back at her flat yesterday. Did they open the box? If they had found out about the contents, they shouldn't be writing a 'sorry for doubting you' note, and instead it should be the other way round. It also didn't match with the fact that the box looked exactly the same as it was as she last remembered it, the duct tape hastily spun around, attaching the lid to the body. She had shaken the contents and noted that there was still something inside. Unless they replaced it, knowing that she wouldn't check it straight away.

"Hurry up, Byul!" Yeosang shouted back at her, waiting as a silhouette at the entrance of the garage.

She skittered towards him, tucking the cap close to her face to make sure she's disguising herself as meticulously as possible. As... if going out just two days after her supposed 'death' was ever a good idea. Then again, she doesn't know what a 'good idea' to this group of men is, because she is convinced that they collectively share one brain cell, while Hwayoung seems to have more brain cells than them combined.

Yeosang gets on the vehicle on the passenger seat beside Seonghwa, while she slumps back into the leather seat behind them. Seonghwa locks the door, guides the car to emerge from the forest and cruises along the highway, leaving their district behind.

She can't help but notice how he's smiling all the way to the tattoo parlor, while Yeosang is simply busy looking at his phone. When he catches her eyes in the rearview mirror, the eldest smiles broadly. It's probably her exaggerating since she has only known him for two days - and that doesn't even mean she knows him - but his eyes are sparkling. Like Yeosang had said; it's the tattoo parlor, but is it the what or the who that is making him exhilarated?

"Are you... perhaps going to get another tattoo too?" she decides to break the silence a little bit too late as he pulls up in a parking spot. Apparently it's one that's quite far from the parlor because most of them are occupied. "Am I just an excuse for you to come here; is that why you seem so excited?"

He pulls up the handbrake, looks into the rearview mirror to catch her eyes again before shrugging, "Maybe, if I feel like getting one." He doesn't answer the second part of her question as he unbuckles his seat belt and alights the vehicle, gesturing for his passengers to follow, almost looking impatient that they aren't already out.

"I told you that you'll see why," Yeosang turns to look at her as he unbuckles the seat belt. "Might want to tone down your shock when you see it though."

"How shocked will I be?"

"Depends on what perception you have of Seonghwa."

Both of them get out of the car at the same time, putting down their feet on the grounds of Treasure district. Like its name suggests the district is a treasured area, put side by side with Utopia district as the district with a high economic growth, where most businesses are focused at and flourish, and where a big part of the residents live in a fast pace. Treasure district is a huge chunk of land, where most are developed and the rest are waiting to be.

They arrive in front of the tattoo parlor with a sign that's written in the letters of a foreign language that she's not fluent in, and she can't even begin to guess the name of the shop. Seonghwa pushes the door with his shoulder, eliciting the sound of a small bell. He holds the door open for both of them.

"Welcome- oh it's you," a woman in her late 20s and sleeves full of flower tattoos greet them. Her tone is neutral; neither happy nor upset. Byul isn't sure what she's supposed to feel with her tone. "Looks like you brought Yeosang and..." she lifts up her perfectly-shaped eyebrow.

"Emira, this is Han Byul. Han Byul, this is Emira."

Emira looks at her up and down, scanning her from her head to toe with a look of approval before cocking her head. "Didn't know you recruit girls into your team too. She's pretty." Her eyes rest longer on Byul's ches

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Comments

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Magbuull5245 #1
Chapter 70: By far the best book I have read. Laughing, crying, deep thinking. Just amazing!
jeongsclown
#2
Chapter 3: LMFAO THEY'RE SO CHAOTIC I LOVE IT
Manna-chan #3
Chapter 70: This story is amazing! You are so talented, the flow of the story, the way you managed to tell about all of them without it seeming forced or weird. I love it, thank you for making me smile, cry, smile again and cry happy tears at the end. Thank you for sharing this story with us <'333
WiltedStar
#4
Chapter 1: You're such a great writer.
Jade_Flower #5
Chapter 70: Loved it!!
TaeTae_wife
#6
Chapter 70: I so love your story! It's the fist Ateez story that I read and it's WOW!
Congratulations!!!! <3
MsPinKai
#7
Chapter 70: THANK YOU FOR MAKING ME SHED HAPPY TEARS ??? this was EVERYTHING!!!! One of the best written stories & plotline ever! ❤️❤️❤️❤️
Animeakume
#8
Chapter 70: prepared my heart for a tragic ending but tHANK GOD ??? shed happy tears instead but it’s all worth it

i love this whole story so much! defs one of my go tos for rereading <3 thank you so much for this amazing story
Animeakume
#9
Chapter 57: i cracked and bawled my eyes out when yunho and byul repeated that they said back then as trainees ??? the whole “Dont you wish everything here is an illusion” “us, being here?” “No you idiot” back and forth conversation ohmyheart
MsPinKai
#10
Chapter 51: just when I was already believing that she 's not eunbi.......OH. MY. GOD.