Chapter 14

The Village in the Forest

“You can’t just leave!” Jimin shouted at his friend Mark Tuan. “Are you insane?!”

 

“It’s only temporarily, idiot!” Mark shouted back at him. “I’m not going to stay there forever!”

 

Chen Le grabbed the basket and smacked it onto Mark’s head. “MARK! You can’t leave!!”

 

“It’s not forever!!” Mark repeated again. “It’s only for a little while, it’s safer to help them find somewhere to stay if we go as a group of seven then if they go alone.”

 

“But there’s nothing out there,” Jimin said. “No humanity left. There’s only the place where the Chinese immigrants come from and rumor has it, it’s a barren wasteland! What place can they find?”

 

Mark sighed, taking the basket from Chen Le, since he kept hitting him with it. “LISTEN TO ME!! As I was saying, from what Jackson has heard, apparently the officials have been hiding a lot of stuff from us,” he explained. “Remember that kid and his parents who were ‘killed’? The disappearance of Woojin and Chan? Why Taeyong and Jaehyun married so young? A lot of of it has to do with the officials-”

 

“So they’re… bad?” Chen Le finished for him. “I expected it, to be honest. They make us omegas have a bad life.”

 

“But we don’t know anything about the outside,” Jimin insisted. “Mark, please, think this through, I know you have to help Jinyoung, but this could be bad for everyone."

 

“Well, we have to do something,” Mark said. “It’s not like we’re close to anyone who might have information on the officials anyways.”

 

Chen Le grabbed the basket from Mark, hitting Jimin with it to get his attention. “Do you think we can ask…” he whispered. 

 

Jimin stared at him with wide eyes. “Baekhyun would never allow it-”

 

“What does Baekhyun have to do with it?” Mark asked them. 

 

“Well, duh, the guy in love with him,” Chen Le explained. “Chanyeol, remember? He’s one of the most known alphas in the village and he’s friends with Yifan, the son of the chief! If anyone other than the officials know anything, it has to be them!”

 

“We can’t just go to Chanyeol and ask him stuff!” Mark yelled at him. “I don’t even know the guy!”

 

We don’t, but Baekhyun does,” Chen Le corrected him. “So let’s just ask Baekhyun if he can do anything. It won’t hurt to try, right?”

 

Jimin sighed, shaking his head. “You both are insane.”

 

“So are you, future Mr. Min,” Mark pointed out. “You’re friends with us in the first place.”

 

“That is true.”
 


***
 

They had been walking for merely ten minutes, and now Junmyeon was getting worried. 

 

He has never walked this far from his house. He couldn’t recognize anything out here at all. Sure, the vegetation was all the same; familiar species of trees, of bushes, of small animals that he would see.

 

Everytime he stepped a few yards from his house, it comforted him to know that he could always look back and see the garden, where his eomma always spent his time working on helping the plants grow better. He would be able to see his appa, either having a conversation with his eomma or busy working, but knowing they were always behind him…

 

His stomach was suddenly feeling very bloated. 

 

“Are you okay?” Yifan asked him. Of course Junmyeon had forgotten that Yifan was tagging along with him. “You look like you’re about to pass out.”

 

Junmyeon gulped, wiping the sweat on his forehead with the back of his hand. “It’s fine, it’s all mental anyways,” he said. “It’s just weird being this far away from home- are you sure you’re not going to say anything to anyone?” he asked, trying to dodge the question. 

 

Yifan shrugged. “I wrote a quick letter and gave it to Shownu, I know he’ll let our friends and my father, though, it’s fine.”

 

Junmyeon nodded frantically, looking away. “Yeah, okay, at least you left them something.”

 

After that comment, they continued walking in silence, the only sounds in the forest coming from the hidden animals here and there and the sound of their feet crunching the leaves. 

 

“Can you tell me more about your parents and their friends?” Yifan asked, trying to break the tension. “How they meet, that kind of stuff, you know.”

 

Junmyeon smiled, thinking of all the dumb stories his eomma would tell about him and his friend Minghao. “From what I know,” he explained quietly, “my eomma was hopelessly in love with my appa, with the feeling being mutual.”
 

 

***


 

Jeonghan was hiding behind the other side of the wall, watching Seungcheol from afar. The guard was talking to one of his alpha friends, a guy the same height from him with crazy green hair. If Jeonghan remembered correctly, the friend was named Soonyoung.

 

He kept watching them when he jumped, feeling someone touch his shoulder. Startled, he turned around and saw-

 

“Are you staring at your imaginary boyfriend again?” Minghao asked, taking a bite from his muffin, ignoring Jeonghan who kept hushing at him. “What?”

 

“He doesn’t know I’m here!” Jeonghan harshly whispered at him, turning around to stare at Seungcheol again. “I like watching him.”

 

“That’s- that’s kind of stalkerish but I do the same thing with Junhui, so you’re forgiven.” Minghao wrapped his hands around Jeonghan, the latter not even noticing. Minghao swore that Jeonghan had heart eyes. “Didn’t you bake with him the other day?”

 

Jeonghan grinned like an idiot. “It was so romantic-”

 

“Remind me never to talk about Junhui- holy, Jeonghan!! Jeonghan!!” Minghao dropped his muffin and shook Jeonghan’s shoulders, remembering why he tried to look for Jeonghan in the first place. “You will not BELIEVE what just happened to me half an hour ago, I almost forgot since I was hungry-”

 

“Minghao, you’re HURTING ME!” Jeonghan yelled at him. 

 

Minghao let go of him. “My bad. ANYWAYS! So Junhui asked me if I wanted to go eat with him somewhere to this diner, I think the owner is someone named Jihoon? BUT ANYWAYS I’M GOING TO EAT WITH JUNHUI!!”

 

The two engrossed in their own conversation, they didn’t notice Seungcheol and Soonyoung far away, noticing their commotion. 

 

“You know, I’ve never gotten used to seeing the two princes together,” Soonyoung told Seungcheol, watching Minghao scream on Jeonghan’s face. 

 

Seungcheol rolled his eyes, walking away. “They probably think they’re above us or whatever-”

 

“No, they’re not like what you would expect a noble to act like” Soonyoung admitted. “Your normal prince or princess wouldn’t be baking all the time and feeding all the workers here-”

 

“It’s just so that they can look good,” Seungcheol stated. “You think they actually care?”

 

Soonyoung didn’t answer, watching the two friends argue about Junhui, one of Soonyoung’s friends. He was one of the best trainers in the kingdom, after all. “I’m asking you to reconsider,” Soonyoung told Seungcheol, crossing his arms. “I know you have something planned next week during the gala, and knowing the King, you’ll be tried for treason-”

 

“It’s fine, Soonyoung,” Seungcheol said. “Jeonghan won’t even know it’s me.”

 

Soonyoung sighed. “Okay, but I’m not going to take part of this, the last thing I want is to die because of some stupid prank.”

 

“I’m not going to die-”

 

“Yeah you are-”

 

“No-”

 

“Yeah-”

 

“Liar-”

 

“Even Jihoon told you this was a bad idea,” Soonyoung reminded him. “And Jihoon is always right.”

 

Seungcheol rolled his eyes. “You talk about him as if you were in love with him or something.”

 

“Pfft, no, never,” Soonyoung said. “I would die the first three days of our marriage. Does he even like kids?”

 

“No, since he doesn’t like you and you act like one-”

 

“HEY!”
 

***

 

“Eomma, eomma, are you okay?” Jungshin came stumbling to where Taeyong was at the doorway, holding a crying Jian’s hand. “Eomma? Where’s appa?”

 

Taeyong turned around to look at his child. Without a second though, he dropped the blade he had been carrying and fell to his knees, wrapping his hands around his two sons to give them a tight hug. 

 

“Appa will be fine, okay?” Taeyong murmured in their eyes, playing with the soft strands on their hand as Jian continued crying, Jungshin staying quiet. “I’m going to go find him and sort out this mess, okay?”

 

“Did appa do something bad?” Jungshin asked quietly, making eye contact with his eomma.  “Why did those men want to hurt him?”

 

“I- he didn't’ do anything, love, there’s… there’s just a misunderstanding,” Taeyong tried to explain to them. “Your appa is a good man, he wouldn’t hurt anybody.”

 

He got up from the floor, carrying a crying Jian in his arms. “Tell your brothers to put on your shoes, okay?” he asked, patting Jian’s back. The 3-year-old wouldn’t stop crying. “I’m going to take you guys somewhere that’s safe.”

***

 

“Uh- can you repeat that part again of what, you, uh, said about why you came?” Taehyung asked nervously. 

 

Jungkook gulped, not believing he outed himself like that. “I just- I just wanted to ask permission to court you,” he said, softly this time. This is what he gets for listening to Shownu’s advice. How he got together with Kihyun was just pure luck. 

 

Taehyung stared at him, mouth open. “Uh… I’m flattered?” he said finally. “But… uh, are you sure that’s a good idea?”

 

Jungkook frowned. “Wait, what do you mean good idea?”

 

“I mean…” Taehyung moved his hands, trying to explain himself but couldn’t come up with the right words. “Uh-”

 

“I’m going to get a drink of water,” Hakyeon said, interrupting the awkward duo. They had momentarily forgotten that Hakyeon was even there. “Take your time.”

 

Hakyeon got up and left the room, leaving the two alone. 

 

Jungkook spoke up again. “You don’t have to agree- I mean, I don’t want it to seem forced,” he stammered, “I… I just really like you?”

 

The way he ended the sentence sounded more like a question, and, despite what Taekwoon had told him and Hakyeon some time ago about Jungkook acting infatuated with Taehyung... 

 

That’s just not what happens to omegas like him. 

 

“Okay, I’m assuming this is the part where I act like I’m flattered,” Taehyung finally said. “But I’m still confused about what you see with me when we have only spoken to each like, once, and it’s like I’m handsome or can do omega chores well-”

 

“You’re pretty handsome,” Jungkook interrupted him. “A lot. Where did you get that idea?”

 

Taehyung rolled his eyes. “I’ve had these exact conversations with Hakyeon, you’re not going to change my perspective.”

 

“But I mean- okay, if you say so,” Jungkook said, even though he knew that was a big lie. “But… okay to be fair, I started liking you a few months ago."

 

"That's impossible but continue,” Taehyung said. 

 

“It’s just… I don’t know, everytime I look at you and I see you hanging out with Hakyeon, laughing, having a good time, just being relaxed, it’s nice,” Jungkook admitted. “And I was scared of approaching you which is why you startled me the other day when I was trying to get a coconut, I swear I wouldn’t have been there if I knew you were there.”

 

For a split second Taehyung’s mind went back to that weird coconut fruit, and he looked at the coconut Jungkook had just brought him today, sitting there on his nightstand. “Look, Jungkook, let’s be honest,” he stated. “You think you like me. So what’ll happen is you’ll court me, my family gets obsessed with this idea that I have an alpha finally, but then you realize what a mess I am and you stop courting me, then I get tormented by my family for the rest of my life until I day by the age of 23 or something.”

 

“I would- I would never do that,” Jungkook muttered under his breath. Louder, he said, “Taehyung, I wouldn’t do that-”

 

“You didn’t let me finish,” Taehyung interrupted him. 

 

“Oh, sorry.”

 

However,” Taehyung continued. “I... look, I wouldn’t… mind courting you,” he explained. “But I would prefer if we kept it a… secret.?

 

Jungkook’s eyes lit up. “You wouldn’t mind courting me?”

 

How this man could get excited by hanging out with a loser like him was unbelievable but okay. “Yeah. And don’t think you’ll have your way with me just because you’re an alpha.”

 

Jungkook shook his head frantically. “No, never, I would never do that- holy, I forgot I was meeting Seunghyun today!” He ran past Taehyung, opening the door before turning around and giving him one last wave. “You won’t regret courting me! I promise you’ll like it!”

 

Taehyung couldn’t help but roll his eyes while laughing at Jungkook’s weirdness. 

 

He watched the alpha run off, and just a few seconds later, Hakyeon came walking back into the room, an eye raised. “What’s gotten him so worked up?” he mumbled, looking down the hallway.

 

Taehyung shrugged. “Maybe because he… has a boyfriend now?”


 

***

 

Seungcheol poured them both a cup of tea each, watching his husband sit quietly at the kitchen table, staring at the glass sliding door, where Junmyeon and Yifan had left earlier. 

 

It was already night, a few hours after they left, and just thinking that their son was out their, alone in the woods, left a horrible, gut-wrenching feeling in their stomach. 

 

But Seungcheol had the awful feeling that, despite Junmyeon having always been obedient of his parents in the past, would surely have found some way to leave on his own accord, which is the only reason why Seungcheol approved of him leaving. 

 

Though he couldn’t help but wonder if it was a mistake. 

 

The only thing that calmed him down was that if the people who discovered them came to them, since Junmyeon wasn’t here anymore, they wouldn’t be able to harm him. Seungcheol could protect Jeonghan, he had (barely) shown it in the past, but he has never tried protecting two people before. 

 

Yeah, hopefully Junmyeon was safe out there with Yifan by his side. 

 

“Penny for your thoughts?” Seungcheol set the cup of tea in front of Jeonghan. “What’s wrong?”

 

Jeonghan stared at the tea cup in front of him, refusing to grab it. “I just realized this is the first time in our life when Junmyeon and I won’t sleep under the same roof.”

 

Seungcheol sighed, sitting down next to Jeonghan at the table. “He’ll be fine, Jeonghan,” he said, reaching out to grab Jeonghan’s hand, caressing it. “For the past few years, I think you have taught him every form of combat you learned as prince.”

 

Jeonghan rolled his eyes, trying not to laugh. “You’re just mad Junhui was a good teacher,” he said. 

 

“I- I was not.”

 

“Yeah you were!”

 

“W-well, you’re just mad that, uh.... you’re just mad that Mingyu beat him in a fight once,” Seungcheol retorted back. 

 

“Mingyu jumped on his back, that was not a fair fight,” Jeonghan reminded him.

 

Seungcheol grabbed his cup of tea. “How do you think they’re doing now?” he asked quietly. 

 

Jeonghan stayed quiet for a moment, thinking. How many times have he and Seungcheol had this conversation before? Wondering what their friends were up to, if anyone had gotten together, had kids… died…

 

“I hope they’re doing okay,” he mumbled, taking a sip of his own tea. Hibiscus tea, he realized while tasting it. His favorite. “Minghao might be a grandparent at this point if his child Luhan turns out like him.”

 

“Walking in on him and Junhui was not a good experience,” Seungcheol added, remembering how everyone ended up yelling, almost cringing at the memory. “Pretty sure that’s how he had Luhan.”

 

A few weeks after Seungcheol apologized for the gala incident, they had been taking a walk in the palace when Jeonghan said that he had been wanting to show him a drawing that he made earlier, one that he thought Seungcheol would like. He had left the drawing in Minghao’s chambers though, having shown it to him a few hours earlier, so he led Seungcheol to go get it, only for the pair to walk in on Junhui practically ramming Minghao into the mattress. 

 

“He didn’t have his heat, though,” Jeonghan reminded him. “They conceived a week after-"

 

“That’s oddly specific,” Seungcheol said. “I forget how much you two shared stuff between each other.”

 

Jeonghan shrugged. “I mean, he told me in panic the day after he found out he was expecting.”

 

That pregnancy was a roller coaster from start to finish-"

 

Seungcheol stopped when they both heard frantic pounding on the main door. 

 

Jeonghan got out of his chair. “Is that Junmyeon? Do you think he got injured?”

 

“Don’t think the worst,” Seungcheol reminded him, rushing to open the door. 

 

What he did not see was Junmyeon, instead, some official covered in black smothering him with a cloth that no doubt had a chemical, as Seungcheol quickly fell into a deep slumber. 


 

***

 

They were stabbing into her body repeatedly with the knife, over and over, the blood pooling on the ground below her, and all Xiaojun could do was watch-

 

“EOMMA!” he shrieked, falling off from the couch to the floor. 

 

He stayed there in shock, trying to calm down his breathing. It wasn’t until a few seconds later that he realized that he was still on the floor and that his arm, which took most of the fall, hurt.

 

Still trembling a bit, Xiaojun managed to sit up, clutching the blanket tightly around him when he saw a soft glow of light appear in the room. 

 

It was Kun, standing at the entrance of the hallway, a small lit candle in his hand. “Are you okay?” he asked, noticing Xiaojun was sitting on the floor. “Did you fall?”

 

Xiaojun nodded, pushing himself off the floor. “Yeah, it was just a nightmare, don’t worry.”

 

Kun set the candle down on the coffee table and helped Xiaojun get up. “I heard screaming,” he explained. “I thought you were getting hurt.”

 

“No, just… just a nightmare, I guess,” Xiaojun admitted, thinking of the woman repeatedly getting stabbed over and over. “I’m fine.”

 

Kun wanted to pry but considering how the latter was still pretty shaken up, he decided it was best to ask him tomorrow. “Are you sure you don’t want to sleep in the room?” he asked Xiaojun. “It’s more comfortable there.”

 

Xiaojun grabbed onto Kun’s arm, holding him in place. “Actually… can you stay with me tonight?” he pleaded. “Don’t leave me alone. Please.” 

 

Kun nodded, picking up the blanket that Xiaojun dropped on the floor. “Don’t worry, I’ll stay with you,” he reassured him. 

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ephemeral24
2376 streak #1
Chapter 23: LING TIME NO SEE AUTHORNIM!
damn, Jeonghan is too kind for the world... despite the plans Seungcheol devised and how effective the execution was, he still forgave the other... not also that, Jeonghan also willingly gave up his royal status, he didn't really like nobles lol, to risk a life with Seungcheol... and like his story of making something out of his mother's old dress instead of just lamenting how ruined it it... reading abt their story just made me admire Jeonghan more tbh
ephemeral24
2376 streak #2
Chapter 22: WELCOME BACK!!!
for real i had to go back to previous chapters to even remember the meeting Ten and Johnny were supposedly from? HAHAHAHAH i was like, WHAT MEETING? had to go back 4 chapters HAHA

Zitao finally caught sneaking out and Luhan caught covering for him too HAHAHAHA

anyway, if you ask me, everyone should just run away from the village tbh... no more controlling families, no more skewed hierarchical system... FREEDOM!
ephemeral24
2376 streak #3
Chapter 21: should i repeat the first part of my comment in yoir other update? HAHAHA

anyway! now this is much more confusing, i wondered where they all were... so the first part is the kidnapped ones OUTSIDE the village, the part with Baek crying is INSIDE the village, and Yifan and Jun are also OUTSIDE the village if i remember correctly... are Taeyong and Jaehyun still in or have they ran away already?

anyway, the of Jeonghan and Seungcheol's story abt to happen! by this point, with all the info we're presented with, it's not looking good yet so I'm really curious how Jeonghan still married him
rainbowaffles
#4
❤️❤️❤️
ephemeral24
2376 streak #5
Chapter 20: THEY KISSED??? HOLY COW!!! I DIDN'T EXPECT THAT!
but the situation was calling for some sort of comfort, it was all so hectic for them, only then did they get the chance to pause and think things thru... i love it :)
MinBonggae
#6
Well written story. 👏
ephemeral24
2376 streak #7
Chapter 19: lol Jun hasn't fully discovered yet, but he finally knows of Seungcheol's bit of being a jerk to Jeonghan... lol, but the scarf story is kinda telling me that even if Seungcheol destroyed it to embarrass Jeonghan, he repaired it and got Jeonghan's heart again? if I'm right, cute!

all these pairs making moves on each other tho... go do it! don't let those bastards dictate what you do!!!
ephemeral24
2376 streak #8
Chapter 18: is it just me, or is this chapter really longer than others? anyway!!! olay, first, Jun and Yifan! they found Minghao!!! congrats!

next, Scoups, Jeonghan and Jihoon looks like they're off to escape safely now! the person who found them seems more like a friend than a foe...

as for the others still in the village! can't help but think that something big is going to happen, idk how they'll revolt or something, but something is definitely going to happen... btw how did Kun know where Jaehyun was???
ephemeral24
2376 streak #9
Chapter 17: welcome back to this story as well authornim!
so much is going on idk what's going to happen anymore! HAHA
ephemeral24
2376 streak #10
Chapter 16: an update!!! thank you!

HAHA i love how Vernon and Seungkwan are being so suspicious and safe! Jun and Yifan, even if i know they're good people, well the younger two don't! and they're doing it right, calling Soonyoung over would be the best decision, and he'd be the one to make sense of everything!

so, where are Jinyoung and Jaebum??? don't tell me the council got to them already? so the plan is abt to be aborted? and the rest of them are gonna turn this into a rescue mission instead? why is the council capturing so many people??? and Jaehyun is still missing! but at least Taeyong is with someone Jaehyun trusts!!! and hopefully, will hell them find Jae!!!

anyway, they found Jihoon!!! i do hope they get to escape to where Jun and Yifan are...