Chapter 18

The Village in the Forest

“The meeting is now in session,” the official at the front said to everyone present in the main town hall room. “Let us begin.” 

 

Everyone sat in their seats, different expressions plastered. Some curious, some scared, some angry. There were those who wanted gossip, and those who were going to get hurt, and it was going to be interesting to see who belonged to each category. 

 

“To start with lighthearted news,” he said, “first we will announce newly courted and mated pairs."

 

That was news. There were only a handful of couples that the people knew were going to have a union ceremony, and none have happened yet. Who could have officially been mated without a ceremony?

 

Of course, many people in the village couldn’t afford to have a union ceremony, but they often still picked out a date to sign the legal documents. Still, though, it was going to be interesting to see who was newly courted. 

 

“Omega Chittaphon from the Leechaiyakul Thai family,” he said, taking a pause. “And Alpha John Seo, officially mated-”

 

An alpha from the Thai family, the father, stood up. “That’s impossible, he’s supposed to be mated with Yaesing!” he shouted at the official, Jaejin. “Not the alpha Seo!”

 

The alpha of the Seo family looked around in confusion, realizing the commotion was about his son. “I- my Johnny hasn’t officially courted anyone, Official Jaejin,” he tried to explain to the official. “But surely if they are mated-"

 

“He will NOT be mated to your son!” Ten’s father shouted, looking at his omega son next to him, trembling. “Tell everyone in the town hall that you are courting Yaesing!”

 

Ten refused to look at his father, instead looking at the Seo family that was sitting ahead of them, at Johnny who was listening to his mother speak to him. The alpha who, despite not even knowing him, offered to help him out. 

 

He saw Johnny turn around, his mother still speaking to him, to look at Ten, a worried look in his eyes. He had no idea what he wanted Ten to do in the situation. 

 

Taking a breath, Ten stood up from his seat. “Official Jaejin,” he said calmly. “The documents you are staring in front of you are correct and free from any error.”

 

Johnny also frantically stood up from his seat, ready to defend Ten. “We courted in secret,” he lied. “And we didn’t have a union ceremony, it was a mutual agreement. He is my mate.”

 

“Since when did you two start courting in secret?” Johnny’s father asked him, still confused about the whole ordeal. “How long have you known him-”

 

“This is outrageous!” Ten’s father shouted. “HOW DARE YOUR SON TAKE MINE UNLAWFULLY-”

 

“You alphas are to remain civil!” Official Jaejin screamed over them, shushing the two. “We have much more awful matters to attend to, and be thankful that we are finally having more mated pairs here!” 

 

Members of both families sat down, not daring to go against an official’s orders.

 

“Next,” Official Jaejin said. “The courted pair, Alpha Min Yoongi and Omega Park Jimin, are to officially hold a union ceremony soon, date to be announced.” 

 

There was no reaction to it; everyone has known about the pair being courted for a long time. After all, there weren’t that many courted pairs in the village, anyways. 

 

“Newly courted couples.” He shuffled some papers. “Omega Zhong Chen Le and alpha Park Jisung. Alpha Son Hyungwoo and omega Yoo Kihyun. There’s that.”

 

There was some murmuring around the crowd. This many couples didn’t happen that often. 

 

“Now I will announce any upcoming trials,” he continued. 

 

Now the whispering was increasing in volume. 

 

Trials

 

Who has broken the law?

 

“Omega Park Jinyoung and Alpha Im Jaebum, for being an unmated pair that are expecting,” Official Jaejin said. “And Alpha Jung Jaehyun for treason-”

 

“Treason?” an omega spoke up. “Someone has committed treason?!

 

“Not surprised about him and that baby maker,” some alpha muttered, yet some people were able to hear him. 

 

“Remain civil, people, they will be given a chance to defend themselves in their respective trials,” Jaejin said, stepping down from his position. “Now Chief Leader Wu Xuheng has news of his own.”

 

He stepped aside, letting the chief pass him, the crowd immediately shushing again. 

 

Chief Xuheng was looking rather worn out. There were rumors and speculations, of course, but for those who were left in the dark, it was puzzling to see him in this state. 

 

“Everyone,” he said, his voice low. “My son and his omega have been reported missing. Please help me find them.”

 

***

 

“Why are you here, alpha Jaehyun?” Jackson asked the alpha, who was in the locked cell in front of him. 

 

The only way to see inside the room was to peek through a small sliding door, where they could see the alpha lying on the concrete floor, gashed and bruises decorating his body, his clothes torn, hair disheveled. 

 

“ALPHA JAEHYUN!?!” Bambam shrieked, pushing past his friends to stand right in front of the room, where he could see Jaehyun in his state. “NOOOOOOO!”

 

“Can you be any louder!?” Youngjae asked him. 

 

Bambam grinned. “Try me-”

 

“Not now, guys!!” Yugyeom shut them up, standing next to Jaehyun. “Alpha Jaehyun? Why are you in here?”

 

They could see how Jaehyun pushed himself off the ground slowly, emitting grunts and groans here and there. “I heard something I shouldn’t have-” he said quietly, as if anyone could overhear them. “And you know how they like to shut people up.”

 

“Wait, what did you even hear?” Mark asked, confused. 

 

Bambam rolled up his sleeves again. “We got to get him out of there.”

 

“You are out of your ing mind if you think you can break metal,” Jackson pointed out. 

 

“There’s- they have keys at the end of the hallway,” Jaehyun said, breathing heavily; they must have bruised some of his ribs, if not broken. “You have to be quiet, even though the town hall meeting is in session, no doubt they have officials making rounds and you don’t want to be discovered here.”

 

Youngjae bit his lip. “Are Jinyoung and Jaebum here?” he asked, scared to hear the answer. 

 

“Your friends, they are also near, I don’t know where but I’ve heard them,” Jaehyun explained. He paused, sitting up completely, wiping some dried blood off his face. “I don’t know if they are hurt.”

 

“Jinyoung, Jaebum- aw, !” Mark pushed past them and headed down the hallway, peering through the sliding glasses of each holding cell. “Where are they, they have to be here!”

 

“You do left, I’ll do right!” Yugyeom exclaimed, helping Mark look. “Jackson, get the keys, idiot!”

 

“I am not an idiot!” Jackson said, running past them through the hall to get the so-called keys. “I’m not the one yelling all the time while we are in danger!”

 

Mark rolled his eyes, thinking how immature the group is, when, while looking at one of the glass sliding doors, stopped in his tracks. 

 

Jinyoung and Jaebum. 

 

“Uh, Jackson?” Mark spoke out. “We’re gonna need those keys faster.”


 

***

 

“You really didn’t have to skip the town hall meeting to stay here with me,” Baekhyun said to Chanyeol. 

 

The alpha waved him off. “It’s fine, I wanted to,” he said, giving a sad smile to Baekhyun. “Like I said, it’s not good for the omegas right now, and I just wanted to make sure you were safe.”

 

Baekhyun shook his head, staring at the sand under his toes as he drew nonsensical lines on them. “Well, that’s surely a first,” he muttered. 

 

Chanyeol frowned. “What’s that supposed to mean?” he asked, confused. 

 

Baekhyun shrugged. “No one in the village cares about us, since we’re just outcasts. Not pretty enough, not quiet enough, not obedient enough,” he trailed off. “Not omega enough.”

 

“What- Baekhyun, who thinks that?” Chanyeol asked him. “You’re- , who said you’re not pretty?”

 

“I’m not stupid,” Baekhyun interrupted him. “No, we’re not stupid. I may have no redeeming qualities but I’m not deaf,” he said, pausing. “I just- I don’t know why the village people care so much.” 

 

Chanyeol didn’t respond immediately, staring at the river in front of them as well. “Me neither,” he said finally. “I don’t like how they treat omegas here.”

 

“Nothing will change,” Baekhyun said. “Maturing as an omega means accepting your reality and making the best of it.” 

 

Chanyeol covered his face with his hand, shaking his head. “I’m sorry, Baekhyun,” he said. “You don’t deserve that.”

 

Baekhyun wrapped his arms around his waist. “Do I?” he whispered to himself. 

 

Chanyeol scooted closer next to Baekhyun, slowly to see if the omega would reject his closeness. “Do you want me to hug you?” he asked him quietly. 

 

Baekhyun shut his eyes tight, nodding as he felt Chanyeol wrap an arm around him, tears streaking down his face. 

 

***


 

“What do you plan on doing with Jaehyun after you get him out?” Kun asked Taeyong beside him. 

 

The omega stopped in his tracks, staring wide-eyed at Kun. “What do you mean?” he asked.

 

Kun shrugged. “I mean, you are breaking him out,” he pointed out. “It’s not like you can take him back home, that’ll put you two in a worst spot.”

 

Taeyong didn’t say anything at first, clutching the bat he had in his hands closer to his chest. “I- I don’t know,” he muttered at last. “I just- I just need him to be safe first."

 

Kun nodded. “Yeah, I know what you’re trying to say,” he said. “Act first, think later.”

 

They continued walking through the mainly-empty pathways. Most of the people were currently attending the town hall meeting or remaining indoors meaning that there weren’t that many people outside. Of course, there were the few that were milling around, mostly omegas busy doing some chores, but other than that, they were free to head to the town hall without raising any questions. 

 

Thankfully, they did reach up to the building without any problems, so Kun led him around to the supposed side where there was a small hidden door, he explained, that led to the basement. 

 

“How do you know about this?” Taeyong asked him, curious. He doesn’t know much about Kun nor what he does in the village. 

 

Kun shrugged. “Just stuff my family explained back when they were alive, I guess. I’ve also seen officials do stuff when they think no one is looking.”

 

Taeyong raised an eye, puzzled at what kinds of stuff Kun was talking about, when the alpha stopped him, a startled look on his face. 

 

“If anyone asks, you were helping me and Jaehyun let you,” Kun muttered, jogging up to the door.

 

“If- what do you mean, who’s here, what-?” Taeyong asked, his voice rising slightly as he glanced around, thinking that maybe someone had been following them until he paid more attention to the door. 

 

It was already open. 

 

Taeyong’s eyes widened, staring at Kun in shock wondering what he was going to do, when the alpha quietly peered inside the building, eyes furrowed as he motioned for Taeyong to come closer. 

 

“Come quickly before we get discovered,” Kun said, taking a step inside. 

 

He must have been speaking to someone inside, Taeyong realized, because Kun’s mouth was moving yet Taeyong had no idea what the alpha was saying. Who could Kun be talking to?

 

Taeyong, paranoid, after looking around to make sure no one was following them, hurried after Kun, reminding himself what he was here for. He was here for Jaehyun.

 

“What’s wrong?” Taeyong asked, standing right behind Kun. “Is someone here-”

 

What he saw made him stop in his tracks. 

 

There, in what appeared to be a dimly lit hallway with a multitude of rooms on the sides, were some young omegas and alphas, two of them who appeared to be injured and-

 

Jaehyun. 

 

Without hearing Kun’s answer, Taeyong dashed towards his love, tears streaking down his face as he held him in an embrace, feeling those familiar hands wrapped around him, and everything felt okay again. 


 

***


 

Shin sat on the familiar log in the woods, peeling away some stalks of bamboo, when he sensed a familiar alpha smell behind him. 

 

Sighing, Shin turned around, not even noticing Takuya’s big grin on his face. “What do you want?”

 

Takuya tilted his head, confused. “You,” he said simply. “Why?”

 

Realistically, Shin knew Takuya was trying to say “hanging out with you”, but the way he said it made it sound like… something else. 

 

He shrugged. “At this rate, you can buy me,” he muttered, continuing to peel the stalks of bamboo. 

 

Takuya frowned. “Buy?”

 

“Yeah,” Shin said. “Buy. As in, I’m property. Because that’s how the town views us.” 

 

“You’re not property,” Takuya said rather too quickly. “Never. No one... should be property. Why- why do they think that?”

 

“Your guess is as good as mine,” Shin said, setting his knife down. “I mean… I don’t know. I don’t know.”

 

“It’s not fair,” Takuya said, clearly about to go on a rant. “Not fair. You’re not property. What if- what if someone love you and hope you love them but they can’t buy you but someone else in village can? You deserve choice!! Choice to say yes or no to one or both!!”

 

“I DON’T KNOW, TAKUYA!” Shin yelled, standing up from his spot on the log. “I don’t know, okay?! As the alphas and officials here who don’t think I deserve basic rights, , I don’t get involved in any affairs and I do my chores quietly only to discover that in the meeting they paired up two omegas behind everyone’s backs and they won’t have a choice!! I don’t know!!”

 

Takuya stared at him for a good few seconds, not responding immediately to Shin’s outburst as he tried to process the words in his head. “They pair omegas?” he asked. “You?”

 

Shin shook his head. “Not me,” he said. “And I don’t know if the omegas were at the meeting, but from what the village had been saying, omegas Baekhyun and Si Cheng-”

 

“SI CHENG?!” Takuya shrieked. “SI CHENG?! CHINESE OMEGA SI CHENG?!"

 

“Yeah, Si Cheng, he’s one of the Chinese immigrants, I think,” Shin explained, confused as to how Shin knows this Si Cheng. “Wait, how do you-”

 

“YUTA LOVE SI CHENG!” Takuya continued yelling, running away from Shin. “HE LOVE HIM!”

 

“Hold on, Takuya! Where are you going?!” Shin yelled after him, chasing him to wherever Takuya was going. “TAKUYA!”


 

***

 

“DINNER!!!!” Minghao shrieked, lifting up a pot of soup above his head. “CHICKEN SOUP!!!!”

 

“Eomma,” Luhan said, not even bothering to look up from the table; he was busy carving a piece of wood with his pocket knife, the way his father taught him. “You creep me out.”

 

Minghao faked a gasp. “I- I can’t believe what I’m HEARING!!” he shouted. “JUNHUIIIIII-”

 

Junhui came into the dining room, chewing on an apple. “Wot,” he said, swallowing afterwards. “Wasn’t me.”

 

Minghao squinted his eyes at Junhui. “Do what?”

 

“IT WAS TAOZI!” Junhui screamed, running out of the dining room. “IT WASN’T MEEEEE-”

 

“COME BACK HERE, JUN!!” Minghao screamed as well, setting the pot on the table hastily as he chased Junhui with a wooden spoon. “COME HERE!!”

 

Luhan continued his wood carving until he sensed someone next to him. “Hey, Tao,” he said, still not looking up. 

 

Zitao had sat next to Luhan at the kitchen table, holding a cracker as he watched his parents scream around the house. “I want to be concerned.”

 

“Yeah, me too,” Luhan said, finally looking up to see his younger brother. “What did appa do that he started blaming you?”

 

Zitao shrugged. “I don’t know, I’m not surprised.”

 

Luhan nodded, going back to his wood carving as Zitao took a small bite of his cracker. “If they act like this over whatever insignificant thing appa did, I can’t believe how they’ll act when they see you with that alpha.”

 

“Who, Sehun?” Zitao asked, shoving the rest of the cracker in his mouth, chewing and swallowing before he continued speaking. “I don’t know, to be honest. Appa will probably want to threaten him until he sees him in person and gets scared.”

 

“Geez, for a member of the guard, he sure is a scaredy cat,” Luhan mumbled, setting his wood carving down, staring at his callus fingers. 

 

Zitao looked at what Luhan had carved; it looked like a branch of sorts, with leaves or whatnot. Zitao didn’t know much about plants. “Is that for Minseok?” he asked quietly.

 

“Yes,” Luhan said rather too quickly. “I’ll give it to him when I ask him to court me.”

 

“And when will that be?” Zitao asked him rhetorically, not really believing in whatever answer Luhan was going to give; the beta had been in love with the omega for the past two years. 

 

“Soon,” was all Luhan said, picking up his pocket knife. “I don’t know if he’ll want someone like me-”

 

“Luhan-” Zitao tried to say until they both heard a knock on the door. 

 

“MINGHAO, DON’T THREATEN ME WITH THE WOODEN PIECE OF AND LET ME GET THE DOOR-” 

 

“I got it,” Luhan mumbled, getting up from the table. “It’s probably the milkman.”

 

Zitao wrinkled his nose. “Ew, milk.”

 

Luhan took his time getting to the door, hearing how his parents started screaming about fruit tarts from the other side of the house. Not a surprise. 

 

He opened the door slightly, opening it wider once he realized who was at the other side. “Oh, hey uncle Kwon,” he said.

 

“Hey, Luhan!” Soonyoung said. Luhan noticed how there was an alpha and omega behind him, probably around his age. “Is Junhui or Minghao here?”

 

“Did you say- did you say… Luhan?” the omega said.

 

Luhan frowned. He didn’t know who this omega was. “Yeah, I’m Luhan,” he said. “And you are?”

 

The omega didn’t say anything else, staring at him in shock. 

 

“Oh, he’s Yifan,” Soonyoung said, pointing at the quiet, stoic alpha at the back. “And he’s Junmyeon.”

 

Luhan’s eyes widened. “Junmyeon as in-”

 

“As in your eomma’s best friend’s child, yes,” Soonyoung said. “That Junmyeon.”

 

Luhan stared at the three of them, not saying anything in shock. 

 

He knew who Junmyeon was. There wasn’t a single week in his entire life that his eomma had a breakdown about his best friend, the missing prince of Kaeleous, who was presumed dead. Minghao was one of the only people who knew for a fact that Jeonghan was expecting a child, the child of the alpha guard Seungcheol that worked at the palace. 

 

Once, when Luhan was very young, he stupidly ask his appa Junhui why his eomma cried so much, and as the years and Junhui told him more of the story, Luhan couldn’t help but what ended up happening to this Jeonghan and Seungcheol and they’re child that they wanted to name Junmyeon. 

 

And now this Junmyeon was standing in front of him.

 

“Eomma?” Luhan said finally, stepping back in the house to call for his eomma more clearly. “EOMMA!”

 

“Who’s here- oh, uncle Kwon!” Zitao said, appearing beside Luhan, who had now gone back into the house to yell for his parents. “Who are you guys?”

 

“Uh, this is Jeonghan’s kid,” Soonyoung said quickly, pointing to Junmyeon. “And that’s his mate behind him. Oh, Junmyeon, this is Luhan’s younger brother, Zitao.”

 

Junmyeon, who had been motionless the entire time once he saw the supposed Luhan, jerked back once Soonyoung pointed Zitao. “Brother?”

 

Zitao’s eyes widened. “Wait, did you say Jun-”

 

Luhan came back up behind him, their parents in tow. “Eomma, who have to meet these people,” he said, pushing them to the front of the doorway. 

 

Minghao and Junhui, who had no idea what was going on (Luhan just screamed that it was urgent), were now standing at the front. “Oh, hey Soonyoung,” Minghao said, waving to the alpha. “How’s Vernon’s love life going, you promised to tell me."

 

“Both him and Seungkwan are oblivious,” Soonyoung said. “But anyways, these teens wanted to meet you.” 

 

Minghao grinned at the unfamiliar omega and alpha. “Hey, I’m Minghao, what’s up?” he said, bowing. 

 

Junmyeon's eyes were still wide in shock, and Minghao was about to wave his hand in front of the startled omega’s face, until he scrambled to pull out his papers from his bag. “Minghao, Minghao, Minghao-”

 

“That’s me, yeah,” Minghao said, tilting his head in confusion. “Is something wrong, did Junhui break something of yours, too-”

 

“I DIDN’T DO !” Junhui yelled. 

 

Junmyeon, at last, pulled out a piece of paper, staring at it. “You haven’t aged.”

 

“Thank you!” Minghao beamed. He, along with Junhui, always got complimented for their youthfulness and it made him happy to know that his skincare routine since the age of fourteen had clearly worked. 

 

His cheerful mood vanished, however, when Junmyeon finally flipped the paper to show Minghao the drawing-

 

Holy .

 

“Minghao,” Junmyeon said again, breathing heavily. “Xu Minghao.”

 

Minghao stared at the drawing of himself, recognizing the familiar lines, the shading, the yellowed pages, the familiar signature at the bottom of the drawing. 

 

“Who are you?” Minghao whispered, finally looking at the omega in the eye. "And where did you get this?"

 

Junmyeon hugged the drawing closer to his chest. “Junmyeon,” he said finally, trying to get over his shock. “And I got it from my eomma Yoon Jeonghan-”

 

Before he could finish, he felt a pair of arms around him, hugging him tightly, and he realized it was Minghao, who he could feel the tears on his cheeks.

 

“Is he alive?” Minghao sputtered out, his voice cracking. 

 

Junmyeon wrapped his right arm around Minghao slowly, the other holding onto the drawing. He didn’t expect the hug. “Both of them and they miss you.”

 

Before he knew it, the best friend of his eomma started crying, hugging Junmyeon tightly as to never let him go. 



***
 


Soon, it was getting dark, and the three of them knew they had to stop walking. 

 

“I got things to live for, I don’t have time to die,” Jihoon said, glaring at a nearby snake, who retreated away in fear of the omega. “Go away!” 

 

“Jihoon, it is not the animal’s fault,” Seungcheol said, walking slower than the two omegas, wanting to watch them from behind to make sure everything was safe. 

 

“I don’t care,” Jihoon said, picking up a nearby stick in case another cursed animal from god’s creation wanted to try him. “I’m mad, I haven’t seen Soonyoung and Vernon in more than a week.” 

 

Jeonghan rolled his eyes, not surprised at how quickly Jihoon and Seungcheol went back to their usual antics, despite having not seen each in over seventeen years. “Hey, tell us about you and Soonyoung,” he said quietly, trying not to think of his Junmyeon, out there alone with only Yifan to take care of him. 

 

Jihoon didn’t say anything at first, the only sounds of them in the woods being them three stepping over dead, crunchy leaves. “I love him,”  he said. “And I miss him, and , I really hope he doesn’t do something stupid, he still has Vernon to take care of, and I guess Seungkwan, too, though that omega will probably kick my if he heard me refer to him as my child.”

 

“Who, Seungkwan, your son’s best friend?” Seungcheol asked, curious. “How- how are those two?” he tried to stop a laugh. “I thought that if you ever got to have a son you would call him Hansol.”

 

“Hell yeah I named him Hansol,” Jihoon said, turning around to look at Seungcheol, walking backwards. “You know it was my dream since I’m practically infertile, but then of course me and Soonyoung couldn’t come to terms on a name.”

 

“How did Soonyoung win?” Jeonghan asked. 

 

Jihoon raised the stick in the air. “HE DIDN’T! That’s the worst part! I won our bet so I got to name him Hansol, but as a compromise we gave him Vernon as the middle name,” Jihoon explained. “And of course Vernon grows up saying ‘I don’t like Hansol, I like Vernon better’ and at the end of the day his father had the last laugh.”

 

“Figured,” Seungcheol said. “Soonyoung never wins a bet.”

 

“No the hell he does not,” Jihoon said, turning back around as he shook his head. “Gosh. But, you know....” he trailed off. “I’m just glad I was able to have a child to name, anyways.”

 

Jeonghan looked up to the sky, the stars slowly appearing. He remembers how in the past Seungcheol would tell him that it was highly unlikely for Jihoon to have kids and how the omega desperately wanted one. “Me too,” he said quietly. 

 

Seungcheol, sensing his mate’s discomfort, jogged up to stand next to him, placing an arm around the omega’s shoulder. “Jihoon has his Vernon, and we have our Junmyeon,” he reminded him. “Junmyeon who is doing a lot better than we are right now with Yifan.”

 

“Yo, tell me about your Junmyeon,” Jihoon said, dramatically jumping over a log on the ground, thinking of how his son and his friend play outside all the time. “You said he was an omega?”

 

“Yeah, and he got my gorgeous brown hair,” Jeonghan said proudly. “Although he keeps it short."

 

“Course he does, no one has the patience to keep it that long,” Seungcheol said. 

 

Jihoon coughed. “Except Junhui that one time,” he muttered. 

 

“I HEARD THAT!” Jeonghan yelled. 

 

Right when Jihoon was going to give him a response, however, Seungcheol heard some twigs snapping. 

 

He stopped both Jeonghan and Jihoon, grabbing onto their arms tightly, not saying a word, choosing to give him a look. People were nearby.

 

Don’t say a word he mouthed, gesturing to the two omegas to move back against the tree quietly. 

 

Taking a deep breath, he stepped forward around the forest, when he could sense an omega close to him. Deep down, though, he knew there were more surrounding them.

 

“We’re lost, forgive us if we stepped on your land,” he said loudly, making sure he was heard. “We mean no harm.”

 

Jeonghan, remembering the last time him and Seungcheol were alone in the woods together, harshly whispered to him. “Seungcheol-”

 

“One of us has to survive for Junmyeon,” Seungcheol reminded him quietly, stealing a glance at his love. “Just hold onto Jihoon.”

 

Jihoon, who wanted to make a comment of Seungcheol trying to be alpha, held his tongue. They were not in a situation where he could make his sarcastic remarks freely.

 

Seungcheol took another breath before continuing. “I am Kim Seungcheol,” he said, using his fake surname that he used in the village. “Please do not hurt us, we have no weapons.”

 

As soon as he said Seungcheol, he heard someone step out of their hiding spot, which was not the omega who he sensed close to him, but yet another farther away. 

 

“Scoups man?” the omega said, bow and arrows in his hands. 

 

As a cue, the other people stepping out of their hiding spaces, including the tall omega who had been near Seungcheol the whole time, who he noticed was tall and had somewhat long hair as well. 

 

Seungcheol looked back at the omega who said Scoups, eyes widened once he realized who was in front of him, someone who disappeared from the village a long time ago. 

 

Bang Chan.

 

***

A/N

I do realize that I have mentioned Chan and Woojin throughout this fic for foreshadowing reasons (yes you know where this is going.) And regarding Woojin, we are now in a dilemma. 

I refuse to write about Woojin in any upcoming fics I have. No matter whether the accusations were true or not, I despise how he handed the situation and his morals are disturbing (it's true that he did talk about chan while still in the group I believe, as well.) I had to alter my stories in the drafts (none were mainly woochan, though) and for some I want to make Chan be paired with someone else, but I don't know who. I was opening up to the idea of Kun, ngl, but since I already make Kun and Xiaojun a pair in here, I can't do that, so you guys have two options:

1. I keep saying woojin and chan in this story, and ONLY for the remainder of this story and the rest of the series, as they have already made appearances or 2. you guys give me a good idea of who an alpha would be and I will go back and change this name whenever I can find it. If I get no responses, I'll keep it as Woojin until I think of someone better. Stay healthy peeps!

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ephemeral24
2377 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
2377 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
2377 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
2377 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
2377 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
2377 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
2377 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
2377 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...