You scribbled down numbers mindlessly into your notebook, deciding to do your math homework early today. What else were you supposed to do during lunch break? Eat with someone? Well you didn’t exactly have anyone to do that with. Sungjong wasn’t here today. Actually, it had been two weeks since you last saw him in the hunters’ home when you, Myungsoo, Woohyun, and Tablo finally escaped the Containment Zone. Him and everyone else hadn’t come to school and you had stayed at your house since then. Since Zico and Sunggyu gave you their answer as to what they would do with the necklace now.

The answer being, “Nothing.”

You had to process the answer for a short time because you weren’t quite sure you had heard right. Yet, sure enough, their answer was not going to change no matter how many times you questioned them afterwards. They weren’t going to do anything with the necklace.

This wasn’t because the two couldn’t figure out what to do with it now. No, it was because they didn’t need it anymore. Zico explained to you that he and the rest of the hunters had stopped taking Wolfsbane, something you were shocked to hear. He said he wouldn’t go back to it. That he wasn’t going to hold himself back anymore. Then, for some reason, he asked you if that was okay. As though he needed your approval, your encouragement. So you gave it to him, responding with an “Of course it is.” Because it really was.

It was the best possible outcome. You were proud of him and you told him that. He laughed then, before his usual smirk took over his features as he looked at you in that teasing way of his that always made you nervous about what he was going to do. But what he did in this case, you were completely okay with. Giving up Wolfsbane would be a new start for them and a new start for the werewolves too.

Now that they had aligned themselves with the werewolves though, you couldn’t exactly call them hunters anymore. Without realizing it, you began to scribble down names for them in your math homework, too lost in your thoughts to notice.

“Twilight on your mind I see.”

You jumped from the sudden voice to your right, causing your pencil to drag across your paper, marking a dark black streak on it. When you looked to who spoke, you found Daniel looking at you with an amused smile on his face.

“Whoa, you okay there?” He asked as he grabbed the chair from the desk next to yours and pulled it up to your desk, “The Naughty and the Nice Werewolves?” He asked, reading the one you were writing before he startled you, “I see someone’s excited about the Twilight DVD they are getting for Christmas.”

He was joking, obviously, but he did have a point on one thing. Christmas was this month. You briefly wondered what you would get the fourteen of them. You definitely didn’t have enough money for a gift for every single one of them but you could treat them to food. Take-out of course because you were in no way confident of your ability to cook a delectable meal.

Daniel’s laugh drew you out of your thoughts, “Was I right or something?” He joked as he pulled a tin box from his lap and laid it out next to your homework. You eyed it, wondering what in the world it was. He noticed your obvious staring contest with it and decided to let you in on the reason he approached you in the first place, “I’m eating lunch with you.” He smiled as though you had already accepted his offer to eat lunch together. Before you could even manage to get a word out, the screeching of another chair on your left drew your attention away from Daniel and to Changhyun who was now placing his own lunch box down onto your desk.

“Me too.” He opened his lunch box without hesitation, as did Daniel, as the two of them started to eat right there in front of you. You couldn’t help but be confused as you watched them act as though this was the most natural thing in the world to do.

Yet, for some reason, with every second they sat there and scarfed down their food, you felt the need to question their actions become less and less. So, as they continued to eat, you decided you would too and slipped your math notebook into your desk whilst pulling out your own lunch that was packed in a brown paper bag.

And the three of you ate together. And the classroom was abuzz with murmurs of questions. The same questions you had just moments ago. But now, you could care less and instead ate your lunch in silence as you watched the two bicker about how many pieces of sausage Changhyun would have to give up in order to exchange it for one of Daniel’s pieces of ham.

You didn’t say a word until suddenly, their attention was turned towards you as Changhyun pointed to your neck with his spoon, “Nice necklace. Is it from your boyfriend?”

You looked down to find the tear shaped, Wolfsbane filled necklace hanging around your neck. That’s right, you had forgotten that hadn’t taken it off. You mentally reminded yourself to take it off at the end of the lunch period.

So then, what did Zico and Sunggyu decide to do with the necklace now that they had no use for it? Sunggyu told you to keep it. To wear it or not was your own decision.

“Something like that.” You answered, a smile on your face.

Because technically, it was, wasn’t it?

“See you tomorrow Hyunjoo!” Daniel, or as he told you to call him, Niel, waved goodbye as he hoped on his bike and Changhyun, or as he liked to be called, Ricky, followed after him on his own out of the school’s entrance. The two had spent the entire lunch with you. Then, they proceeded to hang out with you during passing period. Then, afterschool for around an hour as the three of you studied together.

It was odd, hanging out with people other than the werewolves and the used-to-be hunters. It was odd but you didn’t hate it. Not at all. You laughed numerous times while you were with them and even though the librarian ended up getting on all of your cases for it, you had fun. You enjoyed it. And Niel’s words just now that he’d see you tomorrow, before he and Ricky left, made you anticipate what tomorrow would bring.

As you continued to the front gate of the school, a smile on your face, you were stopped as you saw something out of the corner of your eye. Or rather, someone. And he was attracting quite a bit of attention with his appearance as well as a group of girls had decided to gather near the bike racks and whisper about him. What drew attention specifically was his dyed blonde hair and his black leather jacket that made him look “y” as they put it, something you heard them whisper as you walked to him.

They were over exaggerating of course. Most likely because it had been over two weeks since he stopped taking Wolfsbane.

“Zico.” You called out to him, a harsh whisper that you knew he would hear. You didn’t exactly want to attract too much attention though you supposed that that was too much to hope for. Especially after he turned and a smirk spread out on his face as he called back.

“Hyunjoo, what took you so long?”

And so it began, the rumor mill started to turn as the girls now started to talk to each other like tweeting birds, fast with no sign of slowing down to take a breath. You continued walking, not allowing the recognition that he had indeed called you to cross your face. His eyebrows furrowed as you reached him, walking past him. He turned his head to see you only to be pulled backwards and around the corner of the brick wall he was leaning on. 

“What’s going on? Too shy to introduce me to your friends?” He jested to you after you had pulled him out of sight by the back of his jacket.

“What are you doing here?” You asked, dodging his question. P.O. had told you after all that if Zico had found out you had no friends at school other than the werewolves, he would not stand for it. Well, then again, it seemed as though you could find friends among Ricky and Niel. Though that was something too hard to tell right now.

Zico frowned, his voice becoming high-pitched as he said his next words, “Not happy to see me?”

You laughed in disbelief that he would use that voice on you. He could get like this sometimes but it had been awhile since you last saw it, the abnormal, affectionate side of Zico, “I haven’t seen you for two weeks. Of course I’m happy.”

He nodded, pleased, before leaning over and grabbing onto your cheeks. You scowled in response as he lifted the corners of your lips upwards, “Then smile because we’re going to a party now.”

Your scowl faded at the word ‘party’ and his smirk simply got even more devious. “What are you planning?” You said through your pinched cheeks that he still held onto.

He shook your head back and forth playfully, “You’ll see.”

You yelped as streamers popped into your face. Mostly because Zico had refused to let you see anything as soon as he drove you here, to the hunters’ home, as his hands blindfolded your eyes all the way into the house.

Your eyes struggled to adjust under the new lighting, but when they did, you saw six hunters gathered there. All of them standing around the streamer-covered living room as though they did not know how to hang them so they settled for throwing them everywhere. You laughed at the sight, not being able to help yourself.

“Welcome to the ‘We finally stopped taking Wolfsbane so it’s time to celebrate about it’ party.” U-kwon grinned as ran around the table, up to you. Without warning, he wrapped his arms around your waist and gave you a bear hug. Though you should call it a werewolf hug. A strong one at that. Not talking Wolfsbane was definitely causing him to get stronger each day.

“I think that title is a bit too long.” Taeil said as he pondered what a better name for their party would be. You would have expressed the same thought if it weren’t for U-kwon’s hug getting tighter by the second.

“Can’t breath.” You murmured as you patted his back, signifying you surrendered to him. He muttered an apology as he loosened his grip, yet he didn’t let go and continued to stay rooted in his spot, his arms wrapped around your waist. His head was buried in the nape of your neck, his hair tickling your exposed skin there.

After a moment, you wondered what was wrong. As you were about to ask, you suddenly felt him being yanked off of you by none other than an irritated looking Zico, “Okay, that’s enough. Come on now, we have to get the food.”

“Food?” You questioned, not exactly sure if you should be excited about it or not.

Zico winked at you and U-kwon passed by, throwing you one of those glances that the two of you always shared, as they went into the kitchen. P.O. followed them, but not before leaning over to whisper to you, “Don’t worry, we’re ordering take-out.” He cackled right after as he left.

As you looked back to the living room, you saw Kyung and Jaehyo sitting on the couch. One spot between the two of them. Kyung patted the spot, a grin on his face while Jaehyo looked up at you from his own seat, as though telling you to hurry up. You walked over, ignoring the voice in the back of your head that screamed it was all a trap, and sat down between the two of them. Maybe they would let up now that they were free of Wolfsbane.

“You’re acting like I’m going to bite you.” Kyung rolled his eyes as he leaned back on the couch, “You’re probably wouldn’t even taste good anyway.”

“Really, why would you say that?” Jaehyo asked as he leaned back as well, as though he were appalled with Kyung’s statement, “I’m sure she would taste great on an empty stomach.”

You were wrong to even think either of them would change just because they were now Wolfsbane free. At the very least, their comments didn’t scare you. Not at all. You could hear it, the hint of sarcasm, that hint of humor in their voices.

“Hey,” Kyung called you from your left. You turned to him, and he was sitting there, a semblance of a smile on his face, “I’m glad you’re here.”

It stunned you, his words. Why wouldn’t they? He had grown less critical of you, sure. You even thought he had started to not hate you, which was definitely a large improvement from before. But he was glad you were here? That was the first thing he ever said to you that expressed genuine happiness about you being around. The first thing he said that was in some ways, actually nice.

“Come on, Kyung.” Jaehyo scolded him from your right, causing Kyung to look over at him with the face of a victim.

“What?” He asked, as though he didn’t see anything wrong with what he just said.

“You’ll scare her if you just come out and say it.” Jaehyo explained, as though a master of how to talk to you.

“Well then, you do better.” Kyung huffed as he sat back in the couch again, his arms crossed against his chest.

“Hyunjoo,” Jaehyo called, causing you to turn slowly to him. You were in no way looking forward to this. He had a grin on his face, and it was more threatening than his annoyed face, “For being with us, through all of this, thank you.”

And at that you got the chills, cheesy shivers spreading up and down your back. Kyung laughed from beside you as he pointed at Jaehyo accusingly, “See, like you can do any better. You sound like a creeper when you say stuff like that.” P.O., whom had just entered the living room from the kitchen, laughed at that.

“He does, he does.” P.O. nudged U-kwon, who had come with him, in the arm as he laughed. Jaehyo growled at Kyung who glared right back.

“That doesn’t mean what they’re saying is any less true though.” Taeil came out of the kitchen holding a tray of fruit. Actual fruit. You were pretty amazed at the sight. Taeil smiled at you, causing his cheeks to go lifting up. He wasn’t wearing his glasses today, which caused him to look older than usual. He actually looked like a nineteen year old instead of a middle-schooler.

Kyung on your left and Jaehyo on your right didn’t protest to his words. Kyung, to whom arguing was second nature, and Jaehyo, to whom being clever wasn’t difficult because he was naturally just that, actually were glad you were here. And honestly, you were too.

“Took you all long enough to thank her.” B-bomb’s up front way of talking had returned. While he was with the werewolves, he had missed the natural bickering that he would hear back home with the hunters. It felt more natural this way. As though he were around his brothers again. In a sense, he was. You couldn’t imagine what a little more time for the hunters and the werewolves would cause their relationship to become. Maybe they would become a group of fourteen males who acted like they were blood related brothers. You wanted to see that. More than anything.

“That’s right, this is also a welcome back party for our Minhyuk!” Zico bounded into the living room and hooked his arm around B-bomb’s shoulders as he grinned widely.

U-kwon sat down in one of the lounge chairs and gestured to the area around him, “Welcome to the dark side.”

P.O. joined in, deepening his already husky voice, “Hyukkie, I am your father.”

B-bomb threw him a curious glance, “Hyukkie?” He questioned skeptically, causing P.O. to attempt to hide behind the much smaller Taeil. You smiled, and then, the doorbell rang.

“That would be the delicious home-cooked food.” Zico waved to everyone in the living room as he went to answer the door.

“Just like mama used to make it.” Kyung joked.

It was almost midnight by the time you actually left their house. You were sure you were close to developing laugh lines with how ridiculous they could be. The kind of ridiculous you loved.

Kyung didn’t change his usual attitude. He didn’t hesitate to trick you into eating from a bowl filled with hot sauce covered noodles. He was just as mean-spirited, as always.

Jaehyo picked on your eating habits, telling you to be more like a girl. Then he proceeded to tell you to stop cursing at him in your head like he knew you were doing. He saw through you, as always.

Taeil didn’t fail to bring up your grades in school. When he found out you hadn’t done your math homework yet, the others had to stop him from holding a math lesson right then and there. He took care of you, as always.

P.O. seemed to find almost everything you did hilarious. His large grin that showed off his gums was unceasing the entire night. He was as playful, as always.

U-kwon was at you side as though the two of you were connected at the hip. You had forgotten what it used to be like to always have him there. He was there to smile your way every time you looked at him, as always.

B-bomb was finally back home and he looked happier than you had ever seen him before. He didn’t hesitate to make you join in with them as they decided to arm wrestle for who had to pay for the food, you losing in the end. Quite unfair to be frank. Though he ended up paying for it in your steed. He was your go through person, you main connection in the hunters, the one who was always there for you, as always.

And Zico, well you would have been able to pleasantly remember him if not for the fact that he was still at your side, walking you out of the house towards Jaehyo’s car to take you home. At least, that’s what you thought. Until he led you to the side of the house where there was a car of a familiar shape underneath a gray tarp. He threw you a sideways glance, his eyebrows raised as he edged you on, telling you to come closer. You did just that, albeit slowly. As soon as you were within a mere foot away from the mystery car, he pulled the tarp back.

It was a vintage Volkswagen with a new coat of cherry red paint. Your vintage Volkswagen with a new coat of cherry red paint. You had remembered that Zico had told you it had been impounded. You were even in the process of saving up the money to retrieve it. You had no idea he would have it. Here. Definitely didn’t ever think he would actually redo the paint job.

As you stared on in awe, he leaned on the driver’s side door and spun the keys in his hand, “The rain was pretty harsh after you disappeared. Thought I’d give you a little early Christmas present and touch it up. Surprised?” You nodded your head, words not being able to express how grateful you were. “Well what are you still doing standing there? Get in your carriage, Princess.” He held out his hand, urging you forward. You didn’t exactly realize the smile you were giving him now. The smile that made him want to go back in time and show it to you again, just so that he could see that smile.

You gripped onto his hand and he opened the door, helping you into the driver’s seat. As you finally sat down in the familiar leather seat and held onto the steering wheel after so long, he watched you with a contented expression. He wasn’t smiling, he was merely gazing on at you. Gazing on before he couldn’t gaze on anymore. Before he ran out of time. He committed it to memory. Your lips. Your eyes. The shape of your jaw. The waves in your hair.  The look of your fingers as you felt around the car you hadn’t seen in so long. He remembered all of it. Took snapshots in his mind of it.

And when you finally looked up, locking eyes with him, he committed that one last image to memory. The way you looked at him as his name was whispered from your lips, “Zico.” And even though you had only said his name, he understood everything you were trying to say. Saying thank you, saying he shouldn’t have. But he didn’t need to be thanked. He absolutely should have. It was the least he could do for you. And as he saw the bracelet on your wrist glisten under the moonlight, he had to hold himself back from doing more.

You got home around fifteen minutes to one in the morning. You only had your math homework to do and you expected to be heading to bed around two. That didn’t leave you much time to sleep but really, you didn’t feel tired at all. You were still filled with energy from the party. However, being with the hunters after so long only to depart from them and come back to an empty house left you feeling just that, empty.

Alone.

Despite that though, the smile on your face shone through as remembered the “Wolfsbane Free” party on your way into the kitchen to get something to drink. As you neared the fridge, you saw under the moonlight a post-it note. The only thing that was hanging on the fridge.  It certainly was not there when you left for school this morning.

You returned to the entrance of the kitchen and flipped on the light switch, turning on the lights. When you went to read the note again, your smile faded.

It was from your mother.

“Rice and chicken in the fridge. Working late.”

She cooked for you. Unbelievable, yes. Yet, it was still true and as you opened the fridge door, you saw it there plain as day. A plate of rice and chicken covered with saran wrap. You didn’t understand it. You hadn’t seen her at all for the two weeks since you returned. You expected her to be furious with you. Yet, this was the first thing she did. She cooked for you.

And that night, you ate it, no matter how full you were from the party with the hunters. You ate it as you finished the math homework Taeil told you to do as soon as you got back home.

You closed the door behind you the next morning, making sure to lock it. You were excited. Mostly because you would be driving to school today. You wouldn’t have to walk the two miles it would take to get there today. Not to mention it was given a new paint job that you couldn’t wait to see shine in the sunlight. As you steadied your backpack on your back and turned around, you found someone there. Someone waiting on the sidewalk with his bike.

“Sungyeol?” You questioned his appearance to which all you got back was the small twinkling of the bell on his handlebars.

“Hop on.” He yelled as he patted the backseat, his childish smile on his face.

----

A/N:

This took less time than the last chapter! And it was definitely not as intense as some chapters have been. Did you enjoy seeing hunter interaction at the forefront again? I sure did. Though I guess they are used-to-be hunters now huh? On an even happier note, the next chapter will be filled with werewolf interaction! More happy times to come! Thank you all for you comments, I am off to respond to them now~

Block B froze my computer. Have to reboot.