I thanked Kai for listening to me and LuHan’s story; just then a slight moan escaped Lay’s mouth. He began to grunt as he slowly worked to sit up, but a shock of pain went through him and he touched his left side, noticing his injury was now taken care of. He finally opened his eyes and viewed the bandage around him. He turned his head around when he heard me ask if he was okay, and landed his eyes on me. I think he was somewhat scared and skidded back a few inches. I have to admit, after seeing me all berserk on him and the other guys, I don’t think he’d ever recover from that traumatizing moment; plus I WAS the one who stabbed him in the first place… I slowly approached him.

MJ: Don’t be afraid!!.. I mean, I’m sorry for what I did. I didn’t know you weren’t an actual Exotic… I…um…I healed your wound. Hope it doesn’t hurt as much as it did before… Lay…

I finally kneeled in front of him, as he dumbfoundedly looked at me. I felt his nervousness, so I stepped back and stood next to Kai, just to give him some time and space to recover. Then the man named Lay fixed his gaze on JongIn, and his expression changed immediately from a scared one to a “I can’t believe it” one. He hastily tried to get up, but stumbled due to his injury, but before falling Kai grabbed him by an arm and helped him up. Now it was more like a stare down: both men looking at eachother straight in the eyes, pokers faces on.

Just when I thought they might hit eachother, they suddenly hugged. It was such an emotional moment… oh God!! I was about to leak again. After a minute of hugging and back slapping, they separated and smiled at eachother with glistening eyes. Apparently, they didn’t need to talk to express how much they had missed eachother. But the weirdest thing happened next. They began to move their hand uncontrollably, as if they were talking in sign language…Okay, they WERE talking in sign language! But apparently they had their own signs and gestures, not like the normal system we are used to seeing on TV or schools. Kai started, then Lay followed, and so on, until they noticed I was being excluded from the “conversation”. Kai came up to me and dragged me in front of Lay, grabbing my hand and putting it in Lay’s so we could shake hands.

MJ: It’s a pleasure Lay-sshi. I hope you’re willing to forgive me. If you are a prisoner, you must know the situation I find myself in right now. I just acted out of fear and anger. Are you feeling better?

Lay smiled and waved his hands in front of him as if saying “don’t worry about it” followed by a firm nod, meaning he does understand me. Kai took my forearm and once again wrote on it; this time a number. Then he pointed at Lay.

MJ: …twenty…one?... 21? Lay is 21? OHH!! Then you are an oppa!! Yay!!! I love oppas!

Lay smiled, and Kai jokingly crossed his arms in front of him and glared at me mockingly.
 

MJ: I love dongsaengs too Kai, don’t worry!

I pinched his cheeks, and the three of us laughed. Lay’s voice wasn’t as masculine and mature as Kai’s, but it was soothing. I told Lay to sit down again, so he could eat the fruits we left for him, and so he did with the help of JongIn. It was a pity we didn’t have water near, because he really needed it: his lips were cracked, and I’m pretty sure that he had been walking for a while, just like Kai and I… we all needed water soon… Speaking of water…ohhh man!! I needed to do #1! Otoke!! What do I do?! First of all I have to find a shadow, secondly I have to make sure I’m alone, and third it’s gonna be a REAL task! As the guys kept bromancing, I took a peek out of the cave and found that it was already night. We could go out without a problem, so I took the opportunity.

MJ: Um…guys… I’m going to go out of the cave for a few seconds…you know. I haven’t gone to the bathroom in a day. So, I’m just telling you so you don’t go out until I come in… okay!?!

Man that was embarrassing!! But they took it like real men. They signaled me to go, and remained seated inside the cave. Well, it was now or never…or wet myself…eww... I walked out of the cave and immediately stepped on the giant shadow know as ‘the night”. I walked a few meters away, up to a big tree. Thank you Lord I have a skirt!! I just took my shorts and off and Barabing Baraboom… I was done…except I didn’t have any paper towel… facepalm… I guess this is what you get when you’re out on the Wilderness. I put my clothing back on, feeling how uncomfortable it was, and walked back to the cave. When I entered the boys were already waiting for me so we could continue. Lay had done quite a nice shirt out of his long black coat…VERY PROVOCATIVE SHIRT that is!  Wife beater styles made any man look y after all

MJ: So, shall we begin our nightly walk?.. and to tell you the truth, I don’t know where to go to…Kai?

Kai has been here for 3 years; he must know the whole place upside down. So I pretty much told him to guide me. I thought we would go out of the cave, but to my dismay, he signaled me and Lay to go INTO the tunnel.

MJ: Kai, are you sure we should go that way? Do you know where it leads?

Kai gave me a “Trust me” look, and I just went with it. I took JongIn’s dirty shirt and wrapped it around my waist, made sure nothing was left behind, and started walking inside the cave with the guys. And well, the mood was too quite, and I like to talk a lot, so I decided to start a conversation along the way: curiosity just got the better of me…

MJ: Lay oppa, how was it that you disappeared? And how did you end up dressing up as the Exotics?

Lay tried to explain doing some weird gestures here and there. Kai noticed and helped him out until I sort of understood something.

MJ: Let’s see if I understood… The Exotics took you to a special place, where they trained you to be a decoy… So your saying they use you not only to help them fight, but to make the player LOSE an opportunity to gain an ally?

Lay nodded. And like a ray of light, a though hit me.

MJ: Wait! Does that mean that… Maybe LuHan is dressed as an Exotic too!?! AND HE MIGHT BE NEAR!?!? Or even worst… I CAN ATTACK HIM WITHOUT KNOWING!

I almost fainted at the last thought. I would have never forgiven myself if I had accidentally killed LuHan. Lay looked confused at me, and then at Kai, as if looking for an explanation. With their weird Exotica sign language, Kai explains something to Lay.

MJ: What did you tell him?

Kai mouthed “LuHan”. So he told Lay about LuHan…

MJ: LuHan is my Best Friend, and I’m playing this game to save him. And in the process I’ll set you all free. To tell you the truth, you kind of look like him… are you… Chinese?

Lay’s eyes opened up in excitement followed by some happy nodding. He smiled and some dimples formed near his lips... OMG! HOW CUTE! Kai takes my forearm and writes in it a few times.

MJ: Yixing!? Yixing Oppa! OMO! You’re just as cute as Lulu!!... He is Chinese too. Maybe after the game you could meet him; he’s 20, so I bet you guys would get along well.

Lay stops walking and so do Kai and I. Lay’s expression suddenly hardens. It looks like he remembers something. He tells Kai something and Kai responds. Lay opens his eyes again, but this time in horror.

He once again communicates with Kai, making the latter one freeze up and turn to me.

He points at Lay and then mouth’s “LuHan” again.

MJ: um, yeah… Lay looks like LuHan… why?

Kai shook his head and hands. He points at Lay again, he points at his own eyes, and then says Luhan’s name…..

MJ: Wait... Lay has SEEN Luhan!?!?

Kai nodded and then freezes before continuing with his gestures… They weren’t pretty gestures… I lost sanity…

MJ: WHAT!! (A few tears escaped my eyes)… You can’t be serious... Luhan was… beat up by the Exotics!?!? And he is in a dungeon!?! In the same area Lay use to be locked up!?! GOD PLEASE!! (I fell to the dirt) PLEASE! NOO! LUHAN!...luhan…

I covered my face ready to cry, but something prevented me from dripping any more tears: vengeance. I will make them pay… they would all pay! I SWEAR IT ON MY BLOOD! And If I keep wasting time LuHan will be even MORE HURT by the time I get to him. I need to move quickly; I need to concentrate on what’s REALLY important… I forgot Kai and Lay were hurt, and only concentrated on the fact that LuHan was being strangled. I sprang up from the floor and began walking down the tunnel without waiting for the other two. I kept increasing speed, until at some point I found myself running. I heard the guys panting behind me: they were hurt, so moving like this wasn’t easy on them. I stopped; I was being selfish. I waited for them to catch up. Lay looked like he was about to collapse; Kai was by his side giving him support.

MJ:… I’m sorry you guys… I just got blinded back there… I…Its just…I can’t explain this pain I feel… I’m… (a sob came out) I just feel afraid…I don’t want to lose him…

Kai came up to me and hugged me tightly, letting me rest my face in the crook of his neck. I didn’t cry, even though I wanted to, but this gesture was enough to help me recover: affection is my fuel. Lay just watched as he held his left ribs due to the discomfort of his injury. I had just forgotten about them both, when they have helped me so much already: Karma will be back for my soul due to this. It’s funny how this game has made me lost my emotional range so easily…

MJ: It won’t happen again, I promise. We’re a team…and teams stick together no matter what. So I’ll do my best to keep it that way. If I ever falter, you guys let me know!

I smiled and so did they. My eyes welled up when Kai and Lay putted one of their hands on top of the other’s, and waited for mine to top theirs. I smiled and joined it, while then throwing all three hands up in the air.

We decided to keep walking, but since Lay was having problems Kai and I stood at both sides of him, making him lean over us for support. Off we continued into the tunnel…