“This is bad. This is really, really, really bad,” Daehyun muttered as he paced through the room. CL hadn’t moved from her spot, while Minzy shot angry glares at Yongguk every once in a while. Jongup, Zelo and Yongguk searched through the books some more, but they couldn’t find anything.

There was a knock on the door.

It quickly grew into loud banging and the splintering of wood echoed through the now silent house. Daehyun’s eyes widened while CL’s cold face hardened even more. She gave a telepathic order to Zelo who nodded and raised his hand. The noises from the door were much slower. Jongup grabbed Daehyun, Minzy and CL, gave Zelo and Yongguk an indefinable look and the four of them disappeared. Without a word, the two remaining males cleaned the room up, putting the books back on the shelves and hiding the wanted poster. Zelo lowered his hand and the door burst.

“Nobody leave the house!” Three guards in full armor made their way towards the living room.

“Would you like some tea?” Zelo asked calmly as if the men hadn’t just broke down his door.

“We’re not here for tea!” one of them snapped. Yongguk saw Zelo flinch slightly and remembered what CL had told him before: He has to be protected.

“Then may I inquire as to why you are here?” Yongguk was surprised at his own words. On earth he would’ve yelled and swore in those guard’s faces, but here he had a mission. He had to keep Zelo safe.

“We need to ask you two a few questions.”

Zelo pointed towards the couch and the recliners. “Please take a seat.” The guards obliged. Yongguk and the maknae sat down as well.

“So as you know, there is a group of rebels here in Isreínum.”

“There is? Really? Who?”

The men looked surprised. “You don’t know about them?”

“We hardly ever go to the city,” Yongguk explained. “You see, we have everything we need right here. You may have seen the garden outside when you came. There is a well behind the house where we get all of our water, so we don’t really have any reasons to go to the city.”

When the guards were finally gone, Zelo took a deep breath. “I thought they would never leave.” He turned to the older. “Thank you.”

“For what?”

“Even if it may seem like it, I… I don’t always know what I’m doing. I probably would’ve messed up sooner or later. Thanks for joining me and not saying anything stupid.” Zelo smiled his blinding smile and Yongguk just wanted to envelop him in a strong hug and protect him from everything and everyone.

“I wouldn’t rat you out to the guards. Any of you.”

“It was CL, wasn’t it?” Zelo asked softly.

Yongguk raised an eyebrow. “What?”

“She told you to take care of me, right?”

“Yes, she did. However,” Yongguk put his hand on Zelo’s shoulder and looked into the younger’s eyes, “I would still take care of you if she didn’t. She’s completely right. When you’re with the other Veritas members, you act hard and tough, like you can take anyone down in seconds. But I honestly prefer this side of you. The side where you’re… you. Zelo. Jello… if I can call you that.”

Zelo giggled. “Sure, hyung. Thank you for everything.”

This time Yongguk actually gave Zelo a hug and smiled widely. “Always, Jello. Always.”

“We have to leave Isreínum.” Everyone’s eyes shot up to CL’s determined face. “Zelo and Yongguk kept the guards away for now, but eventually they’ll find us too. They recognized Minzy from multiple fights.” The silence after her words was deafening.

“But where should we go?” Jongup voiced out everyone’s thoughts.

“I’ll have to lock down my tavern…” Daehyun murmured.

“Zelo and Yongguk. You two definitely can’t go back to the house. The guards know where it is and they will find you once their suspicions get too large.” Minzy threw her head back. “You can’t stay with any of us either…”

“That leads us back to my question: where should we go?”

An idea popped into Yongguk’s head and he told it to everyone before he could think of the consequences. Minzy and CL shook their heads violently and protested, Zelo agreed with Yongguk’s idea, and Daehyun and Jongup couldn’t decide.

“Definitely not.”

“Didn’t you listen to me before? CL and I are never going back to that place. Do you have any idea what happened to us when we were there?”

“Calm down, please. Maybe his idea isn’t too bad.”

“Oh come on, Jongup. I thought you didn’t like him.”

“People change.”

“I definitely agree with Yongguk hyung.”

“Zelo!”

“So do I.”

“Daehyun, we can’t do this! What if something happens? What if you suddenly randomly turn invisible? What will everyone say?”

“I can control my power.”

“Still!”

“Everyone shut up!” CL stood up and slammed her fist on the dining table. “We have to think about this.”

“There’s no time,” Jongup protested. “What if the guards suddenly show up? This is my apartment after all. Maybe they followed me yesterday or something… aish, this is really bad.”

Yongguk spoke for the first time in a few minutes. “In case you’re worried that you’ll be treated unfairly, let me assure you that you won’t. You can stay in my apartment or with one of my friends. They won’t ask any questions if I tell them to trust me.”

“Fine, fine, we’ll do it your way.” CL plopped back down on her chair.

“But you always said…”

“They’re right, Minzy!” the older woman snapped. “We don’t have time. We’ll sleep here and tomorrow we’re leaving to South Korea.”

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I updated quicker this time :D and the chapter is longer. I feel really really awesome right now :P

And yes, that image was necessary.

I love you, my dear Pancakes! Can I ask where you're from? I'm from Germany ^^