It's the second week in July; July 9th, to be precise. It's hot and humid and quite lonely around here. 

 

The answer Yongguk gave me that night stills rings in my ears. The day after, the government escorted them away for private tests and they haven't been back since. Yongguk contacts me day to day by phone. He uses this weird Matoki device to send texts, asking me if I'm doing fine, how's Casey, if I ate enough for my meals, things like that to show that he cares. He even said that if I didn't reply back within a day, he'd escape the agency and come and make sure I'm doing fine. It makes me laugh some of the things he liked to send me, like the picture of the six of them being tested on their second day:

 

All shirtless and stuck in a white room. They had managed to smuggle markers inside and they drew funny doodles on each other. You should have seen them!

 

Well, anyway. Their tests have caused me to move my trip to the Caribbean. I had to call my friend who lives there to expect me much later. I told Kris and Han and so I continue to work. I explained to Han that I have a full time job with Kris so I'm only able to come during the evening on weekdays. It's hard, honestly. 

 

HyoJae has visited me a few times, but her family went on a trip a week ago. I still hang out with Jaexing and Inhyung when I get the chance, but nowadays, it's not all that easy.

 

Here I am, in the vet's office, squirming impatiently in my seat. Casey has been slow for the past 4 days, she'd whimper and cry all hours in the night (I'd lay beside her until she calmed down), and she panted too often or would take sharp inhales of air. When I tried to take her to the vet on the third day, she fought like you wouldn't believe, so I gave in, planning on taking her when she fell asleep. And then, just this evening, she simply collapsed. I almost died of fright but gathered enough courage to call the vet and have them come for her, since I don't really have a car. 

 

I cough nervously, glancing at the clock on the far wall. My phone vibrates.

 

To Matoki Girl

From Awesome Alien:

 

How's my princess? We have big news to tell you!

 

I press the reply button when the vet calls my name. I follow him into his room and find Casey on a metal table my waist height, cords leading from her body to a machine monitoring her heart. The vet gently caresses her head and she takes a deep breath, her body shaking as if it pained her so to do such a simple act. 

 

My eyes bulge and tears form along the edge, my body wrapping myself around her.

 

"It happened so suddenly and abnormally quickly, we would have never seen it coming, nor is there a way to stop it." The vet says, regret and empathy in his voice offering more insight than his words. "Casey... Has a weak heart, causing the heart attack, and isn't expected to live past tonight-"

 

"No!" I scream, tears streaming down my face like a violent waterfall. My knees buckle and my body shakes under my weight. "She has to live! She's gonna live!" 

 

I feel the small body move under me and I tear my gaze almost reluctantly from the vet to Casey. Her white tipped tail, an old sign that she was happy, wags up and down, hitting the table in a rhythm. Casey turns her head and looks towards me. Her eyes shift from mine to the phone clutched tightly in my hand. She pulls back her ears and sticks out her tongue, the face I always found the cutest, melting my heart at the sight.

 

Except this time, it breaks my heart.

 

"You wanna take a picture for the guys?" I ask, wiping away my tears. I pull out the camera on my phone, place my head beside Casey's and stick out my tongue, a smile tugging gently at the corners of my lips.

 

The camera goes click and the picture is taken. I pull up a chair and sit down in front of my beagle puppy.

 

To Awesome Alien

From Matoki Girl:

 

Your princess is tired. Here's a picture of Casey and I! What is your big news? 

 

I put the phone away and pat the fur on Casey's head. She nudges my hand and the index and middle finger, causing a small giggle to escape my mouth.

 

"I know you're forcing yourself to stay awake," I say to her gently. "But I know also that it really hurts. Don't worry, okay? I'll be by your side forever. Just...." Tears fall down my face again and hit the floor, the most forced smile ever created plastered in my face. "Just sleep, okay? Sleep and the pain will go away."

 

As if a weight lifted off her shoulders, Casey sighs one more shuddery sigh before her eyelids close, and a few seconds later, the monitor goes blank.

 

To Matoki Girl

From Awesome Alien:

 

We're on our way home! We can't wait to see you and Casey again. That picture is so cute! The most lively girl with the liveliest puppy. Get some sleep. Don't wait for us. I'm sure Casey will meet us at the door, anyway. Goodnight ;D

 

•  •  •

 

The shovel hits the dirt over and over again, the damp soil tossed over my shoulder hits the ground with a wet thwack. It's raining, would believe.

 

I'm cold and wet and slowly dying of heart break. I might as well be digging my own grave.

 

Lighting illuminates the sky every now and then and thunder follows not far. It doesn't surprise me anymore. I know it's coming. Nothing can surprise me anymore.

 

I continue to dig. My arms feel like they're on fire and my legs feel like jelly. It's a miracle that I'm able to stand. I hit a tree root, sending a jolt of pain up my right arm. I scream out into the night. Casey probably felt worse. It hurt her just to breath. I can't be weak this time, I have to keep going. I hack at the forearm sized root until it comes loose. I kneel down and stretch my arm into the hole, pulling the root and tossing it aside. Instead of standing up and grabbing the shovel again, I claw at the wet soil with my bare hands, dirt getting deep under my nails.

 

I cry my heart out as I dig, a desperate and useless attempt at finding a better world under the roots of this old tree. A hand grabs my arm, turns me around and pulls me into hard muscle. I recognize the scent and my cries sound more agonizing.

 

Yongguk.

 

I feel my body being lifted off the cold wet ground and soon enough, I'm on my couch, pretty much lifeless as Yongguk dries me off.

 

"Don't do this to yourself," I hear him whisper.

 

Yongguk wraps his arms around me and lifts me up, taking me to my room. He places me on the edge of the bed and goes to my drawers.

 

"She was a puppy," I mumble, tightening my grip on my bed sheets. "She stayed beside me through everything. I want... I need her back."

 

Yongguk kneels in front of me and s my coat.

 

"She was my only family, the only one left that loved me like family..." I cover my face in my hands and cry. "My family's all dead, gone, and they're never coming back. I feel so lonely..."

 

My hands are violently ripped from my face and my head is pulled forward. My mind races to process the information, and seconds later, I realize my lips are attached to Yongguk's. He pulls back and rests his forehead on mine, looking straight into my eyes as if searching the very depths of my heart and soul.

 

"The matokis, they're your friends, brothers who will look after you until the end of time. I am your boyfriend, your first and only lover, who will remain by your side. We are connected to each other through our hearts," he puts his hand on the centre of my chest, "our minds," he brushes some of the dirt off my forehead and places a gentle kiss, "and our souls." He cups my face and kisses my lips before pulling back. "We are your family, and no matter what happens, you will be part of ours as well."

 

I smile weakly and place my hands against his. "Who knew the big idiot that crashed his spaceship in my backyard could make my heart melt so easily and mend it back together at the same time." I kiss the palm of his hand and cover both my eyes with his hands, hiding the tears that continue to fall.

 

"I'll miss her so much," I sob.

 

"As will I." And with those words, Yongguk, full of passion and pure love, plants his full lips against mine.

 

•  •  •

 

"Can't you turn off the sound?..." Yongguk mumbles into my hair.

 

He didn't leave my side last night. He kissed me and I returned it, but I was honestly exhausted. When I tried to tell him to leave so I could change, he wouldn't let me out of his grasp and has remained in the same position since: right arm draped over my waist, clinging me to him as his face is buried in my hair and my head rests on his left arm.

 

"Sorry," I mumble in response, only paying half attention to his words.

 

As soon as I awoke, I grabbed my phone and started scrolling through the pictures, making the beeping noise that seems to be annoying Yongguk. I have yet to reach the final one I took with Casey, but in the mean while, nostalgia washes over me as I view the other pictures I took with her.

 

I cried so much last night to the point where my tears had run out. Now, I can only pray she is safe in the other world. Maybe she's with my dad? Who knows... All I know is that I'll never forget her.

 

"You okay?" Yongguk asks, lifting his head and resting it on mine, viewing the photos with me.

 

"Yeah. She left easily and with a smile." As if on cue, I reach the last photo, sighing deeply as I look at Casey's happy face. You'd never have guessed it literally killed her to 'pose'. She looks too happy, too care free in the picture to be suffering inside.

 

"I have something for you," Yongguk whispers, pulling the hair from my face to behind my ear. His arm leaves my body for a few seconds before dangling something in front of my eyes. "Happy 100 days with the Matoki."

 

It was a small keychain with a transparent crystal heart with a red liquid inside. I honestly can't believe it's already been 100 days since the matoki came to earth. I haven't really been keeping track and I've recently had other things on my mind.

 

"Yongguk, I-"

 

"The rest is downstairs." Yongguk gets off the bed, takes my hand and leads me downstairs. He opens the backdoor and pulls outside and in the direction of the big tree, blocking my view as he faces me. I pull back on his arm, reluctant to go until the he moves aside and the grave is visible through my eyes.

 

'In loving memory of the ABSOLUTE BEST BEAGLE PUPPY IN THE WORLD!' banner hangs just above the turned up ground, pictures of Casey and each of the Matokis encircling it. 'Always found the leader the tastiest' is written at the bottom of a group picture well all took months ago. I had woken up and found Casey running around the house with Shishi in . Instead of getting him loose, the matokis and I all took a group picture with the two.

 

I forgot about that.

 

"You still haven't payed me back!" Yongguk points and yells to the turned up soil, earning a small giggle from me. "Know listen here, evil demon dog. You better be safe there in doggy heaven or I'll come up there and DENY YOU ALL THE DELICIOUS BONES!"

 

I throw my head back and laugh. I hear a sniffle and Yongguk grabs my hand again, leading me back into the house.

 

"The rest of your present is inside."

 

"You didn't have to do this, you know." I say nonchalantly. Yongguk shrugs and I smirk. "And you were crying," I chuckle gently, poking his cheek and tightening my hand around his.

 

"Shut up. Matoki guards don't cry."

 

"But my Matoki boyfriend does." I chortle, swinging our arms back and forth. I have to stifle a laugh as he drags me downstairs as I can hear him chant 'Matoki guards don't cry, dammit! Matoki guards don't cry' over and over again.

 

We reach the basement and the lights flick on. Something flies in my direction, hitting me in the head and rendering my world black.

 

What. The. Hell.

________________________

 

Okay, so we kinda had it planned that Casey would die.

 

Sorry.

 

CAN I JUST SAY THAT WRITING THIS CHAPTER MAD THE TWO OF US CRY?!

 

I want to reenact our discussion about this chapter. WARNING, there are A LOT of curse words and implied *cough cough*... So please skip it if you are like me, who appreciates synonyms and the literary side of the English language, not the vulgar side. But, writing down how it went almost word for word will show you how this all came to be...

 

"I wish Casey didn't have to die."

 

"Yeah... What next?"

 

"Um... Yongguk should make her feel better with a kiss. NO MORE TY INTERRUPTIONS! I'll be a about it if I have to."

 

"O-okay." (wipes away tears and grabbed the iPad) "They kiss...then what?"

 

(Smiles evilly) "then, Yongguk should push He-Jin down and get all dominant and rips off her clothes, proving that his love, mental, emotional AND PHYSICAL is only for her."

 

(O_O) "No-"

 

"And then they should-"

 

"NO!! This is a PG14 fanfiction AT THE ABSOLUTE MOST!"

 

"But will make it better!"

 

"No. It. Won't. And I refuse to write it."

 

"Then gimme the iPad! I'll write the down and you-"

 

"OH NO! YOU CERTAINLY WILL NOT!"

 

"WHY THE HELL WON'T YOU MAKE THEM ?!"

 

Eli slowly opens the door to Minnie's bedroom and stares at the both of us, complete shock and fear written all over his face.

 

Oh lord, of mighty lord, why didn't you save me earlier? Why didn't you send a sign that would have stopped that horrible situation?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ah... I'm so embarrassed.....

 

 

 

 

The two of us also realized that we made a mistake. The first chapter, when He-Jin describes the day the Matoki arrived, it was originally 'a fine autumn day' but it doesn't make sense if it's July, so it's been changed from autumn to mid spring. Sorry for messing up.

 

Thanks for reading. I know this story is kinda going downhill. I'm truly very sorry, but it's school, okay? And I have a physics and math test tomorrow....

 

ARIGATOGOZAIMASU!

 

Please forgive me and my bad language...

 

pretty_rania1: I know, but Minnie (yes, I shall blame everything on her) thought it's be nice if the others fell in love and SOMEHOW came up with the weird Dr. Shin....