"And you think I'm going to help you?" I scream, throwing my arms in the air with exasperation. I look off towards the horizon, a deep sigh escaping my lips. I play with the hem of my shirt and look over my shoulder. "You left me all alone and then came back, expecting me to welcome you with open arms. And for what? So you can take off again?"

"Squawk!" Is all I hear as an answer.

"Herald," I whine, turning towards the bird just behind me. "Get the worm yourself!"

"Squawk!"

"I said no! I'm not going to do something for just because you ask for it."

"Squa-"

"Shut it!"

"Okay. We really need to find you a new boyfriend," Adrienne laughs, stepping out of the forest. Herald flies away as Adrie approaches the edge of the cliff, where I sit myself and muse of my 'many woodland friends' that I can talk to, including that good-for-nothing Herald...

"I don't need a new boyfriend." I prop my arms on my thighs and hold my head in the palm of my hands. "I just want the old one back," I say in a squished-cheeks, childish tone.

Adrie laughs and ruffles the hair on my head. "You are such a child, sometimes. I always wonder when you'll wake up." She lays her back flat on the rocks of the cliff, puts her head on her hands and dangles her feet over the edge.

"Life woke me up a long time ago. I just choose to go back to sleep."

"Hm..."

I look back at her. "Why is it that the two of us always end up alone, talking about our past, philosophical ideas and how we really need to get out more?"

Adrie sits up and gives me a doubtful eyebrow raise. "YOU need to get out more. I've got lots of friends."

"I've got lots of friends, too!"

"Oh yeah? Who?"

"Like HyoJae, Inhyung, Jaexing-two people you don't know- and my FF."

"Your FF?"

"My favourite five. Himchan, Daehyun, Youngjae, Jongup and Zelo. This was before they all turned into humans. When Yongguk and I NEVER got along!"

"How did you end up getting along?"

"Well, they all turned into humans, got jobs and really helped out around the house. Jongup had actually liked me-"

"Girl! You got dem hot guys runnin' after you!"

I push her gently and roll my eyes. "Anyway, Yongguk and him got in a fight and it turns out Yongguk liked me as well." I bring my knees up to my chest. "He worked hard to fix their space ship and look after the others as a good leader should, and at the same time, he made sure to show me that he truly cared for me."

"You see, that's what I don't understand." Adrie sits up fully and grabs one of the palm sized rocks between us. "Yongguk obviously really liked you. Shawna...she's never been this way, I swear." I look at her and she shakes her head. "Okay, so, not this bad. Several months ago, when I visited her in the hospital, she apologized for the boyfriend thing and started crying, saying she just wanted to be sisters. At first, I didn't believe her at all, but as the days went on, she never ventured three feet from me. Literally!"

"It's like that now with Yongguk." I mumble.

"Before, she just wanted the attention and didn't really care for my boo- save it." She commands venomously, stopping a burst of laughter from erupting. "But this time, it seems like she really wants to steal your boyfriend." Adrienne takes me hand and keeps constant eye contact. "Shawna is manipulative, but she's not a thief."

"HELLO, LADIES!" Daehyun yells, walking out of the forest like a 'majestic being'. "Would you care for some handsome company?"

"Definitely!" Adrie says with a smile. "I'm sure Jongup is down by the beach." I smirk and stifle my giggle when I see Daehyun's distraught face.

"Hey now-"

"I'm joking," Adrie finally admits, patting the spot beside her. "Now hurry up and sit down before we actually leave!"

Now that causes Daehyun to scurry beside her, a smile of satisfaction on his face. "He-Jin, I want you to know something." He face turns serious. "It's about our leader."

"If you are sticking up for him, I'll push you off this cliff." My companion states quite bluntly. Daehyun stands up and sits down on the other side of me, glancing nervously to our host.

"No, definitely not. Our leader is loyal above all else-"

"Yeah right!" Adrie snorts.

"Shush!" I snap, covering .

"We don't know why he's acting this way, and the other matokis and I are starting to get worried." His face turns grave and he looks towards the beach, where Zelo, Youngjae and Shawna are playing frizzbee. "We truly believe someone, is pulling the strings."

"Hold up! That sounds like a load of bullsh-"

I recover and glare at her for a moment. "I simply want to hear him out," I whisper. "Even if he may be a little crazy."

"I'm not crazy!" Daehyun flat out denies. "But it doesn't matter. I just need you to trust the rest of us. We'll make sure to push our leader back towards you." His eyes shifts from mine to behind me. "No offence, but we don't really take to your sister being our leader's girlfriend." 

Adrie shrugs her shoulders and pushes my hand away from . "None taken, and I agree."

"Then what should I do?" I ask.

"You only need to do one thing. Please, don't leave him-"

"Daehyun?"

All eyes turn towards the forest as Yongguk stands before us. He looks at Adrienne, then at Daehyun, and then me, holding his gaze longer than comfort would appreciate.

"Oh look, Daehyun!" Adrie yells. "A fish!"

"Huh?" Daehyun looks down to where she's pointing. With one simple push, Daehyun plummets towards the water. Our host following soon after.

'One -slap. Just for me.' Adrie's voice echoes in my head; the words she whispered just before jumping. I shake my head and look back at Yongguk. "Is there something you came up here for?"

"Yeah. We were getting hungry and wondering if you guys wouldn't mind some sandwiches." He walks over to the edge and peers over. He barely glances at me before turning back to the forest from whence he came.

"Yongguk, do you like it here?" I blurt out.

He stops in his tracks and looks past me. "It's nothing like I've ever seen," he mutters. "There's nothing like this on Mato planet. I wouldn't mind staying here a little longer."

"Do you..." 'No, no, no! Don't ask! It might not be the answer you want!' "Do you still...like me?" I clench the hem of my shirt and plant my feet into the rocks.

Yongguk sighs. Not just any sigh either. I swear, it's one of those sighs where you have to tell a persistent person the truth. The painful truth. "Look, it's not that I don't like you. I just think you're being unreasonable."

"You left me in bed. You defended someone else's word against mine, you didn't want me around!"

"He-Jin, don't start," he says gruffly, giving me a warning glare.

"Don't start? Fine. I won't." I reach behind my neck and push my hair away. "Actions speak louder than words." My necklace falls into my hand and I clutch the cool metal. As I slip by the Matoki leader, I slap the necklace against his chest.  "I hope you're happy." I hiss, and storm off into the forest towards the house, fuming with anger. I leave my past on the cliff. Though my blood boils and my face is hot, my body shakes with sorrow.

But hey, his chest wasn't the only thing I slapped. And boy, did it leave a nice red mark on his face!

•  •  •

"Say ah!"

"Jongup-"

"Hurry up! The ice cream is going to fall off the spoon!"

I grab the spoon from his hand and stuff it into my mouth. I give him back the utensil and glare intensely at his satisfied face.

"You are enjoying this, aren't you?" I ask with a deadly tone, placing my hand on the pillow behind me.

"Having me feed you ice cream? I enjoy this quite a lot." Jongup puts down the tub and sticks the spoon in it. "Seeing your heart slowly ripped apart? I'd rather jump off the rocky side of that cliff than watch it continue."

I sigh (for, like, the millionth time today) and swallow the treat. "My heart isn't being ripped to shreds..."

"Grated by a cheese grater?"

"No..."

"Pulverized by a canon?"

"...No..."

"Slowly being eaten away by horrible leeches that pick off a little piece at a time, spitting it out in disgusting clumps?"

"Ew! No!"

He looks down and his shoulder drop just barely. "Trampled on?"

"Bingo. ...You know what it's like, don't you?" Jongup nods and my heart momentarily constricts from guilt. "I'm sorry."

He puts up his hand and shakes his head. "Don't be. You made him smile like few people could, and more often than the rest."

"Well, seems I've lost my touch." I lay back on my pillow and stare at the ceiling. "Tell me more of what you and the others are planning."

"What am I doing here?" A bitter and deep voice reaches my ears. I sit up and turn pale at the sight of Yongguk in my doorway. I look at Jongup and he gives me an apologetic look.

"No, no," I mumble, moving to try and grab Jongup as he stands up and walks towards the door.

"Why aren't you guys answering me!?" Yongguk shouts. Himchan pushes him into the room and glares at him.

"We only answer our leader, and he's obviously not you." With that, Himchan slams the door.

Click.

"YAH!" Yongguk stands up and pounds on the door. "Listen to me! I order you to let me out right now!"

"Sorry," I hear Youngjae say. "We want to try a little experiment."

"What about-"

"Adrienne and Shawna went to a store an hour away," Zelo answers. "They'll be back later."

"Try not to kill each other!" Footsteps from the other side decrease in volume until there is nothing but silence. Yongguk turns around and looks at me, touching his cheek as he does.

"You deserved it," I scoff, snuggling under my blankets and laying on my stomach as I stare out the window. I hear the shuffling of feet before Yongguk comes into my field of vision, sitting on the chair directly across from me on the other side of the window.

I watch him reach into his pocket and pull out the necklace I returned. He places it on the windowsill and runs it through his fingers. "I deserve a lot of things, but that slap was unnecessary." He utters.

"... I do believe swine are kept outside of the house. When you get a chance, leave."

"And I do believe that stupidity is a powerful contagion." Yongguk pulls his attention away from the beach to me, giving me a wry smile. "You must be it's point of origin."

"Ha! I must listen to you because I have no time to ignore the likes of you."

"Ignoring me wouldn't do anything, since you already ignore common sense, logic and intelligence."

I pull off my covers and sit up, facing him. "You are as amazing as a stinky, old garbage dump. No one wants you, yet you still exist."

Yongguk stands up. "At least I'm not like you, an old wash cloth. Useless, annoying and down right disgusting."

I stand up as well, taking a few steps towards him. "The jerk store called. They're out of YOU!"

Yongguk also takes a few steps towards me, stopping inches away and takes a deep breath. "You are a fool, a weasel. Your life is a monument to stupidity. You are a stench, a revulsion, a big on a sour lemon."

"You are a fiend and a coward, and you have bad breath. You are degenerate, noxious and depraved. I feel debased just for knowing you exist. I despise everything about you. You are a bloody twit and parasitic pond scum, and I wish you would go away."

"If anyone were married to you, they'd poison your juice."

"If anyone were married to you, they'd drink it!"

The two of us glare at each other for a long and intense while. He may stand a head taller than me, but his size and supposed power do not intimidate me.

"I have been insulted by a much better class of person than you!" I say in disgust, turning around and slipping back under my covers. "But I admit, their insults weren't as..."

"Sharp?" Yongguk sits back in his chair.

"Strong."

Yongguk chuckles dryly. "My insult battles with you are memorable. You have greatly improved."

"Thanks."

"What's your secret?"

"...A good sparing partner."

Silence hangs between us. Not awkward at all. A silence right after a fierce battle; a moment of peace. I watch him run the necklace through his fingers. He catches my gaze and smiles weakly. "Thanks for not throwing this off the cliff."

"Believe me, I was going to do that." I rest on my back and stare at the ceiling. "I may not have the power to tolerate you anymore, but I'm not a horrible person. You worked really hard on it." I turned my head a managed a smile. "Give it to the woman you know you truly love."

Yongguk's hand freezes, the necklace dangling quite lonely. He slumps further into the chair and puts his free hand on his face, covering his eyes from view.

"How else did you suffer?" He asks just above a whisper. I can hear his voice tremble and the guilt and regret leave with his words.

Either that, or I'm desperate.

"It doesn't matter anymore. The only way I can suffer is if I care, and I don't. Just promise me that with your next girlfriend, you'll actually stand by her side."

OH MY GOSH! 

I want that bird.

I would just like to point out that a lot of the comments are against Yongguk and/or Shawna, and how He-Jin should just give up and go with someone else.

Well.............

I totally agree.

BUT!! That wouldn't be exciting, now would it?

There might be a surprise appearance (maybe) but I ain't tellin' ya!

SPOILER!!!!

Someone (or many people) is/are going to DIE!

Can you guess who?

Funny thing, I already have the second-to-last chapter written. Yep.

Imagine you lived in a world where you were the last human and you were immortal.

What would be the first thing you'd do?

My ABFF (Absolute Best Friend forever) and I are so happy with the comments and would love to read more (even if it's constructive criticism...)

Please, tell us if the story is being rushed. I'm working on another fanfic and I've lost track of a lot of stuff.

'Till next time,

ARIGATOGOZAIMASU!

I did have to take some insults from around the web (since I can't insult someone harshly to save my life) so I would love it if you guys helped me out! If you could put the worst, most devastating insult (with no bad words please) in the comments below, it would be much appreciated.