Something is wrong.

 

"Hello!" I yell, walking through the house. "Anyone here?"

 

Terribly wrong.

 

"Guys?" I open the door to every room, but there is no sign of life. 

 

I open Yongguk's room, unknowingly in a breath until I realize I haven't breathed out. I give a quick scan around the room and hurriedly get out, when out of the corner of my eye, I notice a picture on his bedside table. I can see it from my position, but my curiosity gets the better of me.

 

I quickly tiptoe my way over to the picture and pick it up with careful and steady hands. It's an old picture of me and Casey and the guys being fools in the background. I take out the back of the picture frame and five more pictures fall out. I bend down and pick them up, sitting on the bed to examine them. 

 

Picture one is a wonderful photo of Han's restaurant. I'm waiting tables in the background and Yongguk poses as if he's eating me. The second picture is of my FF in Matoki form cuddled up beside Casey, sleeping soundly and securely. The third is them in the one of the examination rooms. Daehyun, Himchan and Zelo are shirtless and flexing, pretending to be hot models in a magazine. Jongup is behind, laughing and running as Youngjae chases after him. The fourth picture is me bending down to kiss Shishi on the forehead. He's so cute with his arm crossed and his blushing face. The fifth is simply a picture of me reading a big sign in the airport. In the mirror behind me, you can see Yongguk taking the picture.

 

I smile at the pictures and re-examine them when I hear a creak that makes my heart stop. I look to the door with a panicked expression. No one's there, but someone is in the house. I nimbly put back the pictures and run out of the room. I run out of the house and to the beach. I feel the sand between my toes and the wind whipping through my hair.

 

No one.

 

I stop to think for a moment.

 

'Why did he have those pictures here?'

 

I turn around and I am picked up and thrown over someone's shoulder. I look at the people and I stick out my tongue.

 

"I've been looking for you for a while!" I yell, shaking my fist at Adrienne. "You don't know how worried I got when I couldn't find anyone."

 

"Awe!" She says mockingly. "Did you feel lonely?"

 

".... Adrienne, I swear. When I get my hands on you, I'll-"

 

"OH MY GOSH! Watch out everyone!" Adrie screams, putting on a false panicked face. "He-Jin is going to get me!"

 

"Take cover!" Youngjae yells.

 

"It's the end of the world!" Jongup joins in.

 

"We're doomed!" Shawna adds.

 

They all burst out into laughter and walk back to the house. It is then that I realize I'm being held by you-know-who.

 

"No wonder you're weak!" Yongguk smirks. "You're as light as a feather." I scoff and squirm out of his grasp, falling hard on the sand. I groan in pain and turn on my side.

 

"Are you okay?" A deep voice asks. I look up at Yongguk and then his outstretched hand. For a moment, I'm lost. Then I notice the glint of metal in his pocket; my old necklace.

 

I brush his hand away and stand myself up. "I don't need your help," I say before I walk along the trail the others made. I secretly glance back and almost laugh at his face.

 

He looks as if he'd never expect me to do that.

 

•  •  •

 

Once inside, I stop mid stride at the spectacle.

 

"Right." Adrienne climbs up onto the dinning room table and looks down at all of us like bugs. "All y'all aliens got a few more days in paradise before I send you back to get your asses whopped. A friend of mine suggested a little trip for me, so today, we'll be taking a wonderful walk though the forest." She holds up big spray can and a small bag. "Put some food and water into these bags and spray this quite thoroughly. We'll be using the buddy system."

 

"DAE/JAE!" The yellow and white bunny yell.

 

Shawna looks at Yongguk and opens to call his name, when Zelo gets there first. "LEADER!"

 

"Up top, maknae!" Yongguk yells, raising his palm into the air. Zelo dive rolls his ways over and high fives his friend.

 

"HE-JIN!" Himchan and Jongup shout simultaneously, linking my two arms with theirs. Adrienne's nods and grabs her sister's hand.

 

"Guess us sisters get to be together!" Adrie smiles, earning an actual genuine smile from her twin.

 

Wow. What happened?

 

We pack, spray and lock the doors before heading out into the woods of the mountain. We encounter snakes, birds, lizards, frogs and bugs of many kinds. Giant snails and many plants. The smell of the sea and trees around us puts us all into a new sense of tranquility.

 

"Our hypothesis is even more strongly supported now," Himchan starts, slowing Jongup and I down so we're at the back.

 

"What hypothesis?" I ask, looking between the two Matokis.

 

"Someone else must be pulling the strings."

 

I must have the most dumbfounded face, because Himchan sigh and looks at Jongup. "Daehyun accidentally turned into a Matoki yesterday, but when he changed back, he said he smelt something strangely familiar about Shawna." Jongup tells me.

 

"You see," Himchan says. "The princess has a younger sister, and she liked Daehyun. It was completely one sided, so the princess made a love potion-"

 

"A love potion?!" I squeak dramatically.

 

"Yes," he nods. "A love potion. Of course, it didn't work due to exterior problems. When he changed into a matoki, he smelled one of our fruits on Shawna. The maki fruit."

 

"Very distinct smell." Jongup adds. "Very nice, very delicate."

 

'My Matoki name is Maki,' I think to myself.

 

"He named you after the fruit. It's his favourite and is loved by all Matokis." Jongup says, reading my mind.

 

"How did-"

 

"It was written all over your face."

 

I nod suspiciously and shake my head of anymore thoughts concerning my name. "What does the maki fruit have to do with a love potion?"

 

"It's the main ingredient in it." Himchan answers with an a-matter-of-fact tone.

 

"Okay. So...."

 

"Someone has given Shawna a love potion."

 

"And...."

 

"It seems to be made for Yongguk. When we told Adrienne, she said Shawna would never be this bad."

 

"In conclusion..."

 

"Yongguk and Shawna are being manipulated. Having them farther apart loosens whatever has been put on them."

 

"Proven when Yongguk was acting differently yesterday." Jongup says. "We just need you to shower him with love, and whatever is tying the two together with break."

 

"No."

 

"WHAT?!" The two yell in a hushed whisper.

 

"I said no! This may seem selfish, but I want him to do it on his own. I'll help, but I won't 'shower him with love'" I say dramatically. "I've been hurt too many times. I'm leaving it to you guys because I've fought and lost. Now, it's your turn." I adjust the strap of my bag and walk ahead.

 

'Of course I'll fight for him, but I refuse to be on the front line. I'm targeted way too much.'

 

"Well be coming to a clearing soon. We can stop there to eat," announces Adrienne. Soon enough, the clearing appears.

 

"HOLY-!!" Yongguk screams. "Zelo! Zelo, get the camera!"

 

"Alright, alright!" Zelo throws his bag to the ground and scrambles to get the camera. He turns it on and and passes it to his leader, who takes haphazard and rushed pictures of the clearing.

 

It is perfectly flattened grass over soft soil. Surrounding the clearing are tall trees and big bushes. Further out, the grass and soil turns to rocks and then nothing as a cliff hangs over the rest of the forest below and looks out over the sea.

 

"This is amazing!!" Daehyun gasps, running to the edge. Shawna moves closer to Yongguk and clings to his arms.

 

"Come to the edge! It's amazing!" She states, pulling him with her.

 

"Sorry. I need to take a few more pictures." Yongguk hesitantly answers and wiggles out of her grip, walking back towards the forest. The way he answers seems more like he can't decide if he should or not, like he's conflicted.

 

Completely out of my control, I catch her gaze and stick out my tongue at her. Once I get her glare, I ignore her and walk to the edge with the others. We eat our food, tell a few more stories and relax a bit longer before heading back towards the house. Since we still have many hours in the day, we change into our bathing suits and head to the beach.

 

Kinda chilly today, isn't it?" 

I reluctantly look behind me to see Shawna approach with her flip flops in hand and a beautiful sundress covering her bathing suit. She sits down beside me and buries her feet onto the wet sand, playing in the foam of the retreating water. She looks at me and smiles.

 

She's acting like a completely different person. The Mato-hypothesis (as I refer to it) is starting to sound a bit more realistic. I admit, their story was a bit out there. I listened and play along so they feel better, but in reality, the truth is a lot more harsh.

 

He's just not interested anymore.

 

"Just a little," I reply, looking back at the horizon. I run my hand through my hair before I stand up and walk into the water. I wade out until the water reaches the hem of my blue bathing suit wrap. I untie the knot, remove the material and slip into the water.

 

"Be back before dark!" Shawna calls out to me before running back to the house.

 

Once gone, I sigh and further relax into the water. Shawna can't swim with her condition. Though I've noticed she's been looking much better these days, she wouldn't dare risk it.

 

I swim out a little further when I hear my name being called. I look up at the cliff to all the Matokis. Jongup waves eagerly to me before backing up, running and launching himself off the cliff. He jumps on the cliffside towards the house (advised to avoid the rocky side facing away from the house by Adrie the night of the bonfire) and swims over to me.

 

"You saw that, right?" He asks. I splash him and nod. He smiles, splashes me back and swims towards the forest clearing by the cliff.

 

One by one, the other matokis jump. They visit me before returning to the cliff. Yongguk, however, swims up to me and stays around. I ignore his presence and wave to Jongup.

 

"Can we talk?" I hear his deep voice ask quite sadly.

---

SHOULD THEY TALK?!

I hope this story isn't boring anymore.

 

ARIGATOGOZAIMASU!

 

minniebubble12: yep....

 

KpopLover8217: if you've been fighting for so long, wouldn't you get tired?

 

BabyzExotic: I'm so glad to read you comment! I hope I don't disappoint you :P