Taemin and Jongin started swimming first and followed by Soojung. right behind them, Minho who carried JInri followed them carefully while the other two, Tao and Jonghyun, casually swam backwards to make sure their surroundings were perfectly safe

The water was black and cold. So, they swam and kept being close each other; to keep everyone safe. Once in a while, Jinri gripped Minho's neck; almost choked him, when ot yMinho swam too quick or dived in so it made her slightly panic.

"i got you, Jinri. it's okay." Minho kept assuring her before she continued taking away his life by choking him or pushing his head underwater to keep her on surface.

"sorry oppa, but--"

"i know, i know. you don't have to be sorry. i know you're afraid." said Minho.

After swimming for a while, they finally reached the edge of river. Taemin and Jongin arrived first, and they quickly helped Soojung and the others. Jinri was too eager to walk on the ground so she literally jumped from Minho's back and sighed in relief when she was able to walk with her own feet. Minho just chuckled and ruffled her hair upon seeing her cute reaction.

"whoaaa..it's really.." Jinri's jaw dropped.

"cool." Soojung nodded approvingly. Everything seemed fascinating because they saw many trees with colorful fruits around them.They were no longer in are where there were only bamboo or fruitless tree.

and they also wished, this area was free from tribes.

A shadow came between Half-immersed Jinri and tired Soojung, tapping their shoulders and quickly covering their mouth so their scream came out in muffle

"chill, girls, it's just your Key oppa." He chuckled before stepping back and grinned mischievously at the girls. The girls turned their horror scream into a delight squeal when they realized it's just Key who playfully covered their mouth.

"oppa!!" they hit key and nagged, saying he should've not scared them like that. Key just shrugged and greeted the boys who looked relief once he appeared.

Key was leaving earlier than the others. a few hours before their escapade, Key volunteered himself to check out their new place, and none of them knew what's the reason.

"i have my reason, so please don't ask." Key shrugged. All of them were against his request at first but at the end, Key won the argument and everyone reluctantly let him go.

"you are alive!" Jonghyun sighed in relief. He gave the latter a crashbone-hugged (if it's even a word) and laughed together.

"are you okay, hyung?" Taemin asked worriedly and Key just replied with thumbs up. Key then went around to talk with the rest of them and when it's Taemin's turn, Key reported him about what he saw for a few hours.

"this place seemed empty and quiet. i won't dare saying this place is safe because no one knows what happen next." Key paused, looking somewhere for a while before looking at Taemin. "we still have to be careful."

"of course." Taemin said as he wrung the water from his clothes.

"shall we?" Key raised one of his eyebrows and Taemin nodded.

"let's go."

Key picked the way and entered the forest with the others behind him. he walked confidently, without looking neither to the right or the left, paying little heed to every movement or noise behind the bush as if he already knew the forest.

They walked for minutes and nothing happened. it made Taemin uncomfortable because it was too quiet and safe, making him afraid that it's just before the storm.

He glanced at his bestfriend and realized Jongin wasn't different with him. Jongin looked uncomfortable and he wasn't good at hiding his expression, proven by how Soojung patted his arm once in a while.

"This place is eerily quiet." Jonghyun was the first one to voice their thought.

"I know right." Key answered nonchalantly as he kept walking confidently.

"So.." Minho coughed. "Where are we heading to, kibum-ah?"

"Us?" Key stopped and turned around, seeing all of them with creepy expression. He paused then continued his words with scary smirk.

"We're going to the tribe camp and you are not going to escape forever.."  Key said as he flicked his fingers. Before knowing what's happening, around twenty tribes came out from the thick bush and blocked their way, making the girls screamed at the top of her lung due to undescribable fear. Minho yanked Jinri and hid her behind his tall figure and Taemin jumped in front of Soojung with Jongin right beside him. All of the boys started making a position where they could protect the girl yet aware with the surroundings. They're still confused because of key's strange behavior.

"Yah kibum-ah.." Minho looked around them and realized how the tribes didn't do anything. "what is this?"

"They would let me live if i give them you." Key shrugged. "Sorry guys, but my life is a thousand times more important right now. I have a lot of things to do and i don't wanna die. yet."

"But oppa you were so nice!" This time Soojung voiced her thought. "You helped us!"

"Don't be so naive, little darling." Key snorted. "I need to feed the lamb in order to have yummy lamb chop. So yeah."

"Oppa!" Jinri shook her head in disbelief. "Knock some senses into your big head! They will kill you eventually!"

Key mumbled something foreign to the tribe, making them come closer to the girls. Jonghyun was surprised and cried key's name, begging him to stop.

"KIBUM-AH STOP!!! YOU CAN'T DO THIS!!" Jonghyun stick closer to the rest of them, still protecting the girls. This time, jinri and Soojung were so close and they held onto each other fearfully.

"Key oppa, please!" Jinri cried his name and key didn't budge.

"What are we gonna do?" Tao whispered to the rest of them. "We're outnumbered! I can't take them down!"

"We need to find the fastest way to escape." Jongin replied. His eyes wandered to find even the smallest chance to escape.

"Tao, How long do we need to take them down?" Taemin asked.

"Approximately five minutes if all of us fight." Tao replied. "When i say all of us, it means i include both the girls."

"No, i'm not going to let it happen." Minho frowned. "That's insane!"

"He's normally insane." Jonghyun supplied the answer.

"Not really helpful, jamong. But thanks." Minho glared at him.

"We can fight!" Jinri cut them off, making the others look at her as if she had lost her mind (she had).

"What?"

"We still have the pepper spray!" Jinri nodded her head."right, soojung?"

"Yeah. Beside, i can use stick to fight them. I can work in team with Jinri." Soojung nodded. "It's not like we have other choice."

"Are you sure--"

"Jongin.." Soojung averted her gaze to Jongin. "I survive several times so don't worry."
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