'Time Control'

Featuring special cameos from form applicants: Smileagain_, XaceX13, whitebacon, KISSmeBecca,

Tao’s POV: [SPECIAL]

Noona, you’ve been here for a few weeks now, and I feel like you haven’t paid any attention to me.

I look to Sora as she smiles and jokes with Luhan. “You’re fangirls aren’t as bad as I thought, they even send you chocolate for the whole house!”

He laughs and touches her shoulder. “Sora! You got one too. Look it’s got ‘Baekhyun oppa’s dongsaeng’ written over it in cute bubble writing.”

She takes the chocolate box and opens it seeing a note saying in big cute writing. ‘Look after the oppas well!’ “That’s so cute!” She remarks then looks over to my direction. “Tao! Come and see you have chocolate too!”

I move towards her and say in a sad voice. “Noona, you never spend any time with me.”

She frowns at me. “Don’t call me noona, you’ve been living a lot longer than I have.”

“Noona!” I say with the typical Korean Aegyo I make so popular around girls. “Please spend some time with me for a change.”

“Tao you sound like a child. Stop it.”

I pout and get pushed out of the way by Xiumin. “Did I smell something brown, sticky and sweet coming from here, like right here! Omg who sent so much chocolate!”

“It’s from Luhan’s fangirls, seems like they still love him.” Sora answers him.

“This isn’t fair…” I mumble. I know I’m acting like a kid but I just want some attention for a bit. “Noona!” I shout and everyone stops and looks between us. “I want to spend some time with you too, all you do is work with Xiumin, and play with Baekhyun or fight with Chanyeol. What about me?!”

“It’s not just you; there are 12 of us Tao! We can’t all have Sora all at once.” Suho says coming through the door after hearing a commotion. “Look, I’d like to spend more time with Sora too, but unfortunately Sora just has to live comfortably here until she leaves. Don’t make it awkward for her.”

I stomp my feet and say in temper. “We don’t have much time left until we’ll have to leave.”

“Don’t talk about it in front of Sora.” Baekhyun cuts in.

“Yeah, she doesn’t want to know everything… so don’t tell her!” D.O says appearing from nowhere with wide and serious eyes.

Suddenly I feel ganged up on. “I didn’t mean to…” Then I pout again and close my eyes starting to think. When I open them, I realise I’ve flicked that switch in my mind. Everyone’s still… I’ve frozen time. I sit on the floor and watch as they all stare at the space I was stood with angry eyes. All except Sora who’s looking at the ground with a guilty expression. “I’m sorry Sora, I just want to be selfish for one day.” I reach out to her leg and grab it tight pulling her into the same world I’m in.

“Omo…” She gasps as she falls onto me. “Yah, Tao…”

I look around and see she hasn’t disturbed the others then smiles. “Just… 6 hours.”

“6 hours what?” She stands up and brushes herself off, then notices everyones stood frozen. “What’s wrong with everyone?”

“Switch.”

She looks at me with a confused expression, her eyes almost as big as D.O’s. “What switch?”

“I flicked the switch in my mind, my power is Time Control remember?” I smile to her and then say grabbing her hand and pulling myself up from the floor. “6 hours like this, that way I’m not wasting your time am I?”

“Yah! Tao… you can’t just stop time for me to spend time with you, if you’d have asked when I’m free I would have happily-”

I shake my head. “You’re always with someone else… You’re never free. But now you can spend time with me.”

She pouts and looks at the brothers; she’s got a guilty expression. “Yah, Tao-ya, we’ll spend all day tomorrow together, I’m not working or have any other plans… that are important.”

I grab her hand and then walk her out of the living room. “Let’s go have fun!”

“What can we even do when everything’s frozen?” She sighs following after me.

“Let’s go and… watch a movie!” I smile then say. “And then go to the amusement park and beach!”

She chuckles to herself and says. “Would the waves even be there?”

I bend down. “Get on my back.”

“Why?” She says backing away from me.

“Because when the time has stopped, buses don’t run… and there’s no one to drive the taxis!” Then I look up at her and wink. “But I am an Ox, when no one can see… and everyone’s stuck in time right now. Ever wanted to ride on an ox?”

Her eyes widen. “You want me to… ride you?” Then she burst out laughing and points at me with one hand and holding her stomach with the other. “That’s so…” She suddenly straightens up and says. “Inappropriate.”

I try and hold back my smile, Noona’s so cute sometimes. “Noona, please ride me, the Ox side of me.”

She hits my back and then nods. “Tao, if I spend just six hours with you today, promise me… you wont ever do this again!”

“I promise noona!”

“Then my side of the deal is don’t call me Noona today, actually no… don’t call me Noona ever again.” She says with one eyebrow raised.

“Deal Noon- I mean Sora!” I smile to her and then start to merge into my Ox form in front of her.

Part 2;

We arrive at the beach, it’s nice without the breeze, that’s another great thing about stopping time. EVERYTHING STOPS. “We’re here Sora!” I say and then she hops off my back and I turn back into Tao’s body. “What do you think? Can you handle the beach without moving waves and cold chilly air?”

She nods. “I think this experience has only amazed me more by the second! You can see clear reflections of clouds and the sun in the sea because it’s not moving to blur them… the people too. All of them in some kind of peace.”

“I know, sometimes I like to stop time and just walk around people…” I smile and then look down towards the water. “Like you… and Jieun-ssi.”

She looks to me and then smiles brightly. “Do you have a crush Tao?”

I shake my head. “I don’t know why, but I’m drawn to her. There’s more too, a transfer student called Rosanne Ahn, a girl that’s only 12, Merry we call her… then the last—Soyi, she’s the strangest of them all… I don’t understand any of these attachments I feel…” I stop myself and cover my mouth. “Ooops… I didn’t mean to ‘bum’ the mood there…”

“Don’t worry, I’m sure there’s reasons behind them… like Baek’s with Hyemi? Maybe they’re a part of the real Tao’s past and you have some sort of déjà vu when you’re close to them… are they classmate’s in your University?” She says and takes a seat at the beach side with me.

I nod. “All except Merry, she lives in the same neighbourhood as the University. Her mother is a professor at the school.”

“Does her mother respond to you funnily… also since you go to University like Tao normally, do you also speak to his family?” She asks with a curious expression.

I shake my head this time. “Tao’s parents are rich socialites that don’t actually care about him, they just want him to marry well and live quietly.”

“Tao, you’re talking so seriously for a change!” She says with a giggle. “Let’s not talk about this anymore… let’s have some fun!”

I nod to her and say. “Thanks for listening.”

“Hey…” She says with caring eyes. “I’ll always be here to listen.”

I smile to her and then make a dart for the water. “I wonder if we can run over the water since it’s still!” I shout.

“Wait, I can walk on water today too!” She runs after me but soon retreats when she sees I’ve run straight through the water and now soaked. I pout and I hear her laughter roar though the empty air. “That was hilarious!”

I turn to her and say. “Then you can try to go in the water too!” She turns and runs down the beach… I smile and run after her shouting.

We play for what seems like hours and then Sora stops and says. “Let’s work out Tao’s past, let’s see this girls and see what you feel.”

I thought we were over this… I think to myself. “I don’t know, Tao isn’t so passionate in me like Baek.”

“You don’t know until the moment comes, if you go somewhere or do something… Tao is human, we react to certain surroundings differently, you might not really understand since you’re some sort of alien.” She pokes her tongue out and then smiles.

“We’re not aliens…” Then I say. “I don’t think I should try and bring Tao out… Baek’s was an accident.”

Sora shakes her head. “No, that day Baek wanted to go there, he said he didn’t know why but he was drawn to that exact place at that exact time… it was a date he arrange with Hyeri before Baekhyun’s accident.” Then she points at me. “Like how you’re feeling pulled to these four… I’ll help you.” She reaches her hand out and nods to me with reassurance. “I’ll stand next to you and hold your hand until you find out what’s causing this…”

I feel myself slipping somehow and suddenly the world’s clock begins to turn, but only for a second I managed to pull myself back and flick that switch in my mind.

Sora notices the sudden movement of people around even though it was only a second. “What happened? Why did you start time again?”

“I don’t know…” I reply and then I look at her. “It felt like someone else was in control for that split second, someone who didn’t have my powers…”

She smiles and says with an arrogant face. “That’ll be Tao and his passionate feelings coming out, looks like he wants to search for those girls and help you understand the reason you like them.”

“Fine!” Fine I say… I’ll do it. “I’ll look for them… Help me.”

“Of course.” She looks around. “do you know where they’ll be at this time…”

I shake my head.

“Then let’s go to the college, at least we know Merry will be close.”

I nod and I merge into my Ox form. “Get on, it’s quite a ride to the University from here.”

She hops up and says. “Giddy up…”

“Don’t say that… I’m not a horse, that’s Lay.” But I ride on without too much complaining, because honestly though it scares me as a creature from another world… I also want to know why I have these lingering feelings towards the girls.

Sora’s POV:

We stop at the university gates and soon Tao is in human form and staring at a beautiful foreign looking girl who’s frozen smiling with two other girls, but I can tell this is one of the four he’s got a connection with. “Who’s she?”

“This is Rosanne, smiling as always… she wants to be a comedienne, that’s why everyone around her is laughing.” Tao says in some sort of daydream… well I know this is creature Tao, since time is still stopped.

I nod and go closer to her. “She seems fun.”

“She… is.” I see his eyes beginning to change and I grab his arm and pull us out of view before time unfreezes and Rosanne with her two friends continue laughing and walking onwards.

“So yeah, I mean my parents weren’t too happy with my pet monkey but I’ve tried to tell them Caesar won’t hurt them unless he’s startled…” Rosanne says laughing.

I’m amazed with her whit in one sentence. “She has a pet… monkey?”

Tao laughs… “Yes, her parents hate the fact she wants to be a comedienne… she’s been working on them and doing stand-up at the student union bar since we started.”

“Tao, the real Tao you’re the one I’m talking to right now… right?”

He nods.

“Then answer me this, what is she to you?”

He’s startled. “Just a good friend, Jieun… where’s Jieun? I have to tell her that I’m sorry for that night!”

“What night?” I ask in haste as he speeds off in front.

“The night I changed the night I got taken by this monster!” He shouts.

Rosanne and her friends look over to us and suddenly time freezes and Tao’s holding my wrist. “Sorry. I think I need to let him calm down… don’t talk much, it’s hard concentrating to keep him in.”

“Then don’t keep him in?!” I say to him angered. “You’re borrowing his body and experiencing the time here on earth! Why don’t you let him take over to see Jieun and the others for a bit.”

He shakes his head and puts his hands over his ears. Typical maknae Tao… “No, because you saw what happened to Baekhyun… his family now think he’s going to be okay and Baekhyun’s body will die when the rooster leaves it! I don’t want that to happen with me, I don’t want to leave ties and get scolded by Kris again!”

I look towards the frozen girls who are wearing a half smile and wide shocked eyes seeing Tao out of nowhere. “They are already going to experience that, you live among them!”

“Tao’s incident is different to Baek’s… Tao was attacked 1 hour after arguing with Jieun, I can see it now. Tao’s attack was something that had no crime scene or proof of death…” He says with a weary smile towards me.

I’m shaken, he’s saying Tao should be dead… and thinking about it, Baekhyun’s story lead to him dying after being hit by a train… “Tao, do you take the bodies of dead people… Oi ox, I asked you a question.”

He nods.

“That’s sick… so people mourn for their family members, their friends and boyfriends and you guys just live casually as them?” I’m feeling pretty nauseous right now… I turn away from Tao and take a couple dead breaths.

“They’re not quite dead… but dying. We give their bodies nutrients and their spirits hope to live on, sometimes they—can live.” He says with a pout towards me, his hands lean on my shoulder and he says. “But other times, the other guys fall to peace when we see their families and friends… like we’ve just given them a last goodbye.”

I look to him and shake my head. “No matter what way you put it, it’s not right.”

He tightens his grip on my shoulder. “We want to help them too Sora, but it’s against the rules. We also tried to severe ties so the family members don’t see them again, but it failed so often we just live as if nothing happened so they can live with them a couple more months.”

“Tao.” I say in a quiet voice. “I don’t want to hear anymore.” He nods and then turns into an ox. I climb onto his back and as we ride away I look back to Rosanne she’s so pretty and nice… poor girl is going to lose Tao again soon, like Hyemi, maybe living with these brothers was the wrong thing to do. “Tao, take me home.” He stops and then I hop off as he turns back to human Tao. “What’s your real name?”

“What?” He looks to me.

I look to the floor and ask. “What’s the creatures name?”

“Niu…”

I nod and then I look to him again. “Niu… let’s find Tao’s girlfriend Jieun, let’s help them.”

“I thought you wanted to go home?” He says then smiles, obviously hoping I’ll drop the idea of helping.

“No I changed my mind, let’s help them. It’s such a shame…” I stop and see Tao’s eyes changing. “This is the first time I’ve actually wanted to know more about these people who you’re stealing life from.”

Time starts moving again and I see Tao coming through more. “Thanks Sora, you’re an amazing girl I wish I knew you before I died.”

“You’re not dead yet, if I know and help these creatures I want to make sure they help their ‘bodies’ too.” I nod and it’s decided from now on I’m going to help the real people behind these beasts. “Tao I’ll help you all, don’t worry…”

He smiles but time stops and Niu comes back through. “The brothers will be angry you’ve found out everything from me…”

“I still don’t know everything Tao, but I will know everything. I’m going to help all of the 12 bodies you’ve taken, and I’m going to make sure they all live too.” I state confidently.

He stops me from walking away and says. “I’ll take you home now.”

I shake my head. “No you’re going to take me to Jieun. Now!” I shout at him.

“You can’t force me…” He says but his eyes stray, meaning there must be a way to pull Tao out of him.

“Tao. Tell me about Jieun, what happened that night? Why did you argue?” I see the body start to twitch and so does time for a second. “Tell me everything, why were you beaten? Or killed? I need to know so I can help you.” He starts to get angry and soon time is back to normal and Tao/Niu has disappeared. I look around and people are giving me funny looks, probably because to them I just appeared out of nowhere. “Hi…” I say then look around to see if Tao is near, but he’s definitely gone… I head back to the university in search for Jieun, I need to know what’s going on.

Part 3;

I’m back at the university and I must look like some kind of crazy woman asking for a Jieun, heck I’m already crazy for living with monsters and believing their being helpful in some way, selfish creatures! I sigh and then look over and see Chanyeol laughing with friends, why is he here? Does he even attend university?

“Chanyeol sunbae, you’re so handsome!” A young girl shouts.

He smirks and winks at her. She squeals and I move towards him, he’ll have to help me.

“Chanyeol…” I say and he stands up straight to me. “Woah, why so shocked?”

He looks around frantically and then back to me and grabs my wrist. “Why are you here?” He starts pulling me away down the corridor and then I pull my wrist from him.

“Why can’t I be here?”

He bites his lip and asks. “Tao?”

“Niu… you mean.” I utter then remember that Tao could get in trouble for telling me that.

He growls to me and then looks over my shoulder. “That’s why you can’t be here… your too impulsive, you might say something and expose us, and then we’d have to leave sooner.”

I stare at him for a moment, probably because the hot-headed, short tempered tiger just told me I was the impulsive one. “You realise you literally spit fire when you get pissed, right?”

He covers my mouth, but he’s taken me somewhere so quiet I could declare he was a man eating tiger and no one would see or hear us. His eyes change to the dark orange that his tiger form has, I notice stripes starting to form through his eyes too. “Sora. Your beginning to piss me off, what do you want? Why are you here?”

“I’m looking for Tao’s girlfriend. She’s called Jieun. And I’d prefer if you didn’t turn tiger eyes on me… you’re the only one that’s risking the exposure of your fantasy life.” I say calmly watching his eyes return to normal.

“Did you meet the real Tao today Sora?” He asks backing away from me.

I nod.

“Weird isn’t it? Thinking that big baby has or well had a girlfriend and she’s pretty too.” He smirks. “Why do you want to see her?”

I look to the floor. I can’t tell him that I want to find out everything that happened… he’ll tell Suho or Kris and then I’ll have to move out- or quit helping them and I kind of want to help these 12 misfits. “Tao feels bad that he doesn’t help Tao out more with the whole friends and family thing, after seeing Xiumin and Baekhyun work things through he wants to as well.”

He nods slowly, like he’s trying to convince himself that’s the reason. “Right, so say I believe you. What’s in it for me?”

I pout and say. “A sandwich?”

He chuckles and nods quickly. “Every day until I leave, one sandwich.”

“Woah there tiger boy, I said ‘A sandwich’ not multiple…”

The he grabs my wrist again and says with a big smile. “Let’s go wench!”

He pulls me to a lecture hall that is currently speaking in another language. Great, the one subject at school I didn’t excel in. “Why am I listening to gibberish?” I ask.

He points to a girl at the back of the hall with head phones in and long beautiful hair. “That’s Jieun.” He then leans against the doorframe and looks to me whilst I stare at Jieun. “Real reason you’re here?”

“I told you.”

“No you told me an absolute load of rubbish.” He pokes my forehead and says casually. “You want to help Tao like you helped Baek, shame it won’t work with this one.”

“Why?” I ask.

Then the lecture is over and everyone is moving towards the door, I move aside and most of the girls just comment on how amazing Chanyeol looks today, which of course just made me want to inform them of how horrible a person he actually was. Then Jieun comes through the doors.

“Hi.” I say standing in front of her. She takes her headphones out and stares at me. “Hey… I’m Sora. Tao’s friend…”

She rolls her eyes and walks passed me putting her headphones back in.

“Told you it wouldn’t work.” Chanyeol says checking the dirt under his finger nails.

“Wait…” I call out then grab her arm and pull her back towards me. “Look, we can do this the easy way or I can drag your outside so we can talk? I’ll leave it up to you but I’m going to talk to you about Tao now.”

She lets out an annoyed sigh and just stares blankly at me.

“Okay, it’s the hard way then.” I grab her shoulders and shunt her out towards the courtyard where the few people that were there were now moving on.

“Look, Tao and I have broken up. A long time ago.”

I nod to her then look and see Chanyeol controlling the area so no one will interrupt us. Good tiger. “I know that. But I need to know a few details about the day you broke up?”

She looks to the floor. “I’ve already told the police everything I know… and the fact that Tao survived that vicious attack was a miracle but it won’t change what happened, he still said those horrible things to me.”

“But what did he say?”

She starts to tear up and then shoves me away from her. “Are you getting some sort of kick out of this? If your friends with Tao why can’t he tell you himself… all those things he said to me!” She starts to raise her voice and then looks around to make sure she’s not making at scene, thanks to Chanyeol she’s not. “He was the one that broke up with me.”

I shake my head. “That can’t be right, Tao cares for you too much.”

“He told me that I wasn’t the type of girl he could marry. So us dating was pointless. He told me his family wouldn’t like me because I’m not the daughter of a world renowned surgeon or the leader of the free world.” She wipes away some tears that are lingering around her eyes and states firmly. “His family didn’t come to the hospital once when that attack happened. I was there every day hoping they would… I was scared they’d tell me to leave but- they never came. Then when Tao woke up, he didn’t even remember me. I was obviously nothing to him, he couldn’t fight for me and I don’t think he ever really liked me.” She walks off, I can’t stop her because I’m frozen in shock.

Then Tao appears next to me. He freezes time and says slowly. “I don’t think this one is an easy fix Noona.”

“Don’t call me that.” I say frustrated.

The three of us head home, I feel pretty defeated since I couldn’t get Jieun and Tao to reunite, but maybe Tao was right maybe giving the families and friends false hope is wrong… I sigh and say out loud. “You monsters are terrible… I’ve had enough of all of you! When you leave this planet my life will feel like 12 huge weights are gone and everything will be normal like I didn’t meet a flaming tiger, time controlling ox, mind reading rabbit or a pig that freezes my fingers if I touch his pork… which is still weird since he’s a pig…”

“Tao. What does that girl mean by creatures?” Someone says behind us. 

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Sora's Dairy Entry: 5

So today I might have revealed their secret to another person I literally have never met before... they told me her name was Soyi... a student that transferred a while ago and now lives in the same neighbourhood and has a crush on Kris! Who would even crush on that mysterious man? I'm feeling terrible that I couldn't help Tao too. I reallt wanted everything to work out but I suppose I'll have to speak to Suho and hope he can help. 

P.s Chanyeol is an idiot that eats way to many sandwiches. 

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Next Chapter: 'Perfume'