DAEHYUN POV

After a while, the land just starts to blend together. All the rocks, all the patches of grass, all the towering trees just look the same. 

Zelo's head hurts. 

He's said it multiple times as we troop along through the brush, but I don't have much sympathy. I have a gorge from a claw an inch and a half deep in my back, and my leg still wobbles whenever I put any sort of pressure on it, but I'm not complaining. 

I wouldn't complain if I was about to pass out from blood loss, but still. It would be much better if he just kept his mout shut. The last thing we needs is more headaches. 

The sun is halfway on its descent from noon to sunset, and already the night's cold poison is starting to pierce the warmth of the day. But judging from the shiny forehead, the slightly raspy voice whenever we call out a warning of a patch of mud, dead animal near, a sharp rock, none of us are objecting to the change.  

Yongguk's leading, with Youngjae just barely a pace behind. I'm walking just in front of Jongup, behind Youngjae, and Himchan's in the back, watching over Zelo. He hasn't even graduated, and he looks like he'll nod off at any second. 

I study Youngjae as I walk, since I have nothing else to do. He has a strange set to his shoulders, to his chin, especially from the back. It's as if he's proud; and I know he's proud. But there's a certain slump to his shoulders, a stubborn set to his chin that I can't quite decipher. It's almost as if he's bent his head to something, and he's hated it. But we've all done that. It's that it looks like he's bowing to another, now. As if something's watching him, right now, but there's only us. Only us. 

I don't trust him. I'd be a fool if I did. A strange person, with a strange knife, with a strange knowledge of this new world? Who would? 

I don't trust him, I don't like him. But there's something about him. There's that something-

Something snagged my foot, and snapped out of my thoughts and completely unprepared, I start to tumble forward, my cut leg refusing to move. Before I can even process it, I've landed face-first into Youngjae's back. He staggered forward, and by instinct, only instinct, Youngjae reached back, trying to steady me. But I had already regained my footing, and straightened, the tips of my ears flaring pink.

Youngjae had already turned toward me, and I realized even as his bright eyes met mine that we had all stopped moving, and Himchan and Yongguk had drawn into a conversation to our left.

"Dae, I know I'm irresistible, but do you really have to throw yourself at me? It's getting too obvious." 

I give him as blank a stare as I could manage. "You helped stick a knife in my back. I'm not sure that would make me want to throw myself at you unless I got the urge to stab you back." 

Youngjae just gave me a wide smile. "If you do stab me, remember, I have a bigger knife!" he said with great enthusiasm. And then he sauntered away.

I rolled my eyes and turned toward Jongup. "Why did we stop?" 

"Himchan thinks we should rest here. It's getting dark, and we're pretty sure there's a good overhang up there." He pointed up a slope. I glanced up at the sun. It was slowly sinking, all right, and shadows were beginning to stretch. 

Yongguk was looking slightly agrivated. He was gesturing to where we were heading, but Himchan kept shaking his head. If I focused I could probably just hear what they were arguing about, but it seemed like something I'd rather not be apart of. So I joined Zelo in leaning against a rock, gingerly set myself down, and lifted my eyes to the sky. Jongup, out of the corner of my vision, was discussing something with Youngjae, and Himchan and Yongguk were still arguing. Careful not to put too much pressure on my back, I started testing my leg, like Jongup had told me. Zelo started to nod off next to me.

Finally, I heard Yongguk snap something in his low, rough tone, that sounded something like "fine." 

I shook Zelo, who by now was completely asleep, and used the rock to stand up, hating and trying to ignore the flares of pain in my back and my calf and everywhere else as I paced toward the two, who were now standing with a obvious tension between them. I didn't like to be weak. And I was the weakest, at that point. I was the most vulnerable, and I hated it. 

"Come on. We're going to camp for the night, and start early tomorrow." Yongguk was sulking, that much was clear, but it was better for the long run that we get some rest and our leader learns how to be wrong. 

So we hiked up the overhang, which was really just a couple meters worth of shelter, but it was better than nothing. Jongup, who looked like his patience was wearing thin, handed out medicine and short explanations on how to use it, before retreating to a corner.

So we settled in for the night.

Yongguk and Zelo went out, and built up a small wall in the clearing to discourage at least some of the predators. Himchan sat down crosslegged and began organising the food, which was a pitifully small amount. Jongup got up from his corner, ordered me on my back, and together he and Youngjae once again hovered over it, examining the claw mark, most likely since they had nothing else to do.

 After poking it a couple times, splashing water and god-knows-what over it, the two backed away. The six of us assembled a ragged little half-moon, since no one had the guts and the stupidly to face with their back to the jungle, to eat. Himchan sat on one corner, Jongup next to him. Yongguk sat next to Zelo on the other side, and was purposefully not looking at the black-haired other, still sparking with a kind of reluctant, and shamed, guilt, as well as anger. Youngjae sat closer to Yongguk, while I sat next to him and Jongup. Zelo was just barely awake, and his eyelids fluttered, even though he had gotten more sleep than the rest of us put together. 

Jongup cracked two of the cans of tuna, a package of crackers, and a can of pineapples, and spread them out. Youngjae reached behind him as well, and set down a precious bottle of water next to the dinner. 

Immediately Zelo, awoken by the sight of food, stuck a cracker down into the tuna, and the rest of us followed suit, eating with our fingers in the way we've gotten used to over the last couple days, eating with the thought in mind to only eat enough to keep until we eat again. Yongguk retired after only a couple bites, and turned so his back was to us, facing the rock, curling up on the ground. 

Himchan got up soon after, walked the length of the cave to get a new bandage before coming back and getting ready to sleep. I don't think any of us, especially Jongup, missed the way Himchan squeezed Yongguk's shoulder in a familiar, and apologic way as he passed, or the way the tension lining Yongguk's bones leaked out after.

Slowly, people faded away, until it was the same as always; only me and Jongup awake, and even Youngjae was leaning against the rock, head tilted towards the stars, his fingers flipping the little tab from the tuna back and forth. 

It was quiet for some time; we wanted to make sure all the people who could sleep did, but mostly we just had nothing to say. Finally, though, the soft sound of the crickets was broken through with Jongup's voice, lowered to an almost whisper. 

"So, what's your story, Youngjae?" 

Youngjae tilted his head so he could just see Jongup, and the light of the moon struck his cheekbones in a way that made him look unearthy, far away. "A long, complicated story filled with numerous plot twists that always leave the main character alone." It was sarcastic as always, quirks by Youngjae's tongue, but it held a ring of truth that I almost never heard from him. 

He must've realized we were both staring at him with a sort of pity, so Youngjae tried to redirect the attention. "What about you, Jongup? Seen some tragedies in your life?"

Jongup met his eyes, but only gave him a lopsided, twisted little grin. "Well, my eomma died in front of me five days, so I think that would count." 

I expected Youngjae to make some sort of snarky comment, but when I turned to look at him in the silence that followed, his eyes looked huge and empty, his lips frozen. When he finally moved, finally spoke, it was so quiet. "I'm sorry." 

Even Jongup looked taken aback. He locked eyes with me, and then Youngjae. Then, very quietly, very delicately, he asked "is your eomma still alive? Do you know?"

The silence after the question was deafening. I felt like I was intruding, somehow, as if this wasn't a moment I belonged in. But I was frozen, straining to hear what Youngjae's answer would be. The thing about him is tha he never gives out information about himself, and when he does, it's so subtle and disguised that you can never know. 

"My eomma is... someone who I would do... most anything to protect." Very slowly, very pieced together, and not exactly the answer. But it was something. It was a little clue, and one that I know is a big gift to give; to tell of someone you love that much. 

Youngjae his side, his back to us, and that was the end. 

And here we see a part of Youngjae's past that will be important later on. But no spoilers. 

First of all, I am sooooooo soooooo sooooooo sorry for the inexcusable long wait. I'm so very sorry. I have, however, finished two of my stories, and the other one that I have going is close to the end! 

Second, let me just rant about what's happening in our fandom at this point. 
Omigod let me express my endless love for this album. I bought it the day after it came out, and with BAP albumes for me there's been that one song I'm not crazy about, but I love love EVERY SINGLE SONG IN THIS ALBUM
My favorites are- 1004(of course), Save Me, Bangx2, and SNS (despite Bang's rather, ahem, unfortunate engrish)
OKAY OUR BOYS LOOKED SO AMAZING. Although I didn't exactly like at first this transfer from songs that have a really different and powerful message to just a usual love song, I think the uniqueness of the concept and the song itself definitely made up for that. But I would still love if they go back to that style simply because I think it fits them more. But all their outfits were amazing and flattering, their hair I loved. Zelo's hair part I don't love, but I can survive that. Bang and Dae's hair I love the most (and my friend, who has no idea who they are, said Dae with the silvery hair looks like Jem from the series Infernal Devices if you've ever read them their by Cassandra Clare and simply amazing) and just overall very impressive styling. 
MV I love, even though Channie dies and every time I'm like noooooooooo but gorgeousness all around for that
The tour- I'm so sad becuase I wasn't able to get tickets, but I'm sure anyone of you lucky peeps that did will have an AMAZING time, and please, do tell, because id love to hear all about it. 

Okay so besides that, fic news. I'm incredibly busy at this point in time, but April break is in three weeks for me so hopefully I'll get some writing done for you guys then. However, until then, between homework and practices this week, a class trip to the nations capital all next week, and then more homework and practices the week after that, I may not be able to update until then. So you are warned. 

I would really like to thank all of you people that make me really happy. You guys do truly make my day. So thank you. 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BANG I MIGHT POST THIS A DAY AFTER YOUR BIRTHDYA BUT ITS THE THOGUHT THAT COUNTS