Jisun carried her dirty clothes in to the bedroom and deposited them on the floor by her suitcase. A nice hot shower left her feeling more refreshed after everything that happened today. Even though she thought the idea of punching Daehyun in the nose was well deserved.
She grabbed her hairbrush from the small designated are on Yongguk's dresser she took over. She sat on his bed and absentmindedly brushed her hair while surveying Yongguk's things. A sudden thought made her hand slow though.
She got up and laid her brush down before grabbing one of Yongguk's hats. She knew Yongguk but at the same time she didn't really know anything about him. He couldn't even remember if he liked strawberries so it wasn't like there was anything about him that he could tell her. Now as she stood in front of his things, she wondered just what kind of person he was before she found him.
She set the hat down and examined his personal belongings once more. It was obvious he loved music, he had more cds than Himchan. What else was a bit of a mystery though. It's not like there were many things here or anywhere in the house.
Biting her lip, she debated on who to target before settling on Zelo. Out of all the boys, she was sure he would be the one to tell her more about Yongguk.
She turned and left the room. She walked down the hallway towards the room she was sure belonged to him. She lifted her hand and lightly knocked but there was no answer. Pressing her lips together, she reached for the doorknob and gave it an experimental twist. He turned this time.
She gently pushed the door open and peeked inside. There were two single beds like usual but they were both empty. She pushed the door open more, wondering just where he could have gone. Then she inhaled sharply as her eyes widened.
Nestled in one corner, a cylindrical machine stood from the floor to the ceiling. Rows of long lights illuminated the boy who stood inside it with his eyes closed.
She stared at him, shocked and confused. Then her feet slowly carried her forward. When she was in front of him, she lifted her arm and her fingers lightly touched his cheeks. "Zelo." she uttered, barely louder than a whisper.
Suddenly the lights turned off and she hurriedly took a couple steps back. A few seconds later, Zelo's eyes opened. His own eyes widened in surprise at the sight of her. "Noona??"
She opened and closed , unable to speak. Then he quickly closed the distance to her and grabbed her arm. She let out a frightened squeak and tried to pull away but he tightly held on to her.
"Don't tell anyone you saw me." he frantically told her.
"Oh ."
Both of them jumped before looking over towards the door. Standing in the doorway was Daehyun.
Before Jisun could react, Daehyun approached her and grabbed her free arm. Then she was yanked away from Zelo and out of the room.
"Hyung wait." the youngest pleaded, following them.
Daehyun ignored him and dragged Jisun through the hallway before going down the stairs. She stumbled with each step from the way he was pulling her but he didn't slow down. When they reached the bottom in the living room, he finally released her by pushing her forward. She stumbled a couple of steps before catching herself and straightening.
Jongup and Himchan had been sitting on the couch but at the arrival of the three others, they stood up.
"What are you doing?" Himchan demanded of Daehyun as he moved closer to Jisun.
"She saw Zelo." the guy simply replied.
Himchan gasped and glanced at Jisun before looking at Zelo.
"I... I must have forgotten to lock the door." Zelo stated.
Daehyun took a hostile step towards Himchan and glared. "I told you we shouldn't bring her here."
"We had to with them questioning her." countered Himchan.
"She's human." Daehyun said as he wrinkled his nose in disgust. "They probably wouldn't have done anything."
"You don't know that." Jongup piped in. "We couldn't risk it."
Jisun watched the exchange but it was like they were speaking too fast for her mind to process what was being said. Nothing seemed to make sense.
"What's going on?" Youngjae asked as he came out of the kitchen.
"Noona walked in on me recharging." Zelo told him with a guilty look.
Youngjae's mouth dropped open as he turned to Jisun. Then he took a couple of steps back from her.
"Now what the hell are we suppose to do with her?" Daehyun questioned.
Himchan let out a sigh. "First, calm down."
At that, Daehyun gritted his teeth. He looked even more upset instead of calm. "She's a liability."
"What do you want me to?" Himchan asked. "Lock her in the room?"
"What?" she uttered.
They looked over at her as if they just remembered she was there.
"Hyung," Zelo quietly said to Himchan and took a step closer. "I trust her."
Daehyun whipped around to face him. "How the hell can you say that after what happened?!"
"Noona's different." protested Zelo. "She's not like them."
"Humans are all the same." spat Daehyun venomously. "She'll turn on you and gut you.."
Himchan grabbed Daehyun's arm. "Enough." he hissed.
Daehyun spun and pushed the older boy away. Himchan stumbled back a step but quickly recovered and moved forward. He got right up to Daehyun so they were a mere couple of inches apart.
"Don't test me." Himchan warned, his voice dropping lower than normal.
Daehyun harshly glared at him and stood his ground.
Jisun jumped a little as she felt something brush her arm. She turned to see Youngjae stretching his arm out to her, trying to touch her but also staying as far from her as he could.
"Uh... Just..." He trailed off and tugged on her arm a little before letting go.
She understood and took a couple of steps towards him which put more distance between her and the two men that looked as if they were going to start fighting any second now.
"Go take a walk." Himchan firmly said.
"You're not the commander anymore." Daehyun scoffed. "Yongguk took that job."
"I still out rank you." the elder growled. "And he's not here so I'm charge. Now, go take a walk."
Daehyun pressed his lips tightly together as the two men kept sizing each other up. After a few tense moments though, Daehyun let out a small growl of frustration before backing down. He snarled at Jisun as he stormed through the living room to the front door. He opened it and stepped outside before slamming it behind him.
Jisun felt the tension in the air lesson as she let out a shaky breath she hadn't realized she was holding. Then she inhaled sharply once more when Himchan turned and approached her.
"Why did you go in to his room?" he questioned.
She felt her body tense as her mind went blank. "I... I w-wanted... t-to ask. About Yongguk." she stammered.
He narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "I told you to ask me if you had any questions about him."
"No. I mean... Not... that. From before." She her lips nervously. "I... Uh... Was looking at... his hats... and..."
Himchan's face softened and his shoulders dropped. She pressed her lips together and swallowed as she watched him. It was as if she could see wheels turning as he chewed on his lip and eyed her thoughtfully.
He turned and glanced behind him. "Jongup?"
Jongup glanced over at Zelo before looking at Jisun. Then he turned his attention to Himchan and nodded. "Yes."
"Youngjae?" Himchan asked as he turned back around and peered past Jisun.
Jisun turned to see Youngjae's head poking out from behind the doorway where he was hiding.
"Um... Well..." He trailed off as he gave her a guilty look.
"Two yes, two no." Himchan stated and sighed. He folded his arms as he went back to eyeing her and she shifted uncomfortably under his gaze. "Those men who talked to you, that hurt Yongguk," he carefully said. "They're dangerous. They'll hurt you if they suspect that Yongguk means more to you than you let on." He took a step closer. "And especially if they find out that you know what we're about to tell you."
She felt her heart skip a beat at those words. She stood frozen and just stared at him blankly.
"I'm serious Jisun." Himchan insisted, almost pleading with her. "This is important. Telling anyone our secret not only puts us at risk but you too."
She swallowed, feeling how dry was. Her mind was still trying to figure out what was happening but she understood one thing; her life was about to get even more complicated. Taking a deep breath, she nodded her head.

"You're really starting to freak me out." Jisun declared as she eyed the four boys around the dining room table. Rather than letting her in on any secrets, they were continuously making her promise to not say anything to anyone. "It's like all of you are axe murderers or something."
Nobody laughed or even smiled at her little joke.
"You have to understand," Himchan solemnly told her, "This is really hard for us." He took a deep breath and slowly blew it out. "You saw Zelo in that machine. Seeing that, would you think he was human?"
She raised an eyebrow at him. "What?"
He sighed in frustration and ran a hand through his pink hair.
"Well just to get it over with," Jongup piped in, "Zelo isn't human. None of us are."
She stared at him, dumbfounded. "What?"
Youngjae stood up. "I think she'd be more convinced with a demonstration." he said and went to the kitchen. He came back with the laptop and set it in front of Zelo but with the screen facing her.
Zelo smiled and grabbed the cord that was plugged in to the computer. He took the other end and brought it up to his neck. He placed it on the back of his neck, a little to the right of his neck bones. Then he pushed.
Jisun gasped and stood up as her eyes widened. The end was stuck in to his neck, piercing right through his skin even though there was no blood.
"It's okay." Youngjae quickly said as he held up both his hands.
"Sit down." Himchan instructed.
She plopped back down in to her chair. Not because Himchan told her too but because she felt her legs giving out. She watched in shock as the laptop screen changed. As if someone was using it despite no one touching it. A text editor opened and in large letters, the words 'hi noona' appeared.
She glanced at Zelo who was still smiling at her before looking back at the computer. Then back at Zelo. Then at the laptop again.
"Zelo is a ZELO." Youngjae proudly explained.
Jisun turned her attention to him and gave him a look of disbelief. "What?"
"ZELO in our language is an acronym for what he is. He's like a robot." elaborated Himchan.
Zelo pouted. "I'm more complicated than a robot."
"Totomato is kind of like what you humans call a cyborg." Youngjae said. "Biologically he's like us. He has a brain, heart, muscle tissue, bones. But he has... um... like computer chips in him."
Jisun slowly turned her head and stared at the youngest, eyeing the cord that was still plugged in to his neck.
"We're from the planet Mato." Himchan stated.
She looked over at him before glancing around at the others. "So... you're like... aliens." She indicated towards Zelo. "And he's like an alien robot."
He frowned at her. "Cyborg."
"Uh... yeah." she uttered.
This time it was Jongup's turn to pout. "She doesn't believe us."
"I'm plugged in to the laptop." Zelo pointed out. "How can she not believe us?"
She shook her head before closing her eyes and rubbing her temples. "This is way too bizarre."
"Those men that talked to you know what we are."
Her eyes shot open as she quickly looked at Himchan.
"Yongguk, Zelo, and I were the first ones to arrive." Himchan continued. "When the others arrived, they saw us and attacked us. They had guns and we were outnumbered."
"We managed to escape. Me, Jongup, and Daehyun." Youngjae told her before indicating to Himchan. "But they were captured."
Jisun felt her heart sink. "And Yongguk?"
Himchan his lips and leaned forward. "While the held us, they... experimented on us." he said with a little grimace. "Though we tried to transform our biology as close to human as possible, we're still matoki. Some things have different effects on us.
"Like the aspirin you offered Daehyun." Youngjae explained. "If he would have taken it, it would have given him a seizure."
She inhaled sharply as she thought back to dinner and the way he had reacted. "I... I didn't..."
"You didn't know." Himchan quickly assured her. "Most earthling medicine seems to have negative effects on us."
She swallowed thickly. "Like... memory loss."
Himchan slowly nodded his head. "Exactly."
She looked down at her lap as a sick feeling washed over her. She remembered how nervous Yongguk had been in town, around people, and the nightmare he had. And those wounds from when she found him.
A sudden thought crossed her mind and she furrowed her eyebrows. "You said you were mapping the woods when you saw him with me. How?"
Himchan opened his mouth but no sound came out. He glanced at the others and shifted in his chair. She in turn looked around as well and noted the sad, guilty expressions that now adorned their faces.
"Zelo and I managed to break out of our cage." Himchan quietly said. "We found Yongguk but we couldn't break the chains holding him down." He looked down at the table, a distant look in his eye. "So he told us to leave him."
"I will not leave you." she had said to him. Then he had told her, "You will. Like they did."
A tense silence filled the room as Jisun felt her eyes watering. She blinked them rapidly, willing herself to not cry. "So Daehyun," she said, changing the subject slightly, "He hates me cause I'm human."
Himchan pressed his lips together before letting out a sigh. "Yes. He has... trust issues to put it lightly."
She nodded in understanding. "And those names are your real names." She indicated to each of them. "Tatsmato. Totomato. Dadamato." She got to Youngjae and hesitated. "Uh..."
A small blush formed on his face as he shyly smiled. He made his way to her and reached inside his shirt. He pulled out his dog tags and held them up for her. "Jokomato."
She saw the name for herself and slowly reached her hand him. She examined the other parts of the tags. "What about B.A.P and the bunny logo?
"B.A.P is the name of our unit." Youngjae informed her. "Tats was the commander but then Shishi, Yongguk-hyung, took over as the leader. The bunny is reference to our true matoki forms."
"So... you're like giant, walking rabbits?" she questioned.
The boys chuckled at that. "You can say that." Himchan said. "We were shocked to find a species close to our image here. We transformed our bodies on Mato of course in order to blend in."
She nodded and eyed Jongup. "So B.A.P are part of a secret organization bent on world domination."
Instantly three voices denied the claim but Jongup's burst of laughter silenced them. "That's what I told her when she asked me about the names. That they were our code names." he explained.
The three of them stared at him for a moment before laughing as well.
Jisun chuckled. "Well, why are you here then?" she inquired.
Their laughter died away as they shared a few looks with each other.
"Our planet is... dying." Himchan hesitantly said. "There is barely enough energy to sustain us anymore so several units were sent out in to space to find a new energy source."
"Oh." she uttered. "And if you don't...?"
He took a deep breath. "Then our planet, and everything on it, dies. Including our entire race."
dropped open. "That's horrible!" She glanced around at everyone, horrified. "Has anyone found a new energy source?"
A tiny smile spread on Himchan's face. "Yes. We have here, on Earth."
"Here??" she questioned in surprise. "What energy?"
He opened his mouth and then shook his head. "Tomorrow. It's getting late."
Jisun pouted and wanted to argue with him. But it was late and she was feeling tired. "Fine." she mumbled. "I have to work tomorrow too."
Himchan raised an eyebrow before nodding. "One of us will go with you for protection." Then he turned to Zelo. "Are you ready for your watch?"
"Yes." the younger boy replied and pulled the cable out of his neck. "My battery is charged enough."
She blinked at him for a bit and then shook her head. "This is going to take so much getting use to." She stood up and went to leave the room but stopped. She turned back around and gave each one a very sincere look. "And I really do promise. I swear I won't tell anyone."
"I hope you understand the amount of trust we're placing in you." Himchan insisted. "What it means to us."
The memory of Yongguk in the garden, kneeling and clutching his head in pain, entered her mind. Just as she did then, she felt her heart breaking for him. For what was done to him. "I do."
He softly smiled at her. "Goodnight Jisun."
"Night." she replied and nodded at the others. Then she left the dining room and entered the living room. She went to the stairs and took them up to the second floor.
When she reached the bedroom she closed the door behind her and then hesitated. She left the door unlocked as she made her way to the bed. Closing her eyes, she buried her face in the pillow as her brain raced through everything she had been told.
"What the hell have I gotten myself in to?"