Chapter 26

Storm Rising

Yongguk stumbled through the woods, clutching the laptop to his chest with one arm. He wasn't sure how far he had ran but he trusted in Suyun enough to keep going. Every now and again, he would pause and glance behind him to see if he was being followed as he caught his breath. When he heard nothing, he would align himself with the stars again to make sure he was still heading in the right direction before running once more.
He slowed his pace though when he caught sight of something in the distance. He came to a stop while squinting his eyes through the darkness. Then he glanced around and listened to the silence of the forest.
Moving slowly now, he crept forward until he had a better view. He spotted the house nestled in a clearing and eyed it curiously. Was this what Suyun wanted him to find?
He crouched down and hid behind a tree as he surveyed the house. There was no movement outside and none inside as far as he could tell from this distance. Nor were there any lights on. He chewed on his bottom lip as he debated with himself to approach the house or not.
Suddenly the snapping of a twig behind him alerted him. Before he could twist around, he felt a sharpness on his neck that made him freeze. The person stepped around him while keeping the knife to his neck. When he came in to view, Yongguk slowly lifted his head to get a look at him. He had pink hair and was giving him a puzzled look.
"Yongguk??" the man exclaimed in surprise and pulled the knife away. "What are you doing here?"
Yongguk's eyes widened, surprised as well, and he stood up. He his lips and opened his mouth but before he could say something, three others stepped out and joined them. He saw the same surprised and confused looks on their faces.
"Oh ." one uttered. He had pink hair as well but it was an odd shade.
Yongguk glanced around at them as something in the back of his head began to ache. Then he felt the all too familiar wave of dizziness wash over him and he swayed.
"I know them."
One of the black haired guys moved forward and grabbed his arm to help steady him. "Are you okay hyung?" the guy asked.
The man with the pink hair pulled out a phone from his pocket. "I'll call Suyun."
"No!" Yongguk quickly insisted. All four people jumped and stared at him. He shifted a little under their gazes and swallowed. "There was... These people. She had me escape through a tunnel and run."
"You were attacked??" questioned the other guy with black hair in disbelief.
Suddenly the man with the odd pink hair took off running in the direction Yongguk had came from.
"Daehyun!" the first guy shouted but the man disappeared in to the woods. Then he turned to the guy who had approached Yongguk. "Jongup." he said and indicated with his head.
The boy nodded and took off as well. Yongguk watched them go and pressed his lips together.
"Is that Suyun's?"
He turned to the remaining black haired boy before glancing down at the laptop in his hands still. He hesitated, reluctant to hand it over, but then he held it out. The guy took it from him and furrowed his eyebrows as he opened it a little to see the items stuffed in it.
"What about that?"
Yongguk looked at the guy with pink hair who was pointing at his other hand. He looked down and only then realized that he was still clutching his book. His grip on it tightened as he held it closer to himself protectively. "It's mine."
The guy raised his eyebrow but merely nodded. "Let's get you inside."

When they got inside, Yongguk was offered a seat on the couch which he took while looking around the house. Not only seeing what little was there but possible exits as well.
The guy with the pink hair whistled and a few seconds later, another person with red hair came down the stairs. He froze when he saw Yongguk though. "Hyung??" Then he went over to the older male and they shared a few hushed whispers.
The boy with Suyun's laptop sat down on the couch beside him and opened it. He sorted through the papers, giving them brief looks before setting them aside. Then he picked up a notebook and opened it, flipping to the last entry.
"You remembered your real name??" he suddenly exclaimed. Then he held the notebook up.
The pink haired man took it and read it for himself before turning to him. "You didn't have a headache?"
Yongguk swallowed before shaking his head. "I... It was just a thought. Suyun told me it was my name from planet Mato."
"She must have a lot of faith in this new formula to tell you that much." the guy beside him commented as he the computer.
Yongguk pressed his lips together and glanced around at the three people. "Who are you guys?"
They all turned to him before sharing a few looks with each other.
"I'm Himchan." the guy with pink hair stated. Then he pointed at the redhead next to him. "This is Zelo."
"I'm Youngjae." the person beside him said with a little smile.
Yongguk eyed each of them. "And Suyun's real name is Chiyumato."
They shared a look again before each of them reached for their necks. They all produced a chain with two dog tags on them. As they held them out for him, he read the names on each tag and noticed how similar they were to Suyun's tags. Then he reached up and touched his chest. "Suyun said she thinks the girl with the strawberries has my tags."
Another shared look but this time, there was even more hesitation in the movement.
Himchan moved toward him and gave him a serious look. "Did she tell you about your headaches?"
"Yes." he replied. "That they happened when I remember things and they were really bad."
"So you know how important it is to tell us if you get one?" Himchan further pressed.
Yongguk gave a nod of his head. "Yes. But I do get really dizzy. A lot." he confessed. "And there was this pressure on my head like someone squeezing it."
Himchan stared at him for a few moments before taking a deep breath and letting it out. "Okay then. I'll go get her."


Jisun sat nervously on the bed and waited. There had been a commotion in the house that woke her up right before her door was banged on. She had hurriedly opened it and was told by Himchan to stay in the room with the door locked. Then he ordered Zelo to stand guard before racing down the stairs.
She asked Zelo what was going on but he only reiterated what Himchan had told her to do. She noticed the long knife he was holding though as well as the other knives around his belt. Adrenaline pumped through her as she did what she was told and then going to sit on the bed. It seemed like an eternity had passed when she heard a loud whistle, followed by the sound of a person on the stairs. Part of her wanted to peek out and see what was happening. A bigger part of her though kept her rooted on the bed in fear.
A knock on the door made her look up and inhale sharply.
"It's Himchan."
She let out the breath in relief before scrambling off the bed. She went to the door and opened it. "What's going on?" she questioned in concern.
He his lips. "There was... an incident. An attack at Suyun's house. We.."
"Are they okay?" she asked, her heart pounding in her chest once more.
Himchan reached out and grabbed her arm reassuringly. "We don't know what happened to Suyun but Yongguk is here."
Her eyes widened as her gaze flickered to the staircase. "He's here?"
"Yes and it looks like he might be getting some of his memories back." he answered. A million questions entered her mind and she opened but this time, he cut her off. "But we don't know if the headaches will be back." he continued. "So for now, don't say anything about what happened between you two. Let's see if his memories keep coming back on their own."
Jisun closed and swallowed. This was the moment she had been waiting for, seeing Yongguk again. But now she wasn't as excited. It was more dread than anything and she almost didn't want to see him if it meant he wouldn't have any pain.
Himchan squeezed her arm before rubbing it. "It's okay. Come on."
Taking a deep breath, she nodded and followed him. As they went down the stairs, she stared at her feet and felt her body getting heavy. Then a few steps from the living room floor, she finally looked up.
Time seemed to stand still as her gaze rested on the figure on the couch. She came slowly to a stop and went dry. He in turn looked over to see the two of them coming downstairs. When their gazes connected, his mouth widened as he stood up.
"It's you!" he exclaimed. He glanced at Himchan and then back at her. "The girl with the strawberries."
She felt her heart skip a beat and she quickly looked over at Himchan.
"This is Jisun." the older male said, introducing her. "She's been staying with us cause the men who attacked Suyun have been following her."
"What?" Yongguk questioned as the look in his eye changed from surprise to worry.
"We're keeping her safe." Himchan assured him. "Right now though, we need you to tell us everything about the attack. How many people were there?"
She watched as Yongguk continued to stare at her for a moment and she swallowed. Then he finally looked away and sat down as he recalled the event for them. She sat down as well on the stairs, not trusting her legs to keep her standing. Especially when he kept stealing glances at her while talking. It caused both a flutter and an ache in her chest until she couldn't take anymore and looked down at her lap.

After Yongguk was done talking, Himchan, Youngjae, and Zelo moved away and quietly conversed with each other. When they were done, Himchan told Yongguk a very brief and vague story of everything that had happened to him. A lot of details were left out and as for Jisun, she was just the girl who found him and took care of him until B.A.P found him. Of course Yongguk asked several questions afterwards, trying to clarify a few things and find out more but each question was shot down.
Jisun paid extra attention so she could keep her own story in line should Yongguk ask her anything. It was obvious that she should follow the other's examples and not provide any answers.
"But.." Yongguk protested.
"It's late and you should rest." interrupted Himchan. He ran a hand through his hair and sighed before turning to Jisun. "I'll keep sleeping on the couch, you can take my bed."
She felt her heart stop. It meant she would be sharing a room with Yongguk. She glanced over at him and saw him looking at her so she quickly looked away. She nodded her head and stood up. Then she turned and went up the stairs, barely registering where her feet were going.
She entered the bedroom and went to Himchan's bed this time. Just as she sat down, Himchan and Yongguk filed in.
"This is your bed and stuff." Himchan stated while indicating the things on the far side of the room.
Yongguk furrowed his eyebrows. "My stuff?"
"Yes." nodded Himchan.
Yongguk went over to his dresser and gently brushed one of the hats with his fingers.
"Before, even just looking at the dog tags was enough to give you a headache." Himchan said. "So if any of this stuff triggers something, you have to let us know."
Yongguk absently nodded as he moved to examine the things on the shelf. Himchan shared a look with Jisun before he turned and left the room. Leaving them alone.
Jisun felt seize as she watched the black haired man look through everything. Then he turned and curiously looked at her. It was the same brown eyes she had looked in to countless times before but there was something different to them.
He went over to his bed and started to sit when he stopped. He leaned down and picked up a book off of the bed.
"Oh!" she exclaimed. "Sorry. It's yours. I was just reading it."
He looked at the cover of the book before taking a couple of steps towards her. "You can read it then." he said and held it out to her.
She felt her face heat up a little as she took the book from him. "Th-thank you." she stuttered.
He softly smiled at her and sat down on his bed. "So, you found me?"
"Uh... yeah." she replied. "I brought you to my house and took care of you until the guys showed up."
He pressed his lips thoughtfully. "Did I have headaches with you?"
"One." she answered and bit her bottom lip. "It was bad."
He slowly nodded and glanced down at the book in his hand. The one he had shown up with. "Why strawberries?"
She blinked at him in confusion until she remembered that he referred to her as the girl with the strawberries. The image of him making jam and her sitting on the counter flittered through her mind and she shook her head to get rid of it. "I had lots of strawberries and you really liked them." she explained, keeping her answer vague.
He frowned, as if he didn't quite like that response. Then he asked, "Do you have my tags?"
She raised her eyebrows in surprise at the question. "Uh... yeah. You gave them to me."
"I did?" he questioned. "Do you have them now?"
"No." she told him. "They're... at my house." A sharp, twisting pain wrenched through her chest. That moment they had in the tree house was gone as well. Except for the strawberries, every memory of her was gone. Almost like she never existed to him.
"Is there... anything?" she quietly asked of him. "Anything at all? That you remember?"
He narrowed his eyes as he stared at her. "Like what?"
"Just..." She trailed off as a lump grew in .
"What am I suppose to remember?" he pressed anxiously while leaning forward. His eyes almost pleading with her.
Jisun felt her heart pounding in her chest. She her dry lips, hesitating. Then she swallowed thickly. "Nothing." she weakly replied.
He frowned once more, displeasure etched all over his face. She saw the hurt in his eyes and quickly looked down, not being able to keep eye contact. She noticed the book in his hands again and changed the subject. "What is that?" she asked and pointed at the book.
He glanced at the book before looking up at her. A shiver trailed down her spine at the hardness in his eyes. "Nothing." he said, his tone harsh. Then he moved back and laid on the bed. On his side with his back to her.
It was like her world suddenly shattered around her. She stared at him, wide-eyed, as her vision grew cloudy with tears. She laid down as well and turned so her back was to him. That way he couldn't see her silently crying.

 

A/N:  I'm gonna be crazy busy the next couple of days and afterwards, I'll be out of town for a few days. So it'll probably be about a week before I can update again. Sorry! >.< 

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solarflare
To clarify: the rabbit is not Daehyun. None of the boys are rabbits. The rabbit is basically a metaphor and a lot of what Jisun says to it is foreshadowing.

Comments

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Chiiyochii #1
Chapter 50: This was to beautiful ???
ChaeSeoul
#2
Chapter 49: Oh man oh man! I don't usually read long stories since they can never keep my interest but THIS WAS A MASTERPIECE. I loved every bit of it and felt so much emotion while reading it! It felt so real I had to stop reading and come back to reality XD I was low-key hoping Jisun would be able to go back to Mato Planet too T-T but I'm sooooo glad they all came back! AMAZING story!
Shawn1231 #3
Chapter 50: Zelo not being zelo... idk fam kinda bumed out. I feel bad for these creatures. They went through a lot.. ): I really hope that no one would have to experience what they went through in this story.. tha ks for writing such awesome stories authornim! (: <3
AlexxxxaRae #4
Chapter 6: So I've been a fan of your stories about 2-3 years now. I can't believe I just stumbled upon this fic just last night! I, too, also pulled an all nighter reading this story and thought it was amazing. You truly are a great writer. Thank you for writing amazing fics about our favorite boys :) I'm still suffering from post concert depression from BAP's Party Baby in NYC, so I've been on a BAP fic binge ever since! This is definitely one of my fav BAP fics thus far. Keep up the great work <3
seraishere
#5
Chapter 50: I stayed up until 4am reading this yesterday and now I just re-read the whole thing. Its an amazing story, thank you for writing it!
aidhwang
#6
Kinda weird since I've been following this story from the start, but I just wanted to comment on how Zelo's death literally affected me in this story. I decided to read a little bit of the last chapters again, and it just hit me how different have the same, yet different "Zelo" is such a big change. Not sure if I should be emotionally attached to any character or anything, but I was literally on the verge of tears thinking: "Wow. Zelo's really gone. These two are two different beings and I don't know how his death didn't impact me like this when I was reading."
I hope it's not too weird that I'm writing this, but you're such an amazing writer, and I've never felt this way about a story before. I'll just thank ya because I actually know how a story could literally be so connected to someone.
xadrimusicx
#7
Chapter 50: Ughh Daehyun and ji sun SOO adorbss lol like they are brother and sister
Neonlights92
#8
Chapter 50: So happy everything worked out for them! I feel alittle sad when Zelo committed suicide... But the new one is so cute as well! And Yongguk is just cute and adorable no matter what he does! I really enjoyed reading this!
daphy1234
#9
Chapter 50: After 3 days, I'm finally finished~
Many feels, the most coming from Zelo's involuntary change, death, then "restoring"... UGH WHY DO YOU HAVE TO LIKE CHOCOLATE ICE-CREAM T.T
Story was great though~ thought I could handle a bit of graphic violence but ended up skimming through it because Zelo doing the deed without being in control it was too much huehue >~<
Jisun is definitely a strong character jeez, so much happened in one day I thought the hysteria and panic attacks weren't even enough... Although I don't know what one would write in place of such symptoms hehe....
Good read~ going to check out your other stories now :3