Chapter Text
“Jump!”
The boys stared out at the world before them. It was like nothing they could have imagined, but then again, they didn’t know what to expect. As they looked out at what was beyond the broken bridge, they couldn’t help but wonder what to do next. That is until a voice came to them, providing a solution. They carefully walked to the edge, seeing water below them, and what could only be described as a purple dot.
“Jump!”
The voice spoke again, but it didn’t inspire any of them. Collectively they glanced back, seeing the gate and the signs, thinking about what they had just left behind. There was no going back, and they knew it. Geonu knew what choice he had made, and this was just the next one. He glanced at his brothers and gave them an assuring nod before stepping off the edge, and plummeting down to the freezing waters. One by one they followed, and one by one they surfaced, looking around for each other.
“Now what?”
“Over here!”
Another voice flowed past their ears, and a light came on, illuminating them. A small boat slowly approached them, someone waving. They could see the silhouette of the person waving, but had yet to make out any details. As the boat got closer it stopped, the supposed captain coming to the edge.
“Is this everyone?”
“Ye.”
“Good. I was worried one of you wouldn’t be able to swim.”
No one moved for a moment, and once again Geonu was the first to take action, swimming towards the boat. That’s when he finally got a good look at the person he could only call his savior, you. Geonu was greeted with a smile, and a hand reaching out to help him. Once he was aboard he helped you get the others on the boat, and then you took your position as captain and steered the boat back to shore. The boat may be small, but it was advanced, once you had the directions set you went to properly greet your guests.
“You’re all shaking.”
You went over to one of the crates on the boat, getting out some towels and handing them out. They quietly thanked you, huddling up to warm up as well.
“I’ll get right to the basics, I’m y/n. This is my boat, and you’re all welcomed to stay with me for the time being. So who might you all be? Names are fine for now. I can’t imagine what’s going through your minds right now.”
It took a moment before they introduced themselves, and you were quick to put names to faces. You knew now wasn’t the time to talk so you retreated to the captains place, and left them be. The boys talked among themselves, making sure they were alright. Bain looked back up at the giant tower he had just left behind, still somewhat questioning if this was the right thing. The view didn’t last as the boat went into a hidden tunnel, disappearing into darkness, and eventually coming to a small docking area, which was underground.
“Let’s go. My place isn’t that far from here.”
There was no trust between the two parties, but right now the boys had no one else, so they followed. Keeping in mind to be cautious, this was uncharted territory for them after all. They walked through these tunnels, very little light illuminating their way, but you walked with confidence, knowing exactly where you were going. You didn’t need a map, taking every necessary turn, although when you came to a dead end there was concern.
“What is this?”
“Are we lost?”
You scoffed. “Of course not.”
You stepped over to one of the walls and pressed your palm against a bit of concrete. The dead end wall suddenly moved, revealing what was probably some sci-fi fantasy. The area before them was some technologically advanced underground bunker, and they were welcomed in, the wall closing behind them. They all looked around, not having seen such technology outside their study materials.
“Don’t touch anything.”
While they looked around you went over to the cameras, checking to make sure the area was safe, and then checking the news channels and radio frequencies. Everything seemed to be peaceful, so you could relax for the time being. You took notice of your new guests, seeing how fascinated they were by their surroundings, but what stuck out the most was their clothes. The all white just screamed wrong, and they were still wet.
“Come on, I have some clothes you can sift through. You all need to change.”
No one wanted to comment on the fact that you were a girl and they were boys, and the exchange of clothes probably wouldn’t work, but you did in fact know that. You brought them over to another room, crates of clothes piled around. There would certainly be something in there for them as it was all miscellaneous. You gave them some privacy to get dressed. They’d come talk to you when they were ready.
“Can we trust her?” Bain asked. “We don’t know her.”
“She’s done nothing but help us so far.” Geonu said. “I don’t think she has bad intentions. You think she’s gonna turn on us or something?”
“I don’t know, maybe.”
“What’s she gonna do? Send us back?”
“We know nothing about this world… let alone her.” DY added. “Like where did she get all these clothes? Why does she have so much?”
“Then let’s keep our guard up.” Jimin suggested. “We’ll see how this goes and if necessary we run. We can take her too, it’d be six against one.”
“Now that just seems excessive.”
“At least we should behave ourselves until we know the way out of this place.”
They certainly felt better in dry clothes, properly drying their hair as well, and also taking in the fact they were wearing something else besides that dreaded white uniform. They exited the room as a group, finding you sitting in front of a wall of screens. They all played different things, some looking like surveillance footage, others like normal TV. You took notice of them immediately and got up.
“You all look refreshed.”
“Thanks for the clothes.” JM said. “But I have to ask… what do you want from us?”
“What?”
“Why are you helping us?”
You scoffed. “Well, I’m glad you don’t just trust me right off the bat, you shouldn’t really trust anyone. We’ll work on that, but as for your question. Whether you believe me or not, this is the truth. I just wanna know about where you came from, and why you left.”
“That’s it?”
“Yup. It’s pretty simple I know, but I want nothing more from you.”
“Are you part of some kind of resistance group?” Sangwoo questioned. “Is that why you helped us?”
“I’m not part of a group like that, I just help people, and that includes you.”
“How are we supposed to believe you? Or trust you?”
“You have no reason to, but I don’t harbor any ill will towards you. If you really feel like you can’t trust me, then I’ll let you go. I’ll give you some necessities and money and you can be on your way.”
“Seriously?” DY asked. “After everything, you’ll just let us go?”
“Yeah. Just let me make sure you know everything.”
“About what?”
“This world. I can imagine it’s very different from where you came from.”
“So far it seems so. We weren’t taught about the outside.”
“Then I’m afraid I only have some bad news for you.”
“Then just tell us.” Jimin said. “Don’t sugar coat anything.”
“Then you should all take a seat.”
You gathered around a table in the center of the room. There were enough chairs for everyone with a few left over. You were quiet for a moment, talking about this was never easy.
“The world’s never been perfect. There’s inequality and suffering, but there are always good moments to be had. No one really knows why this happened, but it devastated a lot of people.” You took a breath. “A decade ago, there was a raid. The peace droids broke into homes, scoured the streets, and took children. Supposedly they were genetically favorable, and taken to the capital, here in zone one, which is where you just escaped from.”
“Wait so you’re saying…” Geonu began. “We’ve been there for ten years… and we weren’t… born there? We were taken from our families?”
“I’m sorry…”
“But why? Why didn’t anyone do anything?”
“That’s where things get worse…”
“Worse?”
“The PDs killed the parents of the children they took. So as you can imagine that made matters worse. Family members who were grieving and enraged rallied together, wanting to attack the capitol. They were slaughtered as well. Not many people alive today are related to someone who was lost in the raid.”
“So we’re orphans…” Bain mumbled. “That’s what you’re telling us.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Why! Would anyone do this!”
“We don’t know. The raid happened so suddenly, and after three days it seems they got what they wanted. The bridges to the capitol were destroyed, and any other way in was sealed off. The capitol isolated itself from the rest of the zone and the world. You know what happened to those who tried to fight this. The only explanation given was that the kids showed potential, and were taken to be given a better life.”
“A better life?” Sangwoo scoffed. “That place wasn’t some paradise.”
“So what was it like? In there?”
“It was a nightmare, but we didn’t know it at first.”
“What do you mean?”
“We’re not done talking about the world.” JM interrupted. “How has no one done anything since? It’s been ten years.”
“Because it didn’t work out the first time, and people had to worry about themselves. A lot of resources were pulled, and much of the world had been destroyed, so we had to rebuild. No one really lives in luxury around here anymore, the really rich are in the capitol, and for the most part the rest of us are just surviving.”
“So this place is hell too.”
“I wouldn’t call it that, but you’ll have to work hard to be comfortable.”
“I think we can do that.”
“Well then, I’ll show you the ropes, what to do and what not to do but-”
You were cut short when you heard someone’s stomach grumble. Everyone looked around to find the source, and Bain wrapping his arms around his stomach said it all. He seemed embarrassed, mumbling an apology.
“I guess they didn’t feed you.” You chuckled. “I can save my questions for later. How about some food, I know a place.”
⧫
The boys followed you out of the bunker, up a ladder into what appeared to be your home. It was spacious, but probably because of how little you had, just the necessities and a few places to sit. Although they didn’t stick around long enough to explore, seeing you hide the entrance to the bunker under a rug, it matched the floorboards perfectly, and then they followed you out into the world.
They seemed to be in a small town like area, a few people were around, greeting you. The place seemed friendly enough, but it was clear they were in a more rundown area compared to the skyscrapers they could see in the distance. They didn’t go too far from your home before you walked into a pub. It was relatively busy and you walked over to a table, saying hi to a few of the people around too.
“Yuto! Seven bowls of noodles over here.”
“Seven?”
“I have guests.” You noticed the boys standing around awkwardly. “Sit. I’ll be right back.”
They all quickly sat down as you went off to the kitchen, seeming to be friends with the workers. While you were away they looked around, taking in what bits of culture and life they could. You returned a while later with a tray of drinks, setting them down. The curious faces they had made you laugh.
“You’ve never had cola before? It’s good, I promise.”
They were nervous to try but seeing you take a sip first gave them some confidence. As you said, it was good. They reacted the same when the noodles and side dishes appeared. The food looked familiar in a sense, but the look and smell were very different. Bain didn’t wait for you to eat first this time, his stomach growling again and he dug in first. Food was always good, but this tasted better than they could have imagined.
“Could we have some meat too?”
“Sangwoo.” Jimin hissed under his breath. “This is enough.”
“Sorry.”
“Y/n!”
A worker came over, setting down some meat on the table and starting to grill it. The boys watched with excitement, already salivating.
“I didn’t-”
“It’s on the house.”
“Yuto-”
“Come on, when was the last time you had brought guests? Besides, they’re future customers, aren’t they? Gotta treat them well.”
“You’re crazy.”
“And you’re late. I was starting to worry, your usual bowl of noodles was getting cold, but I can see what kept you busy.”
“I told you not to worry about me.”
“How can I not?”
“It’s not that hard, I promise.”
“If you say so.” Yuto took in the boys, smirking. “You boys are lucky to have someone like her around. She’s our secret genius.”
“Secret genius?” Geonu questioned. “What does that mean?”
“Not this again.” You got up. “I’ll be right back.”
You excused yourself and Yuto took your seat. He gave each of the boys some meat, Bain putting it in his mouth immediately.
“You guys eat well.”
“What did you mean about y/n?” Geonu asked again. “About being a secret genius.”
“Ah, that. She hates the name but it’s true. No one around here is like her.” Yuto explained. “You see back when the raid happened she was living on the streets. When she saw kids being taken she hid, avoiding the whole mess. Seeing how she turned out, I swear she would have been grabbed, so we’re lucky to have her.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. She’s way smarter than the rest of us. No one could possibly do what she does around here. She survived the raid and bettered herself, coming back to her hometown when she was ready.”
“How long have you known her?” JM asked.
“It’s crazy, but four years. I swear I feel like I’ve known her for longer.”
“Stop talking about me.” You returned and Yuto got up. “It’s embarrassing.”
“Who else is gonna tell them how lucky they are?”
“They’ll learn on their own. If they’re smart.”
“Alright, alright, you’ll take over?”
“Of course. Get your ass back in the kitchen.”
“Oh, yes ma’am.”
“And how about another serving?”
“On the house.”
“Thanks.”
You grilled some more, having some yourself but making sure they ate well too. In the moment they could forget their pasts, their futures, and just enjoy themselves. They smiled and laughed like never before, feeling like this was really the first time they’ve hung out. They felt normal, as if their lives had been ripped away from them, like they finally broke free from someone else’s control. They didn’t even need to sleep, the sun eventually starting to peek over the horizon.
“Alright, I think you guys should call it.” You said. “I don’t know how you had that much energy, and that big of a stomach, but let’s get back.”
They were all a bit more relaxed now. Full bellies and the dopamine highs allowing a sense of trust to build between you two. You went off to pay the bill, calling Yuto over to the counter, making sure the others didn’t hurt themselves in their stupid happy state.
“You’ve racked up quite the bill. I’ve never seen you spend money like this for anyone.”
“Six mouths to feed is a lot.”
“They must be something special for you to buy them meat. You’ve never done that before, and you nearly cleaned me out of my stock.”
“You know I’m good for it.”
“Yup. I’ll even give you a discount.”
“Fuck no. You need the money and you know it.” You put a lot of bills down on the counter. “And like I said, you know I’m good for it.”
“You’ve gotta let me do a favor for you sometime you know.” Yuto started counting. “How else am I ever gonna pay you back for shit like this.”
“You wanna do me a favor, huh? I’ll keep that in mind.”
“Here.” Yuto held out some bills. “Your change.”
“Keep it. Consider it your tip.”
“Y/n.”
“You can pay that back by giving me a call when your stock is about to spoil. I’ll have it at full price.”
“Y/n.”
“Sorry for keeping you up all night. You should have kicked us out once you closed.”
“You all seemed so happy, besides. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen a genuine smile from you. It seems you’re getting along with those new kids.”
“They’re still young and new to everything. One night of pure happiness like this will do them some good.”
“Where’d you find them?”
“In need of help. Tell Wooseok I said hello, and to expect a call from me soon.”
“Will do. Get some rest.”
“You too.”
Geonu had stepped away from the group, and wound up overhearing your conversation. You were certainly being far too kind for a bunch of strangers, and he appreciated that. You all went back to the house, giggling and laughing on the way.
“I’ll get you some blankets and pillows. You can make some space.”
There was already plenty of room, and when you came back they set up. You asked them if they wanted to get another set of clothes but they said later. So you let them be, retreating to your room, although one of them followed you.
“Hey, we do owe you some answers.” Geonu said. “We should talk.”
“You just had quite a feast, this is the best time to rest.”
“But-”
“We can talk later, that is unless you plan to run away while I’m asleep.”
“No, nothing like that. We still don’t know everything, do we?”
“I’m not a history teacher, but I do wanna make sure you can survive on your own before you disappear. So stick around, promise?”
“Promise.”
“Now go sleep. After today you guys gotta figure out your lives.”
“Thanks.”
Geonu returned to the group, seeing they were already under the sheets, half asleep. Geonu took the place that had been left for him.
“Where did you go?” Jimin asked.
“Y/n, we still owe her answers.”
“Oh, what did she say?”
“We’ll talk later.”
“I like her.” JM said. “She’s nice.”
“So nice.” Bain added. “I’ve never eaten so much in my whole life. It was so good.”
“We should probably stay with her.”
“She wants to make sure we can survive on our own.” Geonu stated. “She’s not gonna house us forever.”
“We have to pay her back for a lot.” DY reminded. “So if anything let’s just stay as close as possible.”
“I second that.” Sangwoo said. “We do owe her a lot.”
“Then sleep.” Jimin yawned. “Who knows what she has planned for the day. We’ll stick around either way, together.”
⧫
You were more of a night owl, but these guys needed to do things in the daylight. You let them sleep in till noon, waking them up and tossing snacks onto them. They seemed a bit out of it, probably needing to take a minute to remember where they were, and that they were free.
“Rise in shine. We gotta figure out what to do with you.”
“Ugh… five more minutes.” Bain whined. “It’s too early.”
“It’s noon, get up.”
They all eventually got up, munching on the snacks, missing the feast they had last night. They cleaned up and you took them down to the bunker to get some fresh clothes. When they were done with that you got to business.
“Alright, as you can imagine, around here people have to work to live. I can help you find work, but I need to know what you’re good at, if anything.”
“What’s your job?” Sangwoo asked.
“This. So, any talents?”
“We trained.” DY explained. “And we played football, don’t know why though.”
“So you’re strong, plus hand eye coordination. I guess you’ll do well with basic labor. That is until you find something better.”
“So we’re starting from the bottom.”
“We all had to start somewhere. Come on, I know a guy.”
Once again they ventured out into the world with you, seeing how much more alive it was during the day. You greeted practically everyone, seeming to be well known in the area. You moved past what felt more like the housing area to a place where buildings were more spaced out, and businesses were present. They followed you into what seemed to be a lobby for a garage.
“Wooseok! Get out here.”
“Huh? Yuto said you’d call.”
“I’m calling you out right now.”
“Funny.”
A man stepped out from the backroom, cleaning his hands with a rag. He took in the strangers, raising a brow.
“What’s with the kids?”
“Brought you some fresh blood. The boys here can handle heavy work.”
“Really?”
“Football players in another life.”
“Alright, alright, let’s see what you got.”
That’s how it started for them, some labor work to make money, start building themselves up from nothing. They got to know the zone better too, as well as having you educate them on things as it came up. They adjusted well, and the world started to feel like home too. Of course they stayed at your place, and it became theirs too. You never mentioned them leaving, but it was only natural that one day they would. For now, you enjoyed each other’s company.
“Would we ever go to the city?” DY asked.
“It’s rather dangerous.” You said. “Best to avoid it. The city is where the PDs mostly work.”
“PDs.”
“That’s something we haven’t gone over. PD stands for peace droid, they’re basically law enforcement, the majority of it. Of course there are still people, but you get the idea. They’re mostly seen in the city, as those people are worth protecting, unlike those of us outside the city. If they’re ever around these parts it means trouble.”
“Would they know who we are if they saw us?”
“No, well, I wouldn’t think so. They’re machines, if they stopped you for some reason as long as you present your registration they’d take no interest in your looks. Still best to avoid them and stay out of trouble.”
“Noted.”
“We still haven’t talked either.” Jimin said. “About the capitol.”
“Ah… well…”
“We owe you for a lot but we should at least fulfill our end of the deal.”
“I know I just realized that… well, you left for a reason and maybe you didn’t wanna talk about it, so I wasn’t gonna pry it out of you.”
“Still, you really wanted to know when we first met.”
“Then let’s talk back at home. This isn’t a conversation we should have in the open.”
Of course they didn’t advertise where they came from, and no one asked, just accepting them into the community. To avoid interruptions you went down to the bunker.
“Tell me things at your own pace. I don’t need details, the basics are enough.”
You were right about it being difficult to talk about, especially now that they were so comfortable in the world. Still, they told you about the capitol, and what they’re life was like. They were always being watched, they had a false sense of freedom, and they weren’t really themselves. The constant drugs kept them docile and unaware of the truth, that is until Geonu missed his medication, starting to see the reality of their situation. He talked with the other and slowly they fought against the system, ultimately breaking out.
“It does sound like hell.”
“It was.” JM said. “Although not knowing why they were doing all this is the worst of it.”
“I can’t even make sense of it. You guys were taken to supposedly have a better life. It doesn’t sound like it.”
“It’s no surprise they lied.”
“Either way, you’re not going back.”
The talk was good, despite the content, creating a new sense of understanding between all of you. The truth was all you needed from them,and now you had all the more reason to look after them. You knew if this kind of information got out to the world it could cause chaos, they could, but you wouldn’t put them at risk like that. One day things would change, surely, and they didn’t need to be the spark of revolution.
⧫
As the days went by they got more comfortable in your house, although they still slept on the floor. You had managed to get them some mattress so they could at least sleep more comfortably, and they just added that to the list of kindnesses they had to repay you for one day. Although there was also something else they were slowly becoming aware of, the mystery that surrounded you. Despite it all, they didn’t know much, and there were things that just brought up more questions.
“Y/n?” DY yawned. “What are you doing?”
DY had gotten up at night, getting a glass of water when he had run into you. Going by how you were dressed it was obvious you were going out, and you didn’t plan to tell them.
“There’s something I gotta take care of. I’ll be back later, go back to bed.”
He didn’t think much of it, partially unsure if the situation was real. Although around sunrise he heard you return. It wasn’t the first time, as they all began to realize once a week you’d disappear into the night. They wanted to ask, but also didn’t want to upset you. Besides, you never came back injured, so they didn’t worry too much, that is until another incident happened.
This time Bain had been up at night, feeling the after effects of dinner. He was stumbling in the dark, heading to the bathroom. He barged in without realizing you were already there. He was half way through an apology when he noticed your hands, more accurately the pill bottle and pills. They looked eerily familiar, and panic flooded him. His worst fears coming true, that you couldn’t be trusted. He was wide awake now, taking the pill bottle from you.
“What is this!”
“Bain, I-”
“Have you been hiding this from us?!”
The yelling woke everyone up. Since it was night it was easy to find you both, as it was the only source of light in the house. Everyone was already in a bit of panic, and Bain began to explain, showing them the bottle.
“She…”
His words trailed off as he got a good look at you, seeing your puffy red eyes, as well as your shaking. He felt guilty as he knew he was the cause for your trembling. Your current state was starting to dawn on everyone as well.
“I… I’m sorry…” You mumbled. “I need medication to sleep sometimes and… I should have mentioned it since… I didn’t know this would upset you… sorry…”
“No, no I…” Bain returned the bottle. “I’m sorry…”
“Thank you…”
They stood around awkwardly before realizing they should leave and quickly disappeared. Bain was already scolding himself but Jimin added to that.
“What the hell was that!” Jimin hissed. “Did you make her cry?”
“No! I swear I… did I?”
“What were you doing!”
“I just… I saw the… I got scared okay.”
“Scared?”
“The pills just reminded me of… I don’t wanna go back…”
“I know how you feel.” JM added. “Seeing them certainly… felt weird, but they’re just her sleeping pills.”
“I hope she’s okay.” DY said. “I didn’t know she had nightmares.”
“There’s actually a lot we don’t know about her.”
“And it’s not really our business.” Geonu reminded. “She doesn’t pry into our past, and neither should we. Let’s just sleep.”
None of them actually managed to go back to sleep. They didn’t say anything to each other, but they all wanted to make sure you slept well for the rest of the night. Ready to go to your aid if anything disturbed you, but the rest of the night was uneventful. In the morning though, they were up first, which wasn’t the usual, and realized you were still in bed.
“Should we wake her?” Sangwoo asked. “Or?”
“You want breakfast?” JM teased.
“I don’t trust any of you cooking, hyung. We should probably learn.”
“True.”
“I already called Yuto.” You said, coming to the kitchen, wrapped up in a blanket. “I placed an order, so can one of you go pick it up. Here’s the money.”
They didn’t comment on your look. It was clear you were exhausted and probably should be in bed, but you still thought of them first.
“I’ll go.” Geonu volunteered, taking the money. “Thank you.”
“I’ll come with you.” DY added. “Keep you company.”
“Just stay out of trouble.” You said. “And don’t be late to your jobs.”
“Yes ma’am.”
“Don’t call me ma’am, I’ve said that many times.”
“Alright, alright. We won’t be long.”
You retreated to your room when the other two headed out. It wasn’t a long walk, and the smell of food made their stomachs grumble.
“Yuto!” DY called. “Where you at?”
“You here to pick up?”
“Yup.”
“Give me a few minutes.”
“Okay.”
The two sat down at the bar, last night still fresh on their mind. Yuto stepped out of the kitchen, seeing their faces.
“Are you guys okay?”
“Can I ask you something?”
“Sure. What’s up?”
“Y/n, what does she do?” Geonu asked. “What’s her job around here?”
“Ah… that’s… she keeps the peace around here.”
“How?”
Yuto sighed. “There’s a reason she hasn’t told you about this.”
“About what?” DY questioned. “We’re worried about her, and… we just wanna help…”
“Look, you have to keep this to yourselves, promise.”
“Yes.”
“So… this isn’t easy for anyone but… back during the raid, y/n hid away, but she stayed in dark places for years, learning to survive. She still keeps in touch with that part, doing who knows what to keep the peace.”
“What! Is she crazy!”
“Calm down, I am telling you this so you can stop worrying. She may be involved with dark things, but she’s a good person, you know that.”
“Still… why go through all the trouble?”
“To keep the rest of us safe. Bad things don’t happen around here because she doesn’t allow it. We all owe her a lot.”
“I would have never known.”
“She can take care of herself. I’ve never seen her injured, so I know she’s alright. Although sometimes… sometimes I wish she had been taken.”
“What?”
“If she had been taken… she wouldn’t have suffered so much. She’d be better off, living a better life than this.”
“How can you say that!” Geonu yelled. “That place isn’t better! It’s hell in a way you couldn’t imagine. Life here is much better than anything that place has to offer!”
It wasn’t until Geonu finished his mini rant that he realized the words that he said. DY yanked him back down, putting on a smile and laughing.
“That place?” Yuto questioned. “You been?”
“Ah… no, I just-”
“That explains a lot actually. I never understood her obsession with the capitol, always watching, waiting for something, anything, to happen. I see that all paid off. It also explains why she’s taken care of you all so much. I won’t say anything, so don’t worry.”
“Thanks.” Geonu mumbled. “Then do you know why she… cares about the capitol so much? Why she was watching?”
“I suppose it’s because she wanted to be right.”
“About what?”
“That life over there wasn’t a paradise. Since you’re all here, I guess she was right. You left for a reason. I suppose life really isn’t all that great.”
“Yeah… it’s something else.”
“Let me finish packing up your food, and remember, this stays between us, and the rest of you boys I guess.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Gosh you guys can be way too formal sometimes.”
Yuto gave them their order, reminding them one more time that you weren’t a bad person, regardless of the things you were involved with. They returned to the house with the others cheering and diving into the food. The two didn’t mention anything for the time being, agreeing to talk about it later when they weren’t at home. Before they left, JM made sure to let you know they were leaving and that you should eat. On the way to work the others talked about what Yuto had told them.
“That’s so cool!” Bain said. “She’s a secret badass!”
“That’s not the takeaway here.” DY said.
“But it’s cool, you gotta admit that.”
“She must have a lot of power to keep the peace in a small town like this.” Jimin added. “It’s impressive she does it all by herself.”
“And that she keeps it a secret.” JM reminded. “We didn’t know, and I doubt we would have ever found out if she didn’t want us to. Speaking of, how did you guys come across this?”
“Last night…” Geonu began. “Seeing her like that, it made me wonder what the cause was. And we also know every week she disappears at night. I wanted to know, and it all makes sense now.”
“So what do we do?” Sangwoo asked. “With this information. We can’t tell her we know cause she would be upset, right?”
“It wasn’t our business to know in the first place… but I was worried she was in trouble…”
“Then let’s help her.” Bain suggested.
“What?”
“We can be her muscle!”
“She’s never come back injured.” Jimin said. “She can clearly handle herself.”
“But it still weighs on her. A little help wouldn’t hurt.”
“We can’t go up to her and tell her this.”
“Then let’s at least make sure she’s okay with our own eyes.”
“What?”
“I get what you’re saying.” JM continued. “We follow her one night, just to make sure she’s alright. Then we can all be more at ease.”
“That’s not a bad idea…” DY mumbled. “But what if we get caught?”
“Then we’ll talk to her. We’re worried either way.”
“Alright. Next time she goes out, we follow in secret.”
⧫
They didn’t have to wait long before going on their little midnight adventure. They were quiet, pretending to sleep, and waiting for you to head out. Once they heard the door shut, they gave it a minute before getting up and getting dressed. The main point was to follow without being discovered, and not to lose you. Since keeping secrets was your thing, they knew it would be hard to follow you, but they were determined to do so anyway.
It was late in the night so the streets were mostly empty, and you walked with your hood covering your face, going by without attracting attention. You wound up leaving the town, heading out to some place much darker. They had to hurry from there to keep up with you, and also keeping in mind how to get back if necessary. The area actually seemed dead, but you came to what seemed like a small house, knocking and stepping inside. They quickly rushed over, JM and Geonu pressed their ears against the doors, the others looking for a way to peek in.
“Who are you?” They could hear your voice. “What is going on?”
“You always say the same thing.”
The other voice they didn’t recognize, but your scream caught them all off guard, quickly changing their curiosity to panic. They could hear some sort of struggle going on inside. JM tried the door but it was locked and wouldn’t budge at all. Now everyone was looking for a way in, but when it got quiet they stopped as well. There was the sound of movement inside but no one was speaking. They all gathered around, trying to figure out their next move.
“We need to get inside.”
“Obviously.” JM hissed. “But the door is locked, and we can’t bust it down.”
“There must be another door.” Bain said. “Like a back door or something.”
“Right. You and DY search for one, the rest of us need to find things to use as weapons. We don’t know how many people we’ll face in there.”
They all broke off to do what they were tasked with, being quick and quiet. The boys found some pipes, and a back door. It was locked as well, but this one they could get open. Thankfully they had the cover of darkness, so they could get in without being detected. Once inside they listened for voices, but there weren’t any, just silence, and the occasional noise of some sort of machinery. They moved around quietly towards the noise and source of light. Soon enough they could see you, and the sight was a horror they couldn’t have imagined.
You were seated in a chair, your arms restrained, and an all too familiar vacant look in your eyes. They all came to recognize the bracelet on your wrist, as well as the earpieces you had on. Two PDs were on either side, and there seemed to be another person with a briefcase that seemed to contain some computer setup. Although another painful point was the mess of pills scattered around the floor, ones they would know anywhere. No one really thought to talk, or figure out a plan, the anger and confusion driving them all to act, to attack.
“What the-”
The PDs were quick to fight back, although they were occupied while Geonu got to you, grabbing your face and trying to get something out of you.
“Y/n! Y/n! Snap out of it! What-”
Geonu wound up getting hit in the head with the back of a gun, collapsing to the floor. He was dragged away from you and forced on his knees next to the others. They all seem injured, but most of all pissed. The other from before, with the case, stood and examined them all. They wore a mask, so there was no way to distinguish any features.
“Wow, 55, 21, 22, 82, 10, and 01, how fortunate to find you all at once. You did well to hide yourselves, although it seems you had some help. I suppose we need to start asking her about those she keeps close to her, we would have found you immediately.”
“What are you doing to her!” Sangwoo yelled. “She’s not like us!”
“No? I’m afraid you’re mistaken. 46 is part of a different experiment. Although given their interaction with you over the last few weeks, it may be best to return for further examination.”
“You leave her out of this!” DY hissed. “We’re the ones you want.”
“You’re not. I’m here to gather data on 46, you happen to cross my path, and I do have authority to bring you back. It’s fortunate and unfortunate all at once. We should get going.”
They were all more than ready to fight, but were quickly incapacitated. One by one they collapsed to the floor, their vision blurring and fading to black.
⧫
“Good morning, Just B.”
It was always strange, waking up like normal, but feeling like there was more just beneath the surface. Sleeping wasn’t always the best. They’d chalk it up to bad dreams, but they didn’t really dream. It was just another day, and there was nothing but the same routine to follow.
Time didn’t mean anything for them. They knew what needed to be done, and nothing else mattered. Yet there was something, something deep inside that was trying to surface. They didn’t mention it to one another, nor did they think much of it. As time went on though, the feeling became stronger, and then there was a dream.
“We left…”
Geonu stared at himself in the mirror, trying to process what he knew, what he felt, was the truth. They had escaped this place, and yet somehow they had come back. He knew it wasn’t by choice, something, but the memories of what lies beyond that door were still buried. Now it was a matter of choice. To wait for the truth, or to take action now. That wasn’t a decision he could make on his own, so when he had the chance he talked to the others.
“This is gonna sound crazy… but we’re not supposed to be here.”
“Huh?”
“We escaped… and I don’t know how we’re back.”
“You’ve had a dream too?” JM asked. “About… out there?”
“Not exactly, but I know we left this place.”
“Then why are we back?” DY wondered. “I don’t think… we wanted too…”
“Something happened… but I don’t remember.”
“So what do we do?” Sangwoo questioned. “Do we… leave again?”
“We stop taking those pills for starters.” Jimin said. “They keep us complacent.”
“There’s something else.” Bain added. “Something we’re all missing…”
“We can’t stay. Not for long. They’ll figure out what is happening and stop us, somehow. If we’re going to go, we need to do it soon.”
“Agreed.” Geonu said. “Tomorrow… instead of class, we get out.”
Pretending was the hardest, especially in a place where you’re meant to feel nothing, to know nothing besides what you’re told. If anything they hope the extra night would give them more answers, as to how they left, and what was missing. They didn’t get anything though, but their plan was still the same. They left for a reason, meaning they were not meant to stay. Being in this place, and knowing it was not for them made it all the worse. The things that were expected of them, and for them to remain complacent. It wasn’t meant to be home.
The lack of anyone else besides them was certainly disturbing, but it would work in their favor. That is until they did in fact find someone else. They rounded a corner and came to a halt, seeing a girl standing before them with a somewhat familiar weapon in hand.
“Oh good, I found you.”
“Us?”
“You don’t… that’s not the point, we need to go, now!”
It was quickly established that you shared the same goals, so they followed, you seemed to be going the same way regardless. You burst through the doors and the cool air hit you first, slowly revealing the night sky. Everyone slowed down as they came to the ledge, seeing there was nowhere else to run.
“Fuck…” Bain looked around. “What do we do now?”
“You jump.” You said. “I understand you don’t remember right now but you have to jump.”
“Who are you?”
“There’s no time to explain. Guards will be here any second now.”
“Y/n…” DY mumbled. “That’s your name.”
“Yes, yes, that’s good. You know me, you trust me, you need to do this now.”
“Wait… but you…”
“Ugh. You emotional idiots!”
You threw the gun to the ground and shoved Geonu over the edge. In the small moment of disbelief you managed to grab DY and shove him off too.
“What are you-”
“Helping!” You grabbed Jimin. “Don’t make me throw you off.”
Jimin smirked. “You’re always like this, aren’t you?”
“I’m glad you remember that. Now go.”
Jimin glanced at the others, nodding his head. Maybe they didn’t remember, but in the moment they knew deep down they could trust you. Jimin stepped over the edge, followed by Sangwoo. Only you remained with Bain and JM.
“I hope you remember where to go.”
“Don’t you know?” JM questioned.
“I’m not coming.”
“What?”
“Someone has to buy you time. Or else they’ll just follow.”
“No. No you come with.”
“I’ve made my choice.”
You shoved Bain off, getting into a bit of a struggle with JM. He slipped over the edge as you pushed him, but he grabbed your arm, pulling you down with him. You were quick though, grabbing the grate floor and holding yourself up, JM hanging over the edge while holding onto you. The moment of adrenaline, and the thought of losing you was enough to bring it all flooding back for JM, and he held on tight.
“I remember!”
“Good. I feel better knowing that.”
“Y/n!”
“Get to the bunker, take the money, all of it, get a change of clothes, and the blank IDs. You’ll need new identities, and sell the others. Get as far away from here as possible!”
“You are coming with us!”
“How else can I guarantee your freedom unless I stay?”
“You should be free too, all of us, together!”
“I had my freedom, four years, and that’s good enough for me. The rest of you… deserve to be free too.”
“No, no, you are not doing this!” JM tried to pull you down, but you held on tight. “We have so much to pay you back for!”
“Let go and live your lives. That’s how you can pay me back.”
“What about you? We don’t even know what they’ll do to you.”
“So forget about me, and build your own path.”
“We… we wouldn’t even know how to live, we wouldn’t even know what freedom is without you. Please, don’t do this.”
“You have to go with the rest of your brothers. They need you.”
“We need you.”
“Don’t come back here, I’ll never forgive you if you do, but please forgive me.”
You dug your nails into JM’s arm. A scream ripped from his throat, and he could tell his grip was loosening, but still he held on, even though he knew he didn’t have much time.
“Don’t sacrifice yourself like this. It’s a nightmare in there!”
“I can manage… for you…”
The smile on your face, JM could never forget. He let go despite his desperate attempts to hold on. His fingers brushing against yours for the last time. You faded into the background, disappearing from his sight, from all their lives, just like that. The world was empty and silent, the tears floating up and following him down. This was an end and a beginning he’d never imagined, and he had no idea how he would tell the others.
JM woke with a jump, images still fresh in his mind giving him a headache. This wasn’t the first time that had happened, and he was certain it wouldn’t be the last. As the feeling passed he reached for the pills on his desk, taking two and catching his breath. It was hard to describe where he was at in life now, more so when there was so much in his past that weighed on him. He was trying to calm himself when a pop up window appeared, revealing some chat room. It seemed to be the beginning of something more.
