Limitless @heebiejbies - Tumblr Blog

May 7, 2018

Pray For Me - Part I

Warnings: Mentions of blood, murder, gore, etc. Horror stuff basically. This chapter is lowkey uneventfu tho

Characters: Yukhei, Doyoung, Jaehyun, Taeyong, Johnny, Ten, Taeil, and Jungwoo

Word Count: 10.3k

Author’s Note: Okay, so this thing has become a MONSTER. This is part one of part two, which will be equally as long—if not longer. Also hi! I am back from the grave~

Also, Tumblr on moble has messed up the text layout way too much, what’s up with that? 😒 Gotta add a line so it divides this from the beginning better.

The setting sun cast shades of pink and orange across the water, the rays reflecting off of the still surface resembling that of glass. It was dusk when we arrived, almost nightfall. The sun kissed the top of the water, setting more and more as we emptied the vehicle.

The house before us was one out of the movies; colonial era, pillars cascading down the front, two red doors on both front doors—the top leading out to a balcony that spanned the entire length of the house, and then the one thing that tied the entire picture together... The trees framing the house in a picturesque fashion that matched that of one you’d see on television. It was a sight to behold, every single one of us were astonished that this is where we would be spending our weekend.

Our driver helped us unload the last of our bags, and it was time for the big reveal. Johnny put the key in the lock and unlocked it, all eight of us piling in through the front door.

“This place is amazing! Johnny, how’d you find this place?” We looked around in amazement. The crystal chandelier hanging above us twinkled in the setting sunlight, casting an array of light along the foyer.

“You find the best of things on the internet, my friends. With four bedrooms, three bathrooms, a finished basement, and a gourmet kitchen, this little beauty was build back in the 1600s. It housed soldiers during the-”

“Yeah yeah, we get it.” I cut him off, taking my bags and walking up the staircase. Peaking in each separate room, I finally found the one I wanted to claim as my own. I tossed my bags inside and called out to the boys that were trailing behind me.

“Alright, you guys come get me when the weekend is up,” I joked, closing the door and then locking it behind me.

“Ahh (Y/N)! Why did you get first pick?!” I heard Jaehyun whining outside the door, the pout on his face could clearly be seen in my head.

“Because she gets her own room, that’s why!” Johnny argued, the sound of shuffling feet signaled he was ushering the younger away from the door. Their chatter died down, and I started to unpack.

Around thirty minutes later, I emerged from my room. Clad in a pair of gym shorts and a t-shirt, I was ready to go explore around. With my camera hanging around my neck, I went downstairs and stopped by the living room to let the boys know where I was going.

“Alright, if any of you weirdos need me, I’ll be outside taking pictures while we still have a bit of daylight.” I flashed them my camera, then taking a quick picture of the four that were sitting around the room, “Where're the others?”

“Taeyong and Taeil are in the kitchen cooking, I think Ten and Johnny are upstairs still unpacking,” Doyoung responded, on cue Taeyong coming into the room with an apron on.

“It’ll be ready in about an hour, make sure you’re back before then if you want to eat tonight,” He joked, earning a glare or two from the others in the room. I agreed, then ventured outside. Nighttime was approaching fast, which meant I didn’t have much time to capture the beauty of the dusk.

I walked along the bank of the water, taking photos of the sky and water alike. The surface of the water and the sun seemed to melt together as if they were one. The sky now was darkened shades of purple and pink, getting dimmer and dimmer as the sunset. The sun, just barely visible along the surface. The sight was truly beautiful to behold, even my outstanding photography skills couldn’t picture the true beauty of the sight.

“Wow,” I sighed, feeling completely content with myself at that moment. I walked further along, taking photos of the trees and plant life, even some wildlife I found along the way. I found a family of ducks treading the shallow water, none of them seeming to be camera shy.

“Aren’t you guys just the cutest models?” I cooed, one of the babies making its way towards me. The mother duck kept a watchful eye on her baby but kept her distance. I snapped multiple pictures as the baby got closer to me, but then, right before it reached the edge of the land, something scared the baby. I turned to see what had the duck so scared, seeing nothing until I looked at the tree behind me. I zoomed in on it with my camera, confused as to why the ducks would be scared of this.

“It’s just a butterfly, there’s nothing to be afraid of.” I looked over to the ducks who had now fled to their mother, the small creature having spiked some fear in them. I looked back to the butterfly, taking a picture of it before it flew off of the tree. I watched it flutter around, coming closer and closer to me. I held out my hand, waiting to see if it would land on me. I switched my camera to record, focusing it on my hand.

“Come here, little guy.” It flew around, then landed on my index finger. Upon closer inspection, I could fully see the design in its wings. It was black, with faint dots of red along the outline. “You’re not a super common butterfly, are you?” I asked, more so to myself than the winged being that still rested on my finger. Something about it entranced me, it had an unknown aura radiating off of it. I couldn’t put my finger on it, but something about it made me want to stay here for the rest of the night.

As if sensing my careful gaze, it twitched its wings slightly before flying away from me and out towards the water. I watched it for a moment, my phone pulling me from my trance.

Dinner is ready ^^

I slid my phone back into my pocket and headed back to the house. I clicked through the pictures on my camera along the way, the butterfly still fresh on my mind. I shrugged it off, deciding to not get too caught up over something on our vacation.

Dinner was something I think we all needed. All the stress we had in our lives, all of our worries just seemed to disappear the second we entered the house. We sat around in the kitchen, laughing and cutting up like old times.

“I have to tell you guys something funny. I read this post on Instagram-”

“You can read?” Doyoung cut Johnny off, Johnny glaring at him as the rest of us laughed. I reached across the table to high five Doyoung, causing Johnny to also glare at me.

“Hey, just because you are my best friend doesn't mean I'm always on your side.” I chuckled, nudging him with my elbow.

“Oh, you two watch your backs. I'll get you back.” His glare faded and he laughed, then continuing with his story.

The rest of dinner included mainly stories of old times, including the first time Taeyong bleached his hair.

“You looked like Jack Frost!”

“Or Elsa!”

“Oh come on guys,” Ten paused, “Let it go!” The entire table burst into chuckles as Taeyong blushed.

“Hey, I thought Taeyong was super cute with his white hair.” I chimed in, causing Taeyong to blush even further. Johnny pinched his cheeks, “Aww, she said you were cute~”

None of us noticed, but one person had kept their mouth relatively shut the entire night. Doyoung nudged him, “Yukhei, are you alright?” He nodded, inserting himself into the conversation—everything seemingly back to normal with him.

After dinner, I waited on the porch for our surprise guest. At the sight of headlights coming down the driveway, I squealed with excitement. The car stopped, I nearly yanked the door off of its hinges to get to him. He hopped out of the car and wrapped his arms around me.

“I missed you so much!” I ruffled his hair, “I'm so glad you could make it. Everyone is going to be so happy that you're here.”

I picked up his bags and headed up to the front door, pausing before we went inside, “Hey, Jungwoo, has Yukhei said anything to you about feeling bad?”

He shook his head, “No, why?”

“He’s just been really quiet today is all. I think you being here will help.” I took him inside and to the others, all of which jumped in excitement over seeing Jungwoo.

“I should have known you would have invited him!” Johnny pointed at me, “That's why you wanted your own room. So you could room with him!”

I looked at him and nodded, “Yeah, heh, I knew Jungwoo would want to stay with me.”

I felt eyes on me, and when I met them I felt a warmth spread all throughout my body. He smiled at me, and me at him.

“Later,” He mouthed. I nodded in agreement, then joined in with everyone else’s conversation about what movies to watch later.

During the last movie of the night, after half of us had gone to bed, I sat on the couch flipping through the pictures I had taken earlier.

“You took those?” I nodded, “You've always taken amazing photos, ever since I met you and you took my photo without asking me first.”

“Okay listen,” I turned towards him, “I didn't mean to take it, but you looked so handsome that I just had to. Like, have you seen your nose, Ten? Your nose is perfect.” I poked his nose, causing the tips of his ears to turn red.

“Aww, thanks (Y/N). You were cute when I met you, too.”

“Oh, please! I looked horrible all of the time. Right, Johnny?” Johnny, who was half asleep, opened his eyes and looked at us.

“Oh, yeah. She's right..?”

“Wow, Johnny, I was just joking but damn! You got me there.” He shook himself fully awake, sitting up and looking at me in shock, “Wait, what?”

Ten and I laughed, waving him off and ignoring him as we went through the rest of the photos I had taken. He leaned his head on my shoulder, making small comments about the pictures—until we got to the butterfly.

“Is that a black butterfly?” He asked, amazement dripping from his voice.

“(Y/N) can I see?” Jungwoo moved closer to me to look at the photo as well.

“Yeah, I took a video of it as well.” I showed them the video and explained the story with the ducks and how they reacted to it. None of us could come up with a logical response, so we left it at that and finished the movie.

“Well, I think I’m going to head to bed.” Ten stood up and stretched, me following suit.

“I am too, Jungwoo, when you are ready to come to bed I will have a light on for you.” Jungwoo and Yukhei were still awake, Yukhei putting in another movie for the two of them.

“Okay, (Y/N), sweet dreams.” I leaned over and hugged him, giving him a kiss on the top of his head, “Good night.”

Ten smacked Johnny on the arm, waking him up so he could go to bed as well. We said goodnight and went to our respected bedrooms.

The bedroom I picked had its own bathroom, so I took it upon myself to take a nice, relaxing bath. I lit a few candles and laid it around the bathtub and turned on some faint music. I ran the water and stepped in, waiting until it was almost full before turning the water off. I slid down into the tub and closed my eyes, focusing on the warmth of the water and the music.

I liked moments like these. Moments where I could just relax and let my mind wander, going deeper and deeper into the corners of my mind I left alone during most times. I did my best thinking during this time, my best decisions came after these times.

I started to think about the trip, how amazing it was to be with my favorite people in the world. They all looked so happy, so relaxed and genuinely glad to be together.

Johnny, my best friend since we were children. Despite him being a couple of years older, we clicked instantly. We were the dynamic duo, we did everything together. We had been with one another through ups and downs, the good times and the bad. He moved to Korea when he was 16, which to this day I still give him a hard time over. Saying that he left me alone and such.

“Wow, no hug for your best friend? Your best friend that you abandoned and left alone years ago? That’s cold, Johnny. Reaaaallll cold.”

He deadpanned, looking baffled at my words.

“Oh, I'm just kidding, come help me get my bags. We have a lot to catch up on.”

I met Taeyong and Ten through him. When Johnny moved away, they were two of the friends he made in Korea.

Taeyong, the moment I met him I knew he was a soft-hearted person. I related to him instantly, he held the weight of the world on his shoulders so no one else would have to. When I met him, he was struggling internally. On the outside, he was so well held together, perseverant and wise beyond his years. On the inside, he was crumbling. He was struggling with trying to figure out who he was, and honestly, I was feeling the same. I remember a silly promise the two of us made to one another.

“(Y/N), promise me that one day, when we are older and actually have our shit together, we will look back on this and laugh and not be upset.”

I looked him in the eyes, seriousness shooting out of his own eyes.

“I promise.”

Ten, he was a different story than Taeyong. Ten was always a positive influence on me. He didn't know me well, but we grew close quickly and he was always that positive voice in my head. He convinced me to go after who I wanted to be, not who I thought I should be.

“Well let me ask you a question then. Do you really want to be this person, or do you only think that because you've been told your whole life that you're supposed to be that way?”

“I… Honestly?”

He smiled, his point proven by my lack of a response.

“There's your answer. Be who you want to be, (Y/N). There's no one else in the world like you. Be proud of who you really are.”

Then, there were Jaehyun and Taeil.

Jaehyun and Taeil, I wasn't super close to like the others. We were good friends, but not as good of friends as the others and I were.

Jaehyun being Taeyong’s childhood best friend, and Taeil being Taeyong’s older brother. They were both around whenever Taeyong and I would hang out, so naturally, we became friends as well. Taeil and Jaehyun both expressed gratitude for me and how I helped Taeyong.

“Being his older brother, it breaks my heart when I can't help him through something. He means a lot to me, and when this all first started happening, I thought I would lose him for good.”

“He was that bad?”

“He was, and I just want to thank you for how you have helped him. You helped him when it seemed none of us could, you helped save him from himself.”

Jaehyun expressed a similar feeling as Taeil did.

“We have been together since we were in diapers, but I don't think that mattered. He needed someone who could sympathize with him, someone who could relate to him.”

“Someone going through a similar situation as he was..?” He nodded, “Someone like me.”

“Exactly someone like you.”

This little vacation would be spending time with great friends, and even getting closer to the ones I wasn't so close to.

Having Jungwoo there made it better—much better. I had been close with him for years, I watched after him like a little brother and loved him just as much. We were inseparable, despite our differences in personality. I hadn't seen him in so long after he decided to go pursue his music career, but thankfully he could squeeze in some time to come with us, something that I waited for so long for.

“Do you think that… I'll do well? With my music?”

He was cuddled up on my couch, his head against my shoulder, my arm wrapped around his shoulders.

“You can do anything you set your mind to. You have a voice that makes the angels envious, you have so much talent just waiting inside of you, waiting to come out. I know you will do well.” I kissed the top of his head, he giggled and hugged my waist, “As long as you promise to video chat sometimes, and I demand you see me at least once a year.”

“Cross my heart.”

It had been almost a year since then, and having him back with me, even for a short amount of time, meant the world to me. Having Yukhei along also meant the world to Jungwoo.

Yukhei, he was a good friend of Jungwoo’s. I didn't know much about Yukhei, he was a mystery to me it seemed. We spoke and got along with one another, even joked around and teased each other, but I didn't know a whole lot about him.

I knew that he was the youngest of us all, but sometimes he seemed older than half of us. He was mature, but he had a childish and goofy side that tended to mask his maturity. Also, apparently, he liked me very much. Something I didn't even notice until Jungwoo pointed it out.

“He admires you, (Y/N). Just the other day he asked me how you were feeling, and if you needed anything.”

“He has my phone number, though, doesn't he? Why couldn't he ask me himself?”

“He admires you, silly! He looks up to you and all, but he's a little shy towards you. I tell him there's no reason to be shy, but he's set in his ways.”

I hoped that I would be able to get to know him on this trip, someone that was so close to Jungwoo I wanted to know. Jungwoo thought so highly of him as well, so he had to be a good person.

My phone dinging dragged me out of my thoughts.

Are you asleep yet?

I peered out one eye, just enough so I could read my phone. When I saw who it was from, I wiped my hand dry and grabbed it.

No, taking a bath. Why?

No reason… When Jungwoo goes to sleep, do you want to meet me?

Once I finish with my bath. Name the time and place, I'm there ❤

We agreed to meet at the dock that stretched out into the lake. The full moon illuminated the area around us, giving us the perfect view of one another. We said with our feet dangling off the edge of the dock, hands intertwined and our heads resting against one another.

“I think this trip was a great idea. It's nice being able to relax for once, and here with you makes it even more perfect.” He kissed my cheek, playing with my fingers.

“When do you think we should tell them?”

“I don't know… I’m tired of keeping it a secret, though. Especially from Jungwoo and Taeyong.” I looked off to the moon, it shined brightly in the night, its light reflecting off of the water.

“Well, let's not think about that right now,” I stood up and slipped off the t-shirt I had on, “Let's go for a swim!”

I dove into the water, the chill sending goosebumps all up my body. He dived in beside me, swimming after me until he captured me in his arms. We surfaced, his arms still around me. I wiped the hair out of his face and kissed him gently.

“I’ve missed moments like this.”

We looked deeply into one another’s eyes, his eyes twinkling in the moonlight. He looked so beautiful, so unreal, I couldn't believe that he was actually mine.

All peaceful moments have to come to an end, though, and water was splashed on my face before I knew it. He giggled and swam away from me, struggling due to how hard he was giggling.

“Oh, it's on!” I swam after him, splashing water at him as I chased him. We were giggling and splashing water, having the time of our lives. It was as if we were children, having fun as if it were just the two of us in the world.

He started growing tired, giving me an opportunity to wrap my arms around his waist and pulling his body against mine. We floated there, in absolute silence. Crickets chirping and bullfrogs croaking the only sound in the night.

“This reminds me of one of the first moment I realized I had feelings for you, when we were making Taeyong’s birthday cake. Do you remember that?”

“Of course, I loved that day.”

Ten met Doyoung through school, and the two of them hit it off instantly. Ten introduced him to all of us, and we became friends quickly—him and Taeyong especially. That’s how the birthday cake story came to be.

Jaehyun, Taeil, Doyoung, and I were baking a cake for Taeyong’s surprise birthday party. Well, trying to bake a cake that is.

“(Y/N), can you hand me a cup of flour?”

“Yeah, sure,” I measured out a cup, proceeding to turn to hand it to Taeil. however, as I was turning, Doyoung stood right behind me. I ran into him and the flour spilled all over his black shirt. I bit back the urge to laugh, and the unamused look on his face made it that much more hilarious.

Taeil wondered what happened, and he turned to see the mess all over Doyoung’s shirt. He put his hand over his mouth to suppress his laughter, but it didn't work out too well. Doyoung turned to say something, and I took that moment to pick up a bit of flour from the bag and blow it in his face.

He turned slowly, his eyes narrowing. He wiped his face, “You did not,” He looked at his hand to see flour all over it, “Oh, it's on!” I turned and ran away as he armed himself with a handful of flour. “(Y/N)! Get back here! You deserve a face full of flour!”

I ran into the living room, he followed hot on my trail. He had me cornered, but I managed to slip between him and the couch and ran back into the kitchen. He threw some at me, barely getting a bit in my hair.

“You're a terrible throw!” I ran around the island, accidentally bumping Taeil on the way.

“Okay guys, can we get serious-” He was cut off by flour hitting him on the side of his face, Doyoung and me freezing in our spot to stare at him.

“Okay,” He looked at the two of us, “You two are going to lose!” He picked up a handful of flour and tossed it at Doyoung, Doyoung getting some and doing the same. I ended up in the middle of them, dodging flour as I tried to hit them with it at the same time. At one point, Doyoung picked up a giant handful of flour and it had my name written all over it.

I tried to run, but the flour on the floor made it impossible for me to get far. He wrapped one arm around me and poured it all over the top of my head, laughing maniacally as he did so.

“Aww! Doyoung!” He held me tight so I couldn't get away, his laughs still going strong. I couldn't help but laugh as well, especially when looking around at the mess that we made.

At one point, while he still had me in his grasp, Doyoung and I locked eyes. I had never noticed how beautiful his eyes were, and despite being covered in flour, he himself was beautiful. In that span of maybe 20 seconds, I ran through everything about him that I liked, and I found that I liked a great deal about him.

It was that moment, looking into his eyes, that I noticed my heart beating faster. That was when I knew I had fallen for him.

“The funniest part was when Jaehyun came back with the icing, he looked so confused when he saw the sea of white powder all around the kitchen!”

“And then we had to send him back for more flour because all of what we had was on us and on the floor!”

The overwhelming feeling of nostalgia swarmed my heart. That was one year ago, Doyoung and I started dating 8 months ago. We had agreed not to say anything, just in case we didn't get serious or didn't work out. After 8 months, though, we both knew it was time to come clean with everyone.

“(Y/N)?”

“Hmm?”

“I love you.” This wasn't the first time he told me he loved me, but something about this time felt so much more intimate than the previous times. It made my heart skip a beat, even when I heard the same words before.

“I love you, more than you will ever know, Doyoung.” I kissed his cheek, causing him to sigh in content.

The coldness of the water started getting to us, so we both agreed to get out. We gathered our clothes and snuck back in the house, careful to be quiet and not wake anyone.

“You took a bath and then went swimming in the lake, why would you do that?” He giggled.

“It was a spur of the moment thing, I didn't know I would be swimming when I got in the bath.”

After grabbing towels to dry off, we grabbed a drink from the fridge, going to sit on the couch for a moment. We snuggled up against one another, once again in silence.

“I think I'm going to go take a shower, I'm a little chilly.” I tried to stand up, but he gripped onto my hand and wouldn't let go.

“Mind if I join?” He winked, a grin spread across his face.

“I mean, I wouldn't mind, but Jungwoo is in my room and I wouldn't want to wake him up.” He let go of my hand, standing up so he could hug me.

“I’ll see you in the morning, then.”

“In the morning.” I pecked his lips, “Goodnight, sweetheart.”

“Aww, do you have to go?” He kissed my cheek, “I think we have a few more moments to spare.” He pressed his lips firmly against mine, his hand coming to cup my cheek.

The kiss deepened, I slowly moved back onto the couch, leaning against the arm as he crawled on top of me. I pulled his body against mine, craving the warmth that radiated off of his body.

“Damn, I love you so much.” I grabbed at his shirt, attempting to pull it off of him. With just the two of us there in one another’s arms, the moment seemed almost perfect.

That was, until we heard what sounded like something breaking in the kitchen. We broke apart, our eyes focusing on the doorway into the kitchen.

“What was that?” He whispered.

“I don't know, let's go take a look.” We stood up and walked towards the kitchen, I flipped the light on and entered, not seeing a sign of anyone. Doyoung, still right by my side, looked around for anything broken. We didn't see anything, and I decided to go check the dining room.

“Ouch!” A sharp pain in my foot made me flinch, Doyoung running to my side as I lifted up my foot to see what it was. A small amount of blood was slowly trickling out, he immediately started to overreact.

“Oh, you're bleeding! Here, let me help you sit down.” He helped me walk to a chair in the kitchen, despite my protests.

“What kind of boyfriend would I be if I didn't tend to your wounds?” He smiled, that smile of his that I couldn't say no to. He grabbed a bit of supplies from the downstairs bathroom, then sat in a chair across from me and started to fix it.

“It isn't a huge piece of glass, thankfully,” He showed me a small shard of glass he pulled out of my foot, “This couldn't have made that big of a sound.”

He disinfected it and wrapped it up, “There, as good as new.”

He took my hand and helped me up, I put pressure on my foot to feel a slight sting.

“Do you need help?”

“No, I can manage.”

He grabbed a paper towel and dampened it, cleaning up the small dribbles of blood I left. When he got to where the blood began, he swept that area, only coming up with three other small shards of glass.

“Whatever we heard wasn't this, like I said. These shards are too small to have made that big of a noise.”

“Well, what did we hear then?” He looked around the room, pointing to something. I turned to where he was pointing and saw a window cracked open.

“Probably something outside. It's too quiet in here, that's why it sounded like it was in the kitchen.”

“Oh, well, let's shut that window before we go to sleep.”

We shut the window, then said goodnight to one another again. I made it back to my room, careful to not wake Jungwoo. I grabbed a pair of pajamas and went and took a shower, careful to not get the gauze on my foot wet.

After I showered, I brushed my teeth and tied my hair up—exhaustion hitting me like a train. I turned the light off and dragged myself to the bed—more than happy to lay down and go to sleep.

I was almost asleep when Jungwoo spoke.

“Are you okay?”

I turned over to face him, seeing his eyes barely open.

“Yeah, why?”

“You just seemed a little tense is all.”

I shook my head, “I am perfectly fine, let's go to sleep okay?”

He hummed, his eyes shutting and falling asleep almost instantly. Right before I fell asleep, I sent a goodnight text.

Thanks for tonight, I love you 💕 Goodnight 😚

The next morning, just before dawn, I awoke to a singing Jungwoo. I opened my eyes and looked around the room, hearing the shower running. Before he left, we always stay together and he would sing in the shower in the morning. Not that I minded, though, it was like a free mini-concert to wake up to.

“Morning, Jungwoo!” I entered the bathroom and grabbed my toothbrush, turning the water on.

“Morning, (Y/N)! Did you sleep well?”

“I did, I’m assuming you did too with how hard you were sleeping last night!” I chuckled, hearing him click his tongue. I spit, then rinsed my mouth out. Hearing the water turn off, I made my leave so he could get dressed. I got dressed as well, grabbed my phone from the nightstand.

Do you think we should tell them today?

Are you ready to tell them?

Jungwoo jumped on my back, causing me to drop my phone.

“Yah! Jungwoo what is this about?” He giggled, wrapping his arms around me and hugging me.

“I just miss our mornings like this. Where we just were lazy and laid around all day.” He rested his head against my back, “I miss you sometimes.”

I looked at my phone that sat facedown on the bed, thinking.

“I miss you too, Jungwoo. You would assume we would have gotten used to this, but we haven’t,” He let out a sigh, “That’s a part of being an adult, though, I suppose.”

Yeah, I’m ready to tell them.

We laid like that, just reminiscing about old times. Very rarely did our visits consist of only being able to just relax like this, and it was something long overdue.

“I’m thinking about breakfast, what do you think?” He nodded, getting off of my back so I could get up. On our way downstairs, we met up with Taeyong and Jaehyun, whose roommates were still snoozing the day away.

“What’s for breakfast?” Taeyong slung his arm around me, questioning me.

“Well I don’t know about you, but I was just going to go for a bowl of cereal or something quick like that.” I shrugged his arm off, nudging him as I did so.

“Oh, come on (Y/N)~ Don’t you want a nice, home-cooked meal instead? I know I could go for one right now.” Jungwoo smiled at Taeyong, Taeyong agreeing almost instantly to cook a meal for him. He sprinted off into the kitchen to get started while Jaehyun, Jungwoo, and I stood there in silence. Jaehyun and I looked to one another, then to Jungwoo.

“Can you please teach us how to do that?”

Taeyong had a soft spot for Jungwoo just like I did, Jungwoo could ask him to do anything and he would say yes without arguing.

“Can one of you come help me, please?”

I helped Taeyong cook, while Jaehyun and Jungwoo watched us. They sat with their head resting in their hands, watching us intently.

“If I didn’t know any better, I’d say we were a bunch of mules,” I joked, Taeyong and me glancing at Jaehyun and Jungwoo who just smiled innocently.

“One good thing comes from this,” I leaned in closer so he could whisper in my ear, “Maybe we can sneak a bit of food before they make a plate.”

After a few ‘taste tests’ here and there, breakfast was finally ready. We made our plates, and Jaehyun and I went to go outside on the back patio to have breakfast. We each had a plate and cup in our hands and were just about to go outside so we could watch the rest of the sunrise when I saw something that sent shivers up my spine.

I didn’t believe my eyes at first, blinking several times to try and get a clear picture of what exactly I was looking at—or rather what was looking at me. Someone dressed head to toe in black, a ski mask covering their face, stood on the patio with their eyes set right on me. My voice was stuck in my throat as their arm slowly rose, their hand waving at me from outside. They took a step closer to the door, that’s when my voice came back to me.

“J-Jaehyun!” I screamed, dropping my plate and cup, sending them to the floor with a shatter. I heard Jaehyun drop his in response to my screams, coming and running to where I was. I backed into him, grabbing onto his shirt as my breathing got heavier and heavier.

“What is it?! What happened?!”

“T-There was, right there, just standing there!” I couldn’t form a proper thought, my words coming out as stutters.

“(Y/N)! Are you okay?!” Taeyong and Jungwoo came running to my side, the two of them clearly on edge after hearing me.

“Hey, calm down, you’re safe,” Jaehyun wrapped his arms around me tightly, “Take a deep breath, and tell me what happened.”

I let my head fall against his shoulder, my body still trembling. We were in the middle of nowhere, no one should be out here like that. Especially not someone like that… And the fact that I saw them didn’t scare them, that is what made it even worse.

“Outside… There was someone,” I took a deep breath in, “They were… Standing there, watching me!”

“Someone was outside?” I nodded, Taeyong going to the door and looking around for any signs of someone being out there.

“(Y/N),” Jaehyun brushed my hair out of my face, “Are you sure that you saw someone?”

“Yes! T-They waved at me! They saw me, and they waved at me Jaehyun! Why is someone out here? Why would someone be out here? And so early?!” I was in hysterics, aside from the fact that someone was in the middle of nowhere with us at the break of dawn, I was even more terrified at the fact that they tried to come into the house. If I hadn’t screamed for Jaehyun, what would they have done?

The rest of the boys came running into the back area, some still wiping sleep from their eyes.

“What happ- (Y/N)! Are you okay?” The sight of everyone around me made Johnny worried, he rushed over to me and observed me, checking to see if anything was wrong with me.

“What happened?”

“She saw someone outside,” Taeyong replied, still keeping his eyes trained outside.

“You saw someone? Out there?” Johnny pointed out the door, I nodded in response.

“Is he still out there?!” He ran to the door with Taeyong, the two of them deciding to open the door and go out to investigate.

“Did they do anything to hurt you?” Ten asked, coming to stand beside Jaehyun who still had me tightly in his embrace. I shook my head no, a sigh of relief coming across his face.

“What would someone be doing out here, though? And why would they be out here?”

“Taeil, I don’t know! I don’t know how or why! I just know that I saw someone!”

“Are you sure that you saw someone?” My breath hitched, my eyes meeting his. His eyes showed doubt, disbelief, something that I never expected from him.

“W-What?”

“Are you absolutely sure that you saw someone?” He repeated.

“Come on, man, she wouldn’t make this up.” Yukhei hit him in the arm, annoyance laced in his voice.

“I didn’t say that she was, I just want to know if she was sure she saw a person or if it was just her-”

“Really?” I let out a sarcastic laugh, “I’m not fucking imagining things Doyoung! Why would you even suggest something like that? What’s your problem?!”

“(Y/N)-”

“Save it!” I freed myself from Jaehyun’s grasp, storming off to go upstairs. Jaehyun and Jungwoo trailing close behind me.

“What the hell is wrong with you man?” Yukhei came rushing behind them, trying to comfort me.

“Guys, listen, I just want to be left alone right now.”

“But (Y/N)...”

“Jungwoo!” I turned to face him, he flinched back at the tone of my voice. His eyes were glassy, shock and a bit of distress showed on his face. He didn’t like it when people yelled and argued, and he especially didn’t like it when I was in a state such as this. I let my gaze falter, my hand coming to grasp his lightly.

“I’m sorry… Come on, let’s go back to our room.” I pulled him to me, wrapping my arm around him. He wrapped his arm around my waist, and the two of us ascended the staircase. Back in our room, that’s when I exploded.

“Jungwoo, I know I saw someone! They stood there and watched me, and they waved at me! I didn’t want to tell the others this, but before I screamed, they stepped towards the door like they were going to come in. Woogie, what would I have done if they had come in? What if I didn’t yell? Do you think they would have… Hurt me?”

He wrapped his arms around me, letting his chin rest on the top of my head, “I don’t know, (Y/N), but we can just be thankful that they didn’t do anything. When I heard you scream, I felt the blood drain from my body… I was so scared, and when I saw you curled up in Jaehyun’s arms I was relieved. You were safe, unharmed, and even though you were shaken I still couldn’t help but be thankful that you were okay. Especially hearing that the person tried to come in…” He trailed off, running out of things to say to try and comfort me.

“What about Doyoung?”

“What do you mean?”

“Are you mad at him?”

I stood up from the bed, turning around to face Jungwoo. Running my hands through my hair, I sighed, “Yes and no. Yes, I’m mad that he actually would suggest that I was seeing things, but no because I know that’s how he is. He always questions things like that, I just didn’t ever think he’d question me like that. I just hope he lets me blow off some steam before he tries to talk to me again.”

I walked over to the window and looked out, the sun now shining high and bright. I saw Taeyong and Johnny walking around by the bank, deep in discussion about something serious. The two of them looked towards the house, and towards my window. They saw me, their bodies freezing. They looked at me, as if they didn’t know how to feel at that moment. I shook my head at them and turned away from the window.

“Can I ask you a question?” Jungwoo had now stood up as well, standing by my side.

“Of course.”

“It may be just me overthinking, but why did you look so hurt when Doyoung said what he did? I know you, you usually don’t get so upset over things like that.”

I knew that, even though I was mad at Doyoung, we were still together and Jungwoo deserved to know. We had hidden our relationship for too long, and I knew it was time to come clean to at least one person. Jungwoo deserved that, after being by my side for everything, he deserved the truth.

“Jungwoo, I have to tell you something… And I’m not sure how you’re going to react.”

“You can tell me anything, you know that.”

“I know, I know Woogie… The thing is, Doyoung and I, we have… Well… We have been dating… For 8 months now…” I looked down at my feet, ashamed that I had kept something from him for 8 months, and when he didn’t respond I feared the worse.

“Jungwoo?” I looked up at him, a big grin on his face. “What is it?”

“(Y/N)!” He wrapped his arms around me and squeezed me tightly, “That’s so cute! I always knew you and him would make a good couple! Why didn’t you tell me sooner?!”

I chuckled, he seemed more excited about it than when Doyoung and I actually first got together. It was adorable, and something I should have expected coming from him.

“We didn’t want to say anything, just in case it wasn’t serious. After this much time, though, I think it’s pretty serious now.”

“Well! Come on, you have to tell me all about it!”

We spent the next couple of hours talking about the months leading up to and following mine and Doyoung’s relationship—Jungwoo hooked on every word I said.

“I’m so happy you’ve found someone, (Y/N). You always said you never wanted to deal with the dating scene, but then you found someone that made you want to try. Ahh, so romantic!” He flung himself back on the bed with a sigh, his hands coming over his heart.

He always knew how to cheer me up, even by doing what seemed like absolutely nothing. I wouldn’t know what to do if Jungwoo wasn’t in my life, I would be lost without him.

The sun shined in through the window, instantly brightening up the room. I looked out the window to admire the view. Now around midday, the sun beamed down from directly overhead. It was sunny, and judging by the ripples on the lake there was a slight breeze. I shrugged off everything that happened earlier and decided to go out and enjoy the day. I put on a tank-top and shorts, making sure to grab my camera as well.

“I’m going out, do you want to come with me?”

Jungwoo shook his head, “Not right now, I’ll come out later though, I promise.”

Jaehyun.

I had already explored the front around the house, so I decided that I should explore the back as well. As I walked towards the back patio, an unsettling feeling arose in my stomach. I stopped in my tracks, staring intently at the door. I felt that uneasy feeling that I felt earlier in the morning, the hairs on the back of my neck began to stand up and I felt my body shudder.

“Hey, Jaehyun.” I walked back towards the front of the house, noticing Jaehyun heading out the front door, dressed similarly to me.

“Hey, (Y/N), are you feeling alright?” He let the front door shut, turning his attention wholly to me.

“Oh, yeah, thanks for earlier… I was wondering, and I know it sounds childish, but could you come with me? Like, outside. I want to go take more pictures but after what happened this morning, well…”

“Don’t worry about it, (Y/N). I understand. I’d love to come with you! Let me tell Taeyong where we are going, first. You know he can be if he can’t find someone.” He laughed, opening the door and popping his head out, “Hey, Tae! Me and (Y/N) are going to go walk around. I’ll meet you guys later.”

We walked through the house and out the back door, onto the patio. The patio had a rock design to it, with an entire patio set spread all across it. It also had a firepit, with a terrace across most of it. We hadn’t had time to really use the patio, but we still had a few more days to go to where we could put it to good use.

We walked around the woods out back, not finding anything at first. I took a few pictures here and there, most of the sun beaming through the trees and a few birds we saw. Then, we spotted a clearing up ahead.

“Oh, now this is nice.” We looked around in amazement, what seemed like an old garden was in the opening. Filled with dozens of different plant life, and an old fountain in the center.

“Do you think whoever owns the house owns this as well?” Jaehyun was walking around the fountain, his eyes fixated on one plant in particular.

“I’m not sure, maybe,” He paused, “Do you know what kind of plant this is?” I walked to where he was, observing the plant as well.

“No, I’m not sure. Google it.” I took a few pictures of it, getting close-ups on the purple flowers. It was very colorful around the garden, but this plant dominated the area. Rather that be because of its larger size, or the pure vibrancy of the flowers.

“It’s a Rhododendron, I’m pretty sure anyway. Is this the same thing?” He showed me a photo, almost identical to the plant in question.

“Yep, that’s it.” I took a few more photos, a strange feelings washing over my body. I knew I had felt the same feeling before, but when?

“Did I show you the butterfly I saw yesterday?” I knew when I had felt it, it was when I saw that butterfly. The way it captivated me, the way it made an unfamiliar sensation swell up in my gut, it was the exact same feeling.

I showed the photos to Jaehyun, he almost became instantly intrigued by the creature.

“It’s so odd, but it’s actually really interesting. It’s unique, I like it. I’ve never seen one like that before.”

“Neither have I, I didn't even know butterflies could be that color. It's the only butterfly I've seen out here, though.” We were making our way back to the house, the topic of the butterfly slowly died down and we started talking about what happened that morning.

“(Y/N), I saw you, I heard you. I know you saw someone, there's no way you didn't. When you left, though, Taeyong and Johnny said they couldn't see a trace of anyone. Whoever it was had to have been careful, too careful for someone just stumbling upon the house.”

“Jae, are you saying what I think you're saying?”

“Whoever that was, they were out here for a reason. After what happened this morning, I'm a little doubtful that they would have stuck around. After all, there are 8 men here,” He paused, “Oh! And you, you're not a force to be reckoned with. You're a badass, I knew that from the moment I met you.” He laughed, a memory of when we first met came to mind.

I first met Jaehyun when Taeyong wanted to spend the day with the two of us. We spent that entire day just walking around town, in and out of shops and just admiring the scenery. We were at the park when I noticed a group of girls that were making fun of Jaehyun. They were laughing at him, pointing at him, it was easy to tell that they were teasing him. I overheard them making fun of his weight, calling him fat and the sorts. These comments, though I didn't know him well, hurt Jaehyun deeply. It didn't take a genius to tell that at one point he struggled with body image issues, and I wasn't going to sit there and listen to them belittle him, so I had to say something.

“(Y/N), please don’t do this. Let’s just leave.” He tugged on my hand, begging me to let it go.

“No, Jaehyun! I have to say something!” I pulled my hand from his and stormed over to the group of girls.

“Hey! You four!” Their laughter ceased, their eyes now wide staring at my fuming figure, “You think it’s funny to make fun of someone? Huh?!” They didn’t answer, their eyes still wide. “Well, I’ll let you girls know something. That guy over there that you’re so relentlessly teasing for his weight, let me tell you something about him. Not only is he one of the sweetest, most fun-loving, and witty guys I have ever met, he’s also one of the most talented people I’ve ever seen. You’re talking about his weight, but do you know what? This man, the one you’re shaming for no reason, is the most health-conscious person I’ve ever seen. He is more healthy than every single one of you sitting here, with your ice cream and iced coffee. But you know what? Even if he wasn’t a healthy person, he would still be handsome, he would still be one of the most stunning men you will ever lay your eyes on. Anyone of you would be lucky to have a man like him take interest in you, but you will never have a man as good as he to be interested in you. You may think you’re gorgeous girls, but I know better. On the inside, you’re as ugly as a troll. A mean spirit erases all physical beauty, keep that in mind the next time you tease someone for no good reason.”

Jaehyun, though embarrassed about my open display of defending him, was very thankful that I stuck up for him. He confided in me later that day, opening up about his childhood.

“When I was younger, I was a chubby kid. There for a while, when I lived in a different country, I was made fun of a lot. I was the weird, fat, foreign kid that a lot of people didn’t like. I mean, I had friends, but I didn’t have lots of friends and lots of people didn’t like me. Back home, I had lots of friends, and people liked me… But being there really killed my self-esteem. When I came back home, I was so happy. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed my time there and I loved it, but being home is something that you can’t replace. Especially coming back home to my best friend.” I looked to where his gaze fell, Taeyong taking a selfie in front of a fountain in the middle of the park.

“Taeyong thinks the world of you, you know?”

“Yeah, I think the world of him too. We’ve been through so much together. He’s been my best friend since I can remember, I don’t know what I would do without him.”

“Hey, guys! Come join us! The water is fine!” We exited through the clearing of the woods, spotting the rest of the boys in the lake out front. Taeyong called out to us, Jaehyun and I agreeing quickly to join them. We went inside and changed into our swimsuits, slapping on some sunblock so we wouldn’t burn.

The two of us ran outside, running onto the dock and jumping off into the water. The water, though ice cold, felt refreshing. I surfaced, pulling my hair out of my face.

“It’s about time you guys joined us. We were beginning to get worried about you two.” Johnny swam over to me so he could talk to me, “Did you find anything interesting out there?”

“Actually yes. Jaehyun and I found an interesting garden in the middle of the woods. I’ll show you the pictures later.”

We swam around, splashing one another and playing simple games. We didn’t have a worry in the world, not a single one of us. We laughed and reminisce over memories while making some new ones along the way.

“Okay, I’m thinking burgers for dinner? Who’s with me?” They all agreed in unison, I moved to go get the food ready.

“Here, (Y/N), I’ll help you,” Jaehyun called, coming out of the water as well.

“Thank you, Jae. I’m glad I won’t be cooking alone,” I joked, glaring at the others sarcastically. We dried off before entering the house, immediately going into the kitchen.

Dinner was ready in no time, with the help of Jaehyun. The two of us brought the food out to the front, sitting it down on one of the tables outside.

“Alright, while they’re occupied, let’s make ourselves something to eat first!” Jaehyun and I hurried to make our plate, then calling for the others to come eat. They all piled out of the water, Ten making a comment about how Jaehyun and I already had our food.

“How come you two already have your food? That’s unfair!”

“Hey, the chefs always get the first bite.” Jaehyun leaned his head on my shoulder, the two of us laughing at Ten’s reaction. “Stop questioning and eat.”

We spent dinner much like we spent swimming, it was truly another worry free day. We didn’t talk about what we were needed to do when we got home, or our jobs or responsibilities, we just had a good time—something that was long overdue.

After dinner, we all decided to sit around the fire and have a drink or two. While most of us were inside, Jaehyun, Taeyong, and I were tending to the fire. Not that the two of them really had any idea how to build a fire, which led to a few complications.

“It’s just wood, Tae! It’s not that dangerous!”

Taeyong rolled a log across the ground, refusing to pick it up and carry it. “I don’t want to get dirty.”

“Oh, let me help you ya big baby!” I picked the log up and carried it the rest of the way, dropping it into the firepit. Jaehyun came walking over, another log in hand. I went to take the log from him when a noise caught our attention.

“Did you guys hear that?” Taeyong grabbed a flashlight and shined it in the direction of where the noise came from, shining it into the trees and the area around them. The noise came again, but nothing showed up in the light.

“I don’t see anything.”

“It’s probably a squirrel or a raccoon guys, don’t be so paranoid.”

Taeyong stayed focused on the area of the woods where we heard the noise, but he didn’t see anything.

“Come on, Tae, it’s an animal of some sort.” I pulled him away from the area and back over to the firepit where we collected the rest of the wood and put it in the pit.

“Alright, anyone have a light?” The two of them looked puzzled, “Dammit, have neither of you ever made a fire before?” The two of them shared a look, then shrugged their shoulders. Taking that as a no, I facepalmed and groaned, “Well, first thing’s first we need a lighter or a match. Come on, let’s go get one.” The two of them followed close behind me, and we entered the house. I grabbed a matchbook from the kitchen and looked around for something to help fuel the fire. The owner had a thing of lighter fluid in the cabinet with the matchbook, so I grabbed that to help. All of the boys were downstairs ready to go, all except two.

“Where are Johnny and Ten?” They looked around, the two of them not present. “I’ll go get them.” Taeyong hurried up the steps to get them, and I took it upon myself to go ahead and get the fire started. I poured some of the lighter fluid on the logs, then stuck the match and lit it. I tossed the match in, the fire growing in an instant. With the newfound light of the fire, it made it easier to see around.

And that’s when my heart stopped.

“J-Jae?” I walked around the fire, not believing my eyes for a second. “Oh my god, Jae! What happened?” I ran to his lifeless body. His doe eyes stared back at me, not a trace of light present in them. I reached to his neck to check for a pulse, and when I did his body turned revealing the gruesome truth.

I screamed, it echoing and bouncing throughout the surrounding area.

“No! No no, Jaehyun!” I tried to remove the hedge trimmers protruding from his side, but when I did a bit of his blood spurt onto my shirt. I stumbled down and fell, crawling back as fast as I could. I heard my name being called, then several pairs of footsteps running towards our direction. I backed up into someone, my hand coming in contact with their foot. I grabbed onto their arm as they helped me up, their arms wrapping around me protectively.

Tears were streaming down my face as I watched Taeyong fall apart, falling to the dirt at the sight of his slain best friend. I couldn’t hear what was happening, though, a loud ringing in my ears made it impossible to hear anything. Taeil tried to drag Taeyong away from Jaehyun’s body, but Taeyong pushed him away.

“(Y/N)! Tell me what happened!” I came to my senses, the ringing dying down. I could hear it all now, the horrifying symphony inspired by death—murder even. I forced myself to go to Taeyong’s aid, he hugging Jaehyun’s body close to him.

“T-Tae,” I dropped to the ground next to him, gingerly laying my hand on his shoulder. He didn’t push me away like he did Taeil, but he did look at me. His eyes were darker than before, a piece of him having been chipped away. I pulled his arm, trying to get him to lay Jaehyun’s body down. “Tae, come on, you don’t need to be here.”

He looked at me, then back down to his friend in his arms. His body started to shake, he gently laid Jaehyun back down onto the ground. He wrapped his arms around me and sobbed, “(Y/N)! W-why?!” I rubbed his back, shushing him.

“Let’s get you inside first, you need to sit down.” Taeil helped me get Taeyong to his feet as we took him back inside the house. We sat him down on the couch, Taeil going to make him a cup of tea. Taeyong’s sobs were still loud, sending shockwaves to my very soul.

“W-who would d-do this?” Taeyong looked to me, looking for an answer.

“I don’t know, Tae… I really don’t know.” He closed his mouth, not daring to open it again. His sobs died down as Taeil brought him his tea, then he simply sat and sipped his cup. No longer sobbing, no longer speaking. I forced myself to look away, looking out the window where Doyoung and Johnny were laying a sheet over Jaehyun’s body.

I became horrifically aware of what had just happened, and that his blood was on my body. I looked down at my shirt, the giant red stain mocking me. I stumbled back, knocking over a lamp in the process.

“(Y/N), come on.” A hand wrapped around my arm, pulling me up the steps and into my room. They helped me take the shirt off, discarding it as I stood under the boiling water of the shower. The water turning red, running off of my body and down into the drain. I knew I couldn’t dwell on what I had witnessed, I had to be there for the others. No matter how distraught I was, I knew I had to be strong for them—especially Taeyong.

Okay, after like 10k words later there is part 1! Not that eventful, but the next part will be much more eventful! Also, gotta tag my girl @narika-a because she asked to be tagged in part one.