Work Text:
Chapter 1
The peace that the wood has was contaminated by sounds of dead leaves being stepped on by someone. Actually, it was the sound of someone being chased by a group of two. The frantic run just now made the mint-haired man breathing heavily, in need of air. He stopped running and sat behind a tree to make him hidden. Peeking from the tree hole, he saw a black figure walking in his direction. Ignoring his blistered foot, he started running again to escape the figure and get out from the wood. Sounds of people following his steps can be heard a few seconds later. His pace became much faster, to keep himself away from those shadows. A dark, masked figure that suddenly stepped in front of him has ended his escape. Looking behind him, much to his dismay, he saw another figure stood behind him, watching. Unable to move, the man fall on the ground, panicking. Tears dripped from his eyes without his realisation. In his clouded vision, he saw the masked man unsheathed his small sword. He pressed his wrist hard, using last bits of energy to make his brain focused on the last resolve to escape from these men. His vision filled with colourful fire crackers and he just knocked out a moment later.
******************
“Why hyung has blistered foot? Since when? It looks real bad and he can’t walk properly because of that. Aish this hyung, always makes me worried.”
“Hyung always spacing out now. He’s not like himself. What’s happening? Huaaa I’m bored!”
“Hyung always tired these days. Is he sick? Or he stressed at work? But Amy noona said that everything’s fine at the office. I’m confused.”
He just smiled when he read their thoughts.
“I got blistered foot because I jogged a lot these days. Don’t worry, I have put cream on it.”
“Yah Lee Sungyeol! Since when that I’m always spacing out? I’m always happy, you see!” He showed them his biggest smile.
“I’m not sick, Howon-ah. Just I’ve a lot of important things that need to be solved now. I really need to go for a vacation after this.”
“ Hyung, are you sure? If you have any problems, you can just tell us. Maybe we can help you out. Don’t bear it alone, hyung.”
“Guys, I’m really okay so just chill out. I just need to rest more, that’s it. So that’s why I took a leave today. I just need to sleep more, hihihi.”
“Oooh okay hyung. I’ll go to college now. Bye Hyung!”
“Hyung, Howon-hyung and I have overtime today. Maybe we will late for dinner. You can have dinner first if you want. Bye !”
“Bye hyung. Just rest for today and don’t think much.”
He just saw his housemates went out from their flat and took a deep breath. He told a lot of lies to them just now. He got blistered foot not from frequent jogs. He got them from desperate runs to escape from his chasers in the other world in his dream every night. That’s the only time that they can pursue him. He spaced out a lot because he didn’t know why these people wanted him. He was tired because he lost his beloved night sleep. This is because the other world can only be entered at night, as far as he knew until now. It’s really pissed him off. He sighed.
“Man, I really need to sleep right now.”
********
A white-masked man sat on a leather couch while kept tapping his pen on a small glass table beside the couch. The man behind the mask is definition of mystery, black-jet hair, sharp nose and soulless eyes. His face has no expression at all. Basically, he’s a living mannequin. The last night chase made him really deep in his thought. The man that he chased kept bugging his mind, made him stressed out. He only came back to reality when someone (his colleague) tapped his shoulder.
“Man, you really need to stop tapping that damn pen, you will crack that table sooner or later you know.”
Annoyed, he shot a glare to the man and said,
“You talk nonsense. What do you want?”
“The Elder want to meet you in his room now. He want to tell you about the man that you chased right now. He sounds serious.”
“Good. I’m going to mad because of him. He’s not human. Urgh!”
“Easy dude. Just meet that old fox and let him talk. You will know something after that.”
“Thanks, bro. See you at the compound later.”
“Okay L.”
A few moments later, the masked man left the room.