Another Fairy Tale /Ateez

Chapter 36 - Way Home?

I remember us who were at this place
On that day, we were stars
The small song left behind at the island
Please don't forget it always

- Magic Island, Tomorrow by Together

The next days the boys had to spend in the hospital room. Luckily Wooyoung and Seonghwa had been moved to them as well, despite the doctors tries to stop them. The boys knew it would make more sense to have a room each but all they wanted to be with each other. Somehow it didn't feel right to be parted. 

The parrot and Shiber had to go with the families, though, since they made a huge mess together and even though Hongjoong didn't want to admit it, he missed the parrot already. 

"Does anyone want to play chess with me?", Jongho asked bored. Mingi nodded, surprising the boys. 

"Didn't you get confused with the rules when we were on the ferry?", Seonghwa asked, remembering the way Mingi had given up when they wanted to play. Confused Mingi nodded. 

"I guess, but I think I know them now." 

The two started playing despite the weird feeling and Yunho put an arm around San who was laying next to him. Then the door was opened and Yeosang came in with a sigh. San sat up. 

"What did they ask?" 

Yeosang scoffed and let himself fall on the other side of Yunho's bed, which was definitely too small for three people but he didn't care. "The officer asked if I had any memories about what happened or why I wasn't injured like Woo. It felt like he accused me for surviving." 

As soon as Wooyoung heard this he sat up. "What? That jerk, I'm gonna-" 

Hongjoong calmed him down. "I know it's not nice of him to say this but you are not allowed to stand up, okay?" 

Protesting for a while Wooyoung leaned back again, glaring at Hongjoong despite knowing he was right. In the meantime Yeosang had to think of Rory and their awkward meeting yesterday. Then something came into his mind. 

"If the people are already so mean to us for surviving, how hard is it for Rory then?" 

The room got silent at this as some had troubles remembering the girl. Only the sound of the TV could be heard. They knew they had talked a bit in the theatre club but other than that they didn't know who she was. Yunho flinched at the mention of her name and he got goosebumps, not sure why his body was reacting like that.

"She probably had to go through a lot, since she was the only one left.", Jongho whispered, feeling sorry for her.  

Seonghwa opened his mouth to say something, but then his eyes fell onto the TV no one had payed attention to. "Look. Isn't that her?" 

All the boys turned to the TV and Yunho held his breath when he spotted the brown haired girl exiting school. About half a dozen news reporter had waited for her and the scared look on her face made Yunho pity her. His heart skipped a beat when she looked into the camera, trying to hide her face but the reporters were faster. 

"Aurora, right?", one of them asked and shoved his microphone into her face. "How do you feel about the survival of other friends of you?" 

Another woman spoke up. "Are you sad the spotlight isn't on you anymore?" 

"Can you tell us what exactly happened that night?", another man asked as Rory tried to walk back into school. They stopped her, so she had to look into the camera.