This Thing Called 'Love' {Discontinued}

[29] Awake

Last Time:

"Why. . . Why can't you guys just be. . . friends?," Areum asked. Taeyong remained silent. "Because Of Lee SooMin? Because he orders you to?. . . Because of your dream?. . . I don't understand. . . Why can't this be avoided?," Areum's voice wavered, but she refused to break down. "Areum. . . None of this wanted this life either, but if we were to explain everything to you-. . . Areum? Hey, Areum?" The girl suddenly fell to her knees, her ears unable to hear what Taeyong was saying. "Areum?! Areum, c'mon wake up! Areum, get up! Areum-"

And Now We Return:

Areum's POV-
I sat up gasping for air, my eyes still closed.  I slowly opened them, letting my eyes adjust to the bright lights of the ro-  Wait. . . room?  Where-

"Areum?," I turned my voice to see who called me.  I didn't need to guess; her voice was so unique yet familiar.  "Seulgi?. . .  Unnie?. . ."

"Yes, that's me," she stated bluntly, "Now hurry and get up before you're late for school." She pulled my blanket off my person and hauled me out of bed.  What the hell is going on?!  Don't tell me I was just dreaming everything. . .

"Unnie?," I paused at my door way before going to the restroom, "What's today?"  "Monday," she answered. "What's the date," I specified. "Umm. . . It should be October 13th, why? Do you have tests or exams coming up?," she questioned while fixing my bed. "Uh, no. . .," I trailed off, my mind going blank, "I'll go wash up quickly. . .," I mumbled as I stepped out of my room, and headed to the restroom.

- - -

"AREUMMIE!," Minso yelled from the other end of the hallway. I gave a soft wave, and resumed to my thoughts. Was everything a dream? But that can't be. . . It's been 1 day since the dance competition on Saturday. . . According to time, what has happened to me should be true. . .yet Seulgi was alive-

"Yah! Kang Areum!," Minso stomped her way over to me, "Why're you spacing out? Is your head still filled with the victory on Saturday? I get that you were exciting about winning the Dance Competition, but you can't keep day dreaming about it," she scolded. "Oh, right. . . Mian Unnie. . .," I apologized absent with an absent mind. Maybe I was just day dreaming- Not that doesn't even make sense. . . I woke up in bed this morning. . .

"Oh yeah- before I forget," Minso spoke up as we entered our first class, "There's been rumors you're dating Park Woojin-" "How many times do I have to tell people that I'm not dating him?!," I groaned, 'gently setting down' my bag at my desk. Out of all the things that could've stayed consistent, THIS IS WHAT STAYS CONSISTENT?!

"Uh- Oh! Areum!," A wild DongHyun came bursting into our class right before bell rang, "Excuse me Miss, but I need to borrow Kang Areun for a moment," he smiled politely at the teacher.  "Well. . . Alright, be quick though," she complied.  "Thank you!," DongHyun's smile managed to grow bigger, "Areum, Kaja (Let's go)!"  The Senior Class President practically dragged me out of my seat and out of the classroom.

"Hey," I tried to stop DongHyun, "DongHyun!" Nope. "Yah! DongHyun!," I used all of to pull my wrist of his grasp as we were heading up the staircase to the roof top. . . Bad place to try and pull out of his grasp. . . "Woa-" DongHyun caught my arm again, "Hey, be careful," he told me. I shook his arm of and showed him my wrist. It was clearly bruised. "I can walk and follow you perfectly on my own," I glared, and started up the staircase. I heard DongHyun sigh behind me, but I ignored it, and continued trudging my up the steps.

Eventually we reached the top, and DongHyun opened the door for me. "Thanks," I mumbled, walking through the doorway. On the roof top were. . .kind of who I was expecting: Joo Haknyeon, and the two Gardens! But there also several other people that I didn't recognize.

"Areum!," Haknyeon was the first to notice me out of the bunch, "You came today!" He began getting up and running towards me. Okay, Areum. . .two options: be natural and be as confused as I was this morning. . . Or act. . . Acting it is!

"Well, yeah. . .," I trailed off, "Why wouldn't I?," I asked, giving the group a questioning stare, "Is something wrong? Or?. . ." "Uhm. . .," Jihoon and Woojin exchanged glances. Okay, this is getting no where. . . "I woke, and I was in my house," I decided to ditch the 'act innocent' idea, ". . . Seulgi was there, and she was alive," I added with caution. I didn't know if what happened to me was a dream before or not, "What happened when I was out since Saturday?"

I could tell relief flooded through the boys as there tense expressions changed to more gentle ones. "Do you want the long story or short story?," Woojin asked. I thought for a bit, "Since I have class. . . Long story." The guys chuckled at my response. "Long story it is," Jihoon let off a small grin and gestured to the boys I didn't know.

"First off," Haknyeon began, "I switched units," he also smiled proudly, "These people are a few of my members!" "A few?," I gave him a look, "Including you, there's already four of you." "There's twelve of total," one of them informed, "I'm Eric. The youngest." "I guess we're doing introductions then," another spoke up, "I'm Sunwoo." "And I'm Hwall!," another boy chirped.  "Okay. . . Hwall, Sunwoo, and Eric. . .," I repeated, "Got it.  So, moving on." 

"Right, well Haknyeon switched over to The Boyz-," "Wait," I interrupted Sunwoo, "You're group name is 'The Boys?"  "It's 'The BoyZ'," Hwall sounded out, "With a Z!"  ". . . Just continue," I waved off, not wanting to get into an unnecessary yet totally necessary argument about their group name. . .  "As I was saying," Sunwoo started up again, "Haknyeon Hyung switched over to our group before your competition date.  He told us about it, and we decided to come along.  That's when we saw you and Taeyong.  We thought you two were arguing so we came closer."  "When you fell down, Haknyeon Hyung came over and talked to him, we carried you to our car, and called Daehwi Hyung." 

"Okay. . .," I trailed off, "But that doesn't explain why I ended up at my house with a living and breathing Seulgi Unnie."  "Well. . .," Eric began, "Taeyong came and took you with the help of his other members. . ."  "He promised that he wouldn't hurt you; that his Sunbaes, RedVelvet, wouldn't even allow for it, so we let you go."  "Our guess is that they drove you to your home, but we don't know how Seulgi is alive," DongHyun stated.  "Eunki Hyung decided to look into it, and he said that recently, there been a new technology that causes a bullet in the head to NOT be and immediate kill," Jihoon informed. 

"You saw the movie Kingsman right?  The second one?," Woojin asked.  "Umm. . . No. . .," I said slowly.  Woojin nodded and proceeded to explain the new tech, "In the movie, there are two gel-like substances used in the process of stopping a bullet injury to your head: one stops the injury from spreading, the other stops your brain from 'malfunctioning.'  It basically puts your brain to sleep."  "Long-story-short, SM has perfected this technology," Jihoon finished. 

"Huh. . . So. . . My sister isn't a zombie?," I wanted to clarify.  "No," Jihoon chuckled, "But she doesn't remember the events that happened the day we were at your house."  "Okay," I, unknowingly to me, breathed a sigh of relief, "So. . .Cat sitting with Daniel and Yongguk, going through torturous shopping with Jihoon and the others, and getting nearly exploded by a bomb the first day I was at your base. . . It was all real?"  "Yeah," Woojin dismissed with a shrug, "Why?"  "Well. . . I just thought everything was a dream, and I had just awaken. . .," I mumbled barely loud enough for them to hear. "Are you glad that it wasn't all a dream?," Hwall asked with curiousity. 

I hesitated.  Why did I hesitate?  But-

"I don't know. . ."