Accepting: Hidden Self

Chapter 36

Wooyoung

         "Look Woo, we need to talk to you," HongJoong says looking at me, SeongHwa beside him.

         "Fine, what is it?" I ask, slightly annoyed. They were the ones who wanted nothing to do with San, now they keep trying to talk to me about him, and hanging out with him.

         "Look, we know San won't tell you, but what you saw in that "dream" wasn't what he was going through." SeongHwa says trying to plead with me. I scoff and go back to the practice room. They've been telling me this for weeks and I don't believe a word of it, or at least I keep telling myself that.

         I go grab my things from the practice room, and feel something watching me. I shake it off and head to the cars, and since I am there last I have to sit in the car with San. I can see him standing different before I get close, but loosens up as soon as he sees me.

         What is he playing at? I think as I get to the car. He lets me in first and I take a seat in the middle of the car. San sits next to me and I watch as SeongHwa and HongJoong get in the backseats together.

         I can feel something following us as we pull away, but I ignore it. I look over and see San fast asleep, which throws me off, he could never do that before. I shove him and he sits up, looking at me.

         "What's up Woo?" he asks, my heart aches for that nickname.

         "Nothing, it's just weird seeing you sleep wherever you lay your head." I tell him, earning a chuckle from SeongHwa, but no reaction from San. I go to smack his arm, but I hear as our car goes out of control. I close my eyes, and then feel as though I am weightless.

         Before I can feel an impact I feel arms and wings wrap around me. It reminds me of the car crash with San and my family.

         Eventually I can feel that we aren't moving anymore, and I touch the wings around me, they slowly fall away, and I can now see how messed up San looks. I look over where our hyungs were, and they seem fine, just a bit scratched, nothing they can't heal.

         "Ahh, there you are, nephew," I hear a voice call. I feel as San stirs under me, he is bloodied and cut all over. "Ooh, is this your soulmate? The one who shattered you? It's very obvious to see that your emotions are fake now you know," this man calls.

         "What?" I say out loud.

         "Oh, you really didn't like what I made you see from poor San's nightmare did you? I told you San, you can never keep someone from getting hurt by your past," the man says, grinning at San.

         "As long as I am alive I will protect you, he can't hurt you." I hear San say as he stands up. I watch as his wings drag behind him, his blonde hair caked with blood, and he limps out of the car, pulling me out to the side of the road.

         "Awww, is that all that is left of you? No fight? Just protect?" The man calls again in a mocking tone.

         "Shut up Amaymon! You have no power over me!" San calls, but then I can feel a pull on me.

         "No, but I can grab this one." he cackles. San grabs my arm and pulls me into his arms, runs over to our hyungs and we disappear in a cloud of maroon mist.

         "Can't have, you." he gasps before passing out.

:@:

 SeongHwa

         Thankfully we were not flung out of the car in the accident, but we see as San covers Wooyoung with his wings, causing San to be hurt by debris that comes in through the car. I watch him as he unfurls his wings, looking around and pulling Wooyoung out of the car. I pull HongJoong out of the wreck just in time for San to get to us and teleport us away in a maroon mist.

         I catch him as he passes out in my arms, and I put him on his bed. He is out cold, and we are now stuck in his room. I turn to Wooyoung and see that he is shocked.

         "Where are we?" Joongie asks looking at us.

         "We are in M... Sannie's room, and he brought us here so that we could get away from the person who caused this." Wooyoung explains, going over to San.

         "You finally figured out that he wasn't trying to hurt you in that nightmare of his." Joongie says, annoyed and watching Wooyoung.

         "He wasn't wanting to hurt you, he was actually the one being tortured, he figured it was him like usual in his nightmares, but when he finally yelled out, it was your voice." I explained. I watch as his expression changes from concern to complete despair.

         "How do I fix this? I didn't mean for this to happen, for him to shatter." he cries. I hold him, and see a black shape forming in the side of the room, all four of the others seem to appear from the shadow.

         "What the hell is going on?!" Yeosang asks, seeing Wooyoung crying and San covered in blood. After everyone arrives I see the shadow taking form into the shiba inu dog, Lily.

         "I have called on San's aunt and father, hopefully they can sort this out, until then I am going to help San." she tells us. She runs onto the bed and we watch her give her magic over to San. We can see as San seems to gain more color to him, and the blood in his hair and on his face clears up.

         "Is he okay now?" I ask Lily, and she flops down on the bed, looking exhausted. She nods and we all see San start to move around as if he just woke up. He groans and sits on the side of the bed. He scans the room and now everyone can see his expressionless face, and his eyes stop on Wooyoung.

         "Are you alright?" he asks, his voice sounding hollow, making me cringe. Everyone looks shocked at how San is acting, but Wooyoung just looks sad.

         "I'm fine, but why are you like this? Did I really shatter you?" Wooyoung asks, pain in his voice, but he is trying to hide it.

         "Don't worry about me, I am fine. It's better this way, I can keep my promise and my pain is gone." San says. He stands up and sees Lily on the bed, "Thank you Lily, I know that takes a lot out of you."

         "What do you mean?" Yeosang asks, looking at San with a glare.

         "With my heart shattered I can protect Woo and not be afraid of what others will think. I can keep that promise, the only thing I have left here." San says in a monotone voice, pointing to his chest, his heart. He bows, takes his leave and goes towards his bathroom.

          "What?" I hear Wooyoung whisper in a confused manner. He sits and watches San leave, and he just has a look of horror on his face.

          "Okay, what was all of that?" Yunho asks us, looking between all of us.

          "Ever since Wooyoung put his walls up, cutting San off, San has been shattered. He has been faking his happy exterior ever since, not wanting to hurt Wooyoung. Everything he has done to this point has been to keep him safe.

         He wouldn't let HongJoong or myself talk about this to you guys, thinking that it would hurt him. San is just a shard and that last shard is his promise he made to Wooyoung's mother and father. He said he will protect you with all his power." I finally say, looking directly at Wooyoung.

         "Wait, but that dream that Wooyoungie saw," Yeosang asks, gesturing vaguely.

         "Put together as a punishment to break him until he was nothing, by his uncle who used to torture San for fun." we hear as San's aunt comes in the door. She looks over to Wooyoung disappointed. "Which seems to have mostly worked."

         "Dammit, San." his father grumbles. He seems annoyed, but mostly at himself.