"Tell me about your sister."
Aayan settled down beside Yeon and got himself ready for the story. "What do you want to know?"
"Anything, everything." Hyeon wanted to smile at the memory of his sister but his facial muscles that seemed to have died with him wouldn't allow it.
"She was my best friend and sister. When I was going through the hardest period of my life, she was the only one there for me. She encouraged me to keep going. Yeon was always a bit whiny but she was the stronger one. She excelled in physical abilities and I in mental. My parents said we complimented one another."
"She was the kind of person to act and think about consequences later. This had gotten her in trouble countless times, however it also saved us just as many."
"I'm sorry I wasn't there for you." Aayan said, regret and sadness clouded his tone. "I have no idea what you've been through."
"I've been wondering for some time now," Hyeon started, giving Aayan a serious, no joke stare. "Have you met me before?"
Aayan rose an eyebrow at Hyeon before he shook his head no. "We've never met. Why do you ask?"
Hyeon shook his head. "You act as if you knew me before all this. But I would've surely remembered you if we have."
Aayan chuckled and sat up glancing at Hyeon mischievously. He moved closer to Hyeon. Aayan ran his palm along Hyeon's eyebrows and along the edges of his eyes, his finger trailed down to Hyeon's lips and a longing look crossed his eyes. "For years, I've wondered what your lip tasted like, 'Does like your favourite chocolate lollipop?' I asked myself countless times."
Aayan's eyes didn't move from Hyeon's lips, he seemed lost in thought. Hyeon found himself inching closer to Aayan. Before he could close the distance between them, Hyeon caught himself and scurried away from Aayan in embarrassment. He covered his lips wide-eyed.
"You said you'd never lie to me." Hyeon reminded.
"And I never will." Aayan said, breaking himself from the state he was in. He glanced at Hyeon, looking like a cornered animal and sighed. "I apologize, I'll take first watch. Get some rest."
"No need," Hyeon replied, he regained his composure and ran his eye over the tired state of Aayan who seemed to have missed many nights of sleep. "You need it more than I do."
Aayan seemed reluctant but fatigue was catching up to him. As he drifted away, he muttered. "Don't leave me." Hyeon ran his finger through Aaron's curly hair as he thought.
Hyeon: 'He seems a bit playful and mischievous, but maybe that's all just a front to hide how fragile he actually is.'
As he watch Aayan silently fall into deep sleep, a sudden thought came to mind. "How did he know my favourite lollipop was chocolate flavoured?" To Hyeon, Aayan was nothing but mystery. He said he wouldn't lie to Hyeon, and that they'd never met before, yet he said and did things that indicated otherwise.
"Just what are you hiding Aayan?"
A twig snapped some distance away from the duo and Hyeon's head immediately snapped towards the sound. He tensed as he waited for the newcomer to make themselves known. Hyeon frowned as he noticed that there was two sets of heartbeats.
It was a group of survivors. He hadn't met any apart from James's group and had assumed they'd either died out or went in search of the shelter.
He waited for the group but no one approached. From the hushed conversation he heard, they didn't notice that he knew they were there and were planning to sneak up on him in case he was hostile.
Hyeon glanced at Aayan peacefully sleeping on the grass, how he could be comfortable in that spot was a mystery to Hyeon. Hyeon decided to leave the group be, any engagement with them could lead to the waking of Aayan, something Hyeon didn't want.
They had other plans.
It seemed as if the two had come to a decision. The two, as silently as they could -which didn't matter when it related to Hyeon- left the bushes. They approached him with caution. "Hello?" a female voice called out.
Hyeon stiffened and his eyes widened when he heard that voice. It was the same voice that had tormented and comforted him for the majority of his life. The same voice he was growing to forget as the days passed on even though he refused to.
He turned slowly towards that person, hope filling the entirety of his being. "Yeon?" He asked when he took in every delicate features of the bow threateningly holding a bow at him.
She slowly lowered he bow. A gasp escaped her lips, tears came to her eyes and out of instincts she covered her mouth to suppress sobs. "Hyeon?"