Chapter 63 - Beginning Of Summer 3

Wonho lies on the floor, fully cocooned inside his blanket, staring at the legs of his desk. He doesn't want to take his pills, Minwoo said he is becoming too dependent on them. But it is hard. His mind is a mess and his heart won't calm down. His chest hurts so bad, so is his throat from his desperate gasps for air. 

He thought he would never bump into his attackers outside the west district, but he is clearly wrong. Just like him, apparently not everyone is native to the place. In just a week, he has stumbled upon two of them. It is also possible that he has met a few more which he didn't remember. 

To make things worse, the man in the bus clearly recognized him. He was obviously running away from him. He remembered and pretended he did nothing that deserves punishment. He dares to live his life as if nothing happened while Wonho suffers every single day since that night. 

He wonders if every alpha from that night remembers what they did to him like he did them. Just like the guy, does every single one of them even remember his face? Do they have nightmares about him too?

This is too much. He cannot deal with this alone. His mind feels like exploding. He needs to share this with someone. Not Haneul. Jiny-

He is no longer in good terms with Jinyoung.

Not caring anymore, Wonho gulps on his pills. He needs relief. He will deal with addiction or whatever later. 

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Finally feeling sane enough to breathe but still feeling like shit, Wonho looks around his silent room. He doesn't want to be alone. His dark thoughts will eat him whenever he is left alone. He needs distraction. He hates his anxiety. 

He cannot be with Haneul if he wants to honour his promise with Minwoo, but he cannot be with Junjie either because he is not allowed in the alpha/beta's dorm. Should he go back to Minwoo's?

Owh. Mengyao's place is outside campus! He can ask Junjie to drive him there so they can hang out together. Since they will go for the trip in a few days, he might as well bring all his stuffs with him. Hopefully Mengyao won't mind it.

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Junjie stares at the overly excited raven-haired man, playing video games with Mengyao. His sudden invitation to their junior's house is a bit out-of-character for Wonwoo. Though this is the only way they can hang out, this is also the first time Wonho ever been here. He had been refusing to step out of campus since his return, so this is really weird.

Still, this is also one of the rare times Wonho would laugh like this. He should let him be.

'Wono?' Junjie whispers at the man lying beside him with his back towards him. Mengyao is already asleep so he can finally ask about what has been bothering him all day. A soft hum is heard, indicating Wonho heard it. 'You okay?'

'No. Jun-ie.' Wonho takes a deep breath to prepare his own emotion. He really wants to vent out, because he needs to tell someone. So he can forget about it. 'I saw them. The alphas who attacked me.'

Junjie didn't say anything but he can hear the other's angry breath. 'One of them recognized me.'

'Did those fuckers do anything?' the darker man almost screams but repeats himself softly, calmly when they hear Mengyao grunting in his sleep, afraid to wake the younger male. 'We should lock those son-of-bitches.'

Wonho shakes his head softly. He is tired. 'Not like we can do anything bout them. Even if I recall each and every one of them, they won't lock them.' 

Yes, that is what the police and attorney told him. That the alphas cannot be blamed for what happened because they were acting under the influence of his 'call to breed'. That the alphas naturally lost control of their minds so they shouldn't and wouldn't be accounted for his assaults.

Even with enough physical evidence and eyewitness, his case is too complicated. They asked him to drop the case because it could backfire on him instead, and Wonho is too weak and traumatized to argue for his own justice. The only one they can lock up is his 'mate' that they have yet to identify. So now, even if he sees them on the streets, he should just suffer alone. That is the agreement, in exchange for his free health care.

Junjie lays on his back, not knowing what to say. He feels responsible for what happened. He left Wonho alone for lunch that day, only to return to find his best friend signing a contract he was coerced to agree. 'You… you wanna leave here? '

'To where? They'll always be around as long as I'm still here.'

'I mean, just for now. We can leave earlier than Ryuu-hyung. That's two months away from those fuckheads.'

Wonho gives that a little thought, 'Let's just ask them to go early then.'

'Owh hell no. Haneul-hyung's in heat.' Junjie laughs and Wonho blushes a bit, remembering that his heat literally just ended today. 'In fact, I think we'll have to push it a day or two later.'

'Isn't his heat a bit early?' Haneul's last heat was only about two months prior. 

'I dunno. Ryuu-hyung said it's a bit haywire these days. They couldn't really keep track. Doctor said it's cus of stress since Ryuu-hyung's graduating and all.' Wonho was just about to ask how Junjie knows about all this thing before remembering the fact that Sangcheol never really hides it. He would sometimes mention it like it is no big deal, and them being betas, never really cared since they would never understand it anyways.

Now that he mentioned it, Wonho realizes after his change, Sangcheol has been really careful not to bring the subject up but he never really thought about the reason why. 'So? How 'bout this? We go somewhere else first then meet up with them later?'

'Chansol?'

'Last test's on Monday so if we leave tomorrow, he'll have to go with the couple.'

'Tomorrow??' Wonho turns to face his friend. He wants to get out of town as quickly as possible too but tomorrow is too… sudden.

'Whenever's fine though. I'm free, Mengyao's free, you're already all packed.'

'Hotels and stuff?'

'Never been on a road trip before?' Junjie gives him the look and Wonho rolls his eyes. Of course he has been on random road trips before. With the stupid guy in front of him who would kidnap him for the weekends. They always ended up sleeping in his small car. That was back when they were high school students. 'By the way, what's that?'

Wonho looks at the direction he is pointing - down his neck, 'This? Neck protector.'

'Looks good on you. Except you need spikes or chain to look badass.'

'It's not a collar dumbass.'

'Or a bell with your name on i-' Wonho muffles that big mouth with his pillow.