Scattered [ONF ff]

Chapter 4

So many things went through Hyojin's mind, everything got stirred up only weeks ago. So many memories resurfaced as those scales entered his life once more. He still felt uncomfortable whenever he saw them, rough and rigid over normal skin. And being locked up with purple coloured ones in the small front part of this van, got him to tense up whenever they moved. Yet, he kept his sanity and pulled out of the driveway.

"C-Can you change out of this form for a second?" he asked in a careful tone.

"Why?"

"We might meet people on the road..."

With a click of his tongue, Seungjun listened anyway and retracted the inhuman features.

Hyojin tried to work with the obvious annoyance and just started talking. "So, where are we going?"

Seungjun sighed. "I don't exactly know where it is. I just know the town it might be close to," he explained and gave the place's name, hoping that the other knew how to get to it.

"It's close to a town?"

"Kind of. From what we know, or what the survivors of experiments have told older generations, it's underground, underneath some abandoned building in a forest."

"So some dragonborn survive?" Hyojin wondered and made the other scoff.

"Humans didn't always have this high tech equipment. Pitchforks, shitty rope or poorly treated metal are easy to escape from. Strengthened iron, electric cells or actual guns—are less easy to dodge."

"I know that," Hyojin answered before nearly whispering, "I've never heard of many surviving..."

"What?"

"Nothing," Hyojin mumbled and Seungjun stubbornly looked out the window, trying to distract his mind from the vehicle he was in.

The driver lowered his tone. "Look, Seungjun..."

"Hm?"

"I—" The fierce eyes finally looked his way and Hyojin had trouble paying attention to the road.

"What?" Seungjun pushed.

"Nothing."

"Alright." Seungjun sat back and crossed his arms. "I do have something to say, though."

Hyojin held the steering wheel tighter, somehow trying to brace for whatever the other was going to say.

"Keep your words to yourself when the others are around," Seungjun said harshly, "Call me a monster all you want, hate me all you want. But stop saying it in the company of Changyun, Yuto and Jaeyoung. They've been through enough."

"I'm sorry," Hyojin uttered finally and was answered with another scoff.

"Excuse me?" Seungjun bit.

"I'm sorry," Hyojin repeated more clearly, "for what I said to you and the others."

"Sure."

"No, really—"

"It's fine already, I don't need it, tell it to the rest."

"I should still say it to you too."

Seungjun sighed and stared out of the window again. "No need regardless, we won't see each other after this anyway."

"Not necessarily."

"We aren't staying, not again."

"If we—"