Things were strained, there was no other way of seeing it. Aelia thought she would give Woo, or one of the others, a chance to come to her and explain, or even apologize. They didn't. Which told her that their way of approaching her and her wiped memory was their official one. They «knew» her memory was back, as Woo had put it, and they did not believe her when she said she didn't.
Aelia did not get her memory back. At least not yet. Except for certain smaller things, like how she once remembered having a sister braid her hair. Or how she just knew she had always loathed the taste of avocados. Those things had come back when she was in similar situations. But she didn't remember her past. Not yet. She did, however, know that it was supposed to return. That was true, other slaves had told her that from the very beginning. It scared her to death. She would probably soon remember why she was a slave. She would remember her past, her family, her life... Why had she left them? Was it even voluntarily? And what about Yunho? He remembered, but he never told her anything. He always said it was best forgotten. She had accepted that. They lived in the moment, that was the only way to survive as slaves. But he was still a slave, and she was not.
Three days after the «incident» as Felix called it, Woo asked Aelia at breakfast if she was ready to discuss future plans for work.
«How do I know what I should do?» She was genuinly curious about the process.
«Well, you might already have an education that could be useful,» he said, looking at her. «Or at least interests that have followed you through life. Isn't there anything you're interested in doing?»
«Well, maybe, but I still don't remember anything so...»
«Aelia!» Woo had no patience for this.
Her eyes had sparks as she looked at him. «Fine! Hypothetically then, what would you tell a former slave that actually didn't have their memory back?»
«We've never had that fresh a slave here before.»
«I thought you didn't have slaves in this house?»
«Former slaves,» he corrected himself.
«Indeed,» Aelia said, taking a deep breath. The others around the table kept silent.
«Don't think you're fooling me, Aelia. I know the others might be soft for you, but this attitude... It's one of a person who remembers. Who knows who they are.»
«You're wrong, Wooyoung,» she said calmly. «But whatever. I'm going out again today.»
«Bring your phone,» Woo said as he left the table with dirty dishes.
«No thank you.»
«Aelia, bring your phone with you!»
«No, I will not. I will however take notice of where I'm going, so I'll be able to get back here without worrying you. I'll be back before nine tonight.»
«It would be much safer if you just brought your phone with you.»
«Why?»
«Don't act stupid, Aelia! I know you're not.»
«Oh, you know? What else is it that you know about me? Everything? Everything I don't remember myself? Great! Just great!»
Aelia got up from the table and went to her room, without even helping clear the table. How very un-slavelike of her. Every fiber of her body screamed for her to help out, but she fought it. She wasn't a slave. She might not know who she was, but she knew who she wasn't. Lush.
When Aelia came out of her room with shoes and a jacket on, Felix came rushing out of his own room.
«What are you doing?» she hissed, still annoyed.
«I'm coming with you.»
«No, you're not.»
«Yes, I am. I am!»
Adorable little Felix who looked like he couldn't hurt a fly was looking at her with defiance. She could easily have pushed past him or said something hurtful, but she didn't have it in her. Not now.
«Not today, Felix,» she sighed. «Tomorrow.»
«No, please,» he begged. «Aelia, please, you won't even notice me. I won't say a word all day. Just please...»
«Felix, I really want to go out with you, but not today. I'll be fine. I promise I'll be back before nine.»
«But why are you staying out all day?! It's not that bad here, is it?»
«Lixie!» she said, stopping his rambling. «I'll try to be back before six, then.»
She tried to ignore the hurt in his eyes as she quickly hugged him. She left him standing there in the hallway outside their bedrooms. He could only watch her leave.
She didn't run this time. Maybe that was why she so easily realized she was being followed. That made her slow a little down and take a long detour. She went to the park and sat on a bench for a while, just watching people. There were kids playing on a big playground, but she avoided that area. She knew she was still being followed as she came downtown. It was almost an hour away from the house by foot, but whoever had been sent out was not giving up. She made sure to do a few normal, boring things. She went window shopping, just looking at things, as if no one was watching her. Which she knew someone was.
Aelia found a shopping mall and decided she had played along long enough. She did a slow walk through one of the floors while noticing the different stores and their exits. She used a restroom, and after that, she went into one of the larger clothing stores. This particular store had stairs down to the floor below inside of the store, and Aelia was quick. Her follower would not be able to watch both floors at the same time. On her way down she took her coat off to change how she looked.
Curiosity got the better of her. She was on her way into an elevator when she suddenly decided that she needed to know. It was stupid, probably, but she went back. She stood behind some huge green plants in the common area, scanning everyone in the vicinity. It didn't take too long until she noticed a man standing quite far from the store, leaning on a pillar, sipping on a coffee. He didn't even like coffee. Yeosang. The hoodie he had on didn't hide his pretty face. He was starting to get antsy, she could tell, and as he decided he needed to check the store to see what Aelia was up to, Aelia herself left the mall.
YOU ARE READING
Take Me Home // Ateez // Stray Kids
FanfictionAfter an unexpected escape from the Mansion, Aelia finds herself in a Safe House. Who is a friend and who has alternate motives? And what do the butterflies have to do with it? As a former slave, life looks empty. Aelia has to find her way in life...
