134340 |JJK FF|

Chapter 10

Jeongguk had stormed out of the cabin with bloodshot eyes, his fists clenched and his body stiff, all thoughts of the humans seemingly lost to his mind.

With his leave, came the gloom of depression, sorrow and desperation, like the hybrid had left the scent of sadness for the humans to breathe in. The Tiger hybrid was right, they really chose the wrong time to come to Pluto.

"I hate this,"

"I'm not even Plutoian and even I'm still scared,"

"This is horrible,"

These were the words that escaped their lips in a mix of breath and emotions as if words could somehow make it right, could somehow heal all the dying hybrids out there.

And thus the time went. Jeongguk would stand but not dare to open his mouth. Would breathe but not acknowledge his living state. The half-hearted conversations the humans tried were tiredly dismissed. She supposed that this was what being a Plutoian meant in this universe now.

"They are planning on your punishment."

"...They didn't call on us, then?"

"Wouldn't. Consider you bad luck,"

"We weren't responsible for the lion!" Yumi exclaimed.

"They still consider you bad luck. Thought we had control over the situation, but then your arrival caused trouble," Jeongguk's voice hitched as he cleared his throat, "So people think humans are bad luck now and do not want you anywhere close to them,"

The repressed accuse in his voice seemed to claw a hole of rage at Yumi's insides as she opened her mouth, but Jimin beat her to it, "I suppose you believe it too? You are...distant now,"

"We were never close to begin with, Earthian."

"No, we weren't,"

There was a long silence before he finally uttered, "I'm not quite sure what to believe, actually,"

Yumi decided to ignore his odd tone, feeling impatient as his initial message finally registered in her mind, "So, what? What's their judgement?"

"What? Oh- they are...planning on feeding you off, I suppose,"

Yumi gulped down at the rising lump in her throat, "To?"

"The lions, I guess."

"So," Yumi said, oddly calm, "That's it, then? You rejected our request?"

"Did you not expect us to?"

Yumi decided to not answer him, exchanging resigned eyes with her teammates. He didn't want the topic closed, however.

"Not sure how things were at Earth, but here in Pluto, you are expected to answer when asked a question,"

"We are not gonna live in Pluto anymore, anyway," Despite all the efforts they made, they still failed at their job. The disappointment Yumi felt at this fact seemed to have taken all that was left of her want to keep Jeongguk in a good mood.

It didn't matter anymore, anyway.

That was the fact that weighed her down most of all. That entire month of excessive planning, the efforts they went through to get their token of forgiveness made, all that time in the spaceship... It was all for nothing.

How much had Earth changed already? Did some miracle happen that saved their home? Or did (Yumi felt her eyes burn) humans already cease to exist? They had no mode of knowing now. Not anymore.

She was unbiddenly reminded of all the deaths she witnessed. Sickness because of climatic changes like heat strokes. Diseases. Fights. Suicides. The same news paraded around her head tauntingly and she had to take a shaky breath and swallow to keep her emotions in check.