𝐓𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐔𝐑𝐄 || ATEEZ ( ✓ )

ᦟ19

𝘊𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝟣𝟫
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"MARI!" the joyous voice echoed through the empty space of the subway as Marilee had just finished bandaging up Mingi's hand. Patting on it lightly, she slid down the train's metallic surface as her ears perked up at the familiar voice.

Aoki almost stumbled down the stairs leading to the underground space, rushing down with Doli in tow as they were soon followed by the group that they had parted from at midday. Even Hongjoong and Seonghwa had found their way back, flanking the group as they had most likely stumbled upon them when searching around the area for possible threats.

The small siblings sped towards the brunette as she kneeled down, her arms outstretched for the two of them. All the while, Mingi also hit the rough surface of the station again as he followed her down, Yunho and Left Eye stepping out of the train at the same time.

Aoki and Doli practically crashed into Marilee as the tight grip she had on them at that very moment was only one of the many indicators of how she had missed and worried about them. She trusted the men, that being the only reason she had let them stroll off with them in the first place, but that didn't ease the last bit of concern about not only the kids but also the rest. With that said, she send a quick glance over at the newcomers, checking if any of them had any critical injuries but none of them appeared to have even the slightest scratch.

After a moment, the three broke away from the hug as Marilee turned towards Doli. Her hand still lingered on the smaller's shoulder as she looked at the moonlight child with big, expectant eyes. It was a moment of anticipation; revealing if the mission had been a success or fail. Marilee could could practically feel her heart going all the way up to her throat as she waited for the girl to say something, anything.

Even though the little one had never really shown it since Marilee had known her, she knew that the loss of her voice was something that hit her hard. She had often struggled to express what she wanted to say, tried to get even a word past her lips but every time she did, only an embarrassed smile coated her lips as she would have avoided any eye contact. It hurt Marilee to even see it, pitying the girl.

Doli parted her lips, drawing in a small breath before a voice so silent and tender came from her mouth. "Thank you, Mari." It was all she said. But it was more than enough. The brunette fell into the brightest smile anyone had probably ever seen her wear as airy laughs escaped her lips. With that, she embraced the smaller again, Aoki practically throwing himself into the equation as well.

Jongho eyed the trio from his position besides Mingi, who had joined them not long before. He let a small laugh escape him as well as a content smile rested on his face. "It's truly heartwarming, isn't it?" He spoke, his words directed at the taller besides him. The two had their own personal quarrels at some point before, though ever since they got thrown into the dimension they now knew as Strictland, somehow all those were long forgotten.

"Mingi?" He addressed the red-head when he got no response, nor even a movement of the other. Jongho's brows furrowed, turning to the side and seeing his eyes trained onto the trio in front of them. "Mingi."

After the second call, said man did react. He jolted out of yet another trance, snapping his head towards the youngest. His gaze switched between the three in front of them and back to Jongho a few times before finally resting on the man at his side. Jongho simply stared up at him, his mouth going slack, "wait–" the younger spoke, being the one with traveling eyes this time around, "do you–"

Though the other was quick to interrupt him, "I don't know what you mean to say." Before simply walking off as he cleared his throat.

But Jongho has seen it all.

The look in his eyes when he stared right past everything else and focused solely on the female who's bright smile was yet to distinguish. He had seen it and he knew that kind of look he thought he would never see Mingi's own gaze drowning into.

"No way..." he mumbled, shaking his head a bit. "No freaking way."

"And who exactly..." San was the first to speak through the wholesome moment displayed in front of them all. The interaction between Mingi and Jongho staying unnoticed as San's voice rang through the air loud enough to catch everyone's attention, though it trailed off at the end. He mentioned towards the man remaining closely to the train's doors. The old individual with his broken pair of glasses.

"That's Left Eye." Hongjoong explained, "He told us where to go to next. He also is the only one who can lead us there, considering the fact that he refuses to tell us where exactly we need to go if he can't tag along." The cerulean had his arms crossed, not all too amused by the demand of the older and yet it remained something that they were willing to accept.

Their first encounter with the older had been far from pleasant, may one say, and left a bitter taste within the group. None of them were exactly eager to re-experience any of the kind again.

"He knows where the others are?" Jongho asked, the surprise clear in his voice and excitement mirroring in his eyes. "That means we're not far from going home again." He muttered, a smile drawing on his lips as his interaction with Mingi was long forgotten. They only had to find the Black Pirate's Leaders and they for sure could figure out a way to get their hands on the Cromer again. It would mean they had no purpose in this world anymore and would get to go back — away from this trash can of a society and back to their own.

Not that the other hadn't certain traits of a trash-can-society, but at least white clad giants who stole and burned memories weren't as much of a problem.

It would also mean that Marilee could reunite with those she treasured dearly. Even though the group she was recently traveling with were strikingly similar to the others, as one would have expected them to be, it still felt different. Those people were from another dimension and thus, completely different human beings. Marilee longed to see those she knew by heart again.

And if that was to succeed, Wooyoung's and Marilee's promise would be fulfilled as well. Their eyes met as Jongho exclaimed those hopeful words. They would get to the goal with both sides having fulfilled their promise, that they were sure of. They had trust in the other and in themselves that the end of the story of their pinky-promise would be what they had both wished for.