hiraeth. [You Are Ours Rewrite]

[CH.20]

[DISCLAIMER]: Okay, there's sprinkles of smut at the end of the chapter. Minors and those who does not want to read about mature stuff, turn away once you see a star (🌟). And reminder that this is not a fluffy story, it contains traces of noncon, as well as violence and stockholm syndrome.

There is a possibility that I will remove my story from wattpad entirely and move to ao3, as wattpad has enforced guidelines abt everything mature. I'm still figuring this out, especially since I'm not quite on wattpad anymore. The writing system is quite confusing and I can't really access from my computer.

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Hyunjin couldn't help but to stare at Seungmin during the entirety of their meal. His face looked entirely blank too but Seungmin could see the storm brewing behind it. No one tried to speak to him, sensing a shift in his scent. He could feel Minho throwing glances between them and Felix kept twitching beside him, as if his thoughts were rather similar to Seungmin's own.

Seungmin didn't act overly smug over it. He mostly went on with his own business, trying to conceal his thoughts and acting like he would during a normal lunch with his mates.

Hyunjin was usually very good at concealing his scent. Surprisingly too, even. Given that his brother was Park Jinyoung, Seungmin didn't doubt their darling had a few tricks up his sleeve. It was way easier for them to read his emotions off his face, rather than try to identify it in his scent.

But today, though. Today left him slightly confused, although pleased with the outcome.

Was he starting to remember? Not that Seungmin had been around long enough to realize, but Minho's reaction told him that Hyunjin's behavior had changed. Especially upon meeting him again. A part of him was pleased that he had somehow triggered a memory in Hyunjin, purring over the possibilities it brought.

Something had clicked into place when they stumbled into each other. Hyunjin had gone entirely pale, paler than he usually was, eyes wide and unseeing. And he looked like he wanted to run and leave them behind, to not face it.

Lunch passed by in a daze, Hyunjin not uttering a single word. The moment they were excused, he stood up and hurriedly disappeared in the direction of the conservatory.

Seungmin exchanged a look with Chan.

"What happened, Minnie?" Changbin tilted his head, gaze following their mate, who had long disappeared around the corner. Minho looked tempted to follow Hyunjin, only to be stopped by Felix, who put his hand on the alpha's thigh and shook his head softly.

"I think he's starting to remember." At that, he received a pleased hum from Chan, Felix brightened up while Changbin chuckled. Even Minho looked relieved, sitting straighter up as he glanced over to their alpha.

"Everything is going better than I expected. This is great!" Heaving a sigh, Minho shook his head and smiled. At first, they had planned to force him into submission, but then Chan had surveiled the tapes they had on him and decided differently.

As always, his mate had been right. Instead of him developing even more hate and fear towards them, it was slowly disappearing, replaced by the inner conflict that he had seen flashig in Hyunjin's eyes before. Seungmin felt the slightest twitch of his lips.

Did Hyunjin recognize him? Which part of it then? Because despite their patience with him, it had always been hard to keep away at all times. They had been forced to grow up while being apart from each other, so it was natural for them to miss him. Seungmin could remember more than once that the clueless alpha had unknowingly caught them when they were off to see how he was. Growing from a kind and cute kid to the beautiful, thoughtful person he was now...