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Chan was sure that even without his powers he could save Seungkwan from the mess he was in. His bestfriend’s foot was stuck inside the tight sneakers he had on when he tripped and now that he was crying in pain, Chan could only look at him with pity. But of course he would still use his powers, for Seungkwan, anytime.
“I told you to look where you’re going multiple times now, why is that so hard?” he asked.
“I was looking where I was going! If it wasn’t for this guy who bumped into me and instead of helping, his eyes sent me daggers!!! I swear Channie if you looked at him he was killing me with those stares! And he’s not even pleasing to look at!!!!!!”
“So if he was pleasing to look at, you would just gawk at him?” Chan asked, looking at his bestfriend in disbelief.
“Of course not! Ugh, you and Vernon are the worst!!!” Seungkwan yelled, slightly screaming from pain when his foot moved a bit.
Chan laughed and smiled at his bestfriend who looked like a baby who had his lollipop stolen. He made his way to Seungkwan’s foot and gently placed his right hand above it. He closed his eyes and focused his energy into his bestfriend’s foot. After a few seconds, Seungkwan moaned with rapture as he felt the pain go away from his foot. He could feel the muscles relaxing and after Chan removed his hand, he could already move the foot without any discomfort.
“We’re the worst because we’re your only best friends,” he laughed as he helped Seungkwan get up from the bench.
Seungkwan hugged him tight and squealed like a puppy as he kept on jumping from the joy of recovering his sprained foot. He kept on chanting “thank you Channie, you’re the best!” as they made their way inside the college building.
They saw Vernon waiting for them beside the first room. When they both got there, Seungkwan untangled himself from Chan and moved to cling to Vernon’s arms. Chan smiled as he saw Vernon kiss Seungkwan’s cheek when they both hugged each other. Seungkwan rambled on about what happened this morning before Chan saw and healed him. Vernon gave him a pat on his shoulders and smiled at him after Seungkwan had let him go.
“Thanks Channie,” Vernon said, smiling at him. Chan equaled his other bestfriend’s smile.
“Oh Channie, oh my God I remembered, the guy who bumped into me was wearing the same hoodie that the guy who was stalking you the other day!!!” Seungkwan announced once they were all seated at their usual seat, at the back of the room beside the large glass windows overlooking the entire field of their campus.
Both Chan and Vernon looked at him immediately, agitation and horror painted on both their faces. A few days ago, Chan was walking towards a small restaurant that offers seafood plates to meet with Vernon and Seungkwan and to work on a midterm project they all need to pass before the end of the month, when a man wearing a dark blue hoodie with a large X printed in white at the garment, paired with a dark pants and dirty white shoes, stalked Chan along the way. He could’ve used his powers to confront the man, but when he was near and saw his best friends waving at him in front of the restaurant, the man suddenly vanished. Vernon also noticed the man from afar and they talked about it when they got to eat. Chan was not scared then, but now that this same man was near his campus and had hurt his best friend, he was a bit terrified.
For the whole day they all ignored the hooded man, especially Chan, even if he was a bit alarmed. The class took his mind off things and he just focused on finishing his schoolworks. He looked forward to seeing his boyfriend, Wonwoo, during his break time. Wonwoo was already in the graduating batch of his program and he could only see Chan during his break times due to the amount of load he had. But Chan treasured these small moments he could have with Wonwoo, especially since he’s also excited for his boyfriend to graduate and work in his chosen field.
He went to their usual place inside the cafeteria, he would always eat there with both Seungkwan and Vernon, his boyfriend Wonwoo, and some of Wonwoo’s friends from his class. But he wasn’t there at his usual spot today so Chan thought he was busy with his studies. He went to Wonwoo’s room to check on him but he wasn’t there either, so Chan started walking towards the library when he bumped into Junhui, Wonwoo’s friend.
“Jun-hyung! Have you seen Wonwoo-hyung? Is he still in the library?” he asked.
Jun’s eyebrows met as he looked at him, “He’s not with you?” the older asked.
Chan’s eyes widened. “With me?” he asked, panic rising in his voice, “Hyung I haven’t seen him at all today!”
Junhui’s eyes registered the news with shock, he immediately picked up his phone to call Wonwoo, Chan did the same too. It was as if they both knew that an absent Wonwoo was never a common occurrence. Something must’ve happened.
Before Chan could dial his boyfriend’s number, a call from an unknown number sent shivers down his spine especially when he heard the creepy voice from the other end of the line telling him that his beloved boyfriend was in danger.
“You dip-shit, come meet us today in an hour in the factory near the abandoned ship beside the floating gardens, or else your nerdy lover gets hurt.”
Chan did not hesitate to run, leaving Junhui looking so perplexed. He immediately ran the length of the building up to the campus lawn when he saw Vernon and Seungkwan walking towards the gate. He called them, panting and voice laced with fear.
“Boo!!! I need your car ASAP!!!” he shouted.
“What for Channie? Why are you in such a hurry? Are you okay?” Seungkwan asked.
“I don’t know much but Wonwoo-hyung is in danger. Someone abducted him, the man said I should go to that factory, the one where your grandpa used to work at. Please, I really need it.” he begged his best friend.
Seungkwan did not hesitate to give him the keys and the three of them ran towards the parking lot to get inside the car and drive. Vernon, calm and collected at that moment, told Chan to sit at the back so he could drive for all of them. He told Chan to start planning ways to rescue Wonwoo and for them to trap the man who did all this.
Chan felt his blood rushing to his face as the drive went on. He was only thinking of his lovely Wonwoo, alone and helpless in the hands of that man. He planned what to do, just as Vernon suggested, but he couldn’t fully finish anything because he was so nervous and anxious, thinking of Wonwoo’s condition. Seungkwan helped him in calming his nerves. He soothed Chan’s hands and held on to them for as long as he could, he also squeezed them from time to time. That made Chan breathe less heavier and think of what to do. He also realized his two best friends were with him, which was a bit scary for him because he didn’t want to put them in danger too, but a part of him was also relieved to have Seungkwan and Vernon beside him at this crucial moment.
Danger had always been a part of Chan’s life since the day he discovered his powers. From a young age, he was orphaned. His father and mother were both killed in an accident that almost took his life too. Thankfully, he was saved by a man who responded to the emergency calls and he was eventually brought to the hospital to be taken care of. Chan did not cry at that time, not until he saw both his parent’s urns in their memorial. Chan cried so hard he thought his eyes would detach from his face. He wept and wept at such a young age that even the people who helped with the service took pity on him. The older people thought he was such a poor young boy, alone and sad, with no one else to turn to. But after the funeral, the man who saved him in the accident took him into his home as his own son, that’s how he met Seungkwan.
Seungkwan’s father was the man who responded in the accident and helped Chan with everything. Seungkwan was with him during the funeral, he sat quietly beside a weeping Chan, offering him crackers and water, and holding a tissue roll for him to wipe his tears with. After that, Seungkwan gleefully welcomed him into their home and treated him as his own brother. They grew up studying and playing together. They shared almost everything, from their pyjamas, which have the same color and design to their toys and books. Seungkwan filled Chan’s longing for his parents with his brotherly affection and unconditional love. That’s when he also discovered his powers.
Chan had suspected that Seungkwan was fond of their friend Vernon when they were all in ninth grade. He always noticed how Seungkwan’s look would linger on their friend. He would always find Seungkwan writing secret love letters for Vernon inside his room, without his best friend knowing he knew. He saw how Seungkwan would fidget his hands whenever Vernon was walking with them on the way to school. And his powers came at such a time when Seungkwan had put himself in a mess just to impress Vernon.
It was a Sunday afternoon, the three of them hanging out in the park, near the sturdy trees. Seungkwan had planned how he would confess his feelings to Vernon. Chan knew the plan since he saw Seungkwan pacing back and forth in his room, nervous for his life. His best friend finally admitted his feelings towards Vernon to him and asked him to help with his confession. Chan looked at him adorably and agreed, because he liked Vernon for Seungkwan and he just wanted his best friend happy.
The plan was, Seungkwan would sing a sweet song for Vernon when they reached the area where Chan had put the picnic mat and some snacks and sweets (Seungkwan carefully picked the ones without peanuts). But everything went sideways when a nervous Seungkwan accidentally lost his phone in the process of preparing. They both searched for his phone in the grassy area of the park, bending and thoroughly looking for the gadget. Seungkwan screamed with relief when he spotted it near the first tree that was lined with other trees, blocking the road.
Chan saw a movement from the tree where Seungkwan was standing near, checking his phone. It was a small movement but it was fast, and Chan knew immediately that it was a snake, coming for his best friend’s back from the tree. Rushing fast to run, Chan immediately felt something inside him push his body fast, he was shielding his best friend from the snake bite in no time. Seungkwan was shocked to his core when he saw Chan beside him, arms around his shoulders pushing him forward, in just a few seconds. He screamed when he saw the snake biting Chan’s hand that was covering his back. They both screamed at the snake and Chan hurriedly shook it off his hand, he wasn’t exerting much force but the snake flew off towards the end of the lined up trees, almost near the road. Seungkwan was still screaming behind him, pointing at his hand, he swore Seungkwan would’ve fainted if it wasn’t for what they saw next. The two dots where the snake bite was evident, gently faded out of Chan’s hand. Like a wound magically closing up and getting healed. Chan also felt the hand where he was bit, harden and then soften in just mere seconds. He did not feel anything, no blood rushing on his face or hard pumps of his heart.
He looked at Seungkwan who was looking at him with eyes wide open. Seungkwan pulled Chan into a tight hug and started crying, saying something along the lines of “I thought you will die” and “I don’t wanna lose you Channie” and “what the hell just happened” as he cried into Chan’s shoulders, not wanting to let go. Vernon saw them like that, embracing each other like twin babies do, with one crying and the other one comforting the other. That day, the three of them learned about Chan’s powers of speed and healing, and also that day, Seungkwan and Vernon became an official couple.
Chan practiced with the couple during weekends in the far area of the park to further explore the extent of his powers. Along the process of it, he learned how his skin would turn hard like a steel, and his speed would accelerate when he wills his legs to run. He could almost feel them stretching long but whenever he looked at them, there weren’t any changes. He also discovered his skull would always create its own hard-boned shield whenever he would crash on trees. This meant that Chan could batter his head towards anything without it bleeding or getting hurt in the process. He tried practicing by pounding his head on solid logs of trees scattered at the farthest part of the park. He also noticed that during his long practice in the heat of the summer sun, he rarely felt the heat, it's as if something is cooling his body and muscles inside. Sometimes he would always wonder where he got the stamina and the will to continue improving and practicing (Seungkwan always got bored after two hours and Vernon helped with taking notes of his progress and recording his skills by taking videos) but he still continued with it and researched more about his powers.
One trip to the city museum gave him an idea where he got the powers. It was a required small activity for their class, the three of them huddled together at the back of their class group to talk about silly things when Chan saw a small dinosaur statue with a description on its side. It was an Ouranosaurus , Chan got intrigued with the sails on its back, long and bony. His eyes widened when he read about how it could keep its body cool even at extreme temperatures. He kept on reading about it and moved along the next dinosaur he saw. He learned that his speed was like that of a Struthiomimus , an ostrich-like dinosaur with long legs. The dome of bone at the top of the head of a Stegoceras which he learned was used to head-butt its rivals and predators was the same as his thick and hard skull.
He was so fascinated with everything that he continued researching and reading about dinosaurs when their trip was over. He even invited Seungkwan and Vernon to watch all the Jurassic Park movies one Saturday night in his room. Since that time, he would always use these skills to help his friends and to do rigorous tasks that seem impossible for his age. He never questioned where he got them nor what he was made of or if those were inherent to his genes. He never came to know if his parents had the same powers before they died, but Chan thought that if they did, then they would’ve still been alive. He kept all these a secret to the world except for his two best friends and the boy he met after graduating high school, his boyfriend Wonwoo.
It was a sweet encounter in the campus library, Chan was a freshman and Wonwoo was in his junior year. They met at the quiet section of the books containing information about animals. Chan was trying to reach a book about carnivorous dinosaurs when a tall guy reached for the book and handed it to him. The guy smiled at him and quietly went on to reach for more books about dinosaurs. Chan’s heart was beating fast at that encounter but he still mustered enough courage to talk to the guy and ask him about dinosaurs, if he liked them, or if he was curious about them. He learned that the guy, Wonwoo, was also fascinated by dinosaurs and their individual skills, and the aftermath of their period. They talked and bonded over dinosaurs and Chan never saw it coming, he was head over heels for this guy. They also had a lot of things in common. They both liked eating in quiet areas to enjoy the food and they both liked listening to old jazz music and soft rock hits. For months they hit it off, they always saw each other during breaks and after class hours to exchange facts and trivias about comic books since they both liked reading them. They went to restaurants and cafes to talk about random things concerning dinosaurs, with Wonwoo asking him first if he wanted to, which Chan suspected was the older guy’s way of asking him on a date. He found it adorable.
When summer came, Chan was the first to ask Wonwoo if he wanted to be in a relationship. The older guy agreed and they made it official that time. Chan eventually told Wonwoo about his powers, afraid that the older guy would find him scary, Chan was nervous for his life. He loved Wonwoo and he would be so hurt if he could not accept this part of Chan. But to his surprise, Wonwoo was quite chill about it and he even hugged him tight, assuring him he loved him so much and that nothing changed between them. They spent the summer going on dates and keeping track of Chan’s powers and how it progressed. Wonwoo was a big help in the development of his powers, his boyfriend had lots of proper ideas whenever he would practice and also took great care of him, supporting him all the way.
So now that Wonwoo might be in grave danger, Chan could never forgive himself if something would happen to his boyfriend. The ride was a bit long because of the usual city traffic but they still made their way to the abandoned factory before the hour mark. He immediately felt the adrenaline rushing and his body preparing for anything. He ordered his two best friends to stay put inside the car so they would be out of danger, he had their phone line open just in case something out of their control happens.
He looked at the lifeless factory, it was smaller than most factories, almost the size of a normal city house. He walked at the side, near the broken glass windows and glanced inside. He still had thirteen minutes before the hour mark, he planned to attack the two men guarding a tied up Wonwoo on a small wooden chair. There seemed to be no other people around, just the two men. He peered his eyes to see the figures better and when he saw one of the men clearly, Chan hurriedly ran inside. It was the hooded man from the morning incident with Seungkwan!
He felt the hard walls of the factory break when he smashed his body in it, diving head first. A hole slightly bigger than his figure made its way on the wall, allowing him to enter inside. He quickly ran the distance from the wall to the center where Wonwoo was tied. Chan felt all his blood rushing and an inexplicable energy burst inside him, pumping his heart and muscles with so much force that he felt his body screaming for something to crash into.
The hooded man saw him, surprised and afraid by his sudden entrance. He used his right hand to punch the man’s gut, which sent the man flying into the corner of the factory. The other man had his hand on a long rod, he tried hitting Chan in the head but Chan swiftly moved and the rod hit the floor instead. He also sent a punch to the man’s body with so much force that he went farther than the hooded guy.
Chan spent no time waiting, he rushed to Wonwoo, who was tied up and looking scared, his eyes big and wide, glasses missing. He exerted no force into cutting the tight string tying up his boyfriend. When Wonwoo got out of it, he hugged Chan tight and sobbed into his shoulders. Chan gingerly placed his hand on Wonwoo’s back, caressing it with so much love and care, a stark contrast to the rough and gauche use of his powers. He hugged Wonwoo and whispered words of comfort into his boyfriend’s ears. After a few seconds of their embrace, Chan held Wonwoo’s hand and they made their way out of the factory, with the two men still unconscious. Chan called Seungkwan’s phone to ask him to call the police so the two men would not escape, but the phone was just ringing and ringing. The two lovers rushed out of the big door to the factory, they were surprised when they saw Seungkwan and Vernon standing outside, with a corporate looking man behind them. His two best friends looked so scared and anxious that it sent a dagger into his heart seeing them like that. He was about to run to them when the man put his hand up and ordered the two to walk towards Chan and Wonwoo.
When his best friends got in front of him, he briskly pushed them behind him, shielding them from the man. Wonwoo placed his hand on Chan’s shoulder, which sent encouragement into his own state of mind at that moment.
“So, this is you now, Mr. Lee,” the man spoke, his voice cold and stern.
Chan was a bit surprised that the man knew his surname, but he showed no weakness and responded, “I don’t know what you want with me or my friends, but if you ever hurt them, I will strike hard.”
“Relax, Mr. Lee. I’m just here to see the extent of what you can do.” the man said, mockery dripping from his voice.
Chan was taken aback. No one else aside from the four of them knew about his powers. No one had seen them at the park, they made sure of that. Not even Seungkwan’s father. His eyes went wide for a second and he looked strangely at the man.
“How did you know about me? What do you know?” he shouted, the bubbling anger evident from his voice.
The man smiled creepily and before he could even speak, Chan grabbed him by the collar and threw him towards the door of the factory. He flew with so much force that Chan thought he would remain unconscious for a long time. Seungkwan yelled at Vernon and Wonwoo to run away and towards his car. But the man was up in no time, brushing off his suit. Chan saw the two men he punched make their way to the man’s side. The man smiled again.
Chan was so agitated that he decided to attack the three of them, he was surprised when he saw Seungkwan beside him, with Vernon and Wonwoo on his other side, the three of them were holding some things to hit the men with. They all rushed towards the three men.
To their surprise, the man spoke, voice filled with mockery and bitterness, which made them stop on their tracks.
“You will see, Chan. The fruit of our experiment will benefit both of us. For now, I leave you this message,” the man continued, “be careful, for you won’t know what will strike you next.”
The hooded guy threw a smoke bomb towards them which made the area around them foggy and hard to be seen. He tried looking for the men but they were gone. He heard his friends coughing and so he decided to let the men go for now. He attended to his friends and guided them into a less smoky area. He used his powers to take the smoke off their lungs and heal any bruise or wound they had, especially Wonwoo, who has tied marks evident from his wrists and ankles.
They hurriedly made their way into Seungkwan’s car with Wonwoo driving and Chan seated at the shotgun. They were all breathing fast and heavy and without any word, Wonwoo started driving away. When they were on the road near the public places, Vernon started talking about what happened.
“What now Chan? That was dangerous, we should probably report this.”
Wonwoo spoke up before Chan could even reply, “We can’t Vernon. The man who abducted me was a police officer patrolling on our campus. I recognized him because I always see him near my building every morning. I think this was thoroughly planned.” He looked at Chan straight after saying that.
He continued, “I don’t know the man who threatened you but by the looks of it, he’s very powerful. Do you know anyone who saw you in the past week? Or anyone who you think is stalking you? It’s scary how they knew my schedule so they probably know yours too,” he looked at Seungkwan and Vernon who were listening intently at the back, “and the two of you too.”
Seungkwan was the one who answered for him because he was at a loss for words. Seungkwan told Wonwoo about the hooded guy, the incident from the other day and just this morning. Wonwoo placed his other hand on Chan’s leg, a method of calming his boyfriend. He stopped the car when they were near the campus. He looked at Chan and after that to his two best friends.
“No one can know what happened today, okay? I’ll ask around for some protection from Jun’s family and also Soonyoung’s group. They don’t need to know what happened. Go home now, the three of you. I’ll stay here and talk to them.”
When Wonwoo got out of the car, Chan got out too. He called for his boyfriend.
“Hyung, shouldn’t you go home too? If you want I will come with you to talk to them,” he said.
“No Channie, go home and rest, don’t waste your energy on this, I will take care of it.”
Chan was feeling scared because he was starting to realize how big of a thing this was, bigger than him.
“Hyung, I’m so scared,” he said, with an almost broken voice.
Wonwoo looked at him with pure love and tears forming in his eyes, heart breaking for his boyfriend, “I know Channie, this is so scary and I don’t want you to get hurt.”
“But you’re the one who almost got hurt today!!!” he cried, “I thought you were gonna get hurt so bad and that I would lose you! I don’t want that hyung!!!” he cried hard into his boyfriend’s chest.
“Shhhh, Channie, I know. Nothing bad will happen okay? We will be alright, you won’t lose anyone.”
He looked at Wonwoo’s eyes and saw his boyfriend’s determination and love for him. It’s almost funny how he was the one with powers and yet here he was, weak and vulnerable, wanting protection from the love of his life.
Wonwoo kissed him tenderly after assuring him they would be alright. He kissed his boyfriend back, laying all his fears and frustrations and his emotions in that tender kiss. They parted ways after that, Wonwoo came to get his stuff and to talk to his friends. Chan made his way to his best friend’s car and then they drove off.
He contemplated the things that happened that day. He was brave in the face of danger in order to protect the lives of the people he loved. Chan realized that all his training, practice, and learning about his powers led him to this moment. He had a lot of things to know yet. Who was that man? What experiment was he talking about? Why would it benefit the both of them?
And he also questioned the very existence of his powers. Where did it come from? How did he get it? Why him? What is the truth to all of these?
These are questions he needed to answer, but he knew that he needed to face the danger, before he could get the answers. And this was something bigger than him, bigger than his life, and bigger than that of his powers. He was terrified, but when he thought of Wonwoo’s words and his kiss, Seungkwan’s will to help him anytime just like a brother, and Vernon’s brave and calm demeanor when they were all in danger, he knew. He knew that this was an adventure him and his friends would have to go to. For their safety, and for the truth.