Part 17 ✿

The next day

Beomgyu slowly sat up from his lying position and rubbed his eyes. With his vision still a bit blurry from sleeping, he looked to his left and saw Jessica face down on the floor. 'Oh.. she's still here...'

"Jess can you explain to me what you're doing?" he asked in a bored and tired tone.

The teddy got up while making tiny groans

« I jumped off to my death last night »

"Congratulations." Beomgyu said unamused, then got up from his bed. "So you stayed in that position all night?"

« Well I don't sleep so, I didn't know what

else to do »

✧~

Ready to go to school, Beomgyu walked down the stairs with a teddy tiger following him from behind.

'I see hyung isn't back yet'

The male had a simple and quick breakfast while the plushie marched around the table with decisive steps « It's been a while since I've experienced walking on my two feet...»

Beomgyu raised a brow "So you weren't always just a voice?"

« Pff so you think someone as great as me, was always untitled to just being a mind voice!? »

The human nonchalantly shrugged his shoulders then stood up since he was done "I know Taehyun's around, I can feel my soulmate's energy-"

« Keep dreaming. I know you can't feel shi—

Beomgyu loudly cleared his throat "Anyway so, I need to go to school to find out what's up with him, which is why I'm bringing some detective accessories. So see you when I come back."

She lifted her arms up « What the... I'm going with you, you know! »

Beomgyu let out an exasperated sigh in his hand "You wouldn't want to stay in my bag, and I am not going to carry a teddy around."

« Well sorry mortal but I'm coming with you. »

Beomgyu ignored her and walked away. But it was then that Jessica made her riskiest move in her teddy tiger life ( which is a few hours ) and jumped from the table to Beomgyu's shoulder with a flight of two seconds.

The dark-haired sighed again like he's having the toughest day, a day that barely even started, and went outside.

✧

When he arrived at school, he could naturally sense the judgmental glances and whispers from the students, but he honestly didn't care at this point. He simply just strode to his classroom with a teddy tiger sitting on his head.

When he entered the room, he was greeted by his close friend Jeongin. The time controlling ebyser was aggressively tapping Beomgyu's assigned seat, over-exaggeratedly gesturing him to sit down.

Jeongin's seat is at the back corner of the classroom and the very slightly younger sits in front of him. The boy scratched his head in confusion before asking Beomgyu "Why the heck are you carrying this teddy tiger around?"

"It's a long story but I don't really want to tell you, because I don't have enough brain power to do so."

« I'm glad you're learning more about yourself »

✧

Lunch time is the only period of the day where Beomgyu can be with his three closest friends at the same time, and he couldn't wait for that time since he has many questions.

Jeongin spoke up while bringing out his lunch and packing his things "It's cool that your teddy is moving like that, I want one.."

The dark haired just hummed while taking hold of the plush in his arms, in a way thats its legs were dangling in the air "See you, I'm gonna eat with my friends"

"Why do you never eat with me?" Jeongin pouted.

"Oh uh we can eat together anytime, but for now I have some investigating to do." And with that Beomgyu walked off like he was in some detective movie.

Jeongin paused in bewilderment 'What's with the monocle?'

✧

"Oh oh! Guys I have another one!" Yeonjun stated enthusiastically.

"Noooo" the two younger groaned while resting their head on the cafeteria table in lethargy.

Yeonjun cleared his throat "So what do you call an alligator in a vest?!"

Not waiting for the two to reply ( even though they weren't going to ) he revealed the answer with a grin "an investigator!" An exaggerated laugh and clapping followed that word. Soobin and Huening lifted their heads to give the older a done expression.

Beomgyu came out of nowhere and thumped the table with his free hand, the other holding the teddy "Speaking of an investigator, I need to question you guys"

"Wow Beomgyu you scared me" Soobin said putting his hand on his chest.

The dark haired took a seat next to them and put a little Bluetooth speaker on the table. He crossed his arms and gave Jessica a single nod "Sidekick, would you please?"

The teddy got on the table and advanced towards the small speaker « Why do I have to do the dirty work? »

She then did her dirty work, which was simply to press a button.

With some stereotypical detective music playing at a low volume, Beomgyu adjusted his monocle and brought an enlarging loop to his eye "Time for the interrogation."

The trio looked at each other clearly muddled then back at Beomgyu and said one after the other

"I" "have" "questions"

Beomgyu pointed his index at them "I'm the one asking the questions here!"

The teddy pointed its paw at them as well « Yea what he said! »

Soobin whispered something to Kai  "I'm worried for our gyu... I think Taehyun's absence is turning him into a lunatic."

Huening nodded then turned to the older "So what's with the music? The monocle? The loop? And the freaking living teddy tiger?"

Soobin sighed "And he's even talking to it... Taehyun what have you done.."

Yeonjun who hasn't been saying anything finally spoke up in a whispering voice "Jessica..? Is that you?" he easily recognised that voice, he didn't think much about the fact that she was, well, a plushie. Since he knows she can do things like this.

The ravenette blinked "Oh you can hear her? I guess it makes sense"

Jessica waved nonchalantly

« Oh hi Yeonjun it's been a while. Why did you leave me with that fool? »

The pink-haired looked bewildered "I never left you with him though... w-what's going on? You're a part of my ebys, but my ebys disappeared so how...?"

Beomgyu was starting to get ticked off, he couldn't care less about all this "You gave her to me in a different timeline hyung, but that doesn't matter! What. Happened. To. Taehyun!?"

Jessica imitated Beomgyu's pose once again « Yes. What happened to the male!? The male that this human wouldn't stop drooling over!»

"You don't have to word it like that!!" Beomgyu snapped at the way shorter

Kai asked a question to no one in particular "Am I the only one who doesn't hear it speak?"

Soobin replied, "No me either, I guess it's just those two who can."

Now it was Yeonjun's turn to ask a question "And am I the only one who doesn't know who Taehyun is?"

Beomgyu glared fiercely at the older "I hate you so mu—"

"I'M YOUR COUSIN! THE HELL?!"

Then something that was told to Beomgyu yesterday suddenly popped up in his mind.

"From what I'm seeing, The blazing ebyser left us a year ago."

His mouth then made an O shape. It makes sense that Yeonjun doesn't know Taehyun, since he never met him in the first place. In that original timeline, Huening Kai and Taehyun met the pink haired this month.

But Taehyun disappeared last year, so they never ended up meeting each other.

Kai and Soobin are childhood friends of the blonde, so it makes sense that they remember him, since they knew him before his vanishing.

"Guys.." Beomgyu said "Don't question what I'm about to say but, how have I been doing this past year?" It shouldn't be forgotten that the raven-haired took the place of Beomgyu2.

Soobin was tapping the table "Miserable. So it's really weird that your mood changed so fast in the span of a day."

So what Beomgyu got from that, is that the original him from this universe was really sad, because of Taehyun's absence he assumed. But... The first question Beomgyu asked still hasn't been answered. A four worded question that he asked numerous times but always got a vague answer returned to him.

Beomgyu stood straight, made a deep inhalation then exhaled. "What happened to Taehyun?"

Soobin and Kai looked at each other before the younger of the two answered.

"They found him."

This is a possible confirmation that Taehyun is in fact still around but the dark-haired furrowed his eyebrows, confused and worried.

"Who is they ?"

Soobin continued "Ebys forces of the Nether, EFN for short. A suspicious yet legal organisation or council somewhere here in Korea."

Huening Kai spread his arms and gasped dramatically "The district is located in like the furthers reaches of this land! It's like a different world"

Beomgyu gaped at them in disbelief "Why do they have Taehyun...?"

The blue-haired replied in a sad tone "Those people have been tracking down the 4 classical element ebysers for years now. Solely for their stupid mercenary research. They're using them until they die, which is at age 20. Well, they finally found the fire element one and basically abducted him. And all of this is somehow legal. The world isn't the most fond of those ebysers so they think it's for the best that they're kept in that place. And the police is no help either, they're such ebists."

Yeonjun commented something "The ebyser who controls the earth element already died no? So I guess just those three remain"

Beomgyu couldn't believe it, he just couldn't believe it, he continued asking questions but he was broken on the inside "B-But how is Taehyun?? Like when is the last time you've heard from him?"

"A few months ago? He's allowed 4 phone calls a year and he was doing okay. He also gets two visits per year, his mother was the last to visit him. It was this week I think, and apparently Tae didn't recognise her immediately."

Taehyun is most of the time kept in a big empty ebys-nullifying white room with his 2 fellow classical element ebysers which was making the boy quite downhearted and insane with time.

Huening clasped his hands "EFN is such a futuristic place too..! Beomgyu hyung, if you plan on visiting, do not go in the blue room with Taehyun, it has this effect on him and uh.. he might um......" The brunette started fanning himself "Ooh it's getting hot in here"

The raven haired ignored that warning, he was instead pissed that they were so casual about the fact that Taehyun is basically locked up by force in that place. "A-Are... you guys really okay with this? This is so unfair for Taehyun..."

Soobin made a broken smile "We can't do anything about his situation... And our Taehyunie is destined to pass early anyway. We just sadly need to accept that fact.."

Beomgyu thumped the table with his two fists "I'm his soulmate though!"

Yeonjun who was slurping loudly on his ramen like usual, looked up from his bowl to look at his cousin "Say what now?"

« There he goes again... »

The ravenette got up and clutched the material of his uniform where his heart is, and glared at the three "He doesn't need any pills, rebystraint or all these crazy experiments to stay in a good condition. He and I... We just need to be together... if we just stay connected, nothing will happen to him.. but no one seems to understand that!!" He said with his voice getting louder by the second.

But then it became softer "When we first met... I told him I was his soulmate and he believed me—

« You forced him to believe you-»

"Zip it." He cleared his throat and pursued

"So we've stayed together for five years. And nothing happened to Taehyun that whole time" Beomgyu's ears reddened when he said the following "And we apparently even dated. There's no way I would've left those guys take him away from me...but.. I guess I did..." He hated Beomgyu2 for that. 'Is it because.. Taehyun broke up with him...?'

After a little silence, Soobin spoke up "...Gyu—"

Beomgyu clicked his tongue "Forget you guys... Jess let's go" he said as he carried the teddy in his arms then walked away.

✧

« Beomgyu where are we going? »

The boy put on a determined expression "To the computer lab. We will find out where that organisation is located, arrange a visit, I'll get Taehyun out of there without your help, and officially ask him to be my boyfriend."

« Interesting interesting... okay let's act like your plan is possible by ignoring the fact that the establishment has really high security.

What's impossible is the last thing you said, yea no.. there's just no way you'll be able to ask him out without your pea-sized brain corrupting. »