Ch-35

Jungkook opened his eyes, a familiar sense of confusion and curiosity settling over him. "Again," he muttered to himself, sitting up by the side of the river.

He thought about the recurring dream he had again. "Why do they always come in my dreams?" he wondered aloud, his thoughts filled with images of the seven mysterious figures who appeared in his dreams.

Jungkook sighed and lowered his gaze, focusing on his legs submerged in the cold water. He spoke softly, his voice filled with curiosity and a hint of confusion. "Who were those boys?" he mumbled to himself, his mind still trying to make sense of the mysterious figures that had been haunting his dreams.

Jungkook's dream shifted, taking on a different form. This time, he dreamed of a girl, but her face was blurred. He tried to focus on her features, but they remained indistinct, obscured by a hazy veil.

Jungkook awoke with a start, the image of the mysterious girl lingering in his mind. He rubbed his eyes, trying to clear his thoughts. "Who was that girl?" he whispered; his curiosity piqued.

Jungkook mulled over the strange dreams and the mysterious figures that appeared in them. A thought crossed his mind, "Are they...connected?" he wondered aloud.

He leaned back against a tree, his mind replaying the various images of the boys and the girl. He couldn't shake off the feeling that there was something important about these dreams, something that he couldn't quite put his finger on.

Jin stood in the kitchen, diligently preparing kimchi alongside the woman he called "mother." He chopped the cabbage and radishes with precision, carefully seasoning the ingredients to create kimchi.

As he worked, a sense of contentment washed over him. He had settled into a comfortable routine with this makeshift family, finding a sense of belonging and security in their company.

Jin stopped in his tracks, the sound of the conversation from the other room catching his attention. He quietly approached the door and paused, listening to the words that floated into the hallway.

"He can't live here any longer," the woman's husband said, his voice stern. "Why can't you understand? He has lost his memories. His parents must be worried for him."

Jin's heart sank as he heard these words. He realized that he wasn't their son, just a stranger that they had taken in out of pity.

"But he is just like our son, he treats me like his mother" The woman said. "I know, I know," the woman's husband replied, his voice still edged with concern. "He's been great, and he treats you like his mother. But he has a family out there, looking for him. We can't keep him here forever."

The woman looked down, a hint of sadness in her eyes. "I know, but I've grown fond of him. He's like a son to me."

The woman's husband was firm in his decision, his words filled with resignation. "I know you've grown fond of him, but you have to understand. He has a life somewhere out there, a family, maybe even a lover. We can't keep him here forever. If even a sliver of his memories comes back, we have to let him go back to his real family."

Jin ran out of the house, his heart racing with determination. He darted in different directions, hoping to find at least a hint of his real family. But the more he searched, the more hopeless he felt. The surroundings were unfamiliar, and he had no idea which direction to take.

Unbeknownst to him, he was far from his real family and brothers, miles and miles away from the people he longed to reunite with.

Yoongi was surrounded by children, their joyful laughter filling the air as they played around him. He was now a permanent fixture at the orphanage, having built a strong bond with the kids and the staff.

As he played and interacted with the children, a sense of purpose filled his heart. He had found a new home here, a place to belong and feel needed.

Yoongi's attention was called by a man, his tone brusque and direct. "Hey newbie, when will you fill this form?" he asked. "If you don't remember your name and family, then stop living here as an orphan too."

Yoongi gritted his teeth at the man's bluntness. He knew that living in the orphanage without a name and memories was a difficult situation, but he had grown fond of the place and the people here.

Hoseok's gaze was fixated on the flickering flames, his mind lost in contemplation. A woman's voice broke his thoughts, a worried tone in her words.

"Dear, don't go too close to the fire," she scolded gently. "You will burn yourself."

Hoseok jerked out of his reverie, realizing that he had inadvertently inched closer to the flames. He stepped back, a sheepish expression on his face.

Hoseok returned his gaze to the dancing flames, a sense of familiarity tugging at the edges of his memories. Despite his inability to pinpoint what exactly felt so familiar, he couldn't shake off the nagging feeling in his gut.

He settled back on the ground, his mind still fixated on the captivating fire before him, searching for any clues to the memories he had lost.

Namjoon, who was in the middle of teaching his class, paused and scratched his head upon hearing the girl's question. "Sir, have you heard about the lost princes rumor?" The girl spoke. A puzzled expression formed on Namjoon's face, and he shook his head in response to the student's question. "No, I haven't heard about that," Namjoon replied, his curiosity piqued. "What's this rumor about lost princes?"

"My father goes to another town; he told me that a royal family's sons are missing, and it's been one month."

Namjoon's confusion deepened as the young girl shared the rumor she had heard from her father. He raised an eyebrow, feeling a bit unsettled by the revelation.

"Wait, what do you mean their sons are missing?" Namjoon asked, furrowing his brow.

The girl nodded and added, "Yup, it's been rumored that a royal family's sons went missing around the time you arrived here, sir."

Namjoon's eyes widened slightly as he mentally processed the coincidental timing mentioned.

As Namjoon stood up, a sudden wave of dizziness overcame him. He stumbled for a moment, and two of his students quickly moved to support him.

"Whoa, sir, are you okay?" one of the students asked with concern.

With the students holding him steady, Namjoon took a moment to regain his balance. He closed his eyes for a moment, trying to shake the dizzy sensation, but the words about the missing princes echoed in his mind.

Jimin chased after the girl, a playful banter passing between them. "Hey, hey, wait!" he called out. "Catch me if you can, shorty," she retorted.

But suddenly, Jimin felt a sharp pain in his head, as if something was trying to break through his memories. The girl noticed his discomfort and quickly stopped; concern etched on her face. "What's wrong?" she asked, worry in her voice.

Jimin clutched his head, trying to focus past the pain. He seemed to hear faint, inaudible sounds, almost like someone calling him "shorty." But the voice and face were blurry, like a dream that faded with the morning light.

He gritted his teeth, silently trying to force the memories to return, but they remained stubbornly out of reach.

Jimin sat down, massaging his temples in an attempt to soothe the pain. The girl looked at him with concern and spoke up, "What if you might be getting your memories back?"

Jimin looked up at her, a flicker of hope passing through his eyes. The idea of getting his memories back was both exhilarating and terrifying.

"I don't know," he said, his voice tinged with uncertainty. "It hurts so much, but..." He trailed off, his mind still trying to process the strange events.

Jimin's mind wandered to the recurring image of a swan he had been seeing in his dreams. The animal felt both familiar and foreign to him, like a distant memory he could never quite grasp.

He voiced his thoughts aloud, speaking to the girl beside him. "I always remember a swan," he said, a hint of confusion in his voice. "It often comes in my dreams."

The girl chuckled, her laughter filling the air. "Wow," she said, "your love story must have been connected to a swan, huh?"

Jimin gave her a half-hearted glare, but he couldn't help the flush that spread across his cheeks. The thought of his lost memories holding a love story connection to a swan was both intriguing and slightly embarrassing.

"Hey bro" The man sat down next to Taehyung, a friendly smile on his face. "What are you doing?" he asked, following Taehyung's gaze to the front.

The man chuckled slightly when he saw that Taehyung was staring at the flowers again. "Again, gazing at flowers?" he teased.

Taehyung shook his head, his expression slightly flustered. "But the butterflies," he protested, gesturing at the colorful insects fluttering among the flowers.

The man sighed, a tinge of amusement in his voice. "You can't really understand anything by looking at them," he said, a slight smirk on his face.

Taehyung shot him a stubborn glare. "That's not true," he retorted, his gaze still fixed on the butterflies. "They're more fascinating than you think."

The man shrugged, "anyways.. Will you eat strawberry pancakes?" Suddenly Taehyung remembered something and passed out. The man widened his eyes calling his name out.