"How the heck on earth do you have that tattoo?"

The woman stopped in her tracks but did not respond. Her eyes widen as she slowly turned to face Hoseok.

"What?!"

"I said, that tattoo, on your arm," he replied calmly, as he gaped at it. "How do you have that tattoo?"

The lady roughly pulled out her rolled up sleeves, in desperate attempts to cover the tattoo in question.

"N-no its... its nothing-g."

"You're hiding it! YOU'RE DEFINITELY HIDING IT! WHY ON EAR-"

"LEAVE!!!"

The sharpness in her tone stopped Hoseok. However the fear laced in it made him persistent.

"You can tell me. I'm on the same team."

"Oh yeah. Are you?" The sarcasm made him sick, but also made it clear as to how insecure she already was.

"Yes, I am. You can trust me-"

"No I can't. And the faster you get away from here, the safer it is for you." He peered in the direction she pointed at and out from her coloured glass windows, he saw a familiar silhouette strutting around.

"He's still here! WHAT THE-FF!"

The lady now covered his face as she hastily whispered, "You will get us killed! Follow me and keep your noisy mouth shut!"

Quite shaken at her duality, Hoseok clung on to his dear life and followed her. He looked at the tables and chairs, spread out tidily, to welcome customers. He noticed the beautifully handwritten boards announcing the day's special items. However, on entering the kitchen, he found it in a pathetic condition, rubble, utensils and dust, scattered everywhere. Hoseok, wondered to his horror, what could have caused such a chaos. As if on cue, the lady spoke. "This is the result of my stupid tattoo. Those FATV people did these."

After mustering a lot of courage, Hoseok mumbled, "Am I allowed to ask a question?"

"Yes, if you can take out that amplifier from your voice."

"Sorry that's natural," he replied with a smug smile, only to be met with fiery eyes, and with a realisation that he was loud again.

"Ahem, sorry," he replied, not daring to look at the moody lady.

But he wanted to ask the question too. He wanted to know why they turned the kitchen to a war-zone.

"They thought that I had something from before the doomed year."

"They thought WHAT?"

Hoseok knew he had let it out again, as her eyes desperately looked at him to keep it down.

"Please, I beg you. Leave this place. It is bad to die, but its worse to be a suspect in the eyes of FATV. Leave, please."

She opened a door, which led out to a wilderness.

"Judging by your clothes, you must be from the up-front. Follow the railway tracks and you will reach your locality. Do not go out into the main road or you will be caught by them."

Hoseok stared at her in wonder as she frantically looked out for eavesdroppers.

"That tattoo means something to me, and judging by your behaviour, you've no clue, why you have it."

The lady stopped and turned sharply to meet him. "I don't care," she said, a bit too harshly. "LEAVE!!!"

"I wish you would. It's means everything to me."

Hoseok no longer looked back but can feel the her eyes on him. He sadly walked out, hopes destroyed all over again.

She has the tattoo? How?

He started to walk cautiously following the tracks and does not look back for another time.

Noona, you were right. It's stupid. Everything is stupid now.

The road leads up to his place and he notices his house.

"Hey!! You left early. Should've woke me up, " Dawon called out as he entered it

"You looked tired," Hoseok replied, morosely.

"Ah! But still," she prepared breakfast and laid them out in the table.

"Here you go,... Hoba, what's wrong?"

Hoseok stared out of the window, unable to give a proper reply to his sister.

"You're right," he managed to say, after a lot of Dawon's pestering. "I should stop it all."

"What? Stop what?"

"Finding the truth. Nothing is in our favor and we're in greater risk now."

After narrating everything to her, Hoseok could not keep it anymore. Tears spilled from his eyes, as Dawon held onto him.

"She had it! She had that tattoo and I thought, I thought, t-there would be a chance. But n-no. We're failures."

Dawon silently brushed his hair and waited for him to calm down.

"She has the tattoo, you say?"

"Yes," he replied, matter-of-factly.

"Well then get her in the business."

Hoseok gaped at his sister.

"Are you serious now?"

Dawon looked at her brother with a different fire in her eyes.

"There is a chance now, Hoba. You've got a chance, don't waste it away. I believe in you, and I'll help you in whatever way I can."

"But she doesn't want to talk," Hoseok whined.

Dawon looked sharply at him, and with a sudden smirk in her face, she spoke, "And I thought that you were better than that."

The cafe was about to close and a lady furiously wrote down all expenses into her notebook. Another lady, looking all tired and worn out came up to her.

"Hey Aileen, I've cleared out the kitchen. If you need anymore help, do call us."

The lady stopped writing, and with grateful eyes, took her hands.

"I don't know how to thank you. No words are enough, but my debt to you, just increases day by day, Eliza."

"Oh that's nothing. You're my best friend, I'll always ready to help. Just stay safe."

Aileen sighs heavily and says, " I'm trying. But they seem to have out a tab on me, for no reason whatsoever. It's worrisome."

"Are you into that espionage shit?"

"Nope. Not at all!"

Aileen's whole body had started to shake. No other soul knew about her interaction with the strange man from the morning. She could not trust anyone at this point.

"Why, w-would you ask that?"

"Nah, those are dangerous stuff. I mean I understand you are inquisitive and all, but please what's the use of risking your lives?"

Aileen looks at her friend with sad eyes.

The risk is worth it. I do want to know about my past. I do want to know about the time before the dreaded year. Why can't I recall anything...

"Speaking of which, you've had a customer for a long time, now. Check on him, will you."

After she bade her goodbye, Aileen strutted to the customer, a notepad and pen in her hand.

"We're almost about to close, sir, how can I help you?"

The man picks up his head.

It's the same man from the morning.

But that's not half as surprising as what she now notices.

The tattoo on her arm, is printed beautifully on the man's shirt, with a few additional letters and flowers beautifully surrounding them.

A pain shoots in Aileen's head as she holds on to it helplessly. The man, holds her just in time, and helps her on the chair.

She hears random faint words.

Wait, what happened? How can I help? What do I do?

Aileen smiles a bit when the realisation hits her.

"It is important to you, isn't it?"

The world's blackens down on her eyes right after it.

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I haven't abandoned this okay. :'') This chapter turned out to be unending. Do let me know how it was?

Also happy birthday, our leadernim. 🥺💜

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