Unlock - Chapter Thirty-Three

[yeonah]

Title: Unlock
Authors: renichifreak and yeonah 
Chapter: 33/?
Fandom: SS501, cameos by KARA
Pairings: KyuSaeng, HyunMin (may be other pairings in the future)
Rating: PG-16
Warning: Angst, AU, Fluff
Summary: Not everything is as it seems, and for those who are as far from normal as you can get, life is a bleak existence.  The only ones who can truly understand what these individuals go through are those...just like them.
A/N:  YoungSaeng and HyunJoong are played by renichifreak and KyuJong and JungMin are played by me.  Updates will be every Wednesday <3

Running as fast as he could, JungMin looked behind him with a grin and yelped to see HyunJoong chasing after him. Panting, he tried to push himself faster. Overabundance of energy or not, years in a hospital still meant little exercise.

Seeing JungMin slow a bit, HyunJoong faltered slightly, but kept on chasing the redhead seeing that he seemed so happy, even with HyunJoong running after him.

And JungMin was happy, happier than he'd been in a long while. Sure HyunJoong was going to murder him when he caught up, but even that made him smile, as did the feeling of the wind and the grass tickling his hands as he ran as fast as he could go.

He made it to the edge of the forest before looking back to see if HyunJoong was still there. Feet catching on the first tree roots that stretched out into the field, he fell back over with a yelp, hitting the ground.

Seeing JungMin hit the ground, HyunJoong put on a bit of speed, quickly reaching him. "Yah, are you okay?" he asked, voice tinged with worry. From where he was, it looked like he landed pretty hard.

Panting, JungMin winced a little; okay, that one had hurt. But it was pushed aside for now, because other than the fact that he was probably going to be black and blue later, he'd never felt better.

The redhead rolled himself over onto his back, grinning up at HyunJoong. "Probably gonna be bruised all over, but yeah." He started to laugh, still completely out of breath.

Sighing in relief, HyunJoong reached out to help him up before hesitating. "If I help you, will you promise not to pull me down with you again?"

JungMin nodded, still grinning. "Yeah, cause I think I might need the help this time." He held out both hands. "Phew, I haven't ran like that in a while."

Smiling back, HyunJoong took both hands in his own and tugged him to his feet. "Why is that?" he asked.

"You mean besides the obvious?" JungMin joked. Once the redhead was steady, he reluctantly let go of HyunJoong's hands. "Ah, I need to get back in shape." He was still breathing unevenly.

"Obvious...ohhh," HyunJoong said a moment later. "Well, you said you'd come to the gym with me, so if you want, we can work on building your endurance," HyunJoong offered. In his own training, he'd studied various types of workouts to give him a very well rounded regimen.

Snickering at how slow HyunJoong was on the uptake, JungMin smiled wider. "That would be fun." He looked for the others, and saw them a long way off still. "Hey look, I can stand still," he grinned happily, holding his arms out. "You like running?"

"Sometimes I like it," HyunJoong told him. "I do a lot of running when the stress of things gets to me."

"Makes sense," JungMin smiled. Running was a nice feeling. Once he had his breath back, he looked around, then up at the trees. "Woah, those are huge. Do you think they're easy to climb?" he wandered to the base of one, looking up at the branch above his head.

HyunJoong watched JungMin circling the tree before shrugging slightly. "Depends. If you're agile and have good balance, they are," he told him. Deciding 'what the hell', he grinned at JungMin before jumping up and grabbing the lowest branch, pulling himself up before climbing on and perching himself on said branch.

JungMin's eyes widened as he watched HyunJoong climb up into the tree, silently amazed at how easily the older boy did it. After a moment he grinned widely. "Scoot over, I wanna come up too!" Stopping under the lowest branch, he jumped up to reach it. The first try he didn't have a good grip and fell back down, but the second time he managed to hang on.

Dangling for a moment as he figured out how he was going to get himself up all the way, he pressed his feet against the trunk and used that to try getting up beside HyunJoong. It took a bit longer for him, lacking in the strength the other boy possessed, but finally he was up. "There!" He panted, straightening and nearly falling off the branch before he grabbed onto the trunk.

Reaching out to rest a steadying hand on JungMin's lower back to keep him upright, HyunJoong smiled. "I'm impressed. I used to climb trees all the time as a kid. Hell, I even have a few scars from falling, too."

Blinking at the hand against his back, JungMin bit his lower lip and tried not to turn red, utterly failing. "I used to try. Try being the operative word," he laughed, swinging his feet a little and waving happily at YoungSaeng as the others continued to approach. "It's nice up here," he said, grinning at HyunJoong.

Laughing lightly, HyunJoong nodded his head. "We have a bit longer before it gets too cold to try it, but I think I saw a few very climbable trees on campus," HyunJoong told him with a playful wink. "And I agree. It really is nice up here."

JungMin brightened at that. "Ah~, we have to try climbing them then, okay?" he asked, giving HyunJoong his best puppy eyes.

He left the other half of his thoughts unsaid, for once...that as nice as it was up here, it wouldn't be as nice if HyunJoong wasn't with him.

"Well, someone has to keep you from killing yourself falling out of one, right?" HyunJoong pointed out, waving as the others finally reached them.

"I won't kill myself," JungMin huffed, grinning widely at the looks they were getting.

"Sure you won't," HyunJoong teased before shivering slightly. It was warmer on the ground.

"Be careful, oppadeul," HaRa laughed, watching them.

YoungSaeng smiled at the two. He was glad that they got along so well. HyunJoong was a great guy and JungMin deserved a friend like that.

"You're going to have to get down eventually before we leave you both here," HyungJoon called, grinning.

JungMin laughed. "Okay!" He jumped down, landing in a crouch before losing his balance and falling onto his rear with a yelp.

Snorting with laughter, HyunJoong shook his head and jumped from the tree, landing in a crouch as well, but didn't fall, using his arms to balance. "That gets an 8.5."

"Yah, at least I got down," JungMin huffed, hitting HyunJoong's shoulder. Holding out a hand to be helped up, he blinked and looked at his glove. There were small holes in the material from the tree. "...Rats," he pouted, climbing to his feet.

"I'll give you that," HyunJoong conceded with a smile before noticing JungMin's gloves. "Do you have a spare set, or should we look into a small shopping trip somewhere?" he asked.

"I have spares in my bag," JungMin shrugged, sulking somewhat before brightening. "Let's go!" He started off into the forest, excited to explore.

KyuJong watched with amusement, hugging YoungSaeng lightly. "Let's not get lost this time, right?" he chuckled, following.

"Hey, I never got lost in the first place. That was all HyungJoon," YoungSaeng reminded him. "If I recall, I actually got us unlost."

"I never said you were the one to get us lost," KyuJong laughed, eyes dancing. HyungJoon sulked beside them as they walked into the forest.

"I think JungMin's trying to hide and scare us," Nicole said a few minutes later, noticing the redhead had disappeared from the deer trail.

Blinking, YoungSaeng began looking around, realizing that she was right. "Where did he go?" he asked before looking at KyuJong. "There aren't any pits around here, right?"

KyuJong looked around for a sign of red hair. "There are a few," he said, frowning as he tried to remember. "HyunJoong, did you see where he went?" The older boy seemed to watch JungMin a lot.

HyunJoong blinked at the question before shaking his head. "No...I was tying my shoe..."

"Did he go too far ahead?" HaRa frowned, jogging lightly to look down the winding path up ahead. "Don't see him."

"He's probably hiding," HyungJoon pointed out.

"It's not that hard to see bright red ha-" Nicole paused when the sound of their feet crunching through the leaves was suddenly echoed in a crash up ahead.

Jumping, YoungSaeng began walking ahead of the others, starting to get worried. "Min ah?" he called out, cautious of the area ahead.

Following right behind YoungSaeng, KyuJong listened for a reply and didn't hear anything. Taking the corner of the path, he noticed up ahead the path was sloped to one side, going from flat to on the edge of one of the pits.

"JungMin?" HyungJoon called.

"Over here," came the reply finally from the direction of the pit, JungMin's voice a little strained.

Following JungMin's voice, YoungSaeng yelped as he nearly fell into a ditch. Looking down, he saw JungMin there. "Are you okay, Min?" he asked as he got back to his feet.

KyuJong quickly moved to steady YoungSaeng, keeping him away from the unstable edge of the path where JungMin had probably slipped and fallen from.

"Yeah," JungMin winced, trying to sit up at an awkward angle. "My leg's stuck on something." He couldn't get one leg free, and it hurt to pull on it.

Looking around, HyunJoong slipped out of his jacket and handed it to HyungJoon. "Be right back," he said before carefully sliding down into the ditch, stopping just short of JungMin. Looking at the redhead's legs, he noticed the large branch resting uncomfortably on his calf.

"Okay, if I lift, think you can pull your leg out?"

JungMin looked up at him, then at where his leg was trapped. "I think so, yeah." What was it with heavy things falling on him? "They need a sign for that path," he muttered, then winced as he tried to sit up and get into a position he could pull his leg out from. "Ow."

"Hear that, Kyu? Look into that!" HyunJoong called back before rotating his shoulders a few times. Squatting down and getting a good hold beneath the branch, HyunJoong looked back at JungMin. "Ready?"

Finally managing to sit up, rotating his upper body, JungMin nodded as he braced himself against the ground. "Yeah."

Nodding, HyunJoong took a deep breath before slowly lifting the branch off of the redhead. He was surprised at how heavy it was, hoping that JungMin's leg was all right.

Once he felt the pressure lift, JungMin clenched his teeth and dragged himself backwards, pulling his leg out from under the branch. "Okay," he panted, sitting up properly once it was free and wincing at the steady throbbing. "Thanks." He looked up at the steep hill he had fallen from.

Dropping it to the ground, HyunJoong fell as well, leaning back on his hands. "Damn, that was heavy...” Following JungMin's eyes, he looked up the hill. "I can probably boost you out, then get out myself," HyunJoong gauged, working out how to do that, exactly.

Poking at his leg, JungMin nodded, looking from HyunJoong to the hill. "I think after the first bit, I can climb out myself," he said, noticing there were things to grab onto. After a moment he carefully got back to his feet, leg shaking under his weight. He was lucky it wasn't broken. As it was, it hurt like mad.

Sighing, HyunJoong got to his feet and lightly hit the redhead over the head. "Don't overdo it," he stated, crouching back down and lacing his fingers together. "Please?" he tried.

Yelping at the hit, JungMin looked down at HyunJoong uncertainly. "Are you sure that's going to work?" At the plea though, he hesitantly placed his good foot against HyunJoong's laced hands, wobbling on his bad one and holding on to a tree branch to keep his balance. "How are you getting out?"

"HyungJoonie's gonna help me," HyunJoong chuckled as he lifted the redhead up until HyungJoon reached down for his hand, the limb wrapped in fabric so he wouldn't get shocked from the holes in his gloves.

Taking the offered hand, JungMin braced himself so that he wouldn't accidentally pull HyungJoon down with him and climbed out with the younger boy's help. Panting, he stood off to one side and watched as HyungJoon uncovered his hand and reached down for HyunJoong as well.

Seeing that JungMin was out, HyunJoong stood up before moving to one end of the ditch. Getting a small running start, HyunJoong climbed up a bit on his own before HyungJoon grabbed his hand, pulling him the rest of the way out.

"And that's why we look where we're walking," HyungJoon joked, breathing unevenly as he straightened and let go of the older boy once HyunJoong was steady.

"I was," JungMin pouted, balancing mostly on his good leg rather than the one that had been pinned.

YoungSaeng watched the redhead, noticing that he was favoring one leg. Smiling, he looked at HaRa. "Would it be too much trouble to ask?" he asked her.

"Sure thing," the girl smiled as she placed her hand on JungMin's calf, activating her power.

Jumping a little, JungMin blinked and sighed in relief when the pain eased up until it was barely there. "Thanks," he smiled, and she returned it as she straightened, looking to HyunJoong as HyungJoon held out the older boy's coat again. "Are you okay, HyunJoong oppa?"

Taking his jacket gratefully and slipping it back on, sighing at the warmth, HyunJoong nodded with a grin. "Just a bit tired, is all," he replied.

"Let's try and stay together for now, okay?" KyuJong chuckled, looking at the ditch. "We should really get a sign put up...we don't own this part of the land though, I'd have to ask the town."

"I think we can do that," HyunJoong laughed, lifting a brow at JungMin. "Right, JungMin ah?"

JungMin pouted. "Right..." He wasn't about to go falling into any other ditches though.

"See, it wasn't me falling into ditches," HyungJoon grinned as they started to walk. "You all said it would be me!" He yelped when JungMin wrapped one arm around him in a headlock.

"That's only because it was you before," Nicole reminded him. It had taken an hour to get the youngest out of that hole.

"But it wasn't me this time," HyungJoon half-whined, half-screeched as JungMin started to tickle him.

"They're going to end up on the ground again," KyuJong mused, shaking his head in amusement as he steered YoungSaeng away from the flailing limbs. "Or back into that ditch."

"I'm not fishing them out this time," HyunJoong stated loudly as he followed after KyuJong and YoungSaeng, hands in his pockets.

Nicole and HaRa just laughed, following behind JungMin and HyungJoon to make sure they didn't take another tumble off the path.

************************

It was getting dark by the time they got back to the forest edge. Time had just flown, and though there were a few mishaps where they lost track of where they were, they managed not to get completely lost. Or fall off something else.

They were just leaving the forest when KyuJong's phone vibrated, and he checked it, reading the text. "I think we're wanted for dinner, and EunAh wants to know if we ended up at the other end of the forest."

YoungSaeng grinned at the comment. "Tell her we'll bring her a souvenir from China," he teased.

Laughing, KyuJong did just that, typing in a quick reply and sending it.

"Food sounds good," HyungJoon said dreamily, happily walking back towards the house.

"Do you think all the exercise made him hungrier than normal?" HaRa asked Nicole.

"Not possible. Any hungrier and he'd eat the house too."

YoungSaeng snickered, leaning against KyuJong as they headed back to the house. "So what next?" YoungSaeng asked.

"No idea," KyuJong chuckled, rubbing his thumb lightly against YoungSaeng's side. "Anything you guys wanted to do?"

"Movie?" Nicole piped up. "I think we've done enough running around for today." Even JungMin couldn't contest that.

"What movies do you have, Kyu yah?" YoungSaeng asked, resting his head on his shoulder and yawning lightly.

KyuJong thought for a moment, kissing the top of YoungSaeng's head. "I have a few action and horror movies, and my sister has a huge collection of dramas and romantic comedy. What are you up for?"

"Horror?" YoungSaeng asked. It was odd that even when in the grip of depression, dark movies and such never seemed to affect his mood in the least.

Blinking, KyuJong smiled. "All right. Horror okay with you guys?" he asked over his shoulder at them. The girls exchanged looks, but if YoungSaeng had suggested it then they weren't going to say no. "Okay," HaRa piped up, smiling. JungMin was nodding.

Seeing the looks, YoungSaeng tilted his head. "I don't mind watching something else, you know," he said. "If you don't like horror, don't worry about it."

"No, it's fine!" Both girls said. "We'll have HyunJoong oppa to hide behind," Nicole joked, attaching herself to HyunJoong's arm.

HyunJoong could only roll his eyes at the girls. "I'd say hide behind HyungJoon, but he's a bigger chicken than the two of you put together."

"I am not," HyungJoon whined.

"He's going to be under the couch by the end of the movie," HaRa laughed.

JungMin grinned evilly. "Oh, I have to see this." They finally stepped out of the field, walking to the back porch.

HyunJoong laughed. "And you girls aren't...” He turned toward JungMin and YoungSaeng with a smile. "Last time we saw a horror flick, Nicole and HaRa camped out in my room for three days. I had to get permission from the dorm head..."

The redhead burst out laughing, and yelped when Nicole hit his arm. "What, it's funny," he pouted, and danced to KyuJong and YoungSaeng's other side to avoid another hit. "We have to see a horror movie then!"

YoungSaeng smirked. "If I remember correctly, you aren't much better."

"Hey, at least I don't hide under couches and camp out in other people's rooms," JungMin snorted, jumping up onto the porch and opening the door as they reached it. The group filtered inside, KyuJong sighing in relief at the warm air.

HyunJoong kept his jacket on even when inside, the biting cold from outside still affecting him, even in the warmth of the house. Slipping his shoes off, he followed the others into the living room.

Hanging up his jacket, JungMin blinked and nudged HyunJoong lightly with his elbow. "You okay?" He looked down at his torn gloves, deciding to go put new ones on before anything could happen. It was the last thing he needed to forget about the holes and blast a doorknob off. Or nearly decapitate himself again.

HyunJoong smiled before nodding. "Yeah, just cold. I might run upstairs and change into something warm and comfortable."

JungMin grinned. "I'm going upstairs to get new gloves, come on then." He pulled on the sleeve of HyunJoong's jacket, heading towards the stairs. KyuJong watched them go with an amused look.

HyunJoong took the jacket off once JungMin let go of his sleeve and hung it up, arms automatically going to his arms as a sudden chill caught him off guard. Once upstairs and in their room, HyunJoong went to his bag and dug around, pulling out a pair of drawstring sweats and his thick hoodie.

Changing while JungMin got a new pair of gloves, he put his dirty ones beside his bag and turned back to JungMin, feeling a bit warmer.

Searching around his bag, JungMin smiled when he finally found the gloves. "Ah ha!"

While pulling them out, the cold metal of his bag's zipper brushed against the hole in his glove and his skin. Yelping in alarm at the spark and the piece of flying metal, JungMin fell back onto his rear and blinked at the broken metal, the zipper missing. "...Okay, where did that go?" He looked around, quickly switching gloves.

Hearing the yelp and seeing the spark, HyunJoong jumped when the charged zipper flew at him. Falling back to the floor in surprise, he pointed when JungMin asked where the zipper went.

JungMin looked up, seeing HyunJoong had fallen over. Blinking, his eyes widened. "Did it hit you?!" He crawled over, pulling his sleeves all the way down to his fingertips. "Are you okay?"

"No, it didn't. I'm fine," HyunJoong replied slowly. "Scared the hell out of me, though...I had no idea what it was coming at me," he added, chuckling, embarrassed.

Staring at him, JungMin pursed his lips a little. "Just a zipper. Wait until I shoot a doorknob at you, those can punch a hole through the wall." Looking in the direction HyunJoong had pointed, JungMin crawled past him and carefully picked the zipper up.

"How bout we don't and say we did," HyunJoong replied with a grin. The zipper had freaked him out enough.

"Good idea." Looking at the zipper in his hand, JungMin curled his fingers around it and brought it back to his bag, dropping it into a small pocket. He'd fix it when he got back to school. "All set to go?" He stood up again, hands shoved in his pockets.

Smiling, HyunJoong nodded. "Let's go. I wanna see this movie and watch the girls and Joonie freak out."

Smile returning, JungMin nodded enthusiastically and bounced out of the room, heading down the stairs. Now that his sense of smell wasn't messed up from the cold air, he could smell dinner.

"Ready to eat?" EunAh was asking the others, leaning in past the living room door.

"Of course we are, EunAh!" Nicole stated, smile bright as she turned to see HyunJoong and JungMin head downstairs.

"Then let's go!" HyungJoon bounced up and into the dining room, EunAh squeaking as he pulled her in with him.

KyuJong stood up, hands out to help YoungSaeng to his feet as well. He was pretty hungry, from the hike as well as the fact he hadn't eaten much that morning nor the night before.

Taking KyuJong's hands, YoungSaeng got to his feet. "I hope you plan on eating more, Kyu," YoungSaeng stated, squeezing the hands holding his.

"For you I will." KyuJong smiled and leaned forward to kiss him lightly. "Try and eat well too, okay? Need to keep up the good habit." He didn't let go of YoungSaeng's hands, pulling him towards the dining room where the others were talking.

"I'll do what I can. Like I said before, it's something I have to build up to," he replied against KyuJong's lips. Kissing him again, he allowed himself to be led into the dining room.

"As long as you try, that's good enough for me," KyuJong smiled, bringing him to their chairs and sitting down, freeing one of YoungSaeng's hands but clasping the other loosely under the table.

His mother smiled warmly at them as she finished placing the dishes of food down and sat. "Have fun out there?"

"Lots of fun," Nicole piped up. "It's cold though."

"Y'got that right it's cold..." HyunJoong mumbled before laughing slightly. He brightened up as KyuJong's mother placed the warm food on that table.

"This should help with that," she chuckled, watched the group start to dig in. "There were no problems with getting lost?"

"Just a few," HaRa smiled, looking at HyungJoon who started to whine.

"Not my fault, not my fault!"

"I think it was more JungMin's inability to stay still for more than five seconds," HyunJoong teased, nudging JungMin with his knee.

"Hey, I was good!" JungMin pouted at him. "I didn't go too far." After that first tumble down into the ditch, he had stayed close to the group. "And I wasn't even in front, you can't blame it on me."

"Which is how I both ended up in a tree and in a ditch," HyunJoong pointed out with a smile, showing that he was only teasing. He'd had a lot of fun with JungMin, though he could have easily done without the cold.

JungMin pouted, sinking down in his seat and crossing his arms over his chest as he sulked.

KyuJong shook his head at them in amusement before starting to eat, smiling at the taste. It was definitely what they needed after a day out in the cold. He kept an eye on his boyfriend though, making sure he ate as well.

YoungSaeng watched the others in amusement as he began to eat, brightening as he tasted the ddeokboki that the woman had made. He'd never tasted it made so well and turned most of his attention to the food.

Smiling when he saw YoungSaeng concentrate on his food, KyuJong turned back to his own.

The atmosphere around the table was bright and cheery, even if they all knew this would be their last dinner with KyuJong's family for now. They had to catch their bus early the next morning. HyungJoon was full of compliments, praising KyuJong's mother for her cooking and making her laugh.

"EunAh was a tremendous help," the older woman put in, and EunAh squeaked, turning a brilliant red when HyungJoon turned the praise on her.

HyunJoong nearly choked on his food when he saw the look on EunAh's face. Apparently, they weren't the only ones who noticed the crush.

That was their entertainment for a good two minutes before HyungJoon started to repeat himself and Nicole took pity on the poor girl, stuffing a large dumpling in HyungJoon's mouth to keep him from talking. HaRa giggled beside her, smiling at EunAh who looked the same color as JungMin's hair.

"I think we should take pity on your poor sister and give HyungJoonie a few glaringly obvious hints," YoungSaeng murmured to KyuJong in between bites.

"How obvious do you think we'll have to make it?" KyuJong murmured back, hiding a smile. "I'm going to have to give him the protective big brother talk, I think." That would be interesting.

"That should do it," HyunJoong replied, having overheard the two. "As sweet and nice as you are, I'd hate to get on your bad side if I ever messed with EunAh or Saeng," he chuckled, waving his chopsticks absently.

"He'd probably scare HyungJoon out of his wits," HaRa whispered, laughing quietly.

KyuJong blinked at them. "I'm not that scary. Am I?" he asked YoungSaeng, puzzled.

"Not to me you aren't," YoungSaeng replied, shaking his head.

"Well of course not, Saengie, you can kind of do no wrong to boyfriend," Nicole said with a bright smile.

JungMin snickered. "I can imagine KyuJong getting really scary if he's pissed. Just cause it's so different."

KyuJong just shook his head at them all and resumed eating.

Laughing at the group, YoungSaeng hooked his ankle around KyuJong's before he started eating again as well.

"He did get angry though," Nicole piped up. "With that MyungDae guy, remember?"

HaRa stepped on her foot when KyuJong's eyes darkened slightly at the reminder.

JungMin blinked at them. "With who?"

"Ermmmm, later, Min," HyunJoong said, casting an uneasy glance at KyuJong.

YoungSaeng paused at the name, a slight shiver running down his spine, before reaching over and taking his lover's hand. "It's something that's long since been taken care of," he reminded quietly, running his thumb over the hand within his in a calming motion.

KyuJong looked at YoungSaeng at the warmth covering his hand, and smiled a little, nodding. "Right."

Blinking at them both, JungMin frowned lightly and glanced at HyunJoong before continuing to eat, finishing what was on his plate.