chapter two: the pack

    By the time Jin Young got back to his house, the sun was already on its way down and a light orange glow was set on the trees behind the home. He unlocked the door and pushed it open, yelling out, “I’m home!” to his mom.

    His mom appeared from the kitchen, wiping her hands on a dirty rag, with a smile on her lips, “Oh, you’re back. How was the school?” Jin Young shrugged at her question as he reached over and kissed her cheek lightly before walking past her to the TV room. She yelled something out to him just as he turned into the room but a loud chorus of talking drowned her out.

    Jin Young paused in the doorway, staring at 6 of his best friends with an unamused expression, “What are you all doing here? Don’t you have your own houses?” He grumbled as he stepped into the room and dropped his backpack by the wall.

    Jackson grinned up to him from where he sat on the floor in front of the couch, “Yeah, but your mom’s cooking is the BEST!” He yelled out the last word so that Jin Young’s mom could hear and laugh brightly from the kitchen.

    Jin Young’s lips pulled up slightly as he shook his head but chose not to answer. Jackson turned back to his argument with Jaebum on which guy the girl in the drama should end up with before he sighed and headed towards the only empty space on the couch, next to his closest friend.

    Mark lifted his gaze from his phone as Jin Young fell into the seat beside him with a sigh. After a moment, Mark asked, “Did you like the school?” Jin Young turned his head to look at the dark brown haired boy with an unreadable look. Mark had been the most against Jin Young attending college, much to everyone’s surprise, because Mark had always been on the more careful side. More careful about interacting with humans that could find out about them and more careful on avoiding dangerous situations, which he thought college was.

    “Yeah.” Jin Young finally answered and Mark nodded to him in response. Mark looked back down to his phone, silent once more. Jin Young had known Mark the longest in his life. Mark’s parents had been friends with Jin Young’s dad, when he was still there, so when Mark’s parents passed away, Jin Young’s family took him in. They grew up like brothers, and that’s what they were. All of them were close but Jin Young had always had a deeper understanding of the quiet boy named Mark. “I met Jinwoo.” Jin Young spoke up, still staring at Mark.

    It wasn’t only Mark’s reaction he got though. At his words, the entire group went silent, even Jackson. Jaebum was the first to speak up, truly sounding like the fatherly figure he had ended up being in the pack, “What?”

    None of them truly knew why Jinwoo hated them all so much. But ever since their fateful encounter in the forest one day, Jinwoo had taken a distaste to them all. He even went out of his way to make sure to ruin something of their pack’s. And soon enough, the hate was a mutual feeling.

    “He didn’t do anything.” Jin Young replied, leaning back into the couch so he could see all of them. “There was this girl there, too. I think it’s his girlfriend or something. And a new guy. The girl was pretty nice though. Her name was Park Jae Ah and Jinwoo went crazy when I even talked to her.” An amused glint came in his eyes, “It made me want to talk to her.”

    Jackson grinned at his statement, “Good job.” Whenever Jinwoo tried to mess with their pack, Jackson was always the one to fight back, with his words. No one could beat Jackson at talking. Even Jinwoo was left a little restless once Jackson went off.

    Bam Bam had a mischievous smile on his face as he leaned over YugYeom to Jin Young, “Was she pretty? Was she cute? Was she y?"

    “Hey,” Jin Young reached over and hit the back off his head, “why don’t you just graduate from high school first.” Bam Bam mut