Past The Breaking Point | Learn
ATEEZ x Female Reader
The revolution wasn't meant to be so gruesome. It wasn't supposed to be so violent. Peace and freedom were the only things everyone wanted, but corruption and dishonesty lead to where we are today. When you venture out of the safe zone in order to retrieve information, you come back to secrets unveiled and a possible genocide looming over your head.
genre: Dystopian/War AU, Rebellion/Revolution AU
warnings; death, violence, guns, conspiracy, wounds. (It's pretty gruesome, especially some of the scenes. there is some fluff though, not really.)
word count: 9.6k
notes; its comeback season (for me, at least). It's loosely inspired by/based on HALAZIA by ATEEZ (and you can't spell ate without ATEEZ, just saying). The story will be divided into three parts, the first one is learn. Hopefully, you guys enjoy reading :) it's very late, I'm very tired.
Based off of: HALAZIA - ATEEZ // Part One: Learn // Part Two // Part Three
Learning how to be an escape artist was hard. But like many other things amid the war reigning in the capital, you learned the hard way and conducted your first solo expedition six months afterwards. There were six small recording disks in the six major CORPS facilities up north; dozens of miles apart with different levels of security. The disks were circular and small with flashing red beacons underneath. If those beacons stopped flashing and stayed green, the recording limit had been exceeded. When Yeosang had told you that most were out of recording storage, you sighed.
Retrieving and replacing the small disks was nearly impossible and yet, it’s been three full years since you’ve done it. The recording capacity was about six months, capturing both audio and film, pictures and only turning on when a heath signal was present. It had been only four months since you installed the latest disks, which meant either they were planning something or the activity in those rooms was higher than usual.
The capital was a warzone for the last three years. The country had been divided into two sides, those who obeyed the corruption of the government or CORPS, and those who wanted something new; a new life, new freedom, a new world where they could live freely.
It was the rise of a new rebellion that started the chaos, all because CORPS prohibited all use of freedom, rights and expression.
Elders and children alike have been living in this rundown hellhole since you were eighteen, and still do this day, no efforts of peace have been made from their side. They want total annihilation of the rebellion you were a part of, the cult they called it—
HALAZIA wasn’t a cult— not in the way they put it. A rebellion in which the slogan was Hearts Awaken, Live Alive and be the Symbol of the Sun was not the significance of some cult that wanted total world control and run some sort of dictatorship government. You all wanted freedom from the shackles they put you in, you all wanted an escape from the cruel punishment methods. How they abused the technology they had created thanks to their people and used it in such tortuous ways.
And so, the capital split. CORPS had control up north with most parts of the east. The west had some control but it was small and had little to no power like the other areas. South and nearly the entirety of the west were run by ATEEZ, the core founders of the revolution, the core group you were a part of. The movement is exceptionally high in the west and progressing in the east, although it’s been hard gaining control and convincing those swallowed by fear and torment to change sides. There were also sectors in every part of the capital and running clocking-wise starting from the north, there were about twenty sectors per region.
The clock ticked five pm when you left the equipment room, your soft footsteps barely ringing in the underground base. Utility belt at your waist, black mask at the base of your face, watch with a built-in camera, gun strapped to your hip and of course, the small badge that had the revolution symbol, the ATEEZ flag, inside one of your pockets. You rarely interacted with your people and it wasn't because you didn’t want to. Rather, you were mostly the informant of the core members, looking for information and being one of the most agile ones in the foundation, you were needed for most difficult and complex situations. It would be detrimental if everyone knew who you were, even if no harm is intended. The badge was a piece of identity you would use only if you had to.
No one— granted, you hoped no one knew you were leaving. It wasn’t the first time you’d leave for these particular disks, but every time you did, it was almost like they were compelled to say goodbye in case something went wrong. Jongho did it last time and Yunho did it before that. Both of them should be some parts of the market a couple blocks down, probably seeing what’s happening in the community. Either way, Yeosang had already sent the blueprints of the buildings once again; news of renovations in the core facilities would change your infiltration path.
It was late afternoon, and riding your motorcycle by the time night hits would draw unwanted attention, especially if you were entering enemy territory with a curfew. You were going to wear your rollerblades, ones that would switch to your boots with a click to your ankles. Although it would take about two days to go to and back, it was better than getting caught because you were scared of a bit of cardio. The route was always the same, leave in the late afternoon towards the highest security facility and start there. It would be the most difficult and leaving would be even more of a bitch than getting in. The security would be less tight around seven and eight am when the night shift switches with the morning guards.
You stopped at the telecommunication station, and grabbed your earpiece, wearing it as the connection lit up on the screen as ACTIVE. Your name popped on the screen, right under two other names, your pulse at a steady rhythm beside it. You stared at the other names, finding comfort in the way their heartbeats were steady. To the left was a small window open, showing where everyone was through small red flashing lights. Everyone was in their room, except of course Mingi and Seonghwa, who were out right now.
And except for the person behind you.
“Don’t say you didn’t know I was leaving, you were with me when Yeosang called my radio.” A soft scoff left his mouth behind you. You didn’t bother turning around and tightened the glove strap around your wrists. “If it were up to me, I would leave tomorrow.”
“Why didn’t you?”
“Rather get this over with,” you finally turned around and stared at Hongjoong. “It’s odd that the disks are already at max capacity. It’s not normal.”
He nodded, “I know. I don’t like it.”
“Me either.” You closed your eyes. “But the sooner I get them, the earlier we’ll have some idea of what’s going on.”
“Be careful.” He wasn’t asking. He wasn’t pleading either. “Especially when you cross center. You’ll have a better chance getting into the biggest facility than getting through center.”
Eyes open, you saw that Hongjoong wasn’t looking at you. Or if he were, he certainly wasn’t anymore. Instead, his eyes were trailed by the steady beat of your heart. “I didn’t think it could get any worse,” you said with a whisper. “And until we take control of the east, it’ll be hard putting pressure up north.”
He nodded again. “I know.”
The Center was technically the truce zone but you’ve heard the rumours about CORPS deploying soldiers in every single building they could access. People still lived in those areas, and they would perform random searches on homes and kill anyone who was a part of the revolution. If they thought that you were then they’d kill you on the spot. They stopped trying to find the core members after years of searching, they're killing anyone who’d look at them the wrong way. Hongjoong has a younger sister living in the center, and frankly, it’s a miracle that she’s still alive to this day. Most of you had family everywhere, and most of them took part in the revolution— the only exception was Wooyoung’s father, who didn’t know his son was one of the founders of ATEEZ. When Hongjoong visited her about two weeks ago, he came back with footage of these random searches and an audio file that involved her directly with three CORPS soldiers asking her all these overwhelming questions about her family, friends and affiliates that could even be thinking of being a part of the revolution. It was crazy.
It was too dangerous to move loved ones, especially if they lived in parts like the north or sections of the west and east that were still considered enemy territory. If CORPS kept tabs on all their civilians and some suddenly went missing, it could possibly be led back to any member. Your identities need to stay hidden all the way until the end, no matter what.
You understood Hongjoong’s concern however; lately, tensions are way too high for comfort. Your people weren’t stupid, they were equipped with guns, vehicles, equipment and homes they could go to, especially those who lived in the south. There were markets, shops for equipment, and everything you could possibly imagine while the city was in chaos. They were forced to use their weapons on the infiltrating soldiers, especially near the northeastern borders where the enemy can attack at any moment. The bloodshed that was forced upon the rebellion is giving CORPS even more of a reason to be aggressive. The shelters that were scattered in orange zones (dangerously close to the northern and northwestern borders leading into the heart of the western region) didn’t have as much support, so they were less fortunate with access to equipment and medical supplies. They held their ground, and the rebellion made sure to help those outside the safe zones in all ways they could— hell, Mingi and Seonghwa should be getting back sometime early morning after visiting the shelters all over the city.
You walked towards him, a hand on his shoulder and muttered, “I’ll be okay.”
“No words of conviction will make me feel better.”
You snorted, a small smile tugging your lips. “Send Wooyoung to the market up north later in case. If I need a backup, I’ll contact him and once I’m done, I’ll come back with him. Either way, he’s been itching to go out.”
You left him in the room as you walked out. As a good luck tradition, you touched the symbol on the wall, the ATEEZ flag which seemed to appease all your worries. Lingering in the doorway, your heartstrings tugged in all directions— it’s been a tough couple of weeks, one that no one was expecting. All sides were becoming more aggressive, it was far from the idea of peace and freedom you had in your mind.
Just play your part, you thought. Only time will tell.
~
Hongjoong was right, getting through the center would be the most difficult part of your run. It was an absolute warzone, no wonder he warned you. Getting to the center, because the base was pretty far south took about, on foot— rollerblades, the entire night. You were stuck in that hellhole for nearly two hours and had to venture and stay in a beatdown home for nearly half that time, avoiding the laser guns and eyes of CORPS soldiers who were patrolling in the late night of a cold spring day. Their flashlights were blinding and high vision too, forbid you were even caught with it, it would be disastrous. When you managed to leave and make your way to the first warehouse, it was already past eight.
The progress wasn’t as long as you thought now that you knew all the new shortcuts to cut the distance short. But they were danger zones, and you had to always be on guard if you didn't want to accidentally run into determined civilians that wanted nothing to do with the revolution.
Getting and switching the first disk in the largest CORPS base was relatively easy. It was easier than the previous times. Of course, it was challenging; avoiding the cameras and navigating through the newly built roads were difficult, but there were fewer soldiers than at all the other times. You still remembered when you were almost caught the first time you did what you had to do and it really wasn’t fun. The hallways were empty save for the main rooms such as training facilities and medicine. There were also the meeting rooms, where all of them, for some reason, were occupied. You took pictures of evidence while crawling through the vents as quietly as you could before grabbing and replacing the hidden disk in the area you left it in.
The distance from the first one was about thirty minutes if you were to drive, so it was nearly an hour for you to get there and retrieve it— and the distances between the other facilities were farther. Usually, it would take five hours to get to all six, and you’d add another four just to get in and out. Although it was the exact same order of business, getting inside and retrieving the disks was easier than usual. And it was the same thing for the third and fourth. When you got to the fifth facility, you almost didn’t go in.
It was empty.
Not a ghost town sort of empty, but more than half the soldiers usually assigned to patrol were nowhere to be found. Your footsteps as you walked through the empty room almost felt hallowed. You hadn’t touched your gun during your entire outing and for some reason, despite the stillness and silence, you really wanted to have it in your hand. It felt dangerous to even breathe, you were too paranoid to let the base know what was going on, scared that it was all just an illusion and they were waiting for you.
But the attack never came. And it was the exact same when you went to the last facility.
Your expedition time was cut by a couple of hours, and now it was five in the afternoon. With the last facility being near the west border, you decide to stay in one of the few ATEEZ safehouses used by those a part of the rebellion and take refuge in hopes of escaping CORPS. It was an abandoned warehouse-like car parking that had a surprising number of levels. You knew they were in the higher parts of the building. In case unwanted guests made themselves known, they could use the fire escape on the roof or escape from one of the windows onto one of the buildings below. It wouldn’t be the first time you’ve been and so, the people who lived knew who you were.
Inside a smaller house, you searched for anyone who might be there before settling in the kitchen and leaning against the counter. It was the first breather you took ever since you crossed center and finally, with some time to breathe, you called base.
“Z to base,” you whispered, pressing the button on your earpiece until someone spoke. “Z to base.”
Your earpiece cracked. “Base to Z, go ahead.”
“I got the disks, and replaced them as well.” The disks were in your left pouch, it was one of the most secure places where you could store them. “I should be travelling back sooner than expected— can you connect me to Rouge?”
“I didn’t even notice you left,” San’s voice buzzed through.
“Funny,” you snorted, “and where’s Robin, I miss him at the comms.”
“Rude,” he whined. “Robin’s analyzing data with J and Cypher right now. But they’re here and they can hear you.”
“What about Ace, X and Silver?”
“Just walked in.”
“Alright, great,” you turned on your watch— why was, in reality, a smartwatch but anyways— and selected all the pictures you’d taken, sending them to the base computers.
Wooyoung’s voice soon buzzed through. “Rouge to base, what’s up?”
“On a call with Z in the north,” San informed.
“Can you pick me up?” you asked quietly, going through the pictures, “I’m all set to get back home.”
“Already?” Wooyoung's surprise didn't go unnoticed. “You sure you did it right?”
“Don't test me, dipshit,” you groaned while sending the pictures back to base. “X, Silver— you there?”
“We hear you loud and clear, Z,” Seonghwa replied, “what's up?”
“First, I'm glad you guys got back okay. Second, while you guys were up north, did you pass by CORPS facilities or hear anything unusual about them?”
“I heard that there was a lot of commotion happening at the main facility, sure, but it's always like that when we're up north,” informed Silver— Seonghwa. “Why?”
“Crow, I'm sending pictures to the base right now, you should get them in a bit— I sent them to you as well Rouge, make sure no one can see you while looking at them,” you clicked the send button and turned the watch off. “Usually, it would take me eight to nine hours to go through all six facilities— I would even do it over a course of two or three days depending on the situation. I finished in six hours today.”
Your watch lit up: MAIL RECEIVED AND OPENED.
You sighed and closed your eyes, “the photos were taken inside the CORPS facilities earlier today. The last ten pictures are images taken from facilities five and six and—”
“They're empty.”
“Exactly,” breath caught your throat, the worst possible explanations running wild through your head. Mingi's words probably voiced what everyone was thinking. “The usual number of soldiers inside those facilities was slashed in half.”
“What the hell,” Hongjoong whispered under his breath. “What the hell is going on?”
“It's almost like they've transferred facilities but they're nowhere to be found, and all the meeting rooms were filled, every single one.” The words held so much weight that it dizzied you. You hated going into something blind, with no information that could help or warn you. For the very first time, none of you could predict what CORPS was planning.
And it terrified you.
“Z, Rouge,” Hongjoong called urgently, “I need both of you out of the red zones and get back as soon as you can.”
“What about the disks?” suddenly asked Jongho.
“No impurities were found when I scanned them, and even if there were any, I took the memory card and destroyed the devices. No trackers were found.”
“I doubt they know about them,” Yeosang muttered, “if they did, they would've deactivated them and lured her out in the next two months. They weren't deactivated until today, which matches up with her getting them.”
"I'm gonna stay at the second safe house in sector fifty-two until Rouge gets here,” you informed with a shaky sigh.
“I'm half an hour out, I'll try getting there faster, alright?”
“Okay.” You opened your eyes, dread filling your stomach. “Okay— I'll let you guys know when he picks me up.”
“You guys be careful.”
Hongjoong wasn't asking again. He wasn't pleading again either. It was an order to reunite with each and stay safe until getting back home.
“We will.” You weren't even sure. “I'll talk to you guys later.”
You ended the call, your heart thumping in your chest, inside the ways of your skull— the dread caused nausea in your stomach and it shook your entire core. The fear of the unknown was a real one, it was a sort of fear you’d never wish upon your worst enemy. It leads to stress and anxiety, fogging one’s mindset to the point where one wouldn’t be able to think properly.
And being on the side that had no idea what was going on sucked.
You left the small house after clearing your head and made your way to the second safehouse in sector fifty-two. Again, you knew most of the people there and if you didn’t know some, you were about to be acquitted soon. The rebellion wasn’t aggressive— the people in your community were some of the most loving and determined people you’ve ever come across. They were hardworking and wanted peace and freedom like the rest of the people that are making current historic markings in the revolution.
You only hoped that the revolution would give them what they were yearning for soon.
Looking around to make sure the coast was clear, you walked towards the building. You flashed your badge to the people above, noticing they had hidden their guns as soon as they saw the symbol. Only the nine of you had the badge and only used it in certain situations. Forbid CORPS knew you had those badges.
You walked towards the entrance, slipping into the open doorway and climbing up the different floors until you reached the floor where a group of seven people were. You had seen them before, for the last three years in fact. They were friends and good people. You nodded as a sign of recognition and walked towards them. Although your mask still concealed the bottom half of your face, you still smiled through your eyes.
“Thank you for not putting a bullet in my head,” you whispered, your voice tired. Your eyes fell on the guns they had. Those were definitely new. “Wouldn’t want to waste a new bullet.”
“Pretty sweet, right?” One of the men, Alex, nodded and showed the weapon. “The commanders personally came by a few days ago; got new medical supplies and more food. And of course, the weapons.”
“Good,” you agreed. “Use them only when you need to, alright?” They nodded. You looked towards the path leading to another floor, “if you guys are still alive and kicking, I’m guessing she’s still here?”
“She never left,” one of the older women grinned, “she’s been up all morning tending to injuries. You should find her when you go up a level or two.”
“Alright, I’ll be staying for a short while before hitting the road,” you turned on your heel, “take care of yourselves, okay?”
“Hey, Commander Z,” one of them called right before you went up. You turned your head over your shoulder. “How bad is it out there? The radios keep reporting hundreds dying every single day and most are our people.”
You inhaled deeply. The facilities being nearly vacant, the CORPS soldiers that are nowhere to be found— where the hell do you even begin?
They were in the west, specifically near the borders. Although it was technically close to the revolution’s territory, it was still considered an orange zone because they were near the borders, on the north side of the northwestern border, and things were never really quiet. The center zones were as bad as the rumours were and you couldn’t imagine how it was in the east. With each passing day, people were dying and the government was getting more aggressive, a lot more than before.
“Being a part of the revolution means that there are times where it’s quiet, and other times, there’s bloodshed. Right now, it’s bloodshed.” The words felt heavy, the weight was sinking into your skin, as if it was the first time you actually acknowledged the fact that people lost their lives at a terrifying rate these past few weeks. “But keep standing your ground, that’s the best thing you can do right now.”
You climbed up to the next level, nodded and waved at the people, including the children that ran around or played quietly in their respective corners. Going up another floor, you watched as someone sat straight against a pillar and a woman was tending to their wound. You smiled softly and walked towards them. She didn’t see you since her back was facing you, but the boy did, he just didn’t show it.
“—just be careful next time, you’re too important to get hurt because you decided to do some parkour with some friends,” she was talking less like a doctor and more like a mother, you saw it in her eyes; the concern and worry, the slight disappointment as well. She looked over her shoulder, “you boys can help him to the lower level.”
The teenage boys helped their friend up. He had a bandaged ankle and split eyebrow; he most likely landed poorly on his ankle and fell to the floor pretty hard. He got off lucky though, but it doesn’t mean it didn’t hurt like a bitch.
The trio walked past you, nodding their heads. “Hey, Commander,” one of the boys said. You saw the woman turn her head at the word as you greeted the boys.
There was no one left apart from the both of you and you fully waited for the boys to leave before saying anything. You walked towards her, her eyes softening upon your face. Once you reached her, her hand gently pulled your mask down. Her hand resting on your cheek, she sighed and dusted off the dirt from your face.
“Hi, mom,” you smiled, a tired sigh leaving your mouth. “You know the boys will never learn, right?”
“Doesn’t mean I can’t tend to their injuries, sweetheart,” scoffing under her breath, she brought you into her arms. She was warmer than you, despite living in a place with no running electricity. She didn’t age at all despite not seeing her for a little over ten months. It was probably the longest you’ve gone without seeing her; the last time you were in these territories, you couldn’t stop by because CORPS soldiers were harder to shake than usual. You didn’t want to possibly lead them toward one of the safehouses. There was another a few buildings down and had a bit more people living there, a dozen or so. Again, they were good people who wanted nothing but freedom.
“How you doing, Z?” A pang reached your heart upon the code name. Looking around, you grabbed her hand and lead her into one of the rooms further down. There was no door and it was pretty hallowed, but it gave the both of you more privacy. She sighed, a small smile on her lips, “how are you doing, (Y/n)?”
“Tired,” your voice broke, everything you just learned raining over your head. “Everything’s kinda hectic right now.”
“So I’ve heard,” she nodded and looked into your eyes, a small source of hesitation behind them, “tell me, is it as bad as they say it is?”
You didn’t want to worry her. You couldn’t. The reunion after ten long and treacherous months was supposed to be blissful, not painful and full of despair and fear. But you could never hide anything from her, not even when the city hadn't gone to shit. And so, with a slight nod, you let your head fall, “it’s so much worse.” Your eyes filled with tears. “I don’t even know where to start.”
“From the beginning, sweetheart,” her hands found your shoulders, desperately trying to get her to look at you. “It’ll clear your head— even if it’s just for a little bit.”
“I can’t,” you whispered bitterly, a lump in your throat, “Woo is gonna be here in twenty minutes— if I start, I’ll keep him waiting and I need to get back in the south.”
She hummed, “that boy still is looking after you after all this time, huh?”
You laughed, “he’s practically glued to my hip. That’s your fault.”
“Well,” she smiled, “his mother and I are best friends, it’s only natural for you both to be close— but you surrounded yourself with a group of determined and really stubborn young men that want to change our lives for the better.”
You laughed again, blinking the tears that once filled your eyes away. You stared at your mother, the one that convinced you to continue in the revolution even when fear shook your entire body and wanted to give up. The woman in front of you is and will forever be your heroine.
“You may be laughing but I’m serious,” her eyes caught yours. “I know it might be really hard right now and I can’t possibly fathom what you’re doing through but don’t let doubt settle in here because it didn’t wait three years just for you to let it in now.” She touched the left side of your chest. “I didn’t raise a quitter, I raised one of the leaders of a revolution that will succeed. Difficult todays will lead to better tomorrows, remember?”
Nodding, her hands rested on your cheeks while your own held her wrists. You always wondered how she came up with the words of encouragement even in the darkest of times. Her eyes still held so much light after all the shit she’s been through; raising you a single mother since the age of four and having only Wooyoung’s mother as a shoulder to cry on when times get tough, finishing med school with her and becoming a pediatrician, she was the woman you aspired to be to this day.
“Thank you,” you let your lips curl into a small but genuine smile, “I needed it.”
She had opened her mouth to say some snarky comment or cheesy line but the words never reached your ears. And they never fell off of her tongue.
Gunshots from across the block tore your head away from her hands, and screams and cries for help fell silent a few seconds later. The shots came from the first safehouse in sector fifty-two. In the distance entering the building were none other than CORPS soldiers with heavy guns and masks, shooting every single person, elderly or child, they could find. You watched in absolute terror as they gunned down a teenage girl, pleading to spare her life only to stop upon a gunshot wound to the head.
“What the hell—” your words fell on deaf ears.
From below, a yell of pure panic begged everyone to get down boomed throughout the entire facility. You ripped your head towards the open floor, just quick enough to see a small circular device being thrown from one of the frameless windows and roll on the ground.
Shit.
Grabbing her shoulders as fast as you could, you pulled your mother to the floor, just as the can exploded and thick, yellow gas quickly filled the space you were in. The fog filled every corner of the level in literal seconds, the smell irritating your throat and lungs.
“Don’t breath in the gas,” you instructed quickly, pulling up your mask back up to your nose and grabbing your gun, “stay low and don’t make a sound—”
“It’s CORPS soldiers!” Your heart dropped to the pit of your stomach. Alex’s voice yelled amid the gas. “They have us surrounded—!”
Gunshots silenced him.
The sound came from all over, the gunshots and the screams of pure terror and fear filled every single floor. Cries and pleads become hallowed whispers and croaks as the people— your people were silenced. You moved to the center of the floor in a hurry, rushing towards the entrance to the upper floor. Your eyes looked outside the window, your finger pulling the trigger and hitting the soldiers hiding in the buildings below, taking cover behind the walls when a retaliation came. Gunshots came from everywhere, if they came from your people or CORPS— you didn’t know.
The bullets shot from your gun hit their target, but there were more CORPS soldiers than the bullets inside. They weren’t stopping until every single one of you was dead.
You ran back to where your mother was, shooting the soldiers below once more. “We gotta go and we gotta go now,” you rushed, voice stern. “I can’t hold them off and I don’t know if those below us can either.”
The cries and screams continued to run up the walls. The building shook as the soldiers infiltrated the building.
Your mother nodded her head, “okay.”
Shots came from all directions again.
“We’re going from the back windows, alright? When I tell you to, you run and you don’t look back. There should be a building, not too high but you gotta jump down and run, okay? I’ll be right behind you.”
Gun in hand, eyes barely glancing outside and shot the soldier that lined his rifle with your mother’s head. “Go.” She ran behind you, crouching and hiding behind the large pillars that supported the foundation. Shots came as they saw you both running and in retaliation, you shot back.
They just kept coming. There was no end.
You hide behind a pillar, catching your breath as you changed the gun sleeve, load another round of ammunition and put the older one in your pouch.
“To your left!”
In a swift motion, you pointed your gun, shot the soldier at the window and watched him fall.
But his bullet shot before you could stop him. You barely saw it travel through the smoke.
A cry, soft and quiet, barely caught onto your ears. In a panic, you turned around, your worse fears coming to light.
Red pooled from the middle of your mother’s chest and from her crouched position, she fell to the floor.
“No—” you cried, rushed— the words rushed out of your mouth. “No, no, no, no.”
You rushed towards her, pulled down your mask, fell to your knees and went to press your hands to her chest. She grabbed your wrists before you could. Your eyes wide, both out of panic and surprise, stared down. “Mom—”
“Go.” it was rushed, forced out of pain and anguish, it was drawn out and the voice broke at the end. Tears filled her eyes. Tears you never thought were possible to see in the eyes of your heroine, your mother, the only one that genuinely made you who you were today. But there they are, staring back at you all wide and red.
You wondered if the tears were from the smoke— if they made her cry even more… the air was thick and yellow, and filled with gas— tear gas, ones that made you cry and made your lungs burn. Or was it the pain in her chest, the one you couldn’t take away?
The building shook again, and the numerous stomping and yells from below only crept the ever-lasting story of the abandoned warehouse many took refuge, in including yourself and the only person you called home. They all ran, they all wanted freedom, wanted something more— and if living in a warehouse with people who agreed and believed in the same things you did, believed for a better future, then let them have their freedom.
But life isn’t fair.
“Mom— no,” you held onto her hand, forced your fingers between hers, and tried pulling her up and run away with you. “Mom.” But she couldn't, not in her condition. Bullets flew once again, and dozens of people started falling, yelling, and crying out of pain. Red soon stained the floors, and the yellow smoke continued creeping up the walls, the windows, and the stairs all the way to the top floor.
They’re coming.
“Mom—” she shook her head, having no words to say anymore. Your eyes filled with tears, more than hers. They fell faster, harder and heavier. Hers weren’t even out her eyes. You weren’t ready for this— for a goodbye. Not like this, not today. “Ma, please.”
She cupped your face, her fingers shaking, her breath quivering. Her words, as soft and quiet as ever, “go, sweetheart.” You couldn’t even look her in the eyes. “You’re time is not now.”
“Let it be,” you wanted to yell, let the world know that it wasn’t fair but your voice came out in a pitiful excuse of a whisper, of a desperate cry. “I can’t be without you, not now. Not when we’re so close.”
Soft eyes stared back at yours, ones that were quickly losing their light. The blood that escaped from her chest wound was dangerously close to your shoes. She recognized this. “The revolution needs you, those people need you. I need you to be with those boys.” The words were quiet and shaky yet there was no room for argument. The fingers on your cheeks lost their grip but the smile she gave never lost its happiness, nor did it lose its light. She pulled up your mask, letting the fabric fall right on top of your nose. “Go, sweetheart— don’t let them scan your face. Go, now. I love you.”
Those words. I love you. So easily said and quickly forgotten until it means something more. No one could ever say I love you after the past had been written, not even you.
The words that were right there on the tip of your tongue never escaped your mouth. With all her strength, she pushed you away from her just as CORPS rushed up the stairs. The shots came first— the one meant for you was guarded by her.
And they came again, and again, and again.
You scrambled to your feet, rushing behind a pillar, mind clouded and head heavy. It rang, it rang really bad. The bullets kept flying, toward you and any survivors. Clouds of dust erupted from the ground from the bullets that were shot— screams and cries of mercy ripped the throats of the ones wishing for their own freedom in this cruel world.
Your legs moved before your mind understood what was going on, your eyes fixated on the open window that would lead you to an open roof of a building down below. It was going to hurt trying to land on it, and the odds of avoiding a bullet in your head were slim to none. They knew where you were, and the voices that came out robotic and menacing from beneath the helmet assured you that they weren’t going to show any mercy to anyone who was a part of the revolution. But your ears still rang from all the shots echoing in the wide now empty level of the warehouse, you couldn’t hear what they were saying or whatever gibberish they were spouting.
It all sounded the same.
The utility belt around your waist held three items that could help you, your radio in case your in-ear communicator wasn’t working, your gun and a smoke bomb. What a beautiful retaliation it was and how easy it seemed to take your weapon and kill every single one of them. Shoot them between the eyes or in the back of the head as they did the civilians. How easy would it be to die here, right now because you drew your gun once more in hopes to abolish the anguish of your shaking heart after witnessing the death of your mother?
It would be so easy. Too easy.
You grabbed the smoke bomb, pulled the switch, and threw it behind you. The makeshift can fell to the floor and rolled before detonating within seconds. The fog was purple, unlike the yellow from earlier. It didn’t sting the eyes like the other either, but it was thicker than whatever garbage the soldiers threw. Activating your rollerblades, your body moved, running towards the opening of the building. The cement floor captured your hassling footsteps and the CORPS soldiers who were blind from all angles, started shooting into the air.
Your legs jumped onto the seal and clung onto it, observing your escape route as your mind continued to swirl. Your body leapt out of the building and landed on the slanted roof below before running for safety. A safehouse marked by ATZ would help tremendously, but no one was safe anymore. All conquered zones seem to be infiltrated by the government that is still somehow running this broken and run-down world, one that was once filled with goodness, even just a small portion had it all stripped away by war and greed.
The country was torn between people who obeyed the law in fear of getting killed and others who disobeyed in the hope of freedom— whatever freedom might be.
The gunshots continued to blow and spattered across the very roof you were running on, shooting holes in the concrete below your feet. You've never been a fast runner, not as fast as some of the people you know. It wasn't your forte and will never be. Running brought too many memories, running was the last resort when you had no one to run to, no vehicle or place for shelter. You jumped onto another rooftop, followed by another before climbing up another you— they still followed from afar with their guns, even now from two blocks away.
You climbed a higher building, nearly the same height as the first. The roof the slanted, which should create some sort of shield between you and CORPS and—
The pain of something hitting your side brought you back out of your stupor. The weight of the impact made you lose control. Your rollerblades skidded across the roof, came to an abrupt halt and brought you down, rolled to the edge of the slanted roof and fell a story or two to the floor. Large concrete pillars that fell ages ago cushioned your landing— well, it was better than falling directly onto rebar if you were a tad bit closer to the corner of the roof. The moan that left your mouth was painful, a cry for help as you flipped yourself over onto your back. It took all of your strength to press a shaking hand on your wound, crying and yelling out profanities. You looked up at the sky, the grey and dusty clouds that seemed to pity your entire existence.
The wind blew across your face. You shivered. Blood spilled from the right side of your abdomen onto the floor below, the gunshot wound burning with every lapsed breath you took. You pulled your mask down— it’s getting harder to breathe. No matter how hard you pressed, your hands grew red as the blood spilled on the floor. The world turned black behind your forcefully closed eyelids. The heart in your chest beat out of control, pumping the most blood it can in the circumstances it’s currently in.
Your earpiece cracked static and continued until a voice came through. The wind blew as night approached, settling into the evening. Crazy how quickly the weather changed. The voice called your name again until you found the strength to reply.
“Here,” the wind that blew nearly concealed your frail voice. “I’m here.”
“—what the hell is happening? Your heart's racing like crazy.” San’s voice clouded your ringing head once more. “Z, what's going on?”
A shiver ran down your spine as it got colder, the temperature changing at a rapid rate. Your breaths grew shaky, and your vision, although already fuzzy, grew fuzzier. Your shoulders slumped against the wall behind you as he called you again, urgently this time.
“They shot up the safehouses,” the words forced their way out of your mouth. “Everyone who took refuge there is dead… every single one.” Coughs erupted from your throat, both from the lack of oxygen you were getting because you were breathing too quickly and the wind blew dust around you. Squeezing your eyes in hopes of blinking the dizziness away, another voice cracked through your earpiece.
“Who did?” Hongjoong asked. He knew and if the entire team was still in the room, they knew too. You could almost envision him right now; he’s standing right next to San, eyes narrowed towards the screen, watching nothing but the soundwaves your voice produced. There was also probably the red beacon that blinked every second, signalling where you were. You wondered if Wooyoung’s following the red beacon, you hoped he wasn’t going to where you were.
“CORPS shot up both safehouses in sector fifty-two.”
Complete silence was on the other side. No one said a word, and even if it was only Hongjoong and San in the room at the moment, they said nothing. You tried to move again but ended up letting a muffled cry, your head spinning once more.
“Are you hurt?” he asked, his voice a lot more telling, a lot more concerned. “Z, you gotta talk to me.”
“She’s about three blocks west of the second safehouse,” Wooyoung’s voice cracked into the conversation. You heard his motorcycle rev in the comm. “I’m a minute out, just hold on until then.”
They kept talking but no words made any sense. The world grew colder, the world was already dark behind your closed eyes. It hurt to breathe. It hurt to move. Your head continued to ring, and your ears are on fire. You can’t even mourn properly, everything was too exhausting, too difficult. The clouds in your eyes were stained and rained red, the blood of innocents spilling onto the floor. The sky thundered in anger, the bolts of lights dark with sadness. It hurt too much to think— the mere thought of your mother ached too much.
You heard him before you saw him. You heard the bike first, the way it shook the ground you laid on. His helmet fell on the floor with a dull thud. You felt his footsteps against the ground before hearing them. His hand went to your ear and turned off your comm before he called your name. You heard him but had no strength to respond, tell him that you’re still here. Your breathing lapsed, and quickened, everything weighing down on your heavily.
“She was shot in the lower left side of her abdomen, losing a lot of blood,” he said. “—I don’t know yet. Checking now.”
You felt your body move, you sat up straight and rapid pressure on your side made you groan, slowly opening your eyes to see the familiar cherry red he recently before Christmas. “It went through— hold on.” His eyes, filled with concern, caught yours almost immediately.
“Woo?”
“Yeah,” he nodded and continued bandaging your wound, wrapping the gauze around your abdomen over and over. Eyes focused and jaw tight, he still managed to speak with the same voice he did whenever you were in trouble. “I’m right here— just stay still for me, okay? I gotta stop the bleeding.” You winced, biting back a cry as he tightened it. “I know, I’m sorry— lean your head against my shoulder if you need to.”
Banging on the top of the building you fell off of tore your eyes open and lifted your head to the roof. They were heavy and the same menacing voices broke through the silence. Mass footsteps cluttered the roof before going quiet. Small creaks soon followed.
Fuck.
His gaze followed yours. He heard them, there’s no way he didn’t. He turned off his earpiece. You opened your mouth but the look he gave you and a quick shake of his head told you to stay quiet. His eyes went back and focused on your stomach, finishing the last layers before cutting the excess and putting it in the medkit he had open.
He took off his jacket and draped it around your shoulders. With a curt call to your name, you focused on his eyes again right before your own started closing. “Listen. I’m gonna pick you up and it’s gonna hurt like hell but it’s the quickest to get us out of here. It’s gonna go by fast and it will alert the soldiers but I rather not find out how many of them there are. I just need you to stay awake until we get somewhere safe, alright?”
You nodded. He pulled your mask up as he did his own.
Until we get somewhere safe. Nowhere was safe anymore, especially after what happened. But you trusted him, and Hongjoong, and everyone that led the revolutionary. You had to.
He did what he said he would and it hurt even more than you thought. You bit your tongue to stop the cries from leaving your mouth. One moment you were on the floor and the next, you were on his motorcycle with him behind you. You leaned against him, too tired to keep yourself up. Just moments later, he started the engine and sped away. Within those same moments, shots were fired toward you.
You closed your eyes, head ringing again from all the noise. Thoughts running ramped and yet, not one made any sense. Too tired to think straight, too tired to think. The noises started merging into one before none reached your ears anymore. You fell into a deep, comforting silence.
~
It was warm. You were warmer compared to before.
You were on the floor, but whatever heat source you were close to keep you from freezing. It was hard to open your eyes at first, and even when you did, an orange flame made you close them again. Your side hurt really bad, worse than before. But the heat was helping, maybe a little too much.
“— she isn’t awake yet, no.” A familiar voice reached your ears. “It started downpouring, I didn’t want her getting sick on top of her wound.”
Wooyoung wasn’t too far away from you, a couple feet in front perhaps? “No, don’t send anyone our way. We already made it past center. We’ll be home by morning.” He spoke again. “I’m fine, I’m just worried about her.”
“We’re lucky the bullet didn’t hit any vital organs, and that it went through. But I’ll have to see how she’s doing when she wakes up, there’s no telling until then.” He sighed. “I’ll call later, yeah— yeah, you too.”
You opened your eyes and turned your head to the sound of his voice. You were inside a small barn, you could tell by the architecture. The heat source was a pit of fire he must've lightened. He sat against the wall, eyes looking outside. They were cloudy yet deep in thought. You didn’t like seeing him or any of them stressed, it wasn’t good.
“Woo,” you whispered, voice scuffed and dry. The older man— in reality, it’s only by a couple months— snapped his head towards you and made his way over. He had his medkit in hand and crouched next to you.
“Hey,” he whispered, sending you a small smile, “how are you feeling?”
“Like shit,” you groaned, inhaling deeply. “I feel like shit.”
“Figured,” Wooyoung nodded, “you’re gonna feel like it for the next few weeks. But as cliche as it sounds, you dodged a bullet.”
You sent him a knowing look, “that’s not funny.” Your lips tugged upwards.
“Maybe you didn’t really but it could’ve been a lot worse.” He took out another roll of gauze and bandages and a bottle of painkillers and another of antibiotics. “The bullet missed everything but an artery, that’s why you were bleeding so much. But it stopped so we should be fine, hopefully.”
“Hopefully?” You raised an eyebrow. “Aren’t you playing doctor right now?”
“You’re better at these things than I am,” he scoffed before closing his eyes. “It’s terrifying taking care of someone for the first time.”
You closed your eyes as well, “it is not the first time. In the early stages of the revolution, you helped me all the time.”
He laughed, “yeah ‘cause for some reason, you were clumsier than you are now.”
You opened your eyes and sent him another look but didn’t say anything. A small sigh left your mouth, “how’d you get past center so easily?”
“So you were awake while I was on the call with Seonghwa, I wasn’t sure— sit up for me, I gotta change your bandages.” You grabbed onto his forearms as he helped you sit up, small groans of discomfort leaving your mouth. You pulled up your shirt— hoodie? You pulled up your hoodie as Wooyoung unwrapped the other one. “Easily is an overstatement. After we left the safehouses, I practically raced towards center before the curfew. It was hard but I managed to get us in undetected. You were unconscious when we got there but were lucky enough that Hongjoong’s sister didn’t lock up for the night. We stayed there for a couple hours, that’s where the hoodie and joggers came from— I also put all your things in my bag, including your earpiece and gun.”
You nodded your head. You didn’t want to see the old bandages so you settled for looking at your childhood best friend, and watched as he concentrated on wrapping the newer one.
“They were doing the random searches again, and luck was on our side because they searched her home. I had to hide us under her bed to avoid getting caught.” Wooyoung recounted. “Anyways, we hit the road around one, it’s five right now. It started raining an hour ago so I brought us here. We should be entering south in an hour or two and then base two or three hours afterwards.”
“Good to know,” you whispered.
He didn’t look at you. Rather, a small expression crossed his eyes. One that you didn’t really recognize.
“Hey, (Y/n)?”
You hummed quietly, “yeah?”
“I’m sorry about your mom.”
Anguish filled your chest, and dread and agony soon followed. It was at the back of your mind ever since you woke up, but the words never crossed your lips. One moment, she was laughing with you and the next she was dying on the floor. You closed your eyes, hiding the tears that threatened to spill.
“I know you don’t want to talk about it,” he whispered, finishing the last layers. “I know damn well that when my mom passed away, I didn’t want to talk about it either— not even with you.”
At least they’d find peace with each other and continue to live without the other. Woo’s mom had died roughly the same way yours did at the very beginning of the revolution. The same young man that was in front of you had come a long way ever since it started. He had become bolder, more carefree and despite the fact you didn’t think he could, he sheltered his heart even more than he already did.
“But I learned that it doesn’t get any better— the pain I mean,” his words were heavy as he spoke. “And you don’t really learn how to deal with it. You’ll find other things to cope with rather than facing it head-on. If I did it, you’ll probably do the same.” He gently pulled your hoodie down and grabbed a water bottle from the medkit. “But after everything that happened, don’t try dismissing your feelings. You’ve done that enough. Talk about it with someone, I don’t care if it’s not me but talk about it with someone when you’re ready.”
With a shaky breath, you looked back at him, “how did you cope?”
A weighted question. How does one cope with the loss of a loved one? So many people have been coping with their problems, with death, ever since the revolution started. You wondered how some dealt with losing their entire family.
He put two pills, a painkiller and an antibiotic, in your palm and handed you the open bottle. “You first start with acknowledging your pain. Although everyone deals with loss, your pain is yours alone. Don’t try to compare it with others. That leads to denial and pushing your feelings under the rug.” He sat next to you. “I had to force myself to acknowledge that her death wasn’t my fault, that I wasn’t the one who pulled the trigger— even if it felt like I did.”
“It feels like I did,” you whispered, “she was right there and I didn’t react fast enough to stop that soldier from shooting her.” You swallowed the pills. The lump in your throat made it difficult.
You blinked the tears away, “she’s gone.”
“I know.”
“They're all gone,” tears filled your eyes. You leaned your head against his shoulder, your vision cloudy with tears. “Where did I go wrong?”
“You didn’t do anything wrong.”
“You don’t—” you swallowed the jump in your throat. “You don’t know that. You weren’t there.”
He turned his head towards yours, “I didn’t need to be there to know that you did everything you could.” Wooyoung let out a heavy breath, "their deaths aren't on you."
You opened your mouth to retort, to say something else, but they fell on deaf ears. Instead, you heard the small buzz of his earpiece. “Wooyoung to base. What’s up?”
You watched as his eyebrows knit together, jaw tight, “what, why?”
His shoulders tensed suddenly. He gently got up, careful not to move you and went to grab his radio. As he walked back, he flipped through the different channels, up until a voice, one of high authority spoke. The voice was gruff, menacing. You both made eye contact.
“Who—”
“CORPS’ chief commander.”
A pit fell to your stomach.
“— Today, we successfully erased six safehouses that belonged to the rebellion known as HALAZIA, with the group named ATEEZ at its center. Thank you to the community that has helped our soldiers fight against the cult that is trying to take over the capital. However, I have made a shocking discovery that I’m about to share, so please, your surprise was my utmost sincere shock.”
The voice sounded familiar for some reason but since it was a radio transmission, you couldn’t put a face to the voice.
“In one of the safehouses, I, unfortunately, discovered the body of my late ex-wife, the name of whom I won’t disclose right away. She had a child, one that I didn’t know existed until a couple moments ago. However, because of this, we were able to identify one of the core members of the rebellion. (Y/n) (L/n), if you are listening to this message, I, your father, have a proposal for you.”
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ATEEZ As Fathers On Their Child's First Day Of School
notes; can yall imagine them as parents 😭 obviously this is entirely fictional but I was seeing a few for NCT and I'm like, "what if ___ the type to take a bunch of pictures just to embarrass their kid later on?" And poof, came the idea. More under the cut!
Seonghwa
Now, you know he's an amazing father, just like the rest of the group. He's smart, cunning and super responsible so you know damn well the man's prepared for the first day of school.
You as his S/O will 100% take care of the back-to-school shopping because somehow, you know that he'll spend all the money uniquely on drawing things.
"Look at this one, this one's filled with glitter. You want this one, bub?"
"Hwa, you got six different brands of glitter markers."
"And? We gotta test out every single one to figure out which ones the best."
Anyways. The glitter markers are 100% more for him than his child but you didnt hear it from me.
Hwa does however take care of the snacks and all things nutrition for his child. And its down to the bone.
Snacks that are litterally so good that you could snack on for days AND theyre healthy? Check. Juice boxes that are the real deal and none of the fake flavors? Check.
Oh? You asked about lunchables? SeongHwa makes them, doesn't buy.
A litteral homemade chef.
He wants his child to have a good meal at school :((
And as for his child's water bottle, they customized that shit UP.
Teaches them things like manners etc.
He 100% sets six different alarms to make sure he doesn't mess up his child's special day.
Turns out that he didn't need all of them because he woke up half an hour before the first one.
On the first day of school, you swore you saw this man shed a tear as soon as his child hopped into the school bus and it drove away. His baby's all grown up now and going to school, he's a mess.
You totally caught that on video tho ;)
Hongjoong
You know those dads that do everything by the book and make sure everything is perfect down to the nail?
Yeah, that's Hongjoong.
He's so ready, its ridiculous.
If you didnt know he only had one child, you'd think its his fifth rodeo.
He definitely has a budget for everything and spends excatly the amount planned.
He's also quite the fashionista.
He definitely makes his child walk the runaway in store dressing/changing rooms. If you're gonna walk, you BETTER walk. His words.
No but wait until he finds the clearance section and he goes berserk. He finds the best and most comfortable clothes for like 10$, its insane.
"Look at you, all suit up! If anyone asks, you get your fashion taste from your father and not from your mother."
"Excuse me?"
Hongjoong's the one taking pictures, but about one to three pictures. He believes that even the worst taken one has the best stories behind them.
He let his child customize their backpack. You want a dragon and snowflakes on it? You got a deal.
Lowkey the type of parent that makes sure their child knows the alphabet and how to count to ten. He wants his child to go, "I know how to count because of my daddy!" <3
He also tries to still his child's hair but it goes really wrong and you gotta save the day before you ALL start stressing cause you got no time left.
Gives the biggest hug to his child :( he's so proud of them.
When he goes back home, he kinda feels sad :(( although his S/O is right there, the house feels so empty without his little baby.
But then, when his child gets back from school, he's definitely spoiling them with ice cream or something. And they totally went to the park after too.
Yunho
Probably the one of the softest out of all of them.
Yunho just looks at his child and goes, "ah, when did you grow up so fast?"
He actually wants to stuff his child in his bag and take them everywhere, they're like the perfect duo its insane.
When it comes to school supplies, he's cautious about what you guys buy. Scissors? Are they safe? His baby is like five years old, he doesn't want them hurting themselves.
He really is the type of parent that makes sure their child has SHOE drip. A pair of shoes for every occasion.
Notebooks or binders? No, shoes.
Red shoes, blue shoes, yellow shoes, dress shoes, sneakers, cleets EVEN if his child doesn't play soccer.
Shoes.
You get the point.
He watched tutorials on how to do their child's hair, especially if he has a daughter. He practiced BEFORE the first day of school because he wants to be prepared.
"Daddy, why are you parting my hair like that?"
"Trust the process, sweetheart."
He definitely engages his child in any cognitive or stimulative games like puzzles. And he plays with them all the time (although he's manipulated because he somehow bargains with his child and he somehow always loses and said child ends up on his phone).
On the first day of school, he's so giddy. He's never not smiling.
He legit hoisted his child on his back and ran all the way down the street. They probably did like... three tours of the block before Yunho got tired.
Yunho and his child have a waving contest while the bus drives away. They kept waving until the bus turned the corner at the end of the street.
When his child came back, they definitely played games while she/he talks about their day.
Yeosang
Forget about helping the child, help him instead.
Yeosang is confused, but isn't but he is at the same time.
Confused? Here:
On the first day of school, he knows where the bus should pick up his child yet spends five minutes looking for the street despite the fact that its a block from where you live.
Anyways.
My man is HOOKED in. Makes sure his child knows his/her worth because they are special.
He WILL write cute little notes all over the house and send his child on a quest to find of all of them and read them.
^ he does this because he knows some kids can be super mean so his child is gonna have a heart of gold and armor of steel. Nothing else, nothing more.
His child is the one to show him hand games like STICKS and Patty-Cake. He looks at them half the time like, "am I doing this right?"
"I don't know daddy, I think."
Bless their souls.
Unlike the others, Yeosang knows how to do his child's hair. Litterally an angel. Does the cutest do for them, its adorable :(
The morning of the first day of school, Yeosang prepares the best breakfast for his little one, cutting the pancakes in shapes and drawing a smiley face on the eggs.
If he doesn't take pictures then you, his S/O, does. He wouldn't know you took any until you guys get back home.
When his child is fully dressed with their bag on and ready to go, he kinda just stares at them. Like... thats his baby finally going out in the social world to be social and learn :(
He's so locked in that you called him like three times and he snapped out of it like, "huh? What did I miss?"
On the way to the bus stop, Yeosang does not let go of his child's hand.
Gives the biggest forehead kiss before they go onto the bus and they, again, just stare at each other while the bus rolls away.
Protect them, Im begging.
San
Just look AT HIM :(
Anyways, San will make the day 100x more exciting than it actually is.
They have a countdown calendar until the first day of school... they started when his child was three years old.
Is the type to read a bedtime story to their child and forget that its past their bedroom. They ended up reading five different ones.
They also made a fort the night before, and they fell asleep in said fort. Its still up, you don't have the heart to take it down.
Does everything for his child. They want pancakes for breakfast? Bet. They want strawberries and chocolate chip cookies? Who could say no to that beautiful face.
Hes lowkey manipulated by his child. The kid wants cookies for their school lunch and San was this close to agreeing.
Its okay, you can shake your head.
Stickers! He picked a sticker to put on his lunchbox and backpack, they decorated it themselves.
He lets his child help out the morning of. They wanna help make breakfast? They wanna do their own hair? They want to pick their outfit? Of course, go ahead.
But he will tell his kid if what they're wearing isn't the best outfit for school.
If his kid is arsty, he will buy them an art set and let them gloat to their friends what their father bought them.
On the way to the bus stop, San lets his child sit on his shoulders and name them all the thing they see.
"Daddy, it's your turn."
"I spy with my little eye, something thats... yellow!"
"Like... like the school bus, daddy?"
"What do you— oh my God!"
Yeah...
San and his child have a little routine :( one kiss to each cheek, one boop to the nose, a hug followed by a I love you. You caught it on video right before they boarded :((
San didnt cry, but you have pictures of his eyes watering.
Mingi
Sigh.
His child and him are twins. Forget about your kid going to school, Mingi's going with them.
Hes so happy :( like LOOK AT THIS BABY
Mingi takes care of everything. Bath, hair, clothes, lunch, shoes, supplies— everything.
#Housewife.
You could hear their little giggles from the bathroom as they started a bubble bath and still haven't gotten out yet.
^ its been thirty minutes, please get out.
He also reads his child bedtime stories! Except that they fall asleep together after half a story.
You can't let them go shopping together. They will ransack the entire store if they really wanted to. He honestly spoils them too much, the kid have like three different notebooks with a calendar, studying materials, cue cards and stationary........ the child's five years old.
He will wear a pair of matching shoes with his child, like he thinks its cute.
It very well is the cutest shit ever.
Before leaving the house, they plan a whole bunch of games and it ends up with your child shrieking from the living room and Mingi tickling them to the point of death.
If his child needs glasses, he is THE man to ask. They got four pairs.
"Mingi, love... why four?"
"One for reading, two for seeing and a backup pair."
"Three of them are backup pairs!"
When its time to say goodbye, they both start crying :((( they're each others best friends who have been stuck to each other's hip. They missed each other when the door closed.
Like he tried so hard to smile but his baby is starting a new milestone like :(
Definitely spoiled them when they got back tho.
Wooyoung
Yall know how its usually the child crying when they leave for school?
Yeah, except Wooyoung's the one crying and not the kid. It 100% goes;
"Daddy, why are you crying? Everyones looking! This is kinda embarrassing."
"Im not crying, your mother made me cry."
"!?"
Do NOT let this man prepare your child's lunch box, I'm begging.
"A little brownie and chocolate chip cookies for lunch won't hurt you, right?"
You'll be surprised if you don't get a call from your child's teacher asking why the hell their lunchbox is filled with sweets and not a single slice of apple.
Man is taking 1000 pictures per minute, you gotta delete most of them because either;
a; its a picture of the ceiling.
b; its a picture thats blurry that you thought it was the window but it was actually the back of your head.
c; half his face is covering the camera.
d; its a zoom in of your child's eyes.
Or e; its just... blank.
So much screaming and running around. I don't know why he was panicking, the bus isn't gonna pass in another hour.
Your child also has an almost identical laugh to your husband so you can only imagine them giggling half the time while your kid's getting dressed.
Unlike Yeosang, Wooyoung teaches his child manners through bribering.
"What do you say when someone gives you something?"
"Thank you!"
"Good job, here's a slice of cake."
It was 7 in the morning when that happened^
You can assure that they raced to the bus stop. You can only imagine the neighbors watching as a five year old beat their father in a sprinting race.
When the bus finally rolled around, he was a sobbing mess, it was ridiculous. He would try to say bye but sobs would just escape his mouth like he was grieving or something.
He was feeling better when your kid gets back home. They were litterally skipping down the street together.
Jongho
HE SLEPT THROUGH THE ALARM TWICE.
Anyways, he spent all night thinking about how his kid was going to do on their first day.
You know damn well he looked through the old photo albums and cried at like 2 am in the morning because something so small became a child that he cannot get enough of.
But he does need at least three cups of coffee to keep up with his child's energy.
Your kid was the one to wake him up and rush him despite that it was 6 am and the bus wouldn't be there til 7:40 am.
Cue to Jongho chasing after a semi makes toddler because they taught it would be fun to tire out their father BEFORE it hit 6 am.
Hes very patience so he plays along and promises to by them something after school.
Jongho and you are you little ones biggest supporters. They wanna use the hallway as a runaway? Where are the cameras?! They wanna wear sunglasses to school even if its raining? Go ahead!
But Jongho also carries his kid everywhere. Towards the stove to get his fourth cup of coffee, towards the living room to watch cartoons, to the shoe rack to get shoes. His little angel is secured in his arm.
They will have debates about every single piece of garment they'll wear. I'm lying, they arent even debates— the kid's too smart for their own good.
"Dont you wanna wear the green socks?"
"But daddy, if I wear green socks, my feet are going to camouflage with the grass and they'll disappear!"
"... good point, let's go with purple."
When it was time to say goodbye at the bus stop, his kid didn't want to leave :(( they held other his hand linger then expected and their eyes started to water and aaAH :(((((
Jongho had to wipe them away and comfort them for a minute or two, but his child just didn't want to go.
And now they were in the car jamming to songs playing on the radio :) forget the bus! Car ride to school!
That being said, he walked his kid to class and finally, they bidded goodbye (only after making Jongho promise that he was going to pick them up later).
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