또봇V2 Fanfiction, Set after Episode 20

Characters: Oh Pilseung, Pada, Pori, Leo Kaijeo, Silver Hawk, Captain Jack, Classic, Lightning, Bubble Cat (mentioned), Flappy (mentioned), Oh Hera (mentioned)

Plot: Something's wrong with Pilseung. Can his friends figure out the problem?

Tears

I cry deep, deep down.

But do they care much for me?

They don't know about

The suffering I have endured,

For so long, it is a scar.

"He's been quiet for the past few days?"

Pada nodded, looking down as he refused to meet Pori's eyes.

The carrot-headed girl frowned a bit, "That's impossible. How can he? You're his brother, for crying out loud."

"He's right, though," Leo Kaijeo shook his head. "He hasn't even talked to us Tobots either unless it's needed."

"Okay, now I know that you can't be serious," her eyes widened. Pilseung stopped talking to his brother AND the Tobots? That was crazy!

If a car could give one a deadpan look, that was definitely the look Leo Kaijeo was giving her, "That's the truth."

"He's been so melancholic since that last attack from Bubble Cat," Lightning explained. "Something is wrong with him. I can feel it. Maybe it has something to do with the Watch, though, because just yesterday, Captain Jack found him about to throw it out the window..."

Captain Jack was spinning around in circles as he wailed, "It's the end! He hates us!"

"That can't be it. Pilseung loves you guys as much as he loves us," Pori shook her head defiantly. "He's not the kind to hate someone. He doesn't even hate Jeon Iluk. And that guy is annoying to death."

"If that's the case, why is he ignoring us?!" Classic demanded. "Pilseung-nim is so... so scary now!"

"Scary isn't a word I would use for him, but I agree with Classic," Silver Hawk spoke up.

"What should we do, Pori?" Leo Kaijeo asked again.

"I... I haven't seen Pilseung that way before," she finally admitted. "What about you Pada?"

"We wouldn't be asking you if I did know," Pada poked his fingers together. "Honestly, it's a family matter, but we already consider you family, Pori... So... Can you help us find out what's going on with him?"

"Of course I will!" Pori nodded.

The males all looked so happy now, it made her crack up.

"Pilseung-ah!"

"Huh?... Pori?" The Pilot turned to face her as he sat on a bench in the park. "What are you doing here?"

"That's my question, you know," she slid to sit beside him. "Pada and the Tobots told me what's been going on. Are you... okay?"

"Of course I am," his smile didn't reach his eyes. It was fake.

Her eyes narrowed slightly, "Oh Pilseung, you better not lie to me."

"I-I'm not..." His eyes adjusted their angle slightly, avoiding eye contact. HIs gloved hand rubbed his arm gently.

"Pilseung..." she put her hand on his shoulder. "You can tell me anything, you know."

He kept quiet at that statement, which worried her, "Hey, Pilseung, you okay?"

"I-It's nothing! J-Just leave me alone!" he suddenly got up, running away from her.

"W-Wait up!" she followed him.

He mentally cursed. He was definitely not as sporty as Pori, and he wasn't as smart as Pada... All he had was that hideout...

HIs steps stopped when 3 familiar cars swerved to a stop in front of them, "Leo Kaijeo! Captain Jack! Lightning!"

"Pilseung, stop! Talk to us, please!" Lightning pleaded.

"I-I'm sorry! I can't!" He jumped over them, and ran.

He risked a glance to the back after some minutes, and saw that Pada and Classic had joined the chase.

Wait, what about Silver Hawk-

The aforementioned Tobot flew right in front of him, but reflexes kicked in and he slid underneath Silver Hawk before getting up and continuing his running.

"What the- When did he learn that?!" Pori sputtered.

"Less talking, more chasing!" Pada panted.

"For the love of-" Leo Kaijeo sounded like he was ready to destroy something. "When did he get so good at running?!"

"Good question, but we'll answer that later!" Silver Hawk sped up.

"Easy for you to say!" Classic protested.

Pada had to restrain himself from facepalming. This was ridiculous. How did he get into this?

His running led them to a cave near the edge of the city, making them look at each other.

"What does Pilseung want with this old place?" Pori frowned.

"What is this place?" Classic corrected her statement.

"It's the borderline between our city and Nav City," Pada pointed to the other side of the cave. "That's where it is."

"Huh, that's new," Silver Hawk mumbled.

"Anyway, we should check on Pilseung, shouldn't we?" Leo Kaijeo reminded them. 

"Right," the others nodded. 

They raced into the building without hesitation, looking into every crook and cranny. 

"Pilseung-ah! Where are you?!" 

"Please come out!" 

"This isn't the time to play games, please, let's talk!" 

"Pilseung-nim, this is not going to work out!" 

"Come out come out wherever you are!" 

"Don't keep it down to yourself! Didn't you say that we were fighting together-"

Pada stopped, blinking as his ears picked up a familiar voice, "Wait, that song..." 

His feet grew their own mind, moving towards the source of the sound he had heard. 

Pori turned, blinking as she watched him, "Pada?" 

The Tobots quickly followed the younger male, which was soon followed by a confused Pori. Why were they following Pada? 

She got her answer when they finally reached the source; a small room in the cave, where the subject of their concern was, singing a song to himself. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wp9CyvDzj_I

He had a small smile on his face. He looked purely blissful for once in his life as he sang that song. It felt like it had been ages since anyone had seen him smile so sincerely. 

Pori's eyes softened seeing this. She knew that Pilseung had always enjoyed music more than anything in the world. But to see that he had made his own song...

Pada's tears slowly came down. All he could feel was the pure emotion that was in the song. It talked to him, alright, "Pilseung..." 

Classic's own sobs had to be muffled by Lightning, and even then, he wasn't doing a great job at it. 

Leo Kaijeo, Silver Hawk and Captain Jack found themselves feeling glad. Glad that Pilseung was commemorating them. 

As the song came to its end, he stopped and started writing things down on the notebook beside him, "The second verse can wait, I guess. I wonder if I can do a medley..." 

He then leaned on the rock, looking up to the hole in the room, "Huh... I wonder if Pori and Pada gave up... That isn't like them." 

A smile appeared, "That's Pori and Pada, alright. Those two never give up when they're passionate..." 

It grew fractured. Jaded, "I should have stopped him from leaving that day... Maybe, Pada wouldn't have been used by Bubble Cat and Flappy. Maybe he wouldn't have had to go through all the guilt from being under Bubble Cat's hypnotism." 

Silver Hawk's voice had some shock in it, "He hasn't gotten over that?"

"Or maybe... I shouldn't have found the watch... Maybe it should have been Pada at first... I mean, sure it would have been hard to get used to, but I can live with that," his words were so heartbreaking. 

"I don't even know how it ended up in that park that day... Wonder what could have gone differently if I hadn't been so embarrassed that day... Or even... Maybe I shouldn't have been born... Pada would be happy, right? Or Pori? She wouldn't have to cling to so much envy anymore."

Those words... They spoke of pain. Guilt. Regret. Self-hatred. 

None of which a ten-year-old should have to have. 

"My cheeks?..." Pori felt her face, feeling the water on it. 

She had always viewed Pilseung as lucky. With a brother. 

But now, hearing his words, it made her feel bad for even thinking that way. He was her friend. She shouldn't have felt so envious of him.

Pada found the ground very interesting now. He was his brother, and yet, Pada had never called him hyung before. Even if it was a year age gap, he had never thought too much about it. 

Had it hurt Pilseung? 

And to hear him blame himself for what happened that day... 

Pada knew that it was his fault. Not Pilseung's. After all, they had always shared things. It was understandable, yes, but he had ended up hurting his brother.

He couldn't stand it anymore.

He rushed out of their hiding place and hugged Pilseung.

The rasin-haired male's eyes widened upon wholly realising who it was, "P-Pada?!"

"P-Pil- No, Hyung... I'm so sorry... I'm sorry I made you doubt yourself... I-I was wrong... I should have realised that we were fighting together... I'm so sorry..."

"Pada..." his sangria eyes softened seeing him like this. He remembered when they were kids. How Pada would come to him when he was sad. It was rare now, but those memories were the warmest he had.

Pada could only sob away, plum-orange eyes filled with sorrow and regret. He was so sorry. He couldn't express directly how he felt. He wasn't the type to do that. But now, oh, how much he wanted to be as open as his brother...

Pori soon joined the hug, gripping both of them tight as her forest green eyes leaked out as well, "Pilseung-ah, I'm so sorry... I-I promise you I'll try to be a better friend! J-Just don't ever say that ever again!"

"Pori-ah..." Pilseung's own orbs began to water up.

He had always known. He had always thought that he wasn't the person most people wanted him to be. His mom denied it, but he knew. Bubble Cat and Flappy made sure to emphasise that part of him.

But maybe... Just maybe...

He was accepted as who he was.

By his friends.

"Pilseung-nim! Don't ever feel that way ever again!" 

"We all care for you Pilseung! Please!" 

"You scare us too much! If I were  human, I would have had thousands of heart attacks by now!" 

"You know how to make us feel more emotions than anyone else- Please stop-" 

"Pilseung-ahhhhhhh!" 

Concern was there. 

The raw kind. 

It tore at his heart, and before he knew it, his own tears were falling down his own cheeks, "E-Everyone... T-Thank you... I-I love you all..." 

The group of three humans and five Tobots stayed like that, surrounded by their loved ones, and strengthening themselves physically and mentally. 

Whatever they would have to face in the future, no matter how hard, they would get through it. 

Because they had each other. As long as they did, they would always have someone to fall back on. To support them.