Yeontae felt panic rising inside of him. He grabbed his mask and followed the silhouette outside while trying not to wake the others up.

“Jinkyu ?!”

“He went this way.”

He almost jumped in fear at the whispered voice. “Inho ?”

“Hm, who else ?” His friend, who was sitting on the ground in front of the invisible tents with a rifle in hand, gave him a fixed look. “Anyway, he went this way.” He repeated, still in a whisper.

“What is he thinking ?” Yeontae asked more to himself than the other one, trying to keep his voice low.

Inho shrugged.

“I’m gonna get him. Please-“

“I haven’t seen anything.” His friend interrupted him while gesturing him to go.

He mouthed a ‘thank you’ before running after his boyfriend.

It didn’t take Yeontae long to catch up on him.

“Jinkyu !” He grabbed him by the shoulder.

“Yeontae ?!” The other whispered, rifle in his back, eyes wide, visibly surprised to see him. “What are you doing here ?”

“I could ask you the same !” Yeontae whisper yelled. “Have you lost your mind ?!”

Jinkyu took his mask off and stared into his eyes. “Look, I’m going to the village.”

“What ?!”

“I’m gonna find my parents.”

Yeontae’s head was spinning both from running in the cold and from the sudden surge of fear. Jinkyu couldn’t possibly be serious ? Jinkyu couldn’t leave him like that ?

“What if you get into trouble ?” He murmured.

“You can stay here if you want.”

And let him go alone ? And get injured ? Or worse ?

“Are you serious ?” He cried out. “I’m not letting you go alone, you fool.”

“Then you’re going with an armed fool.” Jinkyu flashed him a smile before putting his mask back on.

After running throughout the trees, the village was finally in sight.

“My parents’ house isn’t too far so we’ll be fast.”

Jinkyu had planned to leave during Inho’s watch to keep this whole night out a secret. But the downside of it was that they only had two hours to get there, look for his parents, then go back to the camp without anyone knowing. And it had already taken them 45 minutes to get there…

“Here we are.”

Jinkyu was aiming in front of him with his rifle, the couple walking side by side. The houses were wrapped in darkness and the place was horribly quiet. Yeontae might well look everywhere around them frenetically, there was nothing and nobody in sight.

“Jinkyu, I don’t-”

“Shh !”

The other had stopped in