“I’m panicking,” Seunghyun blurts out as soon as his manager gets by his side. “Can we call the police now?”

“Seunghyun,” the man sighs. He’s panicking too, of course, but one of them must try to stay calm and Seunghyun is having none of it, judging by the way he’s pacing around, eyes are scanning everything it can reach. “First of all, I don’t think someone kidnaped him.”

Seunghyun’s face is white behind his mask, his hands are trembling in fear. “But they might?”

“No, they won’t,” the manager quickly says. “Have you ask the guards?”

“You said not to mention anything to anyone!”

“All right, let me ask the guards first.”

“Wait!” Seunghyun clings onto him tightly. “Are you just going to leave me here?”

His manager levels him down with a stare. “You continue to look around while I’m asking the security team, Seunghyun.”

“Okay,” Seunghyun finally lets him go. “Call me if you find anything?”

“What else am I going to do?” the man pats his shoulder before heading back to near the entrance.

Seunghyun takes a deep breath and steps into adventure to another aisle.

***

“Macaroni,” Ken reaches to take a box of his favorite pasta. He looks around the aisle but there’s no sign of his Seunghyun–appa. Could it be that his appa forgot to take the macaroni? His Daesung–appa would be mad if so.

Well, that, if he manages to get up from his bed.

The kid sighs. His Daesung–appa was cooler this morning. He knows because he had touched his forehead when his appa was asleep last night; burning, as if he’d swallow fire. That was his only way to touch his appa because if he’s awake, he wouldn’t let anyone get closer to him.

“Take him downstairs,” his Daesung –appa said. His voice creaked like the witch in Hansel and Gretel movie they once watched during his appa’s day off. “I don’t want to make him sick too.”

“He wants to see you,” his Seunghyun–appa rolled his eyes but obeyed the command nonetheless.

“Appa!” he protested as he’s being carried in his Seunghyun–appa’s arms. “I want Daesung–appa!”

“He’s sick, bubble,” his Seunghyun–appa sighed. “You’re stuck with me until he’s feeling better.”

“But appa is cooler…”

“Still, he’s not fully recovered yet, Ken.”

“I can sing for Daesung–appa.”

“What he needs is medicine and enough sleep,” his Seunghyun–appa opened their fridge. “Oops.”

“Hmm?”

“Seems like we’re running out of…everything.”

“Shopping?” Ken smiled. Everytime they ran out of something, they would go shopping. “I want to shopping!”

“That’s what we’re going to do.”

He frowned. “With Seunghyun–appa?” he asked. He was always go shopping with his Daesung–appa.

“Yes, me. What are we going to get for meal?”

“Macaroni cheese!”

His Seunghyun –appa laughed. “Sounds good but Daesung might not like it.”

“Daesung–appa get tofu?”

“Perfect!”

 

“Tofu!” he exclaims and a woman with purple nails who is also holding a box of macaroni raises her eyebrows at him. He bows slightly to apologize, remembering that his appa said not to shout in public places.

“Ah, so cute,” she crouches down to get eye–level with him. “What’s your name?”

“Ken,” he answers with a smile. Another thing his appa told him about manner, always be polite to people. “I am four.”

“Oh, you know your own age? Very smart,” she claps her hands as praise. “Are you...” she looks around. There’s only her and Ken alone in this aisle. “…what are you doing here?”

“Shopping,” Ken tells her. “I want macaroni.”

“Yeah, I see you have a box already, but where are your parents?”

He shrugs.

She frowns at him. “Did your parents leave you alone?”

Ken thinks for a while then shakes his head. “No, I leave appa,” he bites his lip. Suddenly he feels so so sad. What if his Seunghyun–appa cries for not being able to see the baby kangaroo? He should take his appa with him.

“Come on,” the lady holds out her hand. “I’ll take you to guard. We might find your parents there.”

He lits up at the offer. Just as he’s about to hold her hand, the lady’s phone rings.

“Wait a second,” she says. “Hello? Yes, I’m getting you banana,” she mumbles to her phone. “What? I can’t hear you.”

Ken watches her walk away to the end of the aisle. Should he follow her? Should he just wait for her?

“Spa –oh, here it is!”

He turned around at the voice, only to see the older boy who had taken the baby kangaroo reaching a box of spaghetti before quickly disappearing into the next aisle. He rushes to follow him, in hope of chance to see the plushie once again.

***

“Have you find him?”

“Seunghyun,” his manager sounds annoyed over the phone, probably rolling his eyes. “It’s only been two minutes.”

“Well, have you asked the security?”

“Yes, I have,” the manager answers. “They said that there was no children coming in or out without any guardian.”

“It means he’s still in this damn supermarket,” Seunghyun hisses, pressing his phone tighter against his ear. His veins are breathing in his skin like hungry snakes, he swears he can hear his blood running inside. “I’m checking the toiletries section.”

“Have you tried the snacks one?”

“Yes, twice,” Seunghyun walks through the aisle quickly, bottles of shampoo are watching him. “And this is my second time checking on this section either.”

“Cakes?”

Seunghyun makes his way to the cake section, running, almost tripping on his own feet. “No,” he swallows down his hope. “No children.”

“He is smart,” his manager hums. “What did you go shopping for?”

“Food,” phone sandwiched between his ear and shoulder, Seunghyun fishes for a piece of paper that is his grocery shopping list inside his pocket. “Macaroni...and tofu for Daesung,” his voice wavers as he speaks of Daesung’s name. “Toothbrush. It’s a long list, do you want me to read it?”

“Have you checked the food section?”

“I’m sure that I’ve checked the aisle of ing cookies.”

“Well, the macaroni one, you silly,” his manager clicks his tongue. “That was what Ken wanted to buy, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Go, Seunghyun. I’m asking them to take me to the control room.”

“Why?”

“To see through the security cameras, Choi Seunghyun.”

“All right,” Seunghyun pinches the bridge of his nose. “Call me as soon as you find anything.”

“Yes, yes. And you, pasta section.”

***

“Are you following me?”

Ken refuses to back off, even as the boy narrows his eyes. “Can I see kangaroo?”