Help.
Coma. (Threequel to One Shot and Betrayal.)
Youngjae's group had been tirelessly searching the neighbourhood, but there was no luck. There were no leads. Absolutely nothing. The late afternoon sun was sinking in slowly and it was soon becoming dark. But still with all that time, they couldn't find a single thing.
The neighbourhood was very quiet. The state of the houses didn't look too good and some houses would have occasional overgrown front lawns. Children weren't out playing, even though it was hot. There weren't many cars around and there wasn't even a bus or train station nearby. The environment smelt very foul. People hadn't been reporting this place to be a very unclean and messy neighbourhood. It seemed abandoned.
Something was definitely wrong. This neighbourhood was disturbed by something. Youngjae could sense it.
"We've got to keep looking." he told them.
They were all very worn out from searching everywhere but for Youngjae, they were willing to comply. They all knew they were close to catching them, and so persevered.
The neighbourhood was very quiet. The state of the houses didn't look too good and some houses would have occasional overgrown front lawns. Children weren't out playing, even though it was hot. There weren't many cars around and there wasn't even a bus or train station nearby. The environment smelt very foul. People hadn't been reporting this place to be a very unclean and messy neighbourhood. It seemed abandoned.
Something was definitely wrong. This neighbourhood was disturbed by something. Youngjae could sense it.
"We've got to keep looking." he told them.
They were all very worn out from searching everywhere but for Youngjae, they were willing to comply. They all knew they were close to catching them, and so persevered.
Something moved in the trees and overgrown dead plants in the distance to the left from where Youngjae was standing. He sharply pointed the gun at the area, ready to shoot if needed. Slowly, he approached the concealed body that was hiding amongst it. He had no idea who it would be. And he was not certain whether he wanted to know who it was.
The closer he got to it, the more he heard whimpers and soft cries. But not from a human being. An animal. Youngjae came to realise that there was no harm in looking into this when he roughly brushed the plants away that was blocking the mysterious animal, to see it was a puppy. It laid down on its side in the plants, whimpering at the stranger. He knew the little one was scared, and only hushed it gently.
"Hey there buddy..." he soothed the puppy, that only continued to yell out soft cries. It stood up and tried to move, only to drop down harshly onto the ground with tightly shut eyes. It was then that Youngjae noticed it was crying in pain. One of its back legs was bleeding. It refused to look at Youngjae in the eye because it was scared. "It's okay... I'm not going to hurt you..." he told the puppy, reaching out to caress it's stomach softly. He glanced at the puppy's bleeding leg and only frowned. "Did someone hurt you?"
The puppy whimpered softly again.
Youngjae bit his lower lip. He was no vet, and he had carried no medical supplies. Quickly, he took out his handkerchief that he always seemed to carry but never use. Tenderly, he took the bleeding leg, and placed the cloth underneath it. "Just endure the pain for me okay little one?" he requested, before tying the handkerchief gently around the injured leg. The puppy whined, eyes shut and head trembling once again. "I'm sorry." Youngjae apologised, before quickly tying the wound. Whilst doing so, he realised that it was a boy. "Is that better?"
It did not make a sound, but only turned to look at Youngjae. He was deeply fond of the puppy, despite only meeting it a few minutes ago. Its brown almond shaped eyes were looking up at him, almost in a way of becoming attached to the man. Its tail that was previously hidden began to show and started wagging slowly, unfamiliar to this male and the environment it was in. But it felt safe with Youngjae around.
Youngjae only beamed at the precious little pup and opened his hands out to it. "It's okay, boy." he sweetly whispered. Its head was bowed. Slowly, it approached Youngjae's hands as the man placed the puppy into his arms for a warm embrace. The puppy only nuzzled its face into Youngjae's chest. Youngjae couldn't help but feel affection for it. "Do you have a name? My name is Youngjae." he introduced himself, caressing his back. The puppy barked softly. "You don't have a name?" it did not respond, but buried itself deeper into Youngjae's arms. It gave him memories of when he was saved by Yongguk; that night he ran away from his parents. It had been so long ago, but the memories were fresh in his mind somehow. It was a puppy. It was so young. He wondered where its parents were and if it had any siblings. Did they abandon him? It crushed Youngjae's heart to imagine what he had been through. "Shall I give you one? Hmm... How about Ace? You're so young and sweet. But you are very clever and very brave. Do you know that? You don't deserve to be abandoned like this. You deserve a loving family that will look after you and give you all the attention you need. I'm going to take care of you, Ace. I promise." he hugged the puppy tighter in his arms, recollecting the memories of how Yongguk and he first met, and how Yongguk had changed his life entirely.
"Youngjae? What are you doing over there?" Sunhwa asked, seeing that Youngjae was kneeling down near the greenery that was in between two houses. He turned around and there she saw the cute puppy in his arms. She gasped in admiration at beautiful he was and insisted that she should hold him.
Ace was very gentle and obedient. He didn't mind being carried by them and he genuinely enjoyed their company. There was no doubt however, that Ace was attached to Youngjae the most. After all, he had saved him.
Once everyone took the time to admire the abandoned yet sweet dog, he went back into Youngjae's arms. "Come on guys, let's get back to our mission." Youngjae told them, proceeding to put Ace in the back of their car. "I can't take you with us. It's way too dangerous and you could get hurt again. I don't want you to get hurt. Do you understand?" he caressed the animal softly. "You can wait for me though."
The puppy only looked at Youngjae sweetly in the eyes.
He had never found such a blissful feeling ever since Haru was kidnapped. He couldn't help but smile and care for it. It whined and nuzzled its face into Youngjae's chest once again. Youngjae couldn't help but fall for his cuteness every time he did that.
"I'm sorry boy. I wish I could take you. I really do. You could really help." he picked up the puppy preciously so it faced him directly. "But you're very precious to me, do you know that? I've lost all the friends that I love the most to someone evil. And I can't afford to lose you in the same way..." he tried to explain. The puppy looked at him briefly before him affectionately. Youngjae only chuckled. "Stay here whilst I look for them okay?"
He placed the dog down in the car seat, after a little reluctance from it wanting to let go of Youngjae.
"Have you found anything yet?" he called to the rest of his team.
"Nope."
"Nothing."
"Zero."
They all responded. The puppy barked in a high tone all of a sudden. When Youngjae looked back, it had a picture placed in between its teeth.
It was a picture of BAP together. Youngjae had left this in his bag.
Youngjae bent down and took it from him. Ace still did not stop barking and did not look away from the picture.
"Have you seen them before boy?" Youngjae asked, feeling hopeful.
He barked many times, before trying to stand on his own. Youngjae offered a hand for support out the car, but afterwards the puppy could just about manage to walk. Youngjae gasped at the little one.
He was so strong.
Ace barked again and again, mildly running to the house they were all familiar with.
They stood at the entrance, wondering if they should go back into a place they've already been in.
"Boy, we've already been here before." Youngjae tried to explain. But Ace refused to listen. He barked endlessly, before standing behind Youngjae's legs to push him with all his might inside the house.
Once they finally got in, Ace ran up the stairs excitedly.
"Do you think he's excited because this house was his home?" Youngjun asked.
"No way. The dog wasn't here the last time we came here... He's definitely trying to tell us something." Hana replied.
Ace's barks could be heard from upstairs. Slowly, the team followed up the stairs, to the same room where they found the mysterious phone.
"We've already been here Ace." Youngjae looked around, seeing absolutely no change to the room. It was still dirty and dusty. There was barely anything left in the room except a rugged carpet and a pair of dirty curtains.
Ace suddenly leaped on to the wall and scratched it using its small paws. Youngjae started to realise what it was trying to show. He would not stop scratching the wall for some reason. Youngjae saw that the top of the wallpaper was peeling off. But there was something peculiar about this wallpaper. Behind it, he could just make out that there was something metal, almost like a door or pathway. He quickly peeled off the wallpaper, which excited the dog even more through his barks.
They discovered they there was a flat door, an access to another building.
This was what they missed. They missed something so crucial that they could have found long ago.
Youngjae looked down at the dog. He looked back at him proudly. Youngjae couldn't help but bend down to its level and ruffle it gently. "Good boy." he praised.
Youngjun had been finding a way to open the door and successfully he did. The path was dark and shadowy. It made the group freeze for a while and wonder if they should enter. They had a strong feeling that they found the criminals. They just had to step in, and realise that there was that possibility they couldn't go back.
He had never found such a blissful feeling ever since Haru was kidnapped. He couldn't help but smile and care for it. It whined and nuzzled its face into Youngjae's chest once again. Youngjae couldn't help but fall for his cuteness every time he did that.
"I'm sorry boy. I wish I could take you. I really do. You could really help." he picked up the puppy preciously so it faced him directly. "But you're very precious to me, do you know that? I've lost all the friends that I love the most to someone evil. And I can't afford to lose you in the same way..." he tried to explain. The puppy looked at him briefly before him affectionately. Youngjae only chuckled. "Stay here whilst I look for them okay?"
He placed the dog down in the car seat, after a little reluctance from it wanting to let go of Youngjae.
"Have you found anything yet?" he called to the rest of his team.
"Nope."
"Nothing."
"Zero."
They all responded. The puppy barked in a high tone all of a sudden. When Youngjae looked back, it had a picture placed in between its teeth.
It was a picture of BAP together. Youngjae had left this in his bag.
Youngjae bent down and took it from him. Ace still did not stop barking and did not look away from the picture.
"Have you seen them before boy?" Youngjae asked, feeling hopeful.
He barked many times, before trying to stand on his own. Youngjae offered a hand for support out the car, but afterwards the puppy could just about manage to walk. Youngjae gasped at the little one.
He was so strong.
Ace barked again and again, mildly running to the house they were all familiar with.
They stood at the entrance, wondering if they should go back into a place they've already been in.
"Boy, we've already been here before." Youngjae tried to explain. But Ace refused to listen. He barked endlessly, before standing behind Youngjae's legs to push him with all his might inside the house.
Once they finally got in, Ace ran up the stairs excitedly.
"Do you think he's excited because this house was his home?" Youngjun asked.
"No way. The dog wasn't here the last time we came here... He's definitely trying to tell us something." Hana replied.
Ace's barks could be heard from upstairs. Slowly, the team followed up the stairs, to the same room where they found the mysterious phone.
"We've already been here Ace." Youngjae looked around, seeing absolutely no change to the room. It was still dirty and dusty. There was barely anything left in the room except a rugged carpet and a pair of dirty curtains.
Ace suddenly leaped on to the wall and scratched it using its small paws. Youngjae started to realise what it was trying to show. He would not stop scratching the wall for some reason. Youngjae saw that the top of the wallpaper was peeling off. But there was something peculiar about this wallpaper. Behind it, he could just make out that there was something metal, almost like a door or pathway. He quickly peeled off the wallpaper, which excited the dog even more through his barks.
They discovered they there was a flat door, an access to another building.
This was what they missed. They missed something so crucial that they could have found long ago.
Youngjae looked down at the dog. He looked back at him proudly. Youngjae couldn't help but bend down to its level and ruffle it gently. "Good boy." he praised.
Youngjun had been finding a way to open the door and successfully he did. The path was dark and shadowy. It made the group freeze for a while and wonder if they should enter. They had a strong feeling that they found the criminals. They just had to step in, and realise that there was that possibility they couldn't go back.
"This leads to next door." Youngjae explained. The others looked at him puzzled. "Remember when we looked at the outside view of this house? There was a boarded up warehouse stuck right next to it. The warehouse and this house are connected through this concealed door."
Of course. Why would anyone try to look at a warehouse which had been boarded up from the outside? No wonder no one lived in this house. You wouldn't really ever find an empty house next to an abandoned warehouse.
He looked at his colleagues, knowing what they had to do. He sat on his knees opposite the curious puppy. "Ace... You know we have to split from here right?" he hoped that the poor boy caught up with what was currently happening. He only cried out again softly, placing his head into his front legs that were now crossed on the floor. His eyes were big again as he looked at Youngjae with a sad expression. "Are you... Going to wait for me here?" Youngjae asked, trying to understand what the pup was doing. He barked softly. "Wait for me here okay? And give me a shout if something happens." Youngjae told him, rubbing his head affectionately. Ace only his hand, not wanting to let him go. Youngjae only smiled whole-heartedly at the beautiful dog. He was worried what its future would be. Hopefully he could go to the vet to check if the leg was broken, and get sent into an animal rescue centre so he could be looked after properly and put for adoption. Or maybe Youngjae could even adopt it himself. But all he knew right now, was that he needed to save them first.
"Stay close guys. Even if we manage to break apart, make sure there is someone with you so you're not alone." Youngjae told them, hoping every word sunk into them. "Let's go." he had his gun ready in his hand, as he stepped into the dark tunnel.
I’m looking for you.
Pups are adorable. C: And they remind me of Jonguppie ^^
Guys, I really don't know if I should be calling the dog a 'he' or an 'it'. I mean, I think calling Ace, 'it' seems a little mean because dogs are people too! Hahaha but at the same time, I don't want to confuse you guys with the characters by calling it 'he'~ >0<
Let me know what you think I should do in the comments - but in the meantime, say hello to Ace, our new and adorable friend! (I hope I made him sound adorable for you guys!) ^^;;
Have a good weekend everyone~! (I won't, I'll be doing my homework for Monday since I start school again ToT;;)
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