Part 3

 

 

Pulling over into a bus stop, Kuso glanced up at the two young men in the back of his car, “This is as far as I can get you now. If I get any further we’ll more than likely get stuck. Do you want me to wait for you?”

 

Jongki shook his head, “No, we’ll call you and the others when we find him. Kyung’s going to be having a nightmare keeping them in the house right now so you’re best going home to help him out.”

 

Kuso frowned, “You left Kyung in charge?”

 

“You’ve never seen him in big brother mode,” Bradley said readjusting his scarf a little after the heat of the car, “For being a hyper puppy he’s remarkably good at it.”

 

“Except when he gets stressed,” Jongki supplied, closing his door, “Hopefully it won’t take long to find him and then we’ll drag him home for a proper telling off.”

 

Gently the manager nodded, “Okay. If it’s getting late though give me a call and I’ll come back. Worst case scenario we can call-”

 

“Don’t even suggest that,” Jongki supplied, thankful that Mama Bear was faffing on with his phone with his fingerless gloves, “We’ll find him. Don’t worry about that.”

 

Kuso nodded and headed off back into the slowly moving traffic and Jongki shook his head. That was the last thing that they needed right now in order to find their wayward maknae. He cast his dark eyes towards the other, “What are you doing?”

 

Bradley was silent for a second or two, “Searching for coffee shops.”

 

“On your phone?”

 

“Find it app,” Mama Bear grinned, “most useful device in the world counting the signals okay. Ah, only ten in the immediate area.”

 

Jongki groaned, “Why do I get the feeling that this is going to take a really long time?”

 

Bradley shrugged, “You never know, we may get really lucky.”

 

The leader glanced around his immediate area. The shopping district was bright and cheery, with colourful lights and plenty of pretty displays in the windows. There was a distinct impression of calm coming over the place as the hours trickled away from the day and businesses shut down. There were still a few eager shoppers shuffling around but they seemed to be more interested in getting home with their bags than anything else. It would be a great place to have a good look around no doubt but right now it was just an ever growing maze that could be hiding Kiyeol anywhere. For about the hundredth time that day he sighed, shaking his head, “I hope so, Mama Bear, I hope so.”

 

Together they set off to the nearest coffee shop according to the app and both elders were praying that the maknae would be sitting in one of the shops in easy view and wouldn’t have had a moment of clarity and tried to find his way back to the bus stop. Kiyeol had the directional sense of a fish at the best of times and in this new place, neither one wanted to begin to think about what could possibly happen.

 

~~

 

“Now this is going to sting,” Jial said, having eventually managed to dig out his meagre first aid supplies, “But I’ve got to clean these wounds else they’ll get infected and that’ll make Mama Bear even unhappy.” He kept his voice gentle and neutral, trying his best to reassure the boy who was lying on his couch looking lost and helpless. At the very least he had taken a couple of mouthfuls of the cheap Chinese tea which was slowly beginning to warm his stomach but was still a little on the unresponsive side. There again he could just be exceptionally shy as well, especially given the circumstance of being beaten up, cut and then having some stranger take him in. He was surprised that he had remained indoors and hadn’t bolted at the first opportunity.

 

Having already removed the boys wrecked t-shirt and cleaned the cuts on his arm and one just on his ribcage, Jial was glad to see that cuts had stopped bleeding for the most part and looked fairly clean so they wouldn’t be leaving any permanent marks, which was good. Unfolding the iodine sheet, Jial carefully applied it to the wounds.

 

Kiyeol immediately hissed, and tried to pull his arm away from the cloth that was being applied but the other kept a firm but gentle hold on his arm, “Hey its okay. I said it was going to sting. Just bare with it for a moment okay?”

 

Managing to just about hold his tongue, Kiyeol whimpered, “Will it stop?”

 

“Yeah,” Jial smiled gently, “It’s just an antiseptic. Stings to buggery but it’ll calm down in a moment. Luckily these cuts aren’t too deep so they’re easy to sort out.”

 

“Really?” Kiyeol asked, sounding half-way confused and ill but at least talking.

 

Jial focused on his task for a few more seconds but nodded, “Yeah. These are just surface cuts really, bloody little devils but don’t leave much behind. You’re lucky for the gangs that are around here, you must have ran into one of the newer ones.”

 

“They were scary,” the boy replied, shivering slightly as he remembered those horrible faces and the way they had grabbed him.

 

“I bet they were,” the elder replied, gently lifting the other’s arm and replacing the cloth for a new one, “You’re a brave boy though, most wouldn’t have come away with just this. Now hold this, this one will hurt but there’s nothing that I can do about it.”

 

Letting out a yell as the patch touched the sensitive skin on his side; Kiyeol hissed and bit his lip as he felt the prick of tears in his eyes. Thankfully it didn’t last too long and he let out a shaky breath as the pain subsided. “There we go, all done,” Jial said with a gentle smile, “You’re a really brave boy though. I’ve seen grown men break down into floods of tears when these things have been applied to them.”

 

“Thank you?” Kiyeol said, watching as the boy who had saved him stood up, put the rags in the bin and then started hunting for some plasters in his little box. He noticed that he wasn’t much bigger than Mama Bear, maybe about the same height but had dark thick black hair instead of the wispy reddish brown that was characteristic of the other. “Do you really know Mama Bear?” he asked, as the boy approached.

 

Jial grimaced a little, “I’m afraid not but I know someone who will more than likely do so.”

Kiyeol blinked, “Then why did you say you know him?”

 

“Would you have come inside any other way?” Jial asked gently with a knowing smile and watched the expression of shock, confusion and then slow realisation cross the boys face, “Don’t worry, I’m just good with reading people. Let me stick this band aid on you and then I’ll see if I can find you a shirt. You’re a little bigger than me but I’m sure I’ve got something lying around here.”

 

Staring at the other again, Kiyeol wondered what the other did for a living for a second but didn’t bother to ask, “Thanks?”

 

Jial chuckled, “You sound so cute when you say that. Oh I’m being rude, my name’s Jial, what’s yours?”

 

Blinking owlishly at him for a few seconds, as he couldn’t work out if the name was the family or his first name, the youngster tried to think how best to respond but just thought to say his name so he didn’t look like an idiot, “Jang Kiyeol.”

 

The other smiled and nodded, “Is it okay to call you Kiyeol?”

 

A nod was his response and Jial smiled, “Okay. Just give me a moment; I’ll see if I can find you a shirt or something to wear.”

 

Watching as the other left the room to presumably go into his bedroom; Kiyeol shifted a little nervousness and glanced around the flat. It wasn’t much on the surface, an open living room and kitchen that was basic in the furniture and fittings with two doors leading off to what could only presumably be a bedroom and bathroom. There was next to nothing that was personal or any photographs which somehow felt a little on the odd side but maybe Jial was just the type of person who liked to keep his private life very private.

 

Jial returned a few moments later with a grey t-shirt, which looked way too big but he wasn’t going to complain. Kiyeol took it from him with an nodded thanks and hissed as he pulled it over his head. He didn’t dare ask where it had come from because right now it felt just really good to be in something that wasn’t soaked with the snow. Spotting a cup, he picked it up and took a few slurps of the tea which tasted horrible but was wet and warm.

 

“Kiyeol,” Jial said, looking up from where he was trying to get his phone working, “What’s Mama Bear’s real name? My friend will want to know.”

 

Kiyeol swallowed another lump of the warm drink, wondered if he should say anything but then opted to do so regardless as so far Jial had done nothing but help him. “Eun Bradley,” he said quietly, wondering if the other would recognise the name. Regardless of their sudden fall, it was a rather distinctive name and there were still plenty of interest in regards to the group on the internet.

 

“Eun...Bra-what?” Jial said, clearly not used to English names and looking a little lost.

 

“Brad Lee” he echoed back, remembering when he had to use the phonetics in the same way but somehow still managing to call the other ‘Bra-dee-lee” for the better part of three weeks until he got the syllables right. Mama Bear had been a whole lot easier to learn, thankfully or maybe his English had just gotten better over time.

 

Jial nodded, “If I get stuck, you can speak to my friend and let him know.”

 

“Will he find him?” Kiyeol asked, “What about Jongki and the others?”

 

“How many hyung’s do you have?” Jial asked, feeling a little bit bewildered by all the names the youngster was suddenly coming out with.

 

“Eight...” Kiyeol said, starting to feel a little worried now that he was beginning to be able to think a whole lot clearer.

 

Jial blinked and shrugged, “Lucky you. Aha!” Flipping quickly through the numbers, he located Gary’s and started to dial, hoping that the credit wouldn’t die on him right at this exact second. The kid needed to get back to his family, as soon as possible and Jial would help in any way that he could.