chapter I 증거 [evidence]

the evidence is laying around us...

        His eyes narrowed slightly as he stared up at the sky, lost in the clear blue. The wind gently blew, ruffling his clothes and hair gently; as if afraid to harm the boy. His lips parted and he slowly let his eyes slid closed, letting out a heavy breathe as he stuffed his hands in his pockets. The boy calmed his senses as he tried to calm his shaking nerves and his trembling heart. His hearing focused on the waves crashing on the shore a few feed in front of him. His smell pulled in different scents; the salt from the ocean, the slight moisture lingering in the air from the rain that poured down merely an hour ago, and pollen from a flower field just down the road. The taste buds on his tongue focused on the bitter tinge of his own blood as he his lips, his tongue running over the fresh cut on his bottom lip. The sudden hit of saliva stung the cut, making him flinch and furrow his eyebrows. He tried the best he could to zoon in on his touch, but his hands were numb. Was it from the countless punches he gave the wall moments ago? As he tried to clear his mind, filling his head with the sky he was gazing up at, a sudden flash image popped in his mind and it make him flinch again. His expression scrunched up a little in what seemed to be pain - not physical, but emotional. The image was bloody, bruised, and horrific. Not to mention it included a familiar face; one of his most closest friends.

Letting out a shaky breathe, he slowly opened his eyes only to realize that he had been crying the entire time. He stared ahead as his eyebrows furrowed to a point, seeing grey cloud forming in the south - starting to slowly head over towards him. As he continued to gaze at the clouds, he was unaware of 4 boys standing feet away from him; gazed locked on him but they were filled with concern. 3 of them looked at a certain tough looking male, whose eyes never left the boy on the beach. Though the male tried to keep a calm facial expression, his hands were in tight fists and they were shaking slightly. Without any words exchanged, the male began walking towards the boy. He stood behind him, hesitating for a moment before he continued approaching him until he stood beside him. The boy, aware of the male's presence, continued to cry in silence. When the male hear the other sniffle, he sighed and pulled the boy into a tight hug.

"Shh." He whispered soothingly into the others hair, gently running his fingers through the smooth locks as his other hand rubbed his lower back. The boy stayed still, his face resting against the male's broad chest.

"......He's...surely dead by now." The boy murmured. His words caused the male to frown before tightening his hold on the boy.

"Don't think like that." He shook his head and lowered it, laying his chin on the boy's head. "Youngjae is a fighter..."

The boy sniffed and reached up, hugging the male tightly. "W-Why him? Why couldn't it be me-"

"-Hajima!" The male scolded, pulling away to cup the boy's face in his hands. "Jung Daehyun, don't make me punch you." His eyes narrowed before they softened as he looked at the boy's cut lip. "...Again." Daehyun lowered his gaze and sniffed again as he began to calm down.

"Please, I deserved that one. I was yelling at you and blaming you and...calling you names..." He confessed, his lips curving into a frown. "M-Mianhae, hyung..."

The older male sighed. "You don't need to apologize. I know you were angry, upset, and shaken up about Youngjae's situation. And it doesn't help they sent us a video of them beating him, does it? The best we can do is form a plan." Daehyun looked back up at him. "We have to rescue him, Daehyun. He's one of us; and our number 1 rule is that we never leave anyone behind."

"Yongguk's right, Dae." Another voice pipped in. Daehyun glanced up and saw Himchan, who reached up and put his hand on Daehyun's shoulder. "Those s need to know their place. Do they even know who they're messing with?" Himchan snorted, shaking his head.

"Let's go back to the hide out, nae? We need to figure out a plan before it starts raining on us." Yongguk took his hands away from Daehyun's face, making Daehyun instantly miss his warm hands. "Besides, it's late. We need our rest." He reminded, his leader instincts kicking back in. Himchan chuckled softly and nodded, squeezing Daehyun's shoulder before he began walking back over to Jongup and Zelo. Yongguk glanced at Daehyun and nudged his head in the direction Himchan was heading. Daehyun wipped his tears away and managed a small smile before he began following Himchan. Yongguk watched him leave before he turned his head and looked back at the grey clouds.

"Looks like the Heavens above are crying too." Yongguk thought to himself before letting out a small sigh. He stuffed his hands in his pockets and began walking off the beach. "Yoo Youngjae...we'll find you. I promise you that."

---

"They want $1M won in replacement for Youngjae." Himchan hummed, tapping his pencil on his chin in thought. "We're no where near that amount of money. What do you suppose we do?" He raised his head and looked up at Yongguk. Yongguk was gazing out of the window, his arms folded across his chest in deep thought.

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