Day 41

Almost a week flew by and no one pushed Chanyeol out.

Chulyong was originally hostile at first, but after their conversation it was as if a stem of understanding developed between the two even though he didn’t really talk to Chanyeol unless he needed to.

He appreciated that because he was never could force himself to talk about trivial things anymore.

Sandara was happy about the extra hand because that meant the four of them would go out to scour for supplies instead of just three and so the likelihood of bringing something back was better.

By that time, the darkness had moved on and the aid centre was reduced to rubble and ashes. Sometimes Chanyeol would spot a person he vaguely recognized from the centre but other than that, the city was barren and desolate.

There were streets though they regularly avoided as Sanghyun had warned Chanyeol that some groups had laid claim on that territory a while ago and they would be trespassing if they were to enter.

When he mentioned they had guns also, Chanyeol was always careful to check the street names that Sanghyun made him memorize. But there wasn’t much of a problem anyways when they would search in pairs. Usually they switched things up but for the most part, the siblings would go together and Chanyeol would go with Chulyong.

As time went on, their usual hidden spots for supplies dwindled down since they weren’t the only ones who were using them. Because of that, the two teams would go farther out, going into the more obscure neighbourhoods that had a certain foreboding aura to them.

Chanyeol tried not to let it bother him but lately he started to bring along his sword even though Sandara had expressed time and time again that they did this before and everything would always be fine.

She had too much faith, Chanyeol sadly did not.

Sometimes the weapon would get in the way when Chanyeol would have to scale fences and climb ladders but he never left the apartment without it even if it meant the extra weight.

Their hunt on that particular day however led to nothing and while Chulyong was the type to take long confident strides down the streets without a worry; he eventually stopped and told the tall male that they should go back.

When they returned, Chulyong’s grandmother instantly greeted them from where she was sitting in the living room. She asked them if they found anything and as Chanyeol was about to answer her, Chulyong interrupted him and told her the opposite of the truth.

Chanyeol tried to lock eyes with him when he said those things but it was obvious that the male was doing his best to ignore him.

When Chanyeol followed him down the hallway and into Chulyong’s room, he finally spoke.

“I can’t have her know,” Chulyong said with a sigh. “She worries for all of us.”

“And you think that lying helps?”

“Lying makes things easier.”

It was obvious that Chulyong had shut down and was done discussing it with him when his jaw tightened after that. He would no longer look Chanyeol in the eye, busying himself with pulling out the miscellaneous things he found from his bag that he brought along. Chanyeol couldn’t say anything anyways, when it wasn't his place to.

Chanyeol just left the room silently in time to see Sanghyun and Sandara enter the apartment and pull the table back and secure it against the door.

“How was your search?” Chanyeol asked.

“We scored a few cans of soup but other than that, nothing else,” Sanghyun said. “You?”

Chanyeol shook his head, glancing discreetly at Chulyong’s grandmother who was talking animatedly with Sandara.

Sanghyun must have seen the way his eyes moved though and his eyebrows furrowed.

“Where’s Chulyong?” he asked.

Chanyeol simply pointed and Sanghyun left right after, entering the bedroom with a knock.

That night they ate soup that was lukewarm due to the gas running out from their portable torch and while everything seemed alright in terms of their conversations, Chanyeol could notice that something had changed in the air.

It was only confirmed when Sanghyun joined him the living room when everyone else had retired into their respective rooms. Chanyeol was getting ready to sleep as well, but he sat up from where he was laying when he spotted Sanghyun’s expression.

Taking a seat in a chair that was facing Chanyeol, Sanghyun rested his elbows on his knees.

“You’ve only been here for a week…”

“And you want me to leave now?” Chanyeol interrupted, his shoulders tensing without even meaning to.

“No, I—it’s just that you don’t have any connections with us. You won’t have to be burdened.”

Something clicked in Chanyeol then and he regarded him with narrowed eyes.

“What happened?” he questioned.

Sanghyun rubbed his forehead. “I bumped into a group today when Sandara was looking inside a store and they offered me a deal. I told them I would think about it and meet them tomorrow, but after speaking with Chulyong we both agreed it would be the best.”

“So what are you saying?”

“I’m saying that Chulyong and I will have to work for protection from that gang for Sandara and his grandmother. But we’ll be fed and we won’t have to worry as much.”

Chanyeol already knew by his explanation that he wasn’t mentioned in the deal and he should have known his small sanctuary wouldn’t last.

“I’ll be gone tomorrow.”

Sanghyun didn’t say anything but the fact he didn’t move made Chanyeol sigh heavily and grab his bag.

“If it makes things easier, I can leave now.”

They both stood up at the same time as Sanghyun nodded.

“It’s for the best,” he said.

It wasn’t but Chanyeol knew that if he were to leave while the others were present, Chulyong’s grandmother would oppose to it and he would end up staying. If he left while she was sleeping, she wouldn’t be able to put a stop to it.

Sanghyun however was still kind through it all, giving him a small ration of their supplies and telling him again to avoid certain streets before he and Chanyeol moved the table from the door quietly.

Once he exited out of the apartment and gave one last look at the door and at Sanghyun who was closing it afterwards, he somehow knew that would be last time he would ever see them.

*

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Day 1115

It was nineteen days and counting.

The trio had opted to stay in the city when Chanyeol noticed there weren’t many of them around.

They still moved around a lot within the city, never staying in one place permanently. It soon turned into a game for Minseok who would eagerly ask Chanyeol every morning what was their next hiding spot. Chanyeol wouldn’t really answer because he didn’t really know how to without killing the boy’s joyful spirit. Jinae would step in usually to tell him that they were going on a hunt first before finding a new place to sleep and Chanyeol would breathe a sigh of relief when Minseok was distracted by the prospect of hunting instead.

The trio soon established a routine.

Chanyeol and Minseok would usually scope out places while Jinae would wait outside and keep watch for them. Sometimes when things got a bit too risky, Chanyeol would send Minseok out. The boy always listened and he was grateful that the kid wasn’t too stubborn to endanger himself any further.

During her times of being lookout, Jinae would be the one suggesting their next place to sleep and while Chanyeol knew of a few other acceptable spots, he would always agree to her ideas.

Chanyeol ignored the fact that he was getting comfortable around them.

Maybe because he knew something bad was going to happen, because in his experiences something always did.

That was why he didn’t know how to react when Jinae sat closer to him that night while they were holed up in a small apartment. Opting to leave Minseok alone cuddled up in the corner with a sweater laid on top of him as a makeshift blanket.

They were both awake and Chanyeol told her she should go to sleep too as his hand was tucked into his pocket where those pills laid hidden. Every night he questioned whether or not he should take it, every night he glanced over at the siblings and changed his mind.

Jinae didn’t listen to him, just shaking her head at him and then laid her hand on his knee.

He froze, his eyes staring straight ahead even though he knew she was looking right at him as he could almost feel his skin heat up.

A hand was placed on his cheek a second later, warm and inviting and finally Chanyeol turned to her even though he shouldn’t have, even though it was a bad idea to.

She leaned closer to him, pausing as if questioning before he felt the soft touch of her lips against his.

His hands were at his side clenched into fists, as his eyes closed on their own.

He wanted her to stop but at the same time his lips recuperated her actions.

It wasn’t because he loved her, but it was the comfort that Chanyeol felt when he wrapped his arms around her waist as warmth spread through his entire body.

It was the silent reminder that propelled them to continue as they both stood up and stumbled into a separate room away from the living room.

The two of them were reminded of what it was like to be alive, if only for a few hours, if only for a second.

The next morning, nothing was different. Before the sun rose, Jinae had stepped out of Chanyeol’s arms, dressing as she went so she cuddle up to her brother before he woke up and Chanyeol spent that time just dozing off but not really sleeping.

Eventually he left the apartment to wander around a bit before coming back to find the siblings chatting with each other idly.

Jinae just smiled at him when he walked in, Chanyeol looked away.

She never brought it