oo5

Wooyoung pressed on the the part of his arm where blood was collected earlier as instructed by the medical technologist while he sat down the hospital's lobby, waiting for Jinahn to accompany him. 

Unlike earlier, he wasn't wearing a fedora hat or the sunglasses anymore but chose to keep the mask on. 

Who knows, people might brew and start any issues again if they saw him here at this time of the night. 

He could still remember how the hospital staff from earlier was giving him dirty looks as he introduced his self before the blood collection took place. He sighed, the wonders of rumors and gossips, really. 

Nevertheless, his job here was done so she must fulfill her part of the deal. He turned his head from side to side, searching for the paparazzi because he needs to assure that she will be turning down the news by tomorrow morning or he's doing it by himself. 

Truth be told, he couldn't understand why the agency's not releasing  statement regarding the issue just yet. 

His phone sounded in his pockets and he fished it out, revealing 14 missed calls, and 12 unread messages from s, the last one the latest.

Ah, right. He wasn't bringing his phone at the Blood Banking Section. 

Dialing Hongjoong's number, he pressed the phone on his ear as he waited for the leader to receive his call, scanning the place for the possible whereabouts of the girl.

"Where are you?!" The hyung's voice sounded worried and yet still annoyed. 

Studying the people coming to and from of the west wing, Wooyoung answered the leader calmly. 

"I'm fine. I'll tell you guys everything after I went back, I'm just—" he stopped, contemplating if it's best to tell them what he's up to. 

"You're just...?" Hongjoong trailed off purposely, hearing a long while of silence from the younger.

Wooyoung sighed before continuing. "I'm just helping out a friend." He mumbled, opting for the better decision of not telling them what he has up on his sleeves. "I'll be back soon." 

"Hey." 

The guy looked behind to see Jinahn looking down at him with a calm look on her face, onigiri in one hand and a banana milk in her other. She frowned when the guy all of a sudden whipped his head back, talking through the phone.

"I'll be home in a minute, bye~" Wooyoung spoke one last time before abruptly ending the call, placing his phone back in his pocket, leaving ateez' leader confused and dumbfounded. 

"So, where is he?" Yeosang asked curiously, studying any changes from the older's face. 

Hongjoong could only tilt his head in confusion, removing the phone from his ear when the familiar *toot* sounded afterwards, indicating that the other end has finished the call. 

"I guess he's fine," he started, causing the others to release the breath they didn't know they were holding. 

"Really? That's great." San mused as he looked at their leader who was still eyeing the phone. Seonghwa just nodded his head in agreement to the younger's comment. 

"Still, though. He should have sent us a text earlier if he's going home late." Jongho grumbled prompting the hyungs to look at his pouting face. Yunho went to rub the back of his neck, chuckling at their maknae's cuteness. 

"Let's just go to sleep!" Mingi complained before lying on his back, looking up the ceiling. "If he says he's fine, then let's just trust him." 

"Its weird though," the leader said in an undertone when everyone else is ready to go inside their rooms, casually stopping them from entering the place. 

Yunho and Seonghwa looked at each other before the younger turned to ask, "what is?" Walking towards the leader. 

Hongjoong looked behind him, studying the member's faces. "I think..."

"You think?" It was Seonghwa who asked him this time. 

"I think I heard a girl's voice." Hongjoong concluded and everyone's eyes widen in surprise.

"What?!" 

✳✳✳

"Who was that?" Jinahn asked, after taking a seat on the idol's right, shifting towards him to hand him the food she bought him. 

"It's none of your business." Wooyoung grumbled, eyeing her hands full of goods she probably bought from the convenient store nearby.

"It's not much, but I hope that'll do." She dropped everything on his lap before smirking at him. "Acting hostile, aren't we?" 

The guy scoffed, picking up the onigiri and the drink on his lap. "Well we're not friends." He snapped, glaring at her. 

She studied his every move, from the way he opened the onigiri packaging harshly to the sharp piercing of the banana milk, the loud snapping sound resonating in the quiet hall of the hospital. She shrugged her shoul