“Hello? Auntie, it’s me, Taehyun. Umm… Yes, this is Yeonjun-hyung’s phone but…”, Taehyun paused to let the woman talk. He looked around the room, and held back a frown; his friends were sitting with dull expressions, and Yeonjun’s butler was still processing the load of information he was just exposed to.

“Yes, auntie, I’m fine, thank you. But… Oh, something happened… It’s about Kai. I… Auntie, Kai is missing.”

Jungkook saw the broken expression on the younger’s face, no light in his eyes; he stood up and approached Taehyun, gesturing the other to hand over the phone. “Hello? Good evening, ma’am. I am Yeonjun’s butler. Please allow me to e-explain what happened. I am sure you have seen the news about the Han River. The boys are currently in the hospital and their wounds have been treated, but Kai… I apologise, but your son was not found. We wanted to seek your permission to file a report on this. Uh… Or would you do it instead?”

The conversation went on for another few minutes with Jungkook purposefully explaining the situation to the woman at a slow pace, understanding the immense grief and apprehension Kai’s mother must be feeling. He ended the call with a feeling of guilt and regret; he wished he could do more, but he was just a butler.

“Jungkook-hyung?”

“Right. Here you go.”, Jungkook returned Yeonjun’s phone and shut his eyes in anger. “Ah… Okay, Kai’s mother will file a report, and she said she’ll visit the mansion. We… I’m here to take you boys home. Stay the night, and I’ll drive you all to your dorms if needed, but I think it’s best if you stay at home.”

Soon, the four distressed boys and the concerned butler drove back to the mansion, the glorious lights and luxury of the place failing to mesmerise them this time. They limped their way into the living room, before crashing onto the couch.

“Jungkook, you’re back.”, a voice spoke from a distance.

“Seokjin-hyung, could you prepare something for the boys? They’re been through… They’ve been through a lot in the past few hours.”, Jungkook spoke in a whisper as he approached the chef.

“Oh, dear, look at them! I… Yoongi’s already chopping up vegetables, so we’ll serve dinner immediately! I believe Yeonjun’s parents won’t be returning for the night, or so I’ve been told by the driver!” The chef his heels and rushed back to the kitchen, the sounds of utensils clanging together audible from the living room where the others were sitting, all tired and exhausted.

“Boys, just stay here, okay? I’ll go and help with dinner.”, Jungkook gave the others a firm nod before walking into the kitchen through the hallway.

The room was engulfed in an oddly comforting silence, giving their minds and their hearts a moment to think and digest all that happened that night. Soobin couldn’t stand any longer despite his crutches; he slowly leaned forward and let his body fall with a thud, but he flinched as he accidentally dropped his crutches. Yeonjun noticed the other struggling, for which he reached over and picked up the fallen crutches, placing them nearby.

“Soo, tell me if you need anything, okay?”

Soobin nodded with his lips curved downwards – but that was no surprise, as it seemed like each of them had a dark cloud looming over their heads. “I will. Thanks. Umm, s-should we call our parents and tell them?”

“I’m not.”, Beomgyu blurted out. “My father’s already sick and my mother’s already stressed from handling everything herself, and I don’t want them to worry about me, which reminds me, I need to visit them soon. Besides, I’m alright. I’m safe.”

Taehyun let out a heavy breath he held in for quite some time. His situation was slightly different, as he had lost both his parents in a tragic death a few years ago. Moreover, his aunt, who was his closest relative at the moment, wasn’t really the most accepting and understanding woman or guardian in the world. “I won’t either. Just like Gyu said, I’m alright. I don’t need to unnecessarily bother my aunt.”

Soobin ran his hand through his hair, before tapping his fingers on his thighs repeatedly. “I need to call my parents. They need to know. I… I tell them everything! Umm, hyung, can I borrow your phone?”

Yeonjun looked at the other with concern; he should’ve protected his best friend or comforted him somehow, but all he could do was hand over his phone. He