“Where are you?” Shinwoo asked with a worried tone. 

     Baro looked around the corner to see if the coast was clear. “I’m behind that convenience store, the closest one to your apartment complex, next to the dumpster. Jinyoung has been chasing me for the past hour, but I think I finally lost him. He seemed really hungry. Hungrier than usual. I-I could tell by the look in his eyes…” Baro winced at the thought of Jinyoung taking a bite into him. 

     “Hold on,” Shinwoo said as he picked up the pace. “I’ll be there in about fifteen minutes!”

     Once their call ended, Baro cautiously walked around to the front of the store, keeping an eye out for Jinyoung. It was already several minutes since Baro spotted him. “Phew~ Jinyoung really knows how to run,” Baro said to himself as he remembered how slow and grandpa-like he used to be. 

     Baro’s stomach suddenly growled, interrupting his thoughts. It was hours since he ate, and with all that running around the neighborhood, he worked up an appetite. 

     After finding no money in his pockets, Baro looked longingly through the store window at the array of food. Maybe… just one more time wouldn’t hurt, he thought as he quietly stepped into the store, trying to look casual. 

     He noticed that the cashier was leaving the cash register to head to the restrooms. Now was his chance to snatch something. Baro frantically looked down the snack aisle and grabbed the first small bag of kimchi flavored chips he saw, stuffed it under his sweatshirt. He headed towards the door, but a pang of guilt hit him. 

     What would his bandmates think if they found out he was still shoplifting? They could easily kick him out of the band. Baro saw how quickly Jinyoung suggested that Sandeul should leave. Jinyoung seemed like he didn’t want many obstacles while getting the band back together. It was already difficult with Jinyoung, Gongchan, and Sandeul having their… issues. Baro knew he was just adding to the issues by stealing. The last thing he wanted was the other members to get in trouble because of him. 

     Baro decided to do the right thing and put the snack back, but he didn’t see the cashier return, glaring at him. “Ya! Are you planning on taking that without paying!” he said right as Baro pulled the bag out of his sweatshirt. It probably appeared that Baro was about to steal it. 

     “Ah-Aniyo! I was just–uh…” Baro felt stuck and didn’t know what to say. 

     The bells on the front door jingled and in walked Shinwoo. He found them and sensed the tense situation. “Oh! There you are, Baro. Did you get the snacks I wanted?” Shinwoo took the bag from Baro to read the label. “Kimchi flavored? No, no. I wanted the shrimp flavored chips.” He replaced them for the shrimp flavored snack and handed it to the cashier. “This is all I’d like to buy.”

     At the register, Shinwoo gave the man enough money, which left him with a few coins in change, but he refused to look worried about it. He smiled and bowed before leaving with Baro following. 

     “Mianhae, hyung…” Baro said, blushing hard. “I don’t know what got into me.”

     Shinwoo was extremely tempted to lash out and scold Baro for how stupid he was, but instead he stayed calm and sighed. “Don’t worry about it. But just so you know, I’m eating all of these,” he gave an evil laugh while opening the bag and popping a crunchy chip into his mouth.

     Baro groaned as his mouth watered. 

     “I still have enough food at my place,” Shinwoo said after his laughter was out of the way. “Let’s get back quickly so we don’t run into Jinyoung.”

     “Or so he doesn’t run into us,” Baro pointed at a familiar shady figure leaving the hospital doors a couple blocks down the street. They could see Jinyoung in the distance, wiping his mouth on his sleeve and jogging in their direction. 

     “Ah. I’m sure he’ll be himself again when he returns,” Shinwoo stated before dumping more of the snack into his mouth. “We won’t have to worry.”

     Baro and Shinwoo entered the apartment, making Gongchan’s gaze leave the TV in front of them and Sandeul looking up from chewing on Gongchan’s hand. It was easier to just give in and let Sandeul bite as much as he pleased rather than fighting with him. “Back so soon?” Gongchan asked, clearly using sarcasm since they were gone for several hours. 

     Baro joined them on the couch, clearly exhausted, and Shinwoo, who also looked tired, headed to the bathroom to shower. 

     “Wow, you two are a mess!” Gongchan noted and Sandeul grunted in agreement. “And where’s Jinyoung? Is he coming back?”

     “I hope not,” Baro muttered. Sandeul suddenly took a huge bite into Baro’s shoulder who tried to gently swat him away. “Hajima! Ugh… It’s bad enough that Sandeul is biting everyone. But at least his bites are harmless! I don’t want to be turned into a vampire! I don’t think I can put up with having Jinyoung around anymore. After what happened today, I’m on my last straw.”

     Jinyoung heard Baro through the front door. And now he was left with the question, should he enter and try to apologize, or should he leave and never return to make the others happy?