The alley is dark, except dim lights of lampposts on the street. The wait is anxious, and he is almost seeing the way the youngest two oozes out worry.

 

“What if they can’t make it?” Jongdae asks, voice neutral but the spark in his eyes betraying him.

 

“They won’t get caught… right?” Zitao is even more obvious with the way he clings on Jongdae and the trembling voice.

 

Before Wu Fan can even open his mouth to assure them, Yixing rubs Zitao’s hand gently in hopes to comfort the younger. “They know what to do better than all of us. They will come back soon.”

 

“They better, or else I am going to find new people to buy me shoe-lifts,” Jongdae tries to joke but even his quality of humor is rolled back by the tension in the air.

 

“I am scared…” Zitao admits in whisper, and Wu Fan can only squeeze his shoulder to show his support.

 

“Me too, Taozi. Me too.”

 

The silence is merely broken by cars occasionally passing by, the lack of sound only makes the air heavier and minutes longer. They can’t contact them in no way, not when they are in the middle of their mission, and all they can do is hoping. And believing in them.

 

Finally, Jongdae opens his mouth. “Maybe we should check up on them-”

 

Two figures running towards the four interrupts Jongdae. “Run,” one of them calls out – Lu Han, there is no way to mistake his voice. “Run as fast as you can!”

 

They don’t need him to repeat it twice. Yixing pulls Zitao by his wrist and Jongdae and Wu Fan are right on their back. The footsteps of Lu Han and Minseok can be heard from behind their backs, but they don’t look behind, all they can do is to run, run and run – well, at least that’s what Lu Han said just now.

 

“Are they following us?” Wu Fan shouts in the air, question directed at the oldest two but he’s not looking at them – don’t look behind.

 

“No!” He hears Minseok reply. “But it’s about time they do!”

 

“Get a taxi!” Lu Han shouts, and Zitao is the quickest to react with the way he shifts near the end of sidewalk and raises his hand.

 

“Taxi!”

 

Luckily, a yellow vehicle is ready to help, stopping almost instantly in front of them. The six won’t loiter, they quickly slip into the car, with Minseok right beside the driver for the safety of Black Pearl and the rest squeezing on the back.

 

“Where to?” The driver asks and shifts the rear mirror for his liking, not seeming in any rush unlike the idols in his car who obviously are.

 

“Incheon,” Wu Fan replies. “Now!”

 

The driver finally gets the hint and hits the pedal in hopes to shut up the ‘hurry the up’ exclamations at him from the backseat.

 

Yixing turns at the leader. “It’s forty minutes ‘til the plane takes off! We are too late to check in!”

 

“What were we gonna do, check in in the airport and wait for them to catch us there easily during the whole hour we had to spend? Don’t worry,” Wu Fan looks at all his bandmates to show it’s directed at everyone. “I checked in on the phone.”

 

“Good.” Lu Han is the only one to comment.

 

“So,” the driver speaks, briefly motioning the biggish object on Minseok’s lap. “That’s the famous Black Pearl? My wife wants one of those, but it’s too expensive for this ol’taxi to gain for.”

 

“Trust me,” Minseok says through the gasps of breath he’s trying to collect. “It wasn’t easy for us either.”

 

“Wooden closets are harder than they look,” Lu Han agrees. “They are light, but loud.”

 

The driver is confused. “Wha’?”

 

Lu Han dismisses him with a motion of his hand. “Nevermind.”

 

Taxi driver only shrugs and stops in front of the set of big doors. “Incheon Airport,” he announces, but before he could pronounce the last syllable, his car is empty save for the bunch of banknotes randomly thrown over the passenger’s seat.

 

“Ten minutes!” Jongdae says as they run on the escalator, pushing people aside to make their way. “We can’t leave the Black Pearl to luggage and get about in ten minutes!”

 

Minseok makes a sharp turn on his heels and starts running in opposite direction of the escalator. “I got it!”

 

There are some cameras flashing around them, and they are most likely will be all around internet by tomorrow with questions floating, but what matters right now is the Black Pearl and to be on the damn plane on time.

 

With the adrenaline taken over too long for them to stop now, they push the security guards aside and scan their own clothes with the machine. Only when they are on the bus to take them to their plane they stop to take a deep breath, supporting themselves on the occupied seats or each other’s weight in the process.

 

But it’s not over yet. “What about Minseok?” Lu Han asks when the engine starts working.

 

“He couldn’t make it!” Zitao exclaims in horror. “We failed!”

 

Their faces states the same dread as the wheels slowly start turning under them. Wu Fan takes out his phone with trembling hands, trying to unlock the screen before he hears a faint voice.

 

“…wait!”

 

There are small hands in the vision through the backdoors of the bus, sliding on the glass in hopes to stop the fastening vehicle. “Wait!”

 

Without a further motivation, all five members all the group shout from the top of their lungs. “Stop the bus! Stop the bus!”

 

“Stop the ing bus!” Lu Han yells so high that it’s almost a scream, and the driver finally hears them, stopping with such a sudden brake that all passengers stumble, some of the standing are falling down. The backdoors open and Minseok rides in with the help from Lu Han and Yixing pulling him up. He is a panting mess; eyes sparkling, face completely pink and he has to lean on Lu Han to be able to keep standing, but there is a victory on his tired expression.

 

“We did it guys,” he says, and after another breath, he roars. “WE DID IT!”

 

Under other passengers’ disapproving glares, they cheer and high five each other, intoxicated by the win they have deserved. And after all, they can rest as much as they want on the way to China.

 

(…)

 

The door of the living door is slammed open, making Chanyeol jumps so suddenly that it makes him drop his earphones, Sehun’s character on the video game gets bitten by the zombie, Baekhyun yelps in surprise, Jongin drops the remote and Joonmyun looks up from the book he’s reading.

 

Kyungsoo is flushed red on the doorframe, face expressing anger. “M members,” he growls. “They stole the vacuum cleaner again!”