Stay With Me

Chapter Six

After dropping off Hwanwoong, Yeosang waited outside the Municipal Office, reluctant to leave him alone and eager to drive him home. As he stood there, lost in thoughts of Hwanwoong's adorable smile, his phone began to ring.

 Without checking the caller ID, he answered.

"Hello!" Yeosang greeted with a smile.

"Yeon, where are you?" Jeongguk's voice came through the line. Yeosang nearly dropped his phone at the sound of his older brother's voice. Taking a deep breath, he spoke softly.

"I'm at the office," he replied.

"What office? Mark said you took Jerry's car for a test drive this morning. Is something wrong?" Jeongguk pressed.

"Hyung, I'll explain when I get back," Yeosang said.

Jeongguk sighed heavily. He knew Yeosang had a knack for trouble, often shirking responsibilities and goofing off. With noon approaching and no word from him, Jeongguk felt compelled to call. Hearing that Yeosang was at some office raised alarm bells.

"Yeosang, be honest with me. Are you in trouble? Should I come over or send Namjoon?" Jeongguk asked.

"No, hyung! I promise I'm fine. You always think the worst of me," Yeosang replied, a hint of sadness in his voice. Jeongguk chuckled, picturing his younger brother sulking.

"You might actually be proud of me today," Yeosang added.

"Really? Care to share why?" Jeongguk asked.

"Nope, not yet. I'll tell you when I'm back," Yeosang insisted.

"Alright then. By the way, is Namjoon's brother with you?" Jeongguk inquired. Yeosang's eyes widened; he had completely forgotten about him amidst the chaos with Hwanwoong. The thought of his brother's reaction made him gulp.

"Actually, hyung—" Yeosang started.

"Yes?" Jeongguk prompted sternly.

Realizing he couldn't confess now, Yeosang did what anyone would do in a bind: he lied. "Yes, hyung! He's right here with me," Yeosang said confidently.

"Okay. Come back soon; Jerry wants to see his car," Jeongguk replied.

Yeosang turned to look at the car and nearly had a heart attack. The left headlight was shattered, and the front was scratched up badly—the license plate was hanging by a thread. He stood frozen with his phone still in hand.

"Hello? Yeon? Are you there?" Jeongguk's voice broke through.

Yeosang knew today was going to be disastrous; there was no way his brother would let him off easy after this. He had already left Taemin alone and now wrecked the car. No one could save him—not even Jin. 

Gathering his courage, he spoke clearly, "Everything's fine, hyung! I'll call you later; I'm busy right now." With that, he ended the call as quickly as possible.

Jeongguk stared at his phone in surprise. Something was definitely off with Yeosang's demeanor. Setting the phone down on the table, he looked up as Namjoon entered.

"What happened? What did Yeon say? Is Taemin with him?" Namjoon asked as they all sat in Jeongguk's living room.

"I don't know for sure, but I have a feeling Yeon is in some kind of trouble," Jeongguk replied.

"You always underestimate him, Gguk. Nothing's wrong; you're just overthinking it," Jin reassured him.

"I agree! The boy is such a sweetheart; you're too hard on him," Jimin chimed in. Jeongguk sighed again; while he loved Yeosang too, he felt his instincts were warning him of something amiss.