The Unbreakable | An ATEEZ Sci-Fi AU | Part 1 Of The Peculiar Saga

Vagabound

"Please add these to the gas bill." 

San placed a bag of snacks on the counter which the cashier started scanning. He glanced around the convenience store but, ensuring to keep his hooded head hidden from the CCTV cameras then looked back at the cashier as he told him the final price.

"You've won a coupon for your purchase," the cashier said monotonously, "Please choose any coupon from the list."

San looked down at the small pamphlet of paper, then without a second thought, looked back up with his lips pressed into a smile, "I'll take number 10 please."

Raising his brows in surprise, the cashier nodded, when he noticed San's unchanged expression, "Very well."

He bent down behind the counter and after rummaging through some stuff, he finally pulled a small aluminium box out and used one of his many tiny keys to open it. The box opened to reveal a single piece of parchment inside it. Slightly yellow around the edges, the parchment was old, as if no one had really opted to use it for years, until now. Pulling the bill from the machine, he slid the bill along with the yellowed parchment over the counter towards San who swiftly grabbed the pieces of paper and his groceries before walking out without glancing back even once.

San walked briskly towards the black SUV with tinted windows, opening the passenger side. Sitting down next to Seonghwa on the driver's seat, San exhaled before opening the parchment of paper between his hands. Once he had read the contents of it, he glanced at Seonghwa who had already begun driving.

"Take this highway and drive towards Mokpo, the rest of them will meet us there," San said.

"Out of all the places in the world, Yeosang chose Mokpo?" Seonghwa voiced his disdain.

"It's only for a day," San replied, "Once we're all there, we'll head to Jindo and from there we take a boat to Jeju."

"Jeju's better. Our safe house there is much more fortified. Any word on Hongjoong?" Seonghwa asked.

San shrugged, "No. He said he was going to meet a contact. This time Wooyoung's gone with him, just in case someone gets shot again."

Nodding, Seonghwa clenched his jaw then glanced at the backseat through his rearview mirror. Following his concerned gaze, San looked back for a moment as well, watching Eunhee's sleeping body which was turned into a fetal position, with her arms wrapped around her stomach tightly and eyes shut. 

At this point, San was unsure if the girl was asleep or had decided to shut her eyes so that she didn't have to deal with reality.

San's eyes travelled to Seonghwa, who looked exhausted. Having fought through a legion of gun-wielding men and forcing someone as strong as Eunhee into his car had drained him of all energy. Still, the elder male had volunteered to drive the car until their safe house. Though San wanted to ask him if he was okay, a very different question came out of his mouth.

"You think she's going to be okay..?"

Seonghwa sighed, having been wondering the same question with no definite answer, "She will be. She's strong," he replied unsurely, "She has to be, for the road ahead is going to be tough."

"Yeah, this is a sit of a mess," San rubbed the bridge of his nose, "And we're seriously outnumbered."

Silence once again filled the car.

Generally, Sronghwa would say something encouraging if he saw San feeling discouraged ever. Even in the sight of great odds, Seonghwa would pull through. But this time, even he couldn't get himself to say anything. All he could think about was Eunhee and her safety and the promise he made to Taehyung.