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31

WARMTH

Did she ever stop running?

Akina wouldn't know. Because eventually her bruised feet stop and the spinning-feeling pulsating in her head forced her to shut her eyes, and then everything was black again.

"We need to find her," He croaked out, being stuck in a hospital bed is not what he wanted, his heart was aching and his pride was broken. He couldn't even protect the person who makes his heart pound just with an eye-crinkled smile. It was painful to just sit, with a bandage wrapped around his abdomen while she was out there alone and scared.

"We will, but you can't do anything with stitching on your stomach, what'll happen if it gets infected?" Johnny attempted to reassure Jungwoo hoping rational thought would make its way into his mind.

But it didn't.

"I can't just lay there as she's out there, the longer she's missing the more likely she is dead, you know that too?"

There was a grimace dusting Johnny's and although he wanted to put on a brave face for Jungwoo, he couldn't disagree– because everyone knew that their window of time was ending soon.

It had already been two days since she was taken and Jungwoo couldn't stop replaying his moment of weakness, the moment when he was helpless, clutching his stomach as his vision went fuzzy.

He hated that he couldn't do anything to protect her. A self-hatred was bubbling inside of him, it should've been him- she didn't deserve this.

Days slowly ran into each other, and the team was getting no farther in their case to find Akina. None would admit that they were losing hope but Jungwoo was adamant, finally discharged from the hospital. The man wouldn't stop. From looking at previous crime scenes to rechecking the apartment's security system, Jungwoo was restless.

His eyes that used to be warm, the brown eyes that would make her heart race were now cold and lifeless, purple bags were hollowing under his eyes showing he hadn't slept properly since she was gone. His hand was tousled messily and his clothes were wrinkled from a long time of wearing time. His body lost its strength, his cheeks slimmer- his build weaker than before.

Jungwoo was losing himself, dread and doubt were chipping away at the self-assured, clean, and intelligent Jungwoo and it was scary to see.

But no matter how much he looked through the details of the case he couldn't figure out anything. He knew that he wasn't getting anywhere and it was making anger bubble in his mind, frustrated that he couldn't figure it out; to figure out where she may be.

But maybe he didn't need to find out.

It had been six days since she was missing, and even Jungwoo was losing hope. The time for a missing person was 24 hours, 48 if you're lucky. The time crunch was over and now it seemed even if they did find her it would be too late.

The team was trying their best, of course, they were, but no matter how much they retraced their steps, looked at the unsub profile, or check the security cameras around Jungwoos apartment it all led to dead ends.

No one wanted to harbor bad thoughts, but everyone was losing hope.

That was until, on a late night, Taeil ringed Taeyong as they all were sifting through evidence and eating food that Jungwoo got to take a deep breath.

"You're on speaker Taeil. Did you find something?" Taeyong questioned, placing his phone in the middle of the table.

"It was a stretch, I didn't think it would be beneficial," Taeil mumbled.

"What, what is it Taeil," Jungwoo was desperate it obvious in his strained voice. He was hoping it was good news.

On the speaker, Taeil explained, "I was checking hospitals in a 75-mile radius of any Jane Does showing up, I wasn't getting any luck, just random people with no Ids who got in fights or something, but I checked today," A file was being connected on the big screen they had, "And an unknown woman in her mid-twenties was checked in by a family who found her lying on the side of a country road unconscious on a back road twenty miles outside of Seoul, and I could just tell that it was her."

Jungwoos heart swelled with happiness as her face appeared from photos taken by the hospital, he grimaced at the bruising and cuts but he couldn't be bothered as his heart pumped aggressively.

He was just glad to see her face. See that she was okay.

"She's been unconscious, but I'm sending you all the addresses right now."

Jungwoo stumbled out of his chair, them all thanking Taeil quickly before emerging out of the building and into the SUVs parked outside.

He was finally going to be able to see her again.

Finally.

unedited