Fatal Attraction | Yeonbin

55 | ᴇsᴄᴀᴘᴇ

•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅

𝐍𝐨 𝐯𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐨𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐝𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐡𝐮𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐬 𝐝𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐥𝐲, 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐝, 𝐰𝐞 𝐞𝐱𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐛𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐛𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐭 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐚 𝐝𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐝 '𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐞'.

⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅

➸

It has been exactly 30 minutes since Soobin has last seen Yeonjun. He didn't know why, but something about the latter's sudden disappearance without any details about it made him feel worried as trepidation started to boil inside of him.

Usually, Yeonjun would always tell him where he would be going, whether it be meeting Beomgyu or visiting Taehyun at the hospital. But all he was left this time was a brief goodbye.

To worsen matters, he wasn't picking up any of his calls.

Maybe I'm just overthinking, Soobin told himself.
Then why isn't he answering any of your calls? A second voice asked.

Feeling light-headed with worry, he turned to Beomgyu, who was seated on the edge of Taehyun's bed in the middle of a conversation with the latter. "Beomgyu, where's Yeonjun?" He asked.

"Out for dinner," Beomgyu replied curtly.

"He ate with us before leaving," Soobin retorted as he noticed a change in Beomgyu's face, and that was when he knew that they were hiding something from him. Getting up from his chair, Soobin approached Beomgyu, who had his head hanging low, deliberately diverting his gaze.

"Where is Yeonjun?"

Beomgyu said nothing. As Hueningkai and Taehyun turned their attention to the two, sensing the tension suspending in the room.

"Beomgyu."

"I can't tell you that," he breathed.

"You know where he is, isn't he?" Soobin asked, feeling confused and hurt. But the uneasiness he had felt in the moment blasted those emotions away as he anticipated for Beomgyu's answer.

Only it never came.

"I'm going to find him," Soobin said, getting up as he walked out of the room. Determination making his legs propel faster as all reason was flushed out of his head, his only thoughts focusing on Yeonjun.

"Hey! HEY! CHOI SOOBIN!" He heard Beomgyu shout from behind. Turning a deaf ear to that, Soobin only walked faster as he ran down the stairs, Beomgyu's calls for his name being ignored and filtered out.

Right when he made it to the lobby, Soobin felt a hand gripping firmly on his forearm, stopping him from running away as he turned around to see Beomgyu.

"ARE YOU CRAZY? YEONJUN CAN HANDLE IT HIMSELF. HE CAN DO IT!" He lashed out, somehow hoping that the volume of his voice would be loud enough to punch some sense into Soobin's mind.

"No, he can't," Soobin whispered, remembering how vulnerable and weak the latter was the other night. Yeonjun could fake a brave facade in front of others, but Soobin could see through his mask, knowing his fragile state.

And for him to now endanger himself by running to god knows where concerned Soobin. Betrayal stabbed at his chest, leaving a sense similar to pain. Emotional pain, as if Yeonjun didn't trust him enough.

"Soobin, I know you want to protect Yeonjun, but it will help him even more if he knows you're safe―"

"While I don't even know if he is?"

Just before Beomgyu could come up with a retort to that, Soobin went dashing for the door. Quickly running after him, Beomgyu held him by the forearm just before the latter could make his escape.

"You must be crazy. CHAOTICALLY CRAZY―"

"What do you mean?" Soobin asked, blinking at him. "I was going to the bathroom," he said, pointing towards the restroom that was indeed next to the hospital's entrance. Beomgyu raised an eyebrow suspiciously but said nothing.

"Listen, I'm going to wait outside here and watch you walk out. After that, you're following me," he said strictly.

"Of course," Soobin beamed like a child before walking inside the bathroom.

Once he was sure the door was closed, Soobin made his way inside one of the stalls before bringing a phone out.

➸

And just like he had said, Beomgyu camped outside of the bathroom. Vowing not to let himself get distracted or allow his gaze to leave the door as he stood there, almost daring for Soobin to try and come out.

His phone vibrated in his pocket, a message being sent from Taehyun:

Taehyun: can you help me get some grape juice from the vending machine while you're downstairs? ^^

Beomgyu had to reread that text a couple of times before it actually registered in his head. Clearly, he did not remember the latter ever using "^^" or him texting so formally for such a simple request.

He looked up, and indeed, there was a drink vending machine in front of him. Beomgyu spared a longing glance at the bathroom door, contemplating whether or not he should get the drink with Soobin out of his sight.

His phone vibrated once more.

Taehyun: Please?

It won't take long, Beomgyu thought to himself as he walked towards the vending machine. Not realising that the person he was supposed to keep an eye on swiftly making his getaway behind his back.

➸

The drink cold in his hand, Beomgyu went back to the front of the bathroom, the door left unchanged as he let out a sigh. Moments passed, and Soobin still hasn't come out yet.

What's taking him so long?

Beomgyu pushed the door open as he walked inside. "Soobin?" He called out, looking around only to realise that all the stalls were open; none occupied.

Shit.

Running out at once, he looked around frantically only to see unfamiliar visitors and patients by the lobby. Beomgyu's heart dropped, suddenly feeling alarmed as he realised that Soobin was gone.

Calm down. Maybe he went back upstairs, he reasoned.

And so, Beomgyu walked up the stairs as fast as he could. Reaching Taehyun's room as he burst the door open, running inside before allowing himself to catch a breath.

"S―s―soobin, w―where is he?" Beomgyu uttered in between heavy gasps for air.

"Soobin? Didn't he go down with you?" Hueningkai asked as Taehyun nodded. "We haven't seen him since. By the way, did you take my phone? I can't seem to find it," the silver-haired boy asked.

"Huh? Your phone? But you asked me to get you grape juice from downstairs," said Beomgyu, feeling just as confused as the latter was.

"I didn't text you, neither did I ask for grape juice," Taehyun replied.

"What? But the text you sent―"

It was only then when the realisation of what just happened had struck Beomgyu.

Soobin had taken Taehyun's phone.

And like a fool, he believed it was Taehyun who sent the text. Clearly, buying a drink would be long enough for the latter to make his escape.

And so he did.