Long Journey || ATEEZ

Alone

Seonghwa was alone.

Hongjoong had left for work early that morning, and there was no call nor text from Big Grey telling him to report to headquarters.

He wasn't needed.

He sat in his trademark position on the sofa with his knees drawn up to his chest, arms around ankles, and a blank look in his eyes. A soft blue jumper wrapped around him, but it offered no warmth.

He was alone.

Alone with his thoughts.

He shivered, buried his head deeper into his knees. It was cold. It was always cold when he was alone – even in the middle of a blazing summer, or when the heater was turned up on full blast in the winter. The cold would seep into his inner conscious, freezing and rotting everything in its way, leaving behind a bitter emptiness.

Maybe it was the frosty breaths of the ghosts of all the people he had killed surrounding him – a grim thought, but not one he was willing to throw away. Before he had become one of Cherries' official assassins, he had never felt that way, not even once. But then again, he couldn't remember most of it.

Seonghwa sighed, the thoughts and the cold becoming too much for him. The deafening silence brimmed around his ears, building up to a buzzing crescendo in them. It stopped suddenly as he got up, and stared at the empty room around him, devoid of any life – except him.

He shrugged on a coat and socks, and pulled his boots on. He'd find something to do once he got outside.

He just didn't want to be in here, alone.

* * *

The day had been successful. Hongjoong's workmates actually liked him, and he'd spent a nice evening out with them at a soju bar, though he had tried not to drink any himself.

It was dark out, and the streets quite empty. Hongjoong shivered and pulled his coat tighter around himself. He hadn't meant to stay out so late, but slipping out of the soju bar full of his drunk workmates had been tough. He worried for Seonghwa, and wanted to get home as fast as possible. He swerved into a side street – a shortcut – and picked up his pace.

A hooded figure followed suit.

Seonghwa seemed lonely, Hongjoong had felt, as he spent time with the assassin. Even when with Hongjoong and speaking with him...something had felt a little off. His eyes were empty and sad. Hongjoong had no idea what the other demon had been through, but judging from the fact that he was raised by the great big boss of Cherries himself, it probably wasn't something good. He wondered if it was his place to do so, but he wanted to help Seonghwa – whatever he was going through.

A ringtone sounded behind him.

"Damnit!" cursed a voice.

Hongjoong turned. Before him stood a hooded figure, enclothed head-to-toe in black.

"Ugh, fuck it," they grumbled, silencing their phone and stuffing it hastily into their pocket, before lunging at Hongjoong. A stray ray of light from the street lamps at the opening of the alley happened to catch the thing in the hooded figure's hand. A silver flash, and Hongjoong only had a split-second to dodge away.

Pain burst as the knife struck; a howl echoed across the narrow alley as Hongjoong buckled, clutching his shoulder. Stark crimson blood spurted from beneath his fastly reddening fingers, though the blade didn't seem to have pierced through anything vital – thankfully. His shoulder still hurt like hell though. Gritting his teeth, he tried to get up, leaning onto the wall with his good shoulder.