"Where are they? It's been hours!" Sungchan's voice cracked with impatience as panic started to crawl back up his chest.
"Sungchan, breath. It's only been half an hour, not hours," Haechan said gently, sitting beside him on the curb, his elbows resting on his knees. "They'll be here any second. You'll see."
"You've been saying that for thirty minutes already!" he snapped, standing up so abruptly that the curb scraped against his shoes. He began paceing in tight circles his hands running through his hair before he stopped again, facing Haechan with restless energy burning in his eyes.
"You know it takes at least fourty-five minutes from home if hyung drives normally..." Haechan reminded him softly. "And this is serious- for hyung, too. He's not taking his time, trust me. They'll hurry."
"But every minute they're not here is another minute she's out there- alone!" Sungchan shouted, his voice trembling between fury and fear. "I can feel her slipping away. She's running out of time- god DAMN it!"
He cursed, turning around sharply, kicking a handful of pebbles that clattered against the gate. His chest rose and fell rapidly, every breath sharper than the last.
"Sungchan, hey- seriously. You've got to calm down." Haechan said, his tone steady but kind. "I know it's killing you inside, but losing control won't help her. Sit down. Just breath for a second."
With a long shaky sigh, the boy sat back down. His knee bounced rapidly, and his fingers twitched as he cracked his knuckles one by one- a nervous rhythm that filled the silence between them. His breaths came deep, uneven, like he was forcing himself not to fall apart right there.
"Where the hell is Chenle?" His voice broke, and his throat tightened as he looked at the others with wide, desperate eyes.
"My sister must be terrified right now.... she's all alone out there!"
"Isn't it a good sign he's not back yet?" Renjun offered carefully. "It means he hasn't lost them."
"Aishh!" Sungchan hissed, gripping his hair.
"Yeah," Jaemin said, nodding, trying to sound reassuring. "It that means Chenle's still tracking them. He's our best chane to find her."
"I don't even want to think about what he's doing to her," Sungchan muttered, his voice cracking. His hands clenched into trembling fists. "After what Barom did to her today...how the hell could we not know they are brothers?!" He kicked at the dirt again, anger twisting into guilt until the words came out as a hoarse scream. "Ah- FUCK!"
Jisung sat beside him, eyes shimmering with guilt. Sungchan's panic was contagious, spreading through the group like wildfire.
"Hyung, I am so sorrry," Jisung stammered, placing a trembling hand on his back. "If I'd just- if I'd stayed with her, this wouldn't have happened... it's all my fault!"
Sungchan shot to his feet again, rage overtaking him. He kicked the metal fence so hard it rattled, then slammed his fists against it, screaming from somewhere deep inside- a sound raw and broken that made the others flinch.
"Hey! Hey, hey hey! Sungchan, Stop!" Jeno shouted. At first they let him vent, but when the sound of skin against metal turned into a dull thud and they saw the blood on his hands, panic hit them all at once.
Jaemin, Haechan and Jeno rushed forward, grabbing his arms and dragging him back from the fence before he could hit it again. His bdy resisted, trembling with fury and pain.
Only then did they notice his face- hiis cheeks streaked with tears, his eyes red and glassy, breaths sharp and uneven. The anger had melted into someting worse: pure fear.
