WHO ARE YOU?|ATEEZ FANFIC (In Editing Progress)

Chapter 42|Let's go for a walk

The search for a place to sleep within the buildings was a complete failure, or rather the boys didn't feel comfortable with what they found. All they found behind the doors were dark corridors that just screamed nightmares. So instead of sleeping in the buildings, they decided that the floor on the tennis court would have to do. Mingi sat alone in the middle of the tennis court, eyes closed and face tilted towards the sky. The last day's sun shone warmly on his face and a soft wind blew through his black hair. The blue strands of his hair were now so faded that they could hardly be seen. He took a deep breath in and out and opened his eyes slightly. The sky above him was bathed in rosy hues and the last rays of sunshine hitting the tennis court made everything shine in a beautiful contrast of shadows and rich bright colors. He was alone on the tennis court. Most of his friends, Hongjoong, Seonghwa, Wooyoung, and Yunho, were heading to a part of the city that couldn't be deciphered on Hongjoong's map. Hoping there might be a shopping mall or something, they went there to look for more gear, sleeping bags and the like. Yeosang, Jongho, San and Mingi stayed behind. While Mingi sat alone and enjoyed the evening that was about to begin, the other three were at the blue building on the left side of the tennis court. They sat together on the stairs leading up to the first floor of the building and relaxed. Yeosang was sitting a step below Jongho's, leaning back between the younger's legs. His head was resting comfortably against Jongho's stomach and he had his arms wrapped around the mint haired torso. The older one had closed his eyes relaxed and was enjoying the quiet atmosphere. San sat next to the two and looked down thoughtfully. He was still concerned with how Wooyoung had behaved earlier. The way he looked at him with a mixture of disappointment, uncertainty and anger. San didn't quite understand where that suddenly came from. What had he done? It couldn't really have been because of that tunnel thing, could it? Maybe because he and Mingi had forced him out of the tunnel even though he wanted to stay there? Or hadn't San apologized properly for his recklessness? He thought they sorted that out! He didn't get it and thinking about it frustrated him even more. He didn't want Wooyoung to be mad at him. Actually, he didn't want to have any arguments within the group anymore, but with Wooyoung it was somehow something else. It hurt more. San's thoughts on Wooyoung's behavior were interrupted by Jongho suddenly looking at Mingi and tapping San on the shoulder. Confused, San looked at the younger one.

»Hm?«

»Do you also think that Mingi seems somehow strange?« he asked. San looked over at Mingi and hesitated. The tall, black-haired man just sat there, legs bent, in the middle of the tennis court, gazing up at the sky.

»How do you mean?« he asked and Jongho made a thoughtful face.

»The way he's sitting there. He seems kind of lonely.« Yeosang opened his eyes and looked over at Mingi as well. He saw what Jongho meant. Mingi seemed disconnected from them. Why was he sitting there alone and not with them? He sighed.

»Give him time. We had a really bad fight and the fact that we apologized while we were drunk won't solve it overnight.«

»You mean he's still mad at us?« San asked and Yeosang nodded.

»I guess. I'd still be mad if I were him.»

»But he said everything would be fine.« Yeosang looked skeptically over his shoulder at Jongho.

»Wouldn't you say that to avoid more arguments?« the younger hesitated, then grimaced.

»Hm, you're right.« he admitted. The eyes of the three wandered back to Mingi. The tall boy scrambled off the ground and stood upright. He put his hands in his pockets and looked up at the sky for a moment, then he felt the eyes on him and looked a little uncertainly at the three on the stairs. He hesitated.

»Why are they looking like that?« he asked quietly, a little confused, and looked away. He could already imagine why they looked like that. They might have spoken half-heartedly and drunkenly and apologised, but that didn't mean the story was over. Sighing in frustration, Mingi walked a few steps across the tennis court towards the main street. Jongho watched while Yeosang and San engaged in conversation. He didn't feel good seeing Mingi like that. Sure, they had a fight and Mingi almost killed them all, repeated, but it wasn't really him. Jongho understood that now and he didn't want this strange mood to stand between them and Mingi anymore.