Tiger Inside ||Stray Kids Mafia AU||

Chapter Seven

The drive proved to be longer than I expected, I was unsure of how much time has passed since my initial departure from the house, the silence in the car still deafening as the moment I first left. I finally began to recognize my surroundings as I approached the city limits, focus being set on reaching Blossom distracting me from the car that had been tailing me for quite some time now.

With each turn my stomach started to do somersaults as I neared closer to the well known alleyway. I was still unsure of exactly how I'd explain my situation to Seongho, what reasoning I could formulate to explain to him my abrupt vanishing act. I pulled the car alongside the curb, placing it into park before shutting off the engine. The secondary car, still unbeknownst to me, parking on the other side of the street and also killing its engine. Crossing behind the vehicle I started my walk down the alley in silence, attempting to take a deep breath to compose myself before a tight grip found its way around my wrist, pulling me back.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing?" My eyes immediately are drawn to the hand around my wrist, glancing up to meet Minho's cold stare, his brows furrowed in irritation.

"How did you-"

"I have full surveillance over the house. You really think I'm not alerted anytime any entry point is breached? Especially after dark?" His grip stayed firm, halting any movement as I attempted to wriggle my arm free. "You think you can just steal one of the cars and take a joy ride whenever you feel like it?" His agitation was clear, I should have assumed that someone would have known of me sneaking out.

"Oh please, I totally thought there would be no better way to spend my time than taking a car for a joy ride." Our expressions stayed sharp on each other, both not daring to take a breath under each other's stare. "I had loose ends I needed to tie up, okay? Now could you please let me go?"

"Siu...?" Seongho's voice was soft behind us, almost as if he was trying to comprehend my sudden presence in the alley before him. I turned to see him directly outside of the door, cigarette hanging from his lips, yet to be lit by the lighter in his hand. I used the brief moment of distraction as an opportunity to pull my arm from Minho's loosened grip as I turned back to him and spoke in a hushed tone.

"Just let me take care of this, okay?" I stepped forward towards Seongho, leaving Minho frozen in his spot as his eyes stayed sharply on me. Seongho's expression stayed as one of shock, clearly not expecting me to abruptly show up in the night. The familiar help wanted sign once again posted outside of the door, clearly looking to fill my now empty position. I stared at it solemnly before looking up to Seongho with pained eyes, trying to force a smile. "I see you guys are needing some assistance already."

"Well I-yeah... We assumed you weren't coming back by your radio silence." His eyes glanced up to Minho down the alley behind me. "And who's this manhandling you?" Seongho's voice was that of irritation, his familiar protective nature over me the same as always. I turned back to face Minho, still standing in place where I left him.

"He um... He works for my family." Seongho's brow raised in confusion, eyes crossing between me and Minho as I turned back to him.

"And he's here with you? This late at night?" Realizing I had briefly forgotten my original story I had formulated for Seongho, the one in which my family ran a convenience store on the outskirts of the city, I quickly tried to backtrack.

"Oh yeah, we've been working some late nights at the store, he was just giving me a ride back to my place." My thumb pressed into the palm of my other hand, rubbing it to find some source of relief to break the tension coursing through my body.

"Is that where you've been this whole time? The store?" His eyes glanced between Minho and I, not wanting to break contact with him for too long and keeping an eye still on him.