Youth | Gyuhao

- 17

| Chapter Seventeen — Maleficent |
[attempted s/a warning]

"I'll see you soon?" Minghao hummed it like a question.

"Yeah, don't disappear again." Jeonghan waved, free hand on the small of Joshua's back as he slowly moved them towards their car.

"Wait—" Joshua paused, catching Minghao just before he turns around, "Did you walk here?"

"Yup," Minghao says, "I didn't feel like driving today. My head told me to get some air, Y'know?"

"You don't need a ride?" Joshua asked, "We can surely take you home, if you—"

"I'm fine." Minghao insisted, "It's really not a long walk. I'll be okay." He tells them both, "My complex is just a few blocks down. I could use another walk. Clear my detective head." He laughs.

Joshua stares at him a moment longer, "You sure?" He looked around, "It'll be dark soon."

"I'll be home before then, hyung." Minghao says, ushering for the couple to leave, "Really, I'll be fine. Go, go— Enjoy your proposed life."

Jeonghan laughs, but Joshua still looks unsure. It passes though, Minghao waving bye as they both climb inside their car, driving off like dry tumbleweed in the wind.

Minghao stuffs his hands in his pockets and walks away into the sunset of the night.

The walk is nice. He thinks about a lot of things.

Work. What he'll eat later. Mingyu. His friends. Joshua and Jeonghan's wedding. Mingyu again.

He kicks a few stray pebbles in his path.

Nobody was really out tonight.

It was a strange thing to see. Usually this was the hot spot of the town, there'd be a lot of people out with their family or friends, shopping or eating.

There was little to no one.

Minghao paused in his tracks momentarily at the thought. He looked around warily, hands still tucked in his pockets.

Within another second, he starts walking again.

He thinks about Mingyu a 3rd time. Then work. Junhui. The wedding again. Soonyoung. Seungkwan's pastry job. His home. Jeonghan and Joshua. Mingyu for the 4th time.

He feels the hand on his shoulder before he completely comprehends it.

"Get him, get him— Hurry."

Minghao yelps in surprise when he's yanked back unexpectedly, falling into the arms of a stranger he didn't seem to recognize.

They were masked. And so was the second man that soon showed up in front of him.

He tries to move away, eyes widening when he's tugged right back. Whoever these people were didn't want him going anywhere anytime soon, that was the first thing on his mind.

"Let me go." He says, as if that'll help.

The guy in front of him ignores what he said, cocking his head to the right.

Minghao furrows his brows, eyes meeting an alley.

He barely understands what the guy silently gestured to his partner for before he's being dragged that very way against his will.

"Let me go!" Minghao squirms, resisting the best he can, "Get off me—" He coughs brutally when he's punched in the stomach, hunching forward, almost knocking the guy down behind him.