Reasons to Stay // Hyunin

~29~

"We'll be staying at this hotel tonight," Han announced as their taxi drove up to a decent hotel. They took the few baggage brought and signed in, and they went to their two rooms. Lee Know and Jeongin in one, then Hannie and Hyunjin in the other.

Jeongin lay on the bed, exhausted. He still had his confusions and apprehensions about what they were doing and Channie-hyung back at home but he had been too tired to ask what. "Hyung, does Channie-hyung know?"

"Know what?"

"That I'm here."

"Uh...yeeaah. He knows your safe because we, um, texted him."

"...okay," Jeongin was skeptical but too tired to pry any further. He soon fell asleep while Lee Know stayed awake, trying to work some things out on a laptop Han had given him. He glanced at his dongsaeng sleeping. The two of them, finally staying together again in the same room. How long had it been? He sighed with contentment.

Footsteps walked past and the murmur of men's voices were heard. Lee Know didn't mind it and had put earbuds in to listen to some music. But if he hadn't done so, he would have caught some phrases outside rather clearly--

"Won...getting us in trouble...Han and Hyun.E...jail....escape...missions and targets..."

Then the other man with him spoke up, his voice a lot clearer--

"Well, Master Eun, then what are you planning to do?"

- - - -

"After texting me yesterday, he hasn't answered anything else, and I've heard no news at all about him."

Bang Chan was filing Missing Persons Report at the police station after Jeongin had not made any appearances or notices that he was anywhere. "I was too careless..." he blamed himself. "I should've done something right when he was attacked and gone to the hospital..." Chan paced back and forth, completely frustrated and worried out.

"Don't worry, we will investigate into this, Mr. Bang. You can go home and rest, let us do the work," an officer at the front told him, and as much as Chan wished to do something about the situation, he knew he couldn't, so he finally left.

As night quickly approached, Chan lie in his bed, staring at the ceiling. He tossed and turned all throughout the sleepless night, finally zonked out at 5 in the morning, only to wake up again at 6:30 because he had work.

The day drew out long, Chan constantly hoping that his phone ringing here and then was Jeongin calling or even the kidnapper asking for ransom.

No such call ever came, and Chan dragged himself home where another restless night awaited him.

- - - -

The four guys stayed in the hotel for most of the day, eating hotel food but around 9 at night Hyunjin admitted that he had a sudden craving to go check out the Ramen Shop across the street which they had all shown interest in. Jeongin was excited to go to, so they decided that HyunIn would go enjoy themselves while Minsung stayed at the hotel and talked things over for next steps.

Even in all the chaos, Jeongin still focused on his current relationship with Hyunjin while they walked down the city street in the dark. Instead of being nervous about his situation, he was nervous about whether or not Hyunjin still liked him. He hoped so.

The two walked in silence, as Jeongin was too shy to speak and Hyunjin was too worried that if he spoke, the subject of why they were here would come up, and he wouldn't know how to explain that to Jeongin. Jeongin had already made the trio too comfortable by not asking anything about Hannie who he was extremely suspicious about, ever since the first day at the convenient store.

They sat down at a table and ordered. The silence was loud so Hyunjin sighed heavily. "Innie-yah."

"Yes?" Jeongin looked up to meet Hyunjin's gaze but the older wasn't looking at him. He was just staring at the table with a stressed look on his face.

"Jeonginnie...I need to tell you something that you might not like," he finally continued.

"Okay," Jeongin answered, curious of why everything was so strange right now, including the 3 hyungs.

"..."

"I'm listening, whenever," Jeongin looked into Hyunjin's eyes intently, anticipating.

"Well you see...I actually, I, um I was the guy who—"

Hyunjin's words were suddenly cut off as his mouth dropped open when he saw something—or someone—behind Jeongin and he stood from his seat, slowly backing away from the table, putting his hands up. "I-i-innie," he breathed.

Jeongin looked behind him to see what had made his Hyunjin look like he'd seen a ghost. He immediately put his hands up as well, eyes wide with fear. Other customers had same reactions, also the shop owner behind the counter.

Four men in black suits had come into the shop, bearing loaded guns and pointing them in the directions of the people. One man was pointing in the direction of Jeongin and Hyunjin, taking slow steps toward them as they slowly moved back. "Stop moving," the man growled and the two boys obeyed. The man advanced until he was 2 foot distance from Jeongin. Eyes fixed on Hyunjin, but he slowly moved his revolver until the muzzle touched Jeongin's temple. "Either of you move and I fire," he snarled.

Jeongin's mind was in a jumbled mess, too scared to make thoughts; while Hyunjin, a former gang member, was thinking about ways to get out of the situation—or not that, but just saving Jeongin. He made eye contact with the man, immediately recognizing him as Ah-Lim, "Posh" Eun's right hand man. Which meant that...Eun himself was probably close in the area.

"Hwang Hyunjin," Ah-Lim sneered, "I thought we raised you so well. What made you suddenly want to betray those who did good to you?"

Hyunjin glared at the man and didn't answer. Ah-Lim slowly turned his head down, his eyes gazing at Jeongin, before looking back up at the tall blonde.

"...Or who made you?