The Aged | Gyuhao (Sequel to Youth)

- 17

| Chapter Seventeen — Yawn |

Based on each and every conversation Riki had with Eunchae since they'd agreed to be quote on quote besties, Riki always thought of her as a person who wouldn't ever get mad, a person who never yelled, a person who never gave you a cold look, or a person who never even ignored you at some points.

Boy, was he wrong.

Eunchae hadn't spoken to anybody since the fight between Cerise and Carmine that night. She still thinks it's on her that so many of their own died that night— Of course, Riki had been the first one to tell her that in no way was that her fault, but she said she didn't believe him and slammed the door to her new bedroom shut, right in his face.

"I don't know what to do." Riki frowns.

Seokmin sighs, biting his pencil as he looks down at his notebook, "Me either," He groans, ripping up a sheet and balling it together before throwing it across the room in frustration, "Nothing I write down makes any sense. I have no plan and absolutely no idea what they've done with Minghao. It's like they've all disappeared."

Riki looks at Seokmin, "I'm not even talking about that, hyung."

Seokmin sighs, taking off his glasses, "She'll come around, Riki-yah, just give her some time." He pats the younger's back, "I'd be upset, too. Y'know? Put yourself in her shoes. How would you feel if Cerise broke into Carmine's hideout and lost half their gang just to save you?"

Damn.

Riki's gut hurts.

"But, it's not her fault." Riki huffs, "If anything, it's mine. I couldn't protect her."

"We, Riki. We couldn't protect her. You forget I was there, too." Seokmin says, "If 2 people couldn't fight those guys off then what could 1 do?"

Riki knows Seokmin's right— and that's something he really despises. He lowers his eyes to look down at his hands, picking at one of his nails.

Seokmin analyses, frowning, "She means a lot to you, huh?"

Riki shrugs, "I've just— I've never have a friend before." The kid says, "I don't know. I just don't wanna lose something I never thought I would've ever gained."

Seokmin nods, "That's understandable." He says, sighing, "She'll come around, I promise you."

"She won't even talk to me." Riki slumps, "I've tried everything. Her favorite food, her favorite movie... I've even tried to show her around this place since it's new. She only followed me to her room and she hasn't left since."

Seokmin listens, "Just give her some time." He tells him, "It's only been a day. And she's just a kid, this is all probably hitting her really hard. Harder than it would an adult."

"That's more a reason of why she shouldn't be alone." Riki responds, "She won't even let Kazuha inside. Jungwon hyung either."

"Jungwon?" Seokmin snorts, "Why would she let him inside?"

Riki sighs, "She told me that he helped her clean a cut she got when she fell down those stairs once. She won't tell me what they talked about but all I know is that he's her comfort space."

Seokmin smiles, "That's sweet."

"Whatever." Riki says. He clears his throat, shaking his head, "Anyways, we gotta try and find Hao hyung. Where do you think he would be?" He looks down at Seokmin's messy notes.

"Got me." Seokmin snorts, "I've come up with every possible location he might be at, but each time I send out our team, they come back with nothing."

"You don't think he..." Died in that fire?

"There's no way. He's not that stupid." Seokmin tells him, "You know damn well the minute he smelt smoke he would've already had a plan in his head to find us and escape as soon as possible." He says, "Someone had to have snatched him up."

Riki sighs, "You're right." He pauses. It's silent for a hot minute before he speaks again, lips parted with a widen of his eyes, "Wait."

"Wait what?" Seokmin asks.

"What if—" Riki slides Seokmin's notebook over, turning to a new page to jot this down so he doesn't forget, "Remember that guy with the earpiece? And what he said? What if they took him away? Like out of the city? Or country, even?"

Seokmin gasps, "Like back to Chicago?"

"Or Korea," Riki circles it as soon as he writes it, "Shit, maybe even China. Where did you say he's from?"

"Hai Cheng," Seokmin sighs, "But he told me he spent most of his life in Korea. I assume that's where he met Mingyu-ssi as well."

"So that's the first place we should look, right?"

"Do you know how many towns and cities are in Korea? Where should we even start?"

"Did he ever mention where he was staying when he met Mingyu? Or what station he worked at? Maybe we can—"

"Seongbuk Police Station. Seoul, Gyeonggi." A voice rings through the air. It doesn't take long to figure out the owner.

"Chae?" Riki's eyes go wide, "What are you—"

"Hao sunbaenim mentioned it to me one time. Seongbuk Police Station. Seoul, Gyeonggi. I still remember." She takes a seat across from the 2, Seokmin and Riki still shocked that she showed up. And this randomly, too, "If you end up going down there, you're gonna need me."

"No." Riki says almost immediately.

"I know Korea like the back of my hand. You forget I spent half of my life there before ending up in Japan," She says, huffing, "I'm the best chance you've got at finding him."

"We just got you back." Riki says. Seokmin stays silent, not wanting to get in the way, "We can't let you go again."

"And so what?" Eunchae scoffs, "I do nothing for this gang anyways. Like you said, we're just the maknaes. Maknaes gotta stick together, and here you are stopping me." She says, "Show me a little compassion. If I'm not capable of providing strength for the team at least let me be the brains." She pleads, "You know that I'm more than just an damsel in distress." She swallows, "Both of you."

Riki closes his eyes, pained.

"You really know the way?" Seokmin asks, "I mean, I know I'm Korean. But God, I cannot remember the last time I was down there—"

"We can't risk it." Riki says, "We've lost so many people already—"

"And we'll lose more the longer our leader stays missing," Eunchae reminds him, "We already have Carmine on our backs. It's only a matter of time before Cardinal and Carnelian show up." She takes a breath, "And they're worse."

Riki looks over at Seokmin, almost unsure himself, as if his eyes were asking what to do.

"Sunbae." Eunchae grasps Riki's hand, his wide eyes flying her way, "Please."

Seokmin shrugs, "She could help us, kid."

Riki clears his throat, tugging his hand away, "It's not my move," He says, "But since we don't have a leader, I guess votes matter."

"This isn't about voting." Eunchae sighs, "This is about finding out what's best for the team and heading forth with that decision."

"Then, let's go." Riki gives in, "If going down to Korea is the best option, than that's what we'll go with." He says.

"And I'll try and gather the others to search throughout Chicago and Hai Cheng." Seokmin says, "It's an expensive plan— but nothing's ever stopped Cerise."

Eunchae smiles with a sigh, "Thank you."

Riki looks away, "We leave tomorrow."