STEP

CHAPTER 5

As the sun shines brightly the next day, Kris and Luhan are nowhere to be found. Junmyeon is over at Tao's house as he directs Sehun. "Try calling Luhan again." His eyes shift to the clock, the needle almost nearing twelve. "Tell him that we're leaving at two." He adds.

Sehun picks up his phone grudgingly, punching in the familiar number he has been trying to call for the past ten times. He waits for that friendly voice to tell him that the other party has switched off his phone, but it never comes. Instead, he hears a beep before someone picks up on the other end.

"Sehun." Luhan's voice travels through the phone.

"Hyung." Sehun stands up, "Where are you guys? Why aren't your phones on?"

"We...went to buy some things." Luhan answers, "Don't worry, I'm aware of our schedule today; we'll be back before two."

"Where are you?" Sehun tightly clutches onto his phone with both hands, eyes wandering to the outsides of the window. "Did you guys get into a fight last night?" Luhan grows silent for a moment before coughing slightly.

"Sehun, if we're not back 2pm, bring someone to the Northern Han Mountains to find us. Keep this to yourself and don't tell anyone else about it."

Sehun's expression slightly falters. "Why?" He sneaks a peek at Junmyeon.

"Just remember that; but don't worry, we'll be back safely. I'll see you later." Luhan hangs up.
Sehun eyes his phone as the rest look at him expectantly.

"What did he say?" Junmyeon asks, furrowing his eyebrows.
"He said...", Sehun hesitates for a moment before continuing. "He said they've gone to get some things and will be back before 2pm."

"Buy 'things'?" Jongin incredulously repeats. "They've been gone since midnight. What can they be buying?"

Cautiously, Chanyeol asks a "Is it related to Yixing hyung?" and everyone turns quiet.

"Did he say anything else?" Junmyeon points to Sehun's phone. Lowering his head, Sehun pauses before shaking it.

Tao sits at the edge of his bed, holding up his phone, while dialing Kris' number. The call gets through, but no one picks up. Mouthing a handful of curses, Tao hurls his phone onto the the bed and gazes outside with his hands in his pockets.

"That night, Luhan hyung was drunk and running a fever," Baekhyun solemnly recalls. "We wanted to help him but it wasn't of any use. A while later when the manager was heading out, he pulled me along and I saw Kris supporting Luhan into the restroom."

"Luhan hyung didn't look well that night. I should have stayed behind and went with them." Chanyeol thinks back and mused, that rainy night appearing in front of his eyes again.

"It was around 10.45pm that night. I sent Luhan a message while I was at KTV, asking if they were done with the dinner and if they wanted to join us. But, the one who replied to me was Yixing. He told me that Luhan accidentally took his phone by mistake and that they weren't home yet," Junmyeon recalls. "Then when I asked him if he wanted to come with us he said that he was waiting for someone." Junmyeon sits down. "When we were on the way back, you guys were stuck in a jam, no one was home and even Yixing went missing." Chanyeol flashes a look at Baekhyun.

"And you, the both of you weren't around that night either." Junmyeon stares at Jongin and Baekhyun, who were both looking everywhere but at him.

"I went to meet my sister after that." Baekhyun replies.

"I was at a friend's birthday party." Jongin states, staring intently at the wall.

Soon after, came the news of the crash. The few of them remain silent until Tao speaks up. "Why did those guys give Luhan so much to drink?"