Paradigm | ATEEZ x Reader

CHAPTER FOUR | FEEL SPECIAL

"I think we're coming up on the end!" Wooyoung shouts back at the rest of you. It's been about a half hour of walking, and all of you are starting to lose feeling in your bare hands, except for Yeosang and Seonghwa, who both came prepared.

"Are you sure you don't want my gloves?" Seonghwa offers again to you. You shake your head no, and he shrugs, giving up on his quest to help you. You round what you assume to be the final blind corner this path will take you down. It ends along a long back road, one with no cameras and not a lamppost in sight. The other side of the road is completely covered in corn fields, and a far-off barn sits in the distance. It's the perfect setup. If someone was going to kidnap someone, this would probably be a good way to get them away unnoticed. Hopeful that this may be just the clue you need, you all begin retracing your steps back along the path. "We can report this to the police, right?" Seonghwa raises energetically.

"Yeah, we can!" Wooyoung beams, doing a spin out of sheer joy. You laugh at him, joining in. About twenty minutes of power walking later, you end up back at the start of the path near the tracks. Navigating your way through bramble and bush, you reach a point where Yunho's house is back in sight.

"Guys!" Hongjoong calls from somewhere behind you. Everyone turns back in surprise, not really noticing that he'd fallen behind. You make your way over to him, everyone crowding around a small, thorny bush. Caught on a thorn is a red piece of cloth, the velvety kind. "The kidnapper could've left it?"

"Maybe it got ripped in a struggle?" Yeosang suggests, taking out his phone. "We should take a picture of it, though. It might come in handy later." He snaps a photo of it before you all move on.

"We should report that to the police too." You say, stepping over the last bush blocking your way. "Yeo, we have time before school, right?"

"Not much, but this feels more important."

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

The six of you had gone to the police station to make a formal report. They assured you that they would look into it, and afterward, you were urgently rushed to school. It is the Friday before break, so you haven't missed much. You begrudgingly hand in your physics midterm to a smiling Mr. Kim. You, almost sarcastically, smile back. Suddenly, his eyes flicker to the door, catching Yeosang as he tries to slip out unnoticed. "Mr. Kang." Mr. Kim says, causing Yeosang to freeze in the doorway. He turns around in slo-mo, wincing as he makes eye contact with his teacher. "A little birdie told me you tried to break into my house last night. Is that true?"

"Uh...sir, you see...I wasn't going to actually do it... I may have threatened it, though..." Yeosang replies, walking over to Mr. Kim's desk.

"Next time, if you're going to steal my answer key, maybe don't announce it to my son. If anything, he's probably more worried about you getting into his room than to my answers." You and Yeosang exchange a look of realization. In the four years you've known Hongjoong, you've never been inside his room. To his house, sure, but the group of you always passed the time in his basement, never in his room. Yeosang's eyes widen before he nods knowingly. The two of you have your next mission.

"I'm so sorry, sir. It won't happen again." Yeosang says, dipping his head out of respect. The two of you quickly leave to catch up with the others. You open your mouth to get right to planning when you're cut off by the surprise of an arm being thrown around your shoulders.

"Hey, Shortie." Your spine prickles a bit as you turn to look at Yunho, who's mere inches from your face.

"Ho." You greet back.

"Ahh, not you too." He says, backing away. "Whatever. You guys suck. Shortie, I require your presence this afternoon." Yunho says, looking eagerly at you, awaiting your response.