Harmless Faces - Enhypen x The Darkest Minds

| vi.

THE SUN HAD NOT YET REACHED ITS PEAK IN THE SKY WHEN 8 BOYS, UNKNOWN TO THE WORLD, PARKED IN FRONT OF THE ABANDONED MALL. As the group stretches their tired limbs and readjust to the soft glow of the sunrise, Heeseung remains in the car, hunched over a notebook, pencil flying quickly across the pages. 

Outside the van, Il-Seong stretches as well, though separate from the group. Although his vulnerable conversation with Heeseung had planted the seeds that might possibly blossom into friendship with the eldest, he nonetheless remains cognisant of his relations with the other boys- that is, that he does not yet have any. 

"Here are all of your lists on what to grab." Heeseung begins, exiting the vehicle with a few slips of paper in hand. "Stay in groups of 2 and try to hit as many of the stores as possible. Food will probably be the hardest to find, so focus on other necessities. I got a tip on a grocery store a few miles East of here that might still have some non-perishables hidden in the back, so we should be set on that. If you're able to find any food, though, take it."

He hands the slips of paper out to the boys, allocating the work evenly amongst all of them. The boys begin to congregate, speaking with each other and dividing into their small duos- Jungwon with Sunoo, Ni-ki with Jake, and Jay with Sunghoon. Whilst they speak amongst themselves, Heeseung retreats back into the car, re-emerging a few moments later holding large tote bags. 

"If you need more bags, come back out to the car and grab them from me. Let's try and be in and out of here quickly." Heeseung's voice lowers, alluding to danger with his next words. "I've heard this area is a hotspot for Tracers and government workers. We'll probably be fine, but it's better to be safe than sorry." 

The boys nod in response, though seem unaffecting by his words of caution. Unbeknownst to Il-Seong, who stands awkwardly a few feet away from the rest of the group, supply runs were an exciting endeavor for them beyond the obvious attraction of replenishments. 

"And for you, Il-Seong," Heeseung continues, being the first to acknowledge him, "you can stay with me in the van, if you want." He walks closer to where Il-Seong is standing secluded, speaking softly so the others don't hear, "I know you may not be comfortable going off with the others yet, so don't feel pressured to go. If you want to, though, I promise that they won't bite." He concludes with a smile. 

Il-Seong nods, debating his choices. The smartest option would most likely be to stay with Heeseung- out of all the boys, many of whom had only said one or two words to him thus far, the kind Green was the only one who Il-Seong had truly spoken with, and the only one whom he was beginning to sense feelings of trust for. Still, though, it had been years since Il-Seong had set foot inside a mall, or any building for that matter. His indulgent emotions plead with him to take the risk, to explore the mall and to take advantage of the opportunity to pick out some things for himself- a luxury he had not been afforded in a long, long time. His instincts, though, keen and self-preserving as they are, ultimately win, as he begins to turn to Heeseung to tell him he would stay in the van with him. 

"I think I'll just-"

"Hey, newbie! Do you wanna come with me and Jungwon?" A bright voice interrupts Il-Seong in the middle of his sentence, turning to see the words coming from the beaming boy that Il-Seong does not yet know the name of. 

A few feet away, Ni-ki shoots daggers at Sunoo with his eyes. To call the act of inviting the stranger to accompany them unwise was being nice- in truth, to Ni-ki, the act was simply idiotic. What is he thinking, asking an Orange to accompany them into an abandoned building where he could easily overpower and kill them? The boy may claim that he has no control over his powers, but Ni-ki has used that same excuse to avoid death or detainment a few times too.