𝕊𝕒𝕧𝕖𝕕 𝕓𝕪 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕓𝕖𝕝𝕝

Chapter 13

HIIIIII

~Chans pov~

The next morning, I woke up to the soft glow of sunlight filtering through the curtains. For a moment, everything felt peaceful—just the warmth of the blankets, the steady rise and fall of his chest beside me, and the quiet sounds of the world waking up outside. But then, the weight of his words from last night settled back in my chest.

I turned my head slightly, watching them as they sleep peacefully. Jisungs face was relaxed, but there was still a trace of something lingering in his expression, something heavy. I hated not knowing what was on his mind, but I also didn't want to push if he wasn't ready.

Carefully, I shifted to sit up, being mindful not to wake them. Jisung was still curled up between us, his small fingers twitching in his sleep. I smiled faintly, brushing a stray curl from his forehead before slipping out of bed.

I figured I'd make some coffee, give myself a moment to breathe before anyone woke up and we had to face whatever it was Jisung was holding back. But as I stepped into the kitchen, I couldn't shake the unease settling in my gut.

Whatever it was, it wasn't something we could ignore forever.

As I stood in the kitchen, the scent of freshly brewed coffee filling the air, I tried to push away the unease gnawing at me. I leaned against the counter, fingers wrapped around the warm mug, staring blankly at the faint steam curling into the air.

Footsteps behind me broke the silence. I turned to see Jeongin standing in the doorway, hair messy from sleep, his eyes heavy with whatever was clearly weighing on him. He rubbed at his face before stepping forward, reaching for a cup of coffee without saying a word.

For a moment, neither of us spoke. The only sound was the soft clink of ceramic against the countertop. But the silence wasn't comfortable, it was thick, filled with words that needed to be said but weren't ready to be spoken.

Finally, I broke it. "You gonna tell me what happened yesterday now?" My voice was quiet, but there was no missing the expectation in it.

He exhaled, his fingers tightening around his mug. "Yeah," he said, but he didn't look at me. "Just... not here."

I studied him for a moment before nodding. "Alright. Let's go outside."

Without another word, we both grabbed our jackets and stepped out onto the small porch. The morning air was crisp, a stark contrast to the warmth inside. He leaned against the railing, staring out at nothing in particular, while I stood beside him, waiting.

After a few beats of silence, he finally spoke.

"I didn't want to say anything last night... But something happened yesterday. Something we can't ignore."

I felt my stomach tighten. "What happened?"

He turned to face me then, his expression unreadable. "His father."

My heart nearly stopped and I subconsciously clenched my hands into fists.

"I only left him alone for moment...it all happened so fast," he admitted. "But the look on Jisung's face...Im worried he'll try to do something if he gets the chance."

The weight of his words settled deep in my chest, fear creeping in at the edges. I looked back toward the house, Jisung still peacefully asleep inside.

I swallowed hard, my grip tightening around the edge of the railing. The morning chill suddenly felt sharper, cutting through my skin in a way that had nothing to do with the weather.

"Did he say anything specific?" I asked, forcing my voice to stay steady.

He nodded, jaw tense. "He said some...very hurtful names..."

My stomach churned. Why wasn't I there to protect them. Protect him.

I exhaled slowly, trying to keep my thoughts from spiraling. "Did he end up following you?"

"I don't think so." His gaze flickered toward the house, as if checking to make sure Jisung was still safe inside. "But we can't take chances. If his parents are looking for him and trying to hurt him, we need to be ready."

I nodded, my mind already racing through the possibilities.

"We need to figure out what his parents capable of." I said. "And what they want with him."

His expression darkened, but he nodded. "Agreed."

The weight of those words settled between us, unspoken but undeniable. Whatever it took.

I looked toward the house, my chest tightening. Inside, he was still asleep, blissfully unaware of the storm brewing around him. He trusted us, depended on us. And there was no way in hell I was going to let anything happen to him.

"We need a plan," I said, turning back to him. "If they manage to find our house, we can't be caught off guard."

He nodded, running a hand through his hair. "I was thinking the same thing. We should keep an eye on the area, make sure no one's watching the house. And if things start feeling off..." He trailed off, but I knew what he meant. If it got worse, we'd have to leave.

The thought sent a fresh wave of unease through me. We had worked so hard to build something here. The idea of uprooting again, of running, was almost unbearable. But if it meant keeping him out of danger, hell keeping all of the ones I love out of danger, I wouldn't hesitate.

"Okay," I said, swallowing down the fear. "First step, we watch. We stay alert. If we see anything suspicious, we figure out our next move. No second-guessing."

"Agreed." He exhaled, his shoulders still tense. "And we don't tell him yet. Not until we know what we're dealing with."

I hesitated but eventually nodded. He was realistically just a kid, he'd been through enough. No point in scaring him unless we had to.

A soft rustling from inside made us both turn. A moment later, the door creaked open, and there he stood, sleepy-eyed, small fists rubbing at his face as he blinked up at us.

"You're up early," I said, forcing a smile as I looked at him.

He yawned and stepped closer, wrapping his arms around me in a sleepy hug. "You left me and changbin hyung is still asleep..." he mumbled against my shoulder.

Something in my chest cracked open. I hugged him tighter, glancing over his head at Jeongin. His expression was unreadable, but I knew we were thinking the same thing.

No matter what happened, no matter who came looking, he would never be alone. Not if we had anything to say about it.

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Sorry it took so long😭