falling into you || woosan

~71~

WOOYOUNG'S POV

It was past 2 a.m., and my phone felt like it was burning a hole in my hand. I'd been blowing up San's phone for hours, but there was no response. My texts, my calls—nothing. Just silence. The kind that gnawed at my insides, making the fear and worry grow with every passing second.

I had no idea where he was. He'd been at the company since practice, but nobody knew when he left. He didn't tell anyone, didn't say a word. It was like he just vanished, and now, the hours were ticking by with no sign of him.

The house was quiet, everyone else had gone to bed, but sleep was the last thing on my mind. My heart was pounding in my chest, my mind racing with all the terrible possibilities. I kept trying to call him, hoping—praying—that he'd pick up, that I'd hear his voice telling me he was fine, that I was just overreacting. But with every unanswered ring, the dread in my chest tightened its grip.

I couldn't sit still. I paced the living room, my footsteps heavy, each one echoing in the empty room. I was scared—really scared. San wasn't the type to just disappear like this, especially without telling anyone. He always made sure to let someone know where he was going, even if it was just a quick text. But this time... nothing.

I stopped pacing long enough to send another text, my fingers trembling as I typed out the words. *San, please, just let me know you're okay. Where are you?*

I hit send and stared at the screen, hoping for a reply, but nothing came. I felt like I was going to explode with the worry building up inside me. I couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong, that something had happened.

I called Hongjoong earlier, hoping he might have seen San or had some idea where he was. But when Hongjoong answered, his voice was tense, and he didn't know either. "He's not at the company," he'd said, and that was when the real panic started to set in. If San wasn't at the company, where could he be?

That was almost an hour ago. Since then, the worry had only grown, becoming almost unbearable. I tried to think rationally, tried to convince myself that San was fine, that he just needed some time alone. But the silence on the other end of the phone, the lack of any response—it was driving me crazy.

I sat down on the couch, my body heavy with exhaustion, but I couldn't rest. All I could think about was San—where he could be, what he might be going through. The last time I'd seen him, he seemed fine, maybe a little tired, but nothing unusual. But now, looking back, I wondered if I had missed something, if there had been signs that I just didn't see.

The guilt started creeping in, wrapping around my chest like a vice. I should have known. I should have noticed if something was wrong. But I was so caught up in everything else that I didn't see it. And now, San was out there, somewhere, and I had no idea if he was okay.

I picked up my phone again, ready to call him one more time, when it suddenly rang in my hand. I nearly dropped it in my haste to answer, my heart leaping into my throat when I saw Hongjoong's name on the screen.

"Hongjoong?" I answered, my voice trembling with fear. "Did you find him?"

There was a pause on the other end, and my heart sank further into my stomach, the silence stretching out like a knife edge.

"No," Hongjoong finally said, his voice tight with worry. "Nobody's seen him. I've talked to Seonghwa, Jongho, and Yeosang. They're out looking, but so far, nothing."

I felt the tears welling up, my chest tightening with fear. "But what if something happened to him? What if—"

"Wooyoung," Hongjoong interrupted, trying to keep his voice calm even though I could hear the tension in it. "We're going to find him. He probably just needed some space, but we'll find him. Don't panic."

But how could I not panic? This wasn't like San. He wouldn't just vanish without a word. Something had to be wrong. I could feel it in my gut.

"Why isn't he answering his phone?" I whispered, the fear spilling out into my words. "He always answers his phone."

"I don't know," Hongjoong admitted, his voice softer now. "But we'll keep looking until we find him. Just... hang in there, okay? We'll figure this out."

I nodded, even though he couldn't see me, tears spilling over as I clutched the phone to my ear. "Okay," I whispered, though it felt like the ground was crumbling beneath my feet.

When Hongjoong hung up, I was left alone in the silence again, the worry gnawing at me like a living thing. I couldn't lose San. Not like this. I had to believe that he was okay, that we would find him soon. But as the minutes ticked by with no word, the fear only grew, threatening to swallow me whole.

Twenty more minutes passed, and I was a bundle of nerves. My attempts to contact San had failed, and the waiting was unbearable. The anxiety was overwhelming, each unanswered call and text adding to the pit in my stomach. I couldn't just sit around anymore; I needed to do something, anything.

"Fuck it," I muttered, my voice barely audible. My frustration and fear drove me to action. I grabbed my jacket and slipped on my shoes, my hands shaking as I tied the laces. I had to go look for him myself.

As I stepped outside, the chill of the night air hit me, and I shivered despite my determination. The streets were eerily quiet, the usual city hum muted by the late hour. I tried to steady my breathing, forcing myself to focus on the task at hand. My mind was racing with all the worst-case scenarios, each one more frightening than the last.

I walked quickly, my heart pounding as I scanned the streets. The dim streetlights cast long shadows, and every sound seemed amplified in the stillness. I knew it was dangerous to be out this late, especially alone, but the thought of San out there somewhere, possibly in trouble, made my fear about my own safety seem insignificant.

I made my way to the places San might have gone—his favorite late-night spots, the quiet corners of the city where he sometimes liked to think. My eyes darted around, searching for any sign of him, my mind replaying every conversation we'd had, trying to remember if there had been any hint of trouble.

Every time someone passed by they looked at me with curiosity or concern, I wanted to stop and ask if they'd seen him, but I knew it was futile. San was the one person who would be hard to spot in a crowd, especially at this hour.

My steps grew more frantic as the minutes passed. I turned down alleyways and peered into cafes and parks, my hope waning with each empty place. I tried calling him one more time, but once again, there was no answer. The silence of the night seemed to mock my desperation.

My fear for San's well-being was overwhelming. I couldn't shake the image of him out there alone, possibly in danger or needing help. The streets felt colder, and the weight of the night pressed down on me, making every shadow seem menacing.

After what felt like hours, I finally stopped in a small park, sitting on a bench and trying to calm my racing thoughts. I couldn't believe I was here, searching the streets at this hour, but it was the only thing I felt I could do. I wanted to believe that San was safe, that he would turn up soon, but the longer I searched, the more the worry gnawed at me.

I sat there, hoping for a call or a text, desperately wishing that San would reach out and let me know he was okay. But as the night dragged on, the silence was deafening, and the fear in my chest only grew.

Just as I was on the brink of breaking down, my phone buzzed. I nearly dropped it in my haste to check the message. It was from Seonghwa:

"I found him."

The relief that surged through me was almost overwhelming. I felt my breath catch, tears welling up in my eyes. San was safe. My heart pounded with a mix of gratitude and lingering worry. I couldn't believe it, but the message meant that he was no longer out there alone, and that was enough to ease some of the panic I'd been feeling.

I quickly got up from the bench, feeling lighter despite the exhaustion. I made my way back to the dorm, my steps quicker and more purposeful. The streets, once filled with fear, now seemed less daunting. I just needed to get back to the dorm and see San.