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Hao didn’t waste a second when he got home. His thoughts were swirling with confusion and urgency. As he pushed the door open, he found Hanbin sprawled out on the bed, one arm draped over his face, peacefully asleep.
But Hao needed to talk.
Without thinking, he climbed onto the bed and straddled Hanbin’s waist, shaking his shoulders gently. “Hanbin-ah, wake up!”
Hanbin groaned, his voice hoarse from sleep. “hao-ya, what’s going on?” he mumbled, eyes still closed.
“Wake up! This is important!” Hao said, a little louder this time, bouncing lightly on Hanbin’s stomach.
Hanbin’s eyes finally fluttered open, groggy and disoriented. He sat up halfway, resting his hands on Hao’s hips to steady him. “What’s so urgent you had to sit on me to say it?” he asked with a smirk, though his voice carried a mix of curiosity and sleepiness.
Hao, ignoring the comment, leaned forward and grabbed Hanbin’s shoulders. “You won’t believe what just happened,” he said, breathless.
“Try me,” Hanbin replied, his hands instinctively tightening their hold on Hao’s waist.
“I went for groceries,” Hao started, his words tumbling out quickly, “and I accidentally bumped into someone—a woman—and she was holding missing child flyers.”
Hanbin frowned, his sleepiness fading fast. “Okay…?”
Hao inhaled deeply. “The flyers were of Yujin. She’s his mom, Hanbin. She’s been looking for him!”
Hanbin froze, his brows furrowing. “Wait, what? His mom?”
“Yes! She was distressed, Hanbin. Like, really distressed. She told me she’s been searching for him for weeks.” Hao’s voice wavered slightly as he recounted the encounter. “She even said she’s not with Yujin’s dad anymore because of how bad things were at home. She just wants Yujin to feel safe.”
Hanbin leaned back slightly, processing the information. “And you’re sure it’s his mom?”
“She knew everything about him, Hanbin. She was desperate and genuine. But…” Hao trailed off, his gaze dropping to Hanbin’s chest.
“But what?” Hanbin pressed, gently lifting Hao’s chin so their eyes met.
“She admitted that things were bad at home before. She and his dad fought a lot, and she thinks it scared Yujin. I didn’t tell her anything about him being with us, but she begged me to let her know if I saw him.”
Hanbin let out a long sigh, running a hand through his hair. “That explains a lot about why Yujin’s so scared of adults. And the police.”
“Exactly,” Hao said, leaning against Hanbin’s chest for comfort. “But now what do we do? If we tell Yujin, he might panic. But if we don’t, his mom might never find him.”
