❄ Cold Relations ❄ [SEVENTEEN] ✓

Chapter 22: You and Me Against the World (i.e. Hoshi's Wise Advice)

"What'd you do that for?" Jeonghan was clearly upset—he kept turning in a circle, restless, unsure of how to react. "You could've smoothed it over. He would have stayed—"

"Have I taught you nothing?" Mingyu folded his hands in his lap and leaned back against the altar. "It's a technique one learns through gardening, and that is digging up the weeds—the ones with the weakest chance of survival. Joshua lives by a strict set of principles. He would never last in a group like ours. The only reason I've tolerated him all this time is because you insisted he was a close friend." Mingyu was speaking, but Jeonghan didn't hear a word. Two-thirds of his attention were fixed on the window as he watched Joshua's silhouette fade from view.

It was now or never.

Grabbing his jacket and running for the exit, Jeonghan called back over his shoulder, "I'm turning in my resignation form as of right now. Looks like you'll have one less 'weed' to do all your dirty work."

Mingyu had underestimated the strength of the bond that existed between Joshua and Jeonghan, and now he was going to pay for it. He was handing over a potentially deadly enemy to the opposite side, and all because of something he'd overlooked. If he could change the course of time and bend it to his will, he would. But it was already too late for that. Jeonghan was gone like a flower wilting in the frost.

~.~.~

"'Shua!" Jeonghan puffed. "Wait up!"

Joshua ignored him and kept on walking. His pace was killer, and any sane man would have given up already, but once Jeonghan set his mind on something, he wasn't one to give up easily. He reached out his arm but grasped only a handful of air. Joshua was less than a block away from him now. Panting, his chest heaving, Jeonghan sprinted the last stretch to Joshua's side, grabbed his friend's wrist, and begged him to stop. Before Jisoo could answer, Yoon had doubled over and dropped to his knees, both hands desperately clutching his breast.

"I feel... like my heart... is about to burst..."

Jisoo shook his hand from Jeonghan's grip, his eyes glistening with angry tears. "Why are you following me?"

"I..." Jeonghan's thoughts were churning with everything he had to say, but his body wouldn't let him speak just yet, only breathe.

"If you've come all this way just to convince me to go back to that hellhole, you're wasting your time. Mingyu is going against everything I believe in, and in the name of everything wholesome and good I refuse to sit back and watch it happen. To turn a blind eye or take part in it."

"I came here for you..." Jeonghan gasped. "Mingyu's made it clear that I can never go back... From now on, it's just you and me against the world."

~.~.~

Following the threadbare path back to the hotel, Woozi's confidence level hit an all-time low. Two barrels bulging with freshwater—was it enough? How long could he expect them to last four people?

Woozi knew he would have to devise a rationing plan—just another thing for him to worry about—and urge the others to stick to it. But showering was still a major concern. Unless a hard rain was scheduled in the forecast, none of them would be able to wash up until the "drought" was resolved.

Woozi's thoughts were interrupted by the sudden appearance of The8. The curly-haired boy was sauntering down Main Street, whistling BLACKPINK's "Playing with Fire," his hands stuffed deep in his pockets, as if he hadn't a care in the world.

Woozi called out to him, and he jumped clear off the ground. "You startled me," The8 said with a hand over his heart.

"I wish I could say that wasn't my intention," Woozi said with hostility. "Where have you been all this time? Hoshi's worried sick about you."