When You Were Here ✅

ㅡFourth Dayㅡ

Sangyeon and Youngjo stood before us with serious looks. "We'll be combining yesterday's and today's activities. Meaning we'll start with yesterday's soon and today's later." We figured such a thing would happen anyway. "Onto the more concerning matter. It's been 3 days since Eric has been missing and 2 since Kevin has been missing. Sangyeon and I had contacted the police about it and they said they'd look into it. So everyone, we're asking you to stay alert. We don't know who's next."

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The game of volleyball was well under way. I was lucky enough to be chosen as a referee along with Hwanwoong. "They're playing really good." "If constantly eating sand equates to really good, then yeah." He wasn't wrong. Only a few were any good. The game ended with Team Aqua being the winners who now had the right to punish Team Sun. The happy atmosphere had almost made me forget what had occurred in the past few days. Everyone else seemed to have forgotten.

The net had been taken down and we carried the equipment back to the motel. Nothing strange had happened during volleyball. I was relieved at that fact, but one activity remained for today. It was the perfect opportunity to kidnap someone. "What's on your mind?" I was startled by Hwanwoong's voice. "Just the next activity. Can't wait." He laughed then said he thought I was going to mention Eric and Kevin. I frowned at how he could tell. I decided to pick up my pace as I didn't want to chat with him. "Hey!" "Oh, Juyeon." He gave me a smile and I felt guilt arise. I remembered vividly of what occurred between Younghoon and Geonhak. "Changmin?" "Huh? What?" "I asked if you were excited for later?" "Yeah. I think everything will be okay today." He nodded then talked about what he'd do when we got back to school.

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"Alright. We're creating 3 groups of 3 and one will have 4, so come pick a letter out of the box. Naturally you'd go off on your own, but due to earlier incidents, this is safer." We all picked from the box then looked for our buddies. I ended up in a group of 3 with Jaehyun and Sangyeon. "Now, have fun scavenging!" The others walked off while we waited for Sangyeon. "So, we need to find a crimson tipped leaf." Leaves littered the ground, making it harder. "How are we gonna find that considering its only March? Plus there are so many leaves." Sangyeon and I laughed as Jaehyun seemed stressed over a simple activity.

We searched around and I noticed Hwanwoong alone in the distance. Someone had come to him from the front. Neither moved. "Chang, you coming?" I quickly hurried after them in fear that one of them heard Jaehyun. I couldn't quite see who Hwanwoong was talking to, but I hoped he wasn't the next one to be kidnapped. "What were you looking at?" "Thought I saw a deer." "Wow, really? That's so cool..."

We found half of the items on our list. "Do you think anyone finished already?" "Doubt it." I doubted it as well. "Let's try to imagine where we would be if we were the object." "Hidden inside something." "Camouflaged." "Behind something." "Attached to an animal." They continued to list possibilities. "Okay, okay. Let's just utilize all of them as we look." They nodded then began searching. My mind drifted back to Hwanwoong and that person. Was he okay? Or was he secretly meeting someone in the group?

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Sangyeon and Youngjo did a headcount before leaving the area. "Has anyone seen Younghoon or Keonhee?" Everyone shrugged. "Wasn't someone in their group? I know it was a group of three." Chanhee sighed then raised his hand. "I ditched them. Keonhee was so whiny and annoying. And Younghoon looked as if he preferred to not work with me anyway." Chanhee bickered back and forth with Sangyeon. I looked at Geonhak who looked a bit unsettled. He was lucky Juyeon wasn't near him or it'd seem suspicious. I still felt guilty for keeping quiet, but I didn't exactly want to get involved with it. "Okay, enough! Chanhee, where did you last see them?" "Uh, down that street by one of the houses. That yellow one." We moved as a unit to check for any clues.

"Nothing again." "How could they take down two grown men?" Chanhee burst into laughter and a few others joined him. "Really, Sangyeon? Two grown men? More like one grown man and a fragile woman." How could they make jokes at a time like this? Soon the sound of a slap rang in our ears. We quietly watched as Chanhee babied his cheek with teary eyes while Youngjo glared at him as if he would kill him in that instant. "Don't be so fucking insensitive Chanhee. I've heard nothing but insensitivity come from you the entire we've been here and I know I'm not the only one sick and tired of your bullshit."

Only the sound of things moving in the wind could be heard as we waited for what was going to happen next. "Don't act so high and mighty, Youngjo. I could out you in a heartbeat." Chanhee was slapped again. The second time sounded harder than the first. "It doesn't matter what happens to me. What does is that you stop being such a prick and that we get our boys back safe and sound." Youngjo looked at Juyeon and Hwanwoong who had laughed as well. "Don't follow in his pitiful footsteps." Youngjo walked away from the group and back to the motel alone.