𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗶𝘁 | ateez

06.

06.
the midnight departure

—

The morning after Yeosang and the subway man's supposed meeting, Wooyoung woke up to a loud clap of thunder. His eyes were wide with fear, only to recede in size as the noise subdued. Then, he sat up and let the warm covers shrivel from his chest.

It was unlike Wooyoung to wake up without Yeosang's familiar voice and abrupt shaking. But maybe he was tired after last night's escapade, as he appeared to be sleeping through his blaring alarm. The younger could hear it from his room, it's terrifying chirp and constant nagging making his blood boil.

Yesterday, said detective had told his pair of fellow associates the strange anomaly two days prior to now, recalling everything with such wonderment and whimsy. Wooyoung had never heard of a more bizarre occurrence and Seonghwa practically classified his tale as a fairytale, a myth.

And no one could blame him. In a world as bland as there's, something of that seemingly magical nature was unheard of. The most mystical things the city contained were it's impressive skyscrapers and expensive cars, which had quickly lost their luster over the years.

Though, their reactions of uncertainty didn't shake Yeosang's certainty — that tonight (now last night) he'd meet Sorin's subway friend and learn all of his secrets, about Mingi and the wonderland they've all once fantasized about as kids.

It sounded impossible, but the glimmer in the detective's eyes suggested otherwise and for a moment, his shining sincerity rubbed off on Wooyoung. He felt his heart sprout wings of hope, only to shrivel away with one look at Seonghwa's doubting eyes.

The older always seemed to know something Wooyoung didn't and so, his wings never lasted longer than ten seconds anyway.

Now that it was morning again, Wooyoung hardly cared about cradling his fleeting hopes as thunder rattled the apartment. He let out an agitated groan and brought a forearm over his eyes to cancel out the flashes of lightning. Wooyoung had a fear of thunderstorms, an unlucky trait to have in an always raining city.

If San were here to hold him close, then Wooyoung could brave any weather. But now wasn't the time for reminiscing — that's what Yeosang would tell him, to prevent unnecessary moping sessions. 

In an effort to be active, Wooyoung rolled off the bed without warning. A cold spike shot up his body as bare feet met hardwood, bringing him to his senses. Slowly, he opened the door and shuffled out into the short hallway.

The lights were dead, the balcony door's windows being the only source of milky brightness on the gloomy day. The conjoined kitchenette and living room looked like a painting, everything neatly put in its place and completely undisturbed by human life.