The sun had long set, painting the sky in hues of deep navy and burnt orange. Beomgyu and Kai exited the convenience store, each holding a drink and a bag of snacks. Their laughter was soft, comfortable—like the world had finally begun to give them peace.
"I swear, that cashier was definitely judging your choice of instant noodles," Kai chuckled, nudging Beomgyu lightly.
Beomgyu rolled his eyes. "Let them. Spicy noodles at midnight are therapy."
Kai laughed, but his steps suddenly slowed. "Hey… Do you feel like we're being watched?"
Beomgyu paused. The street was quiet, eerily so, and a strange chill crawled up his spine. He turned slowly, his eyes scanning the dim street—empty. Too empty.
"Probably just your paranoia," he muttered, trying to shake off the feeling.
But before they could take another step, a voice sliced through the silence.
"Well, well... Long time no see, Choi Beomgyu."
Beomgyu's body went rigid. That voice. That voice—smooth, mocking, laced with venom.
He turned toward the alley where the voice came from. Three shadows emerged—tall, imposing, familiar in the worst way.
Mingyu stepped forward first, a cruel smirk tugging at his lips. "Six years. Did you miss us?"
Junhui leaned casually against the wall, eyes gleaming with mischief. "We missed you. A lot."
Vernon stood in the back, quiet but radiating menace, arms crossed, gaze locked on Beomgyu.
Beomgyu stumbled back, breath catching in his throat. "You... You're supposed to be—"
"In prison?" Mingyu interrupted smoothly. "Yeah. Almost. You almost put us there, remember?"
Kai stumbled back, his voice barely audible. "They—They're not supposed to be here… They weren't caught… They disappeared—"
Beomgyu stepped in front of him instinctively, trembling. "Stay behind me."
The three men approached with cruel confidence. Mingyu's smirk deepened as he spread his arms mockingly.
"Aw, how touching. You're still trying to play the hero, Beomgyu?"
Kai's breathing turned shallow. He felt like he couldn't move, couldn't scream. His hands were shaking violently.
"Don't come near us," Beomgyu growled, the weight of his fear making his voice brittle. "The police will—"
"Will what?" Junhui interrupted, amused. "We vanished once. We can do it again."
"You ruined our lives," Vernon said, stepping forward. "Now we're going to return the favor."
Kai's legs gave out, and he fell to his knees, frozen. Beomgyu knelt with him, grabbing his hand tightly. "Kai—hey, breathe. Just breathe."
But Kai's mind was spinning, flashing back to that night six years ago—the pain, the terror, the helplessness.
Mingyu crouched down in front of them, his voice low and venomous. "Let's go somewhere quiet. You and your friend owe us some time."
Beomgyu lashed out, punching Mingyu, catching him off guard. "Run, Kai!"
Kai snapped out of it for a split second—just long enough to stumble to his feet. But Vernon blocked his path, grabbing him violently.
"No!" Beomgyu screamed.
Vernon shoved Kai to the wall. Mingyu seized Beomgyu by the collar and pinned him in place.
"Not so fast," Mingyu hissed in his ear. "We've waited years for this moment."
"Let us go!" Kai shouted, struggling, but Junhui and Vernon held him tightly, a blade flashing briefly in the dim light—enough to make Kai freeze.
"Touchy, aren't we?" Junhui sneered. "You'll both be coming with us. Quietly. Or this gets a lot uglier."
Beomgyu's heart pounded in his chest. Panic and disbelief surged in his veins. This couldn't be happening. Not now. Not after everything.
He locked eyes with Kai—fear mirrored in both of their gazes.
And then the world went dark as a hood was shoved over Beomgyu's head.
+×+
Soobin sat on the couch with a book resting open on his lap, though he hadn't turned a page in the last twenty minutes. His eyes kept flicking to the wall clock. The ticking suddenly felt too loud.
"He's still not answering?" Taehyun asked as he stepped out of the kitchen with a mug of tea, noting the look on Soobin's face.
Soobin shook his head slowly. "Beomgyu left with Kai a while ago. They just went out to grab some snacks. He said they'd be back in thirty minutes."
Taehyun checked his phone. "It's been almost two hours."
That prickling unease started to creep up Soobin's spine. He stood up. "Kai always tells me if he's running late. Even if it's five minutes."
Taehyun nodded, setting the mug down. "Same with Beomgyu. He always texts—even for small things. Something feels off."
Soobin paced. "I tried calling Kai three times. Straight to voicemail."
"Beomgyu too," Taehyun added grimly. "His phone rang once, then nothing."
Soobin stopped pacing. His voice was low. "Do you think… something happened?"
There was a heavy pause. Then Taehyun's tone turned sharp, focused. "We need to find them."
Soobin was already grabbing his coat. "Let's check the store down the street. Maybe they ran into someone and lost track of time."
"Or maybe something worse," Taehyun muttered under his breath.
+×+
The air was too still.
Soobin and Taehyun stood in front of the store, now dim and closed for the night. The area was deserted.
But then—
"Wait." Taehyun pointed to the side of the curb.
Soobin turned.
Plastic bags. Split open. Snacks scattered, some crushed.
And… Kai's phone.
Soobin's stomach dropped. He rushed forward, picked up the phone. The screen was cracked. He hit the power button—nothing. Dead.
Taehyun crouched, examining the sidewalk. "No sign of blood… but something happened here."
Soobin's hands trembled slightly. "They were taken."
Taehyun stood up straight, eyes dark. "We need to call the police. Now."
Soobin's expression was one of cold fury and fear, his voice firm. "And after that, we find them ourselves."