"Do you understand just how irresponsible you were?! You were responsible for all of the lives in the car, and you were going thirty kilometers over the speed limit! Thirty kilometers! How reckless could you be…" Ijin stood at attention on the side of the road as the officer, Officer Kim, went off on his rant, scolding Ijin to hell and back. Officer Kim dug into Ijin, reaffirming the fact that Ijin would have had the weight of his friend's deaths on his shoulders if they had died in an accident and that for their sake, he should have stayed under the speed limit. The moment he found out that Ijin didn't have a driver's license, he started his rant all over again.
Jaehyung, Hyeokjin, Seokju, and Yeongchan stood to the right of Ijin, hoping that if they stood still enough, Officer Kim wouldn't remember that they were there. They were all adamant in looking straight ahead, none of them looked at Officer Kim unless they had to. They were trying to become the very epitome of out of sight, out of mind, but as one might figure, since they were not dealing with a dinosaur, he did remember that they were there.
It was hard not to notice four other people standing right next to them after all. "And you!" Officer Kim flicked his flashlight over to them, shining the bright beam right into Jaehyung's face, "Why didn't any of you guys tell him to slow down?!" He asked loudly, his flashlight going down the row of boys, all of them raising their hands to shield their eyes. "Did none of you have the brains to tell him to slow down?!"
Jaehyung elbowed Ijin, stopping his friend from answering the very rhetorical question. It wasn't that they didn't have the brains to tell Ijin to slow down, it was just that they were so freaked out from what happened, that they didn't even notice that Ijin had been speeding. Obviously, if they had noticed that Ijin had been speeding, they would have told him to slow down. But they didn't, so there they were. Silent because none of them wanted to say the wrong thing.
At their silence, Officer Kim sighed. "Alright. All of you, give me your I.D.'s Now." Within a minute, their I.D.'s were in Officer Kim's hand. Pinning the flashlight between his neck and shoulder, Officer Kim started roll call, getting acquainted with them as he found out their names.
He eyed each of them, taking note of what a mismatched group he was looking at. Kim had seen a lot of rambunctious teenagers, it certainly was not his first time pulling over a car of teens, but never had he seen such a mismatched group. He compared the boys to each of their I.D's, Lee Jaehyung and Ju Hyeokjin, those two looked like they belonged in another friend group, one where they would be getting up to more trouble than speeding. Then between Koh Seokju and Yu Ijin, those two looked like they were supposed to be in some type of sport, they looked like the type to go to sleep early and wake up early.
Upon seeing Park Yeongchan, Kim determined that the buzzcut boy just didn't fit in. He was the only one who was visibly freaking out. Seokju looked like he swallowed a lemon, but Yeongchan was shifting on his feet over and over again while the other four just stood there calmly, especially the two taller boys.
Officer Kim dismissed the thoughts, it wasn't his business if the boys in front of them looked mismatched. All that mattered was that they were in trouble and he had to handle their punishment.
He put all of their I.D's into his vest pocket, ensuring that they would not be taken from him. With that, Ijin realized that with Officer Kim keeping their I.D's, there went their hopes of being let off the hook. Officer Kim wouldn't have pocketed their I.D's if he had been planning to let them go. "Alright. Here's the deal." Officer Kim said as he put his hand on his hip, his flashlight still shining into their faces. "Either all of you come to the station with me so your parents or guardian can pick you up. Or I arrest you for reckless driving and then your parents will have to bail you out of jail. It's your choice."
They exchanged side glances. None of them wanted to know if they were supposed to be grateful or surprised because really? Those were their options? It was practically 'come with me or get arrested.' They had no choice, not unless they wanted to get charged and give their parents a new bill to pay. Sure, it was generous of the officer to not arrest them but he could at least not pretend to give them options.
Another look around was enough for Ijin to realize that it was obvious that they were all thinking the same thing. All of them knew that they had to go with him to the station, but it was also obvious that none of them wanted to make the first step.
Ijin heaved out a sigh, it wouldn't be his first time leading people. "I'll go with you, sir." He said as he raised his hand. After a few seconds, it wasn't long until the others were agreeing, mumbling that they would go to the station willingly. None of them wanted to get in any more trouble. If they had been in any other situation, Ijin would have given them a nod of approval.
Behind the flashlight, Officer Kim sounded like he had a bright smile on his face. "Great. My partner is in the car, he will drive the car to the station behind me. You three," Officer Kim said as he pointed to Jaehyung, Hyeokjin, and Yeongchan, sounding far too chipper for the situation they were in. "You three will go with him. You two," He said, gesturing to Ijin and Seokju, "You two will come with me. Let's get a move on it."
Officer Kim must have recognized that out of the five of them, Ijin and Seokju were the ones who posed the biggest threat. Perhaps it was because of their taller frames, or their calm demeanor that made Officer Kim decide to put them into the car with the passenger cage, though Ijin didn't blame the man. He and Seokju could be a threat if they wanted to, but they were not idiots. Not to mention, Ijin also wanted to make himself seem as innocent as possible, he did not need to get into any more trouble.
It was silent on the way to the station. Between the three of them, no one said a word. Seokju and Ijin certainly didn't, Ijin had been too busy trying to recenter himself while Seokju was too anxious to even think of talking. Behind them, was Jaehyung's car, which had the others and the second officer driving it. Ijin had no doubt that it was just as quiet in that car.
They didn't know whether it was good or bad that they arrived so fast to the station, but they weren't going to complain. The faster they could get out of the cars, the better.
They walked into the station behind Officer Kims, their eyes aching at the bright lights of the interior. After spending over an hour in the dark forest, it was like another punishment just to walk in there. Ijin and Seokju were the only ones who kept their groans to themselves, though Officer Kim still took joy in the other's displeasure.
He gestured them into the waiting room, ordering all of them to sit down. It wasn't until then when Officer Kim was able to get a better look at them. "What the hell happened to you guys?" he asked after they had sat down, his brow furrowed as he flicked his eyes to each of them.
They exchanged looks and it wasn't until then when they realized why the man asked that. After their little…adventure, all of them were in varying states of disarray. All of them had tears in their clothes, Ijin and Jaehyung had twigs in their hair, and Seokju and Hyeokjin had scraped palms and knees because they both ate shit separately. They had dirt covering their clothes and to add onto that, Ijin was still wet after he fell into the water-laden skatepark bowl. Of course, since Yeongchan had stayed in the car, he was the only one who was still neat and clean, which did nothing but make him stand out even more.
"Oh. Well," Hyeokjin said as he looked down at his palms, cringing when he saw the scrape that still had remnants of small stones and plant matter embedded into his skin, "We went to explore a forest. I fell a few times when we were running away from something." Hyeokjin rubbed at one of the cuts, scrunching up his nose when he felt a pebble stuck under his skin. He already knew it was going to be a pain to try and get that out.
Ijin sighed. "It was a bear." There was no way it was anything but a bear. He should know, considering it was the second time that he had been chased by a bear. Maybe he should start asking for a nickel each time it happens.
"Oh, for the last time, it was not a bear!" Jaehyung retorted hotly, annoyed that they were still going on about that, "We had split up, there's no way you guys got chased by a bear and we got chased by a bear too!" They weren't anywhere near each other! The chances of there being two bears in the same area were low. Besides, that didn't change what they had seen on the trail.
Officer Kim pinched the bridge of his nose as he sighed. Teenagers. "That's enough." He didn't need to have a couple of idiots arguing with each other because of what chased who. As he wanted, the boys settled down. With the way Seokju was picking at his palm, and the way Hyeokjin was trying to get a look at his knee through the torn fabric of his pants, Kim was able to see their minor injuries. "You two," He pointed at Seokju and Hyeokjin, motioning for them to get up when they looked up at him, "Come with me, let's get those cuts cleaned up." They were still in trouble, but because they had done nothing but cooperate, there was no need to be a hard ass in Kim's eyes.
They stared, the teenagers surprised by Officer Kim's words. Sure, it wasn't his job to be a dickhead, but they weren't exactly expecting the man to offer something like that. When they didn't move, Officer Kim twirled his hand. "Well? Get a move on it." Right. His words prompted Hyeokjin and Seokju to get up, leaving the three of them in the waiting room after they disappeared behind a door.
With the exception of the receptionist typing away at something, it was silent. The harsh fluorescent lights above them buzzed as they looked at each other. It was probably two in the morning by then and it certainly showed on their faces. Even with the fine layer of dirt that covered most of them, all of them were visibly tired and worn out.
Yeongchan heaved out a sigh, his head dropping onto the back of the chair as some of the tension left his shoulders. "We are so lucky. I thought we were going to get arrested." He whined out, remorseful at their situation.
Ijin sighed as he leaned back into the chair, "We're lucky he hasn't checked my boot." He mumbled. They were lucky that none of them were being arrested, but in his opinion, they were even more lucky that they weren't processed and thrown into a jail cell. If that had happened, they definitely would have found the knife that was still in his boot. If they had been in trouble with speeding, then they would have been in huge trouble with the knife.
Well, Ijin would have, and he wanted to avoid getting into any more trouble.
Jaehyung made a confused noise. "What?" Ah good, they did forget.
"Nothing. Never mind." He was just going to shut up. Hopefully, everyone else would forget about the knife in the meantime, but with the way everything was going, he knew that they were going to forget about it eventually.
He just wondered what was the next step. They were there at the station, so at one point in time, they were going to have to make the call of shame so they could get picked up. In a town two hours away from home, at three in the morning. Ijin already knew that he didn't want to make the call. There was no denying it, the five of them were all being a giant inconvenience to their parents, and he was going to be an even bigger inconvenience to his grandfather, seeing that his grandfather didn't even own a car. That meant that he was going to have to catch a series of buses to retrieve him. The realization that his grandfather was probably going to have to call into work just to do so only made Ijin feel worse.
Ijin sighed. He should have paid more attention to the speedometer, at least then they wouldn't be stuck in a police station.
Jaehyung and Yeongchan's heads were already bobbing by the time the others returned. Hyeokjin and Seokju trudged into the room, their palms and knees covered with bandages and the twigs picked out of their hair. Maybe they should have cleaned themselves up some instead of just sitting there.
The man entered the room behind Seokju and Hyeokjin, a white cloth in his hands. "So," Officer Kim said lightly, a grin on his face as he spread the oversized shirt between his hands, displaying it to them, revealing the stains it had earned after being thrown out the window. "Who are the two idiots that are supposed to wear this?" Ijin and Seokju exchanged looks, then they looked at the others. Hyeokjin was the one who made the stupid get-along shirt, and they were expecting Hyeokjin to take ownership of it.
Ijin and Seokju didn't even get a chance to glare them into silence before the three traitors were pointing at them, throwing them under the bus. "They were fighting earlier. But they made up." Jaehyung oh so helpfully supplied to the grinning officer.
The man had the definition of a shit-eating grin on his face, and Ijin already recognized that look. Ijin didn't need to know the man personally to know that the officer was up to something. Most likely something annoying.
Officer Kim tossed it to them and Seokju caught the shirt, confusion written all over his face when he looked up at him. Seokju was met with a grin. "Put it on. You too," He said to Ijin, who was just as confused.
"Uh…excuse me…" Seokju started quietly, looking between the shirt, Ijin, and Officer Kim.
"Put it on or I'll call your parents myself."
Alright…it looks like they were going to put it on…
Ijin eyed the shirt in Seokju's hand, it looked even worse up close. There were damp spots on the shirt and more often than not, dirt clung stubbornly to the wet spots. Ijin really didn't want to put it on, it was dirty and he definitely didn't want to wear it with Seokju, but he had to if he didn't want Officer Kim to call his grandfather.
Seokju turned towards Ijin awkwardly, the t-shirt still in hand. They exchanged looks, silently showing their reluctance and confusion towards the situation. It was kinda bullshit that they still had to wear it after they made up, but if it kept them out of more trouble, they were willing to do it.
They wriggled their way into the shirt, much to everyone else's amusement. After a few elbows, knocking of heads, and muttered swears, they were wearing the stupid thing. Stuffed inside the stupid T-shirt that was dirty and wet.
Ijin and Seokju were pressed tightly next to each other, sitting close enough for their legs to touch. In order for them to not be on top of each other inside the shirt or choking each other with the collar, they were sitting in a way where Ijin's right shoulder was in front of Seokju's left shoulder. Ijin was pressing back against Seokju, but even though Ijin was damp, he was warm and Seokju found it to be comfortable.
Everything seemed to be worse after Officer Kim so helpfully supplied that they weren't allowed to leave until both Seokju's and Ijin's appointed parents or guardians arrived to take them home. Officer Kim nearly cackled at the glower Ijin and Seokju gave him, but with a twirl of his hand and a 'ta-ta~', they were left alone in the waiting room.
They didn't mention the shit predicament they were in, Ijin didn't say a thing and Seokju didn't say a thing. They didn't need to talk about it and they already knew that for the rest of their lives, they were never going to talk about it.
The others, however, started laughing each time they looked at them. The bastards.
"You guys-" Ijin grunted as an elbow dug into his side.
"Sorry." Seokju apologized and they adjusted themselves so they weren't on top of each other as much.
"You guys are dead to me now." Ijin finished, trying to decide if he meant it or not. With the way they were snickering, Ijin decided that he meant it.
"Ah, you guys love us," Hyeokjin said, a bright smile on his face as he held up his phone, taking a picture of the two of them.
Ijin raised his middle finger in response.
"Okay guys," Officer Kim walked back into the waiting room, his smile reappearing when he saw how he left Seokju and Ijin. He was finding too much joy in their situation in Ijin's opinion. "Unfortunately, we're too far out for your phones to get a reliable signal to call home," Muttered curses went around the room when the teenagers saw that he was telling the truth, "So, you're going to have to use the landline to call your parents. You're up first Park."
"Yes sir." Yeongchan stood up and after being redirected to the left, they could hear him fiddling with the landline. A few moments later, they could hear him talking to someone, presumably his mother.
Because of the way they were sitting, Ijin felt Seokju tense up before he said, "Fuck." That wasn't a good tone of voice. Then again, it's not like they were in a good situation.
Ijin sighed and turned his head as he asked, "What's wrong?" He could barely see Seokju's expression because of the angle the shirt was forcing him to sit, but he could see the distressed look on Seokju's face.
Seokju had an anxious tone in his voice, "My dad is going to fucking kill me." And before Ijin could feel a flare of concern for his friend, verbal diarrhea struck.
"Imagine having a dad?" In his defense, he was tired, annoyed and that just meant that his filter wasn't at one-hundred percent like always. Apparently, Officer Kim found it just as funny because there was a quiet snort, one that they decided to ignore.
Seokju damn near glared at him as he asked, "Don't you have Major Kang listed as your emergency contact?"
Ijin was sure he was mimicking the look Seokju had moments ago. "Oh shit." Fuck, Kang was his emergency contact. Not only was he going to have to call Major Kang to come and pick him up, he was in a police station that was two hours away from home, "Kang is going to fucking kill me." He knew that Kang was someone he could rely on, but even he knew that his situation was really pushing it.
Well, at least his grandfather wasn't going to be the one going to pick him up, and at least Kang had a car. However, that meant that Kang was going to have to make a four-hour round trip and it meant that it was just going to be the two of them on the way back. Two hours was plenty of time for Kang to dig into him for being detained and Ijin already knew that he was not looking forward to it.
Seokju hummed, and Ijin could feel his chest vibrate, "That's what you get." Despite his words, Seokju didn't have any scorn in his voice, just exasperation. But that exasperation quickly turned into anxiety. "Oh my god," Seokju ran his hand through his hair, his voice nearly trembling with how strained it sounded, "My parents are going to kill me. I snuck out to do this with you guys, just me breaking curfew is enough for them to lose it." Seokju said anxiously, and although no one answered him, it was with that, that it started to really sink in that they all had to call their parents or guardians in the middle of the night.
They just sat in silence. All of them stressed about the way they had to explain to their parents their situation in the best way possible to prevent anger. There was no way they weren't going to get into trouble, but they could at least hope that it wouldn't be that bad.
"Hey, "Ijin leaned away as much as he could from Seokju. He didn't mind the contact, but he did mind the way he could feel Seokju's warm breath on the back of his neck, "Could you get Major Kang to vouch for me too?" Seokju asked with a hopeful tone in his voice.
Ijin didn't even get the chance to mull over the idea, because Kang would definitely vouch for Seokju if Ijin asked him to, when Officer Kim cut in, "Sorry, kid, "He was still grinning at the way he and Ijin were squished together, but his tone was firm as he said, "unless you share a guardian, no can do."
"We're... step-brothers," Ijin lied. Poorly. Seokju nearly face-palmed at the god-awful lie his friend gave. Seokju didn't know what he was expecting, but he was expecting something better than that.
Officer Kim stared at Ijin, no doubt wondering if Ijin thought if Kim was stupid or not. "Nice try, I already overheard you." Yeongchan walked back into the room, a despondent look on his face. The officer pointed at Ijin. "You're up, kid." Muttering an apology to Seokju, Ijin slipped out of the shirt (thank god) and went for his phone call.
Ijin stared at the phone when he saw it. It wasn't his first time using one. The Middle East had technology that worked, not the best technology, but he wasn't expecting a police station to have a phone that belonged to the 1950's. It had a keypad, but if it had been a rotary phone, Ijin wouldn't have questioned it because it looked so old.
Sighing, Ijin typed the Major's number. It was old but it would do the job.
Kang answered on the third ring and just from the sound of his voice, Ijin knew that he had woken up Kang. "Hello?" Kang mumbled, his voice groggy with sleep.
"Hi sir."
"Ijin?" Kang yawned, sounding more awake afterward, "Something wrong? It's almost three in the morning."
Well…at least Kang didn't sound upset about being woken up. Ijin decided to just say it all in one go. "Me and my friends got in trouble and I need you to come pick me up from the police station." A long pause.
Kang inhaled, letting out a dumbfounded, "Huh?" Ijin started to repeat himself, but Kang cut him off. "Jesus Christ kid. How much is the bail?" There was the sound of something in the background, Kang grunting as he got out of bed.
"We weren't arrested. The officer said he wouldn't charge us if we went with him willingly." Thank god he did, because Ijin would have felt far more guilt if Kang posted bail for him. It was already bad that he had to get picked up, it would be even worse if Kang had to cover the bill.
"Oh. Oh ok." Kang sighed, a relieved tone in his voice, "Make sure you say thank you, he didn't have to do that. Where are you?" And that was when Ijin cringed.
Ijin read the address of the station off to Kang and he was met with a long, long, pause. "Kid…Ijin. What the fuck are you doing two hours out of town? Did you even tell your grandpa where you were going?"
Yep, there it was. He knew Kang was going to be upset. As if Kang could see him, Ijin ducked his head as he bashfully admitted, "We were supposed to be back before sunrise."
Kang was pissed. Which was fair. There was nothing like calling your guardian and telling them that you were being detained at a police station two hours away from home and that you needed to be picked up in the middle of the night. Kang heaved out a sigh, Ijin could practically taste the man's annoyance. "I'm sure you know how stupid and irresponsible that was. You can rely on me but don't let this happen again. I'm on my way." Kang's voice was firm and full of disapproval as he said that.
"Yes sir." Ijin mumbled, thoroughly cowed by Kang's scolding. "Thank you." He added after a moment's pause. Kang hummed before hanging up.
Heaving out another sigh, Ijin put the phone back onto the receiver, his hand rubbing the back of his neck as he did so. He knew that Kang was going to be pissed, but Ijin also knew that they were still going to be on good terms. Ijin was going to owe Kang a few favors, definitely gas money.
But that just made Ijin nervous for Seokju.
If Seokju's grandfather was the type that made Seokju apologize formally with a bow, then how were his parents going to be? How were they going to react to Seokju calling from a police station in the middle of the night? Seokju had been forced to apologize for the prank, even though Ijin's actions had been far more shameful. Ijin didn't even want to think about how his parents were going to react.
When he got back to the sitting area, it was Seokju's turn to take a phone call and when he exchanged looks with Seokju he knew he had reason to be concerned.
Seokju did not look nervous like the others did. He looked terrified.
He looked downright and utterly terrified.
Ijin frowned at his demeanor. Seokju shouldn't look so petrified at the thought of calling his parents. There was a difference between being nervous or anxious and being near hysterical and Seokju looked like he wanted to do anything but call his parents.
All of them knew that out of the group, Seokju easily had the strictest parents. So, when they heard him start explaining what had happened and why he was calling, they all fell silent, trying to listen in. They couldn't hear what his parents were saying, but they could hear 'yes's' and 'I understand' from Seokju's end. From that alone, Ijin figured that maybe he was overthinking it, maybe Seokju's parents were more forgiving than his grandfather. But Ijin knew that he had false hopes when Seokju returned.
His face was a bright red, and he didn't say a word as he reentered the waiting area. Seokju didn't look up as he walked back to his seat next to Ijin. He slumped forward in his seat and leaned his forearms against his knees as he did so, his head drooping towards the floor.
Seokju was not an overly confident person. He was not haughty, nor was he boastful. But never, never had they seen Seokju so meek. Never had they seen him without his usual confidence.
If they weren't concerned before, they definitely were after seeing him walk in like that.
They exchanged looks, they knew something was wrong and their lips turned white from the way they were pursing them. "Seokju?" Hyeokjin gently called out, "You good?" That was a question that all of them wanted to know the answer to.
Without looking up at them, Seokju answered, "Fine." His voice was quieter than usual, and there was a distinct lack of confidence in his voice. One that they all noticed. He looked anything but fine.
They exchanged looks again, and that time it was Yeongchan who continued, "You…you don't look fine man."
Seokju shrugged his shoulders weakly, quietly muttering, "I'm fine, my parents are sending someone. Just…" he sighed heavily, "Never mind. I'll tell you guys later." He said that, but not once had Seokju looked up at them, the floor seemed to be the center of his attention.
While they were concerned, they were all too nervous to think about it further. All of them stewing in their anxiety about their phone calls for them to almost forget about it.
However, the fact that the officer made him and Ijin get back into the t-shirt only distracted them even more.
It was already almost five in the morning by the time Kang arrived. Even though Kang wasn't the first one that had been called, he was the first one to get there.
By that point, everyone had been up for close to twenty hours by then, so with the exception of Ijin and Seokju, everyone else had already fallen asleep. Yeongchan had fallen asleep with his head on Jaehyung's thigh, and Jaehyung had fallen asleep with his head on Hyeokjin's shoulder, Hyeokjin's head leaning against Jaehyung's head. Their quiet snores showed that they were sleeping peacefully, something that could not be said for Ijin and Seokju. Seokju had been bouncing his knee too much for Ijin to even think of falling asleep, and with the way Officer Kim stayed in the waiting room with them, Ijin wouldn't have been able to fall asleep either way.
Seokju subtly stiffened up when he saw Kang walk into the waiting area. His stiffening up brought Ijin out of his thoughts, and it was an awkward moment when they made eye contact.
Kang stared at them.
Ijin and Seokju stared back.
Kang didn't know if he should be pissed that he just drove for two hours to pick up his little idiot from a police station. Or if he should start laughing his ass off because who the hell managed to stick Ijin and Seokju into the same shirt?
He started laughing first.
Ijin and Seokju turned red as Kang started laughing at them. At first, it was just a little chuckle and a suppressed snort, but it wasn't long until Kang was bent over in laughter. Laughing hard enough to wake everyone up. Blearily, the others sat up, trying to pretend as if the three of them hadn't been sleeping together.
"You-you!" Kang let out a bark of laughter, "This almost makes the drive worth it!" Kang gasped out, laughing just as hard, if not harder than Ijin when he was laughing at Kang with the boob incident.
Ijin grumbled, "It's not that funny." His comment had Seokju agreeing with him, but that did nothing to make the man stop laughing.
Thankfully, by the time Hyeokjin's father and Jaehyung's mother walked in, Kang had already stopped laughing and was very happily taking selfies with an irate Ijin and embarrassed Seokju in the background.
Then their arrival only led to the three of them introducing each other, and talking to each other so they could complain about the 'little shits that dragged them out of bed for their fuckery.' And in that conversation alone, it had lasted long enough for Yeongchan's mother to show up. Then they started talking, but it was a few minutes into that new conversation when they realized something.
They were one guardian short.
Kang looked back and forth between the adults and the kids that were still sitting in their seats.
Five kids.
Four adults.
Kang was there for Ijin, Mrs. Lee was there for Jaehyung, Mr. Ju was there for Hyeokjin, and Ms. Park was there for Yeongchan. But there was no one there for Seokju. Kang even checked with the other parents to truly make sure that they weren't there for Seokju as well.
Where the hell were the kid's parents?
Ijin was blinking slowly, no doubt tired after the sleepless night, but right behind him, Seokju was wide awake, his leg bouncing on the floor. "Hey kid, "Ijin perked up, where he was waiting patiently with Seokju, "what about Seokju?" He asked while jerking his head towards the aforementioned kid.
It took a few seconds for Ijin to process the question, but he shrugged his shoulders, "He said his parents were sending someone to pick him up." It wasn't until then when Ijin realized that Seokju's guardian had yet to arrive.
If he could, Ijin would have turned to Seokju for an answer. Though everyone else did, Seokju ducked his head as he faced the brunt of everyone's stares.
"They're sending someone?" Hyeokjin's father sounded offended at the thought, and honestly, Kang felt the same way, "Why aren't they coming themselves?" Granted, he was there in place of Ijin's grandfather, but that was because not only did Ijin trust him enough, but it was far too late to drag his grandfather out of bed. Kang was the next best choice for Ijin.
Clearly, Seokju was in a different boat.
He was still just as meek as before, "They're on a business trip right now. They're out of the country." Seokju said quietly, obviously not liking the way all of their attention was focused solely on him, "Someone from the house should be on their way."
Understandably, none of the adults seemed particularly pleased with that answer, especially given how long it's been since the rest of them had shown up. Yeongchan's mother had been the last one to show up, and she had already been there for thirty minutes. Meaning that unless there was some crazy traffic at four in the morning, his appointed pick-up person should have been there already.
Her voice was quiet, but they all heard it, "Should?" Ms. Park's single question had been enough to make them realize that Seokju hadn't given a definite answer about whether he had someone on the way or not.
And honestly, Kang did not feel comfortable not knowing if someone was definitely on the way or not.
"Text your parents and ask them." Kang said firmly, and when Seokju tried to protest, he followed it up with, "Just amuse me kid and do it." Thankfully, Seokju sighed in defeat and started texting his parents while the conversation, awkwardly, started up again.
They couldn't talk about it with Seokju right there, but Kang could tell that the other parents were right with him in disappointment for Seokju's guardian and their untimely arrival. It was ridiculous! It had almost been three hours since Ijin called him, and unless Seokju had to wait an hour until he got his turn to call, his ride should have been there already!
It wasn't until about ten minutes later when there was an annoyed groan that cut through the conversation, and upon seeing that it was Seokju, Kang had a sinking feeling in his stomach. "Uh, they, "Seokju was turning a bright red, and had a pained look on his face, "They forgot to send someone…they should be on their way now."
Two hours.
Seokju was going to have to wait two more hours.
Was that supposed to be some type of joke? A punishment?
What type of parents just forgets to tell someone to pick up their kid from the police station!? How could they ever forget!?
They may have gotten in trouble but that didn't mean that Seokju deserved to wait five hours before he was picked up. Five hours to just get out of the police station.
Seokju must have noticed his expression, or at the very least, the way that all of the adults were still standing around awkwardly, exchanging looks. "You don't have to wait up," His voice was still timid, and if Kang knew teenagers, he knew that Seokju didn't mean it. "I have someone on the way now."
Hyeokjin's dad turned to Officer Kim, "Can one of us take him?"
Kang internally wilted when Officer Kim shook his head, "No. You're not his guardian and the kid said he's got one on the way." Well, Kang could see the point the officer was making, but he definitely was not happy about it.
Yeah, fuck that.
Kang checked his watch. It was already almost sunrise and that meant that everyone was going to have to leave soon because of their responsibilities. The adults had their jobs to get to and the kids still needed to be taken home.
He sighed. It's a good thing Kang wasn't a stranger to all-nighters. Besides, it's not like he would let the poor kid wait for another two fucking hours by himself.
He turned to the other parents and jerked his head towards the door, "You guys can go." They gave him surprised looks, "I can wait it out here." It was his day off anyway, and from the conversation he had earlier, he knew that he was the only one who could afford to stay.
Because they had to go, the departure had been short, the boys waving each other goodbye awkwardly as they walked out. It was obvious through their looks that both the students and parents were grateful that Kang had decided to wait with Seokju and had gained their respect through that simple move. Not that Kang had been trying to gain it, it was just a plus in the shitty situation and unlike Seokju's parents, he had a conscience.
Kang sat down next to Ijin and Seokju with a sigh, noticing inwardly that while Seokju looked uncomfortable at the thought of him and Ijin staying to wait, he could tell that Seokju was relieved nonetheless, "You don't have to sir." Seokju muttered, his eyes downcast. The poor kid looked like he was a few minutes from burning from shame.
"I don't," Kang agreed. And that's because he didn't have to, he technically had no duty to wait with the kid, "But I will. It's just two hours, I've spent more time trying to find this guy on base." Kang said boldly, pointing at Ijin with his thumb.
Ijin just huffed in annoyance, "That still isn't my fault."
"Quiet, so trust me," Kang grinned as he finally got a smile out of the kid, "It's not that long." It was a shy smile, but it was a smile nonetheless.
It seemed that a little bit of relief was all that was needed for Seokju to crash. He leaned back, eliciting a gag from Ijin as he was temporarily choked by the collar of their shirt, and he was out.
There was something about the sight of the young man falling asleep within seconds that tugged at his heartstrings. "He must have really been stressing out over this." The kid had to be exhausted for him to fall asleep so fast.
"... Yeah." Ijin agreed. He didn't think it would be the best time to bring up the bear that definitely hadn't helped with said stress.
Surprisingly, out of the three of them, Kang was the only one who stayed awake. Especially since Kang knew for a fact that Ijin could stay up for days if he wanted to, but it just showed what a long night the two had.
It was almost endearing to see the way they trusted each other, Ijin was the type to jolt awake the moment someone touched him. Yet, when Seokju's head flopped over onto Ijin's shoulder in his sleep, Ijin hadn't stirred in the slightest.
Thankfully, after covering the boys with a blanket the receptionist provided, it gave him the chance to take plenty of selfies with the two teens sleeping in the "Get along shirt". Kang had blackmail material for years if he played it right.
But that meant he was the only one awake to see Seokju's ride walk in.
Kang cursed internally when he realized that it was the CEO's bodyguard, the same one that Ijin had told him was Seokju's grandfather.
He did not look happy.
"Sir," Kang said, getting to his feet. He nudged Ijin with his foot, causing him to jolt awake and in turn, wake up Seokju. Both boys were immediately awake and aware. The anxiousness Seokju had been displaying before was back in full force and working double time. Ijin...Well, it'd been a while since Kang had seen him glower like that.
"Major," Seokju's grandfather greeted him back before turning to the cop. Even he was straightening up, seeming to catch the importance of the man in front of him and regretting the decision to hold the kids there at all. "I'm here for my grandson."
Officer Kim didn't waste time. "Of course, sir. He's free to go."
"Thank you." Seokju's grandfather turned to the boy and Kang did not miss the way his nose wrinkled at the sight of his grandson. Kang couldn't tell if the elder was annoyed by Seokju's situation or his state. "Take that off. We're going."
Seokju damn near jolted up at his words, "Yes, sir." He stood up, almost immediately toppling over because he stood up before Ijin. With the way Seokju was fumbling to get out of the shirt, it was easier for Ijin to slip out first, and then for Seokju to take off the shirt himself. Even then, Kang and Ijin could tell that out of pure stress and anxiety, Seokju's movements were slightly jerky. It was subtle, but he could see Seokju's hands almost trembling as he held onto the t-shirt with both of his hands.
Kang already knew that Seokju's relationship with his grandfather was likely not a good one. The way that Ijin was glowering only cemented his suspicion. Ijin was not the type to dislike someone just because they were late.
"Thank you for waiting with Seokju." Despite his thanks, the grandfather's words did not match his tone. If anything, he sounded annoyed that they had waited with him, "However there's no need should this happen again, though I hope that this will not be a repeat occurrence." his words had been directed towards Seokju, who damn near withered under his gaze.
"We're friends, "Ijin's voice was loud in the silence, but his voice was firm, bold almost, "I won't leave him by himself." To the average person, that sounded like the normal thing to say. However, in the current situation, it almost sounded like a declaration, and with the way Ijin was staring at Seokju's grandfather, it was obvious that he had meant it in more than just one way.
Seokju's grandfather appeared entirely unfazed by Ijin's hostility. "Well, you are the reason he is here, aren't you? I'd assume you feel some responsibility." He turned and started walking towards the door. "Let's go."
Silently, Seokju followed after him, eyes firmly glued to the floor. Only after they left did Kang let out the breath he didn't realize he was holding. "Holy shit you weren't exaggerating in the slightest when you described him. What the fuck."
What the fuck was his problem?
Yeah, his grandson was being held at a police station, but it's not like he had been arrested. If anything, the officer had been kind enough to not charge them.
Still, the way that Ijin was reacting was odd, and while Seokju's grandfather was unnecessarily cold towards the kid, Kang didn't understand why Ijin was being so aggressive. "Hey," Ijin didn't look at him, but he motioned for Kang to continue, showing that he was listening, "He was just late kid. There's no need to be so aggressive."
Ijin didn't even hesitate. "He's a dick."
"Ijin-"
"I mean it Major," Ijin's kept on glaring at the door where Seokju and his grandfather just left, "I've dealt with enough shitty people to know that he's one of them. I do not like him. He treats Seokju like he's an employee." Just the way Seokju reacted to his grandfather's presence was proof enough. Seokju shouldn't have been so nervous where he avoided eye contact with his own grandfather.
Kang huffed. When it came to reading people and their not-so-innocent intentions, Ijin was usually on point, and it seemed to be another case of Ijin looking through someone's facade. To be fair, Kang had noticed that Seokju was not comforted in the slightest by his grandfather's presence. Sure, he was in trouble, but even then, the officer detained them, they weren't arrested or anything. He didn't even know the kid well, but he knew that Seokju had been terrified by his grandfather's presence, he had never seen a kid be so interested in the floor before.
Still. The last thing the kid needed was for Ijin to say the wrong thing, and have everything go downhill overnight.
"Don't talk like that around the wrong people."
Ijin was tempted to go after them. He had seen the ramifications of what happens behind closed doors, and that is a thousand times worse than a prank that mildly went wrong. He and Seokju literally just made amends for their falling out, who knew what his grandfather would put into his head that time around? "And who would that be? Anyone I work with? Anyone who's associated with S.W.? Can I say it to you?"
"C'mon, kid." Kang sighed. "You know what I mean. They're one of the most powerful companies in the nation. You've seen the sway they have. I wouldn't try to get on their bad side."
Ijin didn't say anything. He just continued glaring at the doors. He almost preferred the way Seokju's parents forgot to send someone at all. At least then, Seokju wouldn't have been so petrified.
"I need to get you home to your family. Do they even know you're out here?"
Ijin made a noncommittal noise. He'll shoot Dayeon a text telling her and their grandfather not to worry. Or at least not to worry more than they already were.
After telling Officer Kim farewell, they started to make their way back to the city. Ijin sent Seokju a couple of messages on the way back and wasn't surprised when every single one was unopened. It was obvious that he was in deep shit, much deeper shit than the rest of them. But that didn't mean that he was any less worried.
As he thought, Ijin was scolded by both his grandfather and sister, his grandfather apologizing profusely to Kang and while Ijin felt bad, he had bigger concerns. Seokju hadn't answered his messages, but Ijin truly started getting worried when Seokju hadn't answered any of their messages by the evening. Seokju hadn't answered the messages from him, nor any of the questions from the group chat where the others were asking if everyone got home safely. While everyone else sent their 'got home' texts, Seokju was the only one who hadn't answered.
Holding the phone against his face, Ijin waited for Seokju to answer the call. He didn't like the sudden radio silence. Seokju always answered within a day, so for Seokju to not answer any of their text messages for nearly twenty-four hours by then, it was concerning.
The phone kept on ringing, and although Ijin tried to will Seokju to answer, his call went to voicemail.
Huffing to himself, Ijin called Seokju once more. Ijin rocked back and forth on his feet, trying to dispel his nervous energy as he waited for an answer. At least to find out if Seokju got home safely after a night like theirs.
His stomach sank when his call went straight to voicemail. The phone didn't even ring before Ijin had been sent to voicemail. Meaning that either Seokju rejected his call almost immediately, or it had been turned off in that short moment in between calls.
Ijin called two more times but got the same result. Straight to voicemail. He ran his hand through his hair as he heaved out a sigh. Something was wrong.
Swallowing thickly, Seokju forced himself to hand over his phone to Nam-gil so he could turn it off. He had hoped that Ijin would get the hint to stop calling, but it was obvious that he had done nothing but worry his friend with his lack of response.
"Good." his father said approvingly, his father's voice crackling with the distance. His eyes bore into him like they were standing face to face. His mother stared just as intensely at him, the laptop screen being split in half to show them both. As the cherry on top, his grandfather was right next to him, almost looming over him as he sat at the desk.
Seokju found himself unable to make eye contact with his parents, each time he tried, he had to look away, thoroughly cowed by the disapproval that radiated from the screen.
He almost wished he was still back in the police station. At least then, it felt like he could breathe.
His father heaved out a sigh. "In the past few months, you have gotten detention from being reckless on campus with Yu Ijin. Twice . " As his father kept on going, the more disappointed his parents became. " You pranked the same young man while at the S.W locker rooms. As well as there being reports of you fooling around with him during training. Along with the picture of you and him sleeping together that has been circulating around Team Two and Three, while you were at your clients house, nonetheless. And now, you were detained by a sheriff, because Yu Ijin was driving recklessly on a highway two hours away from the city. In which your grandfather had to wake up at four in the morning so he could go and pick you up. All because you lied to Nam-gil and decided to sneak out instead of studying with Ms. Shin as you said you would. All because you wanted to act like an utter fool. " The more his father talked, the more Seokju wanted the earth to swallow him whole. Anything just to get out of that situation.
He would have never acted like that with Ijin if he had known that it would be used against him. He never would have allowed himself to get wrapped up into such antics if it meant that.
His father sighed in annoyance, and even though it was out of frame, Seokju could hear his father throwing the papers onto the desk before leveling a stare at him. The disappointment was almost palpable.
"Let's talk about these friends of yours."
