wander [ hyunlix ]

36

"So— tell me again why we're coming back out here?"

Jisung's exasperated voice was the only sound in the silent car aside from the calm breathing of Minho, asleep on his shoulder.

"Weren't you listening earlier? I think Felix ran away because of his parents. I wanna go back to the beach house just to make sure he hasn't been back since we last checked," Chan shot back from where he sat in the driver's seat, keeping his eyes on the road.

Jisung just slumped back in his seat. He hated this long drive to the coast. As much as he cared about finding Felix, this all seemed like a lost cause to him.

The boy merely leaned his head against the window, and looked out at the dark sky. It was late, and the cloudy coverage of rain clouds served to even further block out any last remnant of sunlight.

Jisung kept himself entertained watching raindrops race each other across the glass for ages, amused with the weather picking up its intensity.

"Weird that it's always so stormy over here," Jisung commented, tracing the trails of water streaks outside with his index finger.
"Wasn't it like this last time?"

"Closer to the sea, I guess," Chan answered, making sure to turn the windshield wipers to the right setting.

The rise of chatter in the car gave way to Minho slowly waking up, and glancing around in a sleepy daze at his surroundings.

"...Are we still driving?"

"Right?" Jisung agreed with the elder, to which Chan scolded them both immediately.

"I can't go as fast in this weather, it's too risky. Do you guys want to lose traction and die?"

"Honestly—?"

"Don't answer that," Chan cut Jisung off at once.

"Why don't we just stop somewhere and keep going tomorrow? I told my parents I was sleeping over at Jisung's place anyway," Minho suggested, shooting said boy a little smile as he spoke.

"Right. And I told mine that I'm staying at your place," Jisung reached forward to tap the driver on the shoulder as he spoke.

Chan couldn't help but sigh at the two in the backseat. "Stay where? Do you see any hotels around here?"

"Please? You can't think of anything?" Jisung squeezed his shoulder.

The eldest was silent for what felt like an eternity. Mulling over his options was more of a painstaking task that anticipated.

"Fine," Chan relented. "I used to tutor this kid who lives out here, but I've only been to his house like once because it's so far. One of you will have to text and ask if we can drop by."

Jisung's hands were already on the boy's phone. "Okay. Phone password?" he asked, grinning.

"Zero nine one five," Chan called back, and Jisung entered the digits in a flash.

"Right. Who do I text?"

"Kid's name is Jeongin," Chan answered, hearing the sounds of speedy typing in the back. "Last name Yang."