√ 𝐸𝑓𝑓𝑒𝑟𝑣𝑒𝑠𝑐𝑒𝑛𝑡 // 𝐻𝑤𝑎𝑛𝑔 𝐻𝑦𝑢𝑛𝑗𝑖𝑛

forty two.

     "Almost there!" Chan's throat strained out, thighs and breaths burning as they edged closer and closer to freedom.

     When Minho's feet cleared the threshold of the tunnel's exit, he skidded to a stop, head wheeling around as he tried to spot the van that would carry them to safety.

     It was parked at the mouth of the alley they were located in, where Johnny casually stood, lighter flickering out as he pinched a cigarette between his fingers. Gasping for air, Minho cupped his hands around his mouth, vocal cords raw as he yelled out.

     "Start the car, dumbass!"

     Johnny jumped, coughing in surprise as he saw that Minho was standing twenty yards away from him, legs trembling from exertion. "The fu... "

     The man fumbled for the keys in his pocket as the rest of their group stumbled out of the dank confines of the tunnels. Taeyong almost dropped Chenle as he slammed into the alley wall, reeling as he caught his balance. As his eyes caught on Johnny's struggling form, his mouth fell open in exasperation, his leader side peeking out.

     "Why the hell aren't you ready?"

     "Sorry!" Johnny shouted, slamming the driver door as he cranked the key in the ignition. Mark sprinted around the back of the van and pulled the double doors open, frantically waving Hyunjin and Taeyong over.

     "They're almost here, come on!"

     The girl in his arms twitched awake as Hyunjin broke into a run again, her cry of confusion lost in the sound of footsteps pounding on concrete. He and Taeyong quickly reached the back of the van, and as Hyunjin lifted Nari up to set her on the cold metal, two helping hands reached down to assist him. In the shadows of the night, Hyunjin couldn't tell who it was, and neither could Taeyong.

     "There wasn't supposed to be anyone else in here!" he growled as yet another unexpected twist entered their mission.

     "The kid wanted to come," Johnny shot back as he shifted gears, ready to speed away as everyone boarded the vehicle. "He was worried about his best friend, what was I supposed to do?"

     Jisung's long fingers trembled as he helped Taeyong lift his injured friend into the van, tall back hunching as he leaned over his limp form.

     "Is- is he gonna be okay?" the young boy whimpered worriedly, gently brushing the torn fabric near Chenle's bullet wounds.

     Chenle hissed in pain, causing Jisung to jerk away, fearful of hurting his elder. He glanced up at Taeyong, who was busy pulling Nari into the van by her waist. As he waited for a response, he latched on to Chenle's cold fingers, trying to rub some warmth into them.

     But his question had been lost in the commotion, the others busy with making sure everyone was inside and accounted for.

     Just as Hyunjin had counted all of their members off, the tunnel door in the alley creaked open, and armed men began to spill out. They were led by Hana, who's fiery anger blazed even in the dead of night.

     As Hyunjin pulled himself into the van's back doors, their eyes met, and for a moment, the atmosphere was still and quiet. For a split second, he just stared into her eyes, trying to search for the warmth he had once known, the kindness he had once recieved, the friend he had once loved. But all that was left was pure rage, eyes that wanted nothing more than blood.

     "Go!" he cried out to Johnny as Hana raised her weapon.

     The man floored the pedal just as bullets begin to ping off of the metal doors, the sudden speed almost causing Hyunjin to fall out of the van. He gripped the side of the nearest door tightly, pulling himself fully inside as the van sped down the street.

     While Minho helped him slam the doors shut, Taeyong hurriedly searched for the vehicle's first aid kit, shaking hands spilling the contents everywhere as he opened it.

     "Shit," he mumbled, scooping up stray bandages and tubes of ointment. "Who's good with blood?"

     Mark's face soured, his hand carefully shielding Nari's head from the hard wall as the van turned sharply. Jisung wasn't able to focus on anything, his eyes not leaving his friend's frail state. When Taeyong raised his eyebrows at Chan, he simply pointed at Minho.

     The boy sighed in defeat, holding his hand out for some surgical gloves. "I'll take care of it."

     Minho slid on the gloves that Taeyong gave him, assessing who needed his help the most. When he'd gotten a good look at Jeongin, the boy hadn't had any major wounds, ones that were heavily bleeding anyway. The worst problem for him at the moment was trauma. Nari had received a pretty bad wound on the back of her skull, probably from repeated blows. But again, no blood was leaving her body, which was what Minho was searching for immediately.

     He knelt at Chenle's side, gently brushing Jisung's anxious hands away as he checked on the boy. His shoulder wound was oozing now, not trickling like it had been before. The injury on his leg was also bleeding slower, the wound struggling to clot.

     A little less worried now, Minho turned away and took the first aid kit from Taeyong, selecting the items he deemed appropriate for the situation.

     As he pulled out a needle, bandages, and a bottle of alcohol, Jisung grasped Chenle's hand again, growing even more scared as his damp, waxy hand wouldn't absorb any heat.

     His eyes studied Chenle's body and settled on his chest, waiting to watch is rise up and back down again as he drew in a breath.

     But he watched, and waited, and nothing happened. Jisung's own breath stilled as his eyes widened, not daring to look away for even a second.

     "Is he... breathing?"

i bet y'all hate me so much lmao

also almost 75k reads??? for what??? i'm a terrible??? author???

tysm tho guys, honestly ily and your support so much, i still can't believe that anyone actually likes what i write. i appreciate you (;つ´༎ຶٹ༎ຶ')つ❤︎❤︎❤︎