Caught In Your Arms (DISCONTINUED)

...~CHAPTER 4~...

Wooyoung did not return to his house that night and instead settled there in the alley, crying his eyes out. He couldn't wrap his head around the fact that the body had just vanished without a trace (other than the pool of blood).

He was terrified, of being caught, and most importantly, of his parents. He doesn't want to confront them after he failed the test and murdered someone all in one night.

He looked up from his tear-soaked knees and felt drowsy from his breakdown, not noticing that his eyelids were gradually drooping until they shut completely.

Wooyoung didn't remember how long he had been snoozing for when he was awakened by tweeting birds. His eyes fluttered open lazily, still overtaken by sleep when he felt vibrating in his pocket. He slowly reached for the disturbance and saw it was his phone obtaining messages.

He rubbed his eyes and unlocked his lock screen, scrolling through his notifications. He abruptly got an incoming call and cowered at the loud ringtone. He swiped at the accept button and immediately a loud voice shrieked at him. He winced as he jerked the phone away from his ear.

"JUNG WOOYOUNG, WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU-" His mother's voice yelled through the call, sounding incredibly furious.

Wooyoung sighed, which only infuriated her more as she resumed screaming at him to come back to the house or else. He gulped inaudibly and tears welled up in his eyes.

"Yes ma'am..." Was the only response he came up with and ended the call with reluctance. He stood up shakily and smoothed out the creases noticeable on his clothing. He leaned against the brick wall and exhaled slowly.

Sure he was intimidated by his mother, but the person he feared the most was his father. To listen to his mother shout at him like that, he could only imagine his father will do worse than just yelling.

Strangled sobs let it's way out from his throat and he stopped himself from having another breakdown. He made his way from out of the alley and extended a hand to his eyes, the sharp sun overwhelming him.

He overlooked the curious glances he received from people passing by and walked down the sidewalk with no trouble. His hands were hidden in his pockets and his eyes were cast downward.

"Hey, Wooyoung! Where were you last night?" A familiar voice called out to him, causing him to halt in his tracks and look back. It was Jung-hoon jogging up to him.

"Jung-hoon? How did you know I was here-" He began but shortly altered his words. "-Taking a stroll at this time of day?" He lied through his teeth smoothly.

Jung-hoon's posture seemed to waver at his words but then he flashed a smile immediately afterward.

"I was worried when I haven't heard anything from you at all last night and you weren't home too," He murmured, scratching his neck while pursuing his lips in distress.

Wooyoung had always gotten an odd vibe from Jung-hoon ever since they met, but glimpsing this side of him made him feel soft inside. He cracked a tiny smile and sighed.

"I forgot to call you back after school and ended up staying at my friend's house for the night, sorry if I concerned you," Wooyoung once again lied with no problem. Jung-hoon seemed confused for a couple of seconds before straightening up and slinging an arm over his shoulder. They began walking at a sluggish pace.

"Alright, but what about your parents though? They seemed uneasy when I asked where you were," He questioned while looking ahead. Wooyoung scoffed before turning it into a cough to avoid suspicion. 'Of course, they'll act as if they are concerned for me to maintain their image,' He thought while gritting his teeth in disbelief.

"I also forgot to tell them as well," He forced out, not replying to any more inquiries thrown at him along the way. He didn't even know where they were heading until they arrived at a cafe. He lifted a questioning brow at his friend before being pulled forward through the doors.

The aroma of coffee and pastries filled his nose as soon as he stepped foot inside the establishment. He caught sight of Jung-hoon gazing around and his eyes lagged on a small gathering of girls in the corner with their heads huddled together.

"Um, Jung-hoon? You know I have to go back to my house-" Wooyoung reminded him but hushed himself when the said male was frozen in place and held an intense look on his face.

The group of girls stood up and neared the bathrooms in a brisk orderly fashion. Jung-hoon's eyes darted to Wooyoung and gestured for him to sit at a table, behaving as if nothing had happened.

Wooyoung side-glanced him as he took a seat at the table and intertwined his fingers on his lap.

"What do you crave at the moment? You look like you haven't eaten at all today, and don't worry, I'll pay for it," Jung-hoon beamed as soon as they both relaxed in their chairs.

Wooyoung felt guilty that his friend was going to pay and was about to object when he held up his hand.

"As I said, you don't have to trouble yourself with the bill," This time, he felt really sincere about it and Wooyoung swore that his cheeks were heating up.

"And while you order what you want, I need to use the restroom real quick so I'll be back," He added in urgency and stood up, heading towards the bathrooms.

Wooyoung remained in his seat, his arms now resting on the table, and began thinking. His cheeks heated up just a few seconds ago and he mentally face-palmed himself for that action.

His gaze locked in the bathroom area, the same area where the girls and Jung-hoon ran off to. A frown was set on his face and he stood up, sauntering towards the counter, and put in his order.

A couple of moments passed and he assumed that he was ditched but saw Jung-hoon stride towards the table. But something seemed off about his stiff figure and distant expression.

But it seemed to shift as soon as he was a slight distance from the table.

"I'm back, so did you order?" His usual up-beat tone came across to be present but not as much compared to other times they've interacted. Wooyoung nodded and Jung-hoon smiled at the response before walking to the counter himself, passing some cash to the worker at the register.

Wooyoung sipped on his strawberry blended lemonade while watching him exchange some words with the employee. He plucked his phone from his pocket when he got a buzz from the device.

His face paled and his hands shook as he examined the message. His mom was once again demanding his location through text and he attacked his keyboard furiously to form his response.

He pressed the 'send' button and from behind his phone, he could see his leg rising and falling. He positioned a hand on it to prevent any more movements and nudged his phone in his pocket.

Jung-hoon was finally returning to the table when he saw Wooyoung's anxious expression. He settled down across from him, stretching out his hand. Wooyoung was stunned and hesitantly plopped his hand into his, then feeling a reassuring squeeze from the male.

He met his eyes and a delicate smile played at his lips.

A/N

Hola! Thanxx for reading this chapter today!

I'm sorry for taking more than 3 days to write out this chapter and then making it feel rushed :((. I sorta had writer's block while occupying myself with this story and was kinda busy as well.

Seems like lame excuses but they're not false, I promise you. Anygays, I'll make sure future chapters will be more uploaded on time and not hurried.

To end this note here, make sure to consume enough food and drink plenty of water to ensure you're alive and well. (I need to take this advice myself as well-) ☺️💛✨

(Also stream Advice by Taemin-)