Rebirth; A New Age || seongjoong || ATEEZ

Chapter 13 : Over? Over.

"I don't know what the hell has gotten into the two of you- I thought we were past this stupid, bitchy, fifth-grader shit you two have been on for years now," the younger raised a violent and accusing finger to point at both of them. "But so help me if one of you does not explain to me why suddenly two of my best friends have disappeared in the night without a single word to anyone, then I will be inclined to think that you killed them off!"

The angry feeling bubbling down deep in Seonghwa disappeared immediately, and the shock and pain that Wooyoung would even say something like that must've been evident on his face because once he made eye contact with the younger, Wooyoung's face softened as he looked a little guilty for going as far as that, but then reverted back to his hard and angry expression. Hongjoong seemed shocked as well, frozen where he remained standing in the quickly warming morning air.

"Yes, I did go that far," Wooyoung spoke again, but dropped his finger and took a few moments to try and collect his racing thoughts. "I don't want to believe that's what happened to them but if no one is going to say shit then what else am I supposed to believe? We haven't seen a single zombie since we've been here so don't try and tell me that two of our best fighters were suddenly picked off during the night."

Seonghwa felt the blood leave his face, and from one quick side glance to Hongjoong told him that the other man was feeling the same thing. It hurt more than he could really bear to have Wooyoung accuse him of something so terrible, and the urge to run off into the sun was getting harder and harder to suppress.

"Okay- Okay, let's um... just gather everyone up. We need to have a talk," was all Hongjoong said when Seonghwa failed to say anything.

Then he was moving forward, kicking at the dirt on the ground before marching off into the barn with his hands in his pockets. The cold breeze made Seonghwa shiver, goosebumps breaking out all over his skin as he was left standing in front of Wooyoung who did not move when he heard Hongjoong calling everyone to have an impromptu meeting.

"Hyung," Wooyoung called to him when Seonghwa's gaze remained on the ground, the back of his eyes burning even worse than they had been earlier. It took all of his strength to look Wooyoung in the eye and then even more when he saw Wooyoung biting his bottom lip to try and keep himself together. "Tell me it's not true- tell me they didn't leave."

Seonghwa's lips parted a little, the same helpless feeling that had overtaken him the night before returned even stronger as Wooyoung grabbed onto the barn's wooden door.

"Tell me they didn't leave. Tell me that-" Wooyoung's voice broke, but it was clear that the younger was trying his hardest to keep a calm face. "-that they're just hiding and that this is some sick joke. Yeosang and Jongho go off all the time- you know they're in love- they're always running off somewhere private... but they always come back you know?"

No words came to Seonghwa and that only made him feel even more useless. In the times that he needed his wise words, they always seemed to refuse to work as he was reduced to nothing more than a broken man with wet eyes and a shattered heart.

"They always come back..." Wooyoung whispered when his regular speaking voice refused to work and his confidence in what he was saying diminished.

"Let's go inside," was all Seonghwa could force out, doing his best to keep his voice soft and steady so he didn't spook the younger anymore. "Let's just go inside for now."

It was then that Seonghwa could tell that Wooyoung lost all hope that Yeosang and Jongho were coming back. He could see it in the way his shoulders dropped down and the muscles in his face relaxed in the way they always did when it became a burden to hold the tension of hope. But somehow, Wooyoung did not cry. His eyes watered as he looked away and sniffled once before he turned back to Seonghwa with pained eyes and he shook his head.