Incarnadine | Prequel to "Viridescence"

26

"Alright fine, I'll come back to this exact same area in an hour. Call me instantly if anything happens," the gang member sighs. Seonghwa palms the flip phone in his pocket and nods.

The two get out with their heavy bags and feel a small sense of relief as the car drives away. 

"Let's get started, Hwa."

"Let's go, Joong."

Seonghwa glances around warily as he makes his way to the building. His mind runs with thoughts. So this is the place Hongjoong was confined in for nearly five years of his life? It already doesn't look that great on the outside, and from the things Seonghwa's heard, it probably doesn't look much better on the inside either.

His eyes flick to Hongjoong behind him and he takes a deep breath, hoping everything goes to plan, even though it's a rusty one.

He sneaks in through the front door and takes a step in the direction of the hallway before the receptionist catches eye of him. "Where are your parents?" she demands. Seonghwa's breath gets caught in his throat and he gulps. He has never been that great at lying.

"Where's the toilet?" he blurts out. He fights against the urge to bite his lip out of nervousness as he curses himself out mentally. "Go down the hallway to your right and there should be a bathroom at the end. Come back quick and explain where your parents are after, okay?" she explains. Seonghwa nods and further lowers his cap onto his face.

He lets out the breath he didn't realise he was holding as he's walking down the hallway. He hears faint voices in the background. "Yes ma'am, I'm with him. I promise I'll come back after using the toilet, thank you!" Hongjoong's fake high pitched voice is followed by quick footsteps.

Seonghwa's eyes widen as Hongjoong shoves his own bag into Seonghwa's arms. He readjusts his face mask and cap to make sure his face is barely visible and stretches his arms. "Right Hwa, go ahead and do your thing. I'll meet you later," he whispers while taking his bag back before scurrying off. The boy's arms shake from the weight of his own bag. He won't have to deal with it for much longer though.

His alert eyes scan the walls for the fire alarm that he can set off. Why is it so hard to find something so important?

At last however, his eyes land on the bright red box stuck on the empty white wall. He smiles to himself and approaches it. 

But then he is suddenly interrupted.

"What are you doing here, young man? I don't recognise you." A woman's stern voice stops the boy. He turns in her direction but still keeps his head slightly ducked. His mind whirrs with potential excuses but none of them feel suitable.

The woman whips her head around when she hears a scream. "Help!"

Seonghwa fights the laughter within him. That's most certainly Hongjoong's voice, and the boy is curious about what fake scenario Hongjoong has created this time as a distraction. It works either way, as the woman shoots a scowl in Seonghwa's direction one last time before speeding away in the direction of the scream.

Once the coast is clear, the boy wastes no more as he presses the fire alarm on the wall. Suddenly the screeching sound of the blaring sirens fills the emptiness rapidly. Before the hallways flood with people, Seonghwa rushes to the bathroom and hides himself in a stall to wait for everyone to leave. His ears ring at the deafening alarm but he simply clenches his jaw and stays tense. He needs to be careful.

Eventually the sirens stop. As the nurses and other staff try to figure out what the commotion is about at the outdoor fire assembly point, Seonghwa and Hongjoong need to get to work quickly. Luckily for them, the building isn't a large one and it should only take a few minutes at most.