ʟᴀ ᴄᴏꜱᴛᴀ | ɴᴄᴛ ✔️

Chapter 16: Do Me A Favor

Yuta's eyebrows slowly knitted into a slight frown. "...Why...?"

His friend shrugged one of his shoulders. "Dunno – I think he said something along the lines of like, 'spending some one-on-one time with me before I leave' or some shit like that..."

"W-...Well, are you going?" Yuta fumbled to ask.

"I mean, I told him I would..."

"Hansol, I don't know about that..." Yuta's frown had deepened. "He sounds too calm with all of this..."

"You're telling me," Hansol scoffed, chewing on his bottom lip. "I've never seen him so pissed than he was the other day – him switching up that fast worries me..."

Yuta mumbled a curse under his breath. "So what will you do?"

"What do you mean what will I do? If I back out of going last-minute, that'll only look weird on me." Hansol pondered with a sigh. "Do you still have that pocket revolver I bought you?"

Yuta hummed. "It's up in my closet..."

"Can I borrow it?"

Yuta then froze and his eyes narrowed, an expression of concern displayed on his face. "Hansol-..."

"I get it; it sounds extreme, but I...genuinely do not trust that man, Yuta." Hansol tried to chuckle. "I just wanna be careful, okay?"

"...Just don't do anything you think you'll regret later." Yuta expressed, scrunching up his paper and standing. "Come on, and make sure it stays hidden..."

"Alright, Yuta, I know – shit..." Hansol sighed again as he followed his long-haired friend to the elevators, watching his paper ball swish into a nearby trashcan.

July 2nd, 2025
6:54 PM

Hansol slid his remaining brass round into his revolver's cylinder and spun the chamber shut, the elevator slowing to a full stop on the ground floor. As the doors glided open, Hansol stuffed the gun into his inner jean jacket pocket.

The lobby was mostly empty, aside from Jaehyun and Sicheng at the front desk, who waved the blonde boy off as he made his way to the front doors. "Evening stroll?" Jaehyun joked.

"Something like that," Hansol responded with a feigned look of ease. "Heading out with Taeyong for a bit. Should be back later."

"Ahhh, well, stay safe..." Jaehyun trailed off, nodding his head.

"If you guys are going hunting, at least try to catch some shit," Sicheng added. "It's been like two weeks since you last caught something out there..."

"Hey, I didn't set up the traps last time." Hansol declared with a chuckle. "Take that up with Mark; he was out there two weeks ago I think."

"I don't even care who's out there doing it – just bring back something, anything that isn't rabbit, for the love of God..." Sicheng then griped.

"Alright, sure, we'll come back with a whole deer this time." The three boys heard Jaemin's voice cackle, and Hansol turned his head in the direction of the elevators.

The bleach-blonde strutted to the front desk, joining Hansol at his side. "You're going hunting with us too?"

"Uhh...yeah..." Hansol trailed off, one of his eyebrows quirking. "Taeyong invited me last night. I...didn't know you were going..."