TIME ─ JAEYONG

041⸰

it seemed viable. "we need to get out of here..." jaehyun came out the bathroom, scratching his skin furiously against the semi tainted towel. "toss the phone into the ocean. get on the fastest plane out of here."

taeyong noticed how jaehyun's skin began to turn red and cracked under the intense scratching motions. "stop jae! your hand is—"

"forget about my hand!" he snapped. "my father is waiting for us to step foot off of this ship! we need a plan, now!"

taeyong cursed under his breath. he went into a deep thought, thinking back to moments just before jae tackled her. "she said he would be tracking her once she started following us! the tracking device is clearly her phone. when our ship docks we plant the phone into someone else's bag that way they lead your father somewhere else while we escape."

"brilliant! i need to find plane tickets!" while jaehyun rushed up the stairs to grab his phone— that he left to charge, the door jiggled before being pushed open. taeil strolled in, unaware of the bleeding girl on the couch.

"hey, there's a farewell lunch going on— what the—"

"hey taeil." taeyong waved nonchalantly, a forced smile on his lips. taeil remained frozen, mouth agape and brows furrowed.

"why is she on the couch, unconscious?"

"oh her?" taeyong pointed down at her figure causing taeil to nod slowly. "don't know what you're talking about."

"taeyong!"

"okay! jaehyun's father is trying to kill me."

"what!? why!?" it dawned on taeyong that taeil knew nothing of his real background, only the fabricated one jaehyun had to pull out his ass to make it seem like he belonged.

while taeyong struggled to find words jaehyun came bounding down the stairs. "taeil, there's something i need from you."

"you need to tell me what the freak is going on jaehyun! who is this girl and why is she bleeding!? and why does your father want taeyong dead!?"

"you should sit for this."

✿

taeil breathed deeply out his nose as he clutched the disposable phone tightly in his hand. his mind was racing with everything jaehyun told him. it was all too much. he was disappointed, scared, worried, nervous and angry.

taeil didn't want anything bad to happen to the two. jaehyun was family. someone who he considered a younger brother and best friend. and taeyong, he was someone who got jaehyun to spread his wings and venture out. he made jaehyun happy and that's all taeil could ask for. he couldn't lose them, not like this. so he agreed to help.

"oops! sorry ma'am." he purposely side bumped a middle-aged woman whose bright pink alligator skin purse was open just wide enough for the phone to slip in. she waved it off, fixed her bag to go higher above her shoulder and continued on towards the buffet line.

JAEHYUN

phone is taken care of. what now?
Sent at 1:13 pm

come back inside the room and come hug me.
this might be the last time we see each other for a while.
Received at 1:13 pm

taeil felt tears prick his eyes. he hated those words but it was true. it would be a while, a very long while.

✿
a month later