Exception

XIV. Run

"So you're saying that I have to stay here until dusk? But Youngjae's waiting for me!" Daehyun shouted after Minhyuk had finished explaining his escape plan.

"Then do you prefer getting arrested?" Minhyuk sneered. "And risk having your identity being disclosed to the public? Youngjae will be so disappoint—"

"Shut up." Daehyun gritted his teeth, and resolved to sending a text to tell Youngjae that he had "work" to do. Just one more time. One more time, and then I no longer have to lie to Youngjae ever again.

Around three hours later, Daehyun found himself holding hands with Minhyuk, running out onto the main road, across busy streets and into a hidden alleyway.

Minhyuk let go of Daehyun's hand abruptly, but kept his grip on Jooheon's. He leaned on him for support, worn out from using his powers for an extended period of time. Jooheon took out a handkerchief and started wiping away the cold sweat that had formed on Minhyuk's ashen face.

"I still can't believe that worked." Daehyun said in a low voice. "Did we really turn invisible?"

Jooheon gave him a small smile. "Did you see your feet when you ran?"

"Wow, I got to admit, it's kind of amazing. How many more powers are you hiding up your sleeve?" Daehyun leaned against the brick wall.

Minhyuk scoffed. "Never thought I'd live to the day to hear you compliment me."

"Hate to interrupt, but now's not the time to chitchat," said Jooheon. "We shouldn't stay here for too long; the police will catch up with us soon."

-

Inseong pocketed his phone hastily and alighted the car. Jaeyoon fumbled with his seatbelt. "Who was on the phone? Where are you going?"

"Carpark." Inseong said as they crossed the road. "The security guard just called me. He said someone froze the images of the cameras on thirty-first floor, as well as the elevators, for a few minutes. Daehyun and his two friends probably left."

"By car? We would've seen—"

"No. I think they plan to go through the carpark and leave the building by another exit, one we can't see from our vantage point."

"'You think'?" Jaeyoon frowned, perplexed. They took the staircase and fled down two floors into the carpark. "You didn't say the cameras in the carpark are disrupted, though."

"They aren't." Inseong pulled up a map of the carpark that the security guard had sent him earlier. He led Jaeyoon through the maze of cars and arrived in front of a glass door that looked out into the opposite side of the street.

Jaeyoon looked up at the red blinking lights hidden in the darker corners. "If so, then shouldn't the security guard be able to see whether they went out this way or not?"

"Well, the thing is..." Inseong struggled to find the correct words. "Why don't you just see for yourself?"

"What, with my powers?" Jaeyoon raised a brow, but obliged. Less than two minutes later, he turned sharply to the detective. "The door opened by itself!"

Inseong nodded. "I had my doubts at first, but," He walked over to the door and tried pulling it open. "This glass door is way too heavy to be blown by wind. Someone must've opened it. And if you looked at the CCTV footage closely, you can see some dust flying up from the ground as if someone ran across this place. Someone... invisible."

"Shouldn't... shouldn't we try to catch up? The sun hasn't fully set yet; I think I can follow their shadows..."

Inseong looked up with uncertainty. "Are you sure? You've used your powers twice already."