√ 𝐸𝑓𝑓𝑒𝑟𝑣𝑒𝑠𝑐𝑒𝑛𝑡 // 𝐻𝑤𝑎𝑛𝑔 𝐻𝑦𝑢𝑛𝑗𝑖𝑛

three.

That strong resolve lasted for about three minutes before Hyunjin realized he had no idea where he was going.

"Crap," he breathed out, reaching for his phone. Dialing Woojin's number, he drummed his fingers on his leg impatiently. After four rings, the older boy picked up.

"Hello?"

"Hey hyung, it's me. I'm guessing Chan filled you in on today?" Hyunjin asked.

"Yep. And I'm guessing you need me to find out where that girl lives?" Woojin replied. Thank heaven he wasn't being too petty about it. Hyunjin muttered a confirmation. "Ok. Let me work my magic."

After asking him several questions about her appearance and the colours of her school uniform, Woojin had found the girl. "Here we go. Lee Nari."

Hyunjin's heart lurched a bit after hearing her name for the first time. If he wasn't careful, that name would be on the list of casualties caused because of him.

Woojin continued, oblivious to Hyunjin's worry. "She's seventeen. Lives with her uncle. Her brother disappeared from home five years ago, right after her parents'... " he trailed off.

Hyunjin raised his eyebrows. "Yeah? Her parents' what?"

"Their death."

Oh. Momentarily stunned, Hyunjin opened his mouth, then closed it. "Oh," he stuttered lamely, repeating what had just run through his head.

"Looks like her uncle is an alcoholic," Woojin continued grimly.

Eyes narrowed, Hyunjin asked, "Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure. It seems like he started drinking a few weeks after his sister and her husband died; Nari didn't have any other living relatives, so all custody rights went to him. His tabs at the local liquor store and bars are insane. I doubt she gets anything from him."

He began to grow impatient. "Can you find her address?"

Woojin calmly replied, "Yeah, she lives on Lincoln Street. It's about a twenty minute drive from where you are now."

The older boy knew this because, as the group's 'man in the chair', he had installed trackers into each of their phones.

"Copy that," Hyunjin said. "Thanks, Woojin."

Hanging up, he proceeded to type the address into the GPS app on his phone. Following the directions on foot was slower than in a vehicle, but Hyunjin's fit body managed just fine. Within a half hour he had reached her neighbourhood. Barely fatigued, he looked at the house number again and blended in with his surroundings.

Finding the house was easy. Hyunjin slipped between two trees as he caught sight of the building and slowly approached, being wary of any possible onlookers. He peered in one window and circled the house as he searched for signs of the girl. Finally, Hyunjin saw her.

Well, her back. She was sitting on her bed, fiddling with her phone. After a moment, she threw it down, seeming frustrated. She stood and stomped into a smaller adjoining room, the bathroom, Hyunjin assumed.

She grabbed a toothbrush and began to aggressively scrub at her teeth. Hyunjin was actually worried about her poor gums for a moment.

When she finished, she slammed the brush down and looked in the mirror. To Hyunjin's dismay, she began to cry. Quietly at first, but then her body began to convulse with sobs. Slowly, the distraught girl made her way back to the bed, where she collapsed and eventually fell asleep.