Kyuhyun was grateful for Seungri. Really he was. He discovered that when he walked into the store, all the clocks had been turned forward five hours and Taeyang was chasing Seungri all over the place, trying to “punish” the store magnae for playing the prank. Taeyang didn’t even notice that Kyuhyun had just arrived.
Luckily, there were all of three people in the store, not caring or noticing what was going on with the employees. Kyuhyun smiled as Taeyang finally caught Seungri and started tickling him. The frozen food section echoed with the laughter of the youngest employee.
“If you keep tickling him, Taeyang, I’m not going to have anyone to stack cereal with,” Kyuhyun grinned as Seungri begged for mercy.
“You’re lucky Kyuhyun is here to save you,” Taeyang smiled. He kissed Seungri gently on the mouth. Kyuhyun felt a twinge of longing for Sungmin back home. He wished he could see Sungmin right now. But it was ten o’clock and his lunch break was in three hours so it was very little time until he could see his lover again.
“Aish, and I thought I was going to get away with it too. But he caught me just as I put the last clock into place,” Seungri explained after he waved goodbye to Taeyang. Kyuhyun followed Seungri to the fruit section and began to help him stack apples.
“Well, I’m deeply indebted to you. I came in almost an hour late but thanks to you, nobody noticed,” Kyuhyun thanked his friend. Seungri smiled.
“Taeyang noticed but he didn’t care. He knew you would show up, you always do.”
“Thank heavens for trust.”
“Yes, but I’m going to punish you for being late because I had to put away the frozen food by myself. So if you don’t finish stacking the oranges by the time I’ve finished stacking apples, you have to do whatever I want until break. If you win, then you don’t have to listen to me,” Seungri grinned.
“But you have nearly half of your job done!” Kyuhyun protested.
“I know.”
“Evil, cheating…thing,” Kyuhyun muttered.
“Isn’t he? Move quickly, Kyuhyun! Last time, I had to wear a doily on my head the entire time I was working at the cash register!” Daesung exclaimed, popping his head around the corner of the snacks aisle.
“What did you do?” Kyuhyun asked, trying to hold in his laughter. Daesung glared at Seungri who simply glared back.
“He took my Choco Pie,” Seungri answered.
“It was mine to begin with but then the magnae stole it from me so I took it back!” Daesung retaliated.
“No, it was mine, then yours, then I took it back, then you stole it again,” Seungri corrected.
“It was mine, then yours, then mine, then yours and then I took it back!”
“No, I had it, you stole it, I got it, you stole it, I had it then you stole it again!”
“It was Taeyang’s who gave it to me, and it was stolen by you, taken back by me, taken again by you, I got it, you stole it so I took it!” Daesung exclaimed.
By now, Kyuhyun had given up trying to keep track of who had the Choco Pie to begin with and whose it really was. Instead, while Daesung and Seungri were bickering he stacked oranges. As he put the second last orange into place, he felt a twinge of pain in his left shoulder.
The ache grew until Kyuhyun could barely move his arm and then it faded. He looked at his left side doubtfully. Had he somehow injured himself? He moved his arm slightly but nothing happened. It looked like the soreness had gone. Kyuhyun debated going to a doctor but put the thought out of his head. His shoulder was fine now.
“….don’t you dare bring my mother into this! She had nothing to do with breaking your toaster!” Seungri yelled in Daesung’s direction. Kyuhyun looked around. The store was now filled with more people and a good ten shoppers were staring at them incredulously.
“Yes she did! You inherited her clumsy genes!”
“That was my dad’s fault!”
“Well it was somebody’s fault!” Daesung hollered back. Kyuhyun placed the last orange on his pile and snuck a look at Seungri’s. The magnae hadn’t stacked anything since the fight had started ten minutes ago. Kyuhyun inched slightly to the right, hoping to put a bit of distance between himself and the arguing employees.
“Seungri, I finished my pile!” Kyuhyun announced loudly. Seungri stopped fighting long enough to look at his unfinished pile and Kyuhyun’s neat completed one. He gaped in astonishment. Then he turned around and fixed Daesung with a glare.
“You made me lose!” The magnae yelled. Daesung smirked and shrugged before running past the shocked employee and disappearing down the household equipment aisle.
“Better luck next time, Ri-Ri,” Kyuhyun grinned. Seungri tried to glare at him but ended up smiling instead, impressed with Kyuhyun’s tactics.
“I won’t forget this!” The magnae vowed. Kyuhyun laughed and put the box that used to hold oranges underneath the fruit stands. He was just about to see if anymore bread needed to be put on the stands when Taeyang came over to him.
“Hey, Kyu, you have a call. From someone in your building I think,” Taeyang pointed in the direction of his office. Kyuhyun nodded and walked over to the manager’s office. He wondered who would be calling him.
“Yoboseyo?”
“Ah, Kyuhyun, is Sungmin there with you?”
“Oh, Mrs. Kyung. No, Sungmin isn’t here with me, why?”
“I picked up the flowers you sold me and I got home and realized I forgot my tape measure at your apartment. I went back and Sungmin didn’t open the door. I was there for a good ten minutes ringing the doorbell and knocking on the door. Then I thought he might have gone to see you.”
“No, he isn’t here with me,” Kyuhyun felt a sense of fear rise up inside of him. Was Sungmin hurt?
“Well that’s strange. Perhaps he was asleep. Well, could you call and tell him to deliver my tape measure once he wakes up?”
“Yes, yes,” Kyuhyun answered, not really certain what he was agreeing to. His throat was dry and his heart was beating faster than before. He hung up the phone and then picked it up again and dialled his home phone number. He noticed his hands were shaking.
The phone rang. Once, twice, three times. A dial tone sounded. Kyuhyun quickly dialled the number again. The same thing happened. Thinking that maybe Sungmin didn’t hear the phone, he called their home once more.
No one picked up. Kyuhyun stared at the handset. Sungmin alwaysanswered the phone. He couldn’t ignore it. So what was wrong now? Kyuhyun felt shaky and he walked out of Taeyang’s office, a million thoughts running through his head.
“Taeyang?” Kyuhyun asked, his voice eerily calm. The manager turned to look at him and noticed the difference in his employee.
“What is it, Kyuhyun?” Taeyang asked, feeling slightly worried. He had never seen Kyuhyun look so out of it before.
“Can I take my break early?” Kyuhyun asked. Taeyang nodded.
“Yes, I think you should go home and rest. I think you’re getting sick.”
“Thank you,” Kyuhyun bowed and went into the back room to grab his things before he left. He was in a complete daze as he walked home. It was a windy day but Kyuhyun didn’t feel the cold. He was worried about Sungmin. What could have happened to him?
Before he knew it, he was in front of his apartment door. He put the key in the lock and turned it. The door swung open before him and a perfectly still apartment greeted him. It was unnerving how silent the place was.
“Minnie?” Kyuhyun croaked into the air. He took a few steps in and heard nothing but his footfalls on the floor. He walked slowly through their home, listening carefully.
“Sungmin, are you okay?” Kyuhyun asked, panic beginning to rise inside of him. He ran into his room and looked around. The place was nice and neat and it scared him. He looked into the study and saw no one.
“Sungmin, please answer me!” Kyuhyun begged into the stillness. There was no reply. Sungmin wasn’t there. Kyuhyun immediately began to think of places Sungmin would go. He had no idea. But Sungmin didn’t have a key to get back in. So why would he go anyplace?
Perhaps he had gone to visit him, Kyuhyun thought. But it didn’t take very long to walk to the grocery store and he would have seen him. Kyuhyun was beginning to feel unnerved. Sungmin wouldn’t go back to Jiwon. So where was he?
Kyuhyun walked slowly back through the apartment. A silver flash caught his eye and he turned to see a small silver object on the ground. He went over to it, uncertain of what it might be and picked it up. It was Mrs. Kyung’s tape measure. That was when Kyuhyun noticed something else.
A broken pot plant lay on the floor a few feet away. Why would there be a broken plant on the floor? Kyuhyun wondered. He picked up the flower and his blood ran cold. The bright, pink flower that lay in his palm made Kyuhyun more scared than he had ever been in his entire life.
The beautiful rhododendron in his hand symbolized one thing: danger. Kyuhyun immediately understood what had happened. The pain he had felt in his shoulder wasn’t ordinary. He cursed himself for not understanding before.
Sungmin hadn’t gone back to his ex-lover. Jiwon had come back for him and this terrified Kyuhyun most of all. He immediately ran out of the apartment and into the garage, looking for the space where he had parked his car last.
He turned the machine on and raced out of the garage, tires squealing, hoping that he would find Sungmin. He didn’t know how but his car took him to the place where he had dropped off Sungmin almost a month ago. He remembered this spot vaguely but couldn’t remember which direction Sungmin went.
He parked his car and got out, unsure of where to go. He decided on knocking on a few doors and asking if a Sungmin lived near here. He walked up to a house and knocked. The woman who answered told him that a couple had moved here a few years ago but she hadn’t seen them in a while.
Kyuhyun thanked her and continued looking. About half an hour later, after asking a woman where a Jiwon lived and getting the address from the woman who had accidentally put it in her cookie jar, he made his way to 132 Toki Crescent. His heart was pounding in apprehension. What would he find?
He walked up to the white house, covered by trees and knocked on the door. He waited. There was no answer. He knocked again and waited. Still no answer. Kyuhyun was visibly trembling and he couldn’t take waiting anymore. He walked around the side of the house and to the back. The windows were covered and he couldn’t see in.
He was just about to give up when a breeze blew past him and one of the curtains blew open. Kyuhyun saw the gentle flare of the material and an idea came into his head. The window wasn’t very far off the ground. He walked closer and put his hands on the window ledge.
He pulled himself up and fell through the window. So much for a stealthy entrance. He picked himself up. There was silence in the place. Jiwon wasn’t here. Neither was Sungmin. Where were the two of them? Kyuhyun walked through the house when he spotted something.
A picture stood on the table. It was of Sungmin and Jiwon, their arms around each other. Kyuhyun felt bile rise in his throat and jealousy washed through him as he looked at Sungmin’s happy expression. He turned away from the picture and his eyes fell on a note
His previous jealousy was replaced by curiosity and he picked up the note.
Boss,
We got him. You’re right, he is cute. We have everything we need. We’re at the location. We’ll see you there.
Taekyung
Kyuhyun felt his blood freeze. Jiwon was intent upon harming Sungmin. He couldn’t let this happen. He was afraid but he knew he couldn’t do this alone. He thought back to the time when Heechul had called them. The caller ID on the phone stated the number. Now all he had to do was remember it.
~₪~₪~₪~₪~
Ryeowook was ready to scream. He was ready to do more than that actually. His hyungs were still preparing for his wedding. Eeteuk was in a panic because he couldn’t find the lace (not that he asked if Ryeowook wanted to wear lace) and had trashed the house before remembering he left it in his car.
Donghae was having similar problems. He couldn’t decide if he wanted Eeteuk and Kangin at one table or another. He also had no idea what colour the table cloths should be. Kibum was undecided about wedding music and Heechul was annoying them all by not knowing what kind of centerpieces should go on the tables.
Hankyung had no idea which catering staff should be used and as soon as Kangin had written all the invitations, decided that he didn’t like the look of the cards and was now redoing all of them. Eunhyuk was unsure of what entertainment should be used and Yesung was staring into space.
So Ryeowook, to put it mildly, was pissed off. And largely so. He was about to open his mouth and give everyone a piece of exactly what was going on in his mind when the phone rang. He jumped for it and picked up the receiver, happy that at last he could so something.
“Who is it? Did I dial the right place? Is this the home of Sungmin’s friends?”
“Yeah, I’m Ryeowook. Who is this?”
“Oh, Ryeowook! This is Kyuhyun. Remember me?”
“Oh, yeah! Sungmin’s living with you!” At east talking to Kyuhyun was something to do.
“Yes, listen. Is Sungmin there?”
“No, he isn’t here. Why?”
“Oh god. Sungmin is missing and-” Kyuhyun didn’t get any farther.
“SUNGMIN IS MISSING?!” Ryeowook yelled. Eeteuk’s head snapped up and Yesung jumped up and went over to Ryeowook. Kangin stopped what he was doing, Kibum ran into the room, Hankyung dropped the folders he was holding, Heechul pushed Kangin out of the way to hear better, Eunhyuk stopped babbling about vacation places and Donghae looked at Ryeowook disbelievingly.
“….and I don’t know where he is. Do you know where he might have gone? I really need to find him, I’m so afraid. I don’t know what to do, I just-“
As Kyuhyun continued to babble, Ryeowook noticed something. Kyuhyun sounded really scared. He wondered why. Was Sungmin in danger? There was a note of desperation in Kyuhyun’s voice. Does Kyuhyun love Sungmin?
“Kyuhyun!” Ryeowook interrupted, “we’ll help you look for Sungmin.”
“Thank you. Thank you so much. I’m just so worried about him.”
“Don’t worry, we’ll help. Give me your cellphone number and we’ll call you if we hear or find anything.”
“Thank you, Ryeowook. I can see why Minnie says you’re so kind.”
“Minnie?”
“I meant Sungmin! I’ll search downtown and you can split the rest of Seoul okay?”
“We’ll find him, Kyuhyun,” Ryeowook promised.
“I hope so.”
Ryeowook hung up the phone and stared into space, thinking. Eeteuk got up and nudged the magnae.
“Wookie-baby? What’s going on?” The umma asked. Kangin also came up behind him.
“Tell us what’s happening. Ryeowookie,” Kangin said.
“Sungmin has gone missing. Kyuhyun has no idea where to find him and he wants us to help,” Ryeowook turned to Yesung. The elder male immediately put his arms around his lover. He knew how easily Ryeowook could get worried and he hated it when he did.
“Shh, it’s okay, Wookie. We’ll help him and find Sungminnie,” Yesung kissed Ryeowook’s forehead and hoped that the magnae would stop worrying.
“Minnie’s missing? What are we waiting for?! We have to look for him!” Eeteuk yelled, immediately dropping the designs for the suit that Ryeowook was supposed to wear. Kangin followed close behind him. The rest of them immediately ran out after.
The atmosphere in their car was intense. All of them were nervous, concerned and worried. Heechul was silent, a rare thing. Hankyung’s hand was in his and anyone looking closely could see that Heechul was extremely anxious. Eeteuk’s driving was worse than usual and Kangin kept his hand on Eeteuk’s arm in order to steady him.
Donghae’s head was on Eunhyuk’s shoulder and Eunhyuk’s arm was around Donghae. Ryeowook was being held closely in Yesung’s arms. He was scared and he didn’t know why. He felt worried for Sungmin. Eeteuk came to a stop at a curb near a clothing store.
“Okay, listen. Heechul and Hankyung, you guys are going to check the west side. You have a cellphone right? Call if you find anything, both Kyuhyun and I. We’ll call you before we pick you up okay? Find our Minnie.” Eeteuk instructed. Heechul and Hankyung slipped out of the car and walked down the street.
A few stops later, Eunhyuk and Donghae were dropped off with instructions to search the east side of town. The two of them headed in search of their missing friend.
“Okay, Yesung and Ryeowook will search the south side of town. You know our number and Kyuhyun’s number so call if you find anything. Yesung, protect Wookie okay? We’ll call you every so often to check in,” Eeteuk dropped the other two off. Then he drove with Kangin to the north side of the city. No matter what, he would find his missing child.
~₪~₪~₪~₪~
Kyuhyun had been checking everywhere he could think of. He had been looking for a good three hours downtown. The streets were bustling with people and Kyuhyun was looking at everyone. He had walked into multiple stores, cafes, restaurants and diners but had seen no trace of Sungmin.
He had talked to a florist named Siwon who knew Sungmin but hadn’t seen him. They talked for a while and Siwon told him that Sungmin used to have two other friends named Zhoumi and Henry but he had not seen them for a good two years. He suggested going to the baker named Shindong who also knew Sungmin pretty well.
Kyuhyun had gone to see Shindong who also told him he had no idea where Sungmin was. He mentioned the park but Kyuhyun had checked there multiple times. He was nearly at his wits end. He wanted to find Sungmin, alive, okay and unharmed.
“Cause I can’t stop thinking about you girl, nae uri ane gadugoshi-”
Kyuhyun pulled out his cellphone and checked the caller. It was Eeteuk.
“Did you find him?” Kyuhyun asked. There was a silence on the other line.
“Kyuhyun, nobody has been able to find him. We’ve all been searching for three hours. We haven’t seen him. Yesung and Ryeowook say that nobody knows a Sungmin where they are and Heechul and Hankyung haven’t found anything, Donghae and Eunhyuk are still looking and Kangin and I haven’t found anything either. Have you-?”
“No. Eeteuk-hyung, we need to find him!” Kyuhyun exclaimed loudly. He heard Eeteuk breathe out on the other line.
“We’ll keep looking.”
Kyuhyun thanked him and hung up. His resolve to keep looking was stronger than ever before. He had to, had to, had to find his Sungmin.
~₪~₪~₪~₪~
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