Substitute-Chapter 114

It wasn’t from the neat footpath—the sound came from the opposite direction.

He turned toward the sound, but no one was there.

Was he hearing things?

Jiwon walked toward the sign that read high-voltage current. Grass up to his waist brushed and bent underfoot with each step, yet, swallowed by the speaker’s noise, it felt as quiet as walking on water.

“Jiwon.”

Not a hallucination.

A hand showed through the overgrown brush. It beckoned him over.

He couldn’t see the face, so he had no idea who it was; he moved as carefully as possible.

The instant he felt he was close enough, the hand shot out from the brush.

In a blink, he was yanked inside, almost toppled into the thicket.

“What the—”

He nearly swung a fist, then recognized Kim Yunho and snatched his hand back.

“Shh.”

Kim Yunho pressed an index finger to his lips and hunched low.

Jiwon, for the moment, was relieved Yunho had gotten out safely.

“Where’s Geonwoo?”

“I don’t know.”

Answering that, Kim Yunho parted the brush a little and scanned the garden beyond the wire fence.

He looked like he was waiting for someone.

“Are you meeting someone?”

“Yeah.”

“Who?”

“Manager Kim.”

“Who?”

“Manager Kim.”

Jiwon let out a hollow laugh at the absurd answer, then grabbed Yunho by the shoulder and turned him toward him. 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

Yunho’s pupils were still blown. A moment ago Han Seoho hadn’t been able to come to, and now Yunho still seemed to be seeing things.

So why had he sobered up early?

The pill Number 3 had slipped him flashed through his mind.

But he shook his head at once. If Number 3 had given him a pill, the problem wasn’t where he got it but where he hid it. They’d been naked the whole time and having sex until the siren. They’d kissed, combing through each other’s mouths, so there was no way Number 3 had hidden it under his tongue or anywhere else. That part didn’t make sense.

He clicked his tongue. Looked like his memory had errors too.

“Why isn’t he coming?”

Yunho stamped his feet. He kept shivering like he had the chills.

“Yunho. Yunho!”

“Huh?”

“You okay?”

“Uh... what time did Manager Kim say he’d come?”

Yunho believed Jiwon had heard the same thing from Manager Kim.

Seeing Yunho’s state made him worry about Park Geonwoo. He had to find Park before a seeker caught him.

“Come on, Yunho.”

“Where?”

“Let’s go!”

Jiwon hauled on Yunho with everything he had. Tried to, anyway—Yunho didn’t budge, heavy as a stone.

“Yunho, come on. If we stay here, we’ll be found right away.”

“No, Manager Kim told me to stay here.”

Jiwon sighed—and a good idea came to him.

“Manager Kim said he found you and wants you somewhere else.”

Yunho’s eyes went wide at that.

“Manager Kim did? When?”

“Right after you left. Said he’d been mistaken and gave me another spot.”

“Really?”

“Really.”

“Then Seoho and Hamin will both come there too.”

Yunho clapped like a little kid.

“...Yeah. Everyone’s meeting there.”

The dead weight of Yunho suddenly stood up on his own.

Jiwon gave a wry smile. What a weird hallucination to have.

“Where do we go?”

Yunho asked, all cheery.

“I’ve got something to talk about with Gangjun. Don’t tell Hamin.”

He grinned, walking backward.

[229, 228, 227....]

Only about three minutes left.

Jiwon grabbed Yunho’s arm and yanked, sprinting to the opposite side.

For one, that side had a neater footpath, safer for Yunho’s bare feet; for another, curiosity—it was a first-time route. He wanted to know what lay beyond it, whether there was anywhere to hide.

If it dead-ended, so be it.

For someone planning to escape, he was awfully at ease.

Until the game began, Jiwon had been on edge; surprisingly, once it started, he was calm.

He’d been the same back when he was a taekwondo athlete. He was more nervous than anyone until the match buzzer, then calmer than anyone once it sounded.

Of course, being calm didn’t mean his performance was better, but at least nerves didn’t ruin him. He performed to his ability, and sometimes better.

This was exactly like that.

Do only what I can. Be grateful if luck helps.

He set that in his head and just ran.

Maybe because he was high, Yunho, strong as an ox, ran well too. Running well was fine—but there was no need to scream.

If not for the speaker’s countdown, anyone could have noticed: he was flat-out shrieking. Cries of rapture, shouts of joy.

Jiwon fought the urge to drop his hand and ran flat out.

The path straightened, then curved, then bent however it wanted.

[100, 99, 98, 97....]

What the two of them faced after that run was a castle wall. Between towering trees twice his height—dense enough to be called a forest—there was an opening leading beyond.

“Opening” was just a word; there wasn’t a door—just a gap barely wide enough for one person to slip through. It seemed like a path toward the mountain rearing up behind the building, height unknown.

“Wow! A secret forest!”

Yunho threw his hands up.

Jiwon clamped a hand over Yunho’s mouth and looked back.

They’d just cleared a curve, so the path was out of sight; it seemed like no one had followed.

Maybe they’d been following someone else.

Whatever was inside there, it looked better for hiding than the garden or the brush across the way—assuming seekers didn’t pop up inside.

[32, 31, 30, 29....]

Besides, there was no other way but to go in.

The countdown would end any second.

“I’ll go first.”

“I’m going in first!”

They spoke at the same time, and Yunho moved a beat faster.

In a “hey—” he slipped through the gap and vanished.

Jiwon didn’t hesitate either; he pushed through boldly.

And arrived at an unknown place.

[9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1]

The siren blasted.

It was very different from the ones they’d heard till now.

If the usual siren started on the note A, moved to B and C, then returned to A, this one was sharper and irregular. On top of that, the volume was enormous—his whole body vibrated.

Yunho, who’d been grinning dopily, clamped his ears and writhed in pain; Jiwon, feeling like his guts were flipping, covered his ears too.

Only a minute, but it was a minute in hell. Cold sweat poured; breathing was hard.

Both of them flattened to the ground and endured the minute.

Yunho finally burst into tears.

Please help me. He begged.

Even after the siren ended, they didn’t lift their heads easily. They couldn’t.

Jiwon managed to collect himself after a moment, but Yunho was still trapped in fear. He shook, limbs quivering, crying without sound.

Jiwon pulled him into a tight hug.

“It’s okay, Yunho. It’s okay.”

He comforted his friend in the same water-blue suit as his.

It was a forest, but the garden was close enough that sounds from there drifted in now and then.

“Hide tight or your hair will show.”

“Heh-heh-heh. Seeker. Where are you? Hey, you little shits, I’m right here—come find me!”

A few idiots didn’t bother to hide and just messed around, bellowing.

Aside from that, it was too quiet. The speakers were silent.

Only silence.

Silence.

Had the seekers appeared?

At least give that much notice if this is supposed to be fair.

Thinking that, Jiwon lifted his head to find the red eyes that must be watching them.

The red eyes... not a single....

None!

His brows jumped.

No way. There’s no way there aren’t cameras.

He was sure they’d hidden CCTV where he couldn’t see it. He didn’t spot fake birdhouses or anything else, but it was midsummer—the trees were at their thickest. The big trees hung with leaves so lush they could hide a whole house. A tiny camera would be easy to hide.

Jiwon didn’t let his guard down.

He could have stayed here holding his breath, but there were people he had to find first.

Park Geonwoo—and if possible, Choi Minjae.

Number 3...

He still didn’t even know his last name, but /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ he couldn’t help the ache he felt.

He could still feel the man’s cock burrowing into him. His lower belly still tingled like he was holding it inside.

But he wasn’t going to go looking for him. Carrying him to the room while he was high had been more than enough. If they kept sticking together, it could invite stupid suspicion and get him hurt.

Same went for Yunho.

They were the ones who could enjoy the game and the party and, once out of here, start a new life.

What good would it do them to get tangled up with a cop?

If he survived and got out—as Number 3 had half-joked, half-meant—Jiwon planned to go to that building in Gangnam.

See you there, Number 3.

“Yunho, stay here a minute.”

“Where are you going? Don’t leave me alone.”

Still shaking with fear, Yunho grabbed him.

“I’m going to check if Geonwoo and Gangjun and the others are making it.”

“Check?”

“Yeah. If the others heard the same thing Manager Kim told you, they’ll all be back there. I’ll go bring them.”

He spoke very kindly and clearly, like explaining to an elementary schooler.

Yunho bobbed his head hard.

“Right. Manager Kim said us Sailors shouldn’t split up!”

He looked at Jiwon with sparkling eyes.

Except his pupils were still blown and he couldn’t meet a gaze. Leaving Yunho alone in this state nagged at him.

He glanced back and forth between the gap nearby and the forest, then said,

“Yunho, let’s go a little deeper in.”

He pulled Yunho up.

“Why? I’m scared here too.”

Yunho made a crying face.

“It’s too close. We can’t get spotted.”

“Why?”

“Because we’re in Hide-and-Seek.”

“Oh, Hide-and-Seek.”

He clearly didn’t understand, but he didn’t dig his heels in.

The farther from the gap, the thicker the woods. Trees and leaves so big and dense they couldn’t see a step ahead welcomed them. In normal clothes, their limbs would’ve been scratched, but the suit made it nothing.

Jiwon led. As he walked, he stomped down the sprung-up grass with his combat boots. He watched his footing, moving forward so Yunho wouldn’t step on anything sharp.

Then he found a good hiding spot. And one he could easily find again.

He sat Yunho on a stump and promised he’d be right back.

“Okay. Bring them. Bring everyone!”

Yunho shouted, full of pep.

This didn’t feel great.

Maybe this was a simple game to Yunho, but to Jiwon it was life and death.

“Should we set a password too?”

Jiwon suggested.

“Password? Great!”

The word “password” lit Yunho up.

“When’s your birthday?”

“Birthday? Uh... it’s...”

Yunho couldn’t recall his own birthday right away. After a long frown and think, he answered, “October 17.”

“October 17, for sure?”

“Do you think I’m an idiot? Like I can’t remember my birthday?”

His tone tried to scold, but there was zero confidence in it.

Fuck. Whatever.

“Okay. Password is October 17.”

“Aha. I shout ‘Birthday?’ and you go ‘October 17,’ right?”

Yunho snickered, saying it reminded him of the army.

“Hey, the army’s nothing these days.”

He sounded like an old man.

“Yunho, listen to me. This isn’t the army.”

“What isn’t?”

“If you hear footsteps or a scream, you absolutely do not come out. You just stay hidden here. I’ll come back and shout ‘October 17.’”

So you know it’s me.

“October 17? Ahh. October 17.”

Yunho nodded with a vacant look.

“Yunho, you absolutely do not speak first. Got it?”

“Yeah. What’s my birthday???”

He even threw his hand up and yelled.

“No, no! I said don’t say anything. Just stay still and hide. Okay?”

He looked like he didn’t get it, but Jiwon couldn’t stay here babysitting him.

“Don’t make a sound. Shh!”

He pressed a finger to his lips; Yunho mimicked him exactly.

“Shh!”

Jiwon pushed Yunho deeper into the brush. The water-blue suit merged with the woods, a kind of camouflage.

Not red but water-blue—why dress them in a color that helped them?

A little puzzled, he forced himself to leave.

He walked toward the direction of the gap he’d come in through.

Just in case, he snapped a twig and carved a mark with his pocketknife. A sign only he would recognize.

He inched forward like that.

Is this the right way?

He thought he’d come almost straight, but maybe not.

Worrying over Yunho’s bare feet, he must’ve veered without realizing it.

The gap that should have shown by now wasn’t in sight.

Fuck. I’m going to lose it.

How long did he wander?

After scratching his face on branches and stumbling around for ages, he finally found the gap.