Chapter Text
Hyunjin hears Jeongin’s frustrated sigh as they leave the eighteenth bakery of the day. The omega smells worried and dejected, but the determined glint hasn’t left his eyes since they set off that morning. “Where to next?” Hyunjin asks him.
“Two streets over,” Jeongin says, not even stopping to check the list on his phone. It’s like he’s memorised the whole area. Honestly, Hyunjin wouldn’t be surprised if he has.
He has never seen Jeongin this worried. The omega had been so excited to meet up with Felix again that day in the mall, but he’d returned smelling of nothing but anger and fear, lashing out at Minho the moment they came home. The other three had been less angry, but no less concerned. Seungmin had spent all night doing research on extended drops, and the parts Hyunjin had been able to read weren’t pretty.
And then when Seungmin tried to send Felix more information and they realised he’d blocked them… Even Hyunjin had grown concerned then, and Chan had nearly pulled his hair out. And Minho…
“Here,” Jeongin says, gesturing to a bakery with a bright green door.
Hyunjin squeezes his shoulder and they step inside, a cheerful chime above their hands announcing their entrance. There’s no one in the front part of the shop, but after a minute a woman bustles in from a doorway that must lead to the kitchen. She’s probably in her seventies, and there’s a streak of soot on her cheek.
“Good afternoon,” she says. “What can I do for you?”
“Hello. My name is Jeongin, this is Hyunjin. We’re looking for someone,” Jeongin says, too worked up by the day they’ve had to be as polite as he should be.
She frowns. “At my bakery?”
“Please,” Jeongin says. “We’re just… We’re really concerned. Have you seen a young blond omega lately?”
She just watches him for a long moment, and doesn’t respond.
“We really want to find him,” Hyunjin says. “He said he frequently visited a bakery in Heukseok-dong, so we’ve been walking around and trying to find the right one.” When the woman keeps staring at them, he adds, “His name is Felix.”
Slowly, she blinks. “Pilix?”
“Felix,” Jeongin corrects.
She waves a hand, chuckling. “I do not know a Pilix. What an odd name.”
“Felix.”
The woman just keeps smiling, and Hyunjin honestly isn’t sure she’s even really seeing them.
“It’s okay,” Hyunjin says to Jeongin, placing a soothing hand on his shoulder. “I don’t think she knows him.” If she had, she would have responded at “young, blond omega”. It’s not like there are too many of those.
Jeongin’s hands clench at his sides, his frustration seeping out into his scent. The woman notices, because her eyes widen in fear. “I’m really sorry, gentlemen.”
“No, it’s not—” Jeongin sighs, trying to collect himself and reel his scent back in. “Not your fault.”
“I-I…” She looks over her shoulder to the kitchen and then back at them, nervously wringing her hands. “Perhaps I could entice you to some pastries? Because the scones I just made are excellent, and rent is so high these days, and… oh, I’m sorry I couldn’t help you.” Her hands tremble. “They’re… They’re really good, I promise.”
She looks like she could burst into tears at any moment, and Jeongin pales when he sees what he did. Horrified, he says, “Oh, no, it’s not- We’re sorry, we just—of course we’ll take some pastries.”
Hyunjin nods emphatically. Jesus. Yes, they’re desperate to find Felix, but they didn’t mean to be assholes about it. “We’ll take all of them.”
She smiles gratefully, though still a little shakily, and heads back to the kitchen.
“Oh my god,” Jeongin mumbles as soon as she’s gone, shoulders slumping, “I made her cry.”
“Almost,” Hyunjin corrects, “And we’ll tip her, okay?” He wraps an arm around Jeongin’s shoulders. “It’s going to be okay, Innie. We’ll find him. There’s three more bakeries on your list, yeah?”
That was the wrong thing to say, because Jeongin’s scent spikes again. “Only three,” he hisses. “And nobody’s seen him, and what if—”
He cuts himself off when the woman shuffles back in with a tray. She sets it down on the counter and looks at them with that same absent look in her eyes as before. “Let me bag these up for you.”
Hyunjin stares at the black lumps on the tray. “Um.”
She smiles brightly, looking a little past his shoulder. “Don’t they look perfect?”
“What the—” Hyunjin starts, but Jeongin elbows him.
“Yes,” the omega says quickly. “They look amazing. Thank you so much.”
She beams, and starts putting them in a brown paper bag. When she’s done, she hands it over and then frowns. To herself, she mumbles, “How much was it again? One scone for three thousand won. So twelve scones would be times ten, would be…” Her frown deepens, and then she looks back up. “Eight thousand won.”
“Thirty-six thousand,” Hyunjin corrects quietly. Good god. Does she own this place? How is it still running? This woman should be in a nursing home. He grabs his wallet and takes out the money, not even hesitating before adding an extra one hundred thousand. He slides it across the counter as he accepts the bag. “Plus a little extra. Please take care of yourself, ma’am.”
She titters and waves a vague hand again, but takes the money. “Thank you, gentlemen. I hope you have a nice day.”
“You too,” Jeongin says with a bow. Hyunjin does the same and they both turn to leave.
“Enjoy the scones!” she calls after them, and they both bow again and exit the shop.
Once outside, Hyunjin sends the bakery an unsettled glance over his shoulder. This place really shouldn’t be open. He can only hope she won’t burn it down with her next bake. Then he notices that Jeongin has already stalked off to the next location on his list, clearly focused on one thing and one thing only. Quickly, Hyunjin rushes after him. He hopes they’ll find him. For Jeongin’s sake, if not Felix’s own.
As the two boys walk away, they don’t notice two shrewd eyes following them through the shop’s window, any trace of senility gone. “Find him?” She scoffs. “I don’t think so. Enjoy the scones indeed.” She snatches the bills from the counter and snorts, her scent sharp and satisfied. “Thanks for the tip.”