Choi San storms down the hallway in anger. How DARE they joke around and waste time like this?! If any one of them were in the same shoes as Wooyoung, would they consider wasting time?

No.

Terrible, horrible images flood through San's head. The worst of all, being the lead intruder forcing Wooyoung to walk the plank of the ship and then fall overboard into rough water full of man-eating great white sharks.

San skids to a halt and screams. "They can't do this to you, Wooyoungie! They can't! You're my everything!"

San drops to his knees and throws his hands up to his eyes.

The sound of squeaking shoes alerts him that someone is heading his way. He fights through the tears and looks through his hands to see an approaching figure in black pants coming close to him.

"Crying in the middle of the hallway?"

San's hands fall down and his head snaps up. He finds himself looking into the cold dark eyes of a short person. "Hwanwoong? Don't you have rehearsal with your own group to get to?"

Hwanwoong puts his hands on his hips. "Surely you are not ordering me around?"

San scrambles up to his feet. "What are you doing here?"

"I just wanted to come check on things...I heard one of yours - I won't name names, Jung Wooyoung - got kidnapped by pirates!"

San eyes him. "So what of it?"

Hwanwoong smirks at him. "Word is it, Wooyoung's bait to get to Jongho. You won't let that evil scoundrel get your precious maknae, will you?"

San narrows his eyes. "You sound as though you are speaking in third person, Hwanwoong?"

Hwanwoong trails an index finger down San's cheek to his chin. "Perhaps..."

San snarls and launches at Hwanwoong, shoving him backward and pinning him against the hall's wall. "Where is he?! Where's Wooyoung?!"

Hwanwoong chuckles, maintaining his smirk.

"TELL ME!" San thunders, pressing his arm into Hwanwoong's neck.

"If I did, you'd never believe me," Hwanwoong chokes out a hearty laugh.

"I said TELL ME!"

"If you must know..." Hwanwoong says. "Release me and I'll tell you. Heck, I'll even take you to him."

San, flaming with fury, slowly nods and relaxes his grip. He steps back, but keeps himself standing close in front of him and ready, should he need to choke the bastard to death. "Let's have it."

Hwanwoong rubs his throat as he snarkily remarks, "I stole your cute little hourglass and can easily travel between two worlds. This one and my fictional pirate world. It is there that I am holding your beloved Wooyoung as my prisoner."

"You really are a bastard," San snarls. "What's ATEEZ ever done to ONEUS?"

Hwanwoong frowns. "Do you want the short or long list?"

"Forget I asked you. Take me to Wooyoung now!" San growls.

Hwanwoong chuckles. "I would...but I never promised that I would do that, you see. I really must be getting back to him. I'll be sure to tell him that you say hi." He snaps his fingers and vanishes into a oof of black smoke.

San staggers backward, coughing.

After a few seconds the smoke clears, leaving a faint villainous chuckle from the ONEUS idol singer.

"HWANWOONG!!" San screams out. "YOU BASTARD! YOU COWARD!" He throws himself at the wall and pounds two fists against it.