He gives himself a bit of time to sit at home and relax. Even though he's feeling much better, Jeongguk isn't in such a rush to get his car right now that he feels the need to leave the house when it's still the morning. Besides, he doesn't dislike the idea of taking it easy. For now, at least.

However, by the time afternoon rolls around, Jeongguk is not only bored out of his mind, but also in a strong mood for some fresh air. An open window can only do so much for someone like him.

That being said, at a little after 12 p.m., the boy changes into some casual clothes and puts his boots on, then heads out the door after letting his mother know where he's going.

As it turns out Jeongguk's assumption about having left his car keys in his pocket was correct after all. So with them now in his new pair of jeans, he starts his walk to Yoongi's house. It's not nearly as close as Taehyung's, but Jeongguk has always enjoyed going on walks so he doesn't mind one bit - not to mention the gorgeous sunny weather and the gentle breeze it brings makes him happy to simply be outdoors.

The boy finds himself bearing a subtle smile as he walks. The streets in his neighborhood are relatively calm, no obnoxious bursts of cars zooming down the street one after another or honking their horns because one person didn't immediately hit the gas pedal when the light turned green. He passes by a few people on the street, some strangers, some of his neighbors who he greets cheerily. He passes small shops and businesses, many of which he and Taehyung have been to before.

There's a bakery, though, that Jeongguk sees at one point during his walk that he doesn't believe he's seen before. Either it just opened, he thinks, or he's just never taken notice of it somehow.

Out of both curiosity and hunger Jeongguk pushes open the door and enters the bakery.

Straightaway he's enveloped in sweet smells of all kinds, pleasant aromas that broaden the already-present smile on his face. Jeongguk soon realizes he timed his visit perfectly, watching the only customer in line being handed their order and stepping away from the counter. He steps forward and squints at the menu.

"Jeongguk, hey!"

The abrupt mention of his name urges the boy to look down from the menu. The cashier, he then discovers, is not just another stranger as he assumed they would be. Jeongguk matches the other boy's grin. "Hoseok, I didn't know you worked here."

"Oh, well, I only just started," the cashier says with a laugh. "It's been great so far, though, there's actually a couple guys working here who are around my age, so I don't feel as out of place. Also, our glazed donuts?? I'm never getting them anywhere else. They're so good."

"Guess I'll have to try them, then." Jeongguk lifts his gaze to the menu again. "Hmm...you know what, just get me a half-dozen of those. My little brother will be upset if he finds out I got donuts and didn't share."

At this, Hoseok quirks his brow curiously, smiling wider once Jeongguk looks at him again. "You have a little brother?"

"Mhm. He's four."

"Aww." The cashier chuckles again as he types something in on the register. "That's cute, I always thought you were an only child." Pursing his lips, he hums to himself for a moment, eyes soon darting back to Jeongguk. "Alright, so your total is $9.26, sir, cash or card?"

"Cash, sir."

Jeongguk retrieves the money and hands it to Hoseok, slipping his wallet back into his pocket once his change is given. There's only about a minute wait at the end of the counter before his friendly classmate is handing him a carefully boxed and bagged half-dozen donuts.

"Have a good day, Jeongguk!"

"You, too, Hoseok."

He can practically taste how amazing the donuts are by their smell as he's walking out of the bakery, reaching into the bag to pull one from the paperboard box. Jeongguk takes a large bite and breaks into an even larger smile. Hoseok wasn't kidding. These are amazing.

It only makes his walk even more enjoyable. Feels like a reward, almost, for having gotten through such a terrible day prior to this one. Or maybe it's just a coincidence. Whatever be the case, Jeongguk is thankful.

He continues down the familiar streets that lie between his house and Yoongi's with nothing but positivity in his heart and mind, no dark or depressive thoughts making his feet drag. It's bizarre even to him, a typically positive person, but right now he chooses not think about why he's not still bothered by yesterday. He's in a good mood, that's the important part.

Jeongguk ends up eating two of the donuts during his walk. The boy is finishing off the last bite of the second when he stops at something on the sidewalk.

A wallet.

Puzzled, he pats his back pockets - his wallet is still there, meaning he didn't drop it without realizing. Regardless Jeongguk leans over to pick up the one from the ground. He opens it, hoping to find out the owner's address so he can drop it off, whether now or when he gets his car back.

There is an ID inside. But it's damaged, severely so, and the face of the photographed person is darkly scribbled out. Jeongguk squints and tries to make out the faded address beneath the picture. It's not clear enough to determine anything but a single digit and the word street - needless to say this isn't extremely helpful. Lifting his head, Jeongguk scans the area for anyone who might appear like they're looking for something. Nobody, nothing. Everyone within sight seems to be going about their business, oblivious to their surroundings.

If only the photograph weren't faded, this would be so much easier, he thinks. The name, too. With both out of focus, even turning the wallet in at the police station doesn't seem like it would do much good, but at the same time leaving it lying on the sidewalk can't be any better.

Maybe they've got some kind of machine that can decode this or something.

Sighing, Jeongguk prepares to squeeze the wallet into the same pocket as his own, but his efforts are halted by yet another unexpected occurrence. A tap on the shoulder.

He turns around suddenly to the sight of another boy having approached him - at least he assumes it's a boy. The stranger is dressed in oversized clothing that seems a bit much for a summer day such as this one. Their face, too, is completely covered, dark-tinted sunglasses over their eyes and a sickness mask over the nose and mouth.

A small hand is outstretched to Jeongguk. Jeongguk just stares at it in confusion.

"Oh. Is..." He glances at the wallet still in his own hand. "...were you the one who dropped this?"

The stranger nods.

It's suspicious to Jeongguk. Truthfully, though, he has more reason to believe the stranger than disbelieve him, as it's not like he can compare the face or name on the ID to this boy. Regardless, Jeongguk feels the need to ask, anyway.

"What's your name?"

No reply. The strange boy curls and uncurls the fingers of his outstretched hand as if to say, give me the wallet.

Jeongguk offers a nervous laugh. "I just wanna know your name, that's all," he says. "I'm Jeongguk. What's yours?"

"J̷̶̷̷̶̷̷̶̷͔͝į̷̶̷̷̶̷̷̶̷̷̶̷̷̶̷̷̶̷̷̶̷̷̶̷̷̶̷̷̶̷̷̶̷̷̶̷̷̶̷̷̶̷̷̶̷̷̶̷̷̶̷̷̶̷̷̶̷̡̛͕͕̩͖̩̰̹̍͐͊͂̔̊͒̊m̷̶̷̷̶̷̷̶̷̷̶̷̷̶̷̷̶̷̷̶̷̷̶̷̷̶̷̷̶̷̷̶̷̷̶̷̷̶̷̷̶̷̷̶̷̷̶̷̷̶̷̷̶̷̷̶̷̷̶̷̷̶̷͕͖̝̭̣͔̥̹̝͚̑̃̆̔̓̀̏̚͘͞ȉ̷̶̷̷̶̷̷̶̷̷̶̷̷̶̷̷̶̷̷̶̷̷̶̷̷̶̷̷̶̷̷̶̷̷̶̷̷̶̷̷̶̷̷̶̷̺̺̦̦̜̗̥̈͛͋̈̎͂ṇ̷̶̷̷̶̷̷̶̷̷̶̷̷̶̷̡̊͡."

"What?"

The strange boy repeats the finger curling motion. And Jeongguk can't quite describe the uneasiness he feels overcome with all of a sudden, but he's encouraged by his heavily beating heart to place the wallet in the stranger's hand. He expects the boy to leave now that he's gotten what he wanted.

But he stays. Staring - at least from what Jeongguk can tell, as he can't see the other's eyes - and not moving. It takes a minute before the boy lowers his hand again to his side.

Unsettling.

"Is...there something else you need?" Jeongguk asks tentatively. No immediate reply follows. Not a hum or a nod or shake of the head. It's only as Jeongguk dares to take a step back that he's finally answered.

"̷̷̷̷̷̷̷̷̷̻͕̱̝̉̍̍̓P̷̷̷̷̷̷̷͇͓̱̍͗͂l̷̷̷͘͢ę̷̷̷̷̷̷̷̷̷̷̷̤̥͕͋̀̓̚͘͜à̷̷̷̷̷̷̷̷̷̳̥̫̘̎̚͘s̷̷̷͍͛ẹ̷̷̷͛,̷̷̷̷̷̷̷̡̘͉̽͑͌ ̷̷̷̱̾I̷̷̷̷̷̷̷̷̷̷̷̧͎̼̟̐̊̈̽͘͢'̷m̷ ̷̷̷̷̷̷̷̷̷̷̷̨̮̤͙͇̌͑̄̕͝b̷̷̷̷̷̷̷̡̛̦͚͂̐e̷̷̷̷̷͖̥͒̏g̷ğ̷̷̷̷̷̷̷̢̻̘͊͐i̷̷̷̷̷̷̷̷̷͎̰͎͔̒̓͂͡ń̷̷̷̷̷̷̷̷̷̙̠̼̳͒̋͛g̷̷̷̷̷̷̷̷̷̷̷͈̘̱̳̳̑̀̇̔̈́ ̷̷̷̷̷̷̷̷̷̷̷̛̲̺͉̤̒̉̂̆͟y̷̷̷͕̿o̷̷̷̔͢u̷.̷̷̷̫̐"̷̷̷̷̷̷̷̷̷̠̩̯̤̔͌̓͝

Hardly an answer, though. Jeongguk swallows his breath nervously. "I, I can't hear you through your mask. Listen, I've got somewhere to be, u-uhm, have a nice day-"

"̷̷̷̷̷̷̷̪̺̚̚͘͟I̷̷̷̪̔ ̷̷̷̷̷̱̱̐͂c̷a̷̷̷̳͐n̷̷̷̷̷̷̷̝̠̙̊̉̕'̷̷̷̷̷̷̷̷̷̟̖̜͙̅̈́͌̀t̷̷̷̷̷̳̥͑͌ ̷w̷̷̷̷̷͙̿͜͝i̷̷̷̷̷̷̷̧̞̰̇̾͘t̷̷̷̳̚h̷̷̷̷̷̷̷̷̷̨̢̞̦͊̌͠͠o̷̷̷̷̷̷̷̷̷̷̷̺̜̙̘̭̿̅̐̎̚u̷̷̷̖̍ṫ̷̷̷̷̷̷̷͔̦̭̈́͛ ̷̷̷̷̷̷̷̷̷̷̷̧̛̛̩̣̭̦̏̊͂y̷̷̷̷̷̖͗̐ͅo̷̷̷̷̷̲͇̓͋u̷̷̷̺͊.̷̷̷̷̷̷̷̷̷̷̷̭̣̣̬̍͊̌̉̉͢ ̷̷̷̷̷͙͍̾̋Į̷̷̷̇ ̷̷̷̺͛c̷̷̷̷̷̷̷͕̘̐̌͒͢a̷̷̷̷̷̷̷̷̷̷̷̗̱̖̝̳͒͛̄̕̕n̷̷̷̪͛'̷̷̷̷̷̷̷̷̷̷̷̮̣̯̖̏́͗̾̿͜t̷ ̷̷̷̷̷̷̷̷̷̷̷̼̬͖͔̍̏͗͑̃ͅw̷ỉ̷̷̷̷̷̷̷̖͔͌̿͢ţ̷̷̷̷̷̝́̉ḩ̷̷̷̷̷̷̷̛̱̝͂̽o̷̷̷̷̷̷̷͈̙̻͑̓́u̷̷̷̼̓t̷̷̷̷̷̷̷̷̷̛͈͚̙̳͆͑͗ ̷̷̷̷̷̖͇͊̏y̷̷̷̷̷̱͎͋̏o̷̷̷̷̷̷̷̷̷̢̡̟͙̍̅͘̕ù̷̷̷̷̷̷̷̷̷̝͖̗̔̑͂ͅ.̷ ̷̷̷̯̃P̷̷̷̳̓l̷̷̷̷̷̷̷̷̷̳̫̬͔̆͛͂̾e̷̷̷̷̷̞͒̓͟a̷ş̷̷̷̉e̷̷̷̷̷̹̠̋̿.̷̷̷̷̷̷̷͎̬͋̓̉͜"̷̷̷̷̷̷̷̷̷̤͉̘̱͒͗͋̚

It's enough to get his legs moving on their own. Without looking back, Jeongguk takes off down the sidewalk in a clumsy, borderline frantic manner, not registering how fast nor how far he's run until it hits him he just sped past Yoongi's house. The sight of his car parked on the side of the road brings it to his attention.

He turns around and peers into the distance. He doesn't see the stranger. Of course not, he thinks, they couldn't have followed me this far. I would've noticed.

Even still, Jeongguk feels a bit anxious unlocking his car and getting behind the wheel. He carefully sets the bakery bag on the seat beside him.

He sits back against his seat with a hand over his heart.

"Relax," Jeongguk tells himself, breathing deeply. "That was just some weirdo, they're everywhere, don't let it get to you..."

From his back pocket Jeongguk feels his phone buzz, causing him to jolt due to his unsettled nerves. The boy exhales and takes the device out.

"Just a text from Yoongi, geez..."

-

Yoongi
lmao marathon boy i saw u run past the house

me
haha you're hysterical

me
i ran into a creepy person on the way here man i got spooked

Yoongi
lmao

me
you sound like tae cut that out...

Yoongi
oh were u being serious

Yoongi
my bad

Yoongi
drive safe ✌️

me
thanks...

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