...
Back in the private room, Son Areum glanced around until her gaze finally settled on Yuzuka.
"Drink, drink, drink... Miles, stop drinking..."
She trotted toward her, sitting beside her.
After a few minutes of pondering, Son Areum raised her hand and repeatedly slapped Yuzuka on the cheeks.
"Wake up, wake up."
However, Yuzuka only giggled, her drool flowing out of the corner of her mouth. Seeing that her actions did nothing, Son Areum thought of another plan.
Just like Miles, she groped for Yuzuka’s pocket, eventually finding her phone. She rembered not seeing Miles taking Yuzuka’s phone earlier.
The phone was locked, but Son Areum was able to easily unlock it by pressing Yuzuka’s thumb on it. She fiddled with it for a while, finally accessing Yuzuka’s system.
She headed to the morial Shop.
There should be sothing here to wake her and the others up. After a few monts, a dozen bottles of Revitalizing Drinks appeared in her hands. One by one, she made the mbers drink it.
Gradually, each of them ca to.
"I lost?" Adrian asked after regaining consciousness.
Son Areum nodded.
"I also lost," Gil said.
"Why did I get drunk?" Ren asked, frowning at the can of cola in front of him.
It was the sa for the other mbers. Son Areum only shrugged in response.
"Where’s Miles?" Yuzuka asked, looking around.
Son Areum smiled. "He just went sowhere. Probably the bathroom."
This response made Ren’s brows furrow even more.
"I’ll go ask him in the group chat." Yuzuka pulled out her phone to contact Miles. "Where are you?"
At the side, Rayen also habitually put his hands in his pockets to take a look at his phone for Miles’s response.
’Huh?’
Rayen froze.
’Where is it?’
Suddenly, a ding reverberated throughout the entire room. Rayen turned to Yuzuka after hearing that sound.
Miles seed to have responded.
[Miles: You’re awake already?]
Yuzuka typed furiously after reading his ssage.
"Geez. You left here after getting drunk?"
But then, Rayen mumbled, "There’s no notification."
"Huh?" Yuzuka looked at him, confused.
What he ant was that he felt no vibration at all. He hadn’t turned off the notification for the group chat, yet it didn’t vibrate even when Miles replied.
Rayen grasped frantically for the inside of his pockets, trying to find the presence of his phone. Yet, no matter where he tried to reach inside his dinsional pocket, he couldn’t feel it.
"My phone isn’t here," Rayen mumbled, his voice low.
The entire room went silent.
Imdiately, the others also tried to check for their phones.
"It’s not here, either."
"Mine’s missing too..."
This scenario seed familiar.
A seed of doubt sprouted in Rayen’s mind.
’Did Miles... No. Why would he even do that?’
Miles was one of Rayen’s sponsors. He spent his own petals to support Rayen’s debut and ensure his existence even though it was probably out of following Yuzuka’s example. Those petals, according to Plotter were their lifespans! Why would soone who had spent sothing so precious on him try to harm them?
It didn’t make any sense.
However, Adrian had no such misgivings about placing the bla on Miles.
"Yuzuka, can you ask where Miles is?" Adrian asked.
"... I’ll ask."
"I don’t think he will answer," Ren said, his face grim.
"... I’m sorry," Yuzuka apologized. She was on the verge of crying.
"It’s not your fault. Let’s just try to find him as soon as we can," Rayen said to comfort her.
"What is that idiot trying to do?" Yuzuka mumbled to herself.
All of them stood up, quickly leaving the restaurant. Gil could only stay behind to settle their bill.
Rember, they’re public figures. Yet, they didn’t even rember to pay! What if it got out to the public?
They cared less about it, though. After all, it was their lives on the line here!
"Where do we find him, then?" Yeo Haru asked.
"Do you know where he could possibly be, Yuzuka?" Rayen asked.
Despite her crying, Yuzuka tried her best to think. She did her best to put herself in Miles’s shoes.
Why the hell would that guy take the Minstrels’ phones? After a mont of thinking, she rembered Miles’s reaction before their celebration.
"That guy!" she yelled in frustration. "I’m gonna smack you to your senses!"
"Do you have an idea?" Adrian asked him. "Please, before he tries anything with our phones."
Yuzuka shook her head. "I... I’m sure he wouldn’t do sothing like that."
"That would be great, then."
"I think he just went to hide it to prevent you guys from going to the Mass Cleansing tomorrow."
At the side, Son Areum hid her smile.
"Where do you think he will hide it, then?"
Yuzuka frowned and thought hard.
A few seconds later, she finally responded. "Follow ."
...
After a while, the group finally arrived at Gyeongwon Affiliated High School. They followed Yuzuka until they arrived in Room 434.
Yuzuka forcefully opened the door. And just like what Yuzuka expected, Miles was there, staring dumbfounded at them.
"Miles!" Yuzuka called. "Where are the phones?"
"What are you talking about?" Miles’s eyes darted around, unable to look at her. "I-I just went to the convenience store to buy you so anti-hangover—"
"Liar! Is this place a convenience store?!"
"....."
"Where are the phones?"
Miles bit his lips.
"Miles!"
At the sa ti, Son Areum had moved. She went over behind the two and pulled open the locker.
"Here it is, ah?" Son Areum took the phones from the inside.
Rayen sighed in relief. The phones were really safe just like what Yuzuka said.
However, before he could even fully let his breath out, his eyes widened. A familiar phone suddenly slipped out of Son Areum’s hand — no, intentionally, Son Areum let go of the phone.
As for whose phone it was? None other than Rayen’s.
The mbers’ eyes all widened, including Yoo Gyeo. Xi Huan even tried to dive in and catch it. However, it was too far.
The entire world seed to slow down, Yoo Gyeo or Mini Plotter had no way of stopping it this ti. They weren’t in the Flower Garden Agency where the whole building was enclosed inside a scenario where they could manipulate space.
"I told you, you should have broken it. If you wanted to make your plans a success, don’t have any misgivings," Son Areum said.
When the phone landed on the ground, Rayen’s world went blank.
Reviews
All reviews (0)