A Race to New World // ATEEZ Dystopia AU

13 | Yeosang

Toronto Pearson Airport, Canada

"It's your turn."

I tore my gaze away from the flurry of snow outside and looked down at the cards in my hands. I picked a blue two and put it on the tray table in between Seonghwa and I.

Seonghwa scanned his hand and cursed, reaching for the draw pile, but he stopped midway and threw all his cards on the table, scattering some of the bottom ones onto the floor.

"I give up. UNO's too boring for two people."

I started piling all the cards into one neat pile as Seonghwa left his seat. I almost suggested for Jongho to join us, but I quickly learned that it wasn't a good idea.

Since the snowstorm started a while ago, Jongho wouldn't stop pacing back and forth between the aisles, sometimes going all the way to the back of the plane, to the vehicle bay where the truck was parked. He was walking towards us now, his head dipped and eyes focused on the phone in his hands.

No use, I already tried it just now. No service at all.

He threw the phone onto the floor, and I saw Seonghwa grimace. Jongho whipped around suddenly, glaring at the UNO box in my hands. I knew he was about to come over and snatch it, so I hid it behind my back as he took the first step forward.

How can you be playing UNO...

"How can you be playing UNO--" when hyung's out there? "--when hyung's out there?" Jongho backtracked, bending to pick his phone up.

Shouldn't we be doing something?

His eyes darted between me and Seonghwa. "Shouldn't we be doing something?"

He was so easy to read.

"The storm affected the cell towers, cell service providers, the power lines," I said. "Our phones are useless. I'm incapacitated, Mingi's knocked out, we have zero supplies that can help us get through it--"

Jongho leaned down and grabbed my collar. He was so close I could feel his hot breath on my face as he shouted profanities and called me a smartass. To the left of his head I caught a glimpse of Seonghwa approaching, arms out to pull Jongho back.

"Hey, Jongho. It's time for me to change your bandage. Let Yeosang go."

Jongho let me go but shrugged Seonghwa away. "Why aren't either of you doing anything? The soldier is out there, too! Aren't you guys worried?"

I could feel Seonghwa's rage leaving his body even before he started talking. "Hey! All of us are, okay?" Hot, palpable anger, but short-lived, like an outburst from a flame torch. He cooled just as quickly, brushing a hand on Jongho's shoulder timidly. "We're all worried, but what can we do now? Go out and send ourselves to hell?"

I'd admit, that last sentence was a bit harsh, but it was better than going soft in front of Jongho. When he turned around, I spotted the two-way radio he had hooked on the back of his pants. I could point it out now, but he's never listen, and certainly wouldn't admit that he needed the helpful reminder. The best way was to make him figure it out on his own.

So I took the UNO pack out again and toss it perfectly so it hit the spot on Jongho's back, just above his radio.

He whipped around.

"Sorry, it slipped out of my hands." I shrugged, watching him reach a hand to rub the sore spot.

His annoyed expression melted into one of surprise and recognition, and that was when I knew he had touched the radio. He tugged it out so fast the clip makes a, well, clipping noise that sounded painful.