[Night that Rei ran away]
CRRRACK!
The sudden blast of thunder startled baby Minho, making him jolt upright in his tiny bed. His round eyes shimmered with fear as a soft whimper escaped his lips.
He couldn't speak — his little voice was bound to mere whines and broken hums — so all he could manage was a shaky, "Huu…?"
Shuffle, shuffle…
Pushing the blanket away from his soft pink toes, Minho slid down from the bed. His onesie clung to him as he wobbled forward.
BOOM! CRRRRACK!
Another thunderclap split the silence, and his small body jolted violently. "Hnnng…?" He squeezed his eyes shut, too afraid of what he might see if he opened them.
Huu… I-I'm s-scared…
Gathering courage, Minho padded to the door, the silver glow of the moonlight catching against his rosy outfit.
Crrrreeaaakkk!
The door groaned as he nudged it open. Warm hallway light spilled into his room, guiding him. His daddy's room wasn't far.
"D…da? D…d?" he forced out in broken, trembling sounds, trying desperately to call. His tiny head peeked out of the doorway—
—and froze.
Something shifted at the far end of the hall. A shadow, thin and swift, darted across the light.
H-hmm? Who's… dat?
Minho blinked, his fear momentarily overtaken by curiosity. His little feet pattered soundlessly on the hallway mat as he toddled forward, following the strange shadow.
Minho's tiny feet carried him to the end of the hallway, his little fingers brushing against the wall for balance. He peeked around the corner, blinking at the faint glow spilling in from the front entrance.
"...Da?" he whimpered again, but no answer came.
Instead, his wide eyes caught something else. Through the heavy rain outside, Minho spotted a tall silhouette rushing across the courtyard. The figure's steps were uneven, desperate, splashing through puddles as it made straight for the wide iron gates left ajar.
The downpour blurred his vision, but Minho knew that shape—he always knew.
...Papa?
The storm blurred Minho's vision, but he could still make out the way the shadow gripped the gate for balance before slipping through.
Just as quickly, the figure veered sharply to the left, swallowed up by the curtain of rain.
His heart thumped fast against his tiny chest. He shuffled closer to the open doorway, the storm's cold breath brushing his face. Raindrops blew in, dotting his pink onesie as he gripped the edge of the wooden frame with trembling fingers.
"Mm…nnn…hhhuu~"
The boy's lashes glistened with tears he didn't understand. All he knew was that someone precious was leaving, and no matter how hard he stepped forward on his tiny toes, he couldn't reach.
"...P-pa..p-pa…"
His soft cry melted into the roll of thunder.
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Kai shifted in his sleep, a frown tugging at his brows. A faint sound—wood groaning against hinges—slipped through the storm's roar. His eyes blinked open, disoriented at first, then narrowing when he reached across the bed and found only cold sheets.
"…Rei?" he whispered, voice heavy with drowsiness.
Silence.
A strange weight pressed into his chest. Slowly, he pushed himself upright, the patter of rain outside growing louder as if mocking his unease. He swung his legs off the bed and padded barefoot to the door. The hallway light bled in when he cracked it open, too bright against the dimness of his room.
That's when he noticed it.
Min-ho's door. Wide open.
Kai's breath caught. His heartbeat kicked faster as he stepped out, the wooden floor creaking under his hurried steps. He reached the small doorway and peered inside—his son's bed was empty, the blanket ruffled and dangling halfway to the floor.
"Min-ho…?" Kai's voice was tight, careful, as though saying it too loudly might shatter him.
The storm answered in his stead, another rumble shaking the windows. The room smelled faintly of Min-ho's warmth, but the boy wasn't there.
Panic flared sharp in his chest. He turned back to the hall, eyes darting, searching, every shadow suddenly alive with dread. "Min-ho!" he called again, louder this time, his voice cracking as fear clawed up his throat.
And then—
A sound. Small, fragile. A stifled whimper that barely rose over the rain.
Kai froze. He followed it, every muscle tense, until he reached the wide staircase that led down to the front of the house. From there he saw it—
The main door, standing half-open, rain dripping onto the polished floor inside. And just beneath the frame, crouched small and trembling, was Min-ho.
The boy's tiny hands clutched at the edge of the door, knuckles white, his pink onesie damp at the cuffs. His lips parted, releasing another muted whimper, eyes wide and glassy with tears as he stared into the storm.
Kai's stomach dropped.
The door was open.
And Rei—Rei was gone.
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"Min-ho…"
Kai's voice cracked, relief and terror twisting into one. He rushed forward, dropping to his knees beside the boy. His hands trembled as he cupped Min-ho's damp cheeks, brushing away the tear tracks shining under the hallway light.
The boy jolted at the touch but quickly buried himself into Kai's chest, his little fingers clutching desperately at his father's shirt. Silent sobs shuddered through his body, the only sounds the muffled whimpers against Kai's skin.
"Shh, it's alright, I'm here," Kai murmured, pressing his lips to the top of his son's head. His heart thundered against his ribs as he finally dared to lift his gaze.
The door gaped open before him, letting in cold sheets of rain and wind that lashed at his bare arms. Beyond it, the gates swayed, left ajar against the storm.
Kai's blood ran cold.
"No…" he whispered, a denial more to himself than anything else. He tightened his hold around Min-ho, as if clinging to him might anchor him in the moment. "Rei…"
Min-ho trembled, his head lifting slightly from Kai's chest. His wet lashes blinked, and he weakly raised one tiny arm, pointing outward—past the door, toward the storm.
Kai's breath hitched. His throat burned, his chest hollowing with the realization. Rei hadn't just stepped outside. He hadn't wandered.
He'd run.
His arms trembled as he gathered Min-ho into a full embrace, rocking him gently though it did little to soothe either of them. His son's silent cries seeped into his skin, fragile and broken.
"I should've—damn it, I should've known," Kai rasped under his breath, the weight of failure crushing him.
He glanced again at the rain-lashed gates, at the emptiness beyond them where only shadows moved. His mind screamed to run after Rei, to chase him down no matter how far—but his arms tightened around Min-ho instinctively.
One had already slipped through his grasp tonight. He couldn't risk losing both.
Kai shut his eyes, pressing his forehead to Min-ho's, the storm's howl filling the silence between them. "It's okay," he whispered, though his voice trembled with the lie. "I'll find him… I swear I'll bring him back."
But for now, all he could do was hold onto the boy in his arms, both of them shaking as the storm raged on through the open door.
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The rain hadn't let up. Thunder scraped across the sky, rattling the windows, spilling its growl over the yard beyond.
Kai sat alone in his office, the storm's rhythm a cruel echo of the turmoil inside him. Min-ho lay curled in his lap, the boy's small body trembling as Kai rocked him back and forth. His arms, so broad and steady, felt useless now—he could hold his son close, but he couldn't quiet the ache in his tiny chest.
Kai's gaze stayed fixed on the rain-streaked glass, eyes blank, jaw locked. The weight pressed down on him: his failure. He hadn't shown Rei the truth. Hadn't been able to make him see. Instead, he'd become the reason Min-ho was denied the warmth of his mother's embrace.
The words from earlier rang again in his ears:
"Uh—w-what about his mother?"
"He's—"
"Uh—you don't have to tell me if you don't want to. I-It's fine."
"You know… sometimes people disappear before you even realize they're gone."
...
Kai shut his eyes, forehead tightening. His hand gently rubbed Min-ho's back, steady but shaking underneath.
"Min-ho doesn't remember his mother,"
...
His throat ached.
"I lied," the words broke from him in silence, meant for no one but himself.
He looked down at the small boy clinging to his shirt, lips parted in soft whimpers.
"He does remember…" Kai's voice cracked, his chest tightening as the truth ripped through him. "…he does remember. He remembers you, Rei."
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To Be Continued... ...