Seven Hours Too Late
Late that night, Lee Yeonjae posted to his fan cafe.
The original Lee Yeonjae always posted at the same regular hour, so the sudden notification left many fans puzzled — it seemed to come out of nowhere.
But the title and content of the post were far beyond anything that could be brushed off with a simple what's this about?
[Title: This is Lee Yeonjae. If anyone has seen this child, please contact me;;]
Along with a photograph of an elementary school child were his name, a list of distinguishing features, the police station handling the case, and the guardian's phone number. With a child's life hanging in the balance, even the short plea asking people to refrain from prank calls was riddled with typos.
The elementary schooler in the photo was a face quite familiar to anyone in Biyeon.
That kid... isn't he the child actor from Killing Horn?
He'd drawn even more attention recently after appearing in NADE's live broadcast, held snugly in Bambi's arms.
The fans grew only more confused.
In an instant, Lee Yeonjae's post spread across community after community.
As it happened, Lee Jeonghyeon had posted something similar on his own social media, and the internet boiled over deep into the night.
But right now, the place boiling hotter than anything else was the inside of Lee Yeonjae's head.
His fingertips had gone cold.
"Don't worry, actor-nim. We'll find him soon."
"......"
He could hear Jinbae saying something beside him, but he couldn't summon a single word of reply.
He sat motionless for a long while, then buried his face in his hands.
Han Haram...
He had received the call that Han Haram was missing an hour ago, around ten at night.
After getting word from Jeonghyeon and Han Haram's mother, they had raced down the highway in a haze and arrived in Seoul. Through all of it, he hadn't been able to think about anything at all. The moment the car stopped, he threw open the door and jumped out, running straight to Jeonghyeon, who stood in front of the police station. What happened? What is going on? He asked frantically, over and over, and Jeonghyeon answered as if just as lost as he was.
'I don't... I don't know the exact details yet.'
Beside him, Han Haram's mother was sobbing loudly, and behind her, Yeonjae could see the police moving busily about. A sense of unreality so complete it choked him came crashing down.
'When I heard from Jinbae that you were heading to Seoul, I called Haram's mother. I thought he'd be so happy if Haram were there when you got home. But then, but then she said she's at the police station right now...'
This was what had happened.
That morning, Han Haram and his mother had visited a studio for a children's clothing brand shoot. An equipment malfunction in the middle of production stretched the schedule out, and they were left with no choice but to wait. His mother told Han Haram to stay put like a good boy — she was just going to see a friend who ran a cafe nearby — and stepped out.
About an hour later, Han Haram asked a staff member where the bathroom was.
And that was the last anyone saw of him.
No one had laid eyes on Han Haram since.
'How could you...'
Han Haram's mother was still sobbing in front of the police.
There was so much Yeonjae wanted to say to her.
'How do you leave a child alone like that?'
Who was there to trust in a place like that?
'Goddammit, how do you just leave a child—'
Uncouth thoughts and a stream of curses churned inside his mouth. He ground his teeth and shook his head quickly.
'Cursing her out now won't help anyone.'
Find Han Haram first. Everything else could come later.
He gritted his teeth so hard they nearly cracked, then forced out one question.
'So the child has been missing for over seven hours, and you're only reporting it now?'
'She thought it was nothing serious. He'd been saying a lot lately that he didn't want to shoot, so she assumed it was just a small act of rebellion. She didn't want to stir up rumors, apparently.'
"......"
'But even as the sun started going down, he wouldn't answer his phone, and since the shoot couldn't be delayed any longer, she finally had them pull the CCTV — and that's when she realized he hadn't left on his own.'
The security cameras inside the studio had captured it clearly: Han Haram being led by the hand of some man wearing a hat pulled low, heading out toward the parking lot. He was someone none of the staff recognized, and only then, in a panic, did the mother report it to the police.
Then, after tracking the location, the police found Han Haram's phone dropped on the mountain about ten minutes' walk from the studio. A child caught leaving with a stranger. An abandoned phone. The police concluded that this was more likely an abduction than a simple disappearance, shifted to a public investigation, and were in the process of deploying additional personnel — which was when Jeonghyeon had gotten in touch.
Yeonjae's hands were shaking.
"Actor-nim. Your breathing is too ragged. Please, look at me."
When he failed to calm down, Jinbae urgently took hold of his face. Yeonjae shoved the hands away roughly.
"Hyung, I'm sorry, but just — give me a moment. Just a moment."
He knew it was a worried touch. But the person who needed those hands right now wasn't him — it was Han Haram.
Those innocent, unknowing eyes flashed before him, and at the same time another curse rose to his lips.
'Goddammit...'
What if something has happened to him? Is he even alive right now? No — stop thinking like that.
He shook his head violently. The anxiety made his body tremble uncontrollably, regardless of his will.
"Actor-nim. I know. I know exactly how you feel."
As he gnawed at his lips, Jinbae patted his back gently.
"But he's going to be all right. Please don't worry. The police say they've already searched half the mountain where the phone was found. They'll find Haram soon too."
"......"
The low voice swirled around his ears and slipped away again. He couldn't calm down — not even a little.
'And if he's not there?'
He was led out by a stranger, wasn't he? What if that person dumped the phone on the mountain just to throw everyone off the trail? Then how would anyone know where the child is right now? How would anyone know what's being done to him?
'And I'm just standing here like an idiot, waiting...'
Helplessness crawled up from the soles of his feet. The self-loathing made it impossible to stay still.
'Pathetic.'
Powerless. Useless. There wasn't a single thing he could do. A child was missing, and he could do nothing at all.
'I should have been firmer back then.'
It had been less than a week since he'd warned Han Haram never to follow a stranger.
'Haram-ah. Adults never ask children for help. If anyone like that comes up to you, don't engage. And go tell your mom right away.'
'What if Mom doesn't pick up? What do I do then?'
'Then...'
In his memory, those eyes were impossibly black. Dark like a puppy's glistening nose, innocent and clean.
'Silly me — then just come find me, I guess.'
'Hehe. Okay!'
He remembered how the boy had linked pinkies with him, as if Yeonjae were the only one he trusted.
It hurt all the more for it. He buried his face deeper into his hands.
"Actor-nim..."
He heard Jinbae's conflicted voice. The man slowly stroked his trembling back, and the sob he'd been biting down and holding in leaked out through his fingers.
"You're okay. You're going to be okay."
"Hh..."
"Yeonjae-ya. It's all right."
Jeonghyeon had sat down beside him and whispered softly.
'It is not all right. Not even a little.'
That voice was far too gentle for him to receive without guilt.
'The one who's most terrified right now is Han Haram.'
This was not a situation where he deserved comfort. This was not a time to act like a child. He was disgusted with himself.
'Isn't there something I can do?'
First, what about combing the area around the studio with the hyungs? Should he ask to see the CCTV footage again? It might turn out to be someone they knew, after all.
'Think. Think of something.'
He had to come up with some way — any way — to find Han Haram. He forced his sluggish brain to turn over.
Focus. Think.
What was the best thing he could do right now? What would get him to Han Haram—
'Ah.'
Lightning struck.
His body stopped trembling mid-shiver. His breathing stopped. His mouth fell slightly open.
"...Angae."
"I'm sorry?"
"Angae. Angae."
He saw Jinbae frown at his mumbling — but there was no room in him to care. He shot up from his seat.
'Angae will know.'
Angae would surely know where Han Haram was at this very moment. All he had to do was fall asleep from here. Then Angae would tell him right away.
'The moment I wake up, I just have to go to wherever Angae says he is.'
Why hadn't he thought of this before? His mind was racing faster than it could handle. As he rapidly sorted through what he needed to do, Jinbae asked again.
"Actor-nim, what exactly is—"
Only then did he see the two faces, flushed entirely with bewilderment. And he realized what he'd just done — he had said Angae's name out loud. It was the very situation he ordinarily avoided at all costs, but right now even that was beyond worrying about.
He spoke in a rush.
"Jinbae-hyung, Jeonghyeon-hyung. Let's — let's go back to the car first. Our car. Ah, no — your car, Jeonghyeon-hyung."
"Huh? My car?"
"Yes. You keep sleeping pills in there, don't you? Please lend me some. Just one pill — no, two."
"What? Yeonjae-ya, what—"
Jeonghyeon looked utterly dumbfounded by the machine-gun burst of words. It was an entirely understandable reaction, but there was no time for it.
"How do you even know I carry sleeping pills—"
"Angae told me."
"Angae?"
"Yes. Quickly, please. Let's go to the car first. We'll talk in the car."
He grabbed both men by the arms and dragged them along. Jeonghyeon, still flustered, and Jinbae, straining to keep his composure, followed.
The moment they climbed into Jeonghyeon's car and the doors closed, Yeonjae spoke quickly.
"I know you two have been looking into who Angae is. Angae told me you were. Jinbae-hyung, you hired someone separately to investigate, right? And it turned up nothing. Angae told me that too."
"......"
"Angae will know where Haram is right now. But to meet Angae, I have to fall asleep first. So please — lend me your sleeping pills, Jeonghyeon-hyung."
"......"
Unable to wait for Jeonghyeon's answer, Yeonjae reached for the paper medicine bag on the back seat.
"Hold on—!"
Jeonghyeon snatched the bag from his hand.
"How on earth do you know my pills are in here—"
"Because Angae told me! I don't have time to explain. We don't know what's happening to that child right now! Let's find Han Haram first and talk after — please."
Jeonghyeon opened and closed his mouth, his face a portrait of incomprehension. Yeonjae turned straight to Jinbae.
"Hyung, you know I keep my promises. Once we find Han Haram, I'll explain everything. I promise. So for now, let's just focus on finding him."
"......"
Jinbae regarded him in silence. Then he spoke slowly.
"Let me get this straight... If you fall asleep, actor-nim, you can meet this Angae. And this Angae person knows where Haram is."
"Yes. Yes."
He nodded urgently. Jinbae let out a short sigh, then nodded in turn.
"All right. But don't forget your promise to explain."
"I won't! Jeonghyeon-hyung, the sleeping pills—"
"One pill. You'll take one pill."
Jinbae cut him off at once. Disappointing, but even one was better than nothing. Jeonghyeon, his face full of unease, pressed the pill into Yeonjae's palm.
Yeonjae dry-swallowed it without any water.
'Calm down.'
Stay calm. He could find him now. All he had to do from here was try to fall asleep — as calmly and as quickly as possible.
'I can do this.'
He squeezed his eyes shut. He relaxed his body and leaned back against the seat — then a sudden thought struck him and he snapped his eyes open again.
"If I'm not awake in ten minutes, wake me up."
"I'm sorry?"
"You understand, right? If I don't wake up, you have to shake me awake even if you have to slap my cheek. Ten minutes. Start the timer now."
"......"
The two men still looked dazed. Yeonjae shut his eyes quickly.
Before long, the black space came into view.