Sombre

Changbin had rushed to the dorm as soon as he finished his work. On the way, he'd picked up some takeout for Chan, suspecting he hadn't eaten yet. Changbin felt an uneasy weight in the air as he entered the dorm. It didn't take long for him to sense something was wrong. The usual warmth of the place seemed to have been replaced by an unsettling stillness. He hesitated at the door for a moment, taking in the quiet before he decided to make his way down the hall. When he reached the kitchen, he spotted Felix sitting at the table, staring blankly at his coffee mug. It was an odd sight—Coffee? Felix didn't drink coffee. Changbin raised an eyebrow and couldn't help but joke, "Well, I'll be damned, is the world ending?"

Felix looked up startled, his gaze confused, before following Changbin's eyes to the coffee mug in his hands. He quickly looked away, embarrassed, and gave a half-hearted smile. "Oh, I just wanted to try it," he mumbled.

Changbin's smile faded slightly as he noticed the lack of energy in Felix's expression. "Everything okay?" he asked, his tone more serious.

Felix nodded quickly, avoiding Changbin's gaze. He didn't want to stir up more trouble, but it was obvious that something was off. Changbin, still skeptical, set the food he had brought for Chan on the counter and raised an eyebrow. "Chan Hyung's in his room, right?" he asked, starting to leave.

Felix froze, and for a brief moment, there was a hesitation in his eyes. He wanted to tell Changbin what had happened, to confess what he'd seen, but he didn't want to escalate things further. "No, he went out a while ago," Felix said softly, taking a sip of the now-cold coffee, making a face at the taste. "Gross," he muttered under his breath.

Changbin's gaze narrowed as he observed Felix closely. He didn't fully buy it, but Felix's body language made it clear that pressing him further wouldn't help. "Did he say where he was going?" Changbin asked, a slight edge in his voice.

Felix shook his head. "No... he didn't."

Changbin stared at Felix for a beat longer, trying to gauge if he was hiding something. But when Felix didn't meet his eyes, Changbin sighed and walked upstairs, a feeling of unease gnawing at him. Felix's strange behavior made him even more worried about where Chan could have gone.

Entering his room, Changbin immediately took out his phone and dialed Chan's number, but the call went unanswered, ringing until it went to voicemail. Changbin frowned, staring at his phone screen. Where was Chan? He was sure he wasn't at the company—so where had he gone? The questions swirled in his mind, but his gut told him something wasn't right.

Changbin frowned as he stood in Chan's empty room. The neatly made bed and untouched belongings made it clear Chan hadn't been there since he left. He sat on the edge of the bed, dialing Chan's number again. The phone rang out once more, sending him straight to voicemail. Changbin sighed, ruffling his hair in frustration.

Where could he have gone?

He thought back to Felix's demeanor in the kitchen. The younger's distant expression and evasive answers weren't normal. Felix was hiding something, Changbin was sure of it.

He headed back downstairs, finding Felix still at the table, staring into his mug. Changbin grabbed a chair and sat down across from him, folding his arms on the table.

"Alright, Lix. Spill. What's going on?" Changbin asked firmly, his tone leaving no room for avoidance.

Felix looked up, startled, then sighed. He hesitated, fiddling with the handle of the mug. "It's not really my place to say..." he started, but Changbin cut him off.

"Felix, I'm not playing around. I know something happened, and I need to know if it involves Chan. Please." Changbin's voice softened at the end, concern etched into his features.