|Chapter Sixteen|

It was the trip day, Soonyoung arrived first. The kids were ready with their luggage and camping set.

"Wow! Guys you will take that much luggage with you? It's not like we are staying there forever. "

Said Soonyoung as he started counting the kids.

His brows knitted as he noticed a missing kid.

"Where's Sunoo? " He questioned.

"He is sick again. So, He will not be able to go with us. "

Said one of the oldest kids.

"Aw! Poor child...Let's bring him a gift on our way back. Am sure it will cheer him up, what do you all think? "

Said Soonyoung with excitement as the rest of the kids agreed.

A little girl approached him and tugged on his long sleeve to gain his attention.

"Soonyoungie, where's Woozi? Isn't he going with us? " she said in a tiny voice.

Soonyoung kneeled to reach her height, patted her head, then beamed,

" He will be here soon, Ellie. Do not worry. "

She seemed nervous, then she abruptly opened her bag taking out a small brush and a tiny cute hair pin and attached it to her soft hair.

She then faced Soonyoung who seemed amazed of her cute action, asking for his opinion,

"Soonyoungie, D-Do I look good enough? "

She stuttered.

"Oh my God! What a beautiful little lady, Ellie! "

He cooed, then smiled at how precious this little girl was.

"Great, I hope Jihoonie will think so too. "

She said in a little voice which was almost inaudible to Soonyoung.

"Why do you want Jihoon to think you look beautiful,Ellie. "

Asked Soonyoung, his voice was a whisper.

"Because I like Him."

She beamed then started staring at her tiny feet while blushing.

Soon, Jihoon arrived in the bus that will be taking them to the camping area.

Once he got off, all the kids swarmed around him. Some clung to his legs and others tried to climb over his back. They were all happy seeing him.

Except for Ellie, who just hide behind Soonyoung's legs.

Jihoon noticed her. So, he managed to escape the grip of the tiny koalas hung over his body, approaching Soonyoung and Ellie, while the later just wrapped her tiny arm tight around Soonyoung's leg.

"Ellie, what's wrong? Are you scared of me? "

Asked Jihoon in concern while reaching his arm to shy Ellie, whose face was as red as a Soonyou

Jihoon chuckled softly, then softly grabbed her little hand.

She managed to let go of Jihoon's grip, and hide her blushing face with both of her hands.

Soonyoung whispered in Jihoon's ears about how nervous Ellie was before he arrive.

Jihoon held her tiny hand again, beaming then headed to the bus.

She was almost skipping on the way to the bus.

The older boys let the kids on the bus making sure everyone is seated then asked the driver to take off.

They spent the whole day in the camping area. Sat tints by a small pond, and taught the kids how to fish.

By sunset, they set a campfire, and gathered around it. Soonyoung told them fairy tales while Jihoon played the guitar to make a background music to his friends story telling session.

At night they gathered the kids and headed where the bus was waiting them on the main road.

On their way back, there was heavy rain and a typhoon started forming.

Both Soonyoung and Jihoon tried their best to distract the younger kids, so they wouldn't panic, by telling them more stories and playing relaxing melodies on Jihoon's guitar.

This seemed to work in calming the kids up, but only one kid seemed to feel frightened in spite of the older boys' efforts to calm her down.

It was Ellie, she kept crying in a hysterical way, and didn't calm down and fall asleep until Jihoon hugged her tight and lulled her to sleep.

As if she felt a disaster was coming to their direction, A big truck drove by a drunk driver was speeding in the opposite direction. The bus driver tried to turn left to avoid a crashing, yet that didn't seem to prevent the crash.

The truck crashed to the side of the bus leading it to roll down a cliff till it finally stopped at the very bottom of the cliff.

Silence prevailed, as all the screams ceased. You would only hear the sound of the sizzling that came from the flames arising from the bus front.

Soonyoung managed to open his eyes in spite of the horrible pain that accompanied it.

He could hear faint cries coming from some of kids' mouths, who were crumbled above each other.

He panicked and tried to get up ,to find one of his legs stuck under a seat.

With eyes darting everywhere, he tried to search for his best friend.

He called for him but got no answer.

He looked around, there was a kid whose head was bleeding from different places due to window crashing, few pieces of glass was still attached to his little face.

Soonyoung panicked the more he looked around, finding more seriously injured kids.

He kept calling for their names but only few answered weakly while struggling to stay conscious.

After so many tries, he managed to take out his stuck leg. He fished his phone out of his pocket, praying it was still intact so he would call an ambulance.

But it was smashed.

He bit his lower lip in desperation to feel the rusty taste of his own blood as he injured his lips out of frustration.

He decided he should carry out those kids while searching for Jihoon.

As of telling from the flames emerging from the bus front, it will be no time till it reaches the benzene champers and the bus explodes.

He managed to take out some kids who were in a critical state.

More pain was spreading in his head, plus he was aching all over his body, yet he kept going in and out of the bus carrying more kids.

Till only who were sitting in the back of the bus left.

He knew that Jihoon and Ellie were both sitting in the back. He kept searching for them to finally find them both, Ellie in Jihoon's arms seemingly unharmed, while Jihoon's head was bleeding vigorously.

He gasped upon seeing his friend in such state.

His pale face looked lifeless, his lips were paper white and void of blood. Soonyoung reached his hand to his limp arm, with trembling fingers he touched his wrist to check his pulse but he felt nothing.

Ellie begun to regain consciousness, yet she panicked upon seeing Jihoon's bloody head. She started screaming.

"Jihoonie wake up!! Blood! No! No! Why is there so much blood! Soonyoungie why is there blood on Jihoonie's head? Why isn't he waking up?? "

She was panicking hard.

Soonyoung's body refused to move, he was petrified. Tears streamed over his cheeks as he sobbed calmly while whispering his best friend's name. But no reply.

He suddenly felt a person beside him.

"Are you crazy!! The bus is about to explode!! What on earth are you doing here??"

The stranger shouted, snapping him back to reality.

" Ah! Mister please save the little girl, she's stuck here. "

Said Soonyoung in-between sobs.

The stranger could easily lift the heavy sofa, he grabbed the little girl, who kept struggling, screaming and calling for Jihoon.

He carried her and was about to leave when he stopped in his trace, glancing at Soonyoung who held his friend's hand carefully and wrapped the other arm around his limb body close to his chest.

"What about him? "

The stranger asked Soonyoung who was staring at his friend not even blinking.

"He is dead. "

Soonyoung said in a lifeless tone without taking his eyes off Jihoon.

"Are you a doctor?? We can not be sure. Get your butt up and follow me. Do you want to die here!! Idiot! "

The stranger yelled that caught Soonyoung off guard.

He tried to get up and carry Jihoon but he felt an immense pain in the back of his head that made him cry in pain while holding his head.

"What happened?? Are you okay?? Wait here, I'll come soon. Please do not die on me, Kido!!"

Shouted the stranger but Soonyoung couldn't hear him because of the tremendous pain that he felt like his head was smashed hard to small pieces. He soon crumbled to the ground beside his best friend unconscious.