Anti-Verbatim
Fandom: Infinity Train
Relationships: Ryan Akagi/Min-Gi Park, Min-Gi Park and Ryan Akagi and Mr.Park (Ji-Hun)
Characters Featured: Ryan Akagi, Min-Gi Park, Mr.Park (Ji-Hun), Announcer (Celeste Yang)
Summary: Takes place right after the prologue of "Train Chasers". After witnessing Tulip and her friends disappear into a strange portal without a trace, Ryan and Min-Gi find comfort in each other as they deal with the fallout.
Notes: (You don't have to read the entire fic of "Train Chasers" to understand this scene but the prologue does provide context for why they're in this scene)
Other Tags: N/A
The low buzz of the exposed light bulb on the ceiling was starting to irritate him. After spending three hours going in and out of an interrogation room, however, that was the least of his worries. Ryan squeezed his hands together to keep them from trembling, but he could do little to alleviate the sick feeling in his throat.
Ryan worked up the nerve to turn around and look into the window behind him. Two men stood at one side of the table, Min-Gi on the other side with his hands folded together.
He felt like he'd answered the same questions in a dozen different ways and it still wasn't satisfactory. As much as the investigators assured him he and Min-Gi weren't in trouble, the hardened stares boring into his face convinced him otherwise. They interviewed the two one after the other.
Min-Gi eventually walked out of the interrogation room, his face paler than Ryan had ever seen before. Ryan swallowed and got up to re-enter the room but the taller investigator stopped him.
"We've called your parents to come bring you home," the man said. "Min-Gi, your dad said he's on his way. Ryan, neither parent picked up but we'll try again in a few minutes. You two sit tight while we get... whatever this is... settled."
"Are we gonna get our stuff back?" Ryan found the courage to ask. The investigator did not answer and walked away. He sat back down with a pout.
Min-Gi silently sat in one of the chairs further away from Ryan. Within a few minutes after the investigators left, the sound of quiet sobs and sniffling can be heard. Ryan looked between himself and Min-Gi before deciding to make his way over to him. He draped an arm around Min-Gi's trembling shoulders. When the latter looked up, his face was puffy and red, with fresh tears streaking down his face.
"Can everything just ... go horribly wrong so easily?" Min-Gi finally said. "I thought losing the map would be the worst of our problems and now it's cameras, police, and interrogations."
"Did you tell them about that trailer?" Ryan asked. Min-Gi shook his head.
"They'd never buy the story, no matter how real it looked to us."
"I didn't say anything either, promise." he put a hand over Min-Gi's shaky hands in his lap.
"How are we supposed to go back to school after this? These past few years were practically perfect. I... I always got good grades, never got into trouble. We were one step away from being able to graduate... and now..."
More tears fall down, and his sobs become louder.
"Hey, hey." Ryan held Min-Gi's face in his hands, gently kissing his tear stained cheek. "They said it themselves, we're not in trouble."
"Our parents don't know that."
"I'm sure they'll explain everything to your mom and dad and they'll understand. I promise."
Min-Gi looked at him for a beat and a half before nodding. "I... I guess. But...could we have stopped them from going through that weird portal to begin with? Maybe if I was more vigilant with headcounts, o-or if I got to them faster, or... how was I supposed to know there was this weird trailer-portal thing in the middle of the woods when we were supposed to be watching the kids write about trees that afternoon!"
"Whatever happened in that forest was incredibly strange... but I'm sure someone will find them and bring them back home." Ryan pushed aside the pang of doubt in his heart and focused on Min-Gi. "We can put this whole thing behind us. If worse comes to worst though? You have me. Always."
Min-Gi still looked really upset, but he'd managed to wipe his tears away completely. He wrapped Ryan into a tight hug for a few seconds before letting go. He sighed and rested his head on Ryan's shoulder. They sat together in the quiet until the first investigator arrived with Min-Gi's father, who had the boys' belongings in a box. Mr. Park's expression was solemn with an unexpected trace of....guilt? Min-Gi let out a shaky breath and stood up.
"Mrs. Akagi is out of town and Mr. Akagi is stuck at work so he asked me to pick you up as well, Ryan," he said. Ryan stood up as well. Both teens followed the older man out of the police station.
"Dad, I didn't mean for any of this to happen," Min-Gi started to say.
"I know, Min-Gi," is all his father said in response. Min-Gi did not say anything further and looked at the ground beneath him.
A young woman walked up to Min-Gi with a notebook and a pen in her hand. He recognized her as a classmate and also the class president for the high school upperclassmen. To Ryan's dismay, he remembered she also ran the online school newspaper club.
"I know you've got a lot in your mind right now, and I'm here to get the full story. I'm sure you're familiar with me but as a refresher, I'm Celeste Yang, I'm the president for the–"
Mr. Park stood in front of Min-Gi in a way that obscured his son from her view with a stern glare. Celeste looked a little intimidated but stood in front of him, trying to look past him at Min-Gi.
"What happened today is a matter between my son, his friend and the law. This is not something to write about in your school gossip channels and spread rumors. Please leave us alone."
Celeste looked frustrated, but decided to walk away once she saw Mr.Park wasn't budging any time soon.
"Noted, have a nice day," she said with a forced smile.
They continued walking to Mr. Park's car.
"Thanks..." Min-Gi mumbled awkwardly.
"We need to talk about what happened today when we get home," Mr. Park said. "Not what the police say happened, I need to hear it from you."
Min-Gi sighed and nodded, leading Ryan into the car.