chunghee

youngsoo was dead. because chunghee didn't hold on to his hand tight enough.

he blamed himself. he had agreed to hwan's random idea to play and explore, and of course the outcome of it wasn't nice.

and now here he was, frozen, standing over the body of one of the people his life was bonded to.

he watched as wonshik screamed and fell to the ground next to his best friend, shaking the dead boy continuously as an attempt to bring him back to life, going as far to perform cpr on him.

he put a hand on wonshik's shoulder.

chunghee:

[ it's no use, he's gone. ]

wonshik {crying} :

[ w-who...would do this... ]

consciously chunghee found his eyes wandering to over where hwan was. the maknae was staring wide-eyed at the body, a few stray tears slipping from his eyes as he slowly turned away from the scene.

chunghee felt dizzy. looking over to the older few, he was surprised to find himself the only one not crying.

junghwa:

[ what...what do we do now... ]

it happened faster than anything would have thought. in an instance, wonshik had stood up from where youngsoo was lying and flown over to hwan, his body shaking.

wonshik:

[ it's your fault...you killed him... ]

wonshik had his hands reached out for hwan's throat, and he would have grabbed it if dohyun hadn't held him back.

wonshik was still screaming, his feet kicking uselessly at dohyun, wanting the older to let go.

wonshik:

[ your name was under the death threat, hwan! did you really have to... ]

hwan looked scared, a look of terror imprinted on his face.

hwan:

[ i...i didn't do anything! i swear! i told you I'd never hurt youngsoo hyung! ]

wonshik:

[ too late, he's dead now. ]

with a strangled cry, wonshik flung dohyun off him and ran off, coincidentally just when the lights got switched off again.

dohyun:

[ wonshik, wait! we have to stick together! ]

wonshik:

[ how can we be together when one doesn't even exist anymore?! ]

with wonshik's steps receding in the distance, chunghee signed and turned his attention back to the others.

chunghee:

[ are we gonna chase him after him? ]

taeyoon:

[ leave him be, he needs some time alone. ]

chunghee turned to face the second oldest, his eyes narrowing at the suspicion rising against him.

chunghee:

[ that's the first word you've said in a while. ]

taeyoon {shrugging} :

[ so? ]

chunghee said nothing, staring at taeyoon suspiciously.

taeyoon:

[ when are you gonna stop doubting me? ]

junghwa signed and looked up from the dead body of youngsoo, teary eyed.

junghwa:

[ you know fighting among us isn't gonna solve anything right? ]

taeyoon:

[ it's hwan, i know it is... ]

dohyun:

[ where is he anyways? ]

chunghee squinted in the dark, hoping to catch a glimpse of the youngest, but no, he was nowhere to be found.

chunghee:

[ maybe he ran off like wonshik did? i mean, those two were the closest to youngsoo... ]

taeyoon:

[ what do we do with the body? ]

chunghee:

[ i don't think i want to get close to a dead body in a haunted house. ]

junghwa:

[ hyung, it's youngsoo! you... ]

chunghee:

[ and he's dead, isn't he? ]

the others were shocked into silence by what chunghee had just said. realizing what he had done, he turned his gaze away, muttering a small apology.

taeyoon:

[ you know what, i'm just gonna find them both and we can finally get out of this place. ]

dohyun:

[ this time, we're sticking together. ]

chunghee had no complaints, trailing behind the others as they slowly started moving once more.

while leaving one behind.

chunghee felt a sting in his chest as he looked behind, the fallen body of youngsoo getting smaller and harder to see.

the four were huddled together, taking small steps forward, as if something or someone would suddenly come and attack them.

things were going smoothly compared to the chaos a few moments ago. that was until taeyoon's echoed voice started sounding from something similar to speakers in the hallways.

"one down, five to go."

with a shriek, junghwa pulled away from taeyoon, who was standing still.

chunghee's eyes narrowed suspiciously as he made out taeyoon's figure standing in front of him.

dohyun:

[ taeyoon, why? ]

taeyoon:

[ i...i didn't-that wasn't me! ]

dohyun:

[ it was your voice, hyung, and although hwan and won are the best at impressions, they aren't this good to imitate your voice perfectly. ]

taeyoon turned to junghwa frantically, his eyes widest that chunghee had ever seen.

taeyoon:

[ hwa, you were next to me, you know i didn't say anything! ]

junghwa {shaking his head} :

[ i-i don't know, hyung, but that was definitely your voice... ]

taeyoon's expression changed again, this time set on a stone cold look which made chunghee turn away.

taeyoon:

[ sure, have it your way and don't believe me, but... ]

taeyoon:

[ don't come crawling to me for help when you're the only one alive. ]

with that, the sound of footsteps receding indicated he had left just like the other two.

dohyun:

[ great. we're back to square one. except it's three people this time. ]

chunghee:

[ if we think about this normally, maybe we won't be so pressured. ]

junghwa:

[ and may you tell us your brilliant idea. ]

chunghee:

[ think of this as a regular game hide and seek. find the others, then we leave. without worrying about dead bodies or creepy messages or such. ]

the others had no comment, treading along silently as they peeked through doors and rooms.

chunghee stopped in front of an open door, seeming to have heard a muffled cry inside.

poking his head in, he was half relieved to find hwan sitting there, his head buried in his hands, crying into his sleeve. Problem was, he was alone. wonshik wasn't with him.

chunghee:

[ hwan? you okay? ]

cautious that he might really be the killer, chunghee carefully inched closer to the seated figure, his hands raised in front of him as defense.

hwan {signing} :

[ don't do that, hyung, i won't kill you. ]

hwan:

[ not that I've killed people before. and you're scaring me. ]

chunghee:

[ where's wonshik? i thought he was with you? ]

hwan:

[ do you think he wants to talk to me? they think i'm a murderer hyung, i-i can't... ]

chunghee put down his hands, getting into a kneeling position as he set his hands on hwan's shoulder, his own shoulders tensed up in fear of getting a sudden attack.

hwan:

[ i'm scared now, chunghee hyung. ]

hwan:

[ i did find won, but what he did terrified me. ]

heart beating faster, chunghee leaned down to pull the younger's head on his shoulder, embracing him.

chunghee:

[ you can tell me. what did wonshik do? ]

hwan:

[ he was holding a needle with some weird liquid in it, his eyes had that kind of crazy madness in them. ]

hwan:

[ he was talking to himself, i think, cause there wasn't anyone else around. ]

hwan:

[ he said, 'they'll die for killing you.'. ]

chunghee felt a cold feeling wash upon him as he listened to hwan's next question.

hwan:

[ hyung, what if won's the killer? ]