CHAPTER 1

CHAPTER 1

what was supposed to be a fun weekend away with friends turns into a sinister game of hide and seek where their lives are on the line. trapped in a lake house cabin with only six hours on the clock, can y/n figure out who is behind the mask and manage not to get caught all before sunrise?

PAIRING. soobin x gn reader ; beomgyu x gn reader ; yeonjun x gn reader

GENRE. college au ; mystery ; thriller ; escape room ; angst ; horror ; humour

WARNINGS. swearing ; character death ; mentions of blood ; stabbing ; knives ; drinking ; joke about the devil

FEATURING. lia (itzy), sunghoon (enha), sumin + isa (stayc), jongho + yunho + wooyoung (ateez), kai + taehyun (txt)

WORD COUNT. 6.2k

A/N. it's starting yasss! laughs evilly. i want to say again that this isn't scary like i really don't think so 😭 i hope this good omg im not confident in my action writing skills (if u have read my other stuff u will see that i am a dialogue writer first and foremost). tell me what you think i am begging cries. okay bye now.

TAGLIST. @hyukaas @xysthe @tsupuffs @ren-chib @yjwfav @mykalon @junityy @iyeonjuni @fallingforhoon @fairybinie @enhacolor @cheorei @jjhmk @acciomylove @yeonjunsgf777 @soobin-chois @chosoluvr @odxrilove @soobisms @strawbrinkofdeath @etherealcherrie @maemarahuya @1-800-ryujin (send an ask to be added)

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Lia was late. You glance at the clock on your phone and see that ten minutes have passed since your agreed meeting time and your friend was nowhere to be found.

Not that this was surprising. Lia was always late. Chronically so, it seemed like sometimes.

For her birthday last year, you had thrown her a surprise party in your shared apartment and instructed her to be home by seven pm so you could “watch movies and do your nails to celebrate”. You had gathered all her friends in your small living room, hiding in plain sight waiting for her arrival. Thirty minutes turned into an hour before it was nine o’clock and half the guests had dwindled out, leaving their gifts and wishes with you.

When the birthday girl finally arrived at almost ten, she revealed that she got caught up in the dog park on her way home and kept asking what the party streamers on the ceiling were for. You ended up spending the night watching movies and doing your nails anyway.

All this to say, though, that Lia being late was not the point. Not entirely.

The two of you had started packing at the same time yesterday and yet, you were the only one ready, waiting on the sidewalk for your friend to emerge. Honestly, you didn’t know what she was packing that was taking so long but at this point you have learnt not to question it.

While mentally berating your friend, you were also compulsively checking the road for your ride. You haven’t gotten any other texts yet, and the fact that he could arrive at any moment was putting you slightly on edge.

You check your phone. Twenty minutes. God, where the hell was Lia?

Speak of the devil and she shall appear, apparently. Stumbling out of your apartment building lobby is Lia, lugging an inappropriately massive suitcase behind her. It makes you look down at the school issued duffel bag you have slung over your shoulder and wonder what she could have possibly brought.

You watch as she struggles getting through the doors with her bag, holding back a laugh because you are supposed to stern in this situation.

She makes it eventually and joins you on the sidewalk. “I’m late, I’m late, I know! You have no idea how difficult it was fitting those Stephan King novels in here on top of the hairdryer.”

You squint your eyes at her. “What do you need Stephan King novels for? And what do you need a hairdryer for? In fact, why do you have so much stuff? We are staying over for two nights, not moving in.”

Lia waves off your questions with a simple wag of her finger in your face. “Remember, I am doing you a favour by coming along to your nerd weekend, do not make me go back upstairs and unpack.”

Raising your hands in mock surrender, you drop it, even though you know that Lia wouldn’t leave you. After being assigned as roommates in your freshman year, the two of you had been inseparable. You didn’t do anything without the other; trying out clubs; pledging a sorority and subsequently not making it in; helping each other study for tests on subjects you weren’t even taking. You’re pretty sure you could ask Lia for anything and she’d agree, and vice versa.

You check the road again, as if in the few minutes you have been talking to Lia, a car has driven by and parked and you hadn’t noticed. Lia sees your looking and follows suit, eyes narrowed at the cars whizzing past.

“Where is your boyfriend anyway? Questioning me when our ride isn’t even here yet.”

“He is not my boyfriend,” you correct even though you can feel your face heat up despite the cool breeze blowing and Lia simply raises a disbelieving eyebrow that you ignore. “And I told him he could go fill his tank before he got here because somebody was taking her sweet time.”

Your mind wanders to the texts exchanged between you and Soobin just a few minutes before. He had texted you to say that he was only five minutes away and asked if it’d be okay to stop at a gas station on your way to the lake.

Thinking about your friend who was still in her room, probably running around grabbing different shirts and shoes in a haste, you instruct him to just change his direction. You didn’t know what you would do if he had arrived without Lia being there and how long you would have to talk to him alone.

You have known Soobin for two years now, meeting when you both were sophomores, now being seniors, and in all that time, you never really hung out just the two of you. You were always with other people, other friends and while the thought of finally spending some time alone with Soobin excites you, it scares you shitless, too.

Lia opens her mouth to make a retort, but is interrupted by the loud roaring of a car engine. The two of you turn your heads to the road to find a vehicle speeding its way towards the two of you. As it nears, you can make out the familiarity of the model and colour, and your heart races in expectation.

The car comes to a stop a little ways ahead of you and out steps the boy of your constant musings. “Were you guys waiting long?” Soobin looks like the lead out of a drama, leaning against the roof of the car, a perfect picture of charm and confidence.

“Nope,” you manage out, smiling up at him. “Right on time.” Lia elbows you in your side.

Soobin rounds the car and joins the two of you on the sidewalk. “Hey,” he greets looking at you and you smile in response.

“Hi.”

“Hi, Lia, nice to see you, too,” your friend mutters bitterly and Soobin has hung out with her long enough to know she’s just kidding.

He laughs and turns to her. “It is nice to see you.”

She rolls her eyes despite the smile on her face. Lia has always said that Soobin was just too hard not to like. He was polite and friendly and always brought her back pastries from his trips to the café. “Yeah, yeah, can you help me with this?”

Without a second thought, Soobin lifts up Lia’s suitcase to put it in the boot with a huff. “Jesus, what do you have in there?”

“Essentials,” is all she says before walking around the car and getting in.

“Let me get that,” he says, gesturing to your duffel bag and you shake your head.

“It’s not that heavy, honest, you don’t have to help.”

“I want to.” He smiles earnestly and it throws you off so much, he is able to take the bag from your shoulder and put it in next to Lia’s.

“Okay,” you say, half in a daze. You make your way to the passenger seat, seeing as Lia has already made herself comfortable in the backseat, laying across all three, Soobin’s smile still on your mind.

He climbs into the driver’s seat and the next thing you know, you are on your way. “You guys excited for this weekend?”

Lia scoffs lightly. “I think only one of us is excited for this weekend,” she says nodding her head in your direction and Soobin laughs.

You know she’s right but you put your face in your hands at the call-out all the same. Soobin and Lia just laugh more. It’s no secret that you are obsessed with games and riddles alike, you being able to turn almost anything into a competition and never backing down from a bet.

So when Soobin told you about the weekend trip he was planning where you would be playing games each night, you agreed to attend before he even got the chance to formally invite you. A weekend away with the boy you’ve liked for months now doing your favorite thing in the world? Of course you would be excited.

You drive for hours, the sun fully sunk behind the horizon, the stars glowing in the sky. The further you get from the city, the thicker the trees get around you.

Eventually, the smooth road you were previously driving on, turns into a bumpy gravel one, winding through trees and over rocks. You can see the lake through the gaps in the passing trees and think fleetingly about how you need to go out to see it with Lia sometime.

The car comes to a slow, pulling into a driveway, the house where you would be staying coming into view.

“Oh my god,” you mutter in disbelief, staring out your window.

Lia is just as shocked as you. “We’re staying here?”

Soobin nods once, turning the engine. “Welcome to Hotel Choi.”

The house is a massive three storey, maybe bigger than that, brown wooden building. There are four balconies that you can see, two one either side. Light shines through the two dozen or so French windows and looking through them you can see that the source is from multiple chandeliers.

Honestly, it looks more like a castle than a house. And you had it for the whole weekend.

Soobin takes both your bag and Lia’s to the door and leaves you two staring up at the house that is practically looming over you.

“Soobin is rich,” Lia says matter-of-factly.

“Yep,” you say dumbly.

“Like, Y/N, he is rich.”

“We have established.”

“Oh my god.”

“You guys coming?” Soobin calls out from the front door and snaps you out of your stupor.

Somehow, the inside is even more impressive than the outside. A staircase greets you, reaching the second floor before splitting off in two directions. The chandelier you saw from outside hangs above your head in its full glory and looks impossibly large.

To your left was the living room, large and cozy with three couches and chairs and a fireplace. The hearth is burning, warmth hitting you the further you pass into the house. A TV is mounted above it, off for now and you have a sneaking suspicion that this isn’t the only one in the house.

There are three people sitting on the couches, though you can’t make out who they are just yet.

On the right is the kitchen, separated by a wall that stops just so you can see the island and stove. Even still, you know it is just as big as everything else in the house.

You turn to Soobin. “When you said lake house, I thought you meant a little, modest cabin. Not Bill Gates’ vacation house.”

“Nah, Billy prefers Jeju Island. Seoul isn’t really his thing,” Soobin jokes and you huff indignantly.

“I’m being serious! You didn’t tell me you were, like, rich.”

He tilts his head faux innocently. “Oh, did I forget? I could have sworn I had. I usually do when I meet someone for the first time.” You cross your arms unimpressed and he sputters before defending himself. “What was I supposed to say? ‘Hi, I’m Choi Soobin, I’m a sophomore and my parents are extremely and grossly wealthy. Would you like to get coffee?’”

A pause. “I’d probably think you’re a liar or some pretentious douche.”

“See? Exactly what I was avoiding.” He cracks a cheeky smile then grows serious. “You’re not mad, though, right?”

You think about the Soobin who gave you five dollars when you were short at the café the first time you met and how he continued to be just as kind and caring as that day for the rest of the time you’ve known him and suppose that he is the same, just, now you know he has money.

You sigh, shaking your head. “No, just surprised, I guess. Like, if this is just your lake house, I’m a little scared to imagine what your actual house looks like.”

He smirks. “I’ll show you sometime.”

The way his lips curl is enough to temporarily short circuit your brain. You avert your gaze to a spot just above his shoulder, flustered. “Speaking of sometime, is this the day I finally get to meet your elusive friends?” Taehyun and Kai are two of Soobin’s closest friends and yet, for some reason, you have never met them before. They were always busy when you were free and vice versa.

He talks about them all the time and that only spurs your curiosity to actually see what they are like yourself. If Soobin gets along well with your best friend, who’s to say you won’t with his?

Soobin groans dramatically. “I wish. They were supposed to be here but Kai’s parents had a yacht party to host and Taehyun went with him. I really wanted tonight to be the day you guys met.”

“Yacht parties,” you repeat, turning the idea over in your head. “Because that is a totally normal and regular thing for the middle class person to do.” Soobin scratches the back of his neck sheepishly and you get the feeling that Kai and Taehyun are not middle class. “Are all of your friends as rich as you? Like, do they all have to show their credit scores before joining?”

“It’s more of an upfront payment thing, actually.”

You laugh at his joke and make to quip in response, but are interrupted.

“Hey, Soobin!” you turn at the sound of your friend’s voice to see her standing at the foot of the stairs. “Where are we sleeping?”

“Yeah, stop flirting and host!” one of the people from the couch, Sumin, teases. You remember from the volunteer group you and Lia had to participate in for a month after you accidentally defaced one of the school statues for a bet. Sumin was the leader, if memory serves right.

The comment has you ducking your head shyly, face heating up. Soobin, ever the charmer, just smiles good-naturedly. “The rooms are upstairs to the left, you can pick any empty one you’d like.”

At that, Sumin stands up and gives Soobin a mock salute before grabbing her things and her friends and climbing the stairs. “See you later,” Soobin says to you with a smile and you nod, returning it, before joining Lia.

It is a feat lugging Lia’s suitcase up the dozens of steps, but the two of you eventually make it. Looking down at the first floor, you feel like you’re on top of the world.

Lia leads you down the hallway to the left, passing photo frames of what you think is Soobin and his family. There are doors on either side of you and you leave it up to your friend to pick one knowing it won’t matter much, all the rooms had to be good choices regardless of where they were.

She pulls open a door on the right, picking a room near the end of the hall and stops dead in her tracks when she sees what’s inside.

Curiously, you peak over her shoulder to see what the fuss was about. “What is—Holy shit.”

The room is huge. Two queen sized beds with matching bedside tables and lamps fit comfortably with space to spare for a vanity table and chest of drawers. There is another door inside the room and you almost scream at the possibility. An attached bathroom?

“Y/N,” Lia breathes out clearly blown away by everything she has seen so far.

You release your own breath. “Yeah?”

“You have to marry him. Like propose. Tonight, preferably.”

You snort though you don’t dismiss the idea entirely. The two of you walk in finally, placing your bags on the floor and claiming the beds. Lia flops down on the one closest to the window with a sigh.

“Can’t believe this house is being wasted on a game night.”

You lay down next to her, shrugging. “I think it’s gonna be fun.”

She snorts. “Course you do, nerd. Unfortunately I find no joy in competition and am going to wither away in boredom while you have the time of your life.”

“Not with those novels you brought,” you point out.

A sigh. “You’re right. Guess this won’t be a total bust.”

Reluctant to move from the comfortable bed, you push yourself up. “Let’s go downstairs, I’m thirsty.” You hold out your hand which Lia takes, standing up as well with a grunt.

When you reach the bottom of the stairs,, Lia turns to you. “I’m gonna go talk to Sumin, can you get me something, too?”

“Sure.”

Passing by the living room, you see that more people have arrived and are milling around and talking to each other. You recognise one of the new arrivals as Wooyoung who was in your Statistics class in your first year. Lia makes her way over to where Sumin is talking to those other people, who you can now identify as Isa and Jongho.

The kitchen is just as big as you expected it to be. There are two fridges on either side of the stove, cabinets and drawers lining the walls. You could probably host a dinner party just inside her, forget the living room. And the dining room that you haven’t seen. Hidden next to the second fridge, you almost wouldn’t have noticed it if it wasn’t for the fact that you actively taking everything in, is a door. You don’t know what it is for and find that those two drinks for you and Lia is more pressing business.

Pulling open one of the fridges, you grab two cans of beer and shut the door. Turning to go back to your friend, you bump into someone who was trying to pass you.

“Oh, sorry!” you exclaim, jumping back in surprise. “I wasn’t looking where I was going. Are you okay?”

The boy—cute boy, your brain supplies unwarranted—waves you off goodnaturedly. “Yeah, don’t worry about it—Y/N?” He’s staring at you like he can’t believe what he’s seeing. It makes you squirm nervously.

“Um…Yeah?”

His face lights up. “No way! It’s Beomgyu! Choi Beomgyu, from middle school.”

Your eyes widen once the recognition hits and you nearly drop the cans you were holding. “Oh my god, what the fuck? What are you doing in Seoul? How do you know Soobin?”

The last time you had seen Beomgyu, you were fourteen and moving to Seoul with your parents. You had both been distraught about having to be separated from each other but eventually, after weeks turned into months without seeing one another, it got bearable, until Beomgyu became just another face from your childhood.

Seeing him now, though, it was like you never left.

He grins that cheeky grin you remember from your time as children and it brings an odd sense of comfort. “Transferred to BigHit last year. We stay on the same floor.”

“How did I not know you moved to my school?”

“Well it’s not like I knew you were going here either, now did I?” he retorts.

You roll your eyes fondly, smiling sincerely. “It’s good to see you, Beom.” You knock his shoulder once with yours before leaving him in the kitchen.

Joining Lia on the couch, you hand her her drink which she accepts, eyeing Beomgyu curiously. “Who was that?”

“Beomgyu, we used to be friends in middle school but then I moved. I had no idea we went to the same school now.” You still can’t believe how things worked out for the two of you, to meet at a random party years after you lost contact. You had to get his number before the weekend was up.

Soobin claps loudly from on top of a coffee table in the middle of the floor, causing the chatter to quiet down. “Everybody! It’s ten o’clock, and we’ve got a round of beer pong and charades set up. Split up into teams and let the games begin!”

A round of cheers erupt around the living room, including from you. You can’t stop the excitement practically coursing through you. Aside from seeing Soobin and the knowledge that you would be sleeping in the same house as him, this was what you came here for.

You chose to start with beer pong with Lia because Y/N, if I’m getting through this night, I need alcohol. You roll your eyes at her antics and don’t hold back from saying I told you so when you see her having fun and high fiving Sumin when she gets a ball in the cup.

Playing Twister, you go against Isa and Jongho and Wooyoung. Wooyoung gets out after his third spin when he had to tuck his hand under his right leg and Isa’s and she managed to knock him over. Ten minutes later and it is just you against Jongho on the mat. It doesn’t take much to beat him, just a very strategically placed leg that has him wobbling trying to get over.

You continue to catch up with Beomgyu during the times where you weren’t playing and introduce him to Lia, too. You are introduced to the rest of the party goers. Jung Yunho came with Wooyoung and is scarily good at Uno. He also brought pizza and beer, so you think he’s pretty cool. Park Sunghoon came on his own but knows Isa from one of the classes they share together. And Soobin—

Is terrible at charades. Paired up with Yunho, the two of you absolutely wipe the floor with Soobin and Sumin. Whenever the two of you were up against each other to describe the same word or guess, you would always get it before he did.

While the two teams, Lia and Isa against Sunghoon and Wooyoung, prepares to start their round, you quietly excuse yourself to get some fresh air outside. Between the fire that was still going and all the games you’ve been playing, you could do with the cool air.

Stepping out onto the patio, you take in the view of the lake and everything surrounding it. The house was perched at the top of an incline, looking over the lake. The moon reflected across the water was such a sight to look at and you wish you hadn’t left your phone inside so you could take a picture.

Movement catches your eye from across the lake. You squint to get a better look. A figure moves in the dark. From your vantage point, you can’t tell what—or who—it is or where they’re going.

“Sick of games already?” You don’t hear Soobin walking out to join you until he is taking a spot next to you. “Didn’t think that was possible.”

“No,” you clarify. “Just need a break from kicking your ass,” you tease, shoving his shoulder lightly and he barks out a laugh. Staring ahead again, you sigh. “This view is—Wow.”

“Yeah,” Soobin agrees, leaning his arms on the railing, looking out at the lake.

“Do you have any neighbours?” You ask, thinking about what you saw earlier.

Soobin shakes his head. “Not for miles. Good for privacy. When you run out of eggs? Not so much.”

At the mention of privacy, it hits you that this is the most alone the two of you have been before. You chuckle awkwardly, trying to keep the nerves out of your voice. “Thanks for inviting me. I’m having a lot of fun.”

“Well that’s a relief. I planned this whole thing for you.”

“What?”

He looks like he regrets saying anything in the first place but only hesitates a moment before sighing. “It’s going to sound super pathetic, I know, but I know how much you love games so I kind of set this all up with you in mind.”

This stuns you into stillness. “Really?”

“There were supposed to be more people here but convincing people to spend a weekend away for Snakes and Ladders doesn’t really go over well.”

“It’s fine,” you reassure, laughing at the thought of Soobin trying to get people to come this weekend. “It’s perfect, really. Thank you.” Again, you are hit by the knowledge that you are alone. There are people just a wall away, sure, but Soobin’s sole attention is on you. He did this whole thing for you. “Can I ask why, though?”

He looks at you with a shy smile, and the sight makes your heartbeat stutter, then pick up twice as fast. Before he can say anything, though, an alarm blares through the entire house, so loud, the sound rattles around your head. Frantically you press your hands over your ears to try to lessen the noise, and it works though not by much.

“What’s going on?” you yell to Soobin over the ringing and he just shrugs, seemingly as confused as you are. Hands covering his own ears, he motions with his head to follow you back into the living room. The rest of the guests have abandoned their games and are standing in similar positions to, trying to block out the ringing.

You immediately cross over to Lia when you catch sight of her and Soobin follows behind you. Just as suddenly as it started, the alarm stops, leaving behind a faint ringing in your ears.

“What the hell, Soobin?” Sunghoon asks.

The boy in question just sighs, shaking his head. “I don’t know, man.”

Feedback whines through the surround sound system connected to the house. “I hope you have been having a good time so far,” a voice booms out from the speakers. Everyone’s head snaps up, trying to find the source to no avail. “It’s about to get better, and the stakes are about to get higher.” Whoever was talking was using a modifier, their voice coming out too gruff and tiny and to be normal.

“What’s going on?” you hear someone whisper. You were thinking the same thing, and with the quick glances you took to Soobin, it seems he was, too. Which you don’t really get, seeing as this was his party.

“Welcome, players, to the final game of the night: Hide and Seek.”

Murmurs go up around the room. You nudge the boy next to you slightly. “Are we really going to play that?”

Soobin glances down at you, and admits seriously. “I honestly have no idea what is going on.”

“Gonna beat you anyway,” you say cheekily.

“The rules are simple,” the voice says, grabbing everyone’s attention again. “Stay hidden until sunrise and you win. If you get caught, you’re out. You can hide anywhere in the house, but going outside is strictly off-limits. You will get a hundred second head start before the game starts. Good luck.” The speaker crackles with finality.

Silence. Then, “You can’t be serious.” You turn to Lia who looks like she would rather be anywhere else. “Who plays hide and seek for six hours?”

“She’s got a point.” This time it’s Beomgyu who speaks up. “Soobin, we don’t actually have to do this, right?”

“Guys, this isn’t my game,” Soobin announces which raises some eyebrows. “Somebody must have gotten into the media room and said all that.”

You try to think of a reason why anyone would want to do that and come up blank. You should probably be more concerned about somebody potentially breaking in and forcing you into a game but you have never played hide and seek on this scale before and besides, Soobin doesn’t seem all that concerned himself. So— “A game’s a game, right?” you say, addressing everyone. They all look at you, unreadable expressions on their faces. “It could be fun. And we could always end it early if it gets too boring.”

You don’t know how much time has passed but, looking at the clock, you see that there are a few seconds until midnight. The game was going to start soon.

Nobody makes a move to do anything and you almost resign to the fact that you won’t get to play when Lia sighs heavily. “You owe me so bad.” You grin wildly at your friend and throw your arms around her neck, pulling her into a hug.

At that, everyone seems to decide to give the game a chance and play. Wooyoung and Yunho run off somewhere upstairs. Sumin leaves by herself and Isa and Jongho take off in the direction of one of the guest bathrooms. You don’t see Beomgyu anywhere.

“Y/N,” you look down to see Soobin holding your wrist. “Hide with me?”

You almost do. His pleading eyes boring into yours, and you hate to turn him down. “I’m hiding with Lia. And besides, I can’t beat you if we’re together,” you add the last bit teasing and he cracks a wry grin before reluctantly releasing your hand.

The warmth of his hand doesn’t leave your wrist.

You turn back to Lia and run off together in the direction of the kitchen. You remember the door you saw in there and hope that whatever it is, it’s going to be big enough to fit the both of you.

The last thing you hear before you shut the door behind you both, is the voice from earlier coming from the speakers. “Ready or not…here I come.” The microphone clicks.

6 HOURS LEFT

The room you end up in is shrouded in darkness, you can’t even tell what it is. Lia pats the walls on either side of you until she finds what she is looking for and flips a switch. The room erupts in light.

The first thing you notice is that this is not a normal room. It’s a cellar. The second, you are standing at the top of a staircase.

Lia whistles. “How big is this place?”

The two of you descend the stairs and find yourselves in where the Choi family stores their wine. Two wine racks are in the middle of the floor, full of different bottles.

“Do you think Soobin will mind if we open one?” Lia muses inspecting each bottle carefully.

“You don’t like wine,” you point out and Lia flips you off.

“This is crazy, right?” she asks while looking around the room. “Like how big this house is. How rich Soobin is?”

“I’m trying not to think about it.”

“Do you think his great grandfather did something weird a hundred years ago? Secured all this money by making a deal with the devil or something?”

You blink slowly. “I think somebody has read one too many Stephen King books.”

“Maybe so. Lots of stories about crazy rich people, though.”

“Like Crazy Rich Asians?”

Lia goes quiet. “Fair enough,” she concedes and you snort. Lia exhales heavily. “Now what?”

“Now…” you start, sitting down against the winerack, making sure you are hidden from view from the stairs, “we wait.”

Your friend groans.

The clock ticks and minutes pass. You wonder if anyone else has been caught yet. It’s a big house and there’s only one seeker. You don’t think they could have found anyone so soon.

“I can’t do this,” Lia announces suddenly. She pushes herself off the ground and paces the room. “Like, if we’re going to be down here the whole time, I need my book before I descend into insanity.”

She walks along the walls, hands pressing against the brick, it almost looks like she’s hugging it. “What are you doing?”

“Trying to see if there’s another door here. Rich people’s houses always have secret doors.”

The accuracy of her statement seems a bit off and you say so. “Yeah, but not in the cellar—” A click. A narrow door opens slightly, triggered by the pressure Lia applied to it. It leads to a hallway that splits two ways, the right side should take you back to the main house. Huh. “I stand corrected.”

Lia nods determinedly. “Okay, I’ll be back.”

“Wait, Lia—”

“Relax, Y/N, I promise I’m not going to try and get caught on purpose. I’m just going to go grab my book and come back. In and out. Like a spy.”

You are apprehensive but give in eventually with a sigh. “Fine. I’ll be waiting.”

To her credit, Lia does peak her head out and look both ways before she slips out the room and to the right. You sigh. You don’t know how long you sit there by yourself before you start to get antsy. Lia should be back by now.

The door creaks open from above the stairs.

Your head snaps up, trying to see who it is from behind your hiding place. You peak your head around the wooden wine rack and make out a pair of legs from the top of the stairs. The person descends slowly.

You are going to be so pissed if you should have followed Lia outside.

It’s one of the boys from the party. Sunghoon.

Emerging from your hiding spot, you make your presence known. “Are you the seeker?” you ask suspiciously.

Sunghoon startles but regains his composure quickly. He shakes his head. “No, but they’re right outside so we should probably go.”

“What?”

“I saw them snooping around the living room and kitchen then saw this door and came to hide. Won’t be long before they get the same idea, so depending on how seriously you are taking this game, we should go.”

You hesitate, shaking your head. “I can’t, I’m waiting for—”

“Suit yourself.” Sunghoon has already pushed past you to the wall. “Is there another way out of here?”

You watch as he goes through the same process Lia did and think about how you can’t just leave your agreed meeting spot. But, if the seeker is right outside, you can’t just stay here to potentially be caught without her.

Getting rid of any doubt, you press against the same spot Lia did and watch as the secret door clicks open. Sunghoon merely raises an eyebrow but doesn’t say anything.

The two of you slip through the door, and shut it quickly behind you. Thinking of Lia, your initial plan is to walk towards where the rooms should be so you can meet up with her halfway, but Sunghoon points out that that’s probably where the seeker will be looking next and leads the two of you to the left, deeper into the house.

You hope Lia doesn’t come this way.

“Where were you hiding before this?” you whisper, the eerie silence of the house putting you on edge. The seeker could be anywhere.

“Behind the curtains in the living room.” You raise your eyebrows at that and Sunghoon sighs exasperated. “Don’t judge me, I wasn’t really trying.”

Out of everyone this evening, he did seem to be the least interested in playing the games. “What did the seeker look like?”

“All black cloak. Like, some Dungeons & Dragons shit. Didn’t see their face though.”

A cloak? Was their identity a secret, or something? Did it matter? “Who do you think it is?”

“Honestly, thought it was you for a while,” he admits and that gives you pause. “You were, like, way too oddly excited to play so I just figured.”

“That’s…actually pretty fair.”

Sunghoon chuckles mirthlessly. You reach the end of the hallway where it turns to the left abruptly. You both come to a stop. You don’t know what part of the house you are in, don’t know where turning the corner will lead, how far away it will take you from Lia.

The boy you’re with whispers, “I’ll check if the coast is clear,” and you nod. He inches closer to the corner, head sticking to inspect what is there. You watch with bated breath as he disappears from view.

There is a sharp intake of breath.

“Sunghoon?” you whisper, concerned. He doesn’t respond. You wonder what he sees, if it’s a dead end. Or the seeker.

Suddenly, he staggers back, hitting the wall behind him.

“Sunghoon, what…” your words die on your lips when your eyes trail down his body and find his hand gripping his side.

Shakily, he pulls his hand away. Your breath hitches.

Blood.

Sunghoon’s eyes meet yours, scared and blown wide. You try to move. To run or to help, you can’t tell, but your feet are frozen.

A shadow is cast over Sunghoon’s body. It grows larger. You don’t know how long you have been holding your breath. Something metallic glints in the light.

A knife. In blood.

The sickening realisation hits you like a punch in the gut. Sunghoon had been stabbed.

A cloaked figure emerges from around the corner. Head to toe shrouded in black fabric, Sunghoon’s assailant is, you realise with sinking feeling in your gut, the seeker.

They raise the knife again. You should look away. You don’t want to see this. Your eyes are locked onto Sunghoon’s. He’s crying.

At the sound of the weapon piercing the boy’s flesh, bile creeps up your throat. You will your body to move, your mouth to scream, but it feels like you aren’t in control anymore. Like you are floating above somewhere, staring at yourself, but can’t do anything.

They pull the knife out. “Gotcha.” That distorted voice, sinister in its inflection, turns your stomach over.

You turn on your heel. And run.

Sunghoon was out.

Sunghoon was dead.

happy new year 🤩 time to get back intoworking on some of those planned fics… ‼️

a lot of ideas are in the works but im blanking and can't come up with anything to fill in the blanks so lets hope and pray I get over this soon

btw I really want dutch bros (I just had it today) someone give me a drink rec

10:04 PM (pt. 1)

pairing: soobin x f!reader

genre: f2l, idol au, pure fluff

summary: soobin and you have been friends since predebut. his busy schedule often clashed with yours but you guys always made time for your monthly dates. though.. they have been feeling a little more.. different.

a/n: had this idea for a little bit and thought it was cute! at first when i was writing it i didnt hit save so i almost $&@“ but we’re okay now i tried to scavenge as much as i could of what i wrote but i still wish i had what i put before 😭😭 I'll probably continue to edit this after it's published but let me know what you think!

☆ read pt.2 here!

“hold it like this…. yeah exactly!” he says as he positions your hands to the angle he wants. he's always been peculiar about his photos but it made this moment all the more endearing.

“i know how to take photos, binnie” you say with a chuckle. soobin had stopped you both in the middle of your walk to the gelato shop you bugged him about before you both went to dinner. you had saw it scrolling through your feed and immediately begged him to come with you. of course, he couldn’t deny you. you guys had already been past due on your monthly hangouts. so you didn’t mind the little detour and if being behind the camera meant spending more time with him, then you’d take it.

“yeah but these ones need to be instagram worthy. how else will moa fully appreciate my charms?” he looks at you expectantly.

“just sit down.” you say playfully, “i’m sure moa will cherish any photo you post.” it was true, he had a strong fanbase and you always entertained yourself with the various emotions the comment section would go through.

soobin takes your advice and begins to strike a few poses on the cement bench while you crouch to take his best angles… which is all of them. seriously, how can a guy be so… hot and cute at the same time. you’d never tell him that though, his ego is already through the roof.

although you acknowledge he is quite attractive your friends say otherwise. no matter what you say, they have convinced themselves you're smitten, but you deny it. I mean, how could you like soobin? sure, maybe it’s cause you’ve been friends for so long, knowing soobin before his debut. you had always appreciated supporting him from the sidelines and don't want it any other way... he’d always tell you about his day like how work went from the lengthy practices he'd power through to meetings with producers and you’d always be there to listen. being the good friend that you are you can confidently say you're a fan of his group. you’ve even watched his performances and admired just how he could do all that.. how you had someone as amazing as him and to call him your friend. you wanted to support him in any way you could even if it meant just moments like these hearing about all of his accomplishments and what he’s working on next.

after what seems like forever he asks to see the photos you took, jogging up to your now standing position. you can feel the slight ache in your ankles, buckling at the knees a bit but you ignore it. turning his phone slightly to face him. he chooses, against your weak heart, to hover just above your shoulder. you can feel his breath fan aross the expanse of ur neck and it sends involuntary shivers down ur spine. the warmth mixed with the cold weather only adding to the feeling.

“what do you think?” you ask softly, still affected by the ever closing distance.

“that i need a new personal photographer” he says in a dull tone.

you take a step back to look at him, jaw slacked and in awe of his blatant response.

“hey! i never said i was good plus its free labor”

“yeah not the best service i have to give it a 4 out of 10” he says. he continues to berate your less than average photography skills. but yet, the photos you take of him always end up on his #monthlysoobin updates.

“if i wanna be nice… maybe ill boost you up to a 4.5 who knows”

“you're such an ass”, a pout growing on your lips as you face away from him. you don’t see it from your new position, but his grin only grows wider.

cute.

“come on,” he says. “let’s go get that gelato you wanted, i need my sugar fix” and he takes your hand in his, tugging you towards the direction of the gelato shop. you only stare at your now intertwined hands, cheeks flushing at the feeling.

oh, if only you knew.

accidents happen! (teaser)

pairing: choi beomgyu x f!reader genre: idol au, fluff summary: you're this year's MC host, and if it couldn't get any more nerve-racking, you were about to meet your long-time bias head-on. quite literally…

Newest headline reads:

Netizens are in an uproar over TOMORROW X TOGETHER’s Choi Beomgyu and LE SSERAFIM’s Y/n bumping heads during last night's Music Bank award show. Although the moment only lasts a split second, the repercussions of the event have yet to settle. Comments such as the ones below have flooded in after numerous clips of the accident spread online.

“Did you see the way he rubbed his head? Isn’t he adorable?”

“I can’t believe she would purposefully hurt my husband like that!”

“Beomgyu doesn’t deserve that kind of treatment! From some no-name idol nonetheless.”

“They have got to be dating! The way Beomgyu’s eyes lit up at the sight of her and the way Y/n smiled after the incident? Total goals! Yeonjun, bump heads with me next!”

“I think the interaction was cute. The way they both rubbed their heads at the same time? Ah, and I loved seeing Beomgyu’s nose scrunch up! So cute! Don’t mind the haters, Y/N Beomgyu fighting!”

Many emotions are being felt from fans and foes alike, but the company has yet to disclose any information to deny or confirm the incessant rumors that are spreading about the two rising stars. Was it an accident or a clue into the budding romance between two HYBE idols?

a/n: what do you guys think? it's inspired by the 231013 music bank interview! she'll probably be posted in a few days so keep a look out and show it some love when you see it!

update: i did not post it… i am a liar… i have lied… lets hope i get it out soon 😓 pray for me

alltime favorite ill always reread u

voices | choi beomgyu [f] soulmates! au, 14.2k words

s u m m a r y : after seeing your soulmate for the first time (whether in passing or by actually meeting them), you are able to hear their voice in your head—but only when they are singing. you have never been very interested in finding love, and choi beomgyu has lost all interest in singing. what happens when the two of you begin to change one another’s minds about the things you wish to avoid more than anything else?

c o n t e n t s : soulmates au, strangers to sorta enemies to lovers, guitarist! gyu, freckle gyu, college au, yeonjun is your best friend, gyu is a brat but a cute brat, very fluffy, a tiny bit of light angst

t a g l i s t : @hyuckworld @chanluster @honeyju​ @magicalstellar @yeonjuniper​ (if you’d like to be added to the taglist for future oneshots, please let me know!)

n o t e : this was requested by my dear friend alice, and i hope i did the request justice! the lyrics used in the oneshot are from genius’ english translation of “runaway.” i hope you guys enjoy the oneshot, and do kindly leave a like, comment, or reblog if you enjoyed it! that would mean the world!

YOU MET CHOI BEOMGYU THE DAY YOU SWORE TO NEVER FALL IN LOVE.

  As dramatic as it sounded, the day hadn’t been quite so terrible. You were sitting cross-legged in the floor of one of the many practice rooms in your university’s music department with a bag of popcorn in your lap, your head leaned back against the wall as you stifled back a yawn. Your best friend, Yeonjun, was going on and on about his most recent breakup, but the story was so similar to all the other breakups he had gone through in the past two years that you were having a difficult time staying focused. The afternoon sunlight trickled in through the windows, reflecting off the symbols of the drum set that rested in the far corner. You scooted to the side a bit so that the light wouldn’t shine in your eyes anymore as Yeonjun paced back and forth in front of you.

“And then she just stopped talking to me,” He said, running his hands through his hair. “Out of nowhere too! Things had been going so well, but then it was weird. Next thing I know, she’s breaking up with me—get this—over text.”

You tossed a piece of popcorn into your mouth. “Tragic.”

“I know you’re being sarcastic, but yes, it was tragic.” He finally stopped pacing and collapsed to the ground beside of you, leaning his head against your shoulder. “Love is so hard. You meet someone, you think it’s going to work and that you’ll spend a long, happy life together. Next thing you know, you’re single and stuck with your best friend in a stinky music room, waiting for some club meeting to start—or whatever it is we’re in here for.”

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