The House on Mass. Avenue | Rensung

Untitled Part 22

The tone of voice and the careful anticipatory glint in Renjun's eyes told Jisung that it wasn't a question to simply brush off. Jisung let out a sigh. 

"Oh don't look so depressed Jisungie," a voice chided from the hallway, the duos eyes turning to see Jeno standing in the hallway with a broken lamp in his arms. It wasn't a lamp that Jisung recognized but apparently Renjun did from the disappointed 'tsk' that came out of his mouth.

"Not Bethany," the bartender whined out and Jeno shook his head in a dejected manner. 

"Bethany?"

"Bethany. Our lamp we had in the hallway of the third floor," Jeno explained and held up the broken pieces for emphasis, "Renjun and I picked her up at a garage sale a couple of years ago." 

"Rest in pieces," Renjun muttered and held a hand up, Jeno putting down the broken lamp and leaning against the doorframe of the bathroom. "Hey J-"

"Move your crusty ass," a strained voice coughed out moments before Donghyuck stumbled through the bathroom doorframe. Everyone in the bathroom jumped at the appearance of the sickly boy who had just collapsed into the empty bathtub. Sweat trickled down Donghyuck brow and he shot everyone a stink eye, holding one of his fingers out. "I am perfectly fine and if one of you asks I will personally shove you into the basement." 

"Damn, that's a bit harsh don't you think?" a teasing voice shot from the bathroom door, Chenle and Jaemin standing next to Jeno. Jaemin held a steaming cup of tea in his hands, the liquid a shockingly lime green color. "Don't worry, it's not poison," the pink-haired boy laughed at the look on Jisung's own green face, holding out the cup with Jisung took hesitantly. 

Taking a careful sip, Jisung relaxed. It had a minty and sour taste -- which could definitely explained the color. He watched as Chenle shoved his way into the tiny bathroom that was becoming tinier, the college student sitting down on the edge of the bathtub and earning a kick in the side from Donghyuck. 

Now the only person who was missing was-

"Mark!" a shrill shout came from Jaemin's mouth, the older leaning out of the bathroom, "Mark Lee we're having an official unofficial meeting and you're late." 

A disgruntled shout came from further in the house, footsteps echoing down the hallways. "I can't be late if you didn't decide there was a meeting until you said there was," the words of the boy got louder as he drew closer to the small ground floor bathroom, the author skidding to a stop and popping into view behind Jaemin and Jeno. 

His eyes skittered over the room before landing on Jisung, the author running a hand through his ruffled hair before he offered a small smile. "Hey Ji, how are you doing?" 

"He's alright," the short response came from Renjun before Jisung could respond, "Well, alright as he can be."

"Well I didn't ask you did I?" Mark rolled his eyes, the rest of the room letting out annoyed gasps.

"Can you not be drama queens for like five minutes?" Jeno pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Seriously, how about we talk about the inevitable?" Donghyuck chimed in from his laid back position in the bathtub, his fingers smoothing back his greasy hair. 

Chenle picked at his fingers, bringing his index finger up to his mouth to chew on the side of the nail, "Oh so we're finally going to talk about how we broke one of the rules?" 

Everyone's eyes turned towards Jisung and the youngest member of the household widened his eyes, slowly drawing the lip of the cup away from his own lips. He coughed a little. "It was the earthquake." 

"The earthquake?" Jaemin retorted and Jisung nodded. 

"I don't know what happened, I'm sure we're all confused right now but I genuinely don't know what happened," Jisung let out another deep breath, still feeling breathless from the running he had done earlier, "All I know is that I had this strange...urge...to open the basement door. When I did there was this dark room, and then it was this house but older." 

Chenle echoed the last statement: "This house but older?" 

"Yeah and then...wait," Jisung cut himself off, his mind finally whirring with questions - important questions - and he grew more suspicious of the people around him, his head snapped up to look at the inhabitants of the room, "How did- how did you know? Renjun you- you saved me but you knew exactly where to go in that old house and...and everyone here was holding that basement door closed when we came running out." 

Silence filled the bathroom. An unbearable silence. Jisung looked around the room, his eyebrows furrowing together as he was met with emotions he wasn't expecting. Confusion; concern; shock. 

"Jisung...I have no idea what you're talking about," Renjun said carefully, his mouth open in shock and his words carefully pronounced as if Jisung wouldn't be able to understand otherwise, "We found you unconscious in the hallway...the basement door was open but there was still one chain lock still hooked. We...I never went into the basement." 

Jisung's heart thudded against his chest, his mind whirling with confusion. His stomach dropped as he looked at everyone else, their heads nodding in agreement with the bartender's statement. 

"O-oh," Jisung stuttered, "I-I s-see."

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