The funhouse of murder • Stray Kids X reader

71 ☠️

Straight ahead: Chan & Jisung

"Ah... which way should we go?" Chan asked, in a pinch as the pathway seemed to split. Well, not exactly a pinch. Chan knew that whichever way they'd go, it wouldn't matter as much, but he was more interested in Jisung's opinion. If he even had one might have been a better choice of words for it, actually. So far, practically all Jisung had done was hide behind Minho, aside from almost sending his teammate into certain misfortune without a single care in the world. It did show Chan that Jisung was focused on survival however, even if it meant sacrificing others. He just wasn't sure whether that was a good thing or not.

"Hmmm, you choose. You're better at this sort of stuff than I am," Jisung muttered, almost exactly like Chan had predicted. Jisung was deflecting having to be responsible for something. No matter how many small suggestions Chan made to Jisung of having to choose literally anything, he would leave it up to Chan. Choose which way to go? Nah, you're better at it. Pick a game you like best? They're all good. When to go back or check in with the rest? You make the decision. Whatever Chan tried, nothing seemed to work. Jisung either didn't trust him at all to open up, or already trusted him so much to not be alert at all.

Whichever of the two it is, Chan needed Jisung to be at the exact middle of it. Trusting enough to follow his lead, yet cautious enough to second guess it all. But how he was going to make Jisung do so, he had no clue. Whatever he tried, nothing seemed to work well enough, and it was slowly getting to Chan. Especially now, the group could use all the help they could get, given how they just lost two important people, but Jisung didn't seem to care all too much about it.

"Then let's go to the left," Chan sighed, already starting to walk when he suddenly felt a tug on his shirt, Jisung almost dragging him along. "There are animal footprints here, they could lead to water," Jisung said, pointing it. As it was quite well hidden, Chan hadn't noticed at all. "Well spotted," Chan answered, trying to hide his surprise. Like so, Jisung instantly went back to his quiet self again, looking around him. And yet something shifted within Chan. Had Jisung been checking out the trails enough beforehand to see if there was a difference in them? Had it simply really not mattered which way they chose most of the time? Maybe they're truly was more to Jisung than he thought. And like that, a small smirk formed on his lips.

With every new footprint, Jisung already spotted it. When Chan had finally spotted one, Jisung was already walking to the next. And with every praise Chan gave, Jisung seemed to open up more. Telling Chan about what animal the print belonged too, how bamboo trees had rainwater in the stalks, how they could make a decent hideout, he seemed to know it all. And yet he never said a thing before. He probably would have told Minho, who would relay the message, but the longer they spent together, the more Jisung loose.

"Say, where did you learn all of this?" Chan asked him after a while. Given how Jisung had been ranting about cheeta's and their speed for the last 10 minutes, there was no way all of the things he explained were general knowledge. "Just saw a video about it, that's all," he spoke shortly, already continuing with the next topic he could share information on. Jisung wasn't the type to really talk to people about their lives, but when it came to random interesting facts, Chan had found Jisung was practically unstoppable. Chan had prepared himself quite the bit for what was to come, and knew quite the bit of what Jisung was saying, but even he had been learning quite the bit today.

But the problem was that one on one things seemed to go quite well now, but when in a group, Jisung just shut down, especially with Minho there too. And yet keeping them separate didn't seem like an option either. It wasn't so like Chan wasn't enjoying his company, it was actually a little cute to see him so excited about things he knew or liked, but the longer they stayed out, the more he seemed to miss Minho at it too, even if he didn't mean to show it.

"Look, Chan!" Jisung pointed out, showing the river. Chan had already heard the water a while ago, but still wanted to check where Jisung would take him. Jisung crouched down in front of it. "It's fresh water too, that's a peacock bass right there," he pointed at one of the largest fish Chan had ever seen in his life. Before Chan could even reach him, Jisung already cupped his hands, taking a sip from the water. "Finally," he let out relieved. "Come on, let's tell Minho! He's going to be so proud," Jisung smiled, looking at Chan.

"No worries, I'll tell him and the others, but next time wait until we boiled the water with drinking okay? Better safe than sorry." Jisung nodded, instantly going back to his quiet self. Jisung seemed much like a child to Chan. Compliment him, and he was as open as can be, and yet give him even the smallest talk that might sound like a scolding, and he shuts down. Chan was always quite good with having adults, yet for some reason kids never seemed to buy his politeness. Maybe because kids have no filter, and quite frankly always saw right through him whenever he made himself out to be the all-knowing savior and hero.

He just had to hope Jisung wouldn't.