haunted // nct.dream [1]

{4}

"I think I rock this better than Jisung," Hana joked, chuckling. She looked up the stairs and reached out, pulling Jisung down. His face was straight and annoyed. Jisung now had Hana's red flannel, black shirt —that was just about a crop top on him—, gold necklace, and her high-top Vans. He pulled up Hana's pants a little more.

"They're too short," Jisung complained, showing the exposed part of his legs reaching out of Hana's light blue jeans. I then also noticed how Hana had to roll up the bottom of hers. "And the waist keeps slipping."

      "Well," Hana started, shoving her hands into the pocket of Jisung's black jeans that were now on her. "Girls naturally do have wider hips." Hana dipped the hat she had on, retreating back to the circle of people.

"Wow, Jisung," I awed in a joking way. "You look so cute in a crop top!"

Jisung scrunched his nose at me as he slid next to Jeno.

"Haechan." Hana snapped her fingers a couple times while pointing at her victim. Haechan raised an eyebrow. "Truth or dare?"

"Truth."

"Wow, boring. You have no jams," Hana commented.

"Hey, the truth can be risky." Haechan shrugged, leaning on his hands that were stretched behind him.

"Very true," Hana agreed. "What's your favorite quality of your crush? If you have one, that is."

"Easy. I was expecting you to go hard on me." Haechan ran his fingers through his bright red hair. "My favorite thing about her are her small quirks."

"Wait, you have a crush on someone?" Jaemin asked, looking around Johnny to stare down Haechan. "Who?"

"It isn't your turn, now is it?" Haechan asked, rhetorically.

"Small quirks as in?" Jueun prompted him on, suddenly becoming interested.

"Like, how she pushes her hair to one side while concentrating, or pouts when she gets lost in a book." Haechan picked at the dark reddish-orange basement carpet. "Or how she rubs the back of her neck when listening to the teacher in class."

"Oh, geez," Jisung breathed while rolling his eyes.

"You must really pay attention to her to appreciate the small things she does," Jeno put in.

"Or he's a stalker," Hana added. I shot her a look that said really? She held up her hands defensively. "Just saying."

Haechan shook his head. "Anyways, Hyunji, truth or dare?"

I stuck my tongue against the inside of my cheek, taking a second to think. "Truth?"

"What's one thing that scares you?"

I slowly inhaled a big breath. "That's a toughy."

"Yeah, since you're such a big baby," Jueun laughed from where she was lying. "Not as bad as Mi-Cha, though."

      "Shut up." I snickered. "I would have to say the house down the road. The white one, know what I'm talking about?"

      The group nodded.

      I crossed my outstretched legs and sighed. "My dad owns it. When I was younger, he tried to renovate it. People bought it, but moved out very quickly. They claimed to have seen strange things and heard noises. I mean, they didn't seem like completely sane people, but you just have to wonder."

      "I hate that place," Mi-Cha hugged her knees. "Remember last year when we walked down the road in broad daylight and you made us go in?" she recalled.

      "She didn't make you," Jueun said. "You just didn't want to stay outside by yourself."

      Mi-Cha's eyes rolled. "It was creepy. There was so much creaking. I was so sure that some of it didn't come from us. Especially when we were walking up the stairs! It felt like someone was following us! And, like I said, in broad daylight, when ghost activity is supposed to be at a down-low."

      "Wait," Johnny held up his hand. "Your dad owns that property?"

      I nodded, tucking my hair behind my ear.

      "So, it wouldn't be trespassing if we were to be in it?"

      My heart pumped as I caught his hint. "If you're with me, it wouldn't be... not that it would be a good idea."

      "Come on!" Johnny's face brightened. "Just imagine how cool it would be to go inside it at night."

     "That's a terrible idea," Mi-Cha shook her head rapidly, tightening her hug on her knees. Jaemin agreed.

      "Johnny, as your little sister," Jueun started, "I completely agree with what you're going at."

      "Eh, I don't know," Mark added. Jeno and Renjun joined his side of uncertainty. Chenle and Jisung stayed silent.

      "We're in a big group," Hana pointed out. "It wouldn't be as creepy with all of us together."

      "I think we should," Haechan stated.

      I sighed a shaky breath. "Okay, we'll settle this. All those who want to go, raise your hands."

      I watched as Johnny, Haechan, and Jueun's hands shot up. Hana followed. Chenle looked at the hands up, and slowly lifted his as well, joining the daredevils.

      "And those who don't?"

      Jaemin and Mi-Cha's hands zipped into the air. Renjun, Mark, and Jeno put their hands up halfway.

      "That's fifty-fifty," I said, raising an eyebrow. "Jisung, you didn't vote."

      "You didn't either."

      "It's your birthday," I told him, nodding in his direction. "What do you say?"

      Jisung took a long moment, messing with the buttons on Hana's flannel. He looked back up and at the eyes of everyone staring at him. He exhaled sharply before deciding.

      "Let's go."