(This one is long)
Everyone looked at the wall, the large sheet of paper stuck on with the slots for one hundred names and 50 were already filled out, Seong Hwa watched as three more students wrote their names, so he thought back, back to when he made.... no they made their decision final.
☆..☆
If what hongjoong told him was true and they needed to kill to get out alive that meant that your still gonna get trailed for murder even after your years were decreased which meant that if you had to win, the goal was to not kill anyone but that was near impossible.
The question to join looked over him like a vulture to its meal. Hongjoong explicitly told him not to, but Seong Hwa didn't care, well no... It wasn't that he didn't care for the males' words of advice, he did, it's just that he was far too intrigued by it.
When he had gotten back from the dorm that day, he wore patches of pink blooms on his neck, his mind felt fuzzy and his skin tingled at the slightest remembrance of what happened. After he and hongjoong had left the pool they made their way to back to the garden laying on the soft grass and chatting away as the clouds put on their show above them, Seong Hwa had turned to face hongjoong admiring the him as he spoke, his eyes traced down to the moving lips of pink and stayed there. When hongjoong noticed he just leaned closer to let Seong Hwa taste the strawberry on his lips and things went on from there, Seong Hwa got addicted hands forever roaming the body on top of him, lips forever tasting the sweet taste of strawberries.
Their talk was long forgotten their heavy pants their clothes dishevelled as they looked at each other hongjoong still on top of him the male's lips plum and swollen red wearing sweet bite marks on his collar as roses bloomed on seonghwa's neck, hongjoong admired his work and so did SeongHwa.
But with their sweet moment cut short by the bell, they bid their goodbyes as they left each other a chaste kiss as they parted ways. Seonghwa walked with a grin on his face, he just kissed hongjoong and gave him marks, this made him feel smug and all types of happy.
Entering the room he was meet with the trio huddled together talking, a blanket covering them as they talked Seong Hwa walked closer and sat on the outskirts of the blanket canopy.
"If we join then what?",
" if I join I have no doubt that monster will follow me!",
"Yeosang Hyung is adamant about me joining ",
" I don't want San to join he won't do much anyway",
Seonghwa listened on,
'Were they thinking of joining ?', seonghwa said to himself.
"What makes you so sure we'll win, even if we join?", wooyoung said as he shuffled around.
" and even if we win then what?",
That was a good question, what would happen to you after you win, it's not like they had anywhere to go, they were pretty much orphans at this point.
Seonghwa pulled off the blanket canopy making the three boys gasp in surprise, he sat down beside them and looked at them, Jongho wore a face of question, Wooyoung looked down and mingi looked sad. The topic of home was sensitive.
"You...want to join?", Seong Hwa asked the trio looked at each other.
" yes"
"Yeah"
"I think so", we're the responses.
" hongjoong told me not to join..",
"So then what...do we stay here until everything is over or do we join the blood games, we have a one-way ticket out of here..but when we're out then what, where do we go, what do we do?", said Wooyoung.
What DO we do?
☆...☆
Hongjoong sat and thought,
Knowing Seong Hwa from the little time they had already spent together he could tell seonghwa wasn't one to adhere to rules, and since he was new he would have a fascination with the games.
Yunho walked in and sat down on his bed a small frown on his lips.
"You think...they'll join?",
So this question was on everyone mind..not just his.
How did they become so attached?
Yunho with his constant following
Yeosang with his want for someone to confide to.
San was still a mystery
And hongjoong was the want for love for someone who disped the prospect of the emotion he longed for it far to much to give it up when it was bow so close.
Hongjoong looked at his phone, the conversations he and seonghwa had on the screen before him as he read it once agian. His head spun with assumptions.
If they formed an alliance....then they'll have a chance..but for those four to tough it alone....
Hongjoong looked at yunho, hongjoong had watched over and over agian for the fight for freedom, but he never had a reason to join, ...he does now. Seonghwa and his dorm mates where already in for a few months in this school, no doubt the sick routine was starting to get to them. But then that was also a question what if they joined and the others didnt even want to join, for fucks sake they didnt even know each other that well.
Hongjoong slammed his fist on the table the small bottles toppling over and rolling of the edge. Yunho looked at him then left, he knew that hongjoong was angry and best he not disturb the male.
So yunho left, the sound of crashing and breaking following him out as he walked out the doors.
♧
His mind held Mingi and Mingi alone, ever since that day it was like an obsession a want to know why Mingi had that necklace but Mingi being Mingi ran at every meet so when he finally caught him he didnt let go and held onto him like a leech, the chiming of the ornate pendant Mingi wore bared similar resemblance to one his mother gifted him when he was younger but he never saw it agian after he an accident and couldn't fathom what he had done to it.
And yet there it was a similar piece dangling from the neck of this boy.
Walking out the hall and into the lamp light courtyard, letting the friged air bite at his skin he walked and walked trying to clear his head, everything just became so..so..confusing.
Did he want to know more about Mingi? Yes
Did he want harm to come to the boy? No
And if they were to form an alliance then they would be a target.
The rules allowed for teams, but with teaming came challenges, the bigger the group the more tight knit you had to be demons of temptation lurked everywhere, a simple word just woven correctly into the mind of the person spoken too could kill a whole team.
And thus he stood there eyes locked at the person infront of him.
♡
San walked with pace no longer did the lethargic feeling stayed, not after hearing that pained scream. Woken out of his sleep by a blood curdling scream his mind ran with adrenaline to find the source. It was loud so it had to have come from this floor then schools white hall lights lighting his path as he ran, eyes scanning every classroom.
Till he reached the stair well, their stood Wooyoung eyes looking down at the body at the bottom of the stairs the pool of blood dripping down the next flight of stairs, his hair covered his eyes and his face bear no emotion. San could only see his bloodied knuckles and torn shirt from behind, so when wooyoung around to look at him, San frowned deeply. Wooyoung's torso was adorned with brusies and blood the side of his lips bleeding as he looked at San his fist loosened.
"Did i wake you ?",
How was he supposed to answer.
♤
Hongjoong sat by the window the calamity he had brought to his room still fresh, his head hung low as he cooled off, if it wasnt for the little pebbles now hitting the balcony he wouldn't have noticed that someone was trying to get his attention.
"Hongjoong!",
"What ?", hongjoong asked coldly,
"What the hell are you so mad about ?", hongjoong kept quiet, after a while he could hear the vines on the wall being pulled on, a few snaps and some grunts later seonghwa was now perched like a bird on the railing.
"Do you want to tell me or should I pry it out of you ?", seonghwa scoffed at Hongjoong's unresponsive state then looked into the room, his eyes widen.
It looked like hell had opened and let loose.
"HONGJOONG ARE YOU OKAY ?!?!",
"I'm fine",
"It dont look like it!",
"I told you I'm fi- mmM", frustrated seonghwa knew he wasnt going to get an answer unless he pried so he gave hongjoong a kiss cutting of the man's record like answer. Hongjoong tried to push him away but the grip was to strong like seonghwa intended it to be, so he softened into the kiss their lips moving in sync as seonghwa held him close.
☆
Yeosang held Jongho in his arms as they watched up at the stars, from the basket ball court the sky was clear not a cloud to block the view, this was one of the only blessing of being so remote and isolated.
"Yeosang me and others where talking and...we want to join the game", Yeosang tightened his grip he stayed silent and let Jongho finish.
"We want to leave and seonghwa said he'll try and figure out something for all of us..Mingi has been getting harrassed lately, well other then from Yunho, in his class and Wooyoung has been more cautious and quiet than normal", jongho finished sitting up from Yeosang's grasp he looked at the older, yeosang saw his eyes, Jongho was still young and to have been through and feel what he has felt at such a young age, yeosang pitied him.
Yeosang wanted to say something, but no words left his mouth, jongho became nervous.
"Please say something ?", jongho said as he went back into Yeosang's arms.
"You..you know who dangerous it'll be, the only thing you'll truly need to survive is luck",
"Seonghwa said the most we need to do is to make it to the end of the game without killing anyone",
"That's...gonna be harder than you think",
"Have you been in the games?", jongho asked out of curiosity.
"Nope, never had a reason to",
"So dont you want to leave", yeosang thought for a moment, he could explain to Jongho that he was sent here after bombing an entire police precinct to help his mother but that would lead to more need for explanation. But it was a bit true he never had the thought to leave, he just wanted to wait until the end of his sentence then leave. So now for a moment he thought.
'Why haven't I ?',
He could have left if he wanted too, all four of them could but they didnt...why?
♧
"What are you doing out here ?",
"I- I ...am... went for a walk", Mingi said quickly as walked past yunho the sound of crunching stone beneath his feet made him cringe with every step. Yunho watched and followed him Mingi stopped by the rose bush he had always sat by when he had his book, the courtyard lamp shining a dome of white light around him, the closed flowers looked as if they where shy of the two males now so close to them.
Yunho stood watch as Mingi got comfortable,
"You know, yunho you dont have to follow me around",
"Its my choice",
"But you dont have too",
"Its my choice", mingi sighed in defeat he wasnt getting anywhere, so he asked an obvious question.
"Why are you following me?",
"Because you have something that intrigues me",
"Which is?",
"Your pendent", mingi touched the it subconsciously, the metal cold as he played with blue circle inside it.
(How the pendant looks)
"It reminds me of something that my mother gave me, when I was younger" yunho came closer and stooped to Mingi's level.
"When did you get it?",
"When I was younger, I got it from someone I met, i cant remember them but they gave me my book with the necklace", yunho gasped.
"By chance is that book a old leather covered one ?",
"How did you know?",
"You dropped it that day..", the pair remembered a blush crept onto Mingi's cheeks.
"I read it, it seems interesting enough but the middle got confusing but atleast it soomthened out but the ending-..",
"Dont spoil it!", mingi blurted out as he held onto Yunho's shoulders.
"Why, haven't you read it?",
Mingi let out a small 'no' as he dropped his hands.
Yunho nodded, he liked the ending it would be nice if he had what the two in the book had, but it was still sad though the things that happened to the main couple's friends truly a tragedy.
"Do you want it back?", yunho asked as he got up and length out an arm to help Mingi, whom nodded and accepted the arm.
♡
"You didnt wake me...but what happened to you?", san asked as he length out a hand to help the other who only stepped back,
"Its nothing",
"Wooyoung you just watched someone roll down the stairs?!",
"You know my name?",
"Yeah, was I suppose to forget it?", san ask sarcastically as he looked at the body at the bottom of the stairs...at least it was breathing more like a wheez but it was still something.
"I don't know I thought you would have forgotten ", Wooyoung said as he shrugged footsteps approached with haste and at the bottom of the stairs they hear gasps and shouts for help. Wooyoung stood still and San stood next to him so when the teachers came suspicion fell.
"Both of you too the office now!!!", the female teacher screeched at them San rolled his eyes and Wooyoung silently walked away. Walking to catch up to Wooyoung's pace, the male looked at him,
"Why are you following me?",
"Well she did say 'both of you'", he said as he did air quotations.
"You seem more energetic that earlier",
"Dont count on it I'm high of adrenaline so I might drop soon", san said as he folded his arms behind his head.
And to the office they went Wooyoung's shirt still open droplets of blood hitting the floor as he walked, and San was with him all the way, recieving 6 months detention and San 2 months they walked back with with slips in both their hands the transaction taking little less than a minute to complete. Selfish administrator didnt even spear a glance to Wooyoung's side of the story which made San's blood boil but alast he knew the feeling all to much they wont listen not matter how much you spoke.
Without Wooyoung noticing he had redirected them to his dorm, Wooyoung needed some patch work and San seemed like he would be the only one able to give the poor boy who seemed to shaken to talk or even process what was happening.
♤
Hongjoong pulled away regaining his breathe as he did, his hands rested on seonghwa's chest the man's gaze baring down on him, seonghwa nudged Hongjoong's head his, making him look up, to lock their eyes and their lips once again.
☆♧♡♤
Yunho and mingi watched as the the other two pairs of people joined them, they ran into San and Wooyoung, mingi immediately leaving Yunho's side to attend to his injured friend, san going to Yunho's side and giving him the slip.
Jongho and Yeosang joined after Jongho too leaving Yeosang and walking over to Wooyoung.
The group made their way inside, the door left slightly open when yunho had walked out earlier, everyone entered San leading Wooyoung to the couch as he dissapeared into his room for medical kit and a clean clothes for the boy, his chest probably freezing after walking in the cold air all exposed. Yunho dissapeared to get Mingi's book and Yeosang went to get blankets.
Mingi watched in amazement at the dorm room it was by far fancier that theirs way more decorated too, the fuzzy mat was huge and he liked it.
When everyone came back Yeosang handed out the blankets and San tended to Wooyoung small whines and groans coming out as san cleaned his wounds and dressed him in one if his hoodies.
Yunho looked at Hongjoong's room the door was still intact their wasnt any noise coming from in there.
"So....how come yall where together?", jongho asked as he wrapped himself in the blanket.
Everyone looked to the person they where with prior.
"I ran into yunho",
"I ran into Wooyoung ",
"I fell on Yeosang",
"Fell!", mingi said as he looked at Jongho
"Yea, seemed painful",
"It was".
The door open and fell, yunho shook his head with displeasure, hongjoong came out with seonghwa in tow holding onto the others hand as he pulled him to the group sitting in the living room.
"Wooyoung what happened to you?!", seonghwa asked as he saw Wooyoung's busted lip.
San answered, the feeling of adrenaline finally wearing off starting to compromise his speech.
"Got in trouble ", san said with a yawn as he picked himself up and walked to his room coming out with a jar of pills and popped one in his mouth.
"Yea no shit, Wooyoung what happened ?",
"I almost killed someone...., their still breathing though", hongjoong snorted at Wooyoung's answer as he sat on the single chair in the center of the couch set.
"..so everyone brought everyone here?", hongjoong asked as seonghwa rounded to stand behind him like a hawk watching over its kill, yunho came back and sat next to Mingi, san got comfy enough to let Wooyoung sit comfortably so his bruises wont worsen and Jongho and yeosang sat on the fuzzy mat.
"I think we all have a mind as to what everyone is thinking....do we not?", hongjoong cut right to the chase it was clear mo beating around the bush was needed, they seemed to have already done that earlier. Everyone nodded.
"So what are your thoughts on it",
"We want to leave", said five in unison but one of those five was unexpected,
"Really Yeosang!?", jongho asked as he looked at the male, yeosang nodded.
"Yeosang, you do understand the difficulty you'll have in your case...right ?", Yeosang nodded, hair bowing to frame the sides of his face.
"Fine....the games start next week we have less that a week to prepare".
"We ?",
"You think I will let you go on a suicide mission alone?",
"But you, your brother !?",
"Dont worry I'll talk to him, beside he only has a year left, I can handle myself perfectly fine without his help",
Yeosang nodded as he swallowed his other questions, he knew hongjoong wouldn't answer them anyways.
"Well then since freedom seems to be in our minds let's see all who are joining then",
Six hands went up, the only hands down where San and Yunho's. They looked at each other before looking back at the group.
"Yun, we ain't got much so might as well", San said as he raised his hand, hongjoong wondered what could have possibly changed San's oneway mind.
Mingi raised Yunho's hand, and he didnt protest,
"So then an alliance is form between dorm 567 and 817",
"How do you know our dorm number ?",
"We have laptops here",
"Oh right".
That night the two dorms joined in, since freedom was now something they all seemed the thrive for, what better than to this.
☆...☆
And so if you looked closely at the end of the sheet their written where eight names all written in a shimmering gold colour.
They all stood watch, soon the games will being and test to determine if this decision was worth it, would begin.
¤Cut piece: how seonghwa changed Hongjoong's mind¤
Pulling away to recollect his breathe he watched the panting male in his arms, Hongjoong's cheeks dusted beautifully with pink.
"Will you tell me now ?",
"Or do I still have to pry it out of you ?",
"You can try", hongjoong challengingly, and so he did hands moving down to pull at the collar of the shirt, to expose the marked neck lips attaching to the skin once agian, hongjoong patted his back lightly when he sucked to hard on a particular spot, hands quick to find perch as he felt his knees go weak.
"Seonghwa s-slow down", did he mean it, no not one bit.
Seonghwa continued hands trailing further to raise the skirt the soft skin under it so soft to the touch. Hongjoong's skin had goosebumps as the hand inched further his lips now moving down to his chest leaving blooms over his heart.
Seonghwa admired his work as he still kneaded Hongjoong's thighs with his hand, with a relaxed sigh he leaned onto seonghwa's chest, the heat relaxed him.
"I was...de stressing",
"That's what you call de stressing, then I dont want to know what stressing it ", seonghwa said as he skipped his hand out from under the skirt, letting it come to rest at the males hip, hands itched as he fought the need to grope the others ass. Hongjoong kicked a strip of his neck bending his head toward until his gaze meet with seonghwa's.
"So what are you doing here?",
"I came to tell you-",
"That your joining the games"
"How did you..?",
"Cause i knew your just as hardheaded as me",
Seonghwa let out a scoff, hardheaded was just one of the many things he might have in common with hongjoong. Hongjoong coughed a bit and singled into seonghwa's chest making the him raise an eyebrow.
"Aren't you clingy today ?",
"Leave me be",
"Mmmmm, what do you think should I join or should I live out my days here ?", hongjoong looked up at him, he wasnt going to give the option he had chosen long ago.
"Join if want to, leave if you want to, it's your freedom",
"And what about your freedom ?",
"What about it ?",
"Dont you want to leave here ?",
'Do I want to leave here ?',hongjoong thought to himself, to think this school had grown on him, having been here so long he was exposed to everything, tried everything and cared less for its outcome. His choice of freedom was limited, if he left then back it was, back to their family mansion in Korea, freedom was .....something he had never had to being with. Growing up with his father sheltered was one way to summarize his upbringing, his father never allowed him on mission until hongjoong decided to start stowing away whenever one arose so he could go with them, and when he remarried that witch of a women thought it was 'in their best interest' that he and his brother got sent here. Hongjoong had a mind that she was planning something and knew he needed to thread lightly, so yeah freedom wasnt an option.
To hongjoong, his freedom would be being able to finally roam free the constraints of his father's work and his family turmoil no longer holding him down, that was what freedom was to him.
"So a fight for freedom ?",
"In a way, yes, we fighting for our freedom",
"But what's is that we need to be free from ?",
"Ourselves ",
Ourselves, how could you be free from the one thing the followed you like a ghost ?
"Hongjoong look at me", hongjoong looked up, up into the starry eyes that watched him from above, hongjoong swore, he would have doubted this man had done any crimes from the way his eyes sparkled so innocently.
And their was that feeling again that bubble feeling like a new warmth, a warmth that only appeared when he locked into these starry eyes.
So hongjoong looked at him, just like the first day they meet and studied his every feature, such duality shouldn't exist, one minute his eyes stared down like a predator to a prey and now looked at him like he was a precious treasure.
Seonghwa pulled something out from his back pocket and placed it in Hongjoong's hands,
The Queen of Hearts,
The exact card he had given to seonghwa weeks before.
"And what be your use for it ?",
"You tell me, you said one day I'll find the proper use for it, so tell me what the use is for ",
"It grants you a wish"
"Then I have a wish",
"Which is ?",
"Be free with me".
-------------
A/n: this was long if you made it to the end, thank you for reading and also I hope you spotted the clue to the ending ;)
also thank you to the three who voted on twitter.🙏
Did this go how you expected it to?
This had 4000 words, I didnt even realize it had so much when I first typed it.