A light beat played through the small bluetooth speaker, creating a lively atmosphere as Yeona got ready for the night. Though it was generally quiet with all her focus directed towards selecting an accessory out of several options, spending an unnecessary amount of time going back and forth between two.
It was no help that her fashion-monger roommate wasn't around to help. Minseo left hours ago to meet up with Hyunjin for early rounds, wanting to get a head start on the buzz before the party actually started. That may be a clear sign to not stick around her, as one specific boy suggested before.
A knock on her door interrupted Yeona's thought process. Quietly groaning, she grabbed both chokers and headed towards the door.
"Hey—"
"Which one?" She cut him off, holding up the pieces before him. Surprised for a second, he took a moment to study her clear look of desperation before a dry laugh escaped his lips, replying with a sarcastic, "Hello to you too."
"Hey," She sighed, stepping aside for Taeyong to enter her dorm. Walking back to her makeshift vanity, Yeona asked again, "What do think looks better? Diamond or black lace?"
"They look the same, one is shiny the other is not. So does it really matter? With all this effort you'll still look like the chimp you are." He muttered while examining her dorm, taking in the small details. His eyes stop at her bed where a few stuffed animals laid, a particular large one catching his attention, "Oh, so you were serious about the bear."
"Ugh forget it, you're no help." She decided on the black lace, bringing it around her neck. She'd worn it many times before, plus it matched with almost any outfit. So she couldn't understand why it wasn't cooperating with her now, not locking on as she struggled with her arms growing tired.
Before she could turn it around to face the front, she was stopped when she felt a warm presence from behind, followed by a soft pair of hands around hers.
"You're going to make us late." Taeyong mumbled, carefully latching the buttons together. It wasn't hard to clip on, he thought to himself as he simply pressed them together.
Adjusting the fabric so it was comfortable around her neck, he moved her wavy hair back behind her shoulders, turning her around to see an indecipherable expression on her face. "There, now you can impress Lucas with your perfect outfit."
Yeona glared at his figure walking out of the dorm, her face growing warm by the second, "I'm not trying to impress him."
After grabbing her belongings, the two quickly made their way out of the dormitory and towards the frat house.
It was a slightly awkward walk, not many words being exchanged between the two. Yeona could tell something was up with Taeyong, he took one too many glances at her, as if he wanted to say something but was keeping it to himself.
"So," She cleared her throat, hoping to ease the odd tension, "The sky is really pretty tonight, dontcha think?"
Taeyong looked up, "Oh yeah, I just noticed. Now that I think about it, you should've worn the sparkly one instead, you would've twinkled like the stars, glowing even brighter."
"Oh, so you're saying I look dull right now?"
He stammers, "What? No, no I didn't mean that—"
Yeona interrupts him, laughing, "I'm just joking, I know what you meant. But wow Taeyong, was that a compliment? Tonight might finally be the night you hit it off with a girl using your famous pickup lines."
Taeyong watches her pull out her phone, seeing her occupied left him back with his thoughts. He sighed, whispering, "I thought it was working... I guess not."
Fifteen minutes later, their ears picked up the deep bass down the street, knowing they were near. Taeyong turned to Yeona who was now full of smiles as she looked down at her device, which for some reason made him frown. "Are you sure you still want to go? We can always do something else, or go somewhere safer. I'm sure the others would come along too if we ask."
Yeona shook her head, locking her screen before looking back at him, "Thanks for the offer but I'm still going, we are going. Who knows, this party might give me a reason to enjoy them more, and maybe it'll change your mind about them too." She winked before skipping up the driveway.
He couldn't help but wish she would've changed her mind last minute, but there was no point in trying to persuade her again. She was set with her decision. All Taeyong could do was agree, quickly catching up to her as she approached the front door.
Entering, the two edge their way through the noisy house. There were a lot more people around than they expected. Other students from the neighboring university must've been invited too, or just invited themselves. They both agreed they were not used to seeing this many people.
Too many sweaty bodies...
Slipping through, they eventually made their way to a more spacious part of the hall. They were relieved to make it out alive. "See, great start to the night already, not a single drink spilt on us!" Yeona exclaimed happily.
Taeyong snickered, "Yeah, for now. Remind me why we both decide to wear white again?"
Yeona giggled, about to reply until the secure feeling they once had vanished when someone suddenly caught her arm and pulled her back with a little too much force. Her heart thumped against her chest, holding still to prevent herself from tripping. The action startled not only her but the boy beside her.
"Woah chill guys," Yeona spun around to only see Lucas, a cautious smile on his lips. She started to relax, her pulse slowing down just as his own hand loosened up on her, "Sorry, I was just trying to stop you from walking away."
"You couldn't just simply call her name?" Taeyong focused down at Lucas' hand, in it a red cup with less than half filled with alcohol. It could've just been his first one of the night, Taeyong thought. But it didn't help but raise a red flag.
Lucas didn't respond to Taeyong, his eyes only on the girl, "Come with me to the kitchen, it's pretty calm there and YangYang needs the company."
Without taking a second to hear Yeona out, Lucas took her hand and made way down the hall, with Taeyong trudging behind them. He wondered if Lucas was even aware of his presence, he hadn't glanced back once to see if he was following behind. But Yeona made sure he was sticking close, there was no way she was letting him out of her sight.
The three soon made their way to the less crowded kitchen, Yeona easily spotted the boy Lucas oh-so wanted her to accompany. The two directed their way over to him while Taeyong moved to the other side of the room where a few of his friends happened to be.
"You're good here, right?" Lucas asked her, looking between the two before she nodded in response. He gave a quick pat on their shoulders, walking away as he said, "Let's link up later."
She smiled back, a fluttery feeling in her chest danced around when he flashes his signature charming grin, waving his hand.
"He seems pretty busy tonight." Yeona commented, her eyes following Lucas. He rushed to the front where Yuta, whom appeared out of nowhere, stood and the boys soon disappeared from her sight.
"Yeah busy, right." YangYang mumbled to himself, "I heard there's a lot of people here, double than the usual crowd. That's probably it." He kept his eyes on the empty cup in his hand as he carefully poured her some soda.
Yeona accepted it and thanked him, though she couldn't understand why he was avoiding her eyes. It wasn't like him to be so arid and recessive, they've hung out many times for her to know that. In a sense, his quiet behavior was unsettling for her.
When he finally did look at her, he asked a question that only confused her even further.
"But why did you come here tonight, Yeona?"
Her brows automatically rose while her lips turned into a bemused smile, unable to catch if it was a joke or not. "Lucas invited me? Is there a reason why I shouldn't be here?"
"Well, no? No...! I didn't hear anything!" YangYang's face shifted into a panic, his pupils slowly widening by the second, "I must have misheard everything, I'm still a little rusty with the language here, you know." He took a second to confirm his words, carefully nodding his head when saying what he needed to and then turned back to her, hoping it sounded convincing.
But it was far from it. His body language didn't add up, the boy quivered in his spot, subtle beads of sweat trickling down his forehead. Yeona didn't know if she was more concerned about the words he spoke or his mentality.
She put a hand on his shoulder, taking a step closer, "Hey calm down Yang, is there something wrong? Something I should know about?"
He shook his head, his eyes moving around the room as he lowered his voice, "No it's nothing. Well, it's just that I heard..."
YangYang swallowed his words in fear when he heard a girl yell out Yeona's name, making the two turn towards the voice that forced them to push away their conversation.
"Hey babe, I'm surprised you showed up before me." Yeona's tipsy roommate bounced over to them, waving to YangYang before openly checking out her best friend, "Good you wore the shirt I picked out for you, now the girls pop out even more."
Yeona looked down, realizing what she was referring too. She quickly tugged her shirt up to cover her chest, her cheeks starting to burn from embarrassment. It was clear her friend was about to reach her limit. "Geez can you watch what you're saying in front of other people, Minseo?" She motioned over to YangYang, who only gave them an awkward smile.
Minseo grinned, placing her arm around his shoulder. "I'm pretty sure he's used to it by now, considering the group he hangs with."
"That's not true!" YangYang shakes his head, immediately denies it and goes on promising he's nothing like his friends. The tipsy girl continuously nods, pretending to sympathize with him.
Yeona smiled at Hyunjin, who quietly joined the three moments later. He waved while sighing, motioning to the girl who now couldn't stop blabbering. Yeona bit her lip, trying to hold back from Hyunjin's fatigued appearance. She wondered how he was able to put up with her for so long, most logical people would have ran away by now.
A few more friends soon joined the small group, and seeing everyone decently occupied by Minseo's delirious speech gave Yeona an opportunity to slip away and check out the rest of the party.
Not like Minseo would notice her missing anyways.
Yeona discarded her empty cup as she headed out of the kitchen and into the hall. She wasn't sure where she planned on going but her main goal was to at least find someone she knew, then she'd feel at ease.
She strolled around for a few minutes, trying to not let the music distract her from busting it down right then and there— her favourite song was playing. She could already imagine Sicheng taking over the dance floor, "Damn he loves this song."
But soon she started to pick up her feet when she spotted the back of a familiar head, knowing well who it was. She grinned as soon as she got to him, popping up right in front of him, "Found you."
He jumped slightly from her little surprise. "You were looking for me?" He asked, she nodded kindly, which was unlike her.
His shy stance faded upon her response, a faint smirk now hovers his lips, "It's alright, you could just say you missed me."
It wasn't true at all, but the way her heart skipped made it seem otherwise.
"Oh you wish, I literally saw you ten minutes ago," She leaned against the peach coloured wall, crossing her arms as she stared at him, "Just thought to save you the trouble seeing you wanted me to stick by you the entire night."
Taeyong stared at her for a bit, taking in her satirical aura before shaking his head, looking away, "Thanks, I guess."
Weird, she thought. Yeona was expecting a much different, sassier response than that. Confused at the sudden dip of his voice, she followed his eyes down the hall. It took awhile to search through the crowd to spot what his vision focused on.
She noticed two people in a warm conversation together, too close to be considered a friendly exchange. It would definitely turn more flirty if she continued to watch any longer. She recognized the boy, Minho, a close friend of Hyunjin's. Yeona didn't even know Minho knew Eunmi, and she was slowly starting to feel for Taeyong, hoping he wasn't heavily affected by the scene.
She turned back to boy in front of her, reaching for his arm. He jolted at her soft touch, instantly bringing back his attention to her. Yeona gave him a sympathetic smile, "Are you okay?" The question might've sounded stupid to his ears. Even though she knew it was Taeyong who broke it off between them, she could understand there being any lingering feelings left over. Break ups can be hard for both sides, even if one doesn't show it.
Taeyong smiled, finding her concerned for him touching. It was something he didn't think she'd care much about; her caring for his feelings that is. He remembered getting an ear full of it back when he first told her the news. Sure she blew up a storm in the beginning, but Yeona eventually calmed down and went back to being the friend she was supposed to be. Oh the memories, he was glad that was in the past.
He took a step closer to her, "Thank you Yeona, but I'm fine. You don't have to worry about me."
He took another step forward. The space between them slowly grew limited, triggering a rise in Yeona's heartbeat. Her first instinct was to take a step back, but the girl had forgotten she was already against the wall. She mentally slapped herself, that was the last thing she wanted to do.
Seeing her attempt to back away only showed Taeyong she was aware of his jesting actions, reacting the way he hoped she would. He took this opportunity to tease her even further, closing the gap between them to the point where there was no such thing as personal space. He lowered his head, his eyes meeting hers.
Every time she tried not to look, her eyes always found their way back. She found his dark almond eyes hypnotizing, it was just like how she felt back at her house. She didn't want to move, or turn away. The two were in their own world now.
Yeona broke their silence, bringing it back to the original topic, "Why can't I worry about you? You just had a falling out with Eunmi and aren't even on speaking terms. You both act like strangers. How can I not worry?" She whispered, trying hard to ignore his chypre scent enveloping her.
"It's been a while since we've been on a break. I think we both are allowed to do whatever we want. And honestly," Taeyong's eyes darted down the hall then back to her. He leaned close to her ear, the tip of his nose upon contact on her skin sends a shiver through her, "I don't feel the heartbreak, and it's safe to say she might have moved on too. You could say that maybe she was never the one."
Her lips parted naturally. How could he not feel the heartbreak? This was the same guy who was eager to call Eunmi his girlfriend after their first date. She couldn't believe him, or apprehend any of it. It was like everything was a lie to her. She wanted to question him about it all, her thoughts made her squirm in her spot. It didn't help that he was practically leaning on her.
"Is something wrong?" He noticed her timid manner.
She blinked, clueless from his question, "What do you mean?"
Taeyong raised a corner of his lips, "Do I make you nervous, Yeona?"
What? Her eyes widened at the question, soon regretting that her action may have proven it was true. She stutters, "N-No, why would you think that?"
His eyes glimmered, seeming to enjoy this, "You can barely look me in the eye. You're not shy, are you?"
Yes? No? Yeona wanted to say both but her entity froze her in place, she could barely utter a word. She took quick glances to see that he hadn't stopped staring at her with those playful eyes. She was hoping to be saved from further embarrassment, her prayers answered when someone popped up beside them.
"Hey love birds, did you forget you weren't the only ones at this party?" The two snap out of their secluded bubble and turned their heads over to the perky voice.
They were met with a grinny Ten, who flashed his eyes between the two, his smile growing wider every second. Next to him was Johnny who had his arm around Ten's shoulders, wearing a small pout as he stared at Yeona.
The girl looked back at Taeyong who was still rather close, not caring about his friends standing right before him. She put an arm between them, forcing him take a step back from her. Taeyong sighed heavily, giving a look at the comical boy, "What do you want Chittaphon?"
"Oh sorry, didn't know we were interrupting something." Ten frisked, not even phased by Taeyong's hard stare on him. "Anyways everyone is heading upstairs to play a game, just thought of inviting you guys. But you can continue making out or whatever you two were doing."
Yeona started to choke hearing Ten's words, shaking her head furiously, "No no, we weren't... why would we... um, we'll be there in a minute."
Ten sent a wink their way before dragging Johnny away with him.
"That would've been me..." Johnny mumbled to himself, feeling glum after the exchange. Ten sighed, "Yeah well that would've been me too but we all can't get what we want."
Johnny raised a brow curiously, "You liked Yeona?"
The shorter laughed, sending a light punch to Johnny's arm, "No doorknob, why would I like her, a girl, if I'm dating you?"
"...Oh."
Back in the hall, the two were still planted in their spot, Yeona now looking down at the ground, not having enough courage to face him.
Noticing this, Taeyong slowly took her hand in his, forcing her to look at him. "So what do you want to do? Would you like to join the others?" He asked her, gently pulling her off the wall.
She thought for a second, pushing aside the feeling of his warm touch, before asking him the same. It would be nice to be around everyone, but she almost didn't mind the one-on-one time she was having with Taeyong. She couldn't fully admit she was enjoying it, but was almost hoping he felt the same.
"Honestly, I rather not go." It was like he was reading her mind. However, Taeyong continued speaking, "But you said you wanted to have fun tonight, and if that means hanging out with your friends and playing dumb party games, then we should go."
Yeona's heart sunk, sadden, as Taeyong directed them towards the stairs, still holding onto her hand. He probably wasn't enjoying their time together the same way she was, she thought. She couldn't hide her feelings, feeling blue after the exchange.
Wait, sad? Blue?
She shook her head, she really thought about wanting to be alone with him. Was she out of her mind? There must have been something in the soda for her to be even thinking like that.
Although, her initial feelings still remained no matter how much she tried to tuck them away. So maybe she wasn't out of her mind, maybe she meant what she felt. Deep inside she slowly realized that her idea of fun didn't have to be with everyone, but with just one person.
The pair reached the second floor, turning the corner to a longer hallway and seeing a few people walking into a room. It must be where the game was to take place, a few girls clearly eager to get inside.
Yeona caught sight of Lucas and Yuta standing outside of the room, the males fully immersed in a conversation. She could sense an austere vibe while watching them, though Yuta looked slightly uneasy out of the two.
The latter unintentionally made eye contact with Yeona, who was slowly making her way towards them. Yuta's eyes widened and elbows Lucas, causing the taller to abruptly cut off his sentence.
Lucas whirled his head around, now noticing Yeona. He flipped a switch, grinning widely and turning his entirety around. She instantly spots the same cup from earlier in his hand, staring as he brings it to his mouth. He chugs the whole thing before handing the empty cup to Yuta.
"Hey, Yeona. I'm glad you decided to join us." Lucas licked his lips, catching a drop of alcohol that glazed over. His dim eyes darted to her hand, still together with Taeyong's.
Taeyong snorted lightly, amazed that Lucas still hadn't properly greeted him. So he decided to play his game, having no incentive to let go of her hand, even holding it a little tighter than before. Yeona didn't think much of it, assuming he was just being cautious. It was something he'd done a few times for her to get used to it.
Yep just two friends holding hands, no biggie.
Lucas cleared his throat, "You guys can go inside, your friends are already in there."
Yeona gave him a small smile before walking into the room. She was surprised seeing the amount of people able to fit into the cozy room. A few of the boys were there, a drunk Minseo and even Eunmi who sat quietly beside Minho. And it seemed that Taeyong noticed her too, their hands slipping apart without even realizing.
Yeona easily spotted Kun across the room, seeing him smile as soon as he saw her, flourishing shyly at her. The girl grinned, making her way over.
"Hi Kun!" She plopped down on the carpet, waving to Doyoung who sat next to him. He waved back, but lowered his hand when Taeyong dropped down next to her. The two only exchanged head nods, while Yeona conversed with the boy beside her.
"Why is it just the two of you up here? Where's Sicheng?" She asked Kun. He smiled at her sweet curious expression, replying, "Dancing downstairs, he didn't seem interested in the game."
She sulked, feeling slightly disappointed, "Aw man I knew it, always missing his legendary free styling. I'm never lucky with these things."
Kun looked at her, hesitating before speaking, "I hope you will be lucky in the future, and even be happy. Everyone deserves to be happy, and I just want you to be happy. Because you're the reason that I'm so happy."
Taeyong and Doyoung both stared at each other hearing Kun's words, then quickly broke contact not wanting to laugh out of disrespect. They only shared a similar thought, was this really the Kun they knew? It sounded like something Jungwoo or even Sicheng would say. This was one big step for him, and the boys couldn't be more surprised.
Yeona's heart melted, putting an arm around him and pulling him for a small hug, "Kun, how can you be so sweet even till now?"
A rosy blush tainted his cheeks, "I just want to protect you, and I want you to be happy."
Kun wanted to smack himself, he couldn't stop saying what was on his mind. He only had one drink tonight and was spilling more than he had his whole life.
"Wow he stopped stuttering for once." Ten spoke up, joining the four. He sat down beside Doyoung, Johnny falling right beside him.
Yeona knitted her brows, she didn't find Ten's comment very nice. Johnny, noticing her sour look, soon got the message, deciding to whack Ten for her. He smiled proudly as if he'd done a good deed.
Ten reached for the back of his stinging head, throwing a glare straight to the boy. "The fuck dude?"
Ignoring the Thai, Yeona ruffled Kun's hair, linking arms together, "I'm happy just by you being apart of my life."
"Lame." Ten coughed out, then immediately yelling out in pain when both Johnny and Doyoung aimed for his head again. The other three laughed, watching Ten ready to fight the boys beside him for laying a hand on his precious self.
"Okay guys, we have enough people here so lets begin!"
A few people scattered around, some making a circle, connecting with the six already on the floor. Others were by the walls or on the bed, patiently ready for whatever game was about to start.
Everyone faced Lucas who stood by the door, wearing his usual smile, "So now that we're all settled, lets start off simple and play a casual game of truth or dare."
"Pfft, lame." Ten repeated, this time a little quieter. The five couldn't help but agree, all trying to be discreet about it. Lucas noticed them, he smiled amusingly and decided to let them be.
He clasped his hands together, "So who wants to go first?"
"Me! Me! I'm the best at this!" Yeona groaned, rolling her eyes when she saw Minseo rise from the bed while raising an arm in the air. It was more than obvious the alcohol has seeped through her brain.
"This is not going to be good." Yeona whispered to herself.
Lucas motioned the animated girl to go ahead, making Ten whisper to his friends, "Oh this should be good."
Minseo beamed, crawling towards the edge of the bed, pointing to the boy on the ground, "Yo Chittapornkul."
Ten's face turned beet red, the hushed laughter emitting around the room was not helping him control his emotions, "T-That's not how you say my name."
The girl ignored him, "Truth or dare?"
Ten looked at Johnny before turning back to the girl. He quietly gulped before answering her, "Truth."
Minseo smirked, leaning her arms against the edge of the mattress, "What's your credit card number?"
Ten's eyes widened, taken aback by her question. Everyone in the room began to laugh, finding the start of the game already entertaining. "What?! No! Are you crazy? No forget that, I choose dare!"
Minseo shrugged, sighing, "Alright, then I dare you to tell me your credit card number, front and back."
Ten was ready to get up and lunge at the girl, only to be held down by Johnny. Everyone in the room was in hysterics by now. Yeona had to be the one to clear the air, playing it off, "Aha, Minseo is just joking everyone. She's just very drunk."
She looked over at the girl, who was being held still by Hyunjin. She sent her a warning look and hoped she understood before turning back to the game, moving on to someone asking another question.
"Truth or dare?" A random girl asked Jaehyun, who had been sitting quietly by the wall in his own world, until he was brought back once hearing his name. Jaehyun looked around at everyone before it registered that they were all looking at him. Flushed, he turned to the blonde and answered, "Um, truth."
"Is there someone you're romantically interested in in this room?" She asked, making everyone start in quiet chatter and whispers. He rubbed his damp palms against his black jeans, not expecting the question.
Jaehyun stared at the ground for a second before lifting up his head, turning it towards the group of six friends, gazing at the one person he'd hope wouldn't be staring back. He nodded his head when they had just locked eyes, hastily looking away right after.
The blonde and her friends grew excited, calling him cute and adorable. "Oh my gosh I might actually have a chance!"
Yeona cracked up at their remarks, everyone else following suite. She turned to Taeyong, expecting a similar reaction. But no smile was worn on his face, only a flustered expression. His eyes focused on the ground, picking at the carpet fibers.
"Alright my turn!" Ten announced, quieting everyone down. His eyes darkened, his head slowly turning to face the girl who ticked him off in a matter of a few seconds. "Truth or dare, Minseo?"
Minseo let out a laugh, amused to see Ten ready to fight back. She smiled, crossing her legs, "Well since everyone's playing safe and picking truth, I'll be the bold one here and pick dare."
Ten's demeanor turned evil, a sadistic smile etched on his face as he spoke out his dare, "I dare you to go home."
The atmosphere changed in a split second, the room immediately falls quiet with nobody daring to say a word. Maybe a few quiet gasps, the only way to react after hearing the worst dare anyone could be asked to do.
"A-Are you... you can't be serious?" Minseo squeaked in disbelief.
"A dare is a dare, sweetie." Ten's mischief eyes and smile never falters, "You can continue partying at your dorm, alone."
The silent room was soon shaken with a loud wail from Minseo bursting into tears, she couldn't believe this was happening.
Yeona slapped a hand over her mouth, stopping herself from letting out the tiniest sound while witnessing her friend in a tantrum. Minseo slowly got off the bed, being dragged out the room by Hyunjin.
The second the door closed, everyone in the room broke. Tears in her eyes, Yeona leaned against Taeyong not able to keep herself up.
"I swear she sets herself up sometimes." He grinned at her remark, entranced by her radiant smile before joining along.
Doyoung high-fived a satisfied Ten, who smiled proudly to himself, "That'll teach her."
"Let's keep the game going! Who's next?"
⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅
tw/cn : descriptions of attempted r*pe, sexual assault
The night continues on with the game. More dares being asked, initiating makeout sessions. Truths that somehow led to tears and friendships ruined. All in all, no one was seriously injured which was what mattered the most.
Everyone made sure the night was entertaining. A few groups would walk in and out, keeping the group fresh and the game never ending.
Yeona wasn't engaging in the game for the most part, only watching on and joking around with the guys about the dares. But when she did get called, she chose to avoid the dares and call on truth. She tried to keep her answers vague when it came to embarrassing questions, but Taeyong was more than happy to share details since according to him, it wasn't the entire truth.
She was never going to share secrets with anyone ever again.
"You know, you don't have to butt in to every question I'm being asked?" Yeona told Taeyong.
"I know, I just feel like since we're all being honest tonight, you should be too." He replied, smiling.
Yeona crossed her arms, "They're all drunk, they're telling the truth whether the want to or not."
"Exactly, but don't worry about it. I'm sure no one's gonna remember you mistaking your history teacher for your mother, only realizing it after hugging her and saying you loved her, anyways." Taeyong winked, standing up to stretch his legs.
"They wore the same dress!" Yeona retorted. That was the last parent-teacher interview she ever went to. She could never stop reliving that embarrassing moment no matter what, it was embedded into her mind forever.
"Sure whatever you say." Taeyong scoffed, moving towards the door, "I'm just going to run to the restroom, I'll be back in a bit." He looked back at her one last time before walking out the room.
It was technically just her now. Doyoung and Kun left a while back to find Jungwoo and Sicheng. Johnny and Ten were in a corner on the other side of the room watching random videos on their phone— though Ten had a different idea on his mind.
Yeona scanned the room to see who was left. She skimmed past unrecognizable faces until her eyes stop at Eunmi, who too was alone. Yeona wasn't expecting to see her stick around even after Minho left a while back.
Eunmi appeared rather, sad, from Yeona's perspective. But what really caught her eyes was the patent frown on her face as she stared nowhere in particular.
And here she thought Eunmi had moved on living her best life, working her game with all the boys and was just enjoying her single status, when it really wasn't the case. She just hoped Eunmi didn't notice how close her and Taeyong had gotten over the course of the night, it was unintended in Yeona's mind at least.
Maybe it was best if they both got some fresh air outside and let her feelings out. Yes, that was the right thing to do instead of letting her sit there sulking the entire night. And just when Yeona was about to stand up from her spot someone called her name, followed by a question.
"Yeona, truth or dare?"
Her eyes left Eunmi's figure and unexpectedly over to Yuta. She stared into his blank eyes, unable to decipher his intentions. There was only a familiar feeling, the same feeling when seeing each other in the hall earlier.
"Umm..." Yeona's plan was halted. She didn't know if she should tell him she was just about to leave or to play along for now.
Then again, it didn't seem to be a problem to play a quick round. This wasn't a big deal the way she made it out to be, she told herself. It shouldn't take long, and once she was done she could head out with Eunmi.
So she settled back down, pushing her hair behind her shoulders, "Okay, dare."
Shit. Her brows rose in shock. That wasn't what she wanted to say. And it seemed to be too late to change her answer judging from Yuta's reaction.
A sly smile barely made it onto his face, almost amazed to hear the choice she never once made the whole night.
And boy did she regret it.
"I dare you to spend seven minutes in heaven with Lucas."
Yeona's stomach dropped, she was definitely regretting her choice. Everyone in the room seemed to be in a different mood, rather encouraging her to go through with it, a few hollers thrown around.
"Oh? Me?" Lucas pipped up, a sloppy smile on his face as he asked Yuta again.
"But..." Yeona quickly turned at Eunmi who was only staring back at her, confused. Maybe because she wondered why Yeona was hesitating. Or maybe she too was questioning why Yuta would suggest such a dare, knowing it would make her uncomfortable.
"It's just a dare, Yeona."
"Yeah! Aha, it'll be fast!" Lucas agreed with Yuta, motioning a hand for her to stand up. As she did, she took in Lucas' odd behaviour. He was more lively, in a way. It just wasn't his usual self. It was obvious that he had more than enough to drink, maybe even more than Minseo.
"Quickly Yeona," He giggled, standing outside the door, "The others are looking."
Yeona peered back at Eunmi as she stepped beside Lucas. She was expecting Eunmi to intrude, or even stop her. But she only stared on, leaving Yeona sighing and following Lucas who was already a few feet ahead of her.
Deep down Yeona didn't want to go through with the dare, but she was hoping it'd go by fast like he said. And she trusted his word, like she once told him. They were friends, and she trusted he wouldn't put her in an uncomfortable situation.
Lucas led her down to the end of the hall, which seemed to go on forever the longer they walked. Had the music suddenly gotten louder? The base pounded against her ears, or was it her heart beating too loud? Why was no one was in the hall anymore? She swore all throughout the night many people would walk by or hang around, but now it was deserted.
It just happened to be at a moment like this. Talk about terrible timing.
Approaching the room furthest away from the others, Lucas opened the door for her to enter through. Reluctantly she did, walking in first towards the middle of the room. She heard a click behind her, two clicks actually. One was the door closing, but the other? No, it must have just been the music.
"So," Yeona turns around, seeing Lucas now leaning against the wooden door with a lazy smile, his eyes taking in her figure, "I don't know if Yuta did this on purpose, but I'd really appreciate it if we didn't spend 7 minutes in here."
Lucas smirked, "Oh, so you want to spend the whole night?" Pushing himself up, he sauntered over to Yeona, stumbling every few steps.
"What?! No, I actually kinda want to leave now." Her heart pumped vigorously against her chest.
Not once did he take his ominous eyes off her. His stare was the one thing she couldn't handle in the past, making her feel flustered. But now the feeling was replaced with fear and only made her self conscious.
Yeona backed up with each step he took, not wanting to go further back to prevent falling on the bed behind her. But Lucas didn't stop, and kept directing towards her. "Lucas what are you doing? You're drunk."
He let out a eerie chuckle, pointing to himself, "Me? Drunk? Maybe I had a few drinks... I don't really know, I stopped counting pretty fast."
"Lucas this isn't funny. I know this isn't what you want to do, let's talk it out." Yeona pleaded eagerly, hoping he'd stop.
He doesn't listen, instead placing his hands on her shoulders and pulled her close. He leans down, his strong breath hitting her senses, "It's okay, no one's going to know." Before she could even say anything, Lucas placed a kiss on her jaw, shocking her as he progressed up her cheek.
Yeona fumbled with her footing, "Hey don't touch me!" She shoved his face away from her own and used all her strength to push him a way, causing him to take a few steps back.
She makes a slight movement towards the door, but Lucas instantly caught wind of her escape and grabbed her arm, pulling her back to him. He was strong, she tumbles from the force and lands hard on the firm bed, the one thing she wanted to avoid.
"Fuck Yeona," Lucas furrowed his brows at the sight of her, scared, "No no, I didn't want to do this. But you're just so fucking pretty. I didn't know what else to do." He continues mumbling to himself, most of it not making any sense to her ears.
"Why are you doing this? Why are you making this so hard!" He pulled at his hair, it was almost as if he was yelling at himself.
"Lucas you need to stop and listen to me. This isn't you, you told me you would never hurt me. You're going to regret this so please, let me leave." She tried to reason with him, hoping he'd remember the very words he told himself and promised her.
But Lucas only looked angry, angry that she wasn't cooperating, apprehensive. His breathing became heavier, eyes clouded, he was gone. "You're telling me you don't want this? You think I couldn't see the signs you were giving me all this time? T-That you liked me? I know you do, because I like you too. It's what we both want, so why can't you stay still and give us what we want!"
Yeona couldn't understand what he was saying. This was not she wanted, she never once told him how or what she felt. And she definitely did not give him consent to touch her the way he did.
How did he interpreted everything they had for it to end this bad? She gripped the silk bed sheets underneath her, watching Lucas swear to himself.
She didn't know what to do. Screaming for help was no use if all she could hear was the deafening music, there was no way anyone would hear even if she tried. She didn't want to risk leaving again, afraid he would seriously hurt her this time.
She froze when Lucas started to act again. Hot and irritated, he attempts to remove his leather jacket, wanting to get it off as fast as possible. He stumbles as he takes the last sleeve off, knocking down a large ceramic lamp sitting on the bedside table. It shatters against the wall and headboard, the pieces scatter everywhere from the floor to the bed. Yeona let out a small cry, seeing small cuts and shards of glass on her arm. Her emotions were starting to take a toll on her.
"Fuck sakes." Lucas hiccuped, shrugging at the mess and mumbling he'd fix it later, not even phased about the deep cut he gotten on his hand and face. He started making his move towards Yeona, his knee sinking into the bed.
Crawling backwards, Yeona tried her best to get away from Lucas as he slowly climbed on the bed. It was hard to move with her now throbbing and bleeding arm, giving her a disadvantage. It was all happening too fast, she felt useless, weak.
Lucas put his hand on her hip just as she shut her eyes. But he quickly retreated when he heard a few loud bangs behind him. He turned around, seeing the door busted wide open, clear destruction of the wood being kicked at multiple times. Two people stormed in.
Yeona didn't have time to process what was happening around her, the gears finally turning in her head to use this moment to kick him in the groin. He bent forward in pain, but is sent backwards as he is pried off the bed, landing hard on the floor. He groaned, reaching for his head, "Fuck—"
Yeona quickly shuffled off the bed, grabbing a hand that was held out for her and was pulled into their embrace. She shut her eyes, holding onto the person as tight as she could. All she could hear was yelling, his familiar voice ringing through her ears. She forced herself to look, wanting to know if it really was him.
She sees them on the floor. The male on top throwing hit after hit as the other laid underneath there, not fighting back. The day he mentally prepared for had ended in complete disaster. He was tired, and willingly took every blow that came his way.
"Fucking asshole! I knew I couldn't fucking trust you and your shit lies!"
Yeona quickly shut her eyes right before Taeyong's fist collided with Lucas' face. She couldn't stop him, not having any ounce of energy to do so. She could only stay where she was now.
"I'm sorry... I couldn't protect you."
He whispered as he held Yeona close, not wanting to let her go now. She shook her head, tears flowing. She didn't want him to blame himself. She wanted to tell him he was protecting her right now, and that he always had.
The two slowly sunk to the floor, where he let the girl softly whimper in his arms.
It didn't take long for the others to rush into the room, hurrying to tear apart Taeyong and a beaten up Lucas. It took more people to hold back Taeyong, the fiery in his eyes and his body on fire said it all, he wanted to kill him on the spot.
This wasn't supposed to happen. This wasn't how the night was supposed to go. There wasn't supposed to be a fight. It was only a dare. Why did it turn sinister in a matter a minutes. This wasn't supposed to happen.
Was it wrong that she couldn't stop the fight, or even everything leading up to this moment? She wanted to speak up, but it felt like the life in her slipped away, leaving her numb as she stared on. But when she felt his hands cover her eyes, turning her away from the scene, she came to believe that it was okay.
So she stayed there, protected in Kun's arms. Blocking out the noise, as he whispered words of comfort.
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