Home Invasion || Park Jisung

08。double invasion

Wednesday, 01:32 a.m.

Nari could barely process the new information when a barely-audible shuffling echoed from further down the inner hallway. Their eyes snapped in each other's direction, alarm written across their faces as subtle footsteps sounded from the hallway, coming closer.

Before Nari could say anything, Jisung beat her to it—

"Hide!"

Jisung scrambled behind the sectional sofa by the mounted TV. Nari was further away by the kitchen island and could barely leave the area when she could hear, clear as day, deep murmurs fill the room; she had no choice but to duck behind the counter, just in time for the footsteps to finally cease from the other side of the counter.

"No cars here either— don't think anyone's home." A deep voice reverberated throughout the first floor, sending shivers down Nari's spine.

Nari's hands were clasped on her wooly jacket, her nails digging into the fabric as she blindly listened to the intruders. She forced her back closer to the wall of the counter, holding her breath and praying that they do not find her.

She swallowed hard, ears peeled as rough shuffling noises ensued somewhere on the other side. Where's Jisung?

Slowly, she peeked over the edge of the counter, giving her a direct view of the sofa that was laid just by the mounted TV. She was surprised to see his head already peeking from one side, his ruffled hair covering part of his eyes.

Nari watched as his eyes darted between her and something on the other side of the counter, which she knew were the intruders.

"Jung still over at the next house?" One voice asked.

"Yeah, second floor."

She cringed at how close their voices sounded— if not for the kitchen island, she'd be dead meat. She focused her attention on her neighbor... who was waving at her?

She gave him a quizzical look as his hands reached out from behind the safety of the long sofa. She adjusted the bridge of her thick-rimmed glasses, watching as the boy began moving his fingers questionably. He made a fist with his hand, then pointed to the left with his pointer finger— was that a finger roll??

Fuck you, she mouthed as she flashed him a middle finger, annoyed at his ridiculous attempt at hand signals.

Jisung dropped his hand immediately, mouth agape in offense. Nari simply rolled her eyes, ready to hide back behind the counter when Jisung's alarmed expression caused her to stop—

"Oh shit, this pie looks delicious."

Nari gasped internally— not the pie!

She furrowed at Jisung's sudden change in demeanor; he was frantically beckoning her, eyes wide. It took her a lucky split second to realize what it had meant for her— with her heart pounding against her chest, she crawled from behind the kitchen island, just in time for the burglars to walk over where she was once just crouching behind.

Her eyes threatened to close as she forced her limbs forward towards the boy. Just as she neared the sectional sofa, she felt a pair of hands pull her with force until she was safely behind the barrier-like furniture.

At this point, Nari was surprised the burglars hadn't caught on to her wildly erratic breathing; she clasped her palm over her mouth, struggling to control her breathing.

"Stop with the pie, will you?" The gruff voice reprimanded. "Did you check upstairs?"

"Mmm—" the sound of the burglar's munching caused Nari to scowl— "not yet."

"Go check out the master bedroom, I'll dismount the TV."

The two teenagers looked at each other instinctively, uncertainty flashing before their eyes as they eavesdropped on the criminals' conversation. They listened carefully as one pair of footsteps walked straight past the sofa and down the front hallway. 

It took them a few other haphazard noises for the previous conversation to finally dawn on them both: almost simultaneously, their heads drifted to their side, looking up at the seemingly ginormous mounted TV that stood right beside them.

"Fuck—" Jisung cursed under his breath; his quick reflexes kicked in, one arm grabbing Nari's wrist before dragging her past the sofa and towards the main hallway. Nari almost tripped on her own feet as they switched from crawling to speed-walking in a crouched position.

Jisung headed straight for the front door by the stairs, her heart doing backflips as they neared the entrance—

They both noticed it at the same time: a pair of sodded boots stomping down the stairs, one agonising thump after the other. Jisung didn't waste a second, he pulled her hand as he rerouted them back where they came from, darting towards a secluded door in the corner by her dining table.

Oh my god, they'll see us, oh my god, oh my god, oh my god—

Luckily, Jisung dragged them successfully into what Nari finally recognized as her laundry room— well, almost successfully.

Nari was in the middle of letting out the biggest sigh, when the door behind them closed shut with a cringingly loud bang. She whipped her head back in horror as the same deep voice from outside boomed: "What was that?"

Oh fuck.

"Lock the door!" Jisung hissed, gesturing desperately at the door handle behind Nari.

Nari felt her heart drop as she remembered one tiny detail about her laundry room—

"This door doesn't have a lock."

08。❝ double invasion ❞