𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐑𝐒 ˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳ 𝐧𝐜𝐭 𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐦 - 𝐡𝐮𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝐠𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐮

⇛ 𝐂𝐇. 𝟑𝟒

"we're here." hana said, leading the group towards the mansion. "the presidential palace. everyone here is to celebrate you and your victories."

"sadly i'm not in a party mode." jihyun sighed.

"i'm not surprised but pretend you are. shoulders back, chins up and wear a proud smile. you'll make it through the night just fine." hana said then turned back around. "now follow me."

they approached the crowd of extravagantly dressed people and they made a path for the group to walk through. haechan held his arm out for jihyun again and she took it as they walked past the clapping and cheering people on the stairs.

"some of these people look ridiculous." jisung muttered from behind.

"honestly. and why are there so many stairs?" chenle whined from next to him as he used him as support to climb up the several steps.

when they reached the top, they entered the large mansion and passed more people. finally, they arrived in a banquet room full of food and a fountain in the middle.

"i'll be around the place. i might go outside where people will be dancing. i know it's hard but try to have fun." hana said and then she kissed jihyun's forehead before leaving.

"gosh. i'm starving." jaemin mumbled as the group walked over to one long table of food.

they helped themselves to it, taking whatever looked appealing which was almost everything. then they moved around the room, greeting a few people, making small talk and eating majority of the time.

jihyun found herself at a table with cups of purple liquid. intrigued, she was about to take one but froze upon feeling a presence behind her.

"want one?" she asked jisung, holding a drink out to him.

"no, and i wouldn't drink that if i were you." he replied, taking it from her hands and placing it on the table.

"why?"

"i'm assuming you don't want to throw up all the food you just ate."

"that's what they do? then no, i don't." she muttered, following him back to the others.

"why do you look so dull all of a sudden?" jeno asked, softly nudging her.

"did you know about those purple drinks?" she asked, pointing to the table.

"oh, yeah. i've heard about those. very popular in the capitol. it makes you throw up so you can eat more because that's what they love to do. i mean look around us." renjun said, bitterly.

"people in my district are starving but here they have enough to be throwing it up to stuff themselves again." haechan said, looking around with nothing but pure rage and hatred in his eyes. jeno rubbed his shoulder in a comforting manner.

"i enjoyed being away from the capitol but now we have to talk to these obnoxious— hi, how are you?" mark cut himself off when he noticed someone walking towards him and soon he was swept away in a conversation.

"poor mark." chenle whispered. "the women have been all over him."

"not surprised." jihyun muttered, popping a macaroon into her mouth.

unconsciously, she kept reaching for more as the others conversed among themselves. she was stressed and anxious and was eating to cope. she felt a tap on her back and looked over her shoulder at a stranger.

"hi." he said.

"hi." she replied, quickly putting on a smile. "how can i help you?"

"i'm a friend of the gamemaker. he'd like to speak to you so allow me to escort you to him."