TRAITOR - woosan

11. bet

San (the party)

I look down and see my sister Haneul looking for me in the crowd.

Is she crying? The music is loud but I can still hear her sad voice calling my name. She was supposed to sleep over at Jisoo's house. Something must have happened.

I step back from the door where Wooyoung and Hongjoong are standing. A part of me would've wanted to be there to comfort Wooyoung, he didn't seem well in the bathroom earlier. Maybe he needed someone like Hongjoong to feel better? Anyway, I should stay away from them for a while because according to how I react to Wooyoung and Hongjoong's proximity, I need to figure out what it's going on with me.

In the end, his boyfriend is there for him so I'm not of any help.

I look one last time at Wooyoung before heading back downstairs. Wooyoung's smile against Hongjoong's neck gives away everything. Wooyoung is doing fine now, he doesn't need me.

My sister does.

I walk down the stairs with one thing in mind: driving my sister back home.

As I make my way between people dancing and drinking I feel someone's hand tapping on my shoulder.

"Haneul?" I say before meeting Seonghwa's eyes when I turn around. "Ohh.. Hi, sorry I thought it was my sister," I let go embarrassed.

"It's all good don't worry," Seonghwa assures me. "So..." Seonghwa starts waiting for me to say something. I try to think of what he wants me to say but nothing comes to mind.

"So what?" I say confused.

"Was Wooyoung okay up there?" he asks more concerned. Oh, I almost forget about that... Almost.

"He's..." I try to find the right words to describe what I saw two minutes ago without telling much about it at the same time. It's hard to think under Seonghwa's sigh. How can I convince him not to go check on Wooyoung while saying he's making out with some dude I don't even know the last name of? It's impossible. I don't even know if Seonghwa is aware of his cousin's sexuality so I should not mention it. I sigh. "Wooyoung is sleeping, nothing to worry about." I lie still thinking it's better to keep Wooyoung's secret a secret for now.

Our secret.

"Okay good. Thanks, San!" Seonghwa concludes before wishing me a good night.

***

My sister is nowhere to be found, she could be anywhere by now. I've been searching for the last fifteen minutes and still nothing. I try to spot her dark hair in the mass but unsuccessfully.

Where is she?

I try to ignore some of the worst-case scenarios popping into my head when I feel someone back hug me.

"Sani.." I hear her sobbing against my back.

There she is.

"Haneul.." I whisper in relief.

I take her hands in my hands and wait until she calms down from crying. When she does, I move her arms away from my waist and turn around. My heart breaks when my eyes meet my sister's red eyes, she looks absolutely crushed.

"What happened?" I ask worriedly.

A tear roll down her face and I wipe it off with my finger.

"I.." She starts, but her words get stuck in her mouth.

"It's okay Haneul, let's go home," I say with a smile to reassure her.

My sister hugs me before we leave the party together.

***

Haneul and I are back in the car. She doesn't talk to me for the whole ride, making me more stressed about her. She prefers looking through the window rather than telling me what happened. I get it, maybe she feels tired.

When I finally parked the car in front of our house she decides to open up.

"Jongho and I kissed," Haneul states still staring out the window.

How can kissing your crush be a bad thing? I'm lost.

"And?" I ask, uncertain.

I don't want to say something that will make a cry. I'll just listen and wait until she wants to confess.

Haneul sighs and turns her head to look at me.

"Jisoo.." She starts unable to continue.

I have the feeling she will break down into tears again if she does.

"Hey.. Come here." I say while embracing her. "It's okay Haneul, you can tell me when you're ready."

My sister stops sobbing immediately, realizing I'm here for her.

"Jisoo kissed Jongho while playing truth or dare and after.. she dared him to kiss me before midnight." She admits against my neck.

I gasp hearing that my sister's feelings have been used for some stupid game. It's so unfair.

"Oh... Haneul, I'm sorry." I let go, breaking our hug to face her and wipe her tears.

We meet each other's eyes and it just hurt me more seeing her sad and tired eyes on me.

"Why is it always me San-i? Why am I always the object of some bet?" Haneul asks me with more anger than sadness.

I take her hands in my hands and caressed them.

"It's not your fault Haneul, it never was," I assure her. "You deserve better, they're just complete jerks," I say with a smile, trying to change the mood.

My sister rolls her eyes and giggles a little.

"You always find the right words," my sister answers, amused.

She thanks me for being the best brother.

"Let's go home, we both need it," I conclude before opening my door. My sister nods in agreement and follows me into the house. Haneul seems better now, a good night of sleep can just be beneficial for both of us.

***

I enter the bathroom with my pajamas on. I'm so tired, I just want to go to sleep. The sooner the better.

I am brushing my teeth when the thought of Wooyoung pops into my mind.

You're so hard already.

I gasp and choke on my toothpaste.

It's the third time Wooyoung's voice randomly echoes in my head. What a nightmare.

"You need to stop haunting me Wooyoung..." I whisper looking back at myself in the mirror.