✔️The funhouse of murder • Stray Kids X reader✔️

117 ☠️

"No... no, no, no, that can't be right?" Chan muttered to himself as he took back the paper. "What do you mean it's empty?" He held it up high, though the darkness of the night didn't help much with trying to see something. He even took it to one of the motorbikes, turning it on to look at it with the LED lights reflecting on it. And yet, all it was that he was holding was a small, empty piece of paper. "Chan... I don't know what on earth I've done wrong to you to deserve this, but don't you think the stress is getting to you a bit too much? Maybe that's why you're seeing things that aren't there," I tried to calm him down, but he shook his head, still looking at the paper from every possible angle.

"I'm not crazy! I know it was you all along! So why is this..." he lost track, losing any bit of credibility he had left with Hyunjin. "Listen, there was a huge workload on your shoulder as the appointed leader, and even though you want to do well and protect everyone, it was too hard to shoulder alone. So, you tried to look for anything possible as to not have to blame yourself for their deaths. I get it, but don't you think it's too much to accuse me of murder, when you have nothing but speculations?" Chan crumbled the paper, throwing it onto the ground. "It's not speculation, I know you did it! The secret chats with whatever that dude was called in the jungle, Minho's hopeful last gaze, your name written on the desk, it has to be you!"

I let out a sigh, feeling Hyunjin's hand on my shoulder, looking back at him. "It's not worth it, Y/N, he's completely lost it," he tried to calm me down, even though he himself was growing more and more agitated by the minute. "No, I at least want to explain. I don't want him to think I actually had something to do with any of it, even if he's not being reasonable." I turned back to Chan, who at this point was squatting down, his hands run through his hair. "What you heard me talk about with Dae was indeed about killing others, but you how could you possibly think it was about me killing you guys! He wanted to help me form a plan to kill those at the jungle so we could all get out of the zone, that was all it was. I don't know what or who Minho saw back there in the jungle, but if I had seen them, don't you think I would have run up to save him? He even promised me to start a new life when we made it out of there, and would take me along."

I felt tears welling up, but wouldn't allow them to fall down. I didn't want to cry any more than I already had. "As for the piece of paper, I found it on my desk. I don't know why it was there either, but I took it to check it out later, when we would have more time. After, I forgot about it, as I wasn't really thinking straight after Changbin and Jeongin were.... you know. I know you have it rough too, but this really is too much, Chan." Chan started shaking his head, standing up as he paced around the place. "Lies... you're lying to get yourself out of it! Hyunjin, why can't you see it! She's manipulating you, she's been doing so to everyone from the start!"

"1. Minute. Left." a robotic voice echoed through the speakers. Shit, we were running out of time! "Guys, before you leave. This scene is like the one in ready player one! Those who kept driving forward only got beaten, but if you drove backwards, you'd find yourself driving in a tunnel underneath the whole thing straight to the finish. Chan, I know you don't trust me at all right now, but please. I don't want to see you hurt or even worse, despite of what you think of me right now." Chan rolled his eyes, glancing over at Hyunjin one more time. "Hyunjin, please, I'm begging you, come with me."

Yet, it was of no use. Hyunjin let out a groan, firmly taking my hand in his. "It's a shame you turned out like this. I really had hoped you could lead us through. It's sad to see what you've become." Hyunjin averted his eyes, pulling me with him to the last available bike, without any other word putting the helmet on me. He pat it as he had put it on, giving me a weak smile. "Don't worry, we're going to be okay. I'll drive back like you said. I trust you, Y/N." He sat down, holding out his hand for me to get on. I gave Chan one last glance, who couldn't spare me any anymore. He was busy putting on his helmet too, already on the motorbike. He probably wasn't going to listen, was he? I gave Hyunjin a weak smile back, climbing on the back of his motorbike.

Even though I knew better, why did it hurt so much to hear those words come out of Chan's mouth? I had constantly convinced myself I hated him, despised of him even, after denying my one ticket out of this cruel world, so why was I still hurt by all he said?

Maybe, somewhere along the way, we were connected. But now, time had turned back, only with the roles reversed.