7 Minutes In Heaven (SUNGHOON)

1: The Game Begins

The living room was alive with laughter and the clinking of glasses. We were all scattered around, lounging on plush couches and bean bags, the cozy space filled with the warmth of friendship and the slight buzz from the drinks we'd had. My heart pounded in my chest, both from the excitement of the party and the nervous anticipation of being close to Sunghoon.

"Eunju, are you okay?" Jihyun nudged me gently, her eyes twinkling with mischief.

"Yeah, just... taking it all in," I replied, trying to steady my voice.

Across the room, Sunghoon was laughing at something Heeseung said, his eyes crinkling at the corners. He looked so at ease, so confident. I felt a flutter in my stomach, the same flutter I'd felt since high school whenever I saw him.

"Alright, everyone, listen up!" Jungwon's voice cut through the chatter. "We're going to play '7 Minutes in Heaven'."

A chorus of cheers and groans erupted. I felt my pulse quicken. This was the moment I both dreaded and hoped for. The rules were simple: two people would be chosen at random to spend seven minutes in a small, dark room together.

Jungwon handed a hat filled with slips of paper to Sunoo, who grinned as he reached in and pulled out the first name.

"Eunju!"

My breath caught in my throat. I felt a dozen pairs of eyes on me as I tried to smile and pretend my heart wasn't racing.

"And the lucky partner is..." Sunoo reached into the hat again, drawing out another name. "Sunghoon!"

The room erupted in cheers and teasing shouts. I glanced at Sunghoon, who looked surprisingly calm, a small, amused smile playing on his lips. He caught my eye and shrugged nonchalantly.

"Guess we're up," he said, standing and offering me his hand. I took it, my palm sweating slightly against his cool, steady grip. The touch sent a shiver down my spine.

We were guided to a small closet at the end of the hallway. It was dimly lit, just enough to make out each other's faces. The door closed behind us with a soft click, plunging us into near darkness. The space was tight, forcing us to stand close together. I could feel the heat radiating from his body, the scent of his cologne mixing with the faint smell of wood and mothballs.

"So, here we are," Sunghoon said, breaking the silence. His voice was calm, almost amused.

"Yeah," I replied, my voice barely above a whisper. "Here we are."

There was an awkward pause. I could hear my own breathing, feeling the thudding of my heart in my chest. I glanced up at him, trying to gauge his expression in the dim light. He seemed completely unfazed, his posture relaxed.

"How have you been?" I blurted out, desperate to break the tension.

"Good, busy with classes and all. You?"

"Same. It's nice to hang out like this, though. Feels like old times."

He nodded, a small smile playing on his lips. "Yeah, it does."

I tried to think of something else to say, but my mind was a jumble of nerves and unspoken feelings. The silence stretched on, each second feeling like an eternity.

"I've always thought these games were kind of silly," Sunghoon said suddenly, his tone light.

"Yeah, me too," I agreed quickly. "Just a bit of fun, I guess."

He chuckled softly, the sound sending a pleasant warmth through me. "I suppose so."

The silence returned, but this time it felt less awkward. We stood there, close enough to touch, each lost in our own thoughts. My mind raced with what-ifs and possiblilites, my heart aching with the weight of my unspoken crush.

Finally, a knock on the door signaled the end of your seven minutes. The door swung open, and we were greeted by a barrage of questions and teasing comments.

"Well, did you two have fun?" Jay asked, waggling his eyebrows.

"Yeah, did anything happen?" Mina added, a mischievous grin on her face.

I felt my cheeks flush as I shook my head. "No, nothing happened. We just talked."

"Sure, sure," Jake said, laughing. "We'll believe that."

Sunghoon just smiled, his calm demeanor unchanged. "Come on, guys, giver her a break."

As we rejoined the group, I couldn't help but feel a mix of relief and disappointment. Nothing had happened, but those seven minutes had felt like a lifetime. A lifetime in which anything could have changed.

And maybe, just maybe, it had.