Love in the Halls [Lee Donghyuck]

Chapter 61: Spring Festival Part 2

ʕ˙Ⱉ˙‧:ʔ

HAECHAN POV:

Haechan strolled through the festival grounds, hands stuffed in his pockets, eyes wandering over the colorful displays. It was a perfect day—cool breeze, warm lights glowing softly against the darkening sky, laughter filling the air. Haechan's mood matched the atmosphere; he felt light, carefree, genuinely enjoying himself.

He had come with his friends, Jeno, Jaemin, and Jaehyun, all of them buzzing with energy. They'd spent the first hour at the game booths, betting on who could win the most prizes. Jeno was still bragging about the giant stuffed panda he had snagged at the ring toss, proudly carrying it around as a trophy. Jaemin, on the other hand, had failed miserably, barely winning a single thing, much to everyone's amusement.

The scent of grilled food wafted through the air, and Haechan's stomach rumbled. "Let's get something to eat," he suggested, nodding toward a food stall that was selling skewers of meat. The group agreed, and they made their way over, Haechan falling into step beside Jaehyun.

As they waited in line, Haechan glanced around, taking in the bustling crowd. He spotted a familiar face in the distance—Narae, standing with Mark near a photo booth. She was laughing at something Mark had said, her eyes crinkling in that way they did when she was genuinely amused. Haechan felt a flicker of recognition, but that was all. He didn't feel the same intensity as before, the longing to crack her mysterious shell. Instead, he felt an odd sense of contentment. She looked happy, and that was enough.

He tore his gaze away, his focus shifting back to his friends. Jaemin was arguing with Jeno over which skewer to get, and Jaehyun was busy checking his phone, probably updating his social media with festival pics or texting some girl.

"Hey, isn't that Jisung and Chenle?" Jeno suddenly pointed out, drawing everyone's attention.

Haechan followed Jeno's finger and saw the two of them standing near the entrance of a small games tent. What caught Haechan off guard wasn't just seeing Jisung and Chenle together—nothing unusual there—but the way they were standing. Jisung's arm was draped over Chenle's shoulders, and Chenle was leaning into him, looking like... well, like they were more than just friends.

"Are they holding hands?" Jaehyun squinted, trying to get a better look.

"Okay, this I have to see," Haechan muttered, already heading toward them. Jeno, Jaemin, and Jaehyun quickly followed, curiosity piqued.

As they approached, Chenle caught sight of them first and nudged Jisung. Jisung's face turned a shade of pink, but he didn't move away. If anything, he pulled Chenle closer, his arm tightening around his shoulders.

"What's going on here?" Haechan asked, smirking as he crossed his arms over his chest. "You two got some news to share?"

Jisung's blush deepened, and Chenle, never one to pass up on teasing, leaned in closer. "Well, we were planning to keep it on the down-low," Chenle said smoothly, "but I guess the cat's out of the bag now. We're dating."

There was a moment of stunned silence, and then a chorus of laughter erupted from Haechan and his friends.

"Wait, wait, are you serious?" Jaemin gasped, holding his sides. "You two are actually together?"

Jisung nodded earnestly, though the blush on his cheeks suggested he wasn't entirely comfortable with the attention and offended by his friends laughter. "Yeah. It's new, but... yeah. We're a thing."

Haechan raised an eyebrow. "And we're supposed to just believe you? What's your proof?"

Chenle rolled his eyes dramatically. "You want proof? Fine. We'll do a staring contest—five minutes, no blinking, no looking away. If we can do that, you'll know it's true love."

Jaehyun burst out laughing again. "That's your proof? A staring contest?"

Jisung shrugged. "Hey, you asked for it."

"Alright, alright," Haechan said, still chuckling. "Let's see it then."

Word spread quickly, and before they knew it, a small crowd had gathered, intrigued by the unfolding spectacle. Haechan and his friends stood at the front, watching as Jisung and Chenle squared off, standing face to face. Jisung's face was still a bit red, but there was determination in his eyes. Chenle, ever the showman, gave the crowd a wink before turning his full attention to Jisung.

"Ready?" Chenle asked, his voice low enough for only Jisung to hear.

Jisung nodded, taking a deep breath. "Ready."

Someone in the crowd started a countdown, and then they were off. The two stood perfectly still, eyes locked, not a single blink between them. The crowd cheered, counting the seconds aloud.

Haechan watched, arms crossed, amusement dancing in his eyes. Jeno was beside him, whispering commentary under his breath that only made Haechan laugh harder. "This is insane," Jeno muttered. "I can't believe they're actually doing this."

"Hey, love makes you do crazy things," Haechan replied, smirking.

The minutes ticked by, and the crowd's cheers grew louder. Jisung's face was a mask of concentration, while Chenle looked as if he was actually enjoying himself. It was almost like a real couple's moment, and Haechan had to admit, they were pulling it off.

Finally, after what felt like forever, Jisung blinked, his eyes watering. Chenle let out a triumphant cheer, throwing his arms around Jisung's shoulders as the crowd erupted into applause.

"We did it!" Chenle yelled, grinning from ear to ear.

Jisung, still red-faced, grinned back. "Yeah, we did."

Haechan couldn't stop laughing, shaking his head at the ridiculousness of it all. "Alright, fine, you win. Maybe you two are in love after all."

Jaemin clapped Jisung on the back. "You've got guts, I'll give you that."

Jisung shrugged, trying to play it cool despite his flushed face. "It's no big deal," he said. "Just doing what I gotta do."

Chenle's eyes sparkled mischievously as he turned to Haechan and the others. "You know, if you're still not convinced, we could always get matching couple shirts. Or better yet, those bracelets with our names on them."

Haechan shook his head, still grinning. "You guys are nuts. But hey, whatever makes you happy."

As the crowd began to disperse, still buzzing about the impromptu contest, Haechan caught a glimpse of Narae again. She was with Mark, looking his way for a moment before turning back to her conversation. Haechan felt a sense of detachment, like he was watching everything from the outside. Seeing Narae didn't stir any old feelings; it just felt... normal.

He turned back to his friends, laughing as they ribbed Jisung and Chenle, and decided that this, right here, was where he wanted to be. With his friends, enjoying the night, not worrying about anything else.

Life was good. And tonight, that was all he needed.

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1074 words