Love in the Halls [Lee Donghyuck]

Chapter 68: Phases Two

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Jisung sat on the edge of the couch, his heart thudding in his chest as the game of truth or dare slowly unfolded in front of him. Every once in a while, his eyes darted across the circle to where Chenle and Johnny were seated, exchanging secret glances. They'd been planning this for days. Phase two was about to begin, and Jisung could hardly contain his excitement.

But then, Narae walked over, her soft footsteps barely audible over the buzz of the party, and he tensed up. She sat down beside him. Next to me. His breath hitched, and he tried to act normal—cool even—but his heart was pounding too fast for that. She smelled like jasmine, a soft, fresh scent that made his mind blur for a second. Get it together, Jisung, he scolded himself silently, feeling his face heat up.

Every time he glanced at her, she looked so calm, so composed. Meanwhile, he was sweating bullets. He could feel the heat of her presence next to him, her shoulder brushing against his for a moment, and he thought he might explode. She's so close.

But then he noticed Mark, his opp, sitting on the opposite side of the circle next to Donghyuck. Mark's eyes kept flicking toward Narae, his expression unreadable. Every time Jisung caught him looking, a wave of irritation surged through him. Of course, he's staring, Jisung thought, gritting his teeth. He tried to focus on the game, but every second that Mark's gaze lingered on Narae only made it harder to think straight.

Doyoung's voice broke through Jisung's thoughts. "Alright, Jaehyun, your turn. Truth or dare?"

Jisung leaned forward, trying to pay attention as the game continued, but it was no use. His mind kept drifting back to Narae, her perfume, and her beautiful features. She hadn't said much since she sat down, but her presence alone was enough to send his thoughts spiraling. Every time she moved, his senses heightened. But when he glanced across the circle, there was Johnny, giving him the look.

Jisung knew what that meant. Phase two was about to kick off. He swallowed hard and tried to play it cool, giving Johnny a tiny nod. Chenle caught the exchange, his lips twitching up in a smirk. They'd planned this moment for so long, and now it was finally here. But how was he supposed to keep his cool when Narae was sitting right next to him, smelling like a dream?

"Jisung." Doyoung's voice snapped him back to the present. "Your turn."

Jisung blinked, realizing the circle was looking at him. "Huh?" he stammered, heat rising to his cheeks.

"Truth or dare, dude?" Johnny smirked, eyes glinting with mischief. "You in or not?"

Jisung hesitated for a second, but then remembered his role in the plan. He couldn't back down now. "Dare," he said, trying to sound more confident than he felt.

Doyoung's grin widened as he leaned in, clearly ready to push boundaries. "I dare you... to wear your underwear on your head for the rest of the game."

Laughter erupted around the circle, and Jisung's face went red. He tried to laugh it off, but the embarrassment was already setting in. He glanced sideways at Narae, hoping she didn't think he was a complete idiot. She didn't seem to be laughing as hard as everyone else, though; instead, her eyes darted over to Mark, who was also watching her intently.

Jisung tugged at his collar, feeling the room's attention weighing heavily on him. He pulled his boxers out of his waistband and placed them on his head, earning a wave of cackling from the group. Chenle was nearly falling over from laughter, while Johnny gave him a thumbs up. But Jisung barely registered their reactions, his focus narrowing in on Narae's every move.

As the game moved forward, Jisung kept catching Johnny's eyes, waiting for the perfect moment to execute the next part of the plan. He could feel his pulse quickening, the tension building in the air. But amidst the excitement, he couldn't ignore the way Narae's gaze kept drifting away from him, landing squarely on Mark. Why is she looking at him?

He tried to shift closer, to say something to get her attention, but the game kept pulling him back. More dares were flying around—Jaehyun reading some intimate text, Mingyu doing a sexy dance, Mark massaging Johnny's feet. The whole thing was ridiculous, and yet all Jisung could think about was getting Narae to look at him, to focus on him and not Mark.

Johnny, ever the mastermind, was biding his time. Jisung could tell by the way Johnny kept glancing between him and Narae. And then, it happened. Johnny sat up straighter, his grin widening into something almost devilish.

"Narae," Johnny said, his voice cutting through the laughter and chatter, "I dare you... to kiss Jisung."

Jisung froze. Wait, what? His eyes widened as his brain struggled to process Johnny's words. The room seemed to go silent, all eyes turning toward Narae and him. His heart raced, thudding in his chest so loud he thought everyone could hear it.

Narae stiffened beside him. He could see her grip tightening slightly on her lap, her eyes wide as they darted toward Haechan—Donghyuck—and then back to him. The tension between them was unbearable, and Jisung could barely breathe.

Johnny raised an eyebrow, clearly waiting for Narae's response. The whole room was waiting.

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888 words