The Party That Killed || Hyunlix

6 🕸️

Jeongin pov.
We were sitting in a circle when someone suggested we try something different – a game of dares. The rules were simple: you draw a slip of paper with a challenge on it, and if you don't complete it, you have to wear a weird costume piece from the pile in the room.

Jin went first. He pulled out a slip, and a wide grin spread across his face. "I challenge you to do a funny robot dance for two minutes!" he read, and everyone burst out laughing.

Without hesitation, he stood up and began moving his arms in a way that resembled an overcharged robot. Everyone was laughing to tears, especially when he had to stop because his "processor froze."

Next up was Tzuyu. Her challenge was simpler: "Sing a popular song with your mouth full of marshmallows." The moment she stuffed a few marshmallows in her mouth and tried to sing, she was unintelligible, and her laughter became even more contagious.

≈🎃≈

We had been sitting in a quiet spot for a few minutes, away from the noise and buzz of the party. Seungmin and I found a peaceful place under one of the trees in the garden. In the background, we could only hear muffled conversations and music from the distant corners of Chan’s house.

“I thought parties were your thing,” I said, breaking the silence, glancing at Seungmin, who was leaning against the tree trunk.

“Maybe they used to be,” he replied calmly, gazing up at the sky. “Now I find myself looking for places like this more often. Sometimes I just prefer the quiet.”

“Really? And here I thought I was the one who avoided crowds,” I chuckled lightly, though I could feel that this spot was exactly what we both needed.

Seungmin sighed and glanced at me out of the corner of his eye. “Well, maybe sometimes it’s worth trying something different. And you? Why are you here?”

“You know, sometimes you just need... a break,” I replied, stretching slightly. “A lot has been happening lately. I thought this party would be the perfect place to forget everything for a while, but… not entirely.”

He looked at me closely. “What’s on your mind?”

“Probably everything at once. It’s just a party, and I was supposed to have fun, but I feel like I’m a bit outside of it all. Like it’s not really my place,” I said, wondering if Seungmin understood.

He nodded slowly. “I get what you mean. Sometimes it feels like everyone else knows exactly what they’re doing, but we’re the ones getting lost. Even if no one notices.”

A brief silence settled between us. I think we both started to realize why this quiet place suited us so well. There was an authenticity to it that was missing in the crowd.

“You know, Innie…” Seungmin started, looking straight ahead. “Sometimes it’s worth allowing ourselves these moments of peace. We don’t always have to be where everyone else is.”

“Maybe you’re right,” I said, adding with a slight smile, “But hey, maybe it’s worth taking a risk sometimes, just to see what happens.”

Seungmin glanced at me sideways, a faint smile forming on his lips. “Yeah, sometimes risk is a good thing.”

We sat there for a while longer, enjoying the calm and the conversation that flowed without hurry. It seemed like we had found our own little space, even if just for a moment, away from everything happening around us.

≈🎃≈

Felix pov.
We were heading back to Chan’s house after a long walk, and the laughter and memories of the party still lingered in my mind. Hyunjin walked beside me, sharing his thoughts on what had happened. He was just telling a story about a dog he once had that dragged him into the park for a walk when I suddenly noticed a police car slowly pulling up to the driveway in front of Chan’s house.

“Hyunjin, look,” I said, pointing at the car.

His gaze followed mine toward the police car. The officers got out, and I felt a sense of unease growing inside me.

“What are they doing here?” Hyunjin asked, his voice filled with concern.

“I have no idea, but... maybe we should extend our walk?” I suggested, looking toward the door. Instead of going back, we decided to keep walking.

“Agreed. I’m not exactly eager to get noticed,” he replied, glancing around as if worried someone might spot us.

We slowly continued, chatting about small things, but I could tell Hyunjin felt the tension too. Every sound seemed louder, and we both pretended that nothing really mattered.

“You know, it’s probably normal for the police to be around places like this, right?” I said, trying to lighten the mood.

“Yeah, but I don’t usually see a police car outside a friend’s house. It’s a bit suspicious,” Hyunjin replied, furrowing his brows.

We decided to sit on a nearby bench and observe the situation from a distance. Although we kept talking, my thoughts kept drifting back to the police car and what might be happening inside Chan’s house.

“What if something happened?” I asked quietly, more to myself than to Hyunjin.

“Maybe we should check it out?” Hyunjin looked at me with uncertainty.

“Maybe it’s better to wait and see what happens,” I suggested. After all, we didn’t want to get involved in unnecessary trouble.

Time passed, and we sat in silence, waiting for the officers to return to their car and explain the situation. I had a feeling that this night was just beginning, but I had no idea what it would bring.

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Movie suggestion: Alice in Wonderland (2010)