the butterfly effect // stray kids

chapter eight

into the wolf's den

. • ~ ^ 🦋 ^ ~ • .

you weren't sure where to look for chan. hell, it was only your second day on campus. and despite you seemingly attracting the rest of the group like flies, chan was no where to be found. so you found yourself taking a familiar set of stairs, down to the strange dark hallway where you'd first met all of them. the stench of weed was dull, telling you that they probably haven't been down here since yesterday. also telling you that your search for chan would probably deem unsuccessful.

that is, until you saw him. leaning against a wall, one hand in his pocket, the other scrolling on his phone. and as if he sensed you, he looked up, right in your direction. his brows arched in curiosity as he pocketed his phone.

"what brings you down here?" he asks, pushing himself off the wall. you hesitate for a moment, unsure of your answer because... what did bring you down here? was it the fact that you worried about jisung? was it the fact that jeongin and hyunjin advised you to seek out chan? or was it your own pure curiosity? you weren't exactly sure, but all of those answers had one thing in common.

"jisung." you reply. chan finally reaches you, standing just a couple of steps in front of you. his eyes gleaming with a knowing look.

"you talked to him today?"

"tried not to. but he was..."

"persistent." he finished the sentence for you. "but that doesn't tell me why you came down here."

"i was looking for you." you tell him, another knowing look flashing across his features as he nods.

"well, here i am." he gestures to himself, a small smirk tugging at his lips.

"you know who texted jisung." it was a statement. a fact you knew to be true, because he brought it up to you when you declined to let him take you home.

"i do." he nods.

"who was it?" you prod.

"why do you want to know?"

"you seemed eager to tell me how bad of a person jisung is last night. where'd that go?" you challenge. he laughs softly, running a hand through his black hair.

"it was changbin."

"changbin?" you ask. he nods. and now you weren't sure where to go from here. you didn't know what you were expecting. knowing who texted jisung doesn't answer a single question. why he seemed to freak out after the text, or why all of his friends were warning you about him. nothing made sense.

"but that's still not why you came down here." he steps closer to you. "am i right?" you take a step back with every step forward he takes, eyeing him cautiously. "you want me to help you get him off your back."

"your friends said you have some kind of... pull over them all." you tell him.

"i do." he nods.

"why?" he only smirks at your question.

"do you want my help or not?"

"if i say no?"

"then i'll wish you good luck." he shrugs.