Whispers in the Dark//GONGFOURZ ff

Under the Microscope

After their last encounter, Leehan felt the tension growing thicker around the group. Jaehyun, Sungho, Riwoo and Woonhak had been throwing increasingly curious glances their way, and Taesan's confident nonchalance was starting to make him more nervous than ever. It seemed like every shared look and subtle touch was noticed by someone in the group, which only made it harder to keep their secret under wraps.

One night, after a long day of practice, Woonhak spoke up as they were all lounging in the living room. "You know, I've been thinking..." He paused, glancing between Taesan and Leehan with a sly smile. "Why don't we have a game night? Just us. It's been a while."

Taesan raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued. "Game night, huh? Sounds innocent enough. What's the catch?"

"Oh, no catch." Sungho grinned, looking way too pleased with himself. "Just a little fun. Maybe even... a game of truth or dare."

Leehan's heart skipped a beat. Truth or dare? They were going to be forced to answer questions, and he wasn't sure he'd be able to keep his cool if the group started prying. But before he could voice his concern, Taesan shrugged, looking completely unbothered.

"Sounds good to me. What about you, Leehan?" he asked, shooting him a reassuring glance.

Leehan forced a smile, nodding. "Sure. Sounds fun."

They settled in a circle, their group members looking way too interested for this to be just a casual game. Leehan's nerves were on edge, but Taesan gave him a quick, comforting look that helped him relax—at least for a moment.

The game started out innocently enough. Sungho dared Jaehyun to dance like a fool, and Riwoo ended up having to sing a love song in a ridiculous high-pitched voice. But then, after a few rounds, the focus turned to Taesan.

"Truth or dare, Taesan?" Riwoo asked, a mischievous glint in his eyes.

"Truth," Taesan replied, leaning back with a confident smirk.

Riwoo's grin widened. "Alright. Is there anyone in the group that you... have a crush on?"

The question hit like a bolt of lightning, and Leehan's heart jumped to his throat. He glanced at Taesan, hoping he'd play it off with his usual charm. Taesan, however, just chuckled, a knowing smile on his face.

"Maybe. But that's for me to know," he replied smoothly, shooting Riwoo a smug look. "And for you to keep guessing."

Jaehyun groaned, shaking his head. "Come on, at least give us a hint!"

"Alright, here's your hint," Taesan said, leaning forward with a grin. "He's someone who's very close to me."

Sungho's eyes widened, and he exchanged a quick glance with Jaehyun, but before either of them could press further, Taesan turned to Leehan, keeping the attention away from himself.

"Your turn, Leehan. Truth or dare?"

Leehan swallowed, feeling all eyes on him. He wanted to choose dare, but that felt risky. Then again, truth might be just as dangerous. Steeling himself, he said, "Truth."

Taesan's smirk softened, and he seemed to think carefully before asking, "Who in the group do you trust the most?"

The question was surprisingly safe, and Leehan felt a wave of relief. "Easy. You," he answered, locking eyes with Taesan for a brief moment before quickly looking away.

Their group members exchanged glances, clearly catching onto something, but they didn't say anything—yet.

The game continued for a while, with each round of truth or dare feeling like a subtle interrogation, their friends digging just a bit deeper each time. But Taesan and Leehan managed to dodge most of the tricky questions, keeping their answers vague enough to keep suspicion at bay.

Later that night, when they finally finished and everyone was heading to bed, Jaehyun leaned over to Woonhak, whispering, "There's definitely something going on between those two."

Woonhak chuckled, nodding. "Yeah, you don't say. Did you see the way they kept looking at each other?"

In the privacy of his room, Leehan felt his heart racing. He hadn't expected the game to get so intense, and he knew they couldn't keep this up forever. But as he thought back on Taesan's quiet glances and reassuring smiles, he realized something important: no matter how hard it got, he didn't want to give this up.

A soft knock on his door broke his thoughts. He opened it to find Taesan, his eyes warm and understanding.

"Hey," Taesan murmured, stepping inside and closing the door behind him. "You okay? They didn't make it easy on us tonight."

Leehan laughed softly, nodding. "No, they didn't. But... I think it was worth it."

Taesan's gaze softened, and he reached out, taking Leehan's hand. "I'll be here with you no matter what. They can dig all they want, but they'll never understand us like we do."

Leehan felt his worries melt away as he leaned into Taesan's embrace, the warmth of his arms a comforting reminder that, no matter what, they had each other.

And as they stood there, wrapped in their own world, they knew that, even if the secret couldn't last forever, this connection was something they'd never let go of.

End of Chapter 6