𝙱𝚎𝚌𝚊𝚞𝚜𝚎 𝚘𝚏 𝚈𝚘𝚞

ᴛɪᴇᴅ ᴜᴘ ɪɴ ꜱᴇᴄʀᴇᴛꜱ

The dimly lit room smelled faintly of damp wood, and the only sound was the soft scrape of chairs on the floor as three figures sat tied up. Seungkwan, his mouth still dry from the cloth that had been covering his face, blinked furiously against the dark shadows around them. His hands were bound tightly behind his back, and his legs were tied to the chair, but his mind raced faster than his pulse could keep up. Beside him, Jeonghan and Wonwoo sat just as still, though the tension in the air was almost palpable.

"Okay, this is bad," Seungkwan muttered under his breath, trying to force out a chuckle that didn't quite land. "Definitely not how I imagined spending my weekend."

Jeonghan shot him a sideways glance, his eyes narrowing in disbelief. "Oh really? I was planning on spending my weekend lying on my couch, not getting kidnapped by a bunch of random strangers."

Seungkwan squirmed, trying to get a glimpse of their surroundings. "At least you're not the one who's gonna have to explain this to everyone."

Before Wonwoo could answer, there was a sound of footsteps approaching, and a voice—familiar, but unsettling—called out from the dark.

"You guys sure know how to make a scene,"  said a brown-haired male, emerging from the shadows, a grin on his face that sent a chill down Seungkwan's spine. He reached out, pulling the cloth from Seungkwan's face with the kind of casualness one might have while removing a n napkin. "There. That's better."

" Who are you?" enquired Seungkwan, slightly panicking due to his sudden appearance.

"Hoshi"

Seungkwan blinked, his eyes going wide. "Wait... Chan?" His gaze shifted to the young man standing just behind Hoshi, a look of recognition flashing across his face. "What the hell are you doing here?"

Dino grinned sheepishly. "Uh, long story. Just don't tell anyone you saw me, alright?" He winked, and Seungkwan could only blink in confusion. He didn't know what was happening anymore.

Before anyone could respond, another voice cut through the silence—Jun's. 

"Ah, so this is the infamous Seungkwan, Jeonghan, and Wonwoo. You three have quite the reputation, you know." Jun stepped into the room, casually tossing a coffee cup in his hand like he owned the place—because he did. Jun's cafe was a local hotspot, a favorite of both Seungkwan and Wonwoo. But seeing him here, in this situation, was a different story.

"I'm sorry, but what is happening?" Wonwoo asked, his voice laced with frustration and confusion.

Jun shrugged, his smile impossibly charming, as he approached Jeonghan. "We're just here for a little chat. Nothing to worry about." He grinned as he slid into a chair across from Jeonghan, clearly at ease, while the fourth guy with a black mullet smirked looking at the kidnapped males' poor condition, leaned against the wall behind him, arms crossed.

" And who are you mister?" asked  Jeonghan. He had never seen anyone with such an bossy attitude in his entire lifespan of 29 years. 

" The name's The8" replied the mullet guy. He added. "He's my boyfriend" pointing towards Jun to which his partner nodded his head enthusiastically.

" My sister hired you?" Seungkwan asked, glaring at the group. "I can't believe this. I haven't even talked to her in—"

Hoshi snorted from the side. "You're a little too famous, you know? Jinseol's been, well... jealous."

Seungkwan narrowed his eyes at Hoshi, the realization dawning on him slowly. "Jealous? Of... us?"

"Well, yeah," Hoshi continued, pacing around them. "She thinks the Choi Brothers are too close to you guys, especially Seungcheol. You know, Mingyu, Vernon, and Seungcheol? Big names in Korea, all of them. She couldn't stand the idea of you three getting too close to them."

Seungkwan groaned, his frustration bubbling over. "Are you serious? We're just friends!"

Jeonghan, who had been uncharacteristically quiet, suddenly spoke up, his voice calm but edged with something darker. "Actually, I am dating Seungcheol."

The room fell silent.

Wonwoo's eyes widened, and Seungkwan blinked in disbelief. "What?!" Seungkwan exclaimed. "When—"

"It happened earlier today," Jeonghan added, his lips curling into a small, bittersweet smile. "On the beach, just before all this happened."

Seungkwan stared at him. "You've been dating Seungcheol and didn't tell me?!"

Jeonghan raised an eyebrow. "You were the one busy worrying about your sister's tantrums. Besides, it's complicated."

Hoshi chuckled, clearly enjoying the drama unfolding before him. "See, I told you. Jealous. Our girl Jinseol couldn't handle it."

Dino, who had been strangely quiet up until now, sighed heavily and stepped forward, catching Seungkwan's attention. "Look, there's more to it. You didn't think I just happened to run into you at the university, did you?"

Seungkwan blinked again. "What do you mean?"

Dino winced. "Yeah, well... I was spying on you and Vernon. I graduated a while ago, but Samuel and I, uh, have been keeping tabs on you. You and your... connection to the Choi Brothers." He scratched the back of his neck awkwardly, clearly uncomfortable.

Seungkwan gaped. "Wait. Samuel? My friend from uni? Your boyfriend? You're spying on me?"

"I didn't think I had a choice," Dino muttered, looking sheepish.

Jun, however, leaned back in his chair with a thoughtful expression. "So, now we have it all figured out, right? Jinseol wants to make sure you three stay far away from the Choi Brothers. Which, of course, involves this lovely little kidnapping."

Seungkwan's mind raced as he pieced the puzzle together. "And what, you think this is going to solve her jealousy issues? Kidnapping us?"

"Well, we weren't planning on keeping you tied up forever," Jun said, as if the whole thing was no big deal. "Just long enough for Jinseol to have a little... talk with you. Let her get the message across. She doesn't want you getting too close to those guys."

Hoshi's phone buzzed in his pocket, and he pulled it out with a groan. "Ugh, Woozi. Always bailing us out of jail. Hold on." He picked up the phone, talking into it in a low voice.

Seungkwan let out a long sigh, his chest tight with frustration. "This is insane. I swear, I'll never hear the end of this from my sister."

Jeonghan's voice was softer now, tinged with the weight of his confession. "You'll hear from Cheollie, too. He'll come for us. I'm sure of it."

As the seconds ticked by, the tension in the room became almost unbearable. The reason behind the kidnapping was so petty—so ridiculous—that Seungkwan felt the weight of it settle like a stone in his stomach. Jinseol, his sister, had gone this far over jealousy. He had never thought she could be like this, and now it was all spiraling out of control.

Seungkwan glanced at Jeonghan, whose gaze was distant, his fingers tapping nervously against the armrest of the chair. Wonwoo's eyes met Seungkwan's with a quiet understanding, both of them knowing that things between them and the Choi Brothers were about to get even more complicated.

And just like that, they were no longer just three friends caught in a mess—they were part of something much bigger, something that none of them had ever seen coming. 

 ~ 🍒💘😇 ~ ~ 🐶💘😺~ ~🐢💘🍊~