The Party That Killed || Hyunlix

56 🕸️

3rd person pov.
Jungmin knelt by the metal box, twisting the drill in his hands. The sound of the drill piercing through the steel filled the air, vibrating in Chan’s ears. Time passed slowly, each second stretching disproportionately, and the silence around them was only broken by the noise of the drill at work.

Chan couldn’t stand the tension any longer. He kept glancing over his shoulder, making sure no one was nearby. Someone might hear them. Someone could approach. What if something goes wrong? What if everything falls apart?

“Jungmin, is it done yet?” he asked, nervously looking down the dark alley once again. “Someone’s coming!”

Jungmin ignored his question, focusing on unscrewing the plate with precision. The drill was running at full power, but it didn’t seem fast enough for Chan.

“Wait a bit, it’ll be ready soon,” Jungmin replied without lifting his eyes. Grimacing, he twisted the tool, struggling against the resistance of the metal.

Chan furrowed his brows, feeling his anxiety grow. Every step, every distant sound became like a shock, making it impossible to think calmly.

“I don’t know, this isn’t a good time,” he whispered, his voice betraying his tension. “What if they see us?”

Jungmin gave no response. He was fully absorbed in his work, which only deepened Chan’s frustration. His heart raced, as if he couldn’t bear the silence, the waiting, any longer.

“You wanted to do this, so do it!” Chan snapped, taking a few steps closer, looking at him with growing anger. “Maybe you want us to just give up? Or better yet, stand here like idiots and wait for our doom?!”

Jungmin finally tore his eyes away from the drill, looking at Chan, who was approaching with increasing agitation. There was more than just irritation in his gaze—it was something that resembled disappointment.

“Calm down. I need to do this carefully so nothing goes wrong. One wrong move, and the whole plan will fall apart.” Jungmin tried to keep his composure, but he couldn’t hide his irritation. “You always have to rush, don’t you?”

Chan, feeling his unease mounting, finally couldn’t hold it in. His body tensed impulsively. He approached Jungmin, grabbing him by the shoulders.

“It’s not just about the plan! It’s about our lives, do you understand?!” he shouted, completely losing his patience. “You don’t want to listen, you don’t want to hurry, and here we are waiting for death because you can’t make a decision!”

Jungmin immediately stood up from his knees, literally shaken by what he heard. Anger flared in his eyes, and his voice held a bitter edge.

“And what, now you’re the hero? Do you know how many times I gave you a chance to make a decision, but you always backed down? Now you want to mess it all up?!” he retorted, his tone full of fury. “Every time something starts, you get scared and hide. You’re just a coward, Chan!”

At that moment, the silence around them became almost suffocating. Chan stood frozen, shaken by Jungmin’s words, which had cut deeper than he expected.

“It... it’s not like that, Jungmin...” he started, but couldn’t find words to ease the tension. “I just... I just don’t know what to do...”

Jungmin furrowed his brows, looking at him with a mix of frustration and disappointment.

“If you don’t want to do this, then just go. Leave me here. I’ll do it myself.” His words were as hard as steel, but there was sadness in his eyes.

Chan felt his heart drop. He knew there was no turning back. They were both in too deep.

Hearing footsteps approaching, Chan, with a heavy heart, turned and walked toward the exit. Jungmin watched him, not knowing what to feel in that moment. Chan’s eyes were filled with turmoil, but he had to make a choice.

As Chan walked out, he heard Jungmin’s final words:

“You’ll regret this, don’t come back.”

≈🎃≈

Jungmin continued working, the drill in his hand making a terrifying, metallic sound as he twisted the next screw. His heart was pounding in his chest, but there was no time for fear. He had to finish as quickly as possible.

“Just a few more minutes...” he muttered under his breath, unscrewing the next parts.

He began to feel as though time was moving too slowly, and someone was bound to come closer. A ringing noise echoed in his ears, but he didn’t want to stop. Suddenly, he realized he couldn’t hear Chan anymore. He checked with a quick glance at the empty space beside him.

“Where did he go? Did he really chicken out?” he thought, irritated, but continued working, although a sense of unease began to form in his mind.

A notification appeared on the screen. The hallway camera had just detected movement.

“Shit!” he cursed quietly, seeing someone approaching their direction. He quickly turned his gaze away from the screen. There was no time to waste.

He gritted his teeth and sped up his work, knowing this might be their last chance. The image of Chan, who, as soon as he felt the danger, simply disappeared, kept replaying in his mind. As if he didn’t care what happened. As if his own life was all that mattered.

Jungmin felt a surge of anger. I’m alone. Just like always, he thought. Alone with everything.

He turned for a moment, staring at the door through which he could escape. Someone unexpectedly opened it, but Jungmin was ready. He quickly turned off the light and squeezed into a dark corner. The sound of footsteps grew nearer, and his heart beat so loudly that he almost feared someone would hear it.

Someone was walking nearby. Jungmin tried to breathe quietly, making no noise. For a moment, it felt like time had stopped. His entire focus was on not being noticed.

After what felt like an eternity, the footsteps faded. Jungmin stayed in the darkness, not daring to move. Only when everything went silent did he breathe a sigh of relief.

“I did it... at least for now,” he whispered to himself. His hands still shook from the tension, but he knew there was no turning back. He had to keep going.

Before moving again, he glanced at the screen, which now displayed a message saying someone was checking the surveillance. At that moment, he felt a wave of uncertainty wash over him, but there was no time to hesitate. He had to hurry.

🕸️🕸️🕸️

Movie suggestion: Halloween Kills (2021)