It All Started With A Creepy Mail ⚊ Yang Jungwon [#4]

✗ forty five ✗

⚊ chapter forty five

I could feel the tension the moment I stepped into Ni-ki’s house. It wasn’t just the way everyone was avoiding eye contact with me, but the air itself seemed heavier, as if we were all walking on eggshells.

Chenle’s absence had cast a shadow over the gathering, and no one seemed to know how to address it.

The usual chaos of our group was there, but it was muted, like we were all going through the motions.

Dongpyo’s hand shot out towards the last bag of chips, but Rei was quicker, snatching it away with a mischievous grin. “Not so fast, Dongpyo,” she teased, dangling the bag just out of his reach.

He narrowed his eyes, pretending to be offended. “You’ve got a whole stash of snacks, Rei. Why do you have to take the last one from me?” he huffed, arms crossed over his chest dramatically.

Rei’s smile widened. “Because it’s fun to watch you whine,” she said, then dropped into a mock serious tone. “Also, I’m the rightful owner of these chips. You were too slow.”

Dongpyo’s jaw dropped, and he dramatically threw his hands in the air. “Unbelievable!” he groaned, though his playful tone gave him away. “You’re impossible, Rei!”

Sunhee, who had been quietly snacking beside them, burst out laughing at the absurdity of their back-and-forth. “You two sound like an old married couple,” she joked, mouth full of chips.

Rei shot her a wink. “Maybe we are. Dongpyo’s just too stubborn to admit it.”

Dongpyo rolled his eyes and reached for the bag again, but Rei pulled it back, holding it high above her head. “Not a chance,” she laughed, the bag of chips still tantalizingly out of his reach.

Dongpyo grumbled, but it was hard to stay mad at Rei when she was so effortlessly playful. He slouched back into his seat, arms crossed, but the corners of his mouth twitched upwards.

“You’re lucky you’re cute,” he muttered.

Rei gave him a pointed look before tossing the bag of chips into his lap with a grin. “You’re welcome, grumpy,” she teased.

Sunhee snorted with laughter, wiping her mouth. “I swear, you two are ridiculous.”

The playful bickering, however, didn’t completely erase the heavy atmosphere hanging over the rest of the room.

Even though they were laughing, the absence of Chenle lingered like an uninvited guest.

Kiara and Sunoo were cozied up on the love seat, their heads nestled together as they whispered to each other, their faces lit up with soft smiles. Every now and then, a quiet laugh escaped their lips, too absorbed in their own little bubble to notice anything else around them.

Minji, lounging nearby, couldn't help but tease them. "Aren't you two a little too cozy for kids in the room?" she joked, crossing her arms with an exaggerated eye roll.

Kiara glanced up, her lips curling into a playful grin. “We’re not doing anything wrong,” she said, nudging Sunoo, who just smiled in response, clearly more focused on her than anything else.

Sunoo chuckled, his voice soft. “It’s just us,” he said quietly, leaning in to whisper something in her ear that made her giggle.

I couldn’t help but watch, the sight of them so natural and easy, but it made me feel a little… out of place. Like this moment wasn’t meant for me to see.

It was so intimate, so carefree, like they had created a world all their own, and it made the room feel just a little emptier without Chenle around.

I glanced away, trying not to focus on the awkward feeling in my chest. They were happy, and I should’ve been happy for them, but all I could think about was Chenle.