Black Magic

Hidden Places

Chapter 10: Hidden Places

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Kyungsoo stomped up the staircase toward his bedroom, heart hammering in his chest with enough force to have him clutching at it.

He was breathing too hard. His feet didn't want to work.

He stopped climbing and slumped against the wall, barely holding himself up.

Kai had kissed him.

Kai had fucking kissed him.

The memory made Kyungsoo's chest twinge with anxiety.

He grew still, eyes focused on his boots as he turned inward to examine that twisting feeling a little closer.

Anxiety?

No.

Kyungsoo massaged at his chest, pressing the heel of his palm over the rapid pulse.

No.

His heart was twisting in anticipation. Twisting and turning in excitement.

Because this had somehow become a game between he and Kai.

And Kyungsoo was finally ready to play.

He heaved himself off the wall and took those last few steps upward, pushing through the doorway at the top.

Kyungsoo paced the small length of his bedroom with all the impatience of a trapped animal, mind still replaying the events from earlier. That injection of raw power had left him feeling too energetic... and thinking of Kai's kiss was making him want to break something.

Like Kai's face.

It was bad enough that the Air Dragon toyed around with Kyungsoo, but calling Chen out like that in front of everyone? Flaunting the boy's insecurities and revealing his secrets?

Kyungsoo could handle being the victim, but targeting someone who couldn't even defend himself? That's where he drew the line.

After The Incident (in which Kai's lips had connected with Kyungsoo's), Kyungsoo had immediately turned and helped Chen off the ground, dragging him toward the exit and refusing to look at anyone.

Kai's parting words were still reverberating through Kyungsoo's mind, over and over, like the solid beat of a drum.

No take-backs. No take-backs. No take-backs.

Kyungsoo snorted in derision and continued to pace.

As if he'd back out of a bet that he'd come up with in the first place. Kyungsoo had no thoughts of backing down; once he was in, he was in.

Besides, the whole student body knew about the bet.

When the dining hall doors had closed behind he and Chen, there had been a beat of silence and then it was like a dam had broken. Building, building, building, and suddenly releasing all at once. The noise on the other side of the door had been loud and sudden, everyone speaking at once.

No, there would be no bowing out, for either Kyungsoo or Chen.

For his part, Chen hadn't uttered a single word afterward. He'd simply sighed and unclasped his wet cloak, bundling it under his arm before slipping out of Kyungsoo's grip and walking down the hallway toward the exit.

Kyungsoo had let him go, to wound up to chase after the boy. Chen had seemed like he'd wanted to be alone anyway.

And now here Kyungsoo was, stumbling up staircases and wearing a permanent groove in the hardwood floor of his bedroom. Kyungsoo suddenly paused his pacing, breathing out heavily and running a frustrated hand through his hair.