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In the present moment, the eclectic group had gathered in the kitchen, seated around the grand dining table for what should have been a leisurely lunch. Yet, the atmosphere was anything but relaxed. The tension in the air was palpable, thickened by the peculiar entrance of Chan and me, strolling down the stairs together, an unexpected duo that left everyone at the table in a state of mild bewilderment.
Miss Peregrine, the enigmatic headmistress, displayed a remarkable composure, unfazed by the unfolding drama. She nonchalantly slurped her soup at the edge of the table, seemingly immune to the charged ambiance. Chan, positioned on her left, engaged in his meal, wearing a subtle smirk that betrayed his apparent enjoyment of the mysterious events that had transpired in his room.
As for me, reluctantly seated next to Chan, my face betrayed the shock and horror I had experienced in his eerie chamber. My appetite waned as flashes of blood and chaos replayed in my mind, and the trauma of the unsettling scene hung heavily over the dining table.
On Miss Peregrine's right, directly across from Chan, sat Minho, a veritable storm cloud of animosity. His glare could pierce through steel, and if hostile looks could kill, Chan would have been lifeless. Felix, strategically placed next to Minho, wore a worried expression, attempting to inject light-hearted banter into the situation, understanding the volatile nature of Chan.
Beside me, Jisung mirrored Felix's concern, subtly signaling his thoughts with tugs on my dress and meaningful glances. Changbin, seemingly indifferent to the unfolding drama, was more invested in his meal than the simmering tension around the table.
Adjacent to Jisung, Hyunjin kept his focus on his food, choosing to avoid making any sudden moves that might rupture the delicate equilibrium. Seungmin and Jeongin, seated at the far end of the table, blissfully engaged in their own laughter, oblivious to the fraught dynamics playing out nearby.
"Um, s-since everyone is here... Why don't you three introduce yourself properly? Not all of us know your names yet," Felix, in an attempt to break the silence, suggested introductions, a proposal that Hyunjin supported with a nervous laugh. Sensing the need to shift the narrative, I eagerly chimed in.
"Oh! Oh! I want to know also. Please!!" My sweet smile at Jeongin's response failed to mask the lingering fear in my eyes, amplifying the shared concern etched on the faces of Hyunjin, Jisung, and Felix.
Jisung bravely seized the opportunity to reveal his past, recounting his experience as an aerokinetic child sent to prison. "I-I'll go first. My name is Han Jisung. I am an aerokinetic and umm was sent to that prison by some random people who caught me using my powers... Minho?"
He passed the turn to Minho but he was too busy holding himself from slaughtering the man beside me. When the silence was too much for his brain to build any more sentences, he snapped to Minho with a firm 'help' smile.
Minho, locked in a silent showdown with Chan, finally spoke up, passionately expressing his shapeshifting abilities and delivering a vehement warning against any harm to his newfound family.
"Lee Minho, I'm a shapeshifter. Born and raised in that hell hole... And I would fucking love it if you all don't mess with my family. I won't hesitate riping your disgusting throat out of your body."
The room fell into an uneasy silence, tension escalating, as Chan remained impassive, focused on his meal. Minho, unable to contain his anger, abruptly stood, sending a chair crashing to the floor as his hands slammed onto the table, causing plates to rattle and echo in the kitchen.
Jisung, reacting to the escalating tension, rose as well, fixing Minho with an unusually harsh glare. "Sit. The. Fuck. Down. Lee. Minho!" The sharpness of Jisung's tone elicited flinches from everyone, myself included, except for Chan, Minho, and Miss Peregrine.
The room now hung suspended in a charged atmosphere, each passing moment threatening to tip the scales toward chaos. My mind raced for a solution as I interjected, "Ok, l-let's not start a fight... Please, Minnie." My attempt to defuse the situation lingered in the air, the uncertainty of whether it would succeed or intensify the brewing storm left everyone on edge. The dining room, once a sanctuary, now teetered on the brink of pandemonium.
