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As five minutes ticked away, a heavy silence hung in the air, Minho and Jisung waiting with bated breath for my response. The weight of Jisung's question bore down on me, a heartbreaking revelation I hadn't anticipated. The words I never wanted to hear had been thrust upon me, and the gaze of everyone in the room now fixated on me intensified the pressure.
"Uhh... He-Help?" I stammered, my voice betraying the turmoil within me.
In a stroke of fortune, Hyunjin and Felix sprang into action, emerging from their stunned state to concoct a hasty diversion, desperately trying to deflect attention from my imminent answer. "Y-You guys mentioned something about a tracker in your necks implanted when you were in the prison, right? And-and-" /"CHAN!! C-Chan can help you take it out and all that. Until then, why don't you stay here for a while and calm down?"
Chan, seemingly caught off guard, glanced up from his plate, sporting an uncharacteristically bewildered expression that contradicted his usual intimidating demeanor. He began to voice his disagreement, "Since when did I agr-"
"Please. For a while," I implored, my gaze still avoiding direct eye contact, a lingering fear lingering, but I gently held onto his shirt. I had no desire to pick sides or witness an extended confrontation between Jisung and Minho.
As he looked around, everyone, including the usually stoic Changbin, coerced into playing along, wore pleading expressions, and Felix even mentioned something about no cuddles for a month.
Despite Minho and Jisung's steadfast refusal to break their gaze, the collective plea seemed to soften Chan's resolve. It was an awkward spectacle, like having friends over for dinner, only to witness your parents suddenly erupt in a heated argument.
"... You all owe me a body part each," Chan declared, abandoning the table with Miss Peregrine following suit. The rest, including Changbin, thought it wise to make a swift exit, leaving us three to grapple with our strained emotions.
"G-Guys? Let's rest first and not fight. We've been fighting since we stepped foot out of the prison. This is supposed to be a happy moment – we got out! Free!"
Jisung was the first to stand up, seemingly unaffected by my words. He cast me a broken yet sincere apology smile before leaving the kitchen without a word. As Minho departed, his eyes betrayed a depth of regret, and he muttered curses under his breath.
Alone at the dining table, I sighed, tapping my fingers on the wooden surface as I pondered a resolution. While they had fought before, this was undoubtedly the worst, and a burgeoning headache reflected the strain this conflict imposed.
Biting my lip, I mentally compiled notes on things that might cheer up Jisung and formulated words for Minho to own up and apologize first, acknowledging that his words and actions had initiated the conflict.
"Done daydreaming?" Chan's voice snapped me back to the present. I quickly turned my head, coughing subtly to mask any signs of vulnerability. Chan, ever stoic, observed me, scanning my face without uttering a word about the evident distress. "Let me check your neck. Those two clearly won't get out of their rooms for today."
I nodded briskly, wiping my hands with a napkin before standing up to join him. In a hushed whisper as we walked, I expressed my gratitude, "Right, sorry about all this." He responded with a nonchalant 'hmm,' and together we walked toward the eerie room, which, despite its ominous past, now seemed oddly comforting after the tumultuous events of the evening.
