i'm currently packing up and getting my school stuff ready but i gotta update first.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL THE LOVE AND SUPPORT FOR BOYS BE!!!!🎉✨💕
500k and 40k! we really have come far omg seventeen loves y'all even though they'll probably think we're all weird if they find out about this book. anyway i think we have to move to another book soon omg im gonna sulk i don't wanna leave this. i deleted silly extra chaps for this.

we still got 14 left and we gotta decide whether we should end or just add another book!!

i reviewed one of the unpublished chapters and realized that i actually wrote this one scene where seungcheol had to officially break seventeen then seokmin and jihoon cried and begged him not to.

-jiro
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in the middle of the night, i woke up beside soonyoung (the boy had his mouth open as he slept) and it was 1am. as quiet as i could, i rolled of the covers and tried to sneak out all the way to the living room. "where are you going?" soonyoung mumbled. i told him i was just going to get water but he refused to let me go until ten minutes later.

the whole place was extremely dark so i had to use my phone to be able to see. and so i walked, barefoot on the wooden floor and stopped halfway through when i heard a sound coming from the kitchen.

should i check? i thought to myself. it could just be one of the boys. when i reached the place, i carefully walked and looked for the switch.

"BACK OFF!" someone shouted from behind and i got hit with something really hard. i winced as i fell on my knees and supported my head with my hands.

the lights went on, "OH MY GOD, SORRY!" jihoon dropped the cooking pan on the table and ran towards me, placing my head on his lap. "ssshhhh, don't cry too loud, the boys will wake up and soonyoung will kill me."

"why did you hit me!?"

"i thought jiwoo got inside the house!"

"why are you in the kitchen anyway?!"

"i was looking for the cookies!"

"ugh," i groaned and pressed my palm on my forehead "it's fucking painful, jihoon."

"shush, i'll take you to the living room and i'll get some ice." the boy carried me on his back and walked all the way to the living room. i sat beside a sleeping seungkwan and waited for jihoon to come back. when he did, i placed the ice pack on the back of my head.

jihoon took a bite off the cookie, "wonwoo performed a ritual earlier and felt jiwoo's presence. speaking of her, what happened to you inside the bathroom?"

"i heard her voice."

"well, that's definitely her," he nodded "she's too creepy, it gives me chills. better to deal with a dumb daein than a smartass satanic witch."

"what have we gotten ourselves into?"i sighed. a few minutes later, seungkwan's head dropped to my shoulder, i flinched but i didn't mind. jihoon hopped on the couch beside me and did the same, slightly clinging to my arm. jihoon being clingy? what a rare pokémon.

"hey minseul i'm sleepy now."

"goodnight, jihoon."

"don't tell anyone that i hit you."

20 minutes dragged past and i couldn't really move because of the two boys so i just looked around the room until i noticed the pentagram drawing on the floor which creeped me out. this must be that ritual wonwoo did when soonyoung and i were asleep. i waited until sleepiness kicks in but it's like it's not going to happen anyway so i let out a sigh.

mingyu sat up with his eyes closed.

"what the hell," i muttered to myself as i observed the lanky boy start walking across the room like a zombie. he made his way towards the center of the place and lay down on the floor to continue his sleep— on the pentagram. creepy shit, i tell you.

2:56, a few minutes before daein's hour. i was feeling uneasy. i couldn't tell if it's just an effect of what jihoon did. i also would love to close my eyes but i'm afraid something will be in front of me if i open them again.

3am and there were three loud knocks on the front door. i shook both seungkwan and jihoon awake but none of them were responding. then i tried to kick mingyu on the floor but he wasn't waking up either. "wonwoo," i called the boy on the other couch, but his ears were closed. my vision started to go in circles until i had to force my eyes shut. after about a few minutes, i started to feel someone breathing just in front of my face.

my body felt numb, i couldn't even feel jihoon's hands around my arm. i tried to move even an inch of my body but every time i do, it only makes me feel like i will never be able to come out of this. all i want is to wake up in the real life. i refused to open my eyes until the breathing stopped. soonyoung's house was in dull color, which was weird because i left the lights on before this all happened.

standing by the door was the last person i wanted to see— kim jiwoo. wearing the same clothes. she was just staring blankly until she spoke. "why did you take it from me?" the girl was pretty distant but her voice rang clearly in my ear. all i wanted was to scream, or just move. my eyes wandered aimlessly to seek for any for of distraction—jihoon was sleeping like an angel and seungkwan was the same. i looked until my hair stood on end. shivers raced down my spine and a lump came to my throat. jiwoo was crying in front of me, with her frost-bound finger sliding down my cheek.

and i was pretty sure, from the glare and the little bit of a peripheral view, that she was carrying the bag mingyu and i took from her. a few seconds dragged past and i felt bound in leather, with pale fingernails deep on my skin and a hand on my mouth, making my screams muffled.

"MINSEUL WAKE UP!" boo slapped me and i gasped for air as if i was just breathing under saltwater a few minutes ago. the boys were all gathered up in front of me, with worried expressions painted on their faces. mingyu handed me a glass of water.

"i'm sorry about what happened, maybe that was the reason why you had hallucinations," jihoon was sad, but i assured him that it wasn't his fault.

"we really need to get rid of jiwoo as soon as possible," wonwoo sighed "she's using her skills in a really bad way. occult club members are supposed to just prove theories and debunk a few mysteries instead of actually performing rituals to drag a person into a living nightmare."

soonyoung replaced seungkwan's spot next to me and wrapped his arms around, "do we go to school today?"

"let's skip!" seungkwan cheered

"no, we have to go," wonwoo told us "if we stay, that just gives jiwoo a reason to disturb this house."

"is she even human?" soonyoung asked, resting his chin on the top of my head. wonwoo nodded, "she's just some girl with knowledge and dedication. there's nothing to be afraid of."

jump cut to school wow i'm such a good author amirite?
no.

"i miss minseul's bones," seungkwan muttered, holding my shoulders up because i was feeling lifeless. soonyoung held my hand tightly as we walked down the corridor. seokmin was waiting outside the classroom by the end of the hall. when we reached the place, soonyoung planted a kiss on my forehead.

"i'll see you later, okay?" he cupped my face "boo, watch over her."

seungkwan nodded, then soonyoung finally ran off to his first class on the fifth floor. "minseul, why so pale? is it the cold?" seokmin felt my neck "are you sick?"

"group meeting at lunch," seungkwan told the boy "something related to this one."

i wasn't feeling well. my chin rested on my right hand as i observed the teacher blankly, talking about the birth of the korean nation. "lee seokmin," she called "give me a work of jahyun kim haboush."

seokmin stood up and answered "a korean war captive in japan."

"correct," the adult nodded "last week, i gave you an assignment to read the emotions of justice: gender, status and legal performance in chosŏn, korea. minseul, please tell me something about the author."

"i don't know who the author is," i mumbled with my eyes closed

"excuse me?"

"um ma'am, minseul is kinda sick and out of focus today," seungkwan raised his hand and spoke "i think you should let her rest."

"okay," the teacher tapped her chin and walked down the aisle, stopping next to my seat. "the author, as you all know is jisoo m. kim...."

my ears perked up and at the drop of a hat, i stood up to grab the collar of my teacher's coat. she let out a scream and the students panicked while seokmin grabbed my waist and pulled me away from her. "minseul stop!" he shouted.

the time of suffering in detention was a stretch of an hour. i was alone and i thought it was a good idea, because no one would be able to bother me. the only one with me was the counselor who was busy with his student records. when the clock struck 12, i stepped out the room, seeing soonyoung resting his back on the wall with earphones plugged in his ears.

i tapped his shoulder and he gave me a grin, "i missed you! you must be hungry now so let's go!" he grabbed my hand and we walked to the cafeteria.

"surprise!!" the boys cheered and unfolded a banner once we got there. chan excitedly placed a party hat on my head.

"congratulations? what for?" i mumbled. seungcheol put his arm around my shoulder, "we were informed that you aced your chemistry exam!"

"i did?"

"yeah, silly!"

"that's great," i muttered and slightly bowed "thank you."

then soonyoung gave my hand a tight squeeze, "come on, smile!" i sighed and tried to pull the corners of mouth up, making the boys clap their hands.

"don't be sad, you small bean," minghao told me "i was already informed about what happened, and i promise to protect you."

the boys and i gathered around to eat whatever food mingyu prepared. slowly, i started to regain energy because of them. that was until hansol accidentally spilled juice on me and i had to go to the locker room to get my p.e. shirt then change in the comfort room.

"i will be okay," i told them

"i'll go with you," soonyoung stood up

"no need."

"it's a need. soonyoung, accompany her," seungcheol ordered

"let's all go!" chan grabbed a fork and raised it. the rest of the boys agreed while i refused. i didn't stand a chance though. they all went with me to the locker area and stood outside the comfort room while i changed.

i opened the faucet and let the cold water touch my skin. then i bent to wash my face. the second i opened my eyes to face the mirror, jiwoo was already there next to me.

"how was your sleep, small bean?" she sweetly asked

"stop following me around, jiwoo."

"what about 2ji?"

"there's no 2ji."

"just seulwoo?" she tilted her head, walking towards me as i backed away "or minwoo?"

"no," i told her and attempted to shout "soon—"

"minseul!" she laughed and covered my mouth "you're all i see, you're everything to me, don't you understand? i love you a lot! i tried to love minghao but i just couldn't do it. he's not like you! listen, we can be together, right?

"if you love me then you shouldn't be casting shit to make my life miserable."

"so you knew," her voice was low. without hesitation, i grabbed the chance to shout and in seconds, soonyoung came barging in. jiwoo just shook her head and laughed "is this him? this is your guy? face looks generic, how could you choose this piece of garbage? everyone in the right mind would think he's the ugliest thing to exist."

"listen," soonyoung pointed at her "i don't have the blood alcohol level to deal with your shit right now but i don't give a fuck about what you think of my generic face because it can't be half as bad as what i think about yours."

"you talk like a douchebag too, talking to girls like that," jiwoo examined the boy from head to toe "you know acting like a cock won't make yours any bigger."

soonyoung balled his fists in seconds and threw a punch. surprisingly, the girl dodged. "soonyoung, stop," wonwoo stepped inside the room. jiwoo's jaw dropped when she saw the boy. "jeon wonwoo, wow, i couldn't believe it. the guy who took my place in the black arts."

"hey kim jiwoo. don't drag my friends and i into your satanic shit hole, okay?' wonwoo told her "we're in a really good place spiritually and we don't need you barging in. in other words, fuck off. i'm giving you this chance to run and turn everything back. or it's going to be me who's gonna fight you."

"great, scary," jiwoo laughed and rolled her eyes "my intentions are pretty simple. maybe, you should try to understand."

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idk what i just did. occult club member vs. occult club member????

kbyeilysm
-jiro