Now things really start :)

•••

I sat outside the house, taking in the fresh air. It was quiet, the only sound being the faint music (oh, the poor neighbors who have to deal with this).

"Are you tired yet?"

I looked behind me, seeing a beautiful boy. Park Sunghoon, that was his name. Ice Prince, the guy that nobody could get close to. How such a ray of sunshine as Jake befriended him was a mystery.

I nodded. "It's too loud in there. I have to recharge my social battery."

He sat next to me on the steps. "I'm surprised that you showed up. I've never seen you at parties."

"Junseo dragged me here. I'm glad though. I met Heeseung and a bunch more interesting people. And I'm more surprised that you go to parties."

"A lot of people are. I don't like parties, but Jake wants me to come. And the games are fun."

We fell silent, simply enjoying the quiet. Sunghoon pulled out a cigarette, twirling it in between his fingers without lighting it. "Want one?"

I shook my head. "Nah, I don't smoke."

"Neither do I."

And we just sat there, both of us watching the unlit cigarette roll between Sunghoon's pale fingers.

•••

"No! Let him go!"

"You know the consequences. I thought you learned after that Jung Minji. But here you are, letting your friend make the same mistake. And with the twin too. Oh, how stupid."

"Don't bring her up. She isn't involved in this conversation."

"How about this. We get him lost in the daze again, and he won't remember anything. He'll start back again as a Level 1, and we can proceed with the plan without any interruptions."

"Please. I don't want to do this to him. He wasn't going to act on anything!"

"That's exactly what you said that night. You try so hard, but you're still so foolish. Just quit trying. Remember that I'm a higher level than you."

"...Fine then. But what about Sunoo? He'll be the only 3 left."

"We can change someone else's rank. Sunghoon's been obedient lately. Took him long enough."

"Okay. Just don't hurt him. He doesn't deserve pain."

"No promises."

"Not like you ever kept your promises anyways..."

•••

Jake smiled. "So you're enjoying the party? It'll be over soon, don't worry. Heeseung's parties always end at 5 am. That's why they're always on Fridays. No school to deal with."

"What about me?"

We looked to see Heeseung, who smiled at me, though his smile seemed... off.

Jake raised an eyebrow at Sunghoon, who shook his head.

I pouted as Heeseung sat next to Sunghoon instead of next to me. It was strange.

Sunghoon tapped me. "Want to play a game? It's not official or anything, just between us and a few more people. Hyung, can you get the others here?"

He nodded, leaving. Soon, he came back with Jake, Sunoo, Niki, Junseo, and Kangmin.

Sunghoon clapped. "Okay. We're gonna play Never Have I Ever. The rules are simple: we go in a circle. Someone says a random thing, such as, 'Never have I ever poured milk before cereal. ' If you have done it, you drink."

We all nodded, Heeseung going first. "Never have I ever stolen from a store."

Junseo, Sunoo, and Jay drank. Junseo went next. "Never have I ever checked out people in the guy's locker rooms while they were changing."

I glared at my best friend, reluctantly drinking. Luckily, I wasn't the only one, as Kangmin flushed red and drank.

The questions got more and more crazy and personal. We kept finding out about each other.

Jay lived a crazy lifestyle, just as I'd expect him to. Sunoo was still mysterious as ever, even with all the stuff I found out about him through the game. Jake was a very, very normal person, but at least his life was more eventful than Sunghoon's. Niki didn't answer any of the questions, but it seemed as though he was just not participating. My view on Heeseung hadn't changed, but I felt way less close to him than I did the whole night. Junseo, well, there wasn't much left I could learn about him. And Kangmin wasn't as innocent as he seemed.

It was all fun and games, until a person came down the stairs, leaning on Sunoo's shoulder.

"Never have I ever liked someone in this circle."

Sunghoon, Jake, Sunoo, Niki, Kangmin, and I drank. However, Jay and Junseo didn't (to nobody's surprise, though Kangmin's face did fall when he saw that).

The real surprise was when Heeseung didn't drink. I waited a few moments for him to even slightly move to grab his glass. But he didn't.

The newcomer grabbed Heeseung's drink instead, drinking it. He looked me in the eye, slightly raising an eyebrow as if provoking me.

Those eyes. Those were the ones that I've seen in my nightmares for years and years. The eyes I feared most.

"Yang Jungwon..."

He walked off, disappearing back up the stairs he came from. But the image of his eyes never left my head. I stood up. "I have to go."

I walked off before anyone had the chance to stop me. I needed fresh air. I needed to be away from here. Far away. I should've never come. Minji disappeared here. And those eyes, that face, that person was the last ones I saw with her.

Someone grabbed my hand as I left the house, dragging me outside to a swing set that was outside the house.

It was Niki.

"You remember him, don't you? You know, your sister was just like you. She didn't get drunk until the last moment. You'll get drunk soon, too. The daze will hit. I hope that you react like she did. Don't forget what I'm about to tell you, Hyojun. This is the most important thing to remember."

He took a deep breath before continuing, introducing me to the whole messed up world, all disguised by this so-called "party".

•••

Any noticed that technically, Jungwon is saying that he likes someone in the circle by drinking? I wonder who...