wooyoung, in a desperate attempt to escape his overbearing parents, moves into a new apartment complex and meets his rather strange flatmates.

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contains:
profanity, horror, gore, death, interactive chapters, mentions of mental illness/suicide, mild sexual content, mentions of blood.

(black background advised)

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Wooyoung pressed his head against the window of the backseat of the taxi he was currently in, trying his hardest not to release the elongated sigh threatening to bubble out his lips. His eyes were sore from fatigue, his throat dry from overexertion and thirst, and at that moment he wanted nothing more than to just to shut himself out from the rest of the world -- forever.

But the sound of the public vehicle's tires crackling over the concrete wouldn't let him drown in the slumber weighing on his bones. The low pop song droning from the taxi's radio reminded him of the oh-so-familiar music he'd heard playing from one of his mother's main fashion branches in Gangnam, and Wooyoung exhaled bemusedly at the memory.

He couldn't afford to think about his mother -- his parents, for that matter. He was on a mission after all to free himself from the tight leash they'd had him ensnared in. Him even being inside this taxi all alone on his way to his new apartment was proof enough that he didn't need their money or their constant surveillance to survive.

He was gonna be fine on his own. He was fine on his own. And that wasn't going to change anytime soon.

The taxi driver, a stout middle-aged man with thin eyebrows, swiftly exchanged eye contact with him from the rearview mirror. He was nearing a much steeper road lined by bushy trees, so it was understandable when he started slowing down.

"Do I still need to go on?" The man asked as his eyes surveyed the road quite warily. "Doesn't even look like there's civilisation up ahead..."

"Just stop right there," Wooyoung replied, already unbuckling his seatbelt. Yes, he'd already been informed about the minimal but extra distance he'd have to cover once he reached the rusted sign titled Yonghwan Avenue, but he hadn't imagined a road pushing further into unknown destinations ahead.

Whatever, Wooyoung thought as he stepped out of the taxi, hauling his two suitcases out of the vehicle. Yet still, the driver kept his eyes on him, and his stare was beginning to irritate Wooyoung.

"You got someone to pick you up?" The driver asked.

"Yes." Wooyoung curtly nodded and paid the man his cash, not really in the mood to chat further.

"Really? I don't see any car anywhere."

Wooyoung stared upwards at the ashy clouds and the burning orange skies. It was nearing evening time, but the breezy atmosphere did next to nothing to cool the anxious beads of sweat dotting his neck.

"He'll be here soon." Wooyoung slid the suitcases against some ancient looking payphone and pulled out his phone, wanting to call the person who'd gotten him his apartment in the first place. They'd met in highschool and even though they weren't necessarily friends, the guy had seemed trustworthy enough to secure him a room with decent pay.

But now, as the skies turned dimmer and Wooyoung dialled the guy's number for the second time in a row, a part of him was starting to question things. He didn't dwell too much on it, though. There was no way he was leaving this place and going back to his parents'. He wouldn't even let that thought sink in. Besides, the taxi driver had long since disappeared, so even if he'd gotten a change of heart and decided to leave, there was no one that was going to bring him back.

At one point, Wooyoung contemplated heading up the road and finding his way to the apartment complex one way or another when an intense pair of headlights shone through the dark a few meters away. The sight was somehow chilling, and it had Wooyoung standing off to the side as if that was enough to hide him from the car's glaring lights.

The car, a distinctive black Ford that Wooyoung soon recognized, made a quick U-turn and parked next to him, its headlights still on. The window rolled down without much time to spare, and a familiar smiling face peered out of it.

"Woo!" The man beamed, dimples lining his cheeks. His dark hair laid pressed over his forehead, very much unlike the way Wooyoung usually saw it styled away from his face. His slanted, fox-like eyes surveyed his appearance. "You're all bunched up. I hope you're not feeling too cold! Sorry I was a bit late, I had some urgent...stuff I needed to attend to."

"Nah, it's alright." Wooyoung exhaled a soft sigh of relief and shook his head, walking over to his suitcases as soon as the guy -- Choi San -- opened the door of his car to step out.

"I'll help you with that," San said, already taking one of the suitcases despite Wooyoung's weak argument. "Seriously, you must be freezing. Just take a seat in the car, I'll handle those luggages."

Any further complaint Wooyoung had up his sleeve dissipated under San's sincere gaze. The guy had a way with words that could persuade anyone and everyone around him; that was how he'd managed to convince Wooyoung to live with him at that apartment block in the first instance.

Wooyoung sighed. "Fine." He sighed again as San rushed to open up the passenger side door for him, frowning when the taller just chuckled. "I can open the door myself, you know?"

"Yeah, I know." San winked. "I just wanna be a gentleman."

Wooyoung rolled his eyes but sat in anyways. San had always been like this since they'd known each other in highschool, and his caring demeanor helped soothe the discomfort pooling at his chest. He checked his phone -- out of habit more than anything else -- just to make sure his parents hadn't found out about his new number.

He looked behind him, and sure enough, there was San at the back putting his suitcases into the trunk of the car. Exhaustion clung to him once more, but he fought the urge to press his head against the window because he and San weren't close like that. Acquaintance was a closer description of their relationship anyway.

Eyelids feeling heavy, Wooyoung shut his eyes and tried his best to clear his head. Yes, he was actually doing this. He was actually living on his own with his own savings and nothing from his parents. They couldn't dictate his life anymore. He could do this.

He breathed in, the aromatic smell of the car helping a little bit with untangling his nerves. He opened his eyes. Now that he thought about it, San's car smelled...fresh. Like he'd just gotten it cleaned or something.

Why are you even thinking about that? Wooyoung thought, fiddling with the beige woollen scarf around his neck.

His soul almost left his body when something suddenly rapped against the surface of the window, startling him to bits. It was San.

Wooyoung, still trying to catch his breath, rolled down the window. "What are you doing?"

San laughed, as cheerful as always. "Nothing. You okay?"

"As okay as I would be after being nearly scared to death," Wooyoung spat. The nightly air was doing nothing good for his parched throat, and it made his voice more raspy than ever. He didn't sound threatening at all. "Please, let's just go already."

"Sure thing!" San playfully saluted him, and soon enough he'd taken the driver's seat. "Buckle up."

Wooyoung grudgingly obeyed him, sighing lowly in contentment just as San rolled up the windows and switched on the heater, preparing to drive.

The windshield wiper got rid of the sparse raindrops dribbling over the car at a steady pace, and for a couple moments as San drove, a cozy silence enveloped both adults.

Wooyoung could practically hear the questions concocting in San's head however, which was something he'd already gotten used to. He'd known San to be highly inquisitive, and wasn't a stranger to the taller's questioning when Wooyoung had first contacted him about having a new place to say out of nowhere, despite the two males not exactly being the closest buddies.

But now, instead of Wooyoung waiting for San to initiate the conversation, he decided to get straight to the point.

"What is it?"

"Ah, it's nothing," San replied very quickly. He cleared his throat, and Wooyoung just knew he had something else to add. He always did. "The others know you're coming."

Wooyoung's eyes lethargically studied the drops of rain rolling down his window. "Who?"

"Your flatmates. Our flatmates. They're nice, so no need to be nervous."

"I'm not nervous." It was a slight lie, though. Wooyoung was a little anxious, but that's how he was in new situations and with new people. It'd been something his mother had tried to fix and his father detested.

Wooyoung's hands clenched into fists as he willed the thought of his parents away.

"Are you okay?" San asked again. His car's speed was decreasing, which meant they were nearing their destination.

"I am." Wooyoung sounded rougher than he'd intended, but he didn't think San took much offense to it. Even with this, he tried to make small joke out of it. "Are you not convinced? Should I scribble 'okay' across my forehead for you to believe me?"

"No, that isn't needed," San laughed out loud. He'd drove to a clearing near another car, which made Wooyoung stare out of the windows in curiosity. The darkness and drying streaks of rain didn't allow him to see much, though.

"But you do look cold. Hey, it's not compulsory, but Hwa and Joong are like, the designated cooks. They're the oldest amongst us. I don't think Hwa's around right now though, and Joong's probably holled up in his room again..." San trailed off, biting his lip in thought. "Anyway, if they aren't available then Yeosang does the meals, but he's a bad cook so no one really takes food from him when he's around. We usually just order and stuff."

"...Okay," Wooyoung spoke, trying to absorb as much information as he could. It didn't help that San was a particularly fast talker. "How many people are there?"

"Sang recently joined a month before, and you're our newest addition." San had already stepped out of the car, Wooyoung following closely after him. The rain had subsided now. "So..." San continued, displaying seven fingers. "There's seven of us now."

Something heavy pressed down on Wooyoung's stomach then, but he chose to ignore it. He'd known from the start that living in a normal apartment would mean having to live with other people, people who weren't his parents or relatives. But that didn't stop his hands from turning clammy.

"You already know this, but Joong's the landlord, and he's kinda well-off, a little like you I guess. Anyway, he doesn't get much offers from people to live here since people are more crazy about apartments in the heart of the city." San clicked open the trunk and pulled out both suitcases, smiling when Wooyoung ushered out a small thanks. "The building's over there, still the same as it always is. Hope the darkness doesn't creep you out or anything."

There, surrounded by a few trees with generous leaves was the place Wooyoung was now going to inhabit. It looked rather large tonight, with one or two of the windows lit up in white. It still looked as normal as it'd looked when Wooyoung had seen a picture of it for the first time. Nothing as bad as he'd been expecting considering its borderline rural location.

"It's cute."

San chuckled at his response, dimples briefly appearing.

They made their way up the stairs in record timing, and soon enough Wooyoung was faced with what appeared to be the kitchen. It was average sized, with four chairs and a rich brown island that matched the opened blinds of the equally as average living room.

Two males, one standing and another seated with a kitten on his lap, abruptly halted their discourse once they spotted both males.

"Sang, Mingi, meet Wooyoung. Our new roommate." San introduced.

"Hi..." Wooyoung awkwardly waved.

Mingi -- the one who'd been standing -- gave him a sharp nod and then opened the fridge for something. He had short blond hair and wore a plain white shirt black pyjama pants.

"Don't mind him," San leaned in to whisper to Wooyoung. "He doesn't like rich kids -- which is quite hypocritical since he's one himself. Anyway, you're dressed like one and that's why he's acting like that."

Before Wooyoung had the chance to reply, Mingi spoke up, a plastic container of something unidentifiable in his hand.

"I really don't appreciate being talked about behind my back."

"Shh," the second guy with the pet, who must've been Yeosang hissed, covering up the ears of the kitten lying on his lap. "You're too loud. Whiskers hates loud noises."

Mingi's expression pulled into a deep grimace. "Hongjoong should've never allowed animals around here. I hate the sight of your stupid cat."

Yeosang gasped, pulling the frazzled grey kitten close to his chest. "How dare you. You'll make Whiskers very sad!"

"They do this nearly everyday. Nothing to see here," San informed, quickly dragging Wooyoung's luggages along, which the shorter greatly appreciated. Mingi and Yeosang, especially Yeosang, were a bit...weird, but it didn't bother Wooyoung all too much. He just needed to get settled inside his new room and figure out his next course of action from there. He'd already made the deposit and everything; things were going alright.

They came across a dim hallway that appeared to have no end, but San didn't seem to mind. He kept on walking, so Wooyoung continued to follow despite feeling a bit uneasy.

"Just like I'd predicted, Joong is in his room upstairs. Luckily I have your key with me." Just like they'd been when San had talked about the young landlord earlier, his eyes shone wistfully, but Wooyoung didn't comment on it. It wasn't his business whatever went on between them.

They stopped in front of a plain hardwood door with the number 4 encrusted on it.

San passed him the key, eyes crinkling as he grinned. He made jazz hands, his childish actions causing Wooyoung to break into a short chuckle. "Welcome to your new room! We both know you've already seen how it looks like, but please act surprised when you finally unlock it."

Wooyoung decided to humour the dark haired male, making sure to keep his eyes as wide as he could once he unlocked the door to pull his suitcases in.

San clapped like he was the one moving in, which made Wooyoung smile again. He wasn't in the best of moods, but San's enthusiasm elevated it a bit.

The actual room, with its matte purple walls, medium-sized bed, thin closet and bare working station, looked so unfathomably plain and basic that Wooyoung's mother would've fainted just from the sight of it alone. But Wooyoung wasn't his mother, and this place was just fine by him.

"How is it?" San asked as if he hadn't already asked him that when he'd first shown him the room.

Wooyoung dryly smiled, flashing him a thumbs up.

"Okay, okay, I'm being annoying." San looked apologetic. "Anyway, whenever you're ready you can head to the kitchen and eat something. Hwa isn't home, so tonight's feast is either cereal or waffles. But if you're not hungry but want to take a shower instead, the bathroom's at the end of the hall to the right. And oh -- Mingi and his boyfriend's room are quite close to yours so you'll be seeing them a lot, I think. Also, rooms upstairs are kinda off limits yada yada," San rambled on and on, grabbing the doorknob. "If you don't mind I'll be outside, trying my best to stop Sang and Mingi from murdering each other."

With that, San shut the door with a resounding slam, almost hurtling Wooyoung out of his skin. A muffled 'Sorry!' was soon heard.

Wooyoung just hoped he would survive this place.

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The cold woke Wooyoung up, as well as the urgent need to pee. As if that wasn't already irritating on its own, a freaking headache now drummed away at one side of his skull, and he let out a petulant huff.

"Shit," Wooyoung breathed, pushing himself to his feet. The bed wasn't the most comfortable as it was clear he was used to far more luxurious furnishings, but he ignored the thought as always. Soft or not, he'd have to get used to the bed pretty soon as he wasn't planning on leaving just yet.

He reached out to switch on the lights, but remembered he absolutely hated having to squint in bright areas just as he woke up, so he decided against it. Instead, he pulled open the door, thinking over San's words about where the bathroom was situated.

Just like before, the hall was fully dark and creeping with shadows. Not to mention it was deathly silent too. The only sound Wooyoung could hear was his echoing heartbeat.

Stop freaking out, he thought. Nothing's gonna jump you. The bathroom only a few rooms away.

Despite his assurances, his heartbeat still ricocheted loudly inside his chest. Chills sank down his spine when he took notice of something lingering at the end of the hall next to where the bathroom supposedly was.

Wooyoung paused, blinking rapidly like that would be able to settle his nerves, but that something still stood there, stagnant and unresponsive.

Fuck...

The shadow suddenly moved, appearing a little more human-shaped now.

what does wooyoung do next?

a) make an attempt to communicate with whoever's out there. he needs to pee after all.

b) go back inside.

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a/n: thoughts?