cw: descriptions of death & blood

you chose:
a) tell seonghwa jongho's going to drop him off later

* * *

Seonghwa's gaze was hard and unwavering. He stared at Wooyoung like he expected him in the car, and that in itself unsettled Wooyoung to bits. The older man's smile looked damn convincing too, forcing Wooyoung to look away before he could somehow be tempted into going with him.

"Uh," Wooyoung cleared his throat, the cool breeze sending shivers up his spine. It didn't help at all that both Seonghwa and Jongho's eyes were on him, waiting for his response. It made him want to disappear.

He rubbed his neck, something he did when he felt indescribably nervous. "I'm actually going somewhere with Jongho. He's gonna drop me off later."

Seonghwa got out of his sedan.

It was almost funny how stiff the atmosphere became once Seonghwa made his way over to stand right in front of both students. He was only a couple inches above them in height, but the way he carried himself made him appear much taller. His eyes were like dark, bottomless pools, and they made Wooyoung feel suffocated and trapped.

Jongho, unlike Wooyoung, failed to stagger under whatever method of intimidation Seonghwa was trying to pull. Instead, he took a step forward, finally earning Seonghwa's attention.

"Is anything the problem?" Jongho asked.

"What? No." Seonghwa laughed, which momentarily caught Wooyoung and Jongho off-guard. Wooyoung especially had no idea the oldest could be capable of laughing so bright and heartily.

Seonghwa's previously dull eyes were now twinkling like stars, and he seemed like a different person altogether. He pulled off his grey coat, before handing it over to Wooyoung.

"Your shirt is quite thin," he smiled. "It'll keep you warm. I don't mind."

Jongho wasn't saying anything, leaving Wooyoung to deal with Seonghwa all alone. And he didn't know how to react. Rejecting the older's offer would be deemed as rude, and he was a bit cold, after all.

Wooyoung chewed his lip, forcing out a smile he hoped looked real enough. "Thanks."

Seonghwa's coat was cotton soft, instantaneously warming him as soon as he pulled it on.

"Cozy, right?" Seonghwa questioned.

"I'm sorry, but we need to go now," Jongho cut in. Wooyoung saw the boiling look Seonghwa shot him, but it was so sudden and quick he thought he'd imagined it.

"Have fun," the man said to no one in particular, and Wooyoung watched him step inside his car and drive off.

"No offense, but he's fucking weird," Jongho mumbled, pressing his car key. He looked pissed. "Please don't tell me you live with him or something."

I do. Wooyoung didn't say it out loud though. He had a feeling Jongho wasn't looking for an answer.

Wordlessly they entered the younger's car. It was a blue Audi Jongho had gotten from his brother which he revealed was named Sarah once he'd started driving.

"You named your car Sarah," Wooyoung laughed in disbelief.

"What? It looks like a Sarah."

"That makes no sense, but okay."

Things didn't feel as awkward as they'd been when Seonghwa was around anymore, which Wooyoung was grateful for. There was only so much discomfort he could take.

Only...that weird feeling was still there. It was a tingling sensation he couldn't get over, a burning behind his head that made him feel like he was being monitored, being stared at.

Even when he was on the beach with Jongho by his side as the other introduced him to everyone he knew, grainy sand beneath his feet and crisp air in his lungs, he continued to feel it. It was like an annoying itch he couldn't scrape off, and it prevented him from feeling fully relaxed in the midst of the other chatting, smiling students.

And Wooyoung hated it. Resented it with all his might. It brought him back to the times his parents would keep him under their watch so he could never go against them, even resorting to using his friends to spy on him. The memories alone never ceased to enrage him whenever he remembered them, just like they were doing right now.

"You don't look too good," someone spoke next to him. Wooyoung blinked, realizing he'd been staring at the blazing bonfire for far too long, before looking at the person now seated beside him. It was Jongho's cousin, Jinah.

"Here," she grinned, her smile reminiscent of Jongho's and passed Wooyoung a sizzling kebab, which he greatly appreciated. "I feel like food's gonna help with that."

"The full plate would be better," a new voice joined the conversation. Jongho was soon seen snatching the plate from his cousin before taking the other spot by Wooyoung.

Jinah cursed when she failed to get back the plate after several tries. "You're so annoying."

"I'm the bestest cousin in the entire universe, and you know it."

"Yeah right."

Wooyoung smiled at their interaction while taking a bite out of his kebab. Just like Jinah had said, the delicious, well-made meat elevated his mood in no time, and he loved it. He finally felt like tonight was going the way he'd imagined it.

A bloodcurdling scream pierced the air.

Jinah and Jongho stopped arguing instantly, the latter on his feet in a matter of seconds. Screams scattered across the beach, more and more people racing towards a particular spot adjacent to the empty bar.

Wooyoung followed after Jinah and Jongho, his heartbeat loud against his ears. He had no idea what was happening, but the panic in the atmosphere was so thick he could almost taste it.

Wooyoung smelled the blood before he saw it. His mind whirled as Jinah pushed through the herd of alarmed students, lightheaded at the metallic stench. It was everywhere.

The sight was even more horrifying than Wooyoung could've ever expected. A female student lied facedown in the middle of it all, dark red blood pooled around her still body like water. A cleaver knife hung from the back of her skull, soiling her drenched locks and the sand with more red.

People talked, sirens whirred up the road. Wooyoung felt like he was going to faint.

Someone pulled him away from the scene. It took a considerable amount of time for him to figure out it was Jongho.

"Fuck, I'm so sorry you had to see that. Who the hell would do something so -- so horrible?" Jongho thought out loud. He muttered other things, but they went in through Wooyoung's ear and out the other.

Wooyoung only felt like he could finally breathe once Jongho brought them to his car.

"I'll take you home. I'm so sorry." Jongho kept apologizing, even when they'd entered the Audi.

That place isn't my home. Wooyoung nodded anyway. "Thank you."

That was all he could say, his head pressed against the window as he tried to erase the ghastly images of the girl off his mind. Her death -- it didn't look like an accident. The depth and precision of the cleaver in her head testified to that fact.

She was most likely murdered.

Wooyoung shook his head. Red and blue shone like Christmas lights from the beach, which grew smaller and smaller the more distance Jongho covered.

The rest of the drive was silent, both teens stuck in their thoughts. Wooyoung only spoke when he needed to give Jongho the directions to his apartment.

He could see the doubt in Jongho's eyes once he slowed the car in front of the complex. Seonghwa's car wasn't there.

"You live here?" The skepticism in Jongho's tone was clear as day, and it made Wooyoung a little annoyed. It felt like the younger was judging him.

"Is it that bad?"

Jongho immediately shook his head. "No -- that's not what I mean! It just looks kind of...isolated."

Wooyoung shrugged, but Jongho's words had gotten to him. He unhooked his seatbelt, flashing a tight smile. "Goodnight, I guess."

"See you tomorrow?"

Wooyoung nodded, soon grabbing his bag and stepping out of the car. Just like before, a couple lights were on in the building, but they did next to nothing in bringing him some sense of comfort.

Jongho gave him a small wave that Wooyoung returned, before finally driving off.

Wooyoung saw San's shadow the minute he got through the doors, and his heart nearly froze over.

"Oh crap," San gasped, the poorly lit lobby casting shadows over his pronounced cheekbones. It made him appear downright ghoulish. Seriously, why was it always so dark around here at night? "You look like you just saw a ghost."

Wooyoung, exhausted from everything that'd taken place thus far, just walked past him to the stairs, not in the mood to talk to anybody.

"Seonghwa's coat looks good on you."

Wooyoung scoffed, said coat suddenly weighing a ton. "Why didn't you tell me he'd be coming to pick me up instead?"

San bounded up to him, leaning on the railing with a big smile. "He said he wanted it to be a surprise."

Surprise? Wooyoung almost wanted to laugh in San's face. What a fucking 'surprise' tonight was, with Seonghwa creeping him out and then him witnessing some girl at the beach get impaled with a fucking cleaver.

"You don't look too well. I can make you some tea if you'd like?" San suggested. On another day, Wooyoung wouldn't have minded his enthusiasm. But now, his chirpy attitude was irking him to no end.

"I think I'll pass." Wooyoung ascended up the stairs, only to stop when he spotted someone frozen still at the edge.

Yunho wordlessly stared at Wooyoung through his large pair of eyes, not blinking once.

Wooyoung, weirded out by the other's actions, took a step further. Yunho bolted.

"Don't mind him," San giggled. "He's just shy."

* * *

With Wooyoung's source of income far from stable, he'd found himself asking Yeosang over dinner about his job at the diner, but he soon discovered the latter wasn't all that keen with talking about it, despite him mentioning it countless times before.

"What? You wanna get hired or something?" For once, Whiskers wasn't in Yeosang's grasp, and his hair was now cut short and dyed black, matching the colour of his eyes.

"I dunno," Wooyoung replied, tugging at the hem of his sweater. Following San's advice, he'd opted out of wearing his more expensive clothing in the apartment because Mingi made him nervous, though he hadn't seen the guy around so far. "Even if it's cleaning tables or serving orders, I won't mind."

Yeosang looked tense.

San, seated beside them in the kitchen, slurped on his bowl of reddish soup. "Sang's just nervous you'll steal his spotlight."

"Shut the hell up."

Seonghwa stepped in at that moment, dressed in a plain black shirt and sweats. He raked a hand down his dirty blond hair, eyes instantly finding Wooyoung's. A dashing smile split through his features.

"You're super late," Yeosang said.

"Had to get some things from the store." Seonghwa placed the grocery bag in his hand on the table, and Wooyoung had to wonder what was inside.

"Hongjoong made dinner," San gestured at his soup, a delighted grin on his face. "It tastes really good."

"Better than mine?" Seonghwa raised a brow.

"Maaaybe?"

Seonghwa just laughed, not seeming offended in the slightest. "If he added what he should, I trust we'll have no problems." He walked up to the pot on the stove, surveying his contents with a satisfied hum. "Wooyoung?"

Wooyoung felt his heart tremble. "Um, yeah?"

Seonghwa turned to look at him. "There's still some soup left. Want some?"

Wooyoung internally panicked. San was still immersed in his food, and Yeosang, who sat in front of him with his back facing Seonghwa, wasn't saying anything.

All of a sudden, Yeosang's eyes locked with his. The warning in them was loud and clear.

Do not say yes.

"I, uh, I actually ate earlier, so I'm full. Sorry about that," Wooyoung uttered. He stared at Yeosang again, but the other male wasn't looking at him anymore.

If Seonghwa was disappointed, he didn't let it show. He shrugged. "Sure, if you say so."

Shit. Does he not believe me? Wooyoung thought.

"I'm heading to my room. Peace out." Yeosang stood up, stepping out of the kitchen. Wooyoung quickly followed after him.

"Hey," he called out, keeping his voice low. Luckily, Yeosang paused by one of the rooms allowing Wooyoung to catch up to him. "What went on back there?"

"Nothing."

"You told me with your eyes not to take that soup. What? Is it poisoned?" Wooyoung nearly yelped when Yeosang pulled him by his collar and further into the hallway.

"Keep your fucking voice down!" Yeosang whisper-yelled, letting the shorter go. "The last thing you wanna do is to let them hear you."

"Okay, okay," Wooyoung exhaled. Yeosang's frantic behaviour was making him incredibly anxious and so, so confused. "I'm sorry. But I need to know what's going on."

"Nothing is," Yeosang pressed. "Just mind your own business, joke around when you can, and keep your distance."

"You're not making much sense here."

"Look," Yeosang's voice became even more hushed, his dark eyes overwhelmingly desperate. "Just... don't get on anyone's bad side here. Seonghwa butchers on the side, and Mingi... Don't piss Mingi off, alright? And Hongjoong's fucking scary when mad."

Wooyoung tried to take in every bit of Yeosang's words, but his accelerating heartbeat was making it immensely difficult to concentrate. "What the fuck is going on?"

Someone's door opened, and before Wooyoung had time to react, Yeosang had already disappeared into his room.

He was now face to face with Mingi.

As usual, Mingi didn't exactly look excited seeing him there.

Wooyoung suddenly felt like he had to say something. Do something to justify himself. "I'm... I was just going to my room. Yeah."

Yunho's head poked through Mingi's doorway, watching Wooyoung with those same eerie unblinking eyes of his.

"I heard your voice just now. Who were you talking to?" Mingi asked, his gaze as hard as steel.

Before Wooyoung could conjure up an answer, someone new stepped in.

"Stop interrogating him." It was Seonghwa. The man patted Mingi's back as if telling him to chill out.

Mingi looked like he wanted to say something but decided against it, soon pulling Yunho with him back into his room.

Wooyoung exhaled the breath he'd been holding. Fuck, everything about today was turning out to be a total nightmare.

To make matters worse, Seonghwa now stood before him, hands clasped behind his back.

Seonghwa butchers on the side, Yeosang's voice echoed in Wooyoung's head. He then remembered the dead girl at the beach. Butchers used cleavers.

"Something the matter?" Seonghwa asked. He actually looked concerned, but Wooyoung wanted to stay as far as he could from him.

Keep your distance.

"I need to go to sleep."

"Goodnight, then."

"Goodnight to you too," Wooyoung cleared his throat. He couldn't look the older in the eye, especially not with him staring so deeply at Wooyoung again. Why does he keep looking at me like that?

Wooyoung only grew relaxed once he was in the four walls of his bedroom. Even with that, he knew he wouldn't be able to get decent night's sleep tonight.

The dreams he had of bloodied beaches, mangled corpses, and invasive eyes proved that he was indeed correct.

* * *

The next day Wooyoung arrived back at the apartment earlier than usual as he only had two classes for the day, and he'd had enough of everyone on campus talking about what had happened at the beach.

Yeosang's warnings dissuaded him from leaving his room and interacting with his roommates further than basic greetings, and as he laid on his bed thinking over the events of last night he heard something drop above his room.

He opened his eyes, deciding to sit up. That dull thump was heard again.

Agitated, Wooyoung left his room, stopping once he realized how quiet it'd gotten. There was no one on sight, but the hallway leading to the rooms upstairs wasn't drenched in shadows like it frequently was at night.

Another distant thump resounded from over the stairs. It sounded like something was being hacked at, and Wooyoung gulped, wondering if he should investigate it.

Mind your own business. Despite Yeosang's warning, Wooyoung stood in front of those stairs, gripping unto the handrail before going up.

He took slow, leisured steps, making sure keep himself as quiet as he possibly could. The floor upstairs looked identical to the one downstairs, but the rooms had metal doors instead of wooden ones.

"For the last time, keep it down." Hongjoong's voice came out of nowhere, and Wooyoung's heart almost dropped in fright.

Hongjoong's room was the first to the right, slightly ajar with soft music seeping through the opening. The bright melodies were terribly mismatched with how aggravated his tone was.

"We're doing the best we can," someone said further ahead. It took a second for Wooyoung to register it as Mingi's voice. "As long as that kid doesn't leave his room he won't hear anything. ...We need help with the writhing."

Footsteps padded over the floors, as for a moment Wooyoung feared Hongjoong would walk out and immediately spot him. But the man just kicked out a dark storage box. "It's there."

He then shut his door.

I need to fucking get out of here. Wooyoung turned, ready to race down the stairs when he picked up on a new set of footsteps quickly approaching where he was.

what does wooyoung do next?

a) go up and risk getting seen by hongjoong or mingi

b) stay where he is and risk getting seen by whoever's approaching

***

a/n: thoughts?