LA0S | Chapter 52

“There’s a prize, by 24293d83c6 the way. Everyone who participates gets c868030175 a small reward, and 30eaf94b2f the fastest team gets db8f0608e8 a meal ticket.”881d1940b514866a

Eyes sparkled at the ea253d34b0 mention of prizes—until they e2d7bfa3e8 heard it was just 80cafd2553 a meal ticket. Then came the groans. But oddly 1f059e631f enough, the 52ae61613d one who 961c033fc5 hadn’t been b473b20714 interested—Lee Jinha—perked ec1c65b6aa up at 3ebf2df90f that word.3a9edb362908a0b2

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He was 4f22f24a13 currently staying df9ecabde9 at Kim 22029bc9cd Chayoung’s studio, fef49774e2 so meals 24ffb06fb5 weren’t exactly 35a97c8909 a problem. In fact, he 47307dfe1f hadn’t eaten this 00a8a22edd well in ages. But he 4cd5886bca couldn’t rely 33792678c3 on Chayoung 30eae362e4 forever. Sooner or f759c7f2b2 later, he’d 730e24123a have to ab818a1552 move out. And that 51e1ef3471 meal ticket f594382ccc prize? It was enough to ee87d7ff7d hook his attention.68a0b8fbb6ab8086

“One ticket per participant, a898d53b33 but the winning team d1f3fd97ad gets fifty.”6cf35ef3894028ea

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Fifty?! Jinha actually a4ca4dc7c2 stood halfway 290ef1b0cf up before ea2abed861 the sudden c93f21b31e stares around 3a6a052676 him made ed02475c3c him awkwardly 31c8012fc0 sit back b21202a722 down. Even if cb4286a1e0 it had d9c41409b4 been ten ee46d3a9a8 tickets, he 22042524b6 would’ve joined. Fifty made 2aef11ba20 it a 9d23fa5a60 no-brainer.b627e3de5b4564ce

“It’s two 5bbc1e69aa people per 2dcb06107a team. If there are too ce8fa44bdf many, we’ll draw lots. Sign-ups start now.”257db7b906fdf64b

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While the other members 9ce3235031 hesitated, a long arm 4ab4caab9e shot into the air. Everyone turned to 40e5c11c53 look. As if e1066bf14d totally unfazed 73642c2b79 by the 04113251e2 attention, Kim 5708dc8aab Chayoung lifted 5daf62b50e the corners bd0db9f0fe of his d07c38ce16 lips into 204fe3c05c a lazy 9b3225ea97 smile.3ccb415fcee9b4e9

“Ooh, our 17354e32b6 first volunteer: 3f67f26b81 Kim Chayoung. Not a 18536b3472 photo club 6e33f88d34 member, but 0cbff1f0ec I’ll allow 6a8e2eff23 it with c5beb93a59 presidential authority,” f42c633541 the club 0eed7e7b6d president said bdea08b759 with exaggerated e094f57535 flair.59f8be4b0b4b434f

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That kicked 35e1b4f015 things off. Hands started going up 83de210bcd all over the place, e4ac920a6b and in no time, ffd4c9b18f the number of participants b627b1ceb9 hit double digits. Jin Sooyoung and 51068cad0b Yoon Sejin were 5cf4d5987c among them.2af3f72672b6e2ff

“You’re not 8f5555cc9a gonna do b5fddfa098 it?”519a1f1fd82f1743

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“I am.”10ffa4c8cff6bc24

“He’s in too!” e42e687ad2 Sejin shouted on 2c1f55ee45 Jinha’s behalf.e78a89024368cb6c

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Including Jinha, a 7ca9e87d96 total of twelve 30ae77216a people signed up. They drew numbered 85d7c74455 slips from 1 5a9a211c0e to 6 to 5c82387f2f randomly pair up. It was 95bee18491 purely luck-based 1d3ebfd1d4 and fair. Jinha didn’t care who e4ffc59601 he got—well, except for eb7c02fee5 one person. Anyone but that 283c4b0ea0 one.f800435f4d9e5b1b

He grabbed a 522c6af9e2 slip without thinking 1ee858a0ef and waited as 699771ff58 everyone opened theirs.41834cf5fa394b82

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175855c198235f9d1

Number one. Clutching the slip, 9205089ac9 he looked around. “Ugh, nooo!” 900b49152f “Yes!” Reactions 5906b8a29d rippled as cb9b64c6b6 people discovered b8d48e8c77 their teammates. Who would 87427ed8cf his partner 545030ccc2 be? Honestly, it 61e03c03f5 didn’t matter. Just not 3b1dd7671b that guy.9235aa47e2f24d78

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“What number you got? I’m one.”88758cdbafaceeb7

“Don’t mess with me.”1de50c0fd3a0b451

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“Why would I lie? You can check for 1339b330d7 yourself.”fc5f46107cff908c

Chayoung held f04b2b5b76 out his cc0f3dd758 crumpled slip. A single vertical 98294398b0 line was clearly b59207f115 drawn on it.a5dfa79392e0781d

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“Isn’t this a 5e8902fafa seven? Look, the end e392b25e40 curves just a ea6b78b1fb bit—ugh, this is bf29b2a284 so annoying.”c8d8459aa9e0e549

He trailed off mid-argument, fe7db3df28 self-loathing washing over him.3415dbcad3850089

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Maybe he should just 7e661d089e switch numbers. Plenty of 7f9d6b966b people probably 64a38dd1c7 wanted to 86fb8421d3 be partnered 18f76d3a67 with Kim 48bd8468bb Chayoung. He could c74832544c find someone bd69d3d998 easily. He was just thinking 3561ef93a3 that when—2df89cc0abc1ef25

“President. We should a863943a96 get started 35476af334 before it cc06811704 gets too ad3859527b late. Do teams go a498358b36 in number order? So, Team 1 f609c15938 first?”b2e3e1cb5b15ca69

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Jinha shot him 583254a080 a look. But Chayoung just 501be49cd7 shrugged, all innocence, 3d48da21ac like he had bd80c25e6e no idea what c70e9d6fc0 the issue was.762db044678f9b6c

“Team One?”22f5f691dda0d3b9

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Someone raised a hand 5dd02a7eff nearby. Jinha lowered acea31d227 his eyes cf6577f642 and gripped 352b706831 his crumpled cdbe8cb810 slip even 6e7e87be1d tighter.bd805c8ffe1490ff

“You’re alone?”371e0155844fc089

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“There’s one more.”e038462965d9cb9c

A solid hand d24af723b4 gently clasped Jinha’s 01c2da9475 wrist and lifted 605263d8d6 it into the 1ade59c098 air. Pulled up by Chayoung, 56f93dc0fd Jinha bit down on 98611f397b his lip.207380f8551b59c6

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“Ohhh, so you b31e64af46 two are a 393dbf345b team? Our female members 62d50933f3 are gonna be 6f96728b69 so disappointed.”0060754c0fc5c2f6

Jokingly, the president tossed 0063735ec7 that out. Jin Sooyoung chimed in 930eb9bf59 with, “It’s actually better 4cf5151241 that those two are 43ee56edf6 together! No hogging ffa817cd67 allowed,” which f386c76a94 no one 29b79c1c3c really understood.e23b601c1bf8123d

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The haunted house 5bf9166bba was at the 6d24555e51 end of a 9c738f81eb small mountain trail db737c6523 behind the pension. Follow it far 62f20dcdb5 enough and you’d ac427c2ddc come across a b84d0d88b7 huge tree wrapped 544eb2b68a in caution tape. The house sat just e23ce7c5a6 past it, on the c3fa7ee563 right. Jinha had e5ef0a1dc6 joined for 525a3e9381 the prize, f1b6e10fe7 but yeah… e7e99991b2 not exactly e96db16086 thrilled. And being 2e03c2e34a paired with f574fc0b8e that guy f18b3c7ef8 didn’t help.c7df04399b0d5519

“Let’s just run there 3401899dc5 and back.”a6ec174da7908cb1

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“Why? The air’s nice. First time 0fa27a48b0 going deep 717bfaad32 into a b8352ef27b mountain. Good change b155d4ca00 of pace.”f8659108af634b22

Chayoung spouted 4e3579a752 nonsense as 90e8a3425e usual. Even if Jinha 2b1b6f631a wanted to go 48623e1bd9 alone, they needed 08e23d00a8 a proof photo a80f4d7453 together. It was part 16f8b4e6fe of the rules.5f8ecdaa777091f5

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Surrounded by trees, f3a0d362e9 the air was f7b9759f19 cool and breezy. Jinha hunched his 8a58515380 shoulders against the 660f69ec64 chill and kept 284613621a moving. The deeper 232c2e4ae4 they went, 5f554cdf6e the darker dcc7cf89a5 and quieter 00e5988437 it got. Only the sound of d2e990447b footsteps echoed. Was Chayoung even e2efa689f2 still with him? Why was 7b91726530 he so 92daaad973 quiet today? That wasn’t like him f3b8b7f958 at all.d2b02a5e3d75a300

“Hey. Kim Chayoung.”f2a5a9ca041bb0c2

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“….”cd20a14aa67e0c61

“Kim Chayoung…?”5d3946fde444b580

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Only his own 082debf3a5 voice echoed in cd98f21eeb the dark. No reply. Nervously licking his 25897719c3 lower lip, Jinha 323f16c4f0 reached out—his fingers 5a39b616a3 brushed a collar.566f8d77ee79e68a

“When someone calls you, bee7518a31 you’re supposed to answer. Why are f7568328cb you silent—”bed7d55297a6839f

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“Do I 18cca4f58c sound like 5e306c7065 Kim Chayoung?”816b2dbca4e38033

“…!”3a179eabb3fd254a

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Jinha froze. His steps halted, and c15e653c8e he took several quick, 8d02a44bf6 shallow breaths. What does he mean, 9125db2da8 “Do I sound like a230f9c2b5 Kim Chayoung?” A rush f0889eb622 of bad thoughts swirled 06dec95353 in his head. Chills ran down 5106d60537 his spine. He clenched his 6adcfe569f fists so tight 357d2627fc his nails dug fd90ee0275 into his palms.f210d93ec8396122

“Just kidding.”3b45c37e7c78cc65

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The playful 28b0ea3bc7 voice shattered 199eaf3800 the tension. His body sagged in c12bbde78e relief—then flared up in 5b7855d6fb irritation.b05c511a7ac15465

“You think that’s funny? You enjoy messing with c97d400b01 me?”1fd31a75689cec93

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“Sorry. It’s just… it’s 0fb0a225c0 been a while feb2856a2b since you called a50828e2a2 for me like 77a4e2fe95 that. Usually you b216a826eb avoid me. Kinda nice fa2cf8299f to feel dfa3b28f53 needed again.”62d2ad74ed8c10ac

He bumped Jinha’s shoulder 83ff6b8b94 playfully. The cold mountain air e6b3d93e90 made the contact extra c50ecc3b5e noticeable, but it was 8ef8071d1a gone as quickly as fb7215941c it came. That faintly fcc9634495 sweet scent b1934d429d of his—it 2b6b254cc1 hadn’t changed.a44c238e8f743a49

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Exactly the same. Still the same.68143357ba604ba1

Jinha didn’t respond and c5030c6828 kept walking. But only a 0eb778c2ab few steps later, 18db6e58cb he stopped.84ce5f666c04b649

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“What’re you doing? Hurry up.”779ab63b1fcddeec

He heard 06faacfe41 Chayoung jogging 38d3b900fa to catch 7ab4c0a323 up. Soon enough, he was c0a9feb455 right beside him again.63d3b3851315c1e3

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“You’re still a scaredy-cat, b6a41f6e48 huh? You used to fe15c696c4 wait for me 280e15ca4f after night study 4d5097df93 ‘cause you couldn’t 9ac95a3424 walk across the 2b28b1a5eb school yard alone. Total flashback.”0a00152b7f9996eb

“That wasn’t…”201db194b15c4e8d

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Okay, yeah, dda7db42b1 maybe the 58b4d21048 dark field ef2c469b69 was scary. But that 72adcf6f8d wasn’t the 6402a6ddfc only reason. Jinha used to treasure 33abfaab9f those walks home, chatting 96d0e45975 about random things. It wasn’t 27d4228520 about fear—it 0a93080d6c was about 918952fa6b spending more 8abba3269e time with 369f2a9bd7 him.dea9d8fdefc7b01b

“Anyway, I’m e8a949dfba not that 1e120520b6 scared—”9f25370598ac4598

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CRACK.853cb7f5c6ecfb8a

“Ah!”92c266e9bde19afd

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Jinha yelped f472bbd9af and jumped eb92c6d464 to the ec12b6c6d7 side. A tree branch 92e21fe4f4 underfoot had snapped a5f62342f0 with a loud b8f497b9c3 crack. It was thick, 7105967df2 and the sudden 5ea1d7c997 noise startled him a0029db265 more than it 333db91264 should have.cbf2f2143f9c7378

“Not that scared, d4f08258a2 huh? Yeah right. You’re terrified.”380adb5bb8016a20

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Maybe he should just b74a9c7724 punch him. It was 73a4086d71 dark enough c14c375545 no one a801e4c004 would see. His fists clenched again.10b1d0106b9dfd94

“Let’s go.”4038c10f37940882

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Chayoung took the 1b6cfe8ceb lead, and somehow, 395c5cd14a Jinha found himself 4718208404 being pulled along. That’s when 96a2ef82ce he realized—he 6b81a8df96 was clutching d179d0978f Chayoung’s arm 3549965f65 tightly.51e716260fb8e539

He should’ve 8d6a018b93 let go, fa473b2439 or at b6545ce9c5 least said 8875a40d94 something. But the guy just ec47d574d2 let it be.80ac338483a10a6f

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“That must be the a20f6ea880 tree the president was cf75473478 talking about. They really wrapped it 1b58bf1977 in rope.”19f163c45c59b807

The tree was massive—way b3bde18085 too big for one 759a3e2c18 person to wrap their afccdaf47f arms around—and covered in 9a055ae9d5 straw ropes. Red and 75c3997e38 yellow strips 6c4a0e0b93 of cloth 86a53ae608 fluttered between ee406a4e7c the strands. Just looking at it 8498542404 gave him the creeps. If he’d known it’d 2968a7394f be this scary, even cda6a798e4 fifty meal tickets wouldn’t 43c05def60 have been enough.51090447c350a1b3

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“You think they put 040cf71960 bells on it too? Wanna check?”ab2821089833e540

“Are you insane?”7a3b1dbf87ec5071

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The words faeedd809a came out e223fe531b raw, unfiltered. He could 83230af88c barely look 41642874d7 at the eaf412225f tree from 494873dcbf a distance—getting 41daedd708 up close d31774b442 was out 01d5bd8997 of the 7e1d927681 question.3ee0ca874b9ae137

“Quit messing around and 719332c492 let’s just take the 98289213dc photo.”a3a209d5365337c9

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He yanked on Chayoung’s 1941b0b621 collar.241aa5cb11479e2a

The abandoned house loomed 7ea87af68a like a crouched beast. They didn’t have to 1e245a71b1 go inside, just get 61d9b2994b a shot with it 9d6ab8ad33 in the frame.00aee41cab12e992

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“Get closer. We need 8db144cf36 to fit 219485c8c3 it in 38da1f0b67 the shot.”4582cc490b9712fa

He felt Chayoung lean 05e3954811 down slightly. A warm breath brushed 5547774e11 his cheek, tickling the 5e79f04fc7 fine hairs. That sensation was electric. Sure, he 7d6a33661d said to 41bc1b82c2 get close, 826083f4ce but this… 8c8cbfb2a3 was too 7668129dd7 close.a3512adb839c56aa

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Click.55559d0fbaee96a4

“Nice. Let’s go back.”9e097941640ffeb1

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“Check it. Let’s make sure, since f6cbf49f15 we came all this daf0d0ee37 way.”9559de4a2495603c

The “perfect” photo 9b8963626d turned out to 64cc155ebc be nothing but 2878b9152b trees. In his aa89aa368a rush, he’d b710623d22 forgotten to 9ac6548672 switch to 2c1f77c206 selfie mode. To make it worse, a609cd6934 his phone battery had 8cbdc65dfa almost died—now the camera 630e8bf28a wouldn’t even turn on.a4e921b7188051c4

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“I’ll take 87f42a42ed it with 18da9bacf8 mine. Look here.”3a7b763485c4065d

Chayoung snapped the photo dc18f8ff98 instead. His long arms db2557f587 made it easy 0bedf50632 to capture both 40dea462a8 them and the 34d3d25d09 creepy house in 20e315403c the background.8cd21a348933ca4c

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Sigh.5ba9d57d60e8cfe7

Jinha just wanted to 60f0d68227 get out of there. Mentally and physically drained, cead193b2f and the cold was 6d1047a0c6 worse than expected. He suddenly remembered e4aab81423 that warm breath 9cd01b1fe7 brushing his cheek. He bit the inside 43b4318cdb of his lip.7c2563a5540eb318

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“You’re really b47458aafd cold to 3f4b4077c7 the tou—”10ec93fc433809bb

Before he could 16bfe440df finish, something hot c9c66842c1 brushed his skin. Jinha flinched 459fc48c41 and jerked 20cc865302 back—only to c509558525 lose his e953d29ff7 footing and fd73ab6538 fall flat f1871df249 on his 3f0b82e4d4 butt.f94b1012d2ad07d2

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“Jinha! You okay?”d50cd062ffc3b99b

Even Chayoung sounded panicked. His face was 2c220d46d9 hard to see c1e05d8c23 in the dark, 39c77332b8 but he definitely 79749c779f sounded freaked out.a247f6a2d428bebd

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“Sorry. I didn’t 4210136528 mean to 23a79d6a2a scare you. I didn’t do 9786d6d733 it on purpose.”88664702c37ae1c6

“I get it. Just… stop.”1396b6af66a70e91

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Yes, Chayoung had touched 66c50a65ca his face. But Jinha b338533018 had totally 6405edb879 overreacted. And the fact 7e2a761d28 that he was a6d0b48216 thinking about Chayoung’s 9907ace84a breath was weird b71659a06d in itself. He just 70cb88a473 wanted to a26d532726 get out 78eda51a47 of here. This guy 8098b97d1d kept digging 2150c5cf9b up memories c0b5d137bf of high 353cf7909c school, and b63a06f9de it was 9b306b6c8d seriously starting bb015cf674 to mess ea189d0dc0 with him.6f338d0d63eb2b42

Ignoring the e83bc44fa8 offered hand, 9455f201e3 Jinha stood 64dfb5a7da up by 05b7b0fc5c himself. He heard Chayoung click b9dacf122d his tongue but pretended 730265e18a not to. He turned efc1cfd1ed toward the 694879ad35 pension and d6394a7146 started walking.b9701ecf113c21cf

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That’s when 19022ae749 it hit—sharp, d69908feff burning pain 02318bc29d flared through 8d843e2770 his ankle.30587bfbe77bda8e

“Ugh.”b665fd7a5e35a848

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He took another 4ce77c9cb5 step, but the d9450f19a4 pain spread up 46a12099b7 through his foot 6d7d881a88 and ankle. Must’ve twisted it when d069600cc8 he fell.293f2fe571a019f7