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Jeno asked Renjun out on a date this evening.
Well, no, not really. Jeno did ask Renjun to go out. There is a haunted house around their neighborhood which they had gone to before. It was not a long time ago. In fact, Renjun remembers how he almost yawned at the end of the trail. Through his own uninteresting experience, Renjun was bound to decline. That was if it were not Jeno who had asked him.
Jeno, who had been his horror buddy, made it seem as if he was asking Renjun on a date. He was blushing and stuttering, which, obviously, such a Jeno thing to do. Seeing Jeno with such an attitude made Renjun’s heart flutter. Red flared his ears, while his eyes barely met Jeno’s. He nodded autonomously.
Here they are, being the first in the line to enter the infamous haunted house. From the front, there are a lot of changes Renjun can’t remember. The house was still made from woven rattan, Renjun was sure, though now it is painted with black paint. It used to be choppy and poorly decorated, even from the outside. There was no LED light above the entrance either, and now there is a flickering LED light that sent goosebump all over his body.
“Okay so, this is the same haunted house we’ve gone to, right?” Renjun asked, smiling ear to ear.
From his left, Jeno smiled warmly, “Yes! We used to laugh throughout the trail thanks to the ghosts’ make up. You were crazy bored as well!”
“I remember it like yesterday, Jeno!” Renjun giggled along, “Which led me to wonder why you brought me here again, Mr. Lee…”
“It has been the talk of the town, Renjun! Don’t you know?”
Not that Renjun is hidden away from civilization, but Renjun had no idea what the town was talking about. He has a few friends, of course. But one who is as obsessed with horror as he is, is only Jeno. There is nobody to inform him of such news aside from Jeno.
Somewhat embarrassed, Renjun sighed, “No…. Why is that?”
“They renovated it! I heard they have proper ghosts now. Proper sound effects and lightning too!”
The thought of it made Renjun shudder. Chill ran fast through his spine, “D- do you think it will be… a lot?”
Jeno frowned, “Sure hope so…”
It could be the air, or it could be the fact that Renjun was not prepared for a proper haunted house that made Renjun’s whole body stiffened. He was not expecting a ride that could possibly make him pee his pants.
Renjun jumped a little upon a hand landing on his narrow shoulder. Jeno, noticing how Renjun’s eyes darted side to side, tried to comfort him. His warmth transferred to Renjun’s cold bodies as he patted Renjun’s side.
“It’s a small haunted house, Jun. You’ll be fine.”
“Are you scared, Jeno?” The question was not being thought of well. Renjun sputtered it with no reason. He obviously knows the answer. He obviously knows Jeno is not scared. He never was.
As Renjun expected, Jeno giggled, “I’m more curious than anything, Jun. Why? You’re scared that you’re being the only one who’s scared?”
The girl in the ticket booth appeared out of the blue. Renjun swears she is a ghost since there was no logical explanation to how she got there in a blink of an eye. His whole body jumped after the sudden appearance which caused Jeno to laugh teasingly.
“Yeah, yeah. Sure. Keep laughing, you rodent.” Renjun’s face reddened, embarrassed in front of the girl and his boy friend, “One ticket for me and one ticket for this boy I just met, please.”
With an awkward smile, the girl took two tickets out of the green ticket book, “The entrance is on the right. Adventurers are prohibited to merely touch the ghosts, nor to enter any rooms. Clear?”
“Clear.” Jeno answered as he took the tickets from the girl. They both thanked the girl and proceeded to bring their feet in front of the entrance.
The door was already opened, it was covered with a wide black cloth which swayed mysteriously. Renjun gulped as Jeno stepped inside without him. If it were anyone else, he would simply leave. It was Jeno though, so Renjun followed right behind him, hiding behind Jeno’s big frame.
The house was much different than what Jeno and Renjun remembered. Neon green light illuminates the whole house, blinding their eyes instantly. The wind strokes their skins while the leaves continuously waving in the air around them. It is a narrow trail just as they remembered, but somehow it is more suffocating than once it was.
“Woah, this place is cold.” Jeno said, grabbing Renjun by the hand, “Right, Jun? Way colder than the outside.”
Without a voice, Renjun nodded in agreement, “The green light made me sick… Why did they choose a green light, for fuck’s sake. It’s trippy.”
Renjun heard a giggle. He immediately hugged Jeno’s hand clumsily, “It was me, Jun. You’re so silly for questioning that.”
His breath shortened even knowing whose voice was the giggle. They walked slowly, too slow to Renjun’s liking. He was about to asked Jeno to walk faster when–
“LEAVE!”
A shriek from the window on their left horrified both of them. Jeno promptly led Renjun to walk subtly faster. He can feel Renjun is trying to push him, perhaps wanting him to run faster. He can not, and he knows he should not. It was dark, Renjun can get hurt if they run or walk too quickly.
“Jun, it’s okay.”
Renjun felt like crying, “No, It’s not! I don’t like this! I saw the ghost!”
Unlike the ghost he saw once he was here, this ghost’s face will surely haunt him in his sleep. The dark circle around the ghost’s eyes made his red eyes pop, as if it would jump towards Renjun. He saw the ghost’s hair being a mess.
“HELP ME!”
The cry was followed by thunder and a ghost on the floor, sliding their way in. They dragged their bodies, supported by their hands, while chasing after Jeno and Renjun. They can’t help but to scream loudly, especially Renjun.
Jeno halted, almost stumbled to a stone that they could barely see. He could feel Renjun’s body shaking. At that moment, Jeno worried about Renjun. He could only stroke Renjun’s hand, hoping he could calm Renjun down. As Renjun looked behind him, the ghost was nowhere around them.
“Jeno…” Renjun whispered, “They’re gone.”
Jeno nodded for an answer. His nose scrunches, smelling something from somewhere around the stone. Jeno supposed the stone was a grave. The stink was sharp and strong, piercing through his nose. It was not a smell that should come out of a grave, no. Jeno was sure he smelled pee.
“Why does it smell like piss?” Jeno complained, “Did you pee your pants, Jun?”
“The fuck?”
For that response, Jeno understands that the reek of piss is coming from the grave, not from his boy friend. He pinches his nose so that the stink wouldn’t get through it.
“Look, Jun! The skeleton is wearing a yellow hat!” Renjun almost went colorblind by the green light, but he saw the skeleton as they walked by. The yellow hat was quite catchy given that it was worn by white bones. “I wonder if that’s your hat, Jun.”
Renjun can barely process what Jeno said, “Not every yellow thing in the world is mine, Jeno.”
They walked slower, realizing they were about to make a turn to the left. Renjun realized there is a well on the corner. He knew there would be a jumpscare coming out of it. Before he could close his eyes, a creature lunges at them. Half of his body was still in the well, while up from his waist was above it. Panic surges through Renjun’s body. He thought of how the creature could easily reach out to him. Fortunately, it was not.
“Fucking bald creature!” Renjun cried inaudibly, “Jeno… I don’t like this at all!”
They walked past the bald creature as Renjun tucked his hand tighter around Jeno’s biceps. He heard Jeno’s giggle again. Typical Jeno, Renjun Thought. Always found it entertaining when I felt scared.
On the other end, there is a wide black cloth covering their way out. Above it, the exit sign lights up, “Oh? The trail is coming to an end… unfortunately.” Renjun rolled his eyes at the way Jeno put his face in front of his’, to tease him.
“You think I was scared, huh, Jeno?” Jeno tilted his head at the question, “Ha! You’ve been fooled! I was not–
Before Renjun could finish, a ghost bound in dirty white cloth was hanging from the roof and swinging towards them. Renjun fell while pulling Jeno to the ground as well. On each of the ghost’s ends, head and feet, the cloth was tied with a piece of cloth. The ghost’s eyes were opened wide, his jaw looked like it was broken. The low shriek came out from the ghost’s mouth as if his throat was tied.
“JENO, I FUCKING LOVE YOU BUT I DON’T LIKE THIS AT ALL!” Renjun sprinted as fast as he could, leaving Jeno behind.
It must have meant nothing. If not, it must have meant in a friendly way. Either way, Renjun’s sudden confession stunned Jeno. Brutal enough that he crashed to the ghost’s hanging feet, causing the ghost to scream in pain.
Jeno’s mind drifted from the haunted house, from reality. Was that really what Renjun said? Did Renjun say he loves Jeno? Could it be that Jeno misheard what Renjun said? That instead Renjun hated him for bringing him to a haunted house?
Outside, Renjun sat on the ground while breathing heavily. Jeno couldn’t bring himself to smile, nor to get any closer to Renjun. He was scared. Not at the ghosts he saw, not at the green light that exceeds the horror experience, not at the breeze that touched his skin. He was scared of what Renjun might say after he breathed normally.
“Uh… sorry.” Renjun moved himself closer to Jeno, “I didn’t mean to leave you like that. I was so scared, Jeno! The last ghost was crazy scary!”
Jeno smiled faintly, “Yeah, beats me.”
Renjun, realizing Jeno’s mood shift, brings himself closer to Jeno, “No… Are you mad at me?”
The question left unanswered. Jeno himself couldn’t understand why he felt down after what Renjun had said. Or at least what he thought Renjun might have said. The Renjun he knew was not someone who would easily say ‘I love you’. Hearing him saying ‘I hate you’ is normal, however.
“Oh, Jeno….” Renjun hugs Jeno from the side, “I am really sorry. I didn’t mean to run without you… I understand if you can’t forgive me, though. I really am.”
No, Renjun did not mean that. Renjun could die from the fact that he made Jeno disappointed in what he did. He stayed where he was, hugging Jeno steadily. None of them speak. They sit still as they watch people running out of the haunted house in chaos.
There was someone who cried, someone who laughed. There was not a single soul that came out with a blank face like Jeno. Nobody came out with a mixed-feeling, whether the boy who went inside the haunted house with him loves him or hates him. The boy that has been the apple of his eyes, the treasure he found when he was fifteen.
“Why did you hate me, Jun?”
Renjun eyes widened, dumbfounded by the accusation, “Me? Hate? No?”
“You don’t have to explain yourself.” With pursed lips, Jeno’s head turned to Renjun, looking at him intensely, “It’s a hard pill to swallow, but I’ll live. Although I truly hope you don’t mean that. I don’t want to lose you as a friend.”
“Just what the fuck are you talking about?” Renjun’s throat felt dry. He gulped nervously, unaware of where the other got the idea from, “I didn’t hate you! Not at all! Just because I leave you alone, which I know was evil, doesn’t mean I hate you! If I hate you, I would’ve killed you and buried you under that stinky grave!”
Jeno stood up while dusting off his pants. He smiled at Renjun, “Before you leave, I heard you were saying ’Jeno, I fucking hate you!’ and embarrassingly, I thought you were saying ’Jeno, I fucking love you!’. Obviously you weren’t. Because who said that in a haunted house? It hurts me because I like, no I love–
His word was cut by a peck on his lips. It was brief, light as a feather. Yet, Jeno stopped altogether. He stood still, waiting for Renjun to speak. But Renjun didn’t say a word
Instead, he felt Renjun’s lips brushed his. This time, it was deeper, more potent than the first. The warmth surges into his body, inspiring him to catch Renjun’s body accordingly. Renjun moved his mouth messily as if he was trying to express his anger.
When Renjun stopped, he slapped Jeno’s biceps quite harshly, “Idiot. I did say I fucking love you. I did say it in a haunted house. So what?”
Jeno can’t help it but to smile and reach for Renjun’s lips once more. The kiss was weighty. He meant every subtle move of it. His heart knocked his chest loudly every time their lips crashed to one another. Perhaps Renjun’s lips didn’t taste of anything, but Jeno sure can taste the sweetness of their messy kisses.
“So you did confess to me, huh?” His thumb caressed Renjun’s cheek, warming him up.
Renjun rolled his eyes, “You asked me out first, duh!”
Behind them, people are still running out in chaos, screaming their lungs out. Jeno pulled Renjun in a hug, watching as the people ran past them.
“We should go to another haunted house! It was fun.”
Renjun shakes his head frantically, “Fun my ass! I would never go into a serious haunted house again.”
Jeno frowned, “Not even with me?”
“Especially with you!”
Jeno giggled to Renjun’s angry face. He leaves kisses all over his friend, perhaps boyfriend (not like he knew how to ask Renjun…)’s face. Renjun giggled along and tried to fight his friend, perhaps boyfriend (Renjun couldn’t ask Jeno about it…).
Their heart’s loud with fireworks, still feeling high from the kisses and the unexpectedly happy ending for their night’s out. Comfortably, conveniently, they end the night in each other’s arms. Harmonizing each heart beats within the close embrace.