Chapter Text
PART ONE. THE AWAKENING.
Baekjin
Na Baekjin slowly wakes up. The white neon lights on the ceiling are flickering, making him squint his eyes in distress. He tries to lift his head, but his whole body feels sore and heavy. What the hell is happening?
Putting all his weight on his arms, Baekjin is able to at least sit down. Breathing is still hard and his head is spinning, he’s so confused, as if he has been drugged.
Wait.
He could have been drugged, for all he knows.
He finally stands up and looks around. He’s alone in an old classroom. Dusty chairs and desks are chaotically piled up here and there. But he doesn’t recognize this place, it’s not his school.
He looks down on himself, he is still wearing his black jacket and jeans he had put on for his Union meeting in the bowling alley. Was this some kind of prank from them?
Before leaving the room, Baekjin looks around again, to make sure he’s alone. He checks himself, finding his phone in his pocket.
He will call Seongje and tell him this is exactly the opposite of what he meant when he said he should take things more seriously. Except… there is no signal on his phone.
And all of his notes, sheets, and math exercise apps have been wiped out. The only thing left is an application he had never seen before and he definitely did not download. The logo is just a fancy white “K” with a crown on a bloodred background. Strange. Ominus.
He is going to kill the Union guys, he thinks, while opening the door and stepping into the school corridor.
Seongje
When Seongje gets up, his first thought is finding his boyfriend Juntae. He wakes up in a science lab, with sore muscles and numb legs. Groaning, he shoves his hand in his windbreaker’s pocket to pick a cigarette, hoping it’ll help him reduce the pounding headache that is sending him nuts, but he can’t find any.
Geum Seongje is not a patient man, so he closes his eyes, inhales all his frustration until his lungs are full and finally he lets go, grumbling.
This won’t do.
He doesn't even look around that much, but reaches towards the door, kicking any chairs that stand on his path.
If he doesn’t find Juntae and a pack of cigarettes soon, the chairs won’t be the only thing he kicks.
Seongje’s steps are slow and steady, but his mind is working fast. He doesn’t recognise this place. It’s obviously a school but there is something wrong with it — everything is out of place, there’s dust and trash everywhere, some windows are cracked, but he still can't really see what's outside, since everything is ominously dark. Blinds? He thinks. Weird.
He hopes Juntae is safe. He needs him to be safe. Seongje is sure as hell they were home together, cuddling half asleep on Juntae’s sofa, so how the fuck did he end up alone here?
He opens every door he finds, looks inside the room and, less and less patient, shuts the door again. Juntae is not here. No one is here but him. Seongje is tense, he keeps clenching his fists until his nails dig deep into his palm. He’s so used to pain that he doesn’t even care. All he thinks about is Juntae, as he walks through the corridors like a lunatic.
He’s starting to lose it when he finally reaches an anti-panic door. He opens it and finds himself in a big gym, illuminated by dim lights. There are a couple of dumbbells, barbells and a few punching bags. At the centre of the room, there is a box ring.
There is a bit of commotion, he can recognise those idiots Gotak and Baku, who are covering his visual from the rest of the group. He lets his eyes wander around the room — Eunjangs are there but he can’t see Juntae. Fuck. He sees faces he doesn’t recognize but he can clearly spot Na Baekjin, sitting on the ring by himself, like a king on his throne, legs crossed and a grim look in his eyes.
“Having a party without even inviting me? How inelegant.” He provokes, his gaze locked into Baekjin’s.
“Geum Seongje.”
Seongje sneers after hearing someone calling his name.
“Hi, newbie,” he says even before turning his head back to the centre of the room.
Suho, Sieun and Beomseok
When Sieun opens his eyes, he is greeted by a sleeping Suho — nothing out of the norm, except that they are in their old classroom at Byuksan High, and he hadn't stepped here since... well, since he almost committed first degree murder. A horrible chill crosses through his body with the flashbacks that this place brought.
He sits up, vision so blurry he can barely make-out Suho's red windbreaker, and his body is heavy like lead. The feeling of dejá-vu creeps up on him.
This sensation is exactly what he felt when he was drugged.
He frantically looks around, touching the area around his neck, almost expecting to see Youngbin laughing at him.
But what he sees instead catches him by surprise.
Beomseok’s pale body is laying still in front of him, mouth agape as if the floor was the most comfortable place to sleep in.
There was no room for doubt now, he had definitely been drugged. He’s confused and can’t focus at all. His senses are completely useless. Beomseok can’t be here, he… He shouldn’t be here.
Stumbling, he tries to reach Suho and wake him up.
“Suho-ya,” he shakes his boyfriend’s shoulder. When Suho doesn’t wake up, Sieun panics.
“Suho-ya! Suho-ya! Wake up! Suho. Damn it, Suho-ya! Ahn Suho!” His voice starts breaking, his hands trembling as Suho shows no signs of waking up. “I told you to open your eyes! Yah! Don’t you dare do this to me again! Suho!”
Tears start filling Sieun’s eyes, his heart is aching, each beat punching the air out of his lungs. He feels like dying, an old trauma clouding his thoughts, as he keeps shaking Suho’s body more violently.
He doesn’t even realise that Beomseok is standing up and approaching him.
“Yeon Sieun…”
Hearing that familiar voice, Sieun snaps. He turns to Beomseok, with eyes full of grief and hatred, his hands still on Suho, as he moves to cover him up, shielding him from a menace. A monster.
“Stay away from him. Don’t come any closer or I’ll seriously kill you.”
“I won’t do anything, I–” Beomseok stops and nods. He knows Sieun isn’t joking, so he decides to step back, for the time being. There are so many things he needs to tell them…
There’s the sound of rustling clothes, but it’s only Suho’s wail that breaks the tension between the two of them.
“Sieun-ah, where are we?” Suho asks, groggy.
Sieun can finally breathe again, he wipes his eyes with the back of his hand and inspects Suho’s body for any injuries and, when he’s sure Suho’s fine, he helps him get on his feet.
“I don’t know, Suho-ya. Let’s get out of here.”
Ahn Suho looks around, confused but curious, when his eyes finally land on Beomseok. He clenches his jaw and turns to Sieun. They don’t talk out loud, but it’s pretty obvious to Beomseok what is happening between them. They are debating about him.
“Fuck you, Beomseok.” Suho finally states, rage bearably contained in his voice, before dragging Sieun outside of the room.
Baku, Gotak, Hyoman and Wooyoung
Baku had only been sick once in his life, and it was a small flu he caught the week after his mom died. He never felt feverish, or had a stuffy nose, or felt anything less than 100% healthy after that.
So it is weird that he can’t move himself properly now. Did someone dare him to drink more than he could handle?
Nah. There is nothing he can’t handle.
He is probably still dreaming, that’s why Hyuntak is lying right next to him. Maybe since he is lucid enough, he can make Baekjin appear on his other side. Both of his desires being within arm’s length, it didn’t matter if it was only an image conjured by his subconscious, he was going to make the most out of it before reality kicks in.
So he looks to his left, smile half-formed as he can practically see Baekjin and—
“WHAT THE FUCK!”
Why the hell was Hyoman’s stupid ugly face basically drooling on him like a fucking Bernese Mountain dog?
He has never gotten up so fast. His world spinning before he is able to ground himself as he holds onto something soft. As his vision focuses, he realizes the something he is grabbing is actually a tiny guy’s chest and shoulder. Humin can swear he had never seen this guy before, but the other one looks ready to punch him.
“I’m sorry man, I was just tripping. I- Wow I have this fucking splitting headache. Let’s keep it cool, alright? No need to be this defensive.”
Putting his fists down, the other boy sighs irritated. “You aren’t the only one with a migraine. Who are you? And what are we doing here?”
“Uhm, yes. Well, I don’t know if I have an answer for your last question, but my name is Park Humin, maybe you’ve heard about me as Baku from Eunjang High. No? Okay, I’m not that petty, you know. Maybe you are from a different district. It’s kind of impossible not to know my name. But back to our business! That cute guy with a blue hoodie is my friend Gotak and that shithead over there is Hyoman. I’m sorry I didn’t get your name.”
“Kang Wooyoung, dickhead.”
Humin is ready to throw a tantrum, because why is this guy calling him a dickhead when they had just met? Not even Baekjin with his limited amount of patience is ever this rude. That’s also why he likes him. Always so soft-spoken with his words, even if they are deadly. He is losing the plot, he realises he needs to focus on the actual dickhead standing in front of him and teach him good manners.
Humin barely has his mouth open when Hyuntak suddenly tackles him from behind. “Shut up, Baku, you’re being noisy as fuck.” He nods in acknowledgement at the new kid and looks around wearily. “Let’s wake that idiot and get the fuck out. This place is giving me the creeps.”
“Yeah, about that. What is this place?” Humin asks, poking Hyoman’s arm with his foot. “Yah, Hyoman, get up or we’ll leave you here!”
“I think this is a school but… it looks like it’s abandoned. Look at all this dust. It’s a mess.”
Humin tries to think of any abandoned schools close to Eunjang, but his mind draws blank. Surely there are a couple spread out throughout Seoul, but he hasn’t heard of any to understand why they would be here.
“I think I heard something coming from outside, let’s go and check.” Wooyoung says, interrupting them.
Baku and Gotak look at each other, then at Hyoman, who is now sitting and rubbing his eyes, yawning loudly. Then Humin shrugs and the two of them follow Wooyoung out of the classroom. Hyoman, still half-asleep, has to rush to stand up and go after them, shouting to try and get their attention.
Youngbin, Seokdae, Juntae
Juntae gasps awake, as if waking up in the middle of a nightmare. He doesn’t recognize his surroundings, but — to be fair — his world is all but a blurred mess that doesn’t seem to get better despite him strongly blinking thrice. As his hands reach to rub his eyes, he realizes: he has no glasses on.
Well, that explains at least why he can’t seem to see anything.
He reaches around in the ground beside him, hopelessly trying to look for glasses. He doesn’t even notice that he isn’t alone in the room, until someone appears in front of him, crouching to meet his eyes.
“Ehy nerd, looking for something?” with a sly smile this person — someone that Juntae doesn’t recognize — is mockingly swinging a pair of glasses right in his face. At first Juntae tries to reach for them, but the other boy pulls his arm back, laughing like a hyena.
Seo Juntae is unfortunately used to this kind of joke that every bully always seems to enjoy, so he just sighs, annoyed, but without losing his cool.
“You think you’re funny, right? What a loser.” Dating THE Geum Seongje has its perks and Juntae has slowly learned how to not be scared of bullies. He knows how to stand up for himself, and even be a little mean if necessary. “Give me back my glasses while I’m still asking nicely, okay?” He bluffs.
The other takes a moment to understand what Juntae has just said and when he’s ready to bark again, a low voice calls him from the back of the classroom.
“Youngbin-ah. Shut the hell up.”
Juntae turns his head and observes the new presence, as the man calmly gets up from his chair and walks towards the window. He tries to look outside and shakes his head. This man is huge and probably much older than him, but somehow Juntae thinks that this Youngbin is way more of a pain in the ass than the big giant over there. At least, he thinks, he looks like someone you could talk to.
“Uhm. Hi? I’m Seo Juntae. Who are you?”
“I’m Jeon Seokdae and this fucker is Jeon Youngbin.” the big man says. “This place seems awfully familiar…”
“It’s Byuksan, hyung. My school,” the one called Youngbin replies. “Though it looks shittier than usual. But I recognise the crest on the wall over there.” He points to a small crest over the blackboard.
Juntae can’t really see well right now, so he squints his eyes trying to focus, but it’s too dusty and dark.
He thinks about what the boy had just said, Byuksan High. Wait a moment. Juntae knows this name. Where did he — oh. The epiphany comes really fast as he looks around. Sieun’s old school. Why are they here? And why is everything so messy and scattered?
Seokdae snorts, “I’m leaving.” But before reaching towards the door he turns around and says, “Give the kid his glasses back, dipshit.”
Youngbin shoves his glasses in Juntae’s hands, and when he puts them back on it everything looks decisively less blurry, despite there being some finger prints on his lenses.
He huffs, annoyed at the guy’s antics, so similar to stupid Hyoman and his lackeys. When he takes notice again, he sees both guys already out of the room. Juntae decides to tag along, not because he trusts them but because he feels that being alone in this place is not a good idea. Something creepy is hovering in the air and he’s not going to stand there waiting for a godsend.
While walking out of the room, he looks for his phone in his pocket. He needs to call Seongje, he doesn’t want him to worry too much — who knows for how long he’s been unconscious — but his phone is… different. His applications are all gone, his boyfriend and some of his friends’ numbers are there but they are strangely saved under their full names instead of being accompanied by the emojis he had carefully chosen for each of them. Which is weird. Moreso, there is no signal so he can’t even call or text them.
On the top of his homescreen, he notices a new app — the only app sitting in his homescreen, simply called “K”. He tries to click on it but it won’t open. So he tries to delete it, but again, nothing happens.
“I’m not up for this bullshit,” he murmurs, shoving his phone back in his jeans jacket and walking behind his two new companions.
PART TWO. THE GATHERING.
Sieun and Suho go through the hallways that look eerily similar to their old high school — though Suho can spot a couple of differences since that place was like his home. Not anything drastic, just the shading of the lights and the sound of his shoes against the floor. It all just felt… off.
The fact that there didn’t seem to be anyone else with them made the creepy feeling all the more present.
“Why are we here?” Sieun asks. “I have a bad feeling, Suho. Maybe we should check around before going home.”
Suho nods, passing his finger on a table, thrown out in the corridor. When he looks at it, a veil of thick dust is laying on it.
“Do you know something about this, Oh Beomseok?” Suho’s voice is harsh, his gaze focused on his hand, while he scatters the dust with another finger.
“I swear I don’t know anything!” Beomseok whines pathetically. “Can we talk for a minute?” He tries to get their attention, but neither of the two make any move to even look back at him as he tails them.
“Should we head to the cafeteria?” Suho asks, completely ignoring the other one. In the meantime, Sieun hums in agreement, his mind focused, busy opening and closing every room they pass by, meticulously analyzing every detail and probably cataloguing it in his mind for later use, maybe to get back at whoever brought them there. His smart boy. Suho chuckles proudly.
Sieun stops at the opening of the door of class 3-B and turns to face him. “There are spiderwebs everywhere, there won’t be anything edible there.”
“Maybe they have some canned tuna or something,” he replies, shrugging his shoulders.
Sieun sighs, “I can’t believe you are hungry at a time like this.”
“C’mon! You know it was my favorite place.” He gave him his best pity eyes, and he knows that he is not that good at playing doe-eyes, so his chest always flutters when Sieun surrenders anyways.
“Well, it is on the way to the exit, and there isn’t much in here anyways…” Sieun says, tone almost disappointed as he couldn’t find whatever he was searching for.
“Let’s get going then!” He says excitedly, putting his arm over Sieun’s shoulders as they go down the stairs towards the cafeteria.
Once they get there, the door just opened, Suho abruptly stops, not being able to move a muscle as his heart falls. His ears ring, and goosebumps travel across his skin as his eyes dart around what looks exactly like the place that put him in a coma and nothing like his old, cherished cafeteria. His head suddenly aches and his knees buckle, sending him straight to the ground though he doesn’t feel the impact. Maybe his limbs are just as disconnected from him as his mind is, and that’s why he doesn’t feel anything except the world turning around in a loop of memories and emotions that makes him want to throw up. He thinks he did.
A ‘Suho, please!’ is the only thing he can make out, and when he opens his eyes — when did he even close them in the first place? — he is greeted by the blurry but recognizable faces of Sieun’s new friends and the horrible stench of his last meal.
Park Humin is holding him up in a sitting position while Hyuntak is fanning him and drying his sweat.
Sieun is sitting on his other side, eyes big with worry and unshed tears, both hands on his own but so distant at the same time.
“Yah, what’s wrong? Can you hear us?” Gotak asks him, worried but angry at the same time.
Suho tries to nod, but flinches as his head hurts like it’s being split open.
“Shh– breathe. It’s okay you are safe now it’s not — it’s not the same place.” Sieun says, wiping away the tears that are falling. Suho’s tears.
The touch sobers him a bit, as the events that just transpired click in his mind. They were in their old school and were going to the cafeteria, it’s not the same place. Just like he somehow feels that the school isn’t his school.
That doesn’t make the memories of what happened here any less painful as they keep digging in his skull.
He takes a big breath as he was instructed, eyes suddenly falling into someone he doesn’t know who looks as disgusted as he was when he saw Beomseok’s face.
“Can’t this guy hold his own intestines? Didn’t even take a hit and he’s already throwing up?”
With that, all the other three guys around him look at the idiot who has just spoken. They must look pretty terrifying because his facade instantly drops and he tears his gaze away, trying awfully hard to make himself look innocent and failing at even looking meek.
“Who’s that?”
“Hyoman, the bastard that used to steal phones.”
Ah. He remembers that story, Sieun filling him in on how he met Juntae, and Juntae telling him how Sieun literally changed the trajectory of his life with one sentence. It was cute how much he liked Sieun and he couldn’t be more proud that his boyfriend was able to make real friendships. Friends that were actually nice and kind and didn’t want to betray him or put him in a coma. Like someone they know did.
He nods his head, standing up with the help of both Baku and Gotak by his side.
“Are you feeling better?” Sieun asks worriedly, moving his fringe with shaky fingers.
Before he could reply, he hears a familiar voice booming through the gym.
“Having a party without even inviting me? How inelegant.”
“Geum Seongje.” He hears Sieun say while staring at someone behind him.
“Hi, newbie.”
Seongje walks towards them, hands in his pockets, annoyed look printed on his face. “Where is Jun?” And it is more a threat than a question. But no one has the answer. “These motherfuckers. You all gather together and don’t even bother to look for your friend? Could you be any more selfish?”
Gotak snaps, going straight for Seongje’s face, fist ready to hit, but Humin immediately stops him. Hyuntak glares at him like a rabid dog.
“Not now, Gogo, he’s right. If we are all here that means that probably Juntae is somewhere close too, we must find him.”
“Oh, Eunjang’s stupid king is saying something right for once.” Seongje replies back, mockingly.
The tension in the room is rising second after second, as the boys look at each other askance.
“If you are done with your… stupid cock-measuring contest, can we find this kid and a way out?” Seongje looks at the one who has just spoken. He hadn’t noticed him before, since he was sitting far away from everyone, in the dark, but he thinks he kind of recognises him. As he watches him closely, he remembers. Kang Wooyoung, the boxer who used to make livestreams of his fights. Oh, another interesting fellow.
Seongje is not the only one to see him.
“What the fuck are you doing here?” Suho shouts. It’s not like Suho to lose his cool and scream like this, but his nerves are still wreaking, his hands still trembling. He thinks he is okay. He thinks he is stronger than this. Turns out he isn’t. And this realization makes him ashamed, weak, and vulnerable.
But Sieun is by his side this time, he protected him once, breaking Wooyoung’s foot. He can do it again, he knows he can. So, as Sieun softly but decisively pats his shoulder and back, Ahn Suho is able to get hold of himself.
“I have no fucking idea, idiot. I guess we’ve all been called here without an explanation.” The boxer replies, calm and unbothered.
Now it’s Baku’s turn to take the floor and avoid other kinds of hysterism. “Guys, I know we are confused, we don’t know where we are or why we are here, and Juntae is gone. So I’ll say that now we need to take a deep breath and go looking for him, are we cool?”
Baekjin scoffs, irritated. This fucking boaster, trying to take the lead as usual. Baku warns him with his eyes. He needs to find his friend and he doesn’t have time for this kind of bullshit.
Meanwhile, Geum Seongje has already reached for the door, his hand on top of the handle, when the door opens from the outside.
Seokdae and Youngbin emerge from the dark corridor and join the others in the cafeteria. Behind them, Juntae peeks out curious.
“Seongje!” he squeals surprised, throwing himself into his boyfriend’s arms.
“Where have you been, Jun?”
“Jjun!”
“Seo Juntae, you took your time!”
In a second all of his friends are surrounding him, trying to understand if the little nerd is okay, but Seongje is still holding him and doesn’t look like he’s going to let him go soon. No, he covers Juntae’s body and shields him from everyone’s view. Juntae is mine and mine only is the message the Wolf of Ganghak is sending.
Fortunately, the message is loud and clear enough that some of the boys don’t even move to approach them.
Suho, Sieun — and even Beomseok — stay where they are, choosing not to join the merry gathering. All of their eyes focused solely on Seokdae and Youngbin.
How many more traumatic surprises are waiting for them? Sieun wonders, searching for Suho’s hand and making sure his grip on it is firm and reassuring. But Suho’s mind is working at the speed of light, his confusion promptly switching to rage and pain.
Though he isn’t able to dwell on it enough, because as soon as the tall man he hadn’t heard about since waking up from his coma, and his motherfucking little cousin came through the door, a voice echoes inside the room. As if coordinated, their phones start buzzing and a red light appears on their screens, with a big warning sign. After the warning signs faded, a message appeared in bloody red color. It said:
You have entered the King’s Game
Here are the rules you have to follow:
You must obey the King’s commands. Refusal will be met with a penalty.
Talking to the outside is strictly forbidden.
At the end of each day you must vote for who you think is the king. Refraining from voting will result in penalties.
PART THREE. THE RULES.
King’s Game [3:33 PM]
This is the game’s chatroom. We remind you that talking to the outside is strictly forbidden.
Do you agree to play the game?
Choi Hyoman [3:34 PM]
LET’S FUCKING GOOO
Geum Seongje [3:34 PM] COME AT ME!
Ahn Suho [3:35 PM]
hell, whatever man
Yeon Sieun [3:36 PM]
since we’re all here…
Seo Juntae [3:36 PM]
i’d rather not but if everyone agrees then okay
Na Baekjin [3:37 PM]
Ok.
Park Humin [3:37 PM]
might be fun??
Go Hyuntak [3:37 PM]
ok!!
Oh Beomseok [3:39 PM]
if suho is joining i’ll do it
Kang Wooyoung [3:40 PM]
why not
Jeon Youngbin [3:41 PM]
I’ll get my revenge!!
Jeon Seokdae [3:43 PM]
someone needs to keep an eye on these kids
PART FOUR. THE FIRST GAME.
Juntae looks over the first order and relaxes his shoulders. He reads it out loud.
“Baekjin must make out with one person between Gotak, Beomseok or Seokdae. The person who’s going to be kissed must be chosen by democratic votes, so get ready to set your votes on your app.
Failing to do so means that Baekjin and the other three will be punished with a 30 minutes long plank.
“Okay guys, what do we do?”
“I can do planks,” Hyuntak says as he shrugs his shoulders, not even letting Juntae finish his question.
“Where is the fun in that, though?” Humin replies, grinning.
“Are you insane or what? I'm not kissing him!”
For a moment, Gotak's gaze meets Baekjin’s, looking for some kind of help. But the other just seems as uninterested as ever, so he glares back at Humin, who is still having the time of his life. “Fuck you, Baku.” he mumbles.
“Beom, you are not kissing this Na Baekjin.” Wooyoung blasts. Surprise colors Sieun and Suho’s faces as a hint of jealousy taints the boxer’s eyes. The guy then turns to the others with a fake smile, more threatening than joking. “So be careful who you vote for.” Then he laughed it off, and wrapped his arm around Beomseok’s shoulder, smirking.
Sieun shakes his head, completely weirded out by the actions, while setting his vote. “Let’s just get this over, okay?”
In a few seconds everyone does the same.
Their phones buzz again and a loud cheering tone announces the result.
Baekjin has to kiss Gotak!
“Are you crazy? Did you vote for me just because I said I wouldn’t kiss him, you idiots?”
“I had no intention to vote for Beomseokie,” says Wooyoung, shrugging and rubbing his nose with a malicious smirk.
“Beomseokie? Do you hear this Sieun?” Suho bawls, wide eyed with both surprise and disgust. What in the hell happened those two years he was in a coma? Are they together? Ew. He feels like he is going to puke again.
“I wish I didn't, Suho. I really wish I didn’t,” Sieun answers, shaking his head, “go ahead then, and make it quick. This is so stupid...” He adds, pointing at Baekjin and Gotak.
“Hell no! I don’t want to kiss this motherfucking psychopath,” Gotak insists, his head jerking in frantic disagreement. “Let’s just do the plank instead, it’s good for our abs after all.” He’s almost in position, when Humin’s arm stops him.
“What? Baku, did you really vote for this? I’m going to break your fucking face.”
Baku looks meek, almost ashamed, but under that facade there’s a cheeky smile that he is not able to hide completely.
“Just kiss already! I want to see what happens next!” Hyoman interrupts, a stupid grin painted on his donkey face. Hyuntak snaps, nerves already tense, and prepares to punch him hard.
He has already raised his arm and clenched his fist, when someone blocks him mid-air. Baekjin's pale hand is tightening around his wrist and his eyes, indecipherable as always, are watching him carefully.
"Go Hyuntak. Let's just do this." Then, he pulls Gotak closer and, with a swift movement, traps him with a hand on his waist. As Hyuntak opens his mouth to protest, Baekjin locks his lips onto his.
Baekjin's lips feel weirdly soft, way more enticing than he thought, and Gotak's mind surprisingly eases for a moment, almost forgetting about the game and the fact that his friends and some random people are watching.
Wait.
Baku is watching.
And Baku had probably voted for this to happen. That fucker. Hyuntak lets his gaze wander until it lands on his best friend, who's standing there, crossed arms, puzzled expression on his pretty face. Okay, he thinks. If it's a show he wants, then a show he'll get.
Without breaking eye contact with Humin, Gotak deepens the kiss, one hand grabbing Baekjin's neck, the other making its way down from his back to his firm ass. He moans subtly, and Baekjin uses the opening to slide his tongue in. It's all an act, a performance after all. The reaction on Baku's face is priceless, as he goes wide-eyed and his jaw slacks, so Hyuntak, satisfied, closes his eyes and finally enjoys the kiss.
Baekjin is kissing him carefully, a bit roughly yes, but he must admit, it's very exciting.
It takes them a while to register the alarm ringing in the background, too caught up in the moment, and when they part, unspoken emotions still linger between them.
“There, now that wasn’t so hard, was it?”
It wasn’t really, it was — good, in fact. Hyuntak stumbles on his feet as he walks away from his life-long rival. A rival, an enemy, who had made him feel too good for his own sanity.
PART FIVE. AFTERMATH OF THE FIRST GAME.
“Oh, wow. That was… intense” Baku states, looking around for approval from his friends, but the only one who actually nods is Juntae, encouraging him with two thumbs up. The smaller one seems a bit fascinated by what he just saw, eyes sparkling and ears red — Seongje even teases him by squeezing one of his rosy cheeks.
Baku smiles back, and he is still smiling when Gotak hastily reaches him, grabbing his head between his hands and vehemently bumping his own forehead against his.
“Ah! What was that for, Gogo?!” he whines, rubbing where he has been hit.
“You know why, you fucking deserve it.” They stare at each other, mixed emotions crossing both their faces.
Humin turns to Baekjin and his heart skips a bit seeing him a little bit flustered, the tips of his ears burning red. His delicate hand is modestly covering his mouth and his thousand-mile stare convinces Baku that that kiss actually meant something. He suddenly feels his guts churn with jealousy.
“How many games do you all think we will need to play?” Seokdae asks abruptly, as his patience is reaching its limits.
“It’s getting late, isn’t it? Shouldn't we be heading home soon?” Juntae ponders instead of responding.
“C’mon, where is your fun spirit, guys?” Baku replies, with a big smile again on his face as Seongje gives him a high-five. This new alliance feels dangerous and yet endearing, especially in Juntae’s eyes.
Sieun can’t bring himself to share the same feelings, he still feels anxious about being in his old school, with the people that hurt him and Suho on top of that. Anxious, suspicious and disturbed.
Maybe they shouldn’t play any games and just go home. He tries to say it to Suho — who is still pale from everything that happened before — but his boyfriend seems to be distracted by whatever idiocy Humin and Seongje are spewing.
He could just wait it out but there’s something so weird about everything that happened today that if he doesn’t leave now, he might actually just kill someone.
Preferably Youngbin. That wouldn’t be so wrong now would it?
Instead, he tries to calm himself down and looks at the person standing beside him. “Want to take a look around and search for a way out?”
Beomseok seems surprised to be spoken to, but quickly nods. He did know this school just as well as Sieun — and Sieun wasn’t about to ask Youngbin of all people to locate an exit with him.
So, Beomseok and him quietly leave the room, and take another look at their old school. While walking, Sieun is quiet and doesn’t indulge in small talks, but Beomseok doesn’t feel the same way, being all jittery, asking how they had been, how was Youngi, how has stuff been going. He does not once mention Wooyoung, Sieun notices.
Sieun really, really wants to punch him. Not because he doesn’t understand his love story — although he is curious — but, because after years, hearing Beomseok talking to him like that makes it seem like nothing had changed. Like they were still friends. Like he didn’t kick Suho in the head countless times. Like he didn’t try to actually kill him.
Sieun should focus on the present, because, somehow, they have bigger problems at hand. Yes, bigger problems than all the trauma inflicted by insecurities, all those unspoken words between them and all of the feelings threatening to spill over, threatening to make him go berserk. Again.
As soon as he tries to open the main exit door, in fact, this stays still. He inhales and jerks it again, with all of his force this time, but the door doesn’t even budge.
“Like, I know I haven’t been the bestest of friends and I know that you don’t need to forgive me for what I’ve done, but I’ve actually done a lot of self reflection and I even started therapy, and I’m really not asking about Youngi because I hate her and want her to die, trust me just this once, okay Sieun-ah? It’s just so good to be here with you guys that… I’m sorry, I just don’t—”
Sieun interrupts him and his seemingly never-ending flux of consciousness. “We are locked in here.”
“ —what?”
“We are locked in, let’s check the other doors.” Beomseok can feel the tension in his former best friend’s voice and keeps quiet again.
They check every door and window that could lead them outdoors, only to find them all locked. The windows have unmovable black-out blinds, or something really similar to that, which completely isolates them from the outside. Sieun tries crashing one of the windows with a chair, and although he can hear some cracking sounds, that for a moment gives him a little hope, but the window doesn’t break through after his three attempts. Are they fake? Or is he just weaker than he thought? Sieun racks his brain for another solution, still obstinate and stubborn as hell, and tries firstly to work the lock with a paper clip, and then to rely on brute force as he bumps his shoulder into the door, to no avail.
“It’s not like we are locked in here forever, right, Sieun? … Right? There’s definitely an exit we are missing. Wait, what if this is actually an escape room simulation but, like, on hard mode? Is it because you’re playing? Uhm, now that I think about it, you are the only one who actually knows all of us here, there must be a connection or something! Uhm — but that’s not the point! What if instead of finding clues we have to play those games to go out? But even if we go out, do you have any idea of where we possibly might be? Are we still in Seoul? I have this really bad feeling that we are not in the city!”
Sieun tries peeking outside the blinds, but there’s really nothing he can see, and each question from Beomseok — which granted, was already a question Sieun had thought of — comes back without an answer in his brain. And this only makes him more frustrated and scared. His breathing picks up and his eyes start darting through all the objects around them: ceiling, lights, doors, chairs, lockers. Nothing seems to hold an answer.
His panic is bubbling up hurriedly, squeezing at his lungs and almost choking him, when the sound of a notification paired with the vibration of his phone grounds him.
Seo Juntae [4:36 PM]
Sieun-ah were are you??
Yeon Sieun [4:37 PM]
Went with Beomseok to look for a way out
Ahn Suho [4:37 PM]
sieun-ah, come back here.
now.
Yeon Sieun [4:38 PM]
It’s okay, Suho. I asked him
Also, we are on our way back
Park Humin [4:40 PM]
Found anything??
Oh Beomseok [4:41 PM]
we’re stuck here guys
Yeon Sieun [4:42 PM]
Doors and windows that are supposed to lead us outside are all shut.
I don’t see a way out.
King’s Game [4:43 PM]
You must complete the games to gain freedom. Simple 🙂
Kang Wooyoung [4:44 PM]
How many games do we need to play??
Na Baekjin [4:45 PM]
Will it take much longer? I have business to attend to.
Choi Hyoman [4:46 PM]
well, the games look fun right? maybe they’ll let us play till morning!! let’s just enjoy it!
Geum Seongje [4:46 PM]
just say you want to get your lips wet too and go
Go Hyuntak [4:46 PM]
hyoman stfu or i’ll kick your ass
There was no typing indicator that they were going to get any of the answers asked. Sieun’s paranoia keeps growing, and when his phone rings again, he sees a message that only keeps festering this feeling.
King’s Game [4:50 PM]
Players, gather together in the cafeteria. New games are waiting for you!
PART SIX. THE SECOND GAME.
Sieun and Beomseok are back when they all receive another notification. All of them curiously look at their cellphone, which is glowing with the next task given. This time the dare is directed to Juntae.
“Oh hell no!” Geum Seongje says, loud and clear to everyone in the room. Not that anyone was expecting a different reaction. Not when the words written for the dare are: Juntae must sit on each of the participants' lap, one at a time, and correctly guess who it is based on the feel only. Failing to do so means drinking water for everyone won’t be distributed until tomorrow evening.
“I’m going to see if there is running water in the bathrooms, we can drink that for the next few hours.” Seongje points to Beomseok and Wooyoung and orders “You two, go check that way and report it to the group chat. Are we clear?” Then, before even waiting for their reply, he takes Juntae’s hand and drags him away.
“He’s right, go and see if you find anything useful.” Seokdae adds with a plain tone, as if he’s not interested and it’s not his business either.
As they went, the group chat made by the whoever the fuck was responsible for this game starts flooding with messages once more.
Jeon Youngbin [5:12 PM]
found something?
Geum Seongje [5:14 PM]
damn relax we’ve been away for 5 minutes
Choi Hyoman [5:16 PM]
is there food??? Look for food too!
Ahn Suho [5:16 PM]
yeah, don’t forget the food!
Seo Juntae [5:20 PM]
we’re in the first bathroom but… unfortunately no running water guys…
Oh Beomseok [5:21 PM]
no water here either, going to check another floor
Geum Seongje [5:22 PM]
shit no water here too, how many bathrooms does this fucking school has?
Ahn Suho [5:22 PM]
2 per floor +1 for teachers on the ground floor
Kang Wooyoung [5:22 PM]
that sucks, aideul-ah, we check every one of them and no water.
Jeon Youngbin [5:25 PM]
why are we even doing this? let’s just make the nerd play who fucking cares
Geum Seongje [5:25 PM]
careful dipshit, ur lucky i’m not there to punch you
Yeon Sieun [5:27 PM]
Guys, in the meantime we looked for food. There is a fridge here and it seems it’s working but it’s empty
King’s Game [5:30 PM]
Food and drinks, as well as running water, will be provided, as long as you play the games.
Fuck. It looks like they are going to have to play. Seongje hates whoever is behind this. He keeps cursing as he makes his way back, ignoring the messages of fake support. No one is more devastated than him, his lamb shouldn’t need to come into contact with anyone’s dirty and stinking laps. He really wants to punch something, preferably whoever is behind the King’s Game. Or that fucking Youngbin guy.
Ahn Suho [5:35 PM]
ah. come back then, guess we’re playing.
Go Hyuntak [5:35 PM]
I’m sorry Jjun
Park Humin [5:36 PM]
let’s make it quick then!
Seongje is fuming, but he can’t avoid it, they are all tense like this, without water the situation would only get worse, so he reluctantly accepts seeing his little lamb sitting on these fuckers’ laps. He shakes his head, as he tears a piece of his sleeve to create a blindfold for Juntae.
He gets close to his boyfriend, gently cups his cute face in his hands and kisses him softly, “I’m sorry, puppy.”
“That’s okay, Hyung. It’s just a game, and it won’t take much, I promise”
“Mmm. Can you see? Are you comfortable?” he says, while tying the fabric around Juntae’s head.
“I can’t see and yes the blindfold is alright, thank you,” Juntae feels Seongje’s fingers caressing his cheek and he leans his head towards them.
“We are playing a fucking game, you are not sending your little boyfriend to war.” Suho suddenly interrupts their sweet moment. Seongje glares at him, clicking his tongue, annoyed.
Then, he decides to cheat a bit, and picks the order that Juntae is going to follow to make it as quick as possible. So he starts with his friends, the big guy and then, lastly, the ones they never saw before. Seongje himself will be the last, as he’ll help Juntae sitting on everyone’s laps without making him trip. The thought still haunts him, as he gestures to everyone to get in position.
Just like that, Juntae sits on Sieun first and then on Gotak’s lap. Okay, easy. He recognises them almost instantly.
He can rely on his sense of smell, he realises, when getting close to Sieun and inhaling his usual white musk scented cologne. It feels comforting being on his lap, he never thought he’d get to do something like that to the Ice Princess so he gets a little giddy, and Sieun seems to take notice of that as he huffs. Nevertheless, he gives Juntae a half-hug and Juntae can't be more elated from the initiative. Maybe he should sit on Sieun’s lap more often…
Gotak is his best friend and they are very touchy with each other — Seongje would kill them both if he knew how close they actually are — so Juntae is quite fast to recognise him. That doesn’t mean he didn’t enjoy the full two seconds he was on top of Tak-ah, even if it’s a bit embarrassing to admit.
The third one is not from Eungjang, he’s sure of it. Mmmm. His legs are thinner than Baku’s but still muscular. Curious, he leans his back a little bit, to meet the other’s chest. This person has a lean physique and seems very tall. He leans his head, trying to smell any cologne or perfume again, and he gets a hint of hair gel. Ah! Lucky! It must be Baekjin then.
Since Seongje is quickly pulling him up after his answer, Juntae knows he’s right. He blushes thinking how he literally just sat on top of the most feared man of the Union, and secretly wishes he wasn’t blindfolded so he could see the expression on the only guy that could compete with Sieun during a poker match. He quietly giggles at the thought.
As Juntae sits on the fourth person there, he thinks he is getting really good at it. He never would have thought he had a talent to figure out who people were by their laps alone but turns out he is able to tell them apart once his brain puts aside the embarrassment.
Based on how sturdy this person feels, it must be one of the athletes. There’s something weird about it though, because this time, instead of being calm like the others, this guy won’t stay still, continuously shifting his weight from one leg to the other. Juntae is wiggling and trying to get more of an idea of who this idiot is and why he is doing this, when a realization suddenly hits him as he feels a soft breathing on his nape stopping.
“Uhm— ” Juntae’s face is blushing even more, if possible, and he’s sure one can almost see smoke coming out of his head from how hot is feeling. He tries standing up but fumbles right back onto the lap of that someone, who catches him in his arms straight away.
“Be QUICK Seo Juntae, if you take another second I swear I will—” Seongje demands.
“It’s just that– uhm–” Juntae hid his face in his hands “...Baku is that you?”
“Heh, I got pretty distinguishable thighs, don't I?" Juntae hears as he stands up… But it definitely wasn’t because of his thighs.
It takes a moment for Seongje to realise it. “Yah, you fucker!” he shouts “Why are you getting hard with my boyfriend sitting on your lap?!” He grabs Juntae’s hand and pulls him away from Baku. “You are one of a kind, moron. Fuck off, horny beast.”
Humin apologises immediately. “It’s just my copying mechanism for when I'm nervous, I’m so sorry Juntae.”
“That’s okay, Baku. I was just surprised. Now, let’s keep going, shall we?”
“Want to take a break?” Seongje asks, his hands again on his little lamb’s face, caressing him like he owns him, but Juntae shakes his head. He’s really fine, and looks more amused than ever. Seongje side-eyes Baku again.
Then, Youngbin makes a disgusted face and groans in annoyance, unaware of the fact that, unfortunately, Seongje is someone who doesn't miss a thing and has, in fact, seen him.
“You know, you’ve been pissing me off since before,” Seongje says, voice harsh and menacing. In a moment, he closes the distance between himself and that fucker. He’s so fast that no one is able to stop him — or probably no one really cares about it. “I dare you to speak again, ah?” he adds before throwing a punch on his face. Seongje hits him once on his jaw, then again on his nose, his eyes glowing from the thrill.
Oh, how much he has missed this. Since getting together with Juntae, he has restrained himself on more than one occasion, keeping the instinct to fight to himself. But now he knows Juntae will let him hit hard, because this bastard in front of him has hurt the “precious” Newbie in the past, if he grasped the situation correctly — and he’s sure as hell he’s right. So, he lands another blow, roaring dangerously.
Youngbin falls down for the shock, staring at the other with hatred, blood flowing from his nose. He tries to get up and punch him back, but his cousin stops him.
“Don’t do it, can’t you see he’s stronger than you? Don’t be ridiculous.” Then he turns to Seongje, but the message is for everyone. “Let’s just play according to the rules, okay? No unnecessary violence, are we clear?”
Some “Yes, Hyung” rises from the crowd, as most of the kids nod. Seongje is still high from the adrenaline flowing through his veins but he steps back.
“Okay, if the little nerd is ready we can continue this fucking game.” Seokdae says again, sitting on his chair, waiting for his turn.
Juntae nods, and let Seongje guide him on Hyoman’s lap. A Hyoman who is terribly silent today, but welcomes him with red cheeks and ears, sweaty hands and a dumb-ass, perverted smile. When Juntae realises who he is sitting on, mostly from a disgustingly intense and acidulous mix of cigarettes and sweat’s smell, he pulls a face, then, he jumps up and away from him, without even bothering to say his name, just an “Ah, it’s him” as he takes Seongje’s hand.
Hyoman tries to protest but Sieun’s disapproving look shuts him up even before giving him the chance to speak. He shakes his head, like a sad dog that has lost its owner.
Soengje glares at him, then he gets close and whispers to his ear. “If you only dare to look at my boyfriend like this again, I swear I’ll kill you in the most painful way. Did you hear me, loser?” Hyoman nods, scared, and quickly looks away. He has always had an unrequired and unresolved crush for Seo Juntae and this is the first time he could get this close and intimate with him… He mentally thanks the game for this opportunity, secretly hoping for the King to provide him with more opportunities like this.
After that, Juntae has to sit on Suho, who is very easy to guess, because as soon as his back presses against the man’s chest, he can hear the rustling of the black and red windbreaker that Suho always wears, so it’s quite obvious to him that this one is Sieun’s partner. Seokdae is also an easy one, him being very tall and sturdy.
Then, the game gets slightly more challenging, since he doesn’t know anyone else but Seongje, but at the end, Juntae is able to recognise Beomseok, Wooyoung and the stupid bully.
Finally it’s Seongje's turn. Juntae sits comfortably and feels his boyfriend's arms wrapping him and squeezing him up. He inhales Seongje’s tobacco and mint smell and rests his head on his chest. They feel so at peace that they stay like this for a moment, then Juntae giggles and says, “the last one is my Seongje.”
A loud cheering noise comes out from the speakers and the metallic voice announces that the game is over.
Their phones all buzz again, instead of the Game Clear that so many were hoping for, what appears instead is an actual scary message disguised as something good.
King’s Game [6:00 PM]
Congratulations on clearing the second round.
These were just test drives. Real games will start soon.
You may now use running water and find water bottles and ramyeon in the teachers’ room.