Chapter 2 (1/1)

The pounding of my heart is so hard it almost hurt. I don’t have any idea what’s happening, what’s going to happen to all of us and I’m sure everybody else is thinking the same thing as me. Fear freezes everyone on their spots and the only thing keeping me on Earth is the tight hold of Kyungsoo on my hand.“Fuck shit, I never knew I’m going to die this young. I still want to get married and have twelve kids with my future wife!” Jackson’s frantic babbles breaks through my anxiety and the way he said it could’ve made me laugh if only we’re in another less fucked-up situation.My throat closes up, like someone shoved a tennis ball down there and I can’t breathe. My insides are twisting in an awfully unpleasant way as bullets of sweat appear on my forehead. Tension hangs in the air so thick it can be cut with a knife as we all wait— for what? Our deaths? Probably, if those rifles pointed at us decide to spit out bullets that could easily pierce through our flesh.“Three,” a muffled voice comes from the group of masked persons and the suddenness of it makes my heart skip a beat.“Two,” another voice says and I realize with a jolt that they are actually counting down but I’m not sure what for.“One,” they all say in a chilling chorus of voices and a loud blood-curdling scream immediately follows.My eyes squeeze shut involuntarily and I tremble at the sudden deafening silence that dawn upon us, my hand gripping tighter on Kyungsoo’s.“Oh my fucking gosh,” Krystal says in a small quivering voice behind me and I feel her clutch on my jacket tighten. “Did someone die? Oh my gosh! Did they really kill someone? Are we next?”Her question registers in my terror-clogged mind and something clicks in. The gears in my head turns and my eyes fly open in realization. “There’s no gun shot,” I say to no one in particular and that’s when we hear a couple of boisterous laughter.“What the fuck?” I hear Mark blurt and that’s when I realize that he is actually standing on my left side, while Jackson is on my other side. His head is craning up as he looks over at something in the front which I couldn’t see clearly from my point of view because of Kyungsoo’s stature“What was that for, Coach Lee?!” one of the female seniors yells rather angrily and another round of laughter fills the air again. Sounds of frustrated annoyed groans mix with undeniable massive relief roll off the student body.“That is so mean!”“It’s not a good joke!”“How could you do this to us?”My brows furrow and my jaw goes slack. Just from the outraged calls of my schoolmates, I already know what’s really happening.“I knew it!” I hear Baekhyun holler somewhere from the back.“I almost peed my pants, to be honest,” says Taehyung.I breathe a sigh of relief and shake my head in resignation, just what in the world are our teachers thinking? Kyungsoo’s hand loosens a bit but he doesn’t release me and his shoulders visibly sag in relief. I poke my head from behind him and instead of the phantom masks; all I see are the faces of our grinning teachers.A sick prank.That is all it is.Apparently, those rifles are all harmless water guns and the biggest damage it could do to someone is to drench their clothes. But, right now, I think I would love to reinvent the use of those toy rifles and sock each of our teachers in the head for giving us a damn scare.“Sorry not sorry, guys!” Coach Lee Dongwook, our P.E. teacher, says laughingly as he pulls on the trigger of his rifle and squirts some water towards the students standing in the front, making them groan and shriek in annoyance.“You should’ve seen your faces!” Ms. Park, our History teacher, chuckles.These are one of those times when I question adults’ mentality. It seems like they are the children and not us.“Alright, that’s enough,” Mr. Jung Yonghwa, our music teacher, calms everyone down, finally acting like the adult he is but there’s still an amused smile lingering on his lips. “We’re sorry for scaring you but it’s all for fun so no hard feelings, okay?”“Fun my ass,” Krystal sniffs and I turn to see her teary eyes and reddish nose, obviously she’s been crying.I give her a lopsided encouraging smile before I turn back to the front. People these days got some twisted idea of fun.“Welcome to senior summer camp twenty-fifteen, East Sky High seniors!” the whole faculty say in chorus as they all pointed the rifle water guns at us and spraying us for a good measure. We all yelp and scatter about, running in different direction and away from the crazy teachers.I look around my classmates and schoolmates who seem to all be having fun, the earlier fright we felt dissolving into the air, and I feel a smile tugging on my lips.“You okay?” Kyungsoo asks, pulling me to a safe side before releasing my hand.“I guess,” I shrug. “By the way, thanks for protecting me back there.”If it is actually a real situation, I would have Kyungsoo to thank for sparing my life for a few seconds longer than him. In the face of danger, he still chose to protect me by acting as a human shield.“Don’t mention it; any one would do it,” he says nonchalantly but the tell-tale signs of blush are gradually appearing on his squishy cheeks.“Sure, Kyunggie,” I smile teasingly at him, bumping my shoulder against his.“Our teachers are crazy,” Mark pants as he halts beside us, his blonde hair glistening with droplets of water. I reach up and brush some off his hair. He smiles softly at me and mutters a quiet “Thanks.”The chase continues and Krystal’s high-pitched scream rings loudly in the air as Baekhyun and Taehyung hold her down by the arms. Jackson, armed with a water gun he probably borrowed from one of our teachers, stands in front of the three with a devilish smile on his face.“Oh no, will he really do what I think he will?” I say as I watch them in amusement.“There will be hell to pay if he does,” Kyungsoo says.“Jackson better prepare his funeral after he sprays the almighty Krystal Jung,” Mark adds with a smirk.“Jackson Wang, you imbecile!” Krystal growls in a threatening voice as she squirms against the grinning twins’ hold but to no avail; she’s a chopstick compared to those two boys. “Don’t you dare do that to me or else you’re one fucking dead meat!”Jackson grins even wider and pulls the trigger. We all laugh as his spray hits Baekhyun and Taehyung on the face instead. Their grins immediately vanish and are replaced by astonishment.“You traitor!” Baekhyun exclaims and proceeds to chase after a cackling Jackson, Taehyung joining in an instant.* * *It’s safe to say that the Kim’s mansion almost made my jaw hit the ground.I’ve seen so many grand places over my seventeen years of existence, my family’s resorts and villas included, but this mansion took majestic on a whole new level.“Welcome to our mansion, guys,” Taeyon stands and smiles charmingly in front of all of us, looking pretty much like a pixie in her sunny-yellow knee-length dress and ballet flats. “It doesn’t have an official name yet and it’s the first time it’s been open to the public, meaning we are the first to get to enjoy the whole place and practically the whole island.”The mansion is intended to be a sort of retreat house for those who want to enjoy a moment away from the busy offices and crowded cities. Being on an isolated island made it a perfect getaway for tourists.Two-faced glossy fliers that show the whole infrastructure from an aerial view on one side and different shots of the mansion on the other are distributed among us. Apparently, the mansion is consisting of four sides and the one we’re currently facing is the front-slash-entrance.  A woodsy area hugs the mansion in a semi-circle beginning from half of the sides and all the way to the back. Then in the middle of the four buildings is a large open area with a fountain in the middle, surrounded by pretty flower beds. On the other side of the West building is a gorgeous garden that I would really love to explore. While behind the farthest building, near the woodsy area is a rather huge maze and staring at its 2d version is already giving me the creeps, what more if I see it up close? I tear my eyes from the flyer and glance behind us only to see nothing except for the deep blue sea and sloping down of the ground where the landing area is located. It is quite far from the mansion that’s why we all left our heavy luggage to be fetched by the mansion workers with the help of the shuttle. The whole island is a rising slope, elevated from the sea, so there’s no beach where we can swim only cliff that ends off the large woodsy area.“Please tell me there’s an indoor pool,” one of the girls says, catching everyone’s attention.Taeyon smiles and nods, “Of course there is. Flip the flyer over and you’ll see some of the recreational facilities.”Murmurs of awe and excitement rise in the air as we check out the snap shots of the mansion’s different indoor area. It must be really massive inside that it could even fit a bowling area and gym in there. I’m somewhat excited to explore the inside of each huge building.Now that I think about it, why are we still outside?“Aren’t we going inside?” Jackson asks loudly, taking the words right out of my mouth.“Good question, Wang,” Coach Lee says with a smirk. “We have prepared something for you to solve first to be able to enter the mansion and get your room keys.” Grumbles and frustrated groans are the students’ response but it doesn’t faze Coach Lee. “Well, where’s the fun in that if we would give away your keys just like that?”“Coach Lee’s right,” Ms. Park backs him up. “The riddle is easy anyway and the first twenty who could solve it will get special reward and the chance to have a room all by themselves.”The sound of dissatisfaction and complains are endless but I keep my cool. I like riddles anyway and I’m always up for any challenge. I glance at my friends and see the mix reactions on them. Mark and Kyungsoo wear almost the same expression, unruffled and a bit anticipating. Jackson is obviously worried because he hates riddles and riddles could say the same to him. Krystal is already fuming because she’s probably feeling so tired after our long-ass ride and solving a riddle must be the last thing she wants to do right now. Taehyung is beaming like an excited little puppy but don’t be fooled by his innocent face because he is actually very smart when it comes to riddles and logic, almost on the same level with Mark. I can say that their reactions are pretty much normal except for Baekhyun. For once, he has this seriously thinking face on, like he’s quietly assessing everyone, silently looking out for something. His sudden seriousness, the absence of the usual mischievousness in his eyes unsettles me.Baekhyun’s smartness is a given; with all sort of pranks he could pull off with Taehyung, his brain must be above average. But he is not someone who would take riddles seriously— not even a biology exam could make him serious. The only time I saw such seriousness in his face was when some girls, during our freshman days in senior high, decides that it would be amusing to lock me in a janitor’s closet. It was cold back then, being the start of winter and all, and I got terribly sick because of that. I saw how Baekhyun looked at me seriously and asked me if I saw the faces of those who played the horrible prank on me. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to see any faces when I was pushed inside the cramped space but after that, Kyungsoo told me that Baekhyun and Taehyung hunt down the culprits and I was amazed that they discovered who it was. The day I got back to school well and healthy, three girls were asked to kneel in front of me by Baekhyun, all asking for my forgiveness. His serious face that time is kind of scary and I decided that I don’t want to see it again as much as possible.I approach him and say, “Hey, something wrong?”He blinks at me then fixes his expression into a boyish grin with a hint of mischief, “Nothing, why?”My brows pinch together, “You’re weird… Baek.”“And you’re cute,” he says before tweaking my nose. He laughs as I swat his hand away from my face.The thing about Baekhyun is I can’t exactly read what’s on his mind. It’s like he’s taking everything in and giving away nothing. The expression on his face is on an entirely different track from what he’s thinking.“…the riddle should be sent to you right about now,” I hear Sir Jung say when I tune back to their announcement and as if on cue, my phone vibrates in my pocket.I fish my phone out and open the message that says:‘We are going to the Music Room but to be able to go with me, you need to bring something. What would you bring?’ Hint: I’m going to bring a donut and a revolver.’I lick my lips as I think carefully. What would I bring to a music room? Why donut and revolver?“Okay, I received the first correct answer from Mark Tuan!” Coach Lee announces and I smirk. That is expected. Mark saunters coolly towards the front and Ms. Park gives him his key.Two more students came up with the correct answer and they are from class 3-B, the class next to ours. It’s Kim Namjoon and Jeon Jungkook.I begin chewing the inside of my cheek as I try to think harder and then it clicks in, I know the answer. I quickly type ‘mirror’ and ‘lantern’ and tap send.“Song Youngjoo and Kim Taehyung also got the correct answer!”I look around and see Taehyung jogging up to me with a wide all-teeth-show smile. We both go up front and receive the keys to our room (which is actually a golden rectangular card with white barcode on the back. A tap-key.) This mansion is not only glamorous but also tech-y.I stand between Mark and Taehyung together with the other two seniors who got the correct answer. I scan the crowd and catch Krystal cute begging face. From the looks she’s giving me, I know that she’s long given up on the riddle; she just wants me to share my room with her.I mouth an “Okay” to her and she smiles thankfully at me.The next student who got the right answer is none other than Kyungsoo then another girl from our class, Kwon Yuri, comes up after him. Two other girls from class 3-C called Bae Irene and Son Wendy made it to the top twenty. A member of the soccer team from 3-B, Oh Sehun, also got the correct answer, completing the first half.“Come on, guys, you can do better than this,” Coach Lee urges, trying to pump up the students who are becoming more and more frustrated with the riddle. “You are two hundred forty-four in total and to be in the top twenty means that you’re smart!”“And don’t forget the special rewards that would be revealed later,” Ms. Park says in a sing-song manner.“I wonder what’s up with Baek,” Taehyung suddenly says. “The riddles not that hard, why isn’t he coming up with an answer?”“He’s being weird,” I say, glad that I’m not the only one finding him somewhat out-of-character.My attention is diverted when another student comes up. I didn’t hear his name being mentioned because I was busy chatting with Taehyung. He is an unfamiliar face for me and I’m pretty sure that it’s the first time I see him— which is rare on my part because I’m at least familiar with all the seniors’ faces because I’ve been a student assistant last year and I’ve spent half of my time arranging student records. He catches my stare and doesn’t let go as his lithe figure saunters towards our group. I feel weird so I break away from those deep obsidian orbs. I sneak a glance once he settles him self beside Sehun and I became more aware of how outstanding his looks is. I know it isn’t his intention to look mysterious but the vibes he exudes shouts 'you can't know me and you will never will'. He’s one of the guys I know who can look effortlessly sexy with a mussed hair, as if they just roll out of bed. He is clad in a dark jeans and dark long sleeves that stretches nicely over his broad chest and shoulders. He’s got a sun-kissed skin, much like Taehyung’s but the feelings I get from them are polar opposites. If Taehyung is a warm cozy sunshine and sweet smiles, this guy is Antarctic cold and dark night. I don’t even know who he is but I can already hear the warning bells in my head.“I don’t like that transfer student,” Taehyung whispers to me. I look up at him and see a frown on his usually bright and happy face.That explains why I don’t recognize his face, he is a transfer.“When did he transfer?” I ask. “What’s his name?”Taehyung gives me a pointed look at the same time Mark asks, “Why so interested?”I shrug, “Just curious.”“Name’s Kim Jongin,” Mark says then adds, “I don’t think it’s good for you to be curious about him.”I raise an eyebrow at him. “And why is that?”“Just because.”“Mark…” I know there’s something in his mind.“Youngjoo.”“Why I can’t be curious about him?” I press.“Because curiosity is the start of all things,” he answers as he look me straight in the eyes.I blink in confusion. “What?”He sighs and even has the audacity to roll his eyes at me. “Never mind, just don’t go near that transfer kid and I will not tie you next to me.”I balk at that statement. “Why the hell would you tie me next to you? What am I? A dog?”“Just so you won’t go anywhere else,” he says as he looks away.“Mark’s right,” Taehyung says. “I don’t want you going near him, too.”I scoff. I feel like having two fathers. Why are they telling me this? I’m merely curious, it’s not like I like him that way or something. I glance at the Jongin guy again and wonder what it is about him that pokes my curiosity.In the end, the other seniors who completed the top twenty are Yoon Jeonghan of class 3-D (a long-haired boy who looks like a freaking girl), Kim Mingyu from our class, Amber of 3-C, Kim Nana of 3-F, Moon Gayoon of 3-B, Choi Vernon and Park Chanyeol from our class, Kim Yugyeom from 3-D and Suzy of 3-F.After a few reminders and instructions, all of our phones are temporarily confiscated because the teachers said that it will just be a distraction for us, much to everyone’s annoyance. Then we are finally allowed to go to our rooms and do whatever we want for the rest of the first day.However, the top twenty who got the correct answer for the riddle are asked to wait in a room. It was really weird because they made us stay there for thirty minutes for nothing at all. I mean, I thought they were going to reveal the reward but they told us nothing and when Coach Lee finally returns, he simply dismissed us. But I didn't miss the mysterious smile he wore as he watched us leave the room. It was the kind of smile that spell trouble and secrecy. Really weird.I decide to shake off my thoughts and try to forget the unsettling feeling in the pit of my stomach and proceed to our room. I am rooming with Krystal, while Taehyung and Baekhyun chose to room together. Jackson pestered Mark so he can share a room with him while Kyungsoo is more than happy to have a big room all by himself.The students are occupying the South, East, and West building, while the whole faculty is on the North building.Our room is located on the South building, together with Kyungsoo, while the rest of the guys are in the East building.When I enter the room, I am amazed at its royal design. I find Krystal pacing around the spacious room and she is surprised when she sees me."What's wrong with you?" I ask, closing the door behind me."Oh," she chirps but I can sense that something is off with her. "Nothing at all. I'm fine, really."I give her a long hard look before deciding to let her off the hook for now. I look around and discover that we’ve got a balcony that over views the beautiful but eerie and complicated maze and I kind of regret having that room despite its elegance and beauty. There’s just something about the labyrinth that creeps the hell out of me.“What happen there?” Krystal plops on the soft mattress like it the first time she’s seeing one. I slip out of my jacket, only leaving me in my white tank top and jeans, and start exploring the room. We have one large closet, a vanity mirror, a flat screen tv, a shelf full of books, a bathroom and two beds."Nothing, like, literally nothing. It's just a waste of time," I answer as I walk across the carpeted floor and check the bathroom. “Don’t you want to explore the mansion first?” I call out to Krystal as I test the water temperature on the glass shower stall. There's a bath tub, too“Nah, I think I’m gonna sleep first,” she answers in a sleepy voice. I walk back to the room and find her already snuggled so cozily on the white fluffy comforters.I grin and jump on top of her, making her groan under my weight. “Are you really, really sleepy, huh?” I start tickling her over the sheets.“Youngjoo, stop it!” she squeals and squirms but I already trapped her under the comforter. “It tickles! S-stop it! Can’t breathe!” she giggles uncontrollably because she’s very ticklish and I happen to know her best tickle-spots. I am caught off-guard when she manages to flip me over and pay me back in kind until I am a giggling mess beneath her. A knock on the door interrupts us and we both fall off the bed, laughing at our own silliness. “Saved by the bell,” I say to her with a grin as I stumble towards the door and she takes this as an opportunity to hide under the covers.A young man clad in a red bellboy uniform stands there with a surprised look on his face. He blinks owlishly at me before a pink blush scatters over his cheeks.“Oh, it’s the luggage. Thank you. You can put it there,” I point near my bed and scoot aside to let him pass and after putting down the bags and suitcases, he scurries away with a polite bow.I tilt my head in confusion as I stare at the open door, “What is wrong with him?” Before I could close the door Kyungsoo pops in front of me, his expression morphing into a frown.“What happened to you?” he asks as he reaches out and fixes my hair. “You look like after-sex.”“W-what?” I blurt out, flabbergasted while he proceeds to tug on my disheveled clothes and I realize that I must look really messed-up because of our little wrestling match. That explains the bellboys flustered behavior.“What were you doing?” he asks with one of his brows raised in suspicion.“Stop with your dirty thoughts, Soo,” I snort at him, running a hand through my raven hair. “We were just fooling around.” I walk back inside the room and open my suitcase.“Sure, sure,” he says, sounding unconvinced. This guy, really.“Why are you here, Soo?” Krystal asks, poking her head from under the covers.“I thought you, guys, will be hungry so I’m here to ask if you want to eat,” he says.“Well, I’m actually hungry,” I say, “How about you, Tal?”“Fine, I’m coming, I’m hungry, too,” she says before climbing out of the bed and smoothing her hair and clothes.I slip on my jacket and we all proceed out of the room and down the hall. The main dining hall is located on the West building but there’s a small dining area on the first floor of our building, too, but it’s more like a cafe with a small snack bar where we can order sandwiches, pastries and beverages. Some of the tables are already occupied by some seniors. We chose a table near the floor-to-ceiling windows that shows the beautiful flower patches and the fountain.“I’m going to order,” Kyungsoo says, “What do you want?”Krystal and I tell him our orders and I take the time to observe the whole place while he goes at the bar. It is a very cozy and elegant place. White pristine walls, black sparkling marble floors and a twinkling chandelier.“We’ve been looking everywhere for you, guys,” Taehyung bounces towards our table with a happy child-like grin, the rest of the boys walking nonchalantly behind him.“How’d you find us?” Krystal asks.“’Coz I have a built-in Youngjoo-radar,” Jackson replies with a stupid grin, grabbing a chair from a near-by table and sitting beside me. Mark and Baekhyun did the same.“That’s creepy,” Krystal grimaces at him.Another group of seniors walk in and I see some of the members of the student council: Kim Joonmyeon, aka Suho, the President; Park Sandara, the Vice-president; Song Mino, the Secretary; Kim Seokjin, the Broadcast Representative and Park Bom, the Health Representative. They occupy the table next to ours and Mino suddenly calls for my attention.“Hey, cous’, how’s aunt and uncle?” he asks with a bright smile. “It’s been a while since the last time I visited.”Yes, Mino is my bubbly cousin.“They’re fine, same old,” I smile back. “They miss you, so you should visit soon.”He chuckles, “I will, I will.”Kyungsoo comes back with our orders the same time someone comes barging in the room, surprising everyone.“Guys, holy shit!” Min Yoongi, the Head Disciplinary Officer, exclaims in between pants, as if he just witnessed something unbelievable. “Something— something terrible happened!”“Calm down, Yoongi,” Seokjin, aka Jin, says. “What’s wrong?”Yoongi rushes towards the student council’s table, his face seemingly paler than usual. “I can’t! Someone is stabbed! Fuck, there’s so much blood!”Stunned silence quickly follows his statement but it doesn’t last long when all at once, everybody starts speaking frantically.“What?” Jin blurts in disbelief, “Where is the body?”“Oh my gosh!” Sandara cries, “Are you serious?!”“Where is she stabbed?!” Suho shoots up from his seat.I can feel my brows pinching together as I watch them. Something's not right.“I can't believe this is freaking happening” Krytal whimpers beside me. I look at her and notice her distress. Something is telling me that she's worrying about something else entirely.From the corner of my eyes, I see Baekhyun and Jackson exchanging looks. Their secretive expressions not really fitting with the situation.“Follow me!” Yoongi says and we all jump out of our seats.My heart begin to beat erratically against my chest and my mind is refusing to believe that someone is really harmed. However, as we all run, something starts nagging at the back of my head, like a stubborn itch that wouldn’t go away. I don’t know what it is but my instinct is telling me that something about this whole situation is very, very, very wrong.