𝐄𝐍𝐄𝐌𝐈𝐄𝐒 𝐓𝐎 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐒 [ Chapter - 17 ]

 The next morning, Taehyung stood behind the campus, holding the bike keys, his impatience visible in the way his fingers drummed on the metal. He had been waiting for a while, and his frustration was growing by the minute.

Just then, Yn walked towards him, her steps confident but her face cool, as always.

Taehyung: How long does it take you? I've been standing here forever.

Yn: I’m here now, so stop complaining.

Taehyung (rolling his eyes): Let’s go.

Without warning, Yn snatched the keys from his hand, her expression filled with mischief.

Yn: I’ll ride the bike.

Taehyung’s face turned serious, and he quickly snatched the keys back. A confident smirk tugged at his lips as he hopped onto the bike.

Taehyung: Keep quiet and sit still.

Annoyed by his attitude, Yn let herself fall to the ground dramatically before huffing and climbing onto the bike behind him. She muttered under her breath, her voice filled with annoyance but also a playful edge.

Yn (under her breath): Crocodile, fat panda, wild bear.

Taehyung (raising an eyebrow, but still cool): Did you say something?

Yn: Did you hear something?

Taehyung: Yes.

Yn: Then why are you so quiet?

Taehyung’s face twitched in frustration, but he quickly masked it with an exaggerated calmness. His attempts to maintain his composure only made the situation more amusing to her.

As they rode on, the tension between them softened slightly, but there was still an undeniable spark of rivalry lingering in the air.

After a while, they reached the village. Taehyung parked the bike to the side, his hands still gripping the handlebars as if he didn’t want to let go of the control, even for a second.

Yn followed behind him, her footsteps light but purposeful. They both walked towards a nearby restaurant, where Taehyung’s grandmother’s friend and her husband were already seated.

Taehyung & Yn (in unison, with genuine warmth): Hello, Grandma.

The moment Grandma looked up, her face lit up with joy, and her eyes softened. She stood up to walk over to Taehyung and hugged him tightly, as if she had been waiting for this moment. Her arms were warm, and the affection she gave was undeniable.

Grandma (her voice full of love): Taehyung, my dear!

She pulled away and immediately turned to Yn, her eyes twinkling. With a gesture full of warmth, she invited Yn into her embrace, pulling her into a tight, welcoming hug.

Grandma (with a joyful smile): I’m so happy to see both of you!

Taehyung and Yn exchanged a brief, amused glance, both of them feeling the comfort of being welcomed into this home. It was strange, yet somehow soothing.

Grandma: Honey, look! Taehyung and Yn are here.

Just then, grandfa entered, his face creased with age but filled with a quiet kindness.

Grandfather (his voice filled with affection): How are you, my children?

Taehyung (with a smile, feeling the sense of family): We’re doing great.

Grandma: Well, since you're here, you both will have to stay until evening. I don’t care what you say.

Taehyung and Yn exchanged a quick look, a mix of surprise and slight hesitation in their eyes. But there was something about Grandma's insistence that made them both nod in agreement.

Grandma: Their room is right in front. Go freshen up. I’ll get dinner ready. We’ll all eat together, okay?

Grandfather (with a soft chuckle): Come with me, I’ll show you to your room.

The grandfather led them down a quiet hallway to a room that felt both spacious and cozy, the kind of room that invited relaxation.

Grandfather (gesturing to the room): Here’s your room.

As he left, the air between Taehyung and Yn shifted. They stood in the room, their eyes scanning the surroundings. It was comfortable, but the silence between them spoke volumes.

Yn: This room is really nice.

Taehyung: Hmm.

The subtle shift in their interaction was enough to show that their rivalry, while strong, didn’t mask the understanding that lived beneath it.

Later, everyone gathered around the dining table downstairs. The scent of delicious food filled the air, and the room was filled with a warmth that even Taehyung couldn’t deny.

Taehyung: Grandma, this food is amazing!

Yn: Yes, Grandma, you cook so well.

Grandma: Thank you, my dear.

Just then, a young man entered the room, his presence bringing a new energy. He sat down with them, looking at everyone with curiosity.

Grandma: Ah, Minho’s here!

Minho: Yes, Grandma.

Minho: Who are these people, Grandma?

Grandma: This is Taehyung and Yn. Taehyung is the grandson of my friend, and Yn is his wife.

Minho: Oh, I see.

Taehyung: By the way, is he really your grandson, Grandma?

Grandma (laughing): No, he works with us. But you should know, he’s famous for telling ghost stories to the kids.

Grandfather: At first, all the kids are excited to hear his stories, but then they run away scared.

Everyone laughed, and Taehyung joined in, his playful grin widening. It felt like a moment of genuine connection, and for a second, the rivalry between him and Yn seemed to fade into the background.

Taehyung: Well, Minho, why don’t you tell us a story?

Minho looked at him with a playful glint in his eye, clearly enjoying the challenge.

Taehyung leaned back, arms crossed, a skeptical glint in his eyes.

"Hmm," he muttered.

Minho stepped closer, lowering his voice dramatically. "You two, when you go back, there's an old mansion just outside the village. No matter what, don't even think about going near it."

Yn blinked, curiosity sparking in her eyes. "Why not?"

Minho's face turned serious, his tone growing darker. "Because I've heard it... many times. Weird, creepy sounds come from that place whenever someone passes by. Sometimes it's a woman sobbing... sometimes, it's... it's laughter. Not normal laughter something terrifying."

Yn shivered slightly, hugging herself. "Whose voice is it?"

Minho exhaled heavily, his eyes distant, like he was reliving it. "I've heard it too many times. Once, someone dared to go inside... and he never came back."

Yn's face paled. Her voice trembled. "Y-You guys... you didn't try to find out what happened?"

Taehyung scoffed, rolling his eyes. "It's just nonsense. People's imaginations."

Minho's gaze snapped toward him. "You can say that because you haven't seen it. I have."

He took a step closer.

Yn instinctively grabbed Taehyung’s hand tightly, squeezing it.

Minho continued, his voice low and intense. "Listen... once, a stranger came into the village. He wanted to buy that mansion. We warned him not to go near it, but he refused to listen. So, me and my friend decided to go with him."

Yn gasped. "You actually went?"

Minho nodded grimly. "Yeah. We all stood outside the gate. Everything seemed fine... until, suddenly, clouds rolled in. Everything turned dark. Like... unnaturally dark."

He waved his hands dramatically, painting the picture in the air.

"But that man didn’t care. He was stubborn. He pushed open the gate... and—"

Minho dragged the word out, his voice eerie.

"Creeeeeeak—the door groaned like it was alive."

Yn clutched Taehyung's arm tighter, her heart pounding.

Minho twisted his hands, mimicking the creaking noise, making everyone lean closer.

"The man stepped inside... slowly... carefully. And then—"

Minho snapped his fingers.

Yn jumped. "A g-ghost appeared?!"

Minho shook his head, struggling to hold back a laugh. "No. A cat. It jumped right onto his face!"

He flailed his arms around, acting out the scene, making the others chuckle.

"The guy freaked out, running all over the place, trying to get that cat off him."

Minho pretended to stumble around blindly, making Yn giggle nervously despite herself.

"But then," Minho dropped his voice, "we heard it... clink clink clink... footsteps coming from the staircase."

Yn's eyes widened. "W-Whose footsteps?"

Minho leaned in, speaking in a whisper. "A girl... in a bridal veil... coming down the stairs."

He moved his hand close to his face, showing just how near the girl had gotten.

"And then... she spoke. But it wasn’t just one voice. It was like... two voices overlapping. Her voice was cracked, distorted. She said..."

Minho's voice broke into a raspy whisper, "'Why... did you come... into my house?'"

Yn’s grip on Taehyung tightened even more.

Minho continued, eyes wide with remembered fear. "She pulled back her veil... and—"

He shuddered. "Her eyes were bleeding. Half of her face was torn... the other half smiling... a horrible, twisted smile. She was shaking her head up and down, side to side, like a broken doll."

Yn gulped. "And... and then?"

Minho spoke faster now, his words tumbling over each other. "The man turned to run. We turned too. But the girl grabbed him—by the neck! And slammed the door shut.”

Everyone was on the edge of their seats.

Minho’s voice dropped to a frantic whisper. "Then... we saw her push him to the floor. She sat on him. And then—she dug her long nails into his chest and ripped it open. She smeared his blood all over her face... smiling... staring right at us."

Yn's hands were ice-cold now, clinging to Taehyung for dear life.

"And just when we thought we were doomed... we heard a voice from behind."

Yn barely breathed. "W-What voice?"

Minho’s face suddenly broke into a huge grin.

"It was a man’s voice. He shouted... 'CUT!'"

Yn blinked, confused. "What?"

Minho laughed, throwing up his hands. "It was a movie shoot!"

Everyone burst into loud laughter, clutching their stomachs except Yn, who just stood there, fuming, embarrassed beyond words.

Taehyung pointed at her, chuckling. 

Taehyung: She got so scared!

Yn crossed her arms,. 

Yn: I..I wasn’t scared! I was just... enjoying the story.

Her cheeks were burning, though.

******

"I hope you like it"

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