Before Jimin could tease him again, Yoongi suddenly closed the distance between them in two quick steps. One moment there was enough space between them to joke around, and the next that space had completely disappeared as Yoongi's hand slipped around Jimin's waist, pulling him closer until their chests brushed against each other. There wasn't even the smallest gap left between them.
Jimin's teasing smile disappeared on its own. His eyes instinctively lifted to Yoongi's face.
The grip around his waist wasn't rough, yet it was firm enough to stop him from moving even an inch. They had stood this close before. They had hugged, leaned against each other countless times, and even slept in each other's arms without thinking much about it. Physical closeness itself wasn't unfamiliar.
What was unfamiliar... was Yoongi being the one to create it.
He had always been the quieter one, the one who reacted whenever Jimin initiated something. Whether it was a hug, a playful touch, or simply invading his personal space, it had always started with Jimin.
Jimin hated to admit it, but whenever Yoongi unexpectedly took control like this, his mind stopped working. It was as if every clever comeback he usually had simply vanished, leaving him standing there without a single thought.
Yoongi didn't say anything immediately.
He simply looked into Jimin's eyes for a few long seconds, almost as if he was waiting to see whether Jimin would continue teasing him now.
Jimin opened his mouth. Nothing came out.
A tiny smile appeared on Yoongi's lips after noticing that silence.
"So..." Jimin somehow managed to force out a few words, trying very hard to sound normal. "What now?"
Yoongi didn't answer. Instead, he leaned even closer.
Jimin could feel his own heartbeat growing louder with every passing second.
Why is he so close...? What is he even trying to do?
Their faces were now only inches apart.
Without breaking eye contact, Yoongi slowly tilted his head before moving towards Jimin's ear.
Same move
Jimin unconsciously closed his eyes the moment he felt Yoongi's warm breath brush against the sensitive skin beneath his ear. His fingers instinctively tightened against Yoongi's shirt, waiting for whatever he was about to whisper.
Then Yoongi finally murmured in a low voice, "Enough, Park Jimin. Stop whatever the hell you're doing before I lose what's left of my patience."
The words were barely louder than a whisper, yet they somehow carried more effect than if he had shouted.
Before Jimin could even process what had just happened, Yoongi let go of his waist, took a step back, and calmly walked away as though nothing unusual had happened.
Jimin remained standing exactly where he was.
His eyes followed Yoongi's back until he disappeared around the corner.
Only then did he slowly blink.
"...Excuse me?"
He touched his own ear without realizing it.
He just... used my own tricks against me?
Lose what? Lose patience to kiss me?
A smile slowly spread across his face.
"No chance..."
He quietly laughed to himself before shaking his head.
"How am I supposed to stop now after seeing this side of you?"
He looked in the direction where Yoongi had disappeared.
"Not happening."
A mischievous grin appeared on his lips.
"Now I want to tease you even more, Min Yoongi."
It was already evening, everyone was busy doing something.
Some were arranging the place, mattress they would sleep in, some were unpacking the remaining bags, while others were simply sitting around after being exhausted from roaming the entire day.
Jungkook, however, had declared himself completely useless.
He was lying dramatically on the nearest mattress with one arm hanging off the edge as if life itself had become too difficult.
"I'm hungry..." he complained for what was probably the tenth time in the last hour.
Jin, who was sitting cross-legged on the floor with several grocery bags scattered around him, didn't even bother looking up.
They all got along very early. It almost felt like they all know each other from long. Specially Jin with other's.
"Food is in process," he answered while pulling out packets of noodles one after another. "Unfortunately, food doesn't magically appear just because Jeon Jungkook starts complaining."
"I wish it did," Jungkook mumbled, rolling onto his back before placing both hands over his stomach. "I'm literally starving."
"You've been starving every two hours since we came here," Taehyung teased from nearby.
"That's because I burn a lot of energy."
"Doing what?"
"Thinking, imagining, making fake scenes in my head"
The room burst into laughter.
Before Jungkook could defend himself, Namjoon walked inside after checking the backyard.
"Jin hyung."
"Hm?"
"The kitchen is actually in a better condition than I expected. We can cook properly..." he started before scratching the back of his neck. "...but there's one problem."
Jin finally looked up. "What problem?"
"There isn't a gas stove."
Everyone looked at him.
Namjoon continued, "It's an old village kitchen. Looks like they still used the traditional mud stove. We'll have to collect dry sticks and firewood first, then light the stove ourselves before we can cook."
Taehyung shrugged as if it wasn't a big deal.
"That's easy. Me, Jungkook, Kevin and Minsu will collect enough within half an hour."
"I'm in," Minsu immediately agreed.
"Same," Kevin nodded.
Everyone's eyes slowly shifted toward the only remaining person.
Jungkook instantly buried his face deeper into the mattress.
"I'm not."
Minsu slowly looked toward Kevin. Kevin looked back. The two exchanged the kind of look that required no words.
"Oh no..." Jungkook muttered without even lifting his head. "I know that look."
Before he could react, both of them stood up at the exact same time. Kevin grabbed both of Jungkook's legs.
Minsu caught hold of his wrists.
"One..."
"Two..."
"Three."
They lifted him completely off the mattress.
"YAHH! PUT ME DOWN!"
Jungkook immediately started kicking the air while hanging between them.
"If you're not coming willingly," Kevin said proudly, "we'll simply take you like this."
"We're helping you exercise," Minsu added with a completely serious face.
"I'm already exercising!"
"Where?"
"My mouth!"
Taehyung couldn't even stay serious anymore. He folded his arms while trying not to laugh.
"So... are you coming?"
Jungkook looked from one face to another before letting out the most dramatic sigh possible.
"Fine! I'm coming! Happy now? Put me down before all my blood reaches my head."
Only then did Kevin and Minsu finally place him back on the floor.
Jungkook dusted his clothes with an offended expression.
The four of them laughed before picking up a few baskets and disappearing outside in search of dry wood.
A few moments later, the front door opened again. Jimin had returned after checking around the house.
Jin immediately looked at him before calling out, "Perfect timing."
Jimin stopped. "Hm?"
"Myra... Aura..." Jin turned toward the two girls. "Can you both help me inside the kitchen? I have to prepare everything before those idiots return with the firewood."
"Of course," Myra answered.
Aura nodded as well before both girls followed Jin toward the old kitchen carrying vegetables and packets in their hands.
Within seconds, almost everyone had found some kind of work.
Jimin looked around the suddenly empty hall before asking, "Tell me something to do as well."
Namjoon had been standing near the wooden window. Hearing Jimin's question, he casually looked outside.
His eyes immediately landed on the river flowing a little distance away.
Someone was already sitting there.
Yoongi.
He was sitting quietly on the edge with both feet dipped into the cold water, absentmindedly creating tiny ripples every few seconds while looking at the endless current in front of him.
Namjoon's lips curved into a knowing smile.
He raised one finger and pointed outside. "That's your work."
Jimin instinctively followed the direction.
The moment he noticed Yoongi sitting all alone near the river, the tiredness on his face disappeared without him even realizing it.
A small smile quietly appeared on his lips.
Namjoon noticed it immediately.
"Go," he said. "He's been sitting there alone for quite a while."
Jimin looked at him before smiling a little wider.
"Thank you, hyung."
Without wasting another second, he walked outside.
Namjoon quietly watched him leave before turning around and entering the kitchen instead.

The sight inside immediately made him blink.
Jin was busy chopping vegetables with unbelievable speed while Myra and Aura sat on the floor opening packet after packet of noodles, separating spices, arranging bowls and preparing everything before the firewood arrived.
For a few seconds, Namjoon simply stood there.
"I should help too."
Nobody objected. So, He confidently walked over before sitting beside the girls.
He picked up one noodle packet.
"This looks easy."
He held both ends and pulled. Unfortunately...bHe pulled a little too hard.
The packet burst open with a loud ripping sound, sending uncooked noodles flying across the entire kitchen.
Pieces landed on the floor. On Jin's chopping board. Inside one bowl. Even on Aura's shoulder.
The entire kitchen became silent.
"...Joon."
Namjoon slowly looked toward Jin.
Jin was staring at him with the exact expression of a man questioning every decision that had brought him to this moment.
Trying to fix his mistake, Namjoon immediately leaned toward Myra.
"Wait... there's one stuck in your hair."
He carefully reached out and removed a tiny noodle piece tangled between her hair.
"There." Namjoon smiled awkwardly.
"I fixed one."
Jin closed his eyes for two seconds before taking a deep breath.
"Joon..."
"Hm?"
"...please go outside."
"What? I was helping."
"No."
"I can still help."
"No."
"I'll be careful this time."
Jin looked directly into his eyes. "That's exactly what scares me."
Aura bit her lip to stop herself from laughing while Myra quietly lowered her head.
Defeated, Namjoon finally sighed before standing up.
"Fine... I'm going."
He had barely taken two steps when.. Crunch.
Slowly lowering his head, he found his foot resting perfectly on another unopened noodle packet. The packet had completely flattened beneath his shoe.
He looked back.
Three pairs of eyes were already staring at him.
Namjoon slowly flashed the most awkward smile possible. "...I'm really going now."
This time, nobody tried to stop him.
They simply watched him leave before the kitchen erupted into laughter the moment he disappeared outside.
Jimin quietly walked toward the river, making sure his footsteps didn't make enough sound to disturb the person sitting there. Yoongi hadn't even noticed him yet. He was sitting on the edge with both feet dipped into the cold water, absentmindedly moving them every now and then as small ripples spread across the surface before disappearing into the current.

Without saying anything, Jimin sat down beside him. He slowly rolled his pants up to his knees, just the way Yoongi had done, before lowering his own legs into the river. The water was colder than he expected, but he didn't react. As soon as he settled beside him, their shoulders brushed lightly against each other.
Only then did Yoongi turn his head. For a brief moment their eyes met.
Jimin offered a small smile that never quite reached his eyes.
"Why are you sitting here alone?" he asked, trying to sound as casual as possible.
Yoongi didn't answer.
The silence between them stretched comfortably for anyone else, but not for them. The river kept flowing as if nothing had ever changed, birds occasionally flew across the orange evening sky, and somewhere behind them faint laughter from the house could still be heard.
Neither of them looked at the other again.
Several minutes passed before Yoongi finally spoke.
"How?" His voice was quiet.
"So..." He slowly turned toward Jimin.
"How do you act so normal after everything that happened seven years ago?"
The question landed so suddenly that Jimin felt something tighten inside his chest.
His throat closed.
Every answer he had ever prepared disappeared before it could even reach his lips.
When no reply came, Yoongi let out a humorless laugh before moving back slightly so he could look at Jimin properly.
"You aren't answering now?"
Jimin still kept staring at the water.
"Tell me something, Jimin..." Yoongi continued, his voice carrying more hurt than anger. "Is it really that easy? Is it really that easy to wake up every morning and pretend nothing happened? To talk to me as if you never destroyed everything between us? As if you never stood in front of me and made me hate you with your own words?"
Jimin closed his eyes for a second. He wanted to answer. He truly did. But every sentence died before leaving his mouth.
Yoongi couldn't bear the silence anymore. He reached forward and held both of Jimin's shoulders, gently making him face him.
"What did you think?" he asked, staring straight into Jimin's eyes. "Did you actually think I believed you?"
A bitter laugh escaped him.
"You thought I believed you tried to kill me?"
His head slowly shook.
"Even if my parents came back to life and stood in front of me to tell me that you wanted me dead... I still wouldn't believe them."
Jimin's breathing hitched.
"You know why?" Yoongi continued before Jimin could interrupt. "Because I know you."
His grip loosened, but he didn't let go.
"I know the person who stayed awake all night because I couldn't sleep. I know the person who secretly skipped his own meals just to make sure I had eaten. I know the person who remembered every tiny thing I liked without ever making a big deal out of it."
His voice slowly cracked.
"I know the man who cried in front of everyone because he thought I was inside that crashed car."
Jimin's eyes immediately filled. Fresh tears blurred his vision.
"And you expect me to believe that same person suddenly wanted to kill me for property?"
Yoongi laughed again, but this time there wasn't even a hint of amusement.
"Who are you trying to fool?"bHis own eyes had already turned red.
"You?" He pointed toward Jimin. "Or yourself?"
Jimin lowered his head. "No... Yoon..."
"No." Yoongi cut him off immediately. "This time you're going to listen."
"I wasn't some naïve idiot who believed every cruel word you threw at me seven years ago. I accepted them because they came from you. I trusted you enough to think there had to be a reason, but don't stand here today and expect me to believe that everything you said back then was the truth."
Jimin finally whispered, barely audible, "I... had my reasons."
Yoongi smiled. A broken smile.
"Reasons?"
He slowly nodded as if repeating the word to himself.
"So those reasons were worth destroying both of us?"
His voice became quieter with every word.
"Were they worth making me question every memory I had with you? Every promise? Every smile? Every moment I thought was real?"
Jimin couldn't stop his tears anymore.
"They were the only.. The only option?" Yoongi interrupted. "Maybe."
He nodded once.
"I'm not saying you didn't have a reason."
His gaze drifted toward the river.
"I'm asking why you decided that reason alone." He looked back at Jimin.
"Why didn't you trust me enough to let me stand beside you?" You made the decision for both of us. You decided what I should know. You decided what I should believe. You decided that pushing me away was somehow better than letting me choose for myself."
He laughed quietly.
"And then... seven years later... you are acting as if we can slowly fix everything without even talking about it."
His eyes searched Jimin's face.
"Do you really think my silence means I'm okay?"
Jimin looked at him with trembling eyes. "I never thought that..."
"You did."
Yoongi answered immediately. "You mistook my calmness for acceptance."
He slowly shook his head.
"Everyone gets angry differently, Jimin. Some people shout... some people break things... some people cry."
His lips curved into a faint, exhausted smile. "My anger became silence even though i planned alot i would say this, i would say that.."
"It doesn't mean I stopped hurting. It just means I got tired of asking questions no one was willing to answer."
Jimin finally gathered enough courage to lift his head. "But... now?"
There was hope hidden inside those two words. A desperate, fragile hope. Yoongi stared at him for several long seconds.
"Now?" He repeated quietly.
Then he slowly stood up.
The water dripped from his feet back into the river.
"Nothing."
That single word sounded heavier than any argument they had shared.
He wanted tos start again but pain wasn't easier to forget.
He turned around and began walking back toward the house without looking behind him.
Jimin remained exactly where he was.
The tears kept falling one after another as he watched Yoongi's figure grow farther away.
Only after Yoongi disappeared from sight did the words he had buried for seven years finally leave his lips.
"Why..." His voice broke. "Why does everyone think I was wrong?"
He buried his face in both hands.
"Why can't anyone understand that I didn't have another choice? I know... if I had more time... maybe I could've found another way. Maybe I would've made a different decision. Even now I keep thinking about it every single day... wondering if there was something else I could've done."
His breathing became uneven.
"But I was only twenty-five too. I was terrified. My mind wasn't working. I didn't have the luxury to sit down and think about every possible outcome. I chose the only path that looked safe at that moment..."
His eyes drifted toward the place where Yoongi had been sitting only minutes ago.
"And now everyone asks why I don't tell him the truth..."
A painful smile appeared on his face.
"How can I? Because the moment I tell him one truth... he'll have to face another. The kind of truth that won't just change how he sees me... It'll change how he sees his entire life."
"He loves his parents more than anything."
Jimin slowly closed his eyes.
"So tell me... How am I supposed to be the person who destroys that love with a single sentence?"
Jimin brushed the tears from his face.
"Whatever it takes...I won't give up. I broke us... so I'll be the one who puts us back together."
Taehyung, Kevin, Minsu and Jungkook had gone a little deeper into the forest to collect dry sticks and firewood for cooking. The ground was covered with fallen branches, making their work much easier than they had expected.
Well... For three of them.
Jungkook had contributed absolutely nothing.
The moment they reached there, he found a huge rock, sat on it comfortably and had been watching the other three work ever since as if he had been appointed their supervisor.
"Guys... aren't we done?" Jungkook asked lazily while stretching his arms above his head.
Taehyung stopped for a second before looking at him with complete disbelief.
"You've been sitting there since we came."
"So?"
"So you have the audacity to ask if we're done?"
Jungkook shrugged innocently. "I'm motivating you all mentally."
Kevin laughed.
"Beo, I don't think that's called motivation."
Taehyung pointed a piece of wood toward Jungkook.
"I seriously made the biggest mistake by forcing you to come."
Jungkook only smirked.
"Then don't force me next time."
Minsu looked at the pile of firewood they had already collected before speaking.
"Taehyung hyung, I think this should be enough. We already have more than we need."
Taehyung looked over everything before nodding.
"Yeah... let's go."
The four of them picked up the bundles.
Just then Jungkook suddenly stopped.
"Wait."
Everyone looked at him.
"I need to pee."
He awkwardly pointed toward the bushes before walking away without waiting for anyone's reply.
Taehyung rolled his eyes.
"I hope a ghost finds you."
He didn't expect an answer.
Instead, Jungkook's loud voice echoed from somewhere behind the bushes.
"Of course a ghost will find me handsome!"
Kevin burst into laughter while Minsu shook his head.
Dinner somehow turned into complete chaos, just like every meal did whenever all of them were together.
Ten people under one roof meant nobody spoke one at a time. Someone was always complaining, someone was stealing food from another's plate, someone was laughing over something that wasn't even funny while another was arguing over absolutely nothing. The entire area felt less like people having dinner and more like a noisy zoo where every species had gathered to make sure silence never existed.
Except... Two people remained unusually quiet.
Jimin and Yoongi. Neither of them had exchanged more than a few words ever since evening.
Even while everyone laughed at Jungkook's dramatic complaints or Taehyung's terrible jokes, they simply smiled politely whenever required before returning to eating in silence.
The distance between them was impossible to ignore.
Yoongi spent most of the dinner sitting with Jungkook and Kevin, occasionally talking to Minsu whenever they asked him something, while Jimin naturally stayed closer to Namjoon, Taehyung and Jin. Neither of them intentionally looked at the other, yet both of them were painfully aware of where the other was sitting.
Namjoon noticed it first. Jin noticed it immediately after.
While pretending to eat, Namjoon quietly leaned a little closer.
"I think they fought."
Jin sighed without even looking up from his bowl.
"I noticed."
Before coming to the Forest, Namjoon had already explained everything to Jin about the misunderstanding between them. They had honestly believed everything was finally back to normal because both of them had been acting perfectly fine the entire day.
Apparently...They had been wrong.
After dinner everyone helped clean up before dragging the mattresses into the middle of the hall, arranging them in a large circle so nobody would be left sitting behind anyone. Sitting like this made conversations easier... and tonight, inside an old abandoned mansion, nobody wanted to be alone.

"Guys..." Namjoon called once everyone settled down. "Can everyone stop shouting for one minute?"
Within a few minutes everyone found their place.
Namjoon sat first. Beside him sat Jin.
Then Jimin. Next to Jimin was Yoongi.
Kevin settled beside Yoongi while Minsu sat beside Kevin. Jungkook dropped himself next to Minsu, Taehyung beside Jungkook, Aura beside Taehyung, Myra beside Aura, completing the circle before ending back at Namjoon.
Nobody realized that despite trying to avoid each other the entire evening... Jimin and Yoongi had somehow ended up sitting side by side again.
Taehyung casually lifted his wrist before looking at his watch.
"Guys..." Everyone looked at him. "It's already twelve."
"So?" Kevin asked.
"So time is literally running and we're wasting our night."
"Wasting how?"
"We're staying inside one of the creepiest house I've ever seen and nobody has even started telling horror stories."
His words made everyone instinctively look around.
Now that dinner was over and the conversations had quietened down...
The house suddenly felt completely different.
The broken wooden windows creaked every time the wind became stronger. Shadows stretched strangely across the walls because of the lanterns, and somewhere outside leaves rustled even though there didn't seem to be enough wind to move them that much.
Minsu slowly rubbed both of his arms. "I'm not gonna lie..."
He glanced around the dark hallway before looking back at everyone.
"...this house actually looks scary at night."
"I've been trying not to say that since evening," Aura admitted.
"Same," Myra nodded quickly. "It keeps feeling like someone is watching us."
Jungkook immediately looked behind himself. "Don't joke like that."
"I'm not joking."
"Stop..."
Kevin purposely leaned closer. "What if somebody is standing behind you right now?"
Jungkook instantly smacked Kevin's arm. "You idiot."
Everyone laughed.
Namjoon quietly smiled before clearing his throat.
"I'll tell you a story."
The reaction was immediate.
"Finally!"
Aura clapped happily. "I've been waiting."
"Me too," Taehyung grinned before pulling the blanket over his legs.
Even Jimin found himself smiling faintly.
As everyone adjusted themselves more comfortably, his knee accidentally brushed against Yoongi's.
Then... Yoongi quietly shifted a little away. The tiny movement shouldn't have mattered.
For some reason... It did.
(Listen muskan jhooti hai song.. DON'T DARE TO READ WITHOUT PLAYING SONG 🔪)
Namjoon looked around the circle one last time before beginning.
"No one remembers when the village first appeared, and perhaps that was the strangest thing about it. It stood hidden beyond endless fields, untouched by maps and forgotten by travelers. There was only one narrow road leading inside, and at the very end of it stood an old two-story house where the lights always went out long before sunset. The villagers never questioned it. They simply locked their doors before dark and pretended the silence outside didn't exist."
The laughter disappeared.
Everyone listened quietly.
"That was where eleven-year-old Ethan lived with his father Daniel after losing his mother. Since her death Ethan barely spoke, but everyone believed time would eventually heal him. Every evening their neighbor, Mrs. Hale, arrived carrying warm soup and gentle smiles. She treated Ethan like her own son, always stroking his hair before leaving. At first nobody found it strange... until Ethan began losing weight. No matter how much he ate his body became thinner every single day. Doctors examined him, performed every possible test and still left with the same answer."
Namjoon lowered his voice.
"They couldn't explain what was slowly draining the life out of him."
Jungkook frowned. "So... he was sick?"
Nobody answered.
He continued. "Or... was he possessed?"
Namjoon smiled.. "You'll know."
Everyone groaned.
"Don't do that," Kevin complained.
"Around the same time, a traveler named Lucas arrived after heavy rain forced him to stay inside the village. Daniel offered him a room for the night, never imagining that the stranger would become the only person willing to believe something was terribly wrong inside that house."
Myra tilted her head. "So Lucas was the hero?"
"Maybe."
"Hyung..."
"You'll know."
Everyone laughed again.
Namjoon continued. "The first few nights felt completely ordinary... except for one thing. Every night, exactly after midnight, Lucas heard scratching sounds coming from somewhere inside the walls."
The moment those words left his mouth..
THUD.
One of the old windows slammed violently against its frame.
Everyone's heads snapped toward it.
The wind outside suddenly became stronger, forcing another window to swing open before crashing shut again.
Nobody spoke. Aura quietly grabbed Myra's arm. Myra immediately leaned closer.
Jin had somehow inched nearer to Namjoon without realizing it.
Kevin coughed awkwardly.
"Probably just the wind..."
"Obviously it's the wind," Taehyung answered. "...right?"
No one replied.
Namjoon simply continued as though nothing had happened.
"Lucas blamed rats at first... until the scratching began moving. It crawled from one wall to another... then across the ceiling... directly above his bed. Every morning Ethan looked weaker while everyone else insisted they had never heard a single sound. By the fifth day..."
Namjoon's voice became quieter.
"...Ethan stopped opening his eyes."
Just then..
Something small suddenly fluttered across the ceiling.
A bat.
It flew so quickly above their heads that everyone instinctively looked up.
"What the. "
Jungkook ducked immediately.
Taehyung didn't even think before grabbing Jungkook's arm tightly.
"I'm telling you this house isn't normal."
"It's just a bat," Kevin tried to sound brave.
His voice wasn't convincing anyone.
Even Jimin quietly rubbed his palms together. The cold inside the house suddenly felt much stronger than before.
Almost without thinking...Yoongi shifted ever so slightly closer until their knees touched again.
This time he didn't move away.
The warmth reaching through that tiny point of contact somehow eased the strange uneasiness sitting inside Jimin's chest.
Namjoon continued.
"Desperate, Lucas finally called Father Cole, an old priest known for dealing with things people refused to speak about. The moment Father Cole stepped inside the house... the color disappeared from his face. He didn't check Ethan first. He didn't ask any questions. He simply stood there staring at the ceiling for almost an entire minute before ordering every piece of furniture to be moved away from the walls and every single window to be sealed shut."
Kevin swallowed.
"...Why?"
Namjoon's eyes slowly wandered around the room before resting on everyone again.
"Because...He already knew."
"What?"
"Whatever had entered that house..."
"...was never a sickness."
"Just after two in the morning," Namjoon continued, lowering his voice until everyone unconsciously leaned a little closer, "the entire house fell into an unnatural silence. Not the kind of silence you experience at night... this one felt wrong, as though every insect, every bird and even the wind had suddenly decided to stop making a sound. Then... a long, slow hiss echoed through the walls. It didn't come from one direction. It travelled through the entire house, circling them again and again before finally stopping right above their heads."
Nobody spoke.
Even Jungkook, who usually interrupted every two minutes, was quietly staring at Namjoon.
"Something climbed the outside wall," Namjoon continued, his eyes slowly moving toward the ceiling above them as if he could actually see it happening. "It crawled over the roof... and then stopped directly above the room where Ethan, Lucas and Father Cole were standing. They looked up..."
His voice became barely audible.
"...and they saw her."
THUD.
A loud sound suddenly echoed from one of the empty rooms upstairs.
Everyone flinched. Even Namjoon instinctively stopped talking.
Ten pairs of eyes immediately turned toward the dark hallway.
Then...
Something white quickly passed across the doorway.
"I saw something move."Kevin was the first one to speak.
His voice wasn't as confident as usual.
"I swear... something just moved."
Jin immediately grabbed Namjoon's arm. "I saw it too."
Taehyung slowly swallowed. "...Guys..."
Even Minsu looked genuinely uncomfortable now."Please tell me someone else saw that."
The room became silent again.
Finally, Yoongi looked toward the same direction for another few seconds before speaking.
"I think..." Everyone immediately looked at him. "...it's probably the curtain."
Even he didn't sound completely sure.
"But the windows are broken in a few rooms," he added. "The wind could easily move it."
The explanation wasn't perfect.
Still... It was enough.
Everyone unknowingly let out the breath they had been holding.
"Exactly," Kevin nodded immediately, trying to convince himself more than anyone else. "Curtain... definitely curtain."
"Continue, hyung," Jungkook hurriedly said. "Just... don't stop in the middle like that."
Namjoon chuckled before continuing.
"A pale woman clung effortlessly to the ceiling. Her body bent in ways no human body should ever bend. Where hair should have been, dozens of black snakes writhed endlessly across her head, their tongues flickering through the darkness. She never opened her mouth... yet her voice echoed from every corner of the room at once."
Namjoon's voice dropped into a whisper.
"'Give me the boy.'"
Nobody interrupted.
"Lucas grabbed the nearest chair and swung it toward her without thinking, but before it could even reach her... she disappeared."
He paused.
"The next heartbeat..." His hand suddenly clapped loudly. "...every window exploded inward."
Aura jumped. So did Myra.
Even Jin tightened his grip around Namjoon's arm.
"Glass covered the entire room. Father Cole immediately began praying while throwing holy water in every direction. Wherever the water touched... the darkness hissed as though it had been burned. The creature disappeared only seconds before sunrise."
"The priest knew they had survived by pure luck," Namjoon continued. "Not because they had defeated her... but because dawn interrupted whatever she had started. Without wasting another minute, he left to find Elder Priest Thomas, the only man who had spent his entire life studying the ancient spirit the villagers feared so much that they refused to even speak her name."
Outside...nThe wind suddenly howled through the trees. Nobody even glanced away from Namjoon.
"The forest remained strangely quiet. Again and again Father Cole heard footsteps following him. Every single time he turned around..."
Namjoon slowly looked behind himself.
"...there was nobody."
Kevin unconsciously copied the action before quickly looking back.
"Finally he hid behind a tree, waiting to catch whoever had been following him."
Namjoon slowly raised one finger toward the ceiling.
"He looked up."
"...She wasn't walking through the forest....She was floating above it."
Jungkook rubbed both of his arms.
"Stop... I'm getting goosebumps."
"By the time Father Cole reached the neighboring village..." Namjoon continued, "...it was already too late. Elder Priest Thomas was dead. He sat inside his own house exactly where he had been reading, his eyes frozen wide open in terror."
"The only thing left behind... ...was a single page."
Namjoon slowly spoke every word written on it.
"'Field."
"'Midnight."
"'Circle."
"'Bury her in two pieces..."
"...or she takes everyone.'"
Nobody even blinked.
"With no one else left to help, Lucas and Father Cole carried Ethan's lifeless body into an empty field that same night. They surrounded him with salt and ash before waiting beneath a sky so silent it felt like the world itself had stopped breathing."
"The storm didn't begin with thunder."
"It began... with a hiss. A long whisper drifted through the endless cornfields. And then... she appeared."
Namjoon's voice became faster.
"The battle lasted only a few minutes, yet every second felt endless. Prayers disappeared beneath screams. Blood soaked into the earth. Every time they believed she had vanished... she returned from another shadow."
"When she lunged toward Ethan one last time...Lucas picked up the axe and swung it with everything he had left."
Namjoon quietly looked around the circle.
"Her head rolled across the ground."
Nobody moved.
"...But her body..."
He paused.
"...kept walking."
Aura immediately hid behind Myra's shoulder.
"What the hell..."
"It continued walking for several horrifying seconds..."
"...before finally collapsing."
"Following Thomas's instructions, they buried the head and body far away from each other beneath layers of salt and iron."
"As dawn arrived. Ethan opened his eyes."
"He looked around exactly like someone waking after an ordinary night's sleep."
"The village celebrated."
"They believed... the nightmare had finally ended."
A deep breath escaped almost everyone together.
"So..." Taehyung finally spoke. "She died?"
Namjoon looked at him. Instead of answering...
He continued.
"A week later, Lucas boarded a train, believing he had finally left the curse behind forever."
"The very same morning..."
"...Father Cole was found dead..He remained sitting peacefully in his chair. There wasn't a single wound on his body."
"...Only one strange thing."
Namjoon slowly looked around everyone again.
"A line of ants...nwas crawling out of his mouth."
Nobody said anything.
"Lucas never heard about his death."
"He was already travelling."
"Passengers eventually noticed he had locked himself inside the restroom for far too long. They knocked."
"No answer."
"They knocked again."
"Still nothing."
"So they broke the door."
The room had become completely silent.
"They found Lucas lying on the floor. His body looked impossibly old. His skin had dried until it clung tightly to his bones, as though decades had passed within a single night."
"Ants silently crawled from his mouth..."
"...and from his nose."
"His eyes..."
Namjoon slowly lifted his own toward the ceiling.
"...remained fixed above him. No one inside the train dared look up."
"Then..."
"...they heard it."
He slowly dragged his fingers across the mattress beside him.
Scrrrr...
The sound alone made everyone's skin crawl.
"Something..."
"...was crawling across the roof of the moving train."
"It stopped... directly above the restroom."
"A long hiss echoed through the carriage."
"And far beyond the train windows, where endless fields disappeared into the darkness..."
"...a woman dressed entirely in white stood perfectly still."
"She watched the train disappear."
Namjoon fell silent for a few seconds before quietly speaking the final words.
"Some curses never end."
"They simply wait..." for the next place to call home."
The story ended. A cold shiver ran through the entire group.
Outside, the old house creaked once again, and this time... nobody wanted to find out whether it was only the wind.
The rain crashed against the old wooden roof with such force that, for a few terrifying seconds, it genuinely sounded as if someone was standing outside throwing handfuls of stones at the house. Every window rattled in its frame, the wind whistled through the cracks, and somewhere upstairs a loose wooden plank creaked loudly enough to make everyone instinctively look toward the ceiling.
Not a single person spoke.
The silence after Namjoon's story somehow felt even scarier than the story itself.
Then...
Creeeak...
The bedroom door where Aura and Myra were staying slowly swung open on its own.
Aura immediately grabbed Myra's arm. "Oh my God..."
Kevin swallowed hard while Jungkook slowly turned his head toward the door.
Namjoon cleared his throat even though he himself had flinched.
"It's... probably just the wind," he said, trying to sound convincing.
"Probably?" Kevin looked at him in disbelief. "Hyung, don't say 'probably' at a time like this."
"I'm serious."
"You scared the hell out of me," Kevin muttered, pressing a hand against his chest. "I was already imagining that snake-haired woman standing outside."
Jin immediately looked toward the window. "Don't even joke about it."
Everyone laughed nervously, though the laughter disappeared almost as quickly as it came.
Myra suddenly clapped her hands together. "Guys... I also know one story."
Every head turned toward her.
(Hear gumnam hai koi)
"What story?" Taehyung asked, already regretting asking.
"It's actually about my seniors." She looked around the circle before continuing. "Do you all remember hearing about that case a few years ago? Five boys were found dead inside a forest."
The moment she mentioned forest, everyone unconsciously glanced toward the dark trees outside the windows.
"So..." Myra pulled the blanket over her legs before continuing. "They had planned camping... just like us. Five college boys, all best friends. There was nothing special. They reached the forest, laughed, took pictures, pitched their tents and later decided to collect wood before it became dark."
She paused just enough for everyone to focus completely.
"While they were searching, one of them wandered away because he wanted to pee. He kept walking farther without realizing how deep inside the forest he had gone."
Kevin immediately looked at Jungkook.
"See? Exactly why people shouldn't go alone."
Jungkook casually shoved a hand into his pocket, his fingers brushing against the old ring he had secretly picked up earlier when he went to pee.
Myra continued.
"He finished and was about to leave when something caught his attention near a tree. There was a dirty piece of white cloth sticking out from the ground."
"He thought maybe someone had buried garbage there. So he crouched down... grabbed the cloth... and pulled."
She slowly looked at everyone. "...A human hand came out."
Everyone froze.
"He screamed so loudly that his friends came running. When they reached him... they saw exactly what he had seen. A pale hand sticking halfway out of the soil."
Jin visibly shivered. "No..."
"They were terrified," Myra nodded. "One of them suggested calling the police, but there was no network. Another said maybe it was an old grave and someone had dug it up. In the end they decided not to touch anything else and return to camp."
She smiled faintly. "But the boy who had pulled that hand..."
"He was so scared that he refused to even walk alone after that. He kept holding one of his friend's arm everywhere they went."
"Smart guy," Jungkook muttered.
"The night came. They lit a fire and started cooking dinner together. The boy who had found the hand was sitting the farthest from the flames because he couldn't stop looking toward the forest."
"Then something impossible happened. The fire suddenly burst upward... as if someone had poured petrol into it. Before anyone could react..."
"One of the boys caught fire."
Everyone stared at her.
"He wasn't even standing close enough. They tried everything. They threw water on him, rolled him across the ground... but he died right there."
Nobody interrupted her anymore.
"The remaining four were horrified. They packed everything immediately and decided they were leaving that very night."
"They crossed the old wooden bridge over the river. Three of them had almost reached the other side when one suddenly slipped. He fell straight into the river."
"They screamed his name. They jumped in. They searched until sunrise. They never found him."
The room had become so quiet that even the rain outside sounded distant.
"Now only three friends remained."
"They kept walking through the forest in complete silence, they felt like the exit was never coming until one of them stepped between the roots of a huge tree."
"He lost his balance. He fell face-first... onto a sharp rock."
"They rushed to him. There was blood everywhere. He had died instantly."
Kevin slowly rubbed both of his arms.
"That's... impossible."
"The last two boys were already convinced something was following them."
"The one who had uncovered the hand kept crying, saying it was all his fault."
"'If I hadn't touched it... everyone would still be alive...'"
"The other friend hugged him."
"'It's not your fault.'"
"Myra..." Aura whispered.
Myra looked at her but continued. "The crying boy suddenly stopped."
"He slowly lifted his head."
"And then... He smiled. Not like himself. It was the kind of smile that doesn't belong on a human face."
"The other boy slowly stepped backward."
"'What's wrong with you?'"
"The smiling boy opened his mouth...nand thick blood slowly dripped from between his teeth."
"'It's not your friend anymore,'"
"Myra lowered her voice until it almost became a whisper.
"'He died the moment he tried to pull me out.'"
"'I only borrowed his body.'"
Nobody breathed.
"The remaining boy ran. He didn't even look back. He kept running through the forest until he reached the river."
"He looked behind him... nd his friend was already standing there."
"Completely still. His eyes had turned pure white. The skin on his face began stretching. His bones twisted with loud cracking sounds. And right in front of him.. his friend's body slowly changed into a woman."
"A woman with long black hair covering her face."
"The boy was shaking so badly he couldn't even scream."
"He looked behind him. The river. He looked in front. The woman. He had nowhere left to run."
"So... He jumped."
A heavy silence settled over the room after Myra finished. The rain outside hadn't slowed at all. If anything, it had become louder, crashing against the roof while the trees outside swayed so violently that their shadows kept sliding across the windows like someone was walking around the house.
Jungkook was the first one to finally break the silence. "...Is this story real?"
His voice had lost all the confidence it usually carried.
Myra slowly nodded. "Yes."
She looked around at everyone before adding the one sentence that made the atmosphere even heavier.
"It happened in this same forest."
The moment those words left her mouth, everyone's eyes instinctively shifted toward Namjoon as if hoping he would laugh and say she was joking.
Instead... Namjoon simply looked back at them without saying anything.
Jin quietly moved even closer until his shoulder was pressed against Namjoon's.
"I suddenly don't like this trip anymore," he muttered honestly.
Kevin let out an awkward laugh that didn't sound convincing at all.
"Guys..." Jungkook suddenly spoke again.
His voice sounded... strange. Everyone looked at him. He slowly reached inside his pocket.
"I... I have to tell you something."
Kevin immediately narrowed his eyes.
"Don't tell me..."
Jungkook swallowed before slowly opening his palm. A small old silver ring rested there.
Then Kevin's eyes almost popped out. "No."
Jungkook nodded stiffly. "Yes."
"What ring?" Jimin asked, confused, looking between the two of them.
Kevin looked like he couldn't even believe what he was about to say.
"He... went to pee earlier..."
His sentence remained unfinished because he already knew where this was going.
Jungkook looked down at the ring lying on his palm. "I found this there."
"My foot accidentally kicked it while I was walking back..." He nervously licked his lips before continuing. "I thought someone might have dropped it, so... I picked it up."
His hand had already started trembling. For a moment the room became frighteningly quiet.
Then Jimin's eyes widened. "...Are you out of your mind?"
Jungkook looked at him helplessly. "I forgot about it until she started telling the story."
"Fucking throw that thing away," Jimin said immediately, his voice so serious that nobody argued.
Jungkook didn't waste another second.
He practically jumped to his feet, hurried toward the window and, without even looking outside, threw the ring as far as he possibly could into the darkness.
The tiny metallic sound of it disappearing into the night had barely faded...
CRAAACKKKK-!!
A blinding flash of lightning tore across the sky.
The thunder exploded almost instantly afterward, so loud that the entire house shook beneath them.
Everyone instinctively covered their ears.
Aura screamed. Myra flinched so badly she nearly fell sideways. Kevin ducked his head. Even Taehyung cursed under his breath.
Without thinking...bYoongi's hand shot out and firmly grabbed Jimin's shoulder. Jimin closed his eyes. Jin was almost sitting on Namjoonm
Only after a few seconds did he realize what he had done.
Jimin glanced sideways at the hand resting on his shoulder but didn't say anything.
Namjoon slowly let out a long breath before forcing a smile.
"...I think that's enough horror stories for one night."
"I vote we sleep," Kevin said immediately.
"Same," Taehyung nodded faster than anyone had ever seen him nod before.
Jin looked toward the dark hallway leading deeper into the house and quietly muttered,
"And nobody... absolutely nobody... is going anywhere alone."
Everyone nodded.
After making sure everything Jin finally walked the girls toward one of the bedrooms.
"You both sleep here," he said while placing the extra blankets on the bed "If you need anything during the night, just call us."
"We will, hyung," Aura replied with a smile.
"Good night."
"Good night."
After making sure they were comfortable, Jin quietly closed the door behind him and walked back toward the hall where everyone else had already gathered.
A long mattress had been spread across almost the entire floor, covered with thick blankets because the nights in the forest were much colder than any of them had expected.
One by one, everyone settled into their places.
Kevin lay down first at left corner.
Beside him was Jungkook, who had already wrapped himself inside the blanket like a cocoon. Taehyung lay next to Jungkook, then Namjoon, followed by Jin. Beside Jin was Yoongi, then Jimin...
Just when Jimin was about to pull the blanket over himself, Minsu suddenly walked over.
"Hyung..." he called softly.
Jimin turned his head.
"Can I sleep here?" He pointed toward the empty space beside Jimin.
Jimin didn't think much about it. "Yeah."
"Thank you."
Minsu happily lay down beside him before immediately pulling the blanket over himself.
Yoongi heard the entire conversation. He didn't say a single word. He simply adjusted his blanket and lay down with his back facing Jimin's side.
It was already dark, only the pale moonlight slipping through the wooden window remained, filling the room with a faint silver glow while the cold breeze outside gently rattled the old trees.
Almost everyone disappeared completely inside their blankets.
Even Jimin, who usually wasn't affected by cold that much, pulled the blanket all the way up before lying flat on his back and staring at the wooden ceiling.
He wasn't someone who believed in ghosts.
But staying inside an old mansion in the middle of an unknown forest after listening to countless strange stories the just now... it would be a lie to say none of it had stayed in his mind.
No matter how practical a person was... Places like these always managed to make people think twice.
Minsu noticed Jimin still awake and turned slightly toward him.
"Hyung..."
"Hm?"
"Are you scared?"
Jimin didn't even look at him. "No."
The answer came so naturally that Minsu simply nodded before closing his eyes again.
Yoongi, whose back was still facing them, quietly listened to every word without moving.
After that... The occasional sound of someone turning beneath their blanket, the distant chirping of insects outside and the gentle rustling of leaves were the only things breaking the quiet night.
One by one, everyone drifted into sleep.
Kevin.
Jungkook.
Taehyung.
Even Minsu, who had been talking just moments ago, had fallen asleep.
Time quietly passed.
Only then did Yoongi slowly open his eyes. Carefully, making sure not to wake anyone, he turned onto his other side.
His gaze instinctively searched for Jimin. The first thing he noticed wasn't Jimin...
It was Minsu.
Somewhere in his sleep, Minsu had unknowingly shifted closer until one of his arms rested comfortably across Jimin's stomach. Jimin, probably too exhausted to notice, was still asleep, although it was obvious he wasn't lying comfortably anymore.
Yoongi silently looked at them for a few moments. Then his eyes wandered toward the empty space beside him.
Jin had moved closer to Namjoon's mattress while sleeping, leaving enough room between them.
Yoongi didn't hesitated. Very slowly, he shifted a little toward Jin's side to make space for Jimin.
Then, with the same care someone would use while handling something precious, he stretched his arm across the small distance separating them and gently wrapped it around Jimin's waist.
Jimin didn't wake up.
Yoongi carefully pulled him little by little, making sure not to disturb anyone, until Jimin's body slowly slipped away from Minsu's side and came closer to his own.
Only when there was barely any space left between them did Yoongi stop.
Now they were facing each other.
Their faces were so close that every slow breath they took brushed against the other's skin. Their noses accidentally touched.
Yoongi couldn't help the tiny smile that appeared on his lips.
As naturally as if this was where Jimin had belonged all along, he gently pulled the blanket higher, making sure it covered both of them properly before letting his hand remain loosely around Jimin's waist.
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