"How do we get in?"

The boys stared at the large signboard placed near the bar door: '20 years old and above only' from their places behind wooden crates.

"I know a way," Jun said smugly.

Minghao scoffed, "There's no way you can bust up a person like that.." He pointed to a young, muscled man standing guard in front of the entrance. "..especially with a body like yours." Minghao gestured to the boy's skinny frame.

"Who said I'm gonna bust anyone?"

"Then, what are we going to do?" Minghao sighed.

"Wait wait..." Jun, whose eyes are widened, grabbed his shoulders (which confused Minghao) and smirked. "Did you just eye my body?"

This .

"I'm going back," Minghao pushed the smirking boy and started to turn away, but Jun grabbed his arm before he could. "What?"

"I need you to go through a window," Jun pointed towards the side of the bar.

"No way!" Minghao was horrified. He couldn't risk getting caught by someone, since he was basically entering a place not for the underage like him. "You didn't even tell me that there are certain qualifications to enter a place like that!"

"Keep your voice down!" Jun whisper-shouted and pulled Minghao down with him. "I'm doing this for you!"

"What do you even mean? You don't know m—umph!" Suddenly, Jun covered his mouth, cutting off the rest of his words. Thinking that Jun didn't want to listen to what he wanted to say, he tried to push the bigger boy's hands off him.

"Shh—Hao–wait.. Sshhh!" Jun leaned his face closer to Minghao's while still covering his mouth, and placed a finger to his own lips, implying that they should be quiet. At once, Minghao stopped struggling, too shocked to even move after seeing the close proximity between their faces. He felt his face heating up for the second time that night.

But Minghao didn't dwell on that for too long, since he heard the sound of multiple footsteps nearing the place where they're hiding.

.

Jun moved back for a moment to peer through the small cracks of the crates that faced the destination's entrance, his face remaining calm and collected despite the raging terror Minghao felt inside, and leaned again closer to whisper something on the smaller boy's ear.

"When I give a signal, you go for the window at the side of the bar."

"Umph?!" Despite his mouth being covered, Minghao let out a sound as his eyes grew wide.

"Jong-in, my buddy!" Jun suddenly stood up, which left Minghao in a panic.

"Jun? What are you doing here?" Minghao peered at the cracks, observing both boys moving towards the entrance of the bar. He saw Jun slinging his arm around the taller male's shoulder (with difficulty) as he continued his conversation with the other, and his other hand at his back waving peculiarly back and forth, almost like giving a signal—

Oh! The signal!

Minghao sprinted as noiselessly as he could towards the side of the bar. When he reached the place, he saw a lone open window a few distances above his height, but knew he could manage it. Swinging his arms back and forth and bending his knees a little, he jumped up and let his hands grab unto the window sill. He quickly hoisted himself up, moving his body sideways to fit into the window. When he saw that there were stacked boxes to step on inside the dimly lit room, he grinned and lowered his left foot first. He stepped on the highest box just below the window and proceeded to step down the boxes like they were stairs.

Yes!

Minghao lifted his arms in triumph, cheering quietly that he had 'infiltrated' a place on his own (not really). But his happiness is short-lived when he heard shuffling just behind him.