Note 1: Wow, you guys really loved One/OneHi last chap, interesting. Will it change after this?

Chapter xii. | trust

Something sparked in the air, silent and deadly.

It shrouded over the trio in an embrace so thick and lethal, Hayi felt like she couldn’t breathe.

But perhaps, that was also because of Hanbin’s sharp gaze, pinning her to the spot. Though she didn’t understand the reason for such a reaction, it made her want to shrink away. Why was he acting like she had committed some sort of treason against him?

The fingers around her arm loosened.

And then there was this guy—Jaewon, who was confusing her just as much.

Both of them did.

Annoyed, Hayi tried to wriggle her arm free from Jaewon’s grip. Hanbin caught the movement like a hawk, his gaze flaring. Unlike him, Jaewon ignored her attempts and seemed a lot more interested in Hanbin and chose that moment to speak. Hayi wished he didn’t.

“Well?” he asked the other male.

To anyone, it sounded like a challenge.

And damn, did Hanbin look like he was up for it.

From where Hayi stood, this much was obvious, the murderous-like energy coming off Hanbin tripling. Jaewon could probably sense it too, but to her appal, that didn’t seem to bother him in the slightest.

“Jaewon…” she warned.

It didn’t help when she was still yet to free herself and they were still fixed in their intimate position that only made Jaewon’s earlier announcement plausible, but Hayi wasn’t his girl at all.

With a strong tug, she freed herself but only for a second because Jaewon’s grip returned and yanked her back to his side. She couldn’t control the gasp that fell from .

What the hell.

“It’s fine,” he heard Jaewon say. “He’ll go away if we—”

“Five seconds,” Hanbin’s lips peeled back to hiss. “I’m giving you five ing seconds to step away from her before I do it myself.”

A cold finger ran down Hayi’s spine. Hanbin hadn’t sounded this threatening in so long and that only meant he was serious. This could either end with bloody faces or strewn threats, and Hayi only hoped for the latter.

She turned to Jaewon desperately.

“Let go, Jaewon. I know him.”           

But the other male looked unconvinced. “Yeah? And I’m supposed to trust a face like that—?”

That was when Hanbin finally intervened, pushing himself between the two with a vicious shove on Jaewon’s chest. Hayi tumbled the other way and she realised Jaewon pushed her away in time.

“I don’t give a if you don’t trust me because I sure as don’t trust you!” Hanbin snarled at him.

Over Hanbin’s shoulder, Hayi saw Jaewon recover from the stumble. His expression darkened and it was something Hayi never thought she’d see on him.

His black eyes now devoid of life glinted coldly, and it promised nothing but peril.

“And?” asked Jaewon. “You’re the one who came out of nowhere, uninvited.”

If Hanbin’s aura was deadly, then this version of Jaewon was just as frightening.

How? How was this happening? Everything was escalating too fast and with the two people she never expected.

Panic made Hayi frantic, her eyes scouring back to the party going on nearby for any help. No one seemed to have noticed anything so far, but not for too long.

An ear-piercing crash yanked Hayi back to the scene as she watched Jaewon double over the table that held the plates they ate from earlier. His beer can and Hayi’s coke clattered to the ground, spilling everywhere.

“Stop it!” came Hayi’s immediate shriek.

Jaewon grunted a little as he pushed himself up. Hayi was prepared to ask for his wellbeing and even run to him when Hanbin shot an arm out in front of her.

She opened to give her best friend a tongue-lashing but a sardonic chuckle beat her to it.

“…that all you got?” Jaewon rolled his shoulders with a roguish smile. “You push like a little girl.”

With a sneer, Hanbin easily took the bait and marched towards him.

Hayi could only watch, the hand she threw at Hanbin’s back not enough to hold him back. Her temples began to throb, heart hammering for the worst.

“Han…”

“So,” A much calmer voice interrupted. “I see acquaintances have been met.”

The smile that dazzled her earlier. Hayi never felt relief like she did when Kiseok strode towards them.

Calmly, the man assessed the scene and took his time. His eyes only stopped at the sight of his dongsaeng’s rumpled form. Something flickered over his face, almost like amusement but Hayi couldn’t be sure.

That wouldn’t make sense though, would it? But Kiseok’s palpable lack of concern was just as unsettling.

A low buzz of murmurs rose around them and Hayi noticed that a few people have crowded behind Kiseok. Then, that audience began to shift before parting for a triad of familiar faces. Hayi was dumbstruck once more as she recognised them.

It was none other than Song Mino with Lee Seunghoon and Kim Jinwoo.

Hayi was met with a collection of raised brows from each male before their expressions flashed from interest to shock at what was displayed before them. Mino recovered first with what looked like a stern expression aimed at her best friend.

Hanbin, surprisingly enough, backed down as soon as he saw it.

When they stopped next to the two scuffed up males, Seunghoon slapped Hanbin on the back as if to ease him while Jinwoo looked at Hayi apologetically. Mino ignored both of them, however, and focused on the other two standing across them.

“Simon.” Mino gave a curt nod to the older male, whose smile turned vague as he returned the gesture.

Simon?

“Mino,” Kiseok said. “Long time no see.”

If the atmosphere between Hanbin and Jaewon were nerve-wracking then now it was just unbearable. Hayi had no idea why but the tinge of danger that was brewing in the air was evident and she could feel it intensely as a mere bystander.

The formation didn’t help either as they stood divided, both parties staring each other down. Hayi felt excluded as she swung her eyes back and forth between the two, utterly lost to whatever silent confrontation was taking place.

Kiseok eventually broke it with a tilt of his head, eyes curving.

“I’m glad to see you all made it here tonight. I trust you’re having a good time?”

Mino finally crafted what seemed like a smile of his own. “Thank you for inviting us.”

“Oh no, don’t thank me,” Kiseok said, his voice lowering and for a second, his smile seemed more like a smirk. “Though he’s not here at the moment, thank Jay. It was his idea to invite just about everyone.”

“We’re grateful, regardless,” Jinwoo cut in with a small bow of his head, Mino apparently not finding the words to reply. His smile waned instead.

The exchange sounded casual enough yet clearly, something was amiss.

“I’m relieved this didn’t get out of hand,” Kiseok continued. “It’s unfortunate One started off on the wrong foot with one of yours.”

Kiseok briefly flickered his eyes to Hanbin, whose gaze has not lifted itself from the ground yet.

“You know how the younger ones can be, hot-headed and all,” Seunghoon tittered, garnering a series of forced smiles from everybody except Kiseok and his everlasting smirk, and Jaewon and Hanbin who were both strangely quiet.

“Well, I hope this doesn’t faze you. I’m sure this little situation…is just a misunderstanding that we both can overlook, yes? So then, if you’ll excuse us.”

Without another glance, Kiseok pivoted on his heel and waved a hand. A couple of people from the crowd quickly tended to the mess.

Jaewon, whose gaze had been so distant and empty, finally broke away from Hayi’s direction.

He no longer seemed like the person she had come to know. He was someone else, and it left her disturbed as she watched him depart with his hyung without so much a word.

Then, there was also Kiseok and his a hundred and eighty degrees change in personality. They were both so friendly and nice earlier that she second-guessed if they really were the same people a moment ago.

What just happened?

A heavy sigh pulled her out of musing and she looked up to see Mino. He looked extremely infuriated but did not vocalise it. Instead, he cast her and Hanbin a dirty look before he walked away as well.

A hand landed on her shoulder and she found Jinwoo. He was like a warm, soothing light from all this terrifying intensity that she couldn’t understand.

“It’s okay now,” he told her. “Come on.”

He was about to lead her away but Hayi wanted to deal with Hanbin first. However, she came to find out that the male was already getting steered away by Seunghoon after Mino.

In the end, she decided to not give chase. She had no more strength, not after all of that.

The lively music resumed below without a care, trembling the carpet beneath their feet.

Outside the laughter and chatters continued and Hanbin found h