Taesu was hoping to just catch his breath, maybe sit here for a little while before he could slink back to his room and pretend like his refusal to take some stupid potion wasn’t going to have consequences that he’d regret in the morning. But the moment he took a breath and tried to uncurl his fists, someone behind him spoke. The dullness in the other boy’s tone hit Taesu like cold water, enough to make him straighten, shoulders pulled taut, one hand still braced against the doorframe as if he might bolt to find another hiding spot. For a heartbeat he thought about apologizing because hey, maybe someone else was in here hiding too, but he had a sinking feeling that the moment he walked out was the moment someone would find him.

Taesu whirled around, eyes searching for the person, but it was so dark that he couldn’t see much of anything. He could almost feel the irritation rolling off him. Taesu took a breath through his nose like it might calm his beating heart, like he could breathe the tension right out of the air if he just tried hard enough. It didn’t work. His fingers curled against his palm again as he squinted like it might help him identify what room he was in.

“No one.” He snapped. He hated how defensive he sounded, but something about the other boy’s silence made him feel small, like he was a small child again and caught somewhere he shouldn’t be. Tae shifted his weight from one foot to the other, glancing toward the paper screen that separated him from the hall. He could easily leave, but he really, really didn’t want to be found.

Tae turned back to the darkness. “I’m not here to steal your blanket or whatever the hell you’re keeping hidden in here.”

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   Ahn-Bo Jeong