Trip (8): The Worst Haunted House Combo
“Iri, wanna come with us?”
“Let’s go together, Iri noona.”
I jumped in without missing a beat, backing her up. Sure, Iri noona would probably end up clinging to me, but it had to be better than her hanging around with Gahee noona or Yuyeong.
But Iri noona looked at me with a troubled expression.
“N-no, I’m fine. It’s not that scary for me.”
“Who said anything? Just come with us.”
I pressed her once more, but she waved me off in refusal.
“I’m good. You three go ahead with Gahee.”
Did I accidentally bruise her pride? Looked like I’d have to sweet-talk her properly.
“I just wanna go with you, Iri noona.”
“You don’t have to. Go with Gahee.”
“……”
What the hell was this? It didn’t feel like just pride anymore. Was this really something to brush off so coldly? Our mediator, Gahee noona, just stood there awkwardly, gauging the mood. I’d never seen Iri noona reject me like this before.
It was a tricky spot—not easy to just go along with what she wanted.
“What’s wrong?”
“I just think pairs would be more fun.”
“Then Iri and Taeyang can—”
Seonwoo cluelessly butted in midway, but Juyeon noona grabbed his arm and cut him off.
“We’ll head out first, then.”
“Huh? What’s this all of a sudden?”
“Don’t wanna go with me?”
After a quick back-and-forth, the two of them took off ahead. Phew—at least Juyeon noona had blocked Hayan noona’s flag for me.
The problem was why Iri noona was acting like this all of a sudden… I couldn’t buy that she just preferred the thrill of pairs over threesomes.
Did I do something wrong? Or was there definitely something going on…?
Iri noona showed no signs of backing down and headed straight for Yuyeong instead.
“So, Yuyeong, wanna go together?”
“Huh? Uh…”
Even Yuyeong picked up on how weird Iri noona was being and gave a half-hearted response. I had no clue what was going through Iri noona’s head, but there was nothing for it now. I’d have to settle for dodging Hayan noona’s flag.
“Gahee noona, wanna go together then?”
“Ah, well…”
Gahee noona hesitated for a second, but with Iri noona pointedly ignoring us, she cautiously took my hand. I hadn’t asked her to hold hands or anything… but with Hayan noona around, it should be fine. I’d already warned Hayan noona, so she’d keep Gahee noona from getting too clingy.
…Or so I thought. Instead of that, Hayan noona crossed her arms, stared Iri noona down for a long moment, then walked right over to her.
“Taeyang, Gahee, sorry, but I’m going with Iri.”
“What?”
“There’s something I wanna talk to Iri about. Oh, and Yuyeong too… sorry, but mind taking care of him?”
“…Yeah, got it.”
“Hayan…”
I wasn’t the only one shocked by Hayan noona’s sudden decision. Even Iri noona looked flustered by it.
“Didn’t you say pairs are better?”
“But…”
“Iri, it’s been a while—let’s walk and chat just the two of us.”
Hayan noona glanced back at us, her eyes urging us to get moving first.
“Wait, hold on… noona.”
I didn’t want to barge into the serious vibe, but why the hell did it have to be the one combo I dreaded most? Before I could even argue, though, Yuyeong and Gahee noona flanked me on both sides, grabbing an arm each like it was settled.
“Let’s get going, Taeyang.”
“Haunted house time—I’m already shaking~!”
“No, wait a sec…”
But it was no use against two girls. Mouth agape, I got dragged away.
In the end, I’d gotten stuck with the absolute worst pairing.
I let out a deep sigh as we walked, and soon enough, excited squeals erupted from beside me.
“Eek!! Taeyang!! What do I do~!!”
“What do you do? Get off me.”
“It’s scary…”
Yuyeong, I could see right through your act. She hugged my arm tight, burying her face in my shoulder like she was terrified. But this wasn’t even jump-scare level— she’d breezed through the amusement park haunted house no problem.
“Taeyang, if you’re scared, don’t hold back—lean on your noona anytime!”
On the flip side, she was way too reliable. Her eyes gleamed like she was waiting for me to get spooked.
“Then you handle Yuyeong since you’re so tough?”
I shoved the arm with Yuyeong attached toward her.
“Gahee noona seems even tougher, though?”
“……”
“……”
The moment their eyes met, a few seconds of silence stretched out. Distant screams echoed from ahead, but even Yuyeong went quiet.
The awkward hush broke with fake, syrupy laughs, and they launched into chummy chit-chat.
“Y-yeah, Yuyeong. If you’re scared, big sis has got you.”
“Yeah, uh, thanks, sis. So reliable. Haha.”
They’d been getting along fine before the haunted house. Why the sudden awkwardness?
“Shall we go?”
“…Yeah.”
I tried passing Yuyeong off to Gahee noona and putting some distance between us, but it flopped. I got yanked back to the middle, arms claimed by Gahee noona and Yuyeong once more.
Fine, whatever—time to rethink this. Might as well use the chance to tank both their affection levels at once by acting like a total loser. I knew it’d be tough, but if I played it careful and didn’t accidentally charm them, it was worth a shot.
Alright. Let’s try it.
“Looks like we gotta go in this room?”
The path dead-ended with a door off to the side. We stepped inside, and right away—
Thud—!! Something corpse-like dropped from the ceiling.
“Kyaa!!”
Even I jumped. Thought my heart was gonna explode for a second there. I stumbled back in panic, and suddenly arms wrapped around me from the side.
“Taeyang, don’t worry—your noona’s right here!!”
“I’m fine, let go! Don’t just grab me like that!”
“Ah, sorry, Taeyang.”
I felt the soft, warm sensation against my face, but snapped out of it and shoved away fast.
“Taeyang, I’m scared…”
Yuyeong playfully rubbed her face on my shoulder.
“Gahee noona, look after Yuyeong instead.”
“Come here, Yuyeong~”
“Tch—…Sis~!”
Did she just mutter a little “tch—” there? Had she picked up nothing but bad habits from Ha Eunju? I shook my head at Yuyeong’s obvious plays.
The two finally peeled off each other.
“Taeyang’s not scared?”
“What’s scary about this crap? It’s not even real.”
I said it all cocky and bored on purpose. Wanted to plant the idea that I was a snooze to bring to places like this.
“It’s all just people-made junk anyway, right?”
-Not scared?
A neutral voice echoed out of nowhere, and the doll on the table whipped its head around to face us with a creak.
“Hic!”
This time, even Yuyeong seemed genuinely spooked.
“Pfft~ Lame. What’s the big—”
Grab. Something latched onto my ankle.
Psh, probably just some hand prop on a machine. I glanced down—and locked eyes with a half-skinned, torso-only thing.
Its mouth moved.
“Hi?”
“Kiyaaaaaaaak—!!!!!!!!!”
I toppled backward and scrambled away on instinct. But the torso-thing started crawling after me on its arms.
“Stay back! Hiiik!!”
No matter how I fled, it kept coming, droning in that creepy voice: Not scared? Wanna go together then?
“I said stay back!!!”
“Haa—pretending not to be scared to look mature, then screaming anyway… it’s so babyish and cute.”
I didn’t even register someone babbling nearby. I just kept shrieking and dodging the crawling corpse doll.
“Hiiiik—!! I’m sorry!!”
Grab. Dodging it, I clutched whatever was in reach and trembled.
“S-save… me…”
Only then did the torso-thing stop and slink into a nearby box.
“……”
I barely caught my breath when reality crashed in—what the hell had I just done? Why’d I end up being the one freaking out solo?
Anyway, time to shake off these two pillars I’d been clinging to. They were weirdly smooth and nicely curved. I looked over to check.
I was hanging off Gahee noona’s leg.
Tracing my gaze up:
“Oh my, Taeyang~ Were you super scared?”
Gahee noona gazed down at me with utter adoration. Her breath came hot and heavy, lips quivering. Unable to hold back, she broke into a grin and stroked my head.
“It’s okay—cling to noona all you want. Wanna stay in her arms the whole way?”
A different kind of terror hit me.
“N-no! I’m good!!”
“Acting all tough~ …But that’s what makes it cute.”
“……”
Should’ve just stayed quiet. My arrogant act to tank affection had backfired into a cuteness point.
“Yuyeong, it’s over now.”
At Gahee noona’s call, Yuyeong crawled out from under the table, still shaking.
“Sorry, Taeyang. Couldn’t protect you.”
“Nah, wasn’t expecting you to.”
I stood up and quickly put distance between me and Gahee noona.
“Taeyang, noona’ll protect you—so stick close.”
She wouldn’t let me create space, yanking my arm right back.
“If you’re scared, you can hug anytime.”
“I said I’m fine!!”
She figured my grumbling was just bashfulness and marched ahead, arm in tow.
“No need~ to be scared at all~”
“Stop talking to me like I’m a kid!”
“Taeyang! Lean on me this time!”
“Yuyeong, fix your face first.”
“Sis’ll protect you, so don’t worry, Yuyeong.”
From afar, we looked harmonious, but in reality, it was a chilling haunted house trek surrounded by yanderes.
“Iri, you gonna keep hiding it?”
“Hiding what? I’m not hiding anything.”
“So you’ve got zero feelings for Taeyang, then.”
Kim Hayan threw a fastball. Min Iri froze for a second, then whipped her head away.
“Wh-wh-what are you even talking about?! I have no idea!!”
Kim Hayan sighed deeply at the sight of her ears turning red and body trembling.
“Haa~ How about just being honest? I’ll help you out.”
“Don’t.”
It was a rock-solid tone—zero trace of her earlier fluster. Iri spoke firmly.
“I’m really fine, so don’t.”
-Taeyang already has someone he likes.
She swallowed the words and the rising emotions with them.
“Then can’t you at least tell me why you’re acting like this?”
With Kim Hayan’s question as the trigger, a heavy silence fell between the two who hadn’t even entered the haunted house yet.