Chapter 26: First Kiss?
As we strolled through the bustling plaza, Yerin suddenly stopped in front of a colorful ice cream cart. She turned to Val, batting her eyelashes with exaggerated innocence.
"Valerie, could you pretty please get us three chocolate cones from that stall over there?" Yerin asked, pointing toward a vendor a little farther down the walkway.
Val stared at her for a long second, her sharp eyes narrowing with suspicion. Seeing no immediate threat nearby, she let out a quiet sigh, gave a slight nod, and walked toward the stall.
The second Val’s back was turned, Yerin grabbed my wrist with an iron grip and bolted in the opposite direction.
"Whoa, hey! Why are you kidnapping me?!" I laughed as she dragged me through the crowd of amusement park visitors.
"Quiet! We’re making our grand escape!" Yerin grinned over her shoulder, her dark eyes sparkling behind her mask.
"Should we really be running away from Val like this?" I asked, glancing back at the crowd behind us. "She’s going to track us down in two minutes anyway."
"Relax, Seth! This whole park is owned by your family, so we’re totally safe," Yerin said, shaking her head as we slowed down near a secluded walkway. "Besides, I want to visit the Haunted House next, and Val would just ruin the spooky vibe by analyzing the mechanical jump-scares like a security guard. It’s much better if it’s just the two of us."
I thought about it for a second before giving in with a smile. She was right-Val’s idea of a haunted house would probably involve inspecting the emergency exits and checking the fire extinguishers.
Still, just to be safe, I spoke to Paige in my mind. ’Hey, Paige, keep an eye out. Warn me immediately if there’s any actual danger to me, Yerin, or Val.’
[Got it, Host,] Paige replied cheerfully in my head. [Though let’s be honest, the biggest danger here is your cousin’s chaotic energy.]
We arrived in front of the Haunted House attraction. With evening settling in, the dim purple spotlights, artificial fog, and Gothic architecture made the place look surprisingly realistic and atmospheric.
Looking at the towering, eerie mansion facade, I couldn’t help but ask mentally, ’Hey, Paige... do ghosts actually exist in this world?’
[Oh, absolutely,] Paige answered nonchalantly. [Though real spirits work very differently from low-budget actors in latex masks and fake blood.]
’Duly noted,’ I thought.
We stepped through the heavy wooden doors into the dark, foggy interior of the attraction. The atmosphere inside was surprisingly fun. Wooden floorboards creaked beneath our feet, creepy ambient sound effects echoed through hidden speakers, and animatronic skeletons popped out from behind dusty curtains.
Neither of us was actually scared. We walked through the dark corridors, laughing at the cheesy props, joking about the actors in monster costumes, and genuinely having a great time.
Until we reached the final hallway.
A hidden actor dressed as a shadowy banshee suddenly burst out from a concealed wall panel with a deafening screech, slamming a fake prop down right beside us.
"EEK!" Yerin yelped, leaping back.
In her haste to cover her mouth, her finger accidentally snagged the strap of her face mask, pulling it clean off.
It happened in a fraction of a second. The mask dropped to the floor, revealing her striking features, fair skin, flushed cheeks, and her Korean beauty mark, under the dim overhead spotlight.
A small group of teenagers a few paces behind us froze in their tracks.
"Wait... is that... NOVA?!" one girl shrieked, pointing a trembling finger.
"NO WAY! IT’S ACTUALLY NOVA!" a guy yelled, already pulling out his phone.
"NOVA IS HERE!"
Within seconds, the news spread like wildfire through the hallway. People started shouting, and a wave of excited fans surged down the narrow corridor toward us.
"Run!" I didn’t hesitate for a second. I grabbed Yerin’s small, soft hand, pulled her close, and sprinted down a dark side passage of the haunted house.
The footsteps and shouts of the crowd echoed right behind us. I ducked into a narrow, dimly lit passage off the main path, hoping to find an exit, only to hit a dead end blocked by old brick walls.
"Crap, a dead end," I muttered, turning around. The shadows of the approaching fans were already dancing across the wall of the main corridor. Going back was impossible.
Before I could ask Paige to alter reality and get us out, Yerin suddenly grabbed the front of my grey hoodie and pulled me hard against her.
She pressed herself firmly against the brick wall, pulling me so close that our bodies slammed together without an inch of space between us.
"Stay close," Yerin whispered, her hot breath fanning against my neck as her dark eyes locked onto mine. "If they see a couple kissing in a dark corner of a haunted house, they’ll just look away and keep running."
She didn’t wait for my response. She wrapped her slender arms around my waist, pulling me flush against her.
The narrow passage instantly felt stiflingly hot.
Her face was mere inches from mine. I could see every detail of her heart-shaped face, her long, dark eyelashes, and her slightly parted, glossy pink lips. Her sweet scent of vanilla and flowers filled my senses, completely overwhelming the damp smell of the haunted house.
I leaned forward, my chest pressing against the soft, full curve of her bust beneath her white hoodie. Our hips pressed firmly together, and the friction sent an immediate jolt of heat straight to my lower belly. My body reacted instantly, my groin hardening against the soft fabric of her denim shorts.
The sound of pounding footsteps rushed right past the opening of our narrow passage.
"Where’d she go?!"
"Check the other hall!"
"Hurry!"
The fans looked into the dark passage, saw two figures pressed tightly against the wall in a close embrace, clicked their tongues in annoyance, and ran right past us.
Neither Yerin nor I moved.
The fans were gone, but neither of us let go. The passage fell silent, filled only with the sound of our rapid breathing.
I looked into her eyes. The playful, chaotic cousin was gone. In her place was a woman staring up at me with raw, undisguised desire, her dark pupils dilated beneath the dim red emergency light.
"Seth..." she whispered, her voice a low, husky purr.
That was all the permission I needed.
I leaned down and captured her lips with mine.
The kiss started softly, a sweet, tentative touch of lips, but the moment Yerin let out a soft, trembling sigh against my mouth, the lingering tension snapped completely.
She wrapped her arms around my neck, pulling my head down as she opened her mouth and kissed me back with desperate, passionate heat. Her tongue slid against mine, carrying the sweet taste of the citrus drink from earlier.
I groaned softly, my hands sliding down her back and beneath the hem of her white hoodie to feel the warm, smooth skin of her waist. Her skin was soft and burning hot to the touch. My hands moved lower, cupping her rounded, firm ass through her denim shorts, my fingers digging in as I pulled her hips even tighter against mine.
"Mmm..." Yerin let out a needy, muffled moan into my mouth, her fingers tangling into the hair at the back of my neck. She ground her hips against mine, making no effort to hide the pleasure rolling through her body as she felt my hardness pressing firmly against her.
The kiss grew deeper, messier, and completely uninhibited. Our mouths met with hungry, breathless desperation, completely oblivious to where we were. My hands squeezed her ass, lifting her slightly off her feet until she was practically clinging to me against the brick wall.
By the time we finally pulled apart, a thin string of saliva connected our lips in the dim light.
"Seth..." she breathed, her sweet voice trembling.
Before either of us could say another word, a soft, unnatural chill swept through the narrow brick passage.
Phase...
A quiet, strange sound came from the far end of the dead-end passage.
We both turned our heads at the same time.
Right through the solid brick wall, a translucent, glowing figure glided into the corridor, floating a few inches above the floor before turning its pale, spectral head toward us.
A real ghost.