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How Huening Kai had managed to convince Taehyun to go to a spook house with him in celebration of Halloween, only lord knows.
Kai had wanted to visit one ever since he started watching American movies; it seemed like Halloween was a huge deal in the U.S., with people going all out with their celebrations.
Taehyun had never really paid any mind to Halloween or the traditions associated with the holiday. But Kai seemed so set on having what he called “an American childhood experience that he missed out on”, that Taehyun felt bad and decided to just agree to whatever Kai had in mind.
At the time, Taehyun hadn’t realized that agreeing to “whatever” would lead to being persuaded to visit a spook house. Of course, he’d heard of the so-called spook houses where you would get jump-scared by actors, but he’d never imagined himself actually going to one.
Though he had a reputation for being a composed and calm person, people sometimes even described him as very level-headed, he had always struggled with anything scary. Horror films, jump scares, even pranks with a hint of fright—he avoided them like the plague.
Kai knew about his aversion to scary things, Taehyun was certain of that. The younger had always made jokes about this more hidden side of Taehyun around their friends.
To be fair, their other two friends, Soobin and Yeonjun, were just as much scaredy cats as Taehyun. But for some reason, it seemed as if Kai loved scared Taehyun more than scared Soobin or even scared hysteric Yeonjun, leading him to often be the butt of Kai’s jokes. Not that he minded it much, he was very self-aware regarding his dislike of scary surprises. He didn’t like the unpredicted nature that was often part of the horror genre.
The spook house that they were planning on going to, was part of a larger outdoor Halloween-themed festival that took place every year. Aside from Taehyun, Soobin and Yeonjun were also invited to the festival. Ever since Kai had seen some online posts about the festival, he could not keep his excitement to himself.
So far, it had not been as bad as Taehyun had feared. Yes, there were scary-looking people walking around with makeup that seemed so real, Taehyun sometimes had to look twice to make sure it was, in fact, just makeup. And yes, the whole festival seemed to have some kind of creepy atmosphere, with all the mist machines and fake spiderwebs you constantly had to dodge. But so far, it had not exactly been “ scary ” yet.
They had some fun at some of the booths, Taehyun particularly enjoying the apple-biting one, mostly because he found it hilarious how Yeonjun had so enthusiastically dunked his head in the tub, getting his entire head wet. Soobin had refused to partake in that one, but he was just as enthusiastic about carving pumpkins, which he afterward claimed to have a talent for when the booth worker complimented him on his finished piece.
Lastly, they had gone to the “Witches Brewery” which was just a simple-looking outdoor bar that served some nasty-looking drinks with Halloween-themed names.
Taehyun had ordered himself a drink called “Poisoned Apple” which was really just an apple cider in a skeleton-shaped glass.
Soobin and Yeonjun had both gone for “Frankenstein’s Breath”, after Soobin, who had always been a bit of a literature nerd, tried to educate Yeonjun on the fact that Frankenstein was the name of the creator and not that of the creature.
The winner of the most disgusting-looking drink was Kai, who had ordered himself a “Goblin Slush” which looked like it might actually poison him.
All of this had given Taehyun a false sense of security. He had completely forgotten about the spook house and Kai’s plan to take him there. This sense of security was quickly stripped away when they had all finished their drinks and Kai reminded them that they still had “the best part of their day” waiting for them.
Since Soobin and Yeonjun refused to even step in the direction of the spook house, it was up to Taehyun to make Kai’s dream come true.
Taehyun tried resisting every step of the way, but his best friend’s relentless enthusiasm eventually wore him down. And so there they were, standing in front of a house that looked straight out of a horror film. It seemed as if the usual noise of the festival had died down and had been replaced by some eerie music. Even the way the house was lit made Taehyun feel uneasy, it made it look a lot larger than it probably was.
Taehyun was practically gripping Kai’s arm trying to keep himself calm. Kai seemed to pity him just a little but clearly not enough to turn around. Someone was standing in front of the house’s main entrance, dressed as some kind of zombie butler.
He seemed to be gesturing at the pair to come closer. Kai almost had to drag Taehyun over, and when they finally reached the man, he started explaining some of the rules. Most of it went completely over Taehyun’s head but he got the gist of it; don’t touch the actors, violence is not allowed, you will not be actually harmed, etc.
Taehyun was more focused on the sounds that seemed to be coming from inside the house. The screams that could occasionally be heard sounded like they were mostly made by the visitors and Taehyun hoped that he would not sound like that when he would inevitably get scared.
After the short explanation, they had to wait a bit before they could enter. This was the moment that Taehyun really started to become scared. He knew that it should not be a big deal and that everything was just staged, but still, he could barely calm himself down.
“Why did I agree to this?” he mumbled, the tremor in his voice betraying his nerves. Kai gave him a grin that seemed to sparkle even in the faint lighting, he appeared completely unbothered by the frightening atmosphere.
“Oh, come on, it’ll be fun! Nothing in here’s real!” He tugged Taehyun closer to try and calm him down. “Besides, I’ll be with you the whole way, okay? You know I’ll be right next to you in case something happens. You could always just close your eyes if something’s scary, I’ll guide you through it!”
When it was finally their turn, the zombie butler opened the door and ushered them inside. A gust of cold foggy air drifted out to greet them when the door was fully opened. Inside, the minimal lighting significantly obscured their vision.
It seemed like the spook house was modeled after a regular home. They now found themselves in the entrance hall, which was filled with spider webs.
Kai stepped forward confidently, practically pulling Taehyun along like a reluctant child. They had to carefully dodge the webs to avoid getting hit in the face. The webs might not have been real, but they were made of some sticky material that clung stubbornly to clothing.
To Taehyun, it seemed as if all sound that was audible from outside was gone, replaced by his own heavy breathing. This was soon interrupted when Kai opened the door that would supposedly lead them to the dining room, and the first scare actor jumped out from their hiding spot.
Taehyun practically jumped out of his own skin. Despite Kai being to one who opened the door and was directly faced with the actor, he did not seem to be that surprised. The actor was not wearing a mask but instead had some kind of bloody makeup on. He started speaking to them in gibberish while pointing at something on the dining table.
“Please don’t tell me we’re going to do what he wants,” Taehyun mumbles to Kai while clutching Kai’s arm.
“We literally have to play along, don’t we Taehyun? At least if we want to make it to the end,” Kai replies with a reassuring smile. “I’ll look if you don’t want to.”
The object on the table was some kind of small chest, that had a letter inside. It went over some of the basic history of the building. It was obviously not real but helped set the mood. The building was supposedly haunted by the ghosts of two boys who were murdered by their own father.
Taehyun found it a bit disturbing that they would use a fake scenario like that to set up the spook house experience and felt even more dread. Ghosts were absolutely not his thing.
After familiarising themselves with the story, they continued on. The first few rooms following the dining room were not too bad. Sure, there were some jump scares and creepy figures lurking in corners, but having Kai close by kept Taehyun grounded.
That was until they reached a narrow hallway with multiple doors. Two of the scare actors seemed to be following them while they walked through this hallway when suddenly they started chasing Kai and Taehyun.
This forced them to let go of each other and flee in different directions. It became evident that this was done on purpose as the door to the room Taehyun had run to, was now locked by the actor chasing him.
“Ah! What the—?!” Taehyun yelped, freezing in place after he heard the door lock. “Kai?!” He yelled. “Taehyun?” Kai’s voice could be heard from some distance, it appeared to come from one of the rooms next to the one Taehyun found himself in.
“It seems like we’ll need to continue on our own,” Kai continued. Taehyun felt himself break out in a cold sweat. As if sensing Taehyun's stress, Kai tried reassuring him: “Don’t worry Taehyun! I don’t think we’re that far from the exit. I’m sure you will be fine.”
However, Taehyun did not feel fine. His breathing quickened, and his feet refused to move. Every shadow seemed to stretch toward him, every distant sound like a threat.
“I-I can’t do this…” he muttered to himself, the tremor in his voice now fully giving way to fear as he stumbled forward, desperate to find an exit, any way out.
It was then that he realized that he was not alone in the room. On a chair in the very corner of the room, there seemed to be someone sitting. Despite only being covered by a white sheet, the person gave off insanely creepy vibes.
It was then that Taehyun remembered the made-up story about the building. Two ghosts, belonging to two murdered boys, he suddenly recalled. This probably meant that Kai was dealing with the other ghost in his room.
Taehyun saw that the chair was close to the door that would probably get him to the next room but he was completely paralysed with fear. He knew that if he tried to move in the direction of the door, the actor would probably lunge at him.
He tried to mentally prepare himself to just make a run for it, but he could not find the mental strength. All of the previous encounters with the scare actors had already left him exhausted and now, on his own, he was not sure he would be able to do it.
He felt a burst of anxiety course through himself and started fearing he might be experiencing some kind of panic attack. Taehyun was normally not someone who would easily panic, but this was just too far for him.
He wished he could walk out of the room and get to Kai, at least that way, he would be able to hide behind Kai’s braveness.
He felt himself becoming more and more desperate and almost started sinking to his knees on the floor.
He felt ridiculous knowing that the person under the sheet was simply an actor. An actor who was probably judging him right now, but he just could not get himself to calm down.
He felt tears start to well up in his eyes – gosh he felt so pathetic – and an audible sob shook his whole body.
This was the moment the actor decided to start moving, which almost sent Taehyun into a full-blown panic attack.
“Hey, hey, it’s okay, I’m not going to hurt you” a voice came from under the sheet. It was unexpectedly soft and warm, contrasting the appearance of its origin. Taehyun froze, his breathing still a bit uneven but no longer on the brink of a meltdown.
The figure pulled the sheet away to reveal… a boy. A boy who seemed to be around his age, with sharp features and eyes that seemed to twinkle even in the dim lighting. He was wearing theatrical makeup – a pale, ghostly visage with dark accents to make him appear more ghost-like – but his expression was one of concern, not malice.
“See? Just me,” the boy said, dropping the sheet to the floor to raise his hands in mock surrender. His lips quirked into a small smile, another attempt to calm Taehyun. “Sorry if I scared you too much. You looked like you needed a breather.”
Taehyun’s breath hitched as he tried to compose himself. “I-I wasn’t that scared,” he lied, the slight quiver in his voice betraying him.
The boy chuckled, low and melodic. “Right. And you weren’t about to cry in a haunted house, huh?” He stepped a bit closer, but not too close, careful to not overwhelm Taehyun who was still getting his emotions in check.
“I’m Beomgyu, by the way. Usually, I try to stay in character, but you looked like you were having a hard time. We don’t want to torture people in here you know.” He stuck out his hand, initiating a friendly handshake.
Taehyun shook his hand timidly while telling Beomgyu his name. He was still a bit embarrassed at having Beomgyu having to break his act. He felt a bit stupid for making such a fuss and was about to apologize when Beomgyu continued talking.
“Want me to walk you through the rest? It’s my job to scare people, but I think you’ve had enough.”
Taehyun hesitated, his pride wavering with his desperate need for support. In the end, his fear won. “Y-you’d do that? Walk with me?”
Beomgyu smiled even wider now, his demeanor playful yet sincere. “Sure. I can’t let you leave here like this, can I? Besides, you’re kind of cute when you’re scared.” His tone was teasing, but there was a softness to his words that made Taehyun’s cheeks flush.
Taehyun cleared his throat, trying to regain his composure. “Okay… thanks. I guess.”
“Great! Let’s go before another actor decides to jump in and ruin this truce we’ve got going,” Beomgyu exclaimed excitedly, gesturing for Taehyun to follow him. He stepped toward the door that had almost made Taehyun spiral earlier.
Beomgyu opened the door and turned around to look back at Taehyun. “Come on, I’ll even warn you if there’s something spooky ahead. I know this house like the back of my hand. Actually, you can also hold my hand if that would help.”
Taehyun was planning on rejecting his handholding offer, but Beomgyu had already stretched out his arm again. His hand looked so inviting and Taehyun knew that he would want something to hold onto if he got scared.
He set his embarrassment aside and slid his hand into Beomgyu’s. The promise of safety was enough to make Taehyun’s legs work again. He followed Beomgyu, clinging onto his hand, his steps still a little hesitant but steadier now.
True to his word, Beomgyu kept up a running commentary as they moved through the spook house, pointing out where the jump scares would come from and sometimes even waving off other actors.
“So, why’d you come in here if you’re this scared?” Beomgyu asked as they walked through a room filled with cobwebs and fake skeletons. The tone in his voice was casual like they were simply two friends chatting and not walking in the middle of a horror-themed attraction.
My friend Kai,” Taehyun admitted, his eyes still glancing nervously around the room they were in. “He’s obsessed with stuff like this. I didn’t want to ruin it for him.”
Beomgyu hummed in thought. “That’s sweet of you. Brave, too.”
“I don’t exactly feel brave,” Taehyun muttered.
“Trust me, you are,” Beomgyu said with a grin, leaning slightly closer. “Most people would have run out screaming by now. You’re sticking it out.”
The unexpected compliment made Taehyun blush a little, he glanced at Beomgyu for a second before replying “Thanks, I guess.”
By the time they reached the final hallway, Taehyun realized his fear had lessened significantly. Whether it was Beomgyu’s presence or his lighthearted commentary, Taehyun no longer felt like he was on the verge of breaking down.
He also realized that they were still holding hands. Beomgyu’s hand felt incredibly soft and comforting. He had been giving Taehyun’s hand light squeezes as a way of comforting him when Taehyun still got startled.
When they finally reached the exit, Taehyun even felt sad when Beomgyu ultimately let go of his hand. Beomgyu then turned around to face Taehyun. In the clear white lighting, Taehyun was finally able to really see Beomgyu. His face was striking — warm brown eyes and a mischievous smile playing on his face that made Taehyun’s heart skip a beat.
“Well, we survived!” Beomgyu let out a cheer, “Not so scary with a guide, huh?” Taehyun felt his cheeks heat up again. “Yeah… not so bad. Thanks, Beomgyu.”
“Anytime,” Beomgyu responded, leaning closer with a teasing glint in his eyes. “If you ever want to go through another spook house, let me know. I’ll be your personal ghostbuster.”
Taehyun laughed softly, despite himself, shaking his head. “We’ll see about that.”
As they stepped outside into the cool evening air, Taehyun spotted Kai waiting near the exit. His face seemed to light up with relief when he saw Taehyun.
“Finally! I was about to go back in to find you,” Kai said, jogging over. “What took you so long?”
Taehyun glanced at Beomgyu, who gave him a playful wink. ‘I… got a little lost. But luckily, I got some help.”
Kai raised an eyebrow at Beomgyu, who waved casually. “He’s one of the actors,” Taehyun explained. “He helped me get through to the end.”
“Cool,” Kai said with a friendly grin, though his tone had a suspicious edge to it. “Well, let’s get back to the festival. I bet Soobin and Yeonjun started another argument when we weren’t there.”
Taehyun almost did not want to leave, but figured that it would be weird to keep lingering around the spook house for no good reason.
After leaving Beomgyu and rejoining Kai, Taehyun could not stop his thoughts from circling back to the boy in the spook house. His sharp features, the teasing tone of his voice, the way he had held Taehyun’s hand with such easy confidence — it all replayed vividly in his mind.
Even as they returned to Soobin and Yeonjun, who were predictably bickering over the results of a pumpkin-carving contest that had taken place, Taehyun felt distant, his focus somewhere else entirely.
“You okay?” Kai nudged Taehyun with his elbow as the four of them wandered past more festival booths. “You’ve been quiet ever since coming out of that spook house. I hope you weren’t too scared. I didn’t know they were going to split us up like that.”
“I’m fine,” Taehyun replied automatically, though his voice lacked conviction. Kai narrowed his eyes at him but didn’t press further, distracted by a passing booth offering free candy.
As the night wore on, Taehyun’s regret deepened. Why hadn’t he asked for Beogmyu’s number? There had been a moment when he could have — right there at the exit.
The memory of Beomgyu’s wink and playful grin lingered, and Taehyun’s stomach twisted with the feeling that he’d let an opportunity slip away.
When the group finally decided to head home, Taehyun could not shake the thought of his missed opportunity. As they walked towards the parking lot, he abruptly stopped in his tracks.
“Wait for me in the car,” he said, turning on his heels before anyone could question what he was doing. Ignoring Kai’s startled “Wait, what?” Taehyung started retracing his steps towards the spook house.
The festival had thinned out somewhat, with many of the earlier crowds either leaving or gathering at food stalls. The eerie glow of the spook house loomed in the distance, its foreboding presence less terrifying now that Taehyun had already braved it once.
He approached the entrance cautiously, hoping he was not too late. The zombie butler actor from earlier was still there, now looking somewhat tired but still in character. Taehyun hesitated, unsure of what to ask.
“Uh, excuse me,” he started. “Is Beomgyu still here? He was one of the actors inside.” He felt a bit awkward at being so direct, but he was scared that he was too late to catch Beomgyu.
The zombie butler broke character as he raised an eyebrow. “Beomgyu? He might still be around. Try by the staff tent over there.” He vaguely gestured in the direction of a dimly lit area behind the spook house.
Taehyun’s heart raced as he made his way towards the staff tent. The muffled sounds of actors chatting and laughing drifted out as he approached. He was just about to step closer when a figure emerged, walking in his direction.
It was Beomgyu.
For a second, they both froze, equally surprised to see each other. Beomgyu’s makeup was wiped off, indicating that his shift was probably over by now. His face looked even softer now without the ghostly makeup, though his smile looked exactly the same.
“You came back? I’m assuming it’s not for another round?” Beomgyu asked, his voice laced with amusement and a touch of curiosity.
Taehyun’s cheeks warmed, and he rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. “Yeah, I, uh … realized I didn’t thank you properly for helping me earlier.” Taehyun was so caught off guard by the sight of Beomgyu that he forgot what to say.
Beomgyu stepped closer, tilting his head. “You already thanked me earlier, didn’t you?”
“Well, I–” Taehyun stammered, struggling to find the right words. “I wondered, you know if I could maybe… if I could get your number?’
Beomgyu’s eyes lit up, his smile widening into something that made Taehyun’s heart thud painfully in his chest. “Oh, so that’s why you came back.”
“Forget it,” Taehyun muttered, already turning red. “This was stupid—”
“Wait,” Beomgyu interrupted, reaching out to grab Taehyun’s wrist gently. “I didn’t say no.”
Taehyun looked up, startled. Beomgyu’s expression had softened, his teasing grin now replaced with something more sincere and earnest.
“I was actually hoping I’d see you again,” Beomgyu admitted, his voice quieter now. “You were cute when you were scared, but I think you’re even cuter now.”
Taehyun’s breath caught. Before he could think too hard about it, he pulled out his phone and handed it to Beomgyu, who quickly typed in his number.
“There,” Beomgyu said, handing the phone back. “Now you don’t have to run back to a haunted house to find me again”
Taehyun chuckled nervously, staring at the contact name Beomgyu had entered. Beomgyu had added a ghost emoji to his name, which caused Taehyun to crack a smile.
“Thanks,” Taehyun said softly. For a moment, they just stood there, the cool night air wrapping around them. The distant hum of the festival felt miles away.
“Hey,” Beomgyu said suddenly, learning in just slightly. “Can I try something?”
Teahyun blinked, his heart starting to pound again. “What?”
Before Taehyun could think further, Beomgyu leaned in closer, pressing a quick, feather-light kiss to Taehyun’s cheek. When he pulled back, a grin had returned to his face, smug and playful.
“Just wanted to see if you’d get scared again,” Beomgyu teased, though the faint pink on his own cheeks betrayed his confidence. Taehyun, studded, could only manage a flustered laugh. “You’re unbelievable.”
“And you like it,” Beomgyu shot back with a wink. “Text me when you get home okay? I want to make sure you’re safe.”
“Okay,” Taehyun agreed, his chest feeling lighter than it had all evening.
As he made his way back to the parking lot, his phone clutched tightly in his hand, Taehyun could not stop smiling. And who could judge him? This year’s Halloween had turned out to be scarier — and sweeter — than he ever expected.