The Midnight Game

The First Challenge Begins

Wenalin or rather, Eris — stood at the front of the circle of members, arms crossed loosely over her chest, her expression unreadable. Her dark hair fell slightly over her eyes, and she didn’t bother brushing it back. The room buzzed with the energy of twenty masked identities, eager and nervous.

“All right,” Mark announced, clapping his hands once. “Now that we’ve settled who’s partnered with who, it’s time to begin the first challenge.”

There was a ripple of murmurs, some groans, some excitement.

Josh let out a loud laugh. “ its involves cuddling. I’m great at that.”

“Shut up,” Ash muttered, flipping a page in his book without looking up.

Mark glanced at Eris, silently asking permission to proceed. She gave a slow nod.

Mark stepped forward. “The challenge is simple. You and your partner will go on a mini date. Inside the room. 4 stations, You’ll rotate. Act as real as you can.”

Some of the members started whispering among themselves.

“What do we get if we win?” asked Black.

Josh wiggled his eyebrows. “A real kiss from your fake lover”wink.

Mark ignored him. “The winning couple gets immunity in the next challenge. And…” he paused, his voice calm, “They also get to ask one question to any member — and that person must answer truthfully. No real names or identities, but you can ask… anything else.”

Now the room was silent.

It was a rare prize. One of the few cracks in their rules.

Mark clapped her hands once. “Let’s begin.”

---

Station One: Compliment War

Kookie and Eris sat across from each other at a table decorated with fake flowers and fairy lights. The instructions were simple: throw compliments at each other. Whoever runs out of compliments first loses.

Kookie leaned forward with a goofy smile. “You have the best poker face I’ve ever seen.”

Eris raised a brow, her tone dry. “You look like a boy band reject, but somehow it works.”

Kookie laughed. “I’ll take that as a win. Uh… your voice is so calm it could probably tame a lion.”

Eris tilted her head. “You’re surprisingly not annoying. Impressive.”

Mark, standing nearby with a clipboard, blinked. “That’s… a compliment?”

Josh was howling with laughter in the corner. “This is comedy gold.”

Kookie grinned, completely unbothered. “Your eyes are intense. Like you see everything.”

Eris’s eyes met his. For a second, she didn’t speak. Then: “You don’t act fake. Even in a fake relationship.”

Kookie smiled wider.

Eris turn her gaze to the two.

"You two can you go to your own partner your bothering us"

mark:"Okay okay fine"

josh:"Tsk"

---

Station Two: Drawing Challenge

Each couple had to draw each other with crayons — and then explain their masterpiece.

Kookie held up his drawing. Eris had a cape, spiky hair, and lasers coming out of her eyes.

“This is ‘Super Cold Lady,’” he explained. “She freezes hearts but secretly keeps them in her jacket pocket.”

Eris’s drawing was less dramatic. It was a stick figure with big ears, a backwards cap, and a giant heart drawn in the center.

She held it up without explanation.

“…That’s me?” Kookie asked, blinking.

She nodded.

He clutched his chest. “I’ve been emotionally attacked.”

“Good.”

Station Three: Whisper Game

One had to wear headphones with music blasting, while the other said sentences. The goal: guess what your partner is saying by reading their lips.

Kookie put on the headphones. Eris leaned forward.

“I am going to kill you if you mess this up.” smirk.

Kookie grinned. “You want to kiss me in a spaceship?”

Josh snorted in the background.

“No,” Eris said louder, her lips moving deliberately. “I will throw you in the river.”

Kookie read her lips carefully. “You love how I deliver?”

Eris slowly removed the headphones from him. “Never mind.”

He just laughed and leaned back in his chair. “We’re definitely winning this.”

---

Station Four: Secret Sharing

Each pair had to whisper one secret to each other. No one else would hear.

Kookie leaned forward first. “I once peed in a school plant because the toilet was full.”

Eris blinked. “That explains a lot.”

She hesitated for a moment, then leaned in. “I hate being touched.”

Kookie blinked at her, startled.

Kookie:"It's obvious eris hahah"

But she was already leaning back, eyes unreadable again.

End of Round One

Once all the couples finished their challenges, mark stood again at the center of the circle. She glanced around, calculating. Everyone was flushed, giggling, or awkward.

“Kookie and Eris win this round,” he said simply.

“No fair! You’re the judge!” Josh protested.

Mark shrugged. “She’s the leader. Deal with it.”

Kookie gave a thumbs-up.wne looked at eris eyes neutral. But there was a hint of warmth in his nod.

Wenalin's POV

The room was finally starting to settle down. After hours of laughter, awkward glances, teasing, and fake couple challenges that were oddly more thrilling than they had any right to be, people were slumping into the couches or leaning against the walls, half-exhausted and half-satisfied. The dim lights cast soft shadows around the hideout, and the chatter had finally mellowed into quiet conversations and low laughter.

It was already 4:00 AM. The outside world was still deep in darkness, the streetlights dimming slightly as the cold breeze of early morning whispered through the tiny cracks of the hidden building. Most of the members were beginning to gather their things, yawning and stretching as they prepared to leave.

Zake was holding Zack’s hand, grinning like a little kid while Zacky was braiding part of Zack’s hair. Black was half-asleep on the beanbag chair, hugging a pillow. Others were lounging or scrolling through their phones. It was the usual after-activity scene—a comforting sort of chaos.

"Eris, we’re heading out first!" one of the members waved.

I gave a small smile, just enough to seem warm but not too open. I nodded. “See you next time. Same time next week.”

“Bye, Eris!” “Take care, leader!” “Goodnight—or good morning?”

I waved them off silently, crossing my arms and standing with my usual cold but calm expression. I felt the heavy stares behind me before I turned. Of course, they weren’t done.

Mark was already standing close by, jacket slung over one shoulder, that boyish grin on his face.

“You know it’s dangerous going home alone at 4 AM, right?” he said casually.

Josh appeared beside him, popping a gum bubble and winking. “I volunteer as tribute to walk our icy queen home. I even promise not to flirt—unless you want me to.”

Ash, who had been quietly leaning by the wall the whole time, pushed his glasses up and finally spoke. “She shouldn’t go alone.”

And then there was Kookie, stuffing his hands in his hoodie pocket, quietly inching toward me like he wasn’t part of the loud trio. “I don’t mind walking with you,” he muttered.

I sighed inwardly. Of course, all four of them had to offer.

“I’m fine,” I said firmly. “It’s not my first time going home at this hour.”

Mark frowned a little, trying not to show how he was obviously disappointed. “Still, it’s pitch black outside. What if someone—”

I turned toward him with a smirk. “Someone tries to kidnap me?” I chuckled dryly. “They’d be the ones needing help.”

Josh laughed. “Okay, okay, you got me there. Still—”

Ash took a step forward, his face unreadable. “At least let someone walk you to the station.”

“I appreciate the concern,” I said, adjusting the collar of my jacket. “But I’m good. Really. I can take care of myself.”

Kookie looked like he wanted to say something but kept it to himself. That made me glance at him again.

“I mean it,” I added, but my voice softened just a little. “Go home. All of you. Sleep. You’ll need it.”

The four of them exchanged glances. Mark scratched the back of his head. Josh sighed dramatically. Ash looked down, clearly not satisfied. Kookie just nodded.

“Alright,” Mark said eventually. “But next time… I’m walking you home whether you like it or not.”

“We’ll see,” I replied with the same smirk.

Josh threw two fingers up. “Text us when you get home, alright?”

“No texting in this group, remember?” I reminded him.

He winked. “Still. Just for me, then.”

I rolled my eyes and stepped past them. “Goodnight, boys.”

“Goodnight, Eris,” they said almost in unison.

As I stepped out into the cold morning, I zipped up my jacket tighter and took a deep breath. The streets were silent except for the distant hum of early trains and the occasional flicker of vending machine lights. I walked briskly, hands in my pockets, my mind oddly quiet.

Even though I was alone now, part of me felt… watched. Not in a creepy way—just aware. Like their stares lingered even after the goodbye. It wasn’t unwanted. Just… strange.

Kookie’s face flashed in my mind for a second. The way he hesitated to speak, the way he seemed to always hover near but never too close. Mark’s cheerful concern. Josh’s dramatic flirting. Ash’s protective silence.

I shook my head to clear it. This was just a game. The whole group, the fake relationships, the drama… it was entertainment. That was all. Right?

The sky began to shift from dark blue to soft gray, the earliest sign of dawn peeking over the buildings. I reached the train station and boarded the first train heading home, settling by the window. The city still looked asleep, but my mind was racing.

I didn’t understand it.

my chest feel warm even in this cold

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