KTV Truth or Dare and a Stolen Breath

The absurd thought swirled in Chu Ci’s mind.

He raised his hand, lightly slapping his own cheek in disbelief.

Impossible.

How could that be?

Yet the heavy, suffocating dampness in his chest continued to assert its presence.

Chu Ci slowly released his lower lip; a prominent teeth mark remained on the reddened skin. He lowered his head, covering his face with both hands, and let out a deep, shaky breath.

Outside, the wind rustled against the windowpanes. The dim sky was choked by leaden clouds. The old tree downstairs had begun shedding its withered leaves again. Two sparrows chirped and fluttered away from a branch.

“Chu Ci?” After the first class ended, Ji Yanli suddenly turned around. The youth behind him was slumped over his desk, showing no reaction to his call.

“Didn’t sleep well last night? Sorry, I shouldn’t have forced myself to stay.” Ji Yanli spoke softly. Noticing the classroom was relatively empty, he leaned down closer. “I didn’t get a chance to tell you this morning—Song Qichen asked me to come to the classroom early to wait for him.”

As he spoke, he looked down at a perfect piece of osmanthus cake in his hand. He pushed the pastry toward Chu Ci’s hand. “I wasn’t sure if you had breakfast. If you’re hungry, eat some.”

The youth before him remained motionless. His soft black hair rested against his pale arms. Aside from his shallow breathing, he was as still as a statue.

Ji Yanli watched him for a few more seconds, then turned back around.

For the next few days, Chu Ci didn’t say a single word to Ji Yanli.

Even though they were classmates and sat right next to each other, Chu Ci felt that since Song Qichen appeared, the distance between him and Ji Yanli had widened significantly.

Clearly, he was the one who used to walk to and from school with him. Clearly, he was the one who used to eat breakfast with him. Clearly, he was the one closest to Ji Yanli.

Whenever Chu Ci thought of Song Qichen’s “cheap” look whenever he was around Ji Yanli, he couldn’t help but grind his molars.

Scumbag. Heartless. Ungrateful wolf.

The spinning neon lights overhead were dizzying. Lin Yu’s boisterous laughter rang in his ears as the youth jumped up from the floor, showing his cards to everyone: “I drew the King!!”

Chu Ci finally snapped back to reality and flipped his card over. A black five entered his vision.

The KTV speakers were deafening. Someone had put on a heavy metal rock song; the aggressive drum beats merged with Chu Ci’s heartbeat, making his chest ache.

If Lin Yu hadn’t begged and pleaded for Chu Ci to accompany him for his birthday, tonight would have been just a typical, ordinary Saturday night for Chu Ci.

“How is it you again?” Bai Yu, sitting nearby, was clearly annoyed. Several empty beer bottles sat by his hand; he had been the biggest loser in the previous rounds.

Lin Yu shook his head triumphantly. “Can’t help it. Birthday boy luck, I guess.”

He cleared his throat. “I request—”

“Players with numbers 1 and 3: one of you must bite an ice cube from this glass and use it to ‘write’ a word on the other person’s neck.”

After Lin Yu spoke, a few boys Chu Ci didn’t know began to wail. “Lin Yu, you’re disgusting! You’re always coming up with these rotten ideas.”

“If you play, you accept the stakes! If you don’t want the punishment, drink up!”

The yellow liquid swirled in the glasses, topped with white foam. A youth in a plain white T-shirt stood up, showing his card. “I’m number 1.”

The next second, Bai Yu, sitting next to Chu Ci, stood up as well. “I’m number 3.”

“I give up on you.” The white T-shirt youth nudged Lin Yu’s shoulder, took the glass, and boldly tipped the ice into his mouth. He walked over to Bai Yu and mumbled through the ice, “Sorry, bro.”

Bai Yu closed his eyes with an expression of one going to their execution. “Do it.”

The icy cube touched warm skin and instantly began to melt into water. Droplets slid down into his collar. Led by Lin Yu, several people began hooting and cheering. Chu Ci silently moved a few steps away to avoid the acoustic assault from Lin Yu.

These were all Lin Yu’s old friends who had come specifically for his seventeenth birthday. Chu Ci stared blankly at the drink in his hand, not noticing how far he had retreated until his back hit someone’s shoulder.

He turned quickly, only to find the person he bumped into was Ji Yanli. Ji Yanli had also had a few drinks; even in the dim light of the booth, the flush on his cheeks was visible.

Ji Yanli froze, his lips moving as if to say something, but Chu Ci cut him off first: “My apologies.”

The interaction was brief.

Over there, Bai Yu’s punishment ended, and a new round began. The youth in the white T-shirt, likely seeking revenge on Lin Yu, immediately called out: “Players 4 and 6! Look each other in the eye for one minute!”

The moment the words were out, the room erupted. Lin Yu kicked the air in protest. “Are you kidding me?!”

The youth named Liang Peng nimbly dodged Lin Yu’s mock attack.

Lin Yu laughed, flicking his card onto the floor. A red two of clubs landed softly.

He shook his head proudly. “Sorry—it’s not me.”

“Then who is it?”

Liang Peng scanned the room, looking for the two who were supposed to be punished.

Chu Ci, who had been silent, hesitated for a few seconds before raising his hand under everyone’s gaze. He spoke in a small voice, “…I’m number 4.”

He showed his number.

“I finally caught a chance to punish you, kid.” Lin Yu threw an arm around Chu Ci’s shoulder with a grin. “You’ve been here all this time without saying a word.”

As he grumbled, he looked at the floor around Chu Ci and acted as if he’d discovered something scandalous. “Wait, you haven’t been picked for a single round yet?!”

Most people had at least a few empty glasses near them, whereas Chu Ci’s area was clean, giving him a strange sense of being out of place.

“Yeah,” Chu Ci replied briefly. “Just good luck, I guess.”

“Lin Yu just said he had the birthday luck.” Bai Yu, his neck still damp, glanced meaningfully at Lin Yu.

“Tch.” Lin Yu rolled his eyes. “And number 6? Who is number 6?”

He waited for half a minute, but no one answered.

“The cards are right, aren’t they?” Lin Yu looked at Liang Peng. When Liang Peng nodded, Lin Yu patted Chu Ci’s shoulder regretfully. “Then there’s no other way. if the other person won’t come forward, Ci Ci, you have to take the punishment solo.”

He picked up a glass filled to the brim with alcohol and held it before Chu Ci. “Bottoms up!”

Chu Ci stared at the amber liquid, hesitating as he reached for it. Just then, Ji Yanli slowly stood up from the floor.

“I’m number 6.”

The short sentence landed heavily. Ji Yanli expressionlessly tossed his card into the pile and walked toward Chu Ci.

His steps were slightly unsteady; it was clear he had drunk quite a bit. Chu Ci watched him approach, a faint scent of alcohol entering his nose.

Ji Yanli gently pushed the glass away from Chu Ci’s hand. The distance between them vanished instantly. Chu Ci could clearly see the slight quiver of his lashes and the moisture remaining on his reddened lips.

In the background, Song Qichen’s startled expression was completely blocked by Ji Yanli’s frame. Chu Ci swallowed hard, reflexively wanting to step back, but Ji Yanli was quick, grabbing his wrist.

“Don’t move.” The low voice vibrated against his eardrums. Chu Ci felt a shiver run down his spine and, surprisingly, stayed perfectly still.

His lashes fluttered rapidly. The youth’s pupils were as black as the midnight sky, reflecting Chu Ci’s panicked face. The room fell into an eerie silence; even the heavy metal music seemed to cut out abruptly.

He stared into those eyes, feeling as though he had fallen into a silent world. His heartbeat thundered in his ears. Every second of eye contact felt like Ji Yanli was ruthlessly dissecting him.

“One minute is up!” someone suddenly called out, intentionally breaking the tension.

The next second, Chu Ci saw Ji Yanli lean in even closer. Just as those thick lashes were about to brush against his eyes, Chu Ci suddenly squeezed his eyes shut. He grabbed the glass and brought it to his lips, gulping down the beer until it was gone.

He wiped the white foam from his lips and slammed the empty glass on the table. “I lost.”

The last word was swept away by Ji Yanli’s warm breath. The bitter, pungent alcohol slid down his throat and into his stomach. The burning sensation made Chu Ci knit his brows.

He crouched down, sitting back in his original spot, pressing a finger against his temple. Perhaps because his tone had been a bit sharp, the others didn’t dare make a sound for a moment.

Until Ji Yanli sat back down too.

His heart was still pounding. Because he had pressed too hard, his temple began to ache. Chu Ci stole a glance at Ji Yanli; noticing the other was also watching him, he hurriedly retracted his gaze.

‘[Is Ji Yanli crazy? It was just a punishment, he didn’t actually mean to…]’

Thinking this, Chu Ci let out a cold snort. He stood up and spoke to Lin Yu: “I’m a bit dizzy, I’m going to rest for a bit. You guys keep playing.”

He wasn’t lying. After that drink, the discomfort had intensified. The original host likely had never touched alcohol, and combined with his poor health, Chu Ci’s face had turned exceptionally pale. Worried, Lin Yu quickly found him a comfortable spot to lie down.

The sofa in the booth was relatively soft. Chu Ci draped an arm over his eyes to block out the annoying colored lights. Lin Yu and the others started another round, and someone’s punishment triggered a fresh wave of cheering.

Gradually, Chu Ci’s thoughts became chaotic. The sounds in his ears blurred. His head felt heavy, like a piece of driftwood floating on the sea.

Some time later, when Chu Ci regained consciousness, the room had gone quiet, save for the sound of rhythmic breathing.

He opened his eyes to find himself in unexpected darkness. If he hadn’t felt someone beside him, he would have thought they had forgotten him there.

Lin Yu and the others must have played very late and drunk quite a bit. Chu Ci squinted, trying to distinguish the shadows sprawled across the floor.

But his head still throbbed. His heavy eyelids refused to let him do anything else, so he could only sink back into the cushions.

Suddenly, the sound of rustling footsteps reached his ears. Chu Ci instinctively tried to open his eyes, but in that same moment—

His lips were covered by a wave of warmth.