His gaze shifted to Yeonjun, the playful facade replaced by a steely resolve. "And you," he continued, his voice low and dangerous, "you know something. You know more than you're letting on. So, are you in or out?"
The air crackled with unspoken tension. Yeonjun and Beomgyu exchanged a hesitant glance, their faces etched with conflicting emotions – fear, distrust, and a flicker of curiosity.
Taehyun, sensing their hesitation, leaned closer, his voice a conspiratorial whisper. "Think about it," he said. "We all have secrets. But maybe, just maybe, sharing them could keep us safe. Besides," he added, a mischievous glint returning to his eyes, "wouldn't it be fun to catch the real killer before they strike again?"
Yeonjun collapsed onto Beomgyu's bed, exhaustion gnawing at his body and fear twisting his gut. His mind raced with questions, possibilities, and the gnawing realization that their secret was no longer their own.
Across from him, Taehyun stood, arms crossed, his face an unreadable mask. Beomgyu, his voice barely above a whisper, began, "Yeonjun, I think..."
Yeonjun cut him off, his voice flat. "Okay," he said to Taehyun, defeat lacing the word. He turned back to Beomgyu, his eyes holding a depth of unspoken worry. "We're in," he declared, his voice calm despite the storm raging within him.
Taehyun's lips curved into a smug smile. "As if you had another option," he scoffed, his words laced with a hint of cruelty.
Yeonjun's jaw clenched, but he held his tongue. He knew Taehyun was right. They were trapped, caught between an impossible choice and a dangerous stranger.
"Alright then," Taehyun announced, the playful glint returning to his eyes. "Welcome aboard. Now, let's get down to business."
He pulled up a chair and settled opposite them, his playful demeanor replaced by a chilling intensity. "Tell me everything. Every detail you know about Zico's disappearance, the pictures, and anything else that might be relevant."
Yeonjun, his voice hoarse from recounting the harrowing events of that night, finished his story. He and Beomgyu watched apprehensively as Taehyun listened, a blank expression plastered on his face. It was impossible to decipher what he was thinking, if he believed them, or if they had just made a colossal mistake.
Finally, Taehyun spoke, his voice devoid of emotion. "We need to find who took these pictures... and who delivered them here."
Yeonjun nodded, relief washing over him momentarily. "The pictures are the only lead we have to finding the culprit."
Taehyun paused, his gaze flickering between them. "By the way, do you have any idea how Zico died? Any injuries, any signs of struggle?"
Beomgyu shook his head. "There was definitely no blood or anything like that."
Yeonjun added cautiously, "Which makes it even more suspicious because Yeji died the same way, seemingly no cause of death."
Taehyun stood up abruptly, his face unreadable. He walked towards the door, then stopped, turning back to them with a sudden glint in his eyes. "Wait," he said, a mischievous smile playing on his lips. "The security cameras in the hallways were installed after Zico's disappearance, right?"
Beomgyu and Yeonjun exchanged a startled look. They had been so focused on the pictures, they hadn't considered this crucial detail.
"Exactly," Taehyun continued. "Which means... we can know who delivered the pictures to this room."
The realization hit them like a bolt of lightning. The security footage, completely overlooked by them, could hold the key to who stole the photos and potentially even reveal the mysterious delivery person. Shame and frustration washed over Beomgyu. How had they been so blind to such an obvious clue?
Yeonjun, however, recovered first. "You think we can access the footage?" he asked, a spark of hope igniting in his eyes.
Taehyun chuckled, a low, humorless sound. "Oh, I can access a lot of things you wouldn't believe," he said enigmatically, his gaze flickering back to the photographs lying on the bed.
AUTHORS NOTE:
GUYSS OH MY GOD IT'S BEEN SO LONG I'M SORRY FOR POSTING LIKE THIS. I WAS SAUR BUSY AND THAT'S WHYY I DIDNT START THE NEW STORY I KNEW I'D BE IRREGULAR IN POSTING BUT DWWWWWWWWWW, I'LL BE BACKKK IN NO TIME. LOVE Y'ALLLL.
btw that's my instagram:
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