Author's POV
The weight of Melody's amnesia hung heavy on the Seventeen dorm. The normally vibrant atmosphere had been replaced by a somber quiet. The members, having witnessed her vacant eyes and heartbreaking confusion, were determined to help in any way they could. But a question gnawed at them, a question Wonwoo hadn't addressed in his grief.
"How did the accident happen?" S.Coups, the leader, finally voiced the unspoken worry during their evening meeting.
The room fell silent, all eyes turning to Wonwoo. He shifted uncomfortably, his gaze flickering away. "It was... a car accident," he mumbled, his voice devoid of the usual enthusiasm.
"We know that, hyung," Dino, the youngest member, piped up. "But how? Did someone run a red light? Was it bad weather?"
Wonwoo hesitated, his jaw clenched tight. The truth, a tangled mess of guilt and deceit, sat heavy on his conscience. He couldn't bear to see the disappointment in their eyes, the judgment he knew he deserved.
"We'll get to the bottom of this," declared Hoshi, the energetic dancer, slamming his fist on the table. "Melody deserves to know what happened."
A tense silence descended once more. Finally, Joshua, the soft-spoken vocalist, spoke up. "Maybe we should talk to Beth," he suggested. "She might know something about Melody's state of mind before the accident."
The suggestion sparked a flicker of hope. Beth, Melody's closest friend, might hold a missing piece of the puzzle.
The next day, the members, minus a nervous Wonwoo, gathered at a local cafe with Beth. The atmosphere was somber as they explained their concerns.
"Melody never mentioned any issues with Wonwoo," Beth admitted, her brow furrowed in confusion. "They seemed happy, as far as I knew."
Her words sent a jolt through the room. If there were no obvious problems, then what had caused the accident? A thought flickered in S.coups's mind, a distant memory surfacing.
"Remember that time Wonwoo was acting strange a few weeks back?" he asked, his voice tentative. "He seemed distracted, his phone was glued to his hand."
The other members exchanged glances, a similar memory stirring in their minds. Wonwoo had been secretive, canceling plans and leaving his phone unattended more often.
"Do you think..." Jun, trailed off, a worried look on his face.
The suspicion hung heavy in the air, unspoken but understood. Could Wonwoo have been hiding something from Melody? Something that might have triggered the accident?
They needed answers. But how could they investigate without jeopardizing Melody's fragile recovery and potentially breaking Wonwoo's heart further?
Amidst the swirling emotions, Dino, known for his bursts of impulsiveness, spoke up. "Let's check the CCTV footage from the area where the accident happened," he declared. "Maybe it'll show us something Wonwoo isn't telling us."
The suggestion, though risky, resonated with the room. They needed to know the truth, for Melody and for their friend. So, with a mix of apprehension and determination, the members of Seventeen embarked on a clandestine mission, one that threatened to unravel a web of secrets and shatter the delicate world they all shared.
Dino's impulsive suggestion hung heavy in the air. The other members exchanged uneasy glances, the gravity of the situation settling in. Investigating Wonwoo, their friend and bandmate, felt like a betrayal, yet they couldn't ignore the gnawing suspicion. Mingyu, his hand instinctively reaching for Beth's, felt a surge of protectiveness towards both his girlfriend and Wonwoo.
"We need to be careful," he said, his voice low and measured. "This is a sensitive issue. We can't jump to conclusions, but we also can't ignore the possibility that Wonwoo isn't telling us everything."
Beth squeezed his hand, her eyes reflecting a similar turmoil. "I agree," she said, her voice firm. "Melody deserves the truth, but we have to be supportive of Wonwoo too. He's clearly hurting."
Mingyu nodded, his admiration for Beth growing. Her loyalty and compassion were unwavering, even in the face of uncertainty. "Let's split up," he suggested. "Some of us can discreetly find someone to access the CCTV footage, while others can keep Wonwoo company, make sure he doesn't suspect anything."
The plan, though far from perfect, was the best they could come up with under the circumstances. As the group divided into their tasks, Mingyu offered Beth a reassuring smile. "We'll get through this together, okay?"
Beth returned his smile, a spark of determination flickering in her eyes. "Always," she said, her voice laced with a love that transcended the current crisis.
The following days were a whirlwind of nervous activity. DK and Hoshi, known for their resourcefulness, managed to track down a contact with access to the local security cameras near the accident site. Meanwhile, Mingyu and the others maintained a facade of normalcy around Wonwoo, engaging him in games and activities to distract him from their suspicions.
The weight of their secret investigation, coupled with the constant worry for Melody, took its toll on the group. Mingyu found himself spending sleepless nights, his mind replaying scenarios and dreading the truth they might uncover. Yet, Beth's unwavering support and the shared determination to help Melody kept him going.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, DK and Hoshi returned, a grim look etched on their faces. They gathered the group in their practice room, the tension thick enough to cut with a knife.
"We got the footage," DK said, his voice barely a whisper. "But what we saw... it's not good."
His words hung in the air, a heavy silence descending upon the room. Mingyu exchanged a worried glance with Beth, bracing himself for whatever the footage might reveal. As Hoshi pressed play on the video, the image flickered to life, and a truth they desperately hoped to avoid unfolded before their eyes.
