Doodlebug | Beomjun, yeongyu |

Chapter no. 11

The tension in the room was thicker than the stale air. The investigators had ushered Yeonjun, Soobin, Beomgyu, Taehyun, and even Kai into a separate office, the door slamming shut with a finality that mirrored the grim mood.

"Alright, boys," the lead investigator, a man named Detective Han, started, his voice laced with a barely contained fury. "Do you have any idea how dangerous it is to pull stunts like that back there? Shouting accusations, disrupting an investigation? Don't you understand the gravity of the situation?"

Yeonjun, his face still etched with fear but his resolve unwavering, met Detective Han's gaze. "With all due respect, sir," he said, his voice steady, "finding Wooyoung's killer is more important than decorum right now."

A muscle in Detective Han's jaw twitched. He sighed, his frustration evident. "Fine," he conceded. "But understand, we have protocols. Now, you mentioned information. What is it, son?" He turned towards Kai, his gaze skeptical.

Kai, fidgeting under the collective scrutiny, took a deep breath. "I, uh, have a bit of an unusual hobby," he mumbled, his voice barely above a whisper.

"Unusual?" Detective Han prompted, raising an eyebrow. "Explain yourself."

Kai cleared his throat and continued, his voice gaining a tinge of confidence. "I like to take pictures. Random pictures, mostly around the dorm. Sometimes from my window, sometimes just things that catch my eye."

Beomgyu snorted, a sound that quickly died down under Detective Han's steely gaze.

Ignoring the interruption, Kai continued. "And lately, I've noticed some... interesting things." He paused, glancing nervously at Yeonjun and the others. "I know it sounds weird, but maybe some of my pictures captured something useful."

A flicker of hope sparked in Yeonjun's eyes. Could Kai's strange habit actually be the key they needed? Detective Han, however, remained unconvinced. "Pictures of suspicious activity? We need hard evidence, son, not your teenage voyeuristic tendencies."

"But what if they have something?" Soobin chimed in, his voice calm despite the rising tension. "Shouldn't we at least take a look?"

Detective Han hesitated, his gaze flickering between the determined faces of the boys. He knew they were grieving, desperate for answers. Maybe, just maybe, this Kai and his pictures could offer a lead, however unconventional. With a sigh of resignation, he nodded.

"Alright, fine. Handover all these pictures"

Kai gulped. "Well, I, uh, lately I've been taking a lot more pictures... of you guys specifically."

Yeonjun's eyes narrowed. "What?" he growled, a dangerous glint returning to his eyes.

Detective Han, however, seemed intrigued. He leaned forward, his gaze fixated on Kai. "Explain," he demanded.

Kai squirmed under the intensity of Detective Han's stare. "Like I said," he stammered, "I take a lot of pictures. Lately, I've been focusing on the guys... just candid shots, you know? Like, in the kitchen, hallways, stuff like that."

Kai, under the scrutinizing gaze of both the detective and his friends, fumbled in his backpack. He pulled out the familiar brown box, the one that held the collection of stolen moments. "I... I have pictures," he stammered, placing the box on the table with a nervous thud. "I've been focusing on you guys, especially after Zico disappeared."

Detective Han's skepticism morphed into a spark of interest. He gestured towards the box. "Open it."

Kai's fingers trembled as he lifted the lid. Inside, a chaotic symphony of captured moments unfolded. Candid shots of students laughing in the hallway, couples stealing kisses in secluded corners, and a few blurry images of Yeonjun and Beomgyu in the kitchen.