Here I Lie // ATEEZ ✔

- 6 -

Hongjoong gawks at the sleeping person on the floor, the person's glasses already sliding down from his nose bridge, almost touching the tip. His sweat, tears and drool are all dripping on the floors at the same rate they start to form pools at where they landed. He stirs and mumbles something before his body jerks, then he opens his eyes. He reaches a hand to fix his glasses, then looks around to spot the redhead who is looking at him with mild interest and irritation. He wipes the drool on the corner on his mouth with his palm and dries the tears in his eyes.

Pressing his back against the wall without even taking a second to think of his current situation, he complains to Hongjoong like they were lifelong friends, "I had the worst nightmare ever; I dreamt that Seonghwa was murdered and when we were waiting for the police, the murderer came and stabbed me from the back with a knife. I thought I died, but I'm glad to know I'm not."

Hongjoong widens his arms before he utters, "It's not a nightmare, it really did happen, Seonghwa was found murdered in his room this morning. You maybe didn't die, but they gave a heck of a large dose of the sleeping drug to you considering how you were knocked out for so damn long. The thunderstorm has passed and it's sunny again yet you still had not waken up. They might not stab you with a knife but they must have stabbed you with a syringe at your neck. Must have been worried about you fighting back and screaming like a maniac."

Mingi bends his head at an angle to see the mark, and he notices there is a bruised puncture, the diameter being quite big so they must have used a large needle to subdue him. He presses a finger on his flesh, wincing as his brain registers a numb pain. "Argh, what the hell happened?"

He shrugs. "No idea, because I was just waiting for the police in the living room when I felt someone puncturing my shoulder with a syringe. Blacked out and the next thing I knew was that I'm trapped in this room with you. Not a pleasant surprise, if I may add. If there was anything pleasant about this trip. I'm going to blame Jeong Yunho for the rest of my damn life for taking us on this trip."

Despite the situation, Mingi rolls his eyes. "If we get to live longer. Why the heck are you so calm and talking like this is something normal? You should be, I don't know, screaming your lungs out or trying to find a way to escape. They're going to kill us-"

"I don't think so," he cuts him off.

He raises an eyebrow, surprised by his positive tone. For the first time ever, even though he never mingled much with the red and hotheaded head of marketing department, he senses a composed person, one that he rarely sees adorning him. He leaves himself looking at him dumbly, not knowing how to form a response. The redhead is only tapping the sides of his feet on the floor while sitting cross-legged, as if he is a kindergarden teacher eager to start his day with the kids. His emotions are hard to read, but his body language clearly shows his composure. He's not scared, he doesn't fear for his life. As if he knows every detailed plan of the ones who held them captive. Then he starts to grow suspicious of him again, before Mingi scoots further to bring himself away from him.

"Are you acting right now?" Mingi says, his voice shaking.

"What on earth are you saying-"

"You murdered Park Seonghwa didn't you? You tried convincing everyone that you didn't do it, but when you feel like you couldn't take it anymore you decided to drug everyone and plan your next move, right? When I woke up, you pretended to be one of the victims too, so that I wouldn't suspect you. If you think you can fool me, I'm sorry but I'm not stupid," he accuses him all in one breath.

"You are, stupid," Hongjoong grumbles. "I don't know how many times I have to say this, but I. Did not. Kill. Park. Seonghwa. Sure, whatever he said made me mad but that doesn't mean I have the plan to go and kill him. That's the work of a crazy person... whoever that was. Whoever did that to him has no heart. I might be-" he sniffs, still finding it hard to admit, "-a bit rough on him but I don't have the heart to do that to him. You are easily swayed in your decisions that I wonder how you even manage to become the head of the human resource department. No wonder our company only hires idiots."