Don't Come Inside • Jungkook

xxvii. [END]

"We're back with Channel 5 news," the anchor greeted, her voice somber. "We've been getting in reports all morning of what may be the most horrifying occurrence in the entertainment industry and certainly a tragedy for the entire world. Local police were given an anonymous tip last night with a vague description of a location in the west outskirts of Seoul, and after hours of searching, they found a building with one of the apartments covered in photographs of BTS maknae Jeon Jungkook. Further investigation revealed six of the group's seven members to be held within the building. Police reports indicate that..."

The woman paused, her lips wobbling for a moment as she skimmed the words on the teleprompter but was unable to speak, putting a hand up to her mouth and squeezing her fingers tightly. She put the hand back down after a moment, blinking a few times to clear her eyes as she went on.

"Police reports indicate that all six of the recovered members were dead on arrival, each of them missing their right hand. We believe the members were locked in the basement for the past week. Fans are currently criticizing BigHit Entertainment for not putting out a missing persons report on the members earlier, but as of now, BigHit has no official comment, only to emphasize what a terrible tragedy this is and how they regret their actions. Jeon Jungkook, who police believe to be the target of the unsub's obsession, has not yet been recovered. Police believe the unsub has taken Jeon Jungkook with them or has disposed of the body elsewhere. A search for the last remaining body is currently in progress. Meanwhile, police have a lead on the unsub and are in pursuit. Channel 5 news, we'll be back after the break with updates."

***

Jungkook checked on the kettle to find that the tea was ready. He poured himself a cup, taking a moment to appreciate the heat of the liquid warming up the ceramic, which in turn warmed up his fingers. He'd been feeling a bit cold lately. Tea was just what he needed.

"Sukyeong? Would you like tea? It's your favorite too, right?" he asked, and when he didn't get an immediate reply, he nodded to himself, picking up the kettle.

"Here you are," he said, pouring a cup and setting it down on the kitchen table. Then he set about pouring a second cup, and a third cup, and a fourth cup, and a fifth cup, and a sixth cup, setting them in a circle around the table, each cup in front of a hand. "If it's too hot, just let it cool for a bit," he advised. He liked his own tea hot enough to just barely burn his tongue, but he didn't think everyone else enjoyed it the same way.

He began pouring the last cup, the one farthest on the left, but the chime of the clock on the hour startled him and the piping hot tea spilled over the side and onto Sukyeong.

"Oh no- I'm so sorry," Jungkook immediately apologized, setting the kettle down. He'd been a bit on edge lately. Probably because he hadn't been sleeping well. "Here, let me help," he said, taking both the tea and the hand over to the sink, setting the cup down before turning on the cold water and letting it run over the fingers. "I'm sorry about that, you probably got burnt," he murmured, turning off the tap and grabbing a kitchen towel. Gently, he padded the fabric against the skin, drying it off and inspecting it for any signs of redness, but he didn't see any.

He stopped when he saw the ring.

It looked like his own. Masculine yet sleek.

Jimin had had the same ring.

Their rings had characters carved along the inside, 사랑해. He wondered if this other ring had the same engraved.

He felt like it did, although he couldn't defend his reason for believing so.

He stared at the hand. It felt odd suddenly. Like it was no longer Sukyeong. Now that it was by itself, Jungkook didn't know what it was. Who it was.

He stared at it, and a character came to mind. 

ㅅ

But what did that mean? Wasn't it just part of Sukyeong?

Jungkook stared at the hand. It felt cold now, perhaps due to the water. Perhaps something else.

The sense of calm provided by the tea dissipated, and Jungkook stared down at the hand, his stomach curling up inside his frame.

"Who are you?" he whispered as he dropped the hand in the sink, taking a step back. Sukyeong, but not Sukyeong. Someone else.

He thought he'd been safe in his apartment, but now someone else was inside, someone strange, someone unknown.

Sukyeong, but not Sukyeong.

"Who are you?!" Jungkook screamed, backing into the table, and tea splashed out of the cups, falling against wood and against flesh alike, and he spun around.

Sukyeong (숙영) was gone. Instead, Ukyeong (욱영) was at the table.

"No, who- who are you?" Jungkook asked, creeping back around the table, trying to put distance between himself and the other. Once he reached the other side however, he stopped once more, his back hitting the wall as a new revelation of horror stared back at him.

No longer was he looking at Ukyeong (욱영); now, at the table, he was staring at Yangno (양노).

"No, stop!" Jungkook yelled, trying to back up again, but he was already against the wall, and he could retreat no further. "Who are you?" he screamed into the kitchen, his voice scratching against the walls, the refrigerator, the sink wherein the one he knew as ㅅ was waiting.

All he had to do was guess the name. If he guessed the name, then all of his friends could go free.

All he had to do was guess the name.

He just had to guess the name.

***

The police never found Jungkook. Even if they would have, it would have been too late. Sukyeong's obsession towards Jungkook produced an obsession of his own. He spent every day rearranging the hands, making thousands of different names, trying to find the one that would end his misery, only there was no one to tell him which was right and which was wrong. So he continued on, rearranging, creating more and more names, each one sending him deeper into his spiraling obsession just as it had for her.

After all, all he had to do was guess her name, and all of his friends could go free.

They never did, though.