˗ˏˋ ᴏɴᴇ ʏᴇᴀʀ ᴀɢᴏˊˎ˗ ↴
┊ᴋᴀɪ'ꜱ ᴘᴏᴠ┊ೃ⁀➷
"Did life treat everyone so wantonly, ripping the good things to pieces while letting bad things fester and grow like fungus?"
I take a sip out of my own glass, letting the burning sensation sit on my throat. "You are awfully poetic when you are drunk."
Beomgyu gives me a side glance, a lazy smirk playing at one end of his lips. "Am I, now?"His right leg— which was drawn to his chest— slides to lie on the carpeted floor. His head falls back with a small 'thump' against the wall behind. The smirk remains at its place, as endearing as an ornament of gold. "I was just stating a fact." He lets out a small chuckle, his eyes closing of their own accord.
An unknown sentiment bubbles deep down in the pit of my stomach, my gaze not leaving the elder boy. He looks so unnaturally delicate and elusive at this very moment that it throws me off-guard. I gulp down the rest of the liquid left in my glass in a single go, allowing my head to hang low to hide any hint of emotion that might obviously be on my face. Beside me, Beomgyu starts to trace his finger on the back of my hand that rested on the floor. "Your skin is so soft," he comments, his voice slurring towards the end. I close my eyes and take in a sharp breath.
However, in the stillness of the night, a voice in my head pops up almost abruptly, urging me to do something, anything that can't be considered right in any aspect. But the desire is too strong— I am too soft of a target to defy it. My fist clenches as I try to gain control of my actions, although in vain. I feel my nails breaking the skin of my palm as a twinge of pain arises from it. Beomgyu doesn't notice it, however, as he goes down the spiral of his own thoughts. His fingers wander up to my wrist, nails grazing gently against the skin.
"I-I need to go to the restroom," I suddenly announce, taking to my feet. The other veers his dark brown irises to me, blinking as my words slip through his stupor. Avoiding his gaze, I rush to the door at one of the corners of the room. After entering, I close the door with my back leaning against it as I pant frantically. A sheen of sweat covers my forehead, little beads sliding down the back of my neck.
What was that?
My gaze darts to the mirror in the front. Maybe I drank a little too much, maybe that is why I can hear these things. Or, maybe I really want to do something to Beomgyu.
'Something that they did to me.'
"Please! I beg you! Please stop!"
I cover my ears as my own voice hollers from inside my head, feeling weak in the knees. It isn't long before they give up and I slowly slide down the door, screwing my eyes shut. Tears start pooling at the brim, gushing down my warming cheeks.
"Don't do this, please!"
"No!"
"It hurts-"
"Stop!"
"Kai?"
"Please don't!"
"Kai, open the door! What's wrong?!" Everything stops at once, the only things that can be heard are the frantic knocks on the door and my own racing heartbeats. "Are you okay?" asks Beomgyu from the other side of the door.
"Kai?!"
"I'm coming! I-I am fine, just-" I stop myself from saying any further, allowing myself to breathe. "It's nothing..."
My hand slips into my pocket, fishing out a small white bottle. 'Paxil (paroxetine)' was written in bold on the front of it.
I had promised myself to touch not a single one of these, but I don't think I have any other choice.
I close my eyes and, without giving it a single extra thought, swallow the pills.
˗ˏˋ ᴘʀᴇꜱᴇɴᴛˊˎ˗ ↴
┊ᴊɪꜱᴏᴏ'ꜱ ᴘᴏᴠ┊ೃ⁀➷
Ravenwood— an international high school in the Seocho-gu region of Seoul, and the dream destination for every student living in the city. You get everything— great infrastructure, a rather promising teaching staff, high security, good results in the annual SATs (that's what they say, at least).
With all of this in mind, I had joined the school as the head of the science department five years ago after acquiring a PhD in astrophysics, and my journey so far was better than I had expected. The salary was quite high as well. I was living a perfect life with lots and lots of memories with ex-students and the new ones that followed in tandem. Seems right, doesn't it?
"What happened? Why did the principal call you?"
"They are suspending me for a week."
Except, it isn't going that since the past few days— two, to be precise.
"Why? And that too all of a sudden?" Lee Taemin exclaims, his lean fingers slightly covering his open mouth. I remove my glasses, keeping them on the table in front of me with a sigh.
"Because I called the police instead of the school's head committee. They say that it taints the reputation of the school." I rub at the bridge of my nose as I feel the rising ache at the back of my head. "The head committee has also announced the reduction of my salary to half of what it was before."
"Are you serious?!"
"Pretty much."
A murder. The school had a fucking murder, and I am the responsible one in all of this? It isn't my fault that my first reflex on finding a bloody dead body is to call 119. That's like basic common sense! But then again, does the school even care? All they can worry about is this godforsaken reputation as if it's not already schooling some of the most infamous students of Seoul, if not entire South Korea.
There has to be something else, something the school is trying to hide. I don't know, but I suspect someone from the authority knows who killed that girl, but no one wants to say a word. There are so many cameras all around the school; from the grounds to the cafeteria; from the classes to even the teachers' lounge. How come not a single was able to capture what might've happened? Unless someone had access to the security room, there is no way the murderer would've escaped the CCTV.
This gets me curious, what are they intending to get from all of this? Or who they are, in the very first place?
Taemin slowly lowers himself on the seat beside, still in a state of disbelief with the whole situation. "B-but you did nothing!"
I let out a small, dry chuckle. "Oh, I wish the authority knew."
Silence follows as the male lets it all sink into his brain, staring at the graded papers that lie carelessly on his side of the desk. I slip out my phone, scrolling through the plethora of notifications. Nothing seems interesting anymore. My head falls back, eyes falling shut of their own accord. "Lisa texted me a few hours ago. The doctor says we can expect our baby's birth around the end of June."
I want to cry.
"...Jisoo."
I feel useless.
"Jisoo, please don't-"
"What am I to say to her now?"
I and Taemin have been friends ever since our days in college. He was the one who had suggested I should join beside him so we could work together. He helped me to find an adobe when I was abandoned by my parents for being who I am. And yet again, we find ourselves in a similar situation from all those years ago— with him being my rock of support as I fall deeper into my own abyss of disappointment and guilt.
His hands rub in circles against my back as I take in deep breaths to control myself, feeling the warm liquid at the edge of falling. I close my eyes as the migratory pain only increases, as does the desire to just let the tears free.
"I had promised her the best time of her life, how am I to give that to her now?" I croak out, hands tightening into fists.
"Shush. You are strong, Jisooya. And I am always here to help, you know?"
"But I-I cannot ask you for money, can I?"
"Shut up. I am a single body with minimal needs. Even my fashion sense sucks." I chuckle at his words, now having a hard time containing myself any further. "I can provide you with the money for the time being. And when Lisa goes back to her job, you will also get some stress off of your shoulders."
I look at the male, gulping through my constricting throat. "I'd be indebted to you."
"Oh, come on. Take it as a friend's help, not as a debt. In return, you can name your baby after me, I guess."
And I fall apart, a sob escaping my mouth. Taemin throws his protective arms around me as I bury my head in his shoulder. "You are my guardian angel, Tae."
Taemin rolls his eyes, giving a comforting smile. "I am just a friend, yah!"
┊ꜱᴏᴏʙɪɴ'ꜱ ᴘᴏᴠ┊ೃ⁀➷
Day two of Ravenwood murder case, still we are nowhere near a lead.
"I am checking the last database, and I swear to god I'll snap the head of prosecutor Seokjin like a fucking imposter," Hyunjin whines, his chin resting on the back of his palm as he scrolls through what seems like the hundredth page of the database of past reports.
Seonghwa— who has just entered the cabin, his hands holding onto two cups of coffee while another one is tucked under his forearm— scrunches his nose, directing it towards the detective. "You still play Among Us?" He puts down one of the cups in front of Hyunjin, who darts a glare at the other. His dark is swept to the back, a small silver looped earring shining under the sun-bathed cabin.
"I'm not like you, boomer."
I chuckle silently at their childish banter, not looking up from the photos we had clicked on the crime scene. However, a peck on my temple diverts my attention to Seonghwa, his eyes perusing through the photographs from above my shoulder. "Don't stress yourself much, babe," he adds, offering me a cup, which I gladly take.
"Can y'all have some mercy for this single soul?" interrupts Hyunjin, narrowing his eyes upon the two of us.
I chuckle. "Did you find anything?"
"Do you think I would be whining like this if I had found anything?"
I tighten my lips, giving a look of disapproval towards the man. "Please remind me how you came to be a detective with an IQ of zero point five."
"Yah-"
"Okay! Okay. Stop the drama. We don't want to listen to another rant session by prosecutor Seokjin, now do we?"
Silence ensues, the seriousness of the matter dawning upon all of us. It's a big thing that we have not a single clue of where we can start the investigation from. Nothing on the CCTV, nothing related to the victim's past, not a single suspect so far— just a connotation of suspicion on a student whose record seems pretty clear.
"I think...I think I do."
"On whom?"
"I am not sure...but it could be Hwang Yeji."
I sigh at the memory, remembering Taehyun's words. He hadn't seemed that sure of himself, so I don't know if I can actually conduct an investigation on them or not. From school days, I can recollect that Hwang Yeji wasn't really that popular of a person, although her general behaviour was quite questionable. Some students were even betting over her being a part of some gang. But then again, Ravenwood is a big school, and a lot of kids are involved in illegal activities these days. Yeji is merely the one better known in the school because of her friend circle. And I don't have much time to spend over so feeble leads, anyway.
"Hey," Hyunjin starts again, "do y'all know about the record room myth?"
I mindlessly take a sip of my own drink. "Not really. No one really cares about the records room that much, now that we have digitalized database. We are just stacking that room for no reason."
The man straightens, swivelling his chair to face me and Seonghwa. "Listen to me. You all know that SMPA's database is the most secure one in entire South Korea?"
"Obviously-"
"Wrong. It's not as secure as the developers promise it to be." He then leans back in his chair, clasping his hands in front of himself as he continues, "Hackers advance their techniques with every passing day, the government can't really take chances. Does any of you remember what had happened in the case of Yang Miyu?"
"Isn't that the one where a girl was held captive because she knew something about a past SMPA senior superintendent?" suggests Seonghwa to which Hyunjin nods.
"Exactly. But do you know that Yang Miyu had actually used unethical hacking to mess with SMPA's database?"
"So what exactly are you trying to conclude?" I ask, a frown settling upon my eyebrows.
"That some of the files that are of high importance aren't uploaded in the database. They are wordlessly kept in the record room so that no outsider can get even a whiff of it."
-ˋˏ✄┈┈┈┈
A/N ¡! ❝I want a friend like Taemin :')
Also, what do you think is happening in the story so far? Let me know your theories, and I may provide y'all with hints~
Make sure to stay hydrated and healthy-- physically and mentally.
Love ya <3❞