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THE VERDICT IS
It's a complicated thing, death. Only because there you are one minute, living with such promise and ambition and then the next you're on a morgue table, lifeless, being identified by your closest friends.
A turn of events like that shouldn't be able to happen so fast.
You're being analysed, stared at, prodded and poked because you look like their loved one but you're vacant and grey. It's confusing for them because you're physically still on earth, looking peacefully content in your slumber but your soul is a million miles away.
The soul is what makes up a human being. When that's gone, you're just an empty shell.
Taehyung hesitantly stood over the body covered by a plastic blue sheet as Hoseok's back clung to the wall behind. It took a long time for him to pluck up the courage to send the mortician a small nod, but once he did, he would have done anything to take back his decision.
The cover was unzipped slowly, and inch by inch the body was revealed. It was gruesome and not at all what Taehyung was expecting.
No one deserves to meet such a fate.
If the person in front of him didn't look so vaguely familiar, he wouldn't have been able to guess his original tone. His skin was bubbled and bloated with a greenish-black hue, and an irregular pattern of burst purple vessels littered his torso and neck, all the way up to his swollen face.
It was him, though Taehyung refused to believe so at first. He could have easily shaken his head and said no because the person lying on the steel table was not even half the man he once was. If he said no, he could have lived blissfully unaware of his friend's demise. He could have gone about his life convinced he'd moved away for a new beginning.
He couldn't do that though, not after he heard Hoseok's body slide down the wall and a series of incomprehensible cries echo through the morgue once again.
He knew too.
Holding back tears himself, Tae brought his palm to his mouth to conceal the shattering in his chest. He could hear his heart breaking and the noise was deafening.
"Yes, it's him," he eventually choked, turning around instantly after saying it.
He couldn't look any longer.
Hoseok found the reality way more brutal. He knew from the moment he answered the phone that it was him. They both had the exact same wallet with the exact same emergency contact placed inside the exact same plastic sleeve.
He roared out at the top of his voice for Taehyung to shut up, repeating it until his throat was sore. He'd heard the word 'no' so many times in his life. Over and over again from women, colleges, jobs, even from his parents, and yet the one time he wished he could hear those two letters was the time he was deprived.
As soon as he entered the room and glanced inside the little tin next to the body and saw the vintage gold watch he'd spent a month's earnings on, his worst nightmare was confirmed.
"Sir?" The mortician called out with the clipboard in her hands. "Sorry, I'm going to need you to sign this."
Tae breathed out with a shiver, wishing everyone would just shut the fuck up. He should be at peace now, why wasn't this over?
"Sir?" She repeated. "Do you confirm that the deceased is Mr Yoongi Min? I need you to sign on the dotted line."
Taehyung snapped his head around, his eyes wide and furious. He didn't say his name for a reason. He didn't want to hear his friends name and the word deceased in the same sentence.
Snatching the pen, he scribbled on the line. His writing was barely legible with his shaky hands.
The mortician let out a small sigh and held the board close to her chest. "I'm sorry for your loss."
It was silent after that, dead silent. They both could have been mistaken for one of the bodies stored away in the freezers, that's how still they were.
There are never any words suitable enough to describe the agony that comes with losing a loved one. Grief is indescribable and the most peculiar thing, because those affected are so helpless in the face of it.
They remained in silence until a knock at the door made them flinch. After it creaked open, a man poked his head around and greeted them with a warm smile.
"Mr Kim, Mr Jung?" He announced. "I'm officer Reece Jones, when you're ready I'd like to bring you down to the station to ask a couple of questions."
Why would they need to be questioned? Hadn't they been through enough?
***
Taehyung held Satine's hand tightly as they all walked into the police station. He didn't have the energy to glance behind at Diana, no matter how badly he wanted her to wrap her tiny little arms around his neck and tell him everything was going to be okay.
One by one they were dragged into those four murky walls of the interrogation room to be questioned about Yoongi's death.
Hoseok went first, just to get it over and done with. He was mentally drained; too traumatised to even be able to talk or think straight.
Name: HOSEOK JUNG
Date of birth: 18/02/1972 (Age 25)
Occupation: MUSICIAN
Relationship to deceased: FRIEND
Mr Jung cooperated as well as he could. He quite clearly had a close relationship with the deceased and was unable to talk much on the subject.
Signed: Detective Reece Jones
"Mr Jung?"
No answer.
"It would be really helpful if you could tell us a bit about Mr Min's character..."
Hoseok sat limp against the chair, eyes glassy and somewhere distant. He felt guilty. He wanted to talk, he wanted to explain how his friend wasn't okay and hadn't been for a long time. But he also couldn't stop thinking about his secret - the one he was supposed to tell Yoongi but didn't get the chance to.
"Mr Jung, please, I'm sure you all need some closure-"
"I'm in love with her."
Detective Jones sat back, intrigued by Hoseok's first bundle of words. They seemingly had nothing to do with the deceased, but he listened, nonetheless. "Okay... Who is her?"
Hoseok's head hung low, letting a tear run down his cheek slowly to land on his slack hand. He looked at it, thoughtfully, as if it held something important - a memory maybe.
"I always fall in love with people I can't have, I just can't help myself. I don't know why I thought I ever had a chance with someone like her, she's too good for me. She was always going to choose Taehyungie or JK - I don't know - but it certainly was never going to be me."
Detective Jones nodded, starting to put the puzzle pieces together.
"It was my biggest secret and I didn't have the confidence to tell anyone, I thought I'd look stupid... I was supposed to tell Yoongi, but I guess that will never happen now."
"Who's she, Mr Jung?" The detective was almost excited that there was some sort of information being told, even if it didn't link back to his case.
A scoff was released. "Like you don't know... Weren't you the one rearranging yourself on the journey over here? I don't blame you, she's beautiful, one of the most amazing girls out there. You wouldn't be the first, let me tell you that much."
Hoseok had watched the detective glance back at the redhead in the rear-view mirror. He'd watched him gulp as they walked into the police station at the view of Satine's t-shirt riding up as she clung to Taehyung's side.
"I don't know what you're talking about," Detective Jones ran his fingers through his hair to conceal his wedding band.
With another empty gaze, Hoseok fell back to his lifeless stature.
"Do you know why your friend would have killed himself, Mr Jung? It's important that you tell us the truth."
With a heavy sigh, Hoseok's eyes flickered up to the ceiling. "He wasn't okay, but I never thought that he'd go so far as to kill himself... he was way too strong for that."
The detective nodded. "Okay, that'll be all, Mr Jung." He watched as Hoseok dragged his feet towards the door. "Oh, one more question, sorry. Did you see Mr Min at all the day he died?"
Hoseok's eyebrows furrowed. "No, I went straight to Taehyung's to spend the day there. When I got back I saw Yoongi's note saying he was staying with his parents. I suppose he didn't want me to panic..."
Detective Jones pondered his words and smiled. "Okay, thank you."
***
Name: TAEHYUNG KIM
Date of birth: 30/12/1973 (Age 23)
Occupation: MUSICIAN
Relationship to deceased: FRIEND
Mr Kim seemed unaware of his friend's condition that he showed active remorse for. Mr Kim seemed to feel a lot of anger and guilt for not noticing his friend's deterioration.
Signed: Detective Reece Jones
"Take a seat, Mr Kim."
"Please don't call me that." Taehyung's expression was sour and trembling with disgust.
His name was an unwanted link to his father. Every time his stupid colleagues would come over after work, they would all address each other with just their surnames. Taehyung wanted nothing to do with any of the shit they got up to.
"Taehyung then," Detective Jones said warmly. "I'm just going to ask a few questions and answer any that you may have."
He waited for Taehyung's reply, but he just received a blank stare.
"Mr Min's death was ruled a suicide. Gunshot to the temple at the edge of Newtown Creek. He fell into the water and remained there for three days before his body was spotted floating."
Blackness tugged at Taehyung's vision, but he wasn't weak enough to let it overwhelm him. He'd witnessed multiple deaths in his life, this wasn't new to him.
"Do you know why he would take his own life?"
"No," he managed to snap. "Why the fuck would I know why he fucking killed himself? God, it's fucking sick of you to bring us down here when we're fucking grieving our friend."
Detective Jones sighed, looking across at how young and rundown the man opposite looked. Black circles clung to his under eyes, his hair was wild and unkempt, and though he seemed sober, the smell of alcohol on his breath was obvious.
"It's okay if you don't know. I'm just trying to find out all the information I can so we can get a better understanding for his report and his parent's peace of mind."
"Fuck his parents!" Taehyung burst out, laughing manically. "They never caused him anything other than pain. We're his family, we were the ones that were there for him!" He paused after his final line, realising that it wasn't true.
The detective knew that Taehyung in particular was going to be difficult just by his inability to cooperate when driving over. It took him fifteen minutes just to get in the car.
He sensed a lot of anger, a lot of guilt.
"Okay, so your friend didn't have a drinking problem? He wasn't on any medication?"
Taehyung's entire body was channelling a meltdown, he could feel it. His whole world had imploded - JK left, Yoongi had died. Who was next? There was no describing the pain because it hadn't fully settled in yet. All he wanted to do was get his girl and leave, but even then, he wasn't sure who he wanted in his bed that night.
All his stability had flown out the window.
"Fuck!" He jumped up and started pacing the room. "I didn't know he'd deteriorated so much that the cunt would consider suicide." It felt as if a hundred eyes were on him. "What the fuck is this?" He started laughing again. "It feels like I'm being interrogated."
"It was ruled a suicide, there was no foul play detected." The detective watched as Taehyung pressed his head against the far wall.
"Look, he drank a lot, but I don't know anything about him being depressed. He was completely fine the last time I saw him."
That was the hardest part to admit because now that he thought about it, he'd never actually checked up on his friend to see if he was okay. He, himself, was far from it, so why did he think everyone around him was so perfect? He couldn't even remember the last time he saw Yoongi.
Detective Jones jotted something down in his notepad. "Okay, well one last thing, Taehyung..." He looked up to find his fist clutched around the door handle.
"Had you seen Mr Min at all the day he passed?"
Taehyung's face screwed up, finding the question odd regarding a suicide case. "No, I think I was at home with Satine or probably in Dynaco with Hoseok." He was too drunk to remember the ins and outs.
"Alright then, you're free to go."
Once Taehyung was given the opportunity, he left, slamming the door behind him.
***
Name: SATINE FONTAINE
Date of birth: 25/10/1975 (AGE 21)
Occupation: PERSONAL ASSISTANT - PARK ENTERPRISE
Relationship to deceased: FRIEND
Miss Fontaine seemed devastated by her friend's death. She cooperated well and was helpful in closing his case.
Signed: Detective Reece Jones
"Miss Fontaine," Detective Jones smiled warmly as the redhead settled down opposite. He watched her closely; she seemed exhausted despite her lively features.
Satine was tired, and sort of homesick. She supposed the set-up must have been nerve-wracking for the boys. The iciness of the four walls surrounding could have set the most innocent of people on edge. But Satine had been in police stations more times than she cared to admit and knew their protocol better than anyone.
She was nothing but composed, sitting with one leg draped over the other, breathing calmly as the man opposite fiddled nervously with his papers.
"Hello," she nodded, fighting through the lump in her throat. "What's the verdict then? How did he die?"
The detective wasn't expecting her to be so forward and so blunt in her approach, but he could understand why. She was a woman, and like most, she couldn't fathom without the vital information.
"It was ruled a suicide," he stopped for a second after her steady breathing increased. "Bullet to the temple; said to be standing on the edge of Newtown Creek. We suspect that he was in the water for a few days."
The reality must have been hard on her because that's when her facade started to falter. "But he was fine... I only saw him on Monday."
He wasn't fine. The last time Satine saw Yoongi he was glaring at Diana as if she'd killed a puppy in front of him. She had noticed something was off but didn't say anything, she just watched him proceed to chug down more vodka than even he was used to.
Satine couldn't tell the detective that part, no matter how badly she wanted to throw Diana under the bus for what she did to her. It was in Satine's best interest to stay quiet.
"Did Mr Min ever show signs of poor mental health? Depression, suicidal thoughts? Did something happen that could have pushed him over the edge?"
Sniffling, Satine nodded. "He drank a lot more than the other boys. Depending on the mood he was in, the alcohol could heighten his emotions. Most of the time he seemed unexplainably sad."
The detective was trying to jot Satine's evidence down, but he was too mesmerised by her beauty to concentrate properly.
"I should have questioned him more, but he always acted so blasé, so fine! The last time I saw him he was the same old silly Yoongi!" She broke down again.
"That's often the case, Miss Fontaine, suicide victims can have a surge, almost like a farewell. Sometimes they want to leave with a happy memory, sometimes they want to leave you with a happy memory."
Turning to the side to wipe away her tears, she met the man opposites pitiful smile again.
"I feel awful."
"You don't need to feel guilty, Miss Fontaine, this is just protocol. We need information for his death report and for his family-"
She continued to pat the trails on her cheek. "I know, I know, you just want a definitive answer as to why I think he did it." She'd watched too many crime series and documentaries not to know being questioned worked.
He confirmed.
"I noticed from the beginning; from the first day I met Yoongi that there was something more to him. The way he would drink so eagerly but then frown afterwards like it wasn't satisfying enough. He was never truly content with anything... and that's the only thing I can think of to explain all of this. He finally didn't feel content with living either."
The detective nodded thoughtfully, feeling an ache form in his chest from watching the redhead clearly struggle with the news. He dug through his pockets and pulled out a tissue to hand to her.
"I'm sorry, this must be tough." He took her hand as she reached for the tissue, rubbing circles into her knuckles.
She nodded, looking up so he could meet her glassy eyes. He let out a breath of air and began stuttering over his words again. She was truly stunning, the type to erase every rational thought from your head.
"Er, sorry, where was I?" He let go of her hand, trying to get himself back on track. "Did you see Mr Min at all on the day he died?"
"No?" She queried, finding the question odd. "I was at work and then with Taehyung and Hobi in the evening. Our friend just left town, you see? We were all a little shaken up."
"Okay then, Miss Fontaine, thank you for the information." He wasn't even done, but to be stuck in such a confined space with her for any longer - he wasn't sure if he'd be able to control himself.
***
In the waiting area, Diana sat next to Hoseok and back-to-back with Taehyung. She was holding back her tears, fighting with everything in her to stay calm and collected. Her chest was pounding, her stomach aching, and she was shaking like a leaf.
She knew she had to tell them anything they wanted to know, but truthfully, she hadn't even processed the fact that her friend was no longer alive.
Her hand dropped to her side where Taehyung's hung lifeless and grey. She slowly grazed it, begging for even the slightest response.
A deep sigh of relief escaped her chest as his fingers curled around hers, but she didn't have enough time to enjoy his warmth before he was ripped away. Satine came walking out of the interrogation room, her eyes puffy and lips red. She'd been crying, and Diana couldn't help but frown.
What had they asked to have Satine react in such a way? Were they going to ask her the same questions? Diana's thoughts were in a frenzy.
"Miss Monroe?"
Diana's heart dropped into her stomach.
"Y-yes?"
"Would you follow me?"
She nodded, trying to focus on the feeling of Taehyung's hand holding hers for some form of comfort. Her chest pumped, her skin became clammy and her teeth chattered in the cold as she stepped foot in the interrogation room.
Name: DIANA MONROE
Date of birth: 16/09/1975 (AGE 21)
Occupation: Reader at Felony and Mayhem Press
Relationship to deceased: FRIEND
Miss Monroe was somewhat helpful in explaining Mr Min's character but her evidence was insufficient as she only knew the deceased for a month before his passing. Her answers were short and quick and held no real importance to his case.
Signed: Detective Reece Jones
They sat down opposite each other, Detective Jones chuckling to himself about something.
"What's so funny?" Diana questioned, already feeling uncomfortable. Wasn't it unprofessional for him to act like that in the wake of someone's death?
"Nothing, it's just there's no information under the name you gave us," he raised a brow, wanting so badly to see her react.
"I'm a foster kid so I've had many names. I've had loads over the years."
The detective reluctantly nodded.
"So, Miss Monroe," he placed a few of the papers on the grubby table, "I assume you and Mr Min were close?"
"Yes." Okay, so the first question wasn't too bad. "We haven't known- I mean didn't know each other for that long but he was like a big brother to me. I don't really know how to act right now; I only met him around a month ago."
"It can cause a lot of confusing feelings when that happens. You feel like you understood that person enough to grieve, but also feel as if you need to conceal those emotions because others knew him for longer. Am I right?"
He was right but she could only nod.
"Mr Min's death was immediately ruled a suicide. The mortician claims there was no evidence of foul play. What we're lacking is a cause. Why did a twenty-six-year-old man, at the beginning of his life, decide to end it in such a way?"
The detective watched her closely as her eyes darted around the room, clearly thinking about something.
"Why do most people do it?" She scoffed, her exterior changing. She was offended by his question. "He was clearly depressed, always had been."
"See, you talk about him like you've known him for years."
"It can feel like that sometimes. Some people are just easy to read and Yoongi was one of those people... much to his dismay. I worked him out early on and decided to make an effort to befriend him; we got on like a house on fire."
The man opposite smiled at the way she was reminiscing her friend. Her words were very clean, sharp and direct, dissimilar to the jittery woman she was when she walked in.
"Seems you two had a great friendship."
She chuckled, looking down at her sore, chipped nails from constant picking. "He was a great guy, despite his obvious issues. He was taken too soon."
"Taken?" He questioned. "Peculiar choice of words..."
She glanced back up, rubbing her thighs awkwardly. "I mean, how would you put it?"
"It's not my job to sugar coat the truth, Miss Monroe. Mr Min committed suicide."
It felt as if she was being interrogated and she could sort of understand why. She felt guilty, horrendously so.
"So you didn't notice any other strange circumstances? Sometimes their thoughts completely consume them and anything can send them spiralling. Did he find out any particularly harrowing news? Did he reach out in a cry for help?"
That's when Diana needed him to shut up. She clutched her phone in her pocket, gripping it with such ferocity that she was sure the plastic was about to crack and send shards through her palm.
"No, sir." The image of her ID in Yoongi's hand was already enough to drive her insane.
Detective Jones narrowed his eyes and underlined something in his notebook. "Okay, just one more thing and you're good to go... Did you see Mr Min the day he died?"
Diana held her stomach, startled by his question. "What? No, I've been working all day and night for the past week. I've barely seen anyone lately."
The man opposite continued writing away in his notebook, having her heart truly beat out of her chest.
"You may go now, Miss Monroe." He didn't even look up.
"Oh... okay... thank you." She wasted no time in running out the room. She could already feel the vomit surfacing, but as soon as she saw Satine sitting on Taehyung's lap, crying into the crook of his neck, she couldn't hold it back any longer.
Everyone watched as she puked all over the floor.
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A/N
So it was Yoongi that died :(
Hoseok's in love with Satine.
Taehyung is in a bad place.
Satine was getting flirted with again by the detective. Girl can't catch a break.
Diana is just being Diana lol.
What do you think?