(⚠Warning: Attempted Murder⚠)
-Hyunjin's POV-
I sighed heavily as I took a seat at my dorm room's desk, the cushions of the chair flattening pathetically under my weight. For a school that had enough money to afford its own forest they certainly cut corners on the furniture, though based on the state of Chan's dorm, that didn't seem to be the case for every room.
The crisp night air was allowed entrance through the window I had cracked open, the scent of the forest seeping in through the opening and mixing with the scent of clean linen that permeated my dorm. A hint of chlorine was also present, most likely from the olympic size pool they had located near the dorms. Even from a different building the scent was apparent, though thankfully not enough to spoil the earthy smell that seemed like a permanent addition to the campus itself. Though I guess with the school's location, that should have been expected.
I hadn't bothered to organize the papers scattered across the desk's surface, their random and disorderly formation somehow still allowing proficiency as I sorted through them, my eyes scanning through each of the student's profiles with a quick yet attentive speed.
While I had gone through all of the profiles for the more influential or troublesome students- though there seemed to be an obvious correlation between the two- I had yet to read through the rest, and as the case was currently at a standstill, any and all information could potentially lead to a breakthrough.
It definitely wasn't the most enjoyable way to spend an evening, but ever since I started living with SKZ, I found myself with a lot more downtime than I was used to. It felt nice to be productive, because while I hadn't exactly been sitting on my ass the last couple of months, I still hadn't been working as hard as I used to.
Consistency hadn't exactly been my closest friend throughout life. I had spent my childhood constantly practicing and working to become a good enough heir for the Red Sparrow Mafia. I rarely had downtime, and any "free time" I ever received was usually because I had been overworked to the point of requiring bed rest.
I went from spending every waking moment working on something to wasting away in a basement for over two years, nothing but my thoughts to occupy me between bouts of torture. I stayed in that closet of a room for twenty five months, my strength greatly declining as I struggled to move more than a foot away from the wall I was chained to. Managing to escape was a miracle, my desperation to get away from my brother apparently being strong enough to fuel my starved and injured body.
And then I had ended up on the streets. While living on the streets wasn't the worst part of my life, it was when I was the most lost. When I was with my father, I had a purpose. When I was with my brother, I had no choices and had no need to think. I was at someone else's mercy, and for two years, I had done nothing but simply exist. But suddenly, I was on my own. I had no purpose, no one to control me, and though I had full control of my life at that point, I had no motivation to do anything with it. I wasn't in a good enough place to continue the work I had started when I was still with my father, nor did I desire anything but a swift death.
But then SKZ found me. I guess "found" might be too nice of a word, but out of all the people who had ever imprisoned me, they were definitely the nicest. They treated me better than anyone ever had, because while plenty of my connections were rather pleasant to me, it was all a formality. But with SKZ . . .
It seemed like they actually cared. Perhaps it was narcissistic of me to assume anyone could care for me, but I couldn't help the opinion I formed of them. Even if their care towards me was only possible because of ignorance, they still helped me recover from the damage I received over my life.
Felix tended to my wounds and showed me all the things I missed out on. Chan and Jisung offered me comfort. Minho provided me with food. Changbin lifted my spirits and protected me. Seungmin gave me a purpose. Jeongin offered me both protection, and someone to protect. And all of them offered me a home. Some more willingly than others.
I was now allowed to train without overworking myself, a balance I had never been offered before. I was able to eat balanced meals and could snack whenever I needed. There was medicine available if I needed it, a doctor who for some reason decided to care about my well being, and a safe place to sleep which offered me more rest than I had ever received previously. I was healthy now, and was in a better place then I had ever been.
Perhaps that's why I've become more and more tempted to be productive. Training could only fill up so much time in a day, and while maintaining my connections also took work, what was the point if there was no need for my connections in the first place? I wanted to help with their work more, and while I would probably talk to Seungmin and Chan about that when we got back, right now, I was able to help them with their case. Even if the only way I could currently help was by going through incredibly boring paperwork.
As expected, none of the students really stood out, but any information that could label them a killer probably wasn't on file. There also wasn't any guarantee that the killer was actually a student. I would have to look over the faculty's profiles again tomorrow, because as I finally stretched and looked at the clock, I realized that it was already nearing midnight. I would have to wake up early again tomorrow, and my eyelids were already beginning to grow heavy, but as I looked back at the stack of profiles, I sighed and dragged a hand down my face.
Perhaps I could go through them a little bit more. I still had a couple to go, and I wouldn't be able to sleep with uncompleted work tainting the integrity of my efforts.
I picked up the next file before beginning to read the rather boring information the school had gathered, the long paragraphs of information I didn't give a damn about not really helping with my growing desire to sleep. I had to reread the second paragraph a few times, my mind not fully processing what it was reading the first time around.
Perhaps trying to gather information while fighting off sleep wasn't the most productive method, and as I once again found myself unable to focus, I set the paper back down with a defeated sigh. I would have to finish it tomorrow, when I hopefully had more brain power at my disposal.
The cheap desk chair creaked as I stood, my back popping as I once again stretched. I turned off the lamp that previously illuminated my work, the bulb now slightly glowing a pale green, a clear sign that the chair wasn't the only corner they decided to cut while furnishing this dorm room.
I pushed the chair in before starting to head towards the bathroom to get ready for bed, but before I could reach the bathroom door, the sound of rushed footsteps could be heard approaching. It sounded as if someone was sprinting towards my dorm, and while I couldn't be sure as to who exactly was rushing towards me or why, every fiber of my being seemed to agree on what to do.
I darted towards my bed and pulled out the knife that was still tucked beneath one of the pillows, and I quickly made my way towards the door as I leaned up against the wall, the darkness of my room helping me blend into the dark blue wallpaper as I pressed myself flat up against it, knife raised to attack anyone dumb enough to try to break down my door.
But to my relief, the sound of the lock disengaging was a clear sign that yet again, one of the member's deemed it necessary to barge into my room uninvited. I relaxed slightly, though I remained on guard until I could be sure of their identity. I didn't plan on dying until I could at least help them solve this case and get them back home safely. I also still needed to introduce Seungmin to all of my contacts, because while getting him membership would be a hassle, there was no way I was leaving him without access to those connections before I bit the dust.
It was also startling for them to be running, and while that definitely made me worry about what could possibly be wrong, I didn't intend to take any chances by revealing my location prematurely.
My door swung open, the clear urgency in the shadowy figure's actions appearing more panicked than malicious. "Hyunjin?!" I instantly recognized the voice as Felix's, and as my eyes had already adjusted to the darkness, I could see him scanning the room for me as he reached blindly for the light switch.
Now that I knew his identity I decided to stop hiding, and I flicked on the lightswitch that was right beside me, my eyes squinting slightly from the harsh light that now filled the room. He jumped slightly, but instantly looked relieved when his eyes locked with mine.
He was visibly stressed, his eyes bloodshot and his skin pale. However, the most concerning thing was his attire. He was dressed in all black, and armed to the teeth. Two different types of guns were visible from beneath his jacket, and four small blades were sheathed to his thigh harness. There also appeared to be a blade hidden on the side of his combat boots, but anyone who wasn't familiar with SKZ's weapon choices probably wouldn't have noticed.
He was prepared for combat, which didn't bode well when combined with the time of night and his state of distress.
"Is everything okay?" While being more properly armed would be ideal, the only weapon I had on me was my pillow knife, so I tucked the blade into my waistband as I moved to grab a pair of tennis shoes. I already knew I wouldn't be going to sleep anytime soon. He wouldn't have come to find me if he didn't need me for something.
"No. Minho is missing." I froze, my hands still outstretched towards the shoe rack as I looked at him over my shoulder.
That would definitely explain his state, as well as the multiple weapons he had armed himself with. While I didn't know the details as to how they concluded he was missing or their theories as to why, with the case we were currently working on, the most likely scenario wasn't pleasant.
I nodded grimly, and hurried to put on my shoes before wordlessly following him out of my room and down the hall.
"The others are currently preparing to go out and look for him, and Seungmin is working on getting past the virus someone uploaded to the security system. He should have access to the camera's soon. Chan told me to go get you, because even though Minho is cold to you, you're an asset we desperately need if we have a shot of finding him on time."
"There's no way in hell I'm not helping. Refusing to wouldn't be a very good look, now would it?" Despite my calm demeanor I was growing more and more concerned as multiple possibilities filled my head, but letting that show would benefit no one. And there was no way the others were feeling any less panicked. Minho and I seemed to finally have a tense understanding, but the others? They loved him.
Chan's door was already unlocked as Felix pushed it open, and I followed in behind him to be met with a scene I very much expected. While there was no way they weren't worried for their boyfriend, they were still professionals. And that once again became apparent as they moved about the room with serious and determined expressions.
All of them were dressed in a similar fashion as Felix was, but their weapon choices varied. Changbin seemed more reliant on pistols, Jisung was equipped with a TEK Z-10 SMG , Chan had an AK 47 strapped to his back, and Jeongin? The only thing he had was a pair of spiked brass knuckles, but based on the stories the others had told me, he could do more damage with those then the others could do with a gun. However, Chan didn't seem very thrilled about the youngest's weapon choice, and he sighed before handing the other a handgun. "Just in case." The younger eyed it before begrudgingly accepting the weapon, and he holstered it before going back to polishing his brass knuckles.
Once Jeongin was properly armed Chan turned his attention to me and Felix, and he made his way over towards us while adjusting the fingerless gloves he wore. Such protection was beneficial for the size of the weapon he armed himself with, but all the others who had chosen guns also wore them, including Felix who was still standing beside me.
Chan motioned for Felix to go towards Changbin, and he nodded before doing as told. He made his way over to the shorter, and the two began to discuss something too quietly for me to hear from the other side of the room. I turned my attention back to Chan, and I met his serious expression with one of my own. "What do you want me to do?"
It felt weird to ask. I was used to working alone, but as I was now working with others, trying to go against what the others were doing would only complicate things. Chan was the leader, and while I wasn't an official member, I would treat him as such.
He seemed a little caught off guard by my demeanor, most likely because he wasn't used to me taking things seriously. I couldn't claim to find it any less weird. My go to response to danger was to make a joke of it, but that didn't feel right when I wasn't the one in danger. I might not be as fond of Minho as I was of the others, but I still cared about him, and I would do everything I could to make sure he was safely returned to his boyfriends.
I'm well aware this wasn't the first time one of them had been in danger before. Their job was incredibly dangerous, and every mission they went on was a risk. Their safe return was never guaranteed, and they had learned to live with that. They've accepted that any of them could die at any time. But they would never sit around and just let that happen.
"Arm yourself. We have a large variety of weapons, so take your pick. Once you're done with that, get an earpiece from Seungmin. It will allow you to hear and communicate with the rest of us. Once you're ready I'll give you further instructions." I nodded before making my way towards the large case of weapons they had just chilling on the coffee table, the poor wooden structure barely managing to carry the weight.
Like Chan had said, there were multiple different weapons to choose from, but as I surveyed the impressive selection, I found myself not tempted to choose any of them. But going in with only Knifey probably wasn't the smartest decision. There was no telling what I would end up running into, and while it would be great if I didn't end up running into anything, that was unlikely. Seungmin was currently trying to regain access to the security cameras, which he wouldn't need to do unless someone messed with them. The culprit we were hunting was most likely behind all this, and Minho was unfortunately his next victim.
I huffed before grabbing a random handgun, and I tucked it beside Knifey in my waistband. Thankfully my joggers were tight enough to keep both weapons held up against my hip, because I didn't have anywhere else to hide them if the elastic couldn't handle the weight. I was about to turn away when something else caught my eye, and I picked up one of the small contraptions layed out beside the guns.
I guess it wouldn't hurt to bring something like this just in case. I pocketed the device, and thankfully it was small enough to not be seen through the thick material of my pants.
Once that was done I made my way over to Seungmin who was furiously typing away on his laptop, and without tearing his eyes away from the screen he handed me a walkie, his remaining hand still typing. I accepted it before stepping away, not tempted to disturb his concentration.
I hooked the earpiece behind my ear and ran the cord down the back of my shirt all the way to where it connected to the battery pack now clipped onto my waistband, and I hid the pack underneath my shirt before covering the earpiece with my hair. At first glance no one would be able to tell I had anything on me, which would either end up being beneficial or a hindrance. If I ran into danger I would have to pull up my shirt before retrieving my weapon, but it also allowed me to be more covert. Without knowing exactly what the danger was, being able to pass as a teacher just patrolling the halls could be more beneficial than quick access to a weapon would be. And if I found myself in a bind, I'm certain I could bullshit my way out of it if I really tried. But as I had already made my decision, there was no use overthinking it.
We were all slightly startled when Chan clapped, the sound achieving its goal of getting our attention as we all turned to look at the leader. "Alright. Seungmin? Keep working on getting those cameras up and running. The rest of you, spread out and try to find him. I already assigned the rest of you locations, but Hyunjin? You'll be patrolling the perimeter of the lake. Be ready to head over to wherever Seungmin directs you guys once he gets access to the cameras."
Chan, much like everyone else, seemed incredibly composed. Yet stress was visible in all of them once you looked closely enough. If they lost Minho, they would be devastated. That was all the motivation I needed.
—--------------------------------------------------------------
The crisp air was much more pleasant when I was inside, as now that I was walking along the lake shore, I found myself chilled. Goosebumps were starting to form on my arms as a cool breeze swept past, the rustling of the leaves somehow making me feel more cold as it brought attention to the unhelpful wind.
At any other time, and of course with a jacket, the scenery would be rather peaceful. The tall oak trees created a beautiful canopy overhead, moonlight seeping in between the spaces of the leaves in order to create a patchwork of light on all that lay beneath. Crickets could be heard from all directions, their song successfully harmonizing with the sound of water lapping against the lake shore.
The smell of earth was even more prominent, and the scent of chlorine had been overridden by the smell of trees and the nearby water. The lake itself was also beautiful, the calm waters perfectly reflecting the stars. The sight was ruined however, as the thought of Minho's corpse being dumped into it refused to leave my mind.
I increased my pace slightly, making sure to pay close attention to my surroundings as I continued to search for any signs of life.
Static rang out from my earpiece before Changbin's voice came through, the clear disappointment in it leaking through his mask of professionalism. "He's not in A or B block. I'm moving onto C." He had already managed to search that many rooms? The campus was ridiculously large, so proficiency was required if we were going to have any chance of finding Minho alive, but it was still impressive. It would seem desperation had a way of making you rush.
"The campus is too big. We can't search every inch of it. It's not realistic. Seungmin, do you have any hunches as to where Minho might have been taken?" The disgruntled voice belonged to Jisung, and while putting all the responsibility on Seungmin wasn't ideal, if anyone would be able to find a solution, it would be the guy who was constantly working on mapping out the culprit's patterns.
"Just keep searching." He attempted to hide his stress behind a mask of indifference, but it was obvious that he felt pressured. "Whoever did this didn't just hack into the cameras, they fried them. I won't be able to get access to them while they're in this state."
"Why would they change their pattern? Do you think they're onto us?" As Felix voiced his concerns, all of ours grew, and I started to question whether or not it was smart to hide my weapons. While it would instantly give me away if I had them out, if the culprit already knew our identities, then hiding them would only inconvenience me. It was fifty fifty. And could that be why they targeted Minho? Because they figured out he was trying to hunt them down? And if so, did they know the rest of our identities?
"Be careful. I'll work on figuring out his most likely location, but in the meantime, keep searching your assigned areas." He seemed . . . doubtful. Was he questioning his abilities? There was no way he didn't already have a few theories, so was he doubting himself enough to not share?
"Seungmin, please. Where do you think they could have brought him? Out of all of us, you're the most likely to figure it out. We have to stop wasting our time on random locations." I winced slightly at Changbin's words, because if my assumption was right, then what he said would only stress Seungmin out more.
"I'm working on it, okay? I don't know. Just keep searching." His words were terse, which only worked to strengthen my assumption. Before any of the others could respond I decided to step in, well aware that stressing him out further would only worsen his productivity. I turned on my mic, and for the first time since we parted ways, I spoke up.
"Seungmin, there are six of us out searching. That means you have six chances to guess right. Based on the severity of the rope burns on all the past victims, they were kept alive for a couple of days. While there's no guarantee this pattern will be repeated, chances are that Minho will be kept alive for a while longer. If you end up being wrong, then it's back to the drawing board. But taking an educated guess? That is more productive, and way more fruitful than what we're doing now. So please, what are the six most likely places he could be?"
I waited patiently for him to respond, slightly worried I only ended up making it worse by pushing the matter. But to my pleasant surprise, the sigh that echoed out from my earpiece didn't sound stressed, but resigned. "There's a building in the woods they use for storing archery supplies. Jeongin? You're the closest, so head over there. There's also a-" The rest of his sentence was cut off by static, and I cursed under my breath as only fragments of his words came through. However, when the sound of the other's voices could be heard in snippets, I quickly realized that my walkie was the only one malfunctioning.
I didn't know enough about technology to be able to fix it, but turning it off just to escape the static could mean I would miss future messages if it started working again. I stopped walking down the trail in order to at least turn down the volume, but as I did so, I couldn't help the urge to look up.
My mouth turned sour as I looked up, only to see I was standing before the canoe huts. The lights were off, the building shrouded in darkness as the nearby trees cast the structure in shadow. For some reason my heart rate sped up, and a bad feeling twisted my gut.
While my walkie could just have been faulty, it was a rather big coincidence that it started malfunctioning right as I approached the place near where the bodies were found. The paranoia that something was interfering with my connection only grew as I slowly approached the doors to the hut, and I let out a calming breath before pushing it open.
I had to check. I had to make sure the hut was empty. Because if I didn't, and this was where he ended up being, I would never forgive myself.
Thankfully the door was silent as I pushed it open, and I quietly stepped through before making my way through the darkness. I had closed the door, and while it didn't offer much light, the space seemed to darken further once it was closed. It took a second for my eyes to adjust slightly, and as soon as I could make out the hazy shape of the canoes hanging from the ceiling, I noticed a bit of light spilling out from between the maze of watercrafts.
Someone was here.
I moved silently through the darkness and closer to the light, making sure to remain hidden behind the canoes as I strained my other senses for any clues as to what was going on in the center of the room. The scent of earthy decay still permeated the air from when the bodies had been surveyed here, but it had thankfully faded slightly. The light appeared to be from some kind of lantern but until I got closer, there would be no way to tell. The last clue was what I immediately focused on, and I held my breath as I tried to listen. I thought I had heard a voice, but I wasn't certain until they spoke up again.
"It's sad, I think. To end someone's life before it's meant to be over. But there are certain people the world would be better without. I saw it all. The way they treated their students. The way they treated each other." The voice was frighteningly familiar, but it was so twisted with hate that I couldn't place it. "They all claimed to be good people once I got them here. But you? Why are you silent?"
I crouched slightly once I got closer to the center of the room, and as quietly as possible, I moved to be able to peer through the gap between two of the canoes.
"You haven't said a word. But I guess you don't exactly fit the bill of a chatterbox. Still, I thought you would have something to say in your defense. A tragic backstory, a terrible misunderstanding."
I found my heart dropping as I caught sight of the two people in the center of the room, the light from a nearby lantern struggling to illuminate the small space around them. Minho was tied to a chair, his unamused expression barely managing to mask the slight panic apparent in his eyes as the flat of a blade was dragged tauntingly across his chest. I was relieved to see he was still unharmed, but that small source of relief did nothing to ease the shocked tension in my shoulders as I stared wide eyed at the culprit.
Because there was no way . . .
"The others were more fun to kill. They didn't repent exactly, but they definitely tried to seem like they were. It's satisfying. To see the people who have wronged you get what they deserve. To see them grovel. But it wasn't me who you wronged."
I felt sick.
I silently reached for my firearm, my heart rate spiking as my fingers grazed against the cold metal. I pulled it out from my waistband, but as I raised it and aimed the barrel at the culprit's head, I found myself unable to pull the trigger.
I was in the perfect position to. The culprit was in my line of sight, illuminated by the light of the nearby lantern. My gun was loaded and ready to be fired, I had the perfect shot lined up, and a single move of my finger would end all of this.
Minho would be safe. The case would be solved. The remaining teachers wouldn't have to live in fear of being the next victim. And all I had to do was pull the trigger. So why couldn't I?
Because they were just a kid?
"Out of everyone I have killed so far, you are definitely the most twisted. How could you treat someone that way? Someone so kind, and generous. You know, you're the only person I've ever killed in order to get revenge for someone else. I wonder what it will feel like."
They were just a kid. I had never killed a kid before. I always viewed kid killers as monsters, but . . . This was different, right? They were a murderer. They were twisted. Can age really be a factor in this? But at the same time, we all had blood on our hands. Saying they were twisted simply because they had killed would be hypocritical. Especially if my solution to that was to shoot them down.
But they were killing innocent people. That was the difference. Everyone I had ever killed were people I considered to be monsters. And while taking justice into my own hands definitely had its own morally gray areas, I wasn't just mowing down innocent people. And while they claimed the teachers they killed were twisted, saying their judgment was at all rational would be incredibly dumb. That was only proven by the fact that they considered Minho to be a monster. He definitely wasn't the nicest person, but he was far from deserving of such a fate. Especially based solely on what the culprit would have limited knowledge of.
To save Minho in the most effective way, I would need to suck it up and pull the trigger. But I couldn't do that when they were on the other end of the barrel. They deserved to be punished for what they did, but was killing them the right answer? Again, if this was anyone else, I wouldn't be hesitating. If they were just a little older, I wouldn't be hesitating. But I had never considered the possibility of killing a child. Even when I was one that was out of the question. Especially when the child was someone I related to. Even if just for a fleeting moment.
"But I really do have to hurry. You see, the headmaster seems to be catching onto me. I'm sure he's sent someone already to come find the culprit, so I can't let you stew in regret like the others. But I'm not a monster like you. I'll make it swift. But I don't promise painless." They brought the knife closer to Minho's neck, and my eyes widened. Minho didn't seem frightened at all, his face remaining blank even as he glared up at his supposed murderer. His eyes held a challenge, almost as if he knew what the others would do to his murderer once they found them. He wasn't scared, but his eyes still held a hint of sorrow.
Minho was going to die unless I figured out a solution now.
I just needed to get close. If I got close enough I could use the third weapon I grabbed, but in order to do that, I needed to buy more time. Thankfully I was a wonderful actor.
I stood before darting out from behind the canoes, my face twisted with panic as I reached forward. "Siwoo! Stop it!" My voice cracked slightly from the pure panic that filled it, my words dripping with desperation as I stood before the now terrified Siwoo.
He froze, the blade suspended in the air as his eyes widened, pure dread now apparent in his expression as he finally took notice of my presence. Minho also seemed startled, but his expression remained blank as he looked up at me with unreadable eyes.
"Mr. Bang?" Siwoo's voice was airy and filled with disbelief, and he looked at me like he was looking into the eyes of a ghost. I was tempted to step closer, but with how close the blade remained to Minho's throat, I knew doing so would only worsen the situation. So Instead, I fell deeper into the role of a terrified teacher who just came across a situation they're not at all equipped to deal with.
Based on what I had heard, not only was Siwoo unaware about me and Minho's true identities, but his motivation for killing Minho most likely stemmed from the whole bucket fiasco. He said Minho had mistreated someone, and while Minho was intimidating, the only person he would dare to be outright rude to would be me. And the look Siwoo had given me when Minho had left my classroom . . . I didn't think much of it at the time, but perhaps I should have allowed myself to overthink it.
My hands began to shake as my brows furrowed with concerned fear, and I allowed my eyes to widen further as they trailed down to the knife in Siwoo's grip. "Siwoo. . . what is going on? W-why do you have a knife? Why is Mr. Lee tied to a chair?" My voice shook slightly, and while Minho subtly rolled his eyes at my dramatics, Siwoo seemed to fall for it as he somehow managed to panic further.
"It's not what it looks like. I . . . I was doing this for you, okay? He was mean to you. He was cruel, and I only saw one instance of it. There's no telling what other shit he's put you through." . . . He thought dropping a plastic bucket on my head was cruel? "You were scared of him. It's only right that I protect you from your bullies, because you protected me from mine."
He seemed to anticipate my response as he shuffled awkwardly, Minho flinching away from the knife as it grazed against the delicate skin of his Adam's apple.
I raised my hands slightly, as if to calm him down, and a pained expression painted over my face as I winced. "Please don't make me be the reason somebody dies. I don't want blood on my hands. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if Mr. Lee died because of me. Please put the knife down."
The pleading desperation of my voice was real as I urged him to lower the blade, but he simply tightened his grip on it as he seemed to grow conflicted. "I can't do that. He knows I'm the murderer. If I let him go, my life will be ruined." His brows furrowed as his gaze turned apologetic. "I'm sorry. I wouldn't have done this if I knew it would make you feel bad. But you were never supposed to find out in the first place. I never wanted to hurt you. But I have to do this. It's too late to go back."
He once again raised the blade so his slash would have more force behind it, and my panic turned real as I stumbled forward. I couldn't let Minho die because I was too much of a coward to kill a child. I could spout whatever moral bullshit I wanted to, but that didn't change the fact that I allowed my emotions to interfere with my work. It was incredibly unprofessional, and I refused to let Minho die because of my blunder.
I swore to myself that I would protect SKZ, and that included Minho. They were my entire reason to live, and there was no way in hell I was going to let one of them die. Though after this we're certainly going to have a talk about when it is and isn't appropriate to roll your eyes, because it definitely isn't when someone is trying to save you.
"Wait! Siwoo, please listen to me." Once again he allowed the blade to still right before it cut into Minho's throat, but we were far from being out of the gate as Siwoo gave me an apprehensive look. "There are other ways to ensure someone's silence. Blackmail, bribery. Murder doesn't need to be the solution. Let me gather dirt on him. I can ensure he remains silent on the matter."
He relaxed slightly, the blade once again resting on Minho's throat as Siwoo debated my suggestion. "Well, you are good at digging up people's dirty secrets. And you're such a caring person that watching someone die because of you, even if indirectly, would probably torment you for the rest of your life. I definitely don't want that." My relief was short lived as his considerate expression once again became conflicted, and I was slightly caught off guard when he remade eye contact, his gaze sad and anxious. "But I don't understand why you would do that. I would never hurt you, even if you tried to report me. But I'm honestly surprised you aren't. I'm a murderer. You're not bothered by that?"
I took a shaky breath, and offered him a fearful yet comforting smile. "I'm definitely unsettled by it, and the fear that you might change your mind and try to kill me is very prominent, but . . ." I released a sad sigh. "You're a good kid. When I helped you with your bullies, I made the decision that I wanted to protect you. Even from something like this. So no, I am not unbothered. But that doesn't change the fact that I want to help you." The lie shouldn't have been as easy to tell as it ended up being. If he hadn't involved SKZ, how many of those words would have ended up being true?
Before I realized he was the murderer, I had seen a part of myself in him. I knew what it was like to be tormented, and to not be strong enough to fight back. To be at someone else's mercy. To feel invisible. And I had wanted to help him. I would like to claim it came from a place of empathy, and perhaps part of it did, but my desire to help him had stemmed from a place of self redemption. I felt like if I could help him, I could find closure on the fact that I wasn't strong enough to help myself.
But it would seem we were both destined to be fuck ups. That's not something I could save him from.
His expression turned incredibly fond as he finally lowered the blade, and as he looked at me with lovesick eyes, I came to the nauseating realization of why he felt so tempted to please me. "You never cease to amaze me. You really are an angel. I knew you were special when you first showed me kindness, but this? I knew you were the right person to fall for."
Despite the wave of disturbed panic that tried to wash over me as I looked into his eyes, I remained composed as I smiled warmly at him, my skin itching as he attempted to get closer. However, we both froze at the sound of a gun cocking, and as Siwoo looked at something over my shoulder, I came to a delayed realization that ruined everything.
Siwoo didn't have any connections to the military.
—------ To Be Continued —------