Today was the day of Jungwoo's funeral. Everyone tried to be present because it was important, Jungwoo was important. Even if they didn't know him much, even if they were playing this game, the game in which everyone should suspect each other, they wanted to be there. For Jungwoo, a man who showed nothing but kindness to them. He wasn't a perfect human, but nobody is perfect, and never will be. But that's what makes us, us. That's what makes us human.
In front of them was placed Jungwoo's coffin. A wave of sadness and guilt was flying around the place. They felt sad because they lost one of them and guilty, because they could have saved him. Or at least some of them thought so.
Only one person couldn't make it to the funeral. Johnny. But how was he going to show up, at the funeral of the person he killed? He didn't have that audacity. He wasn't so insensitive, he wasn't so depraved. Or at least he wanted to try not to be, even once in his life.
Sobs and mourns were to be heard. Maybe Jungwoo didn't have any close family left but he actually had people around him, who really did care.
If he could just see that...
Maybe he could. Maybe a part of him would always stay with them, in their memories, reminding them that he was here. A living person, only in their thoughts. A lively spirit, only in their hearts.
When the right time came, they went outside of the church to burry him. It was hard for everyone, but even harder for some of them. Taeil looked at Minseo, one part of him was worried about her. Since the funeral started, and even before that, she couldn't bring herself to stop crying. Her eyes were puffy and red and by now, and soon her tears would stop flowing, because she didn't have much left.
Everybody had suspicions on who had committed this crime, but decided to keep it to themselves. After the funeral ended, all of the men that played this game, instead of taking their own way, stayed together. They wanted to talk, and each one of them separately knew that.
They started to head outside of the church before one of them decided to speak.
"You can go ahead." Taeil said. "I will call you."
"Where are you going?" Doyoung asked.
"There's something I have to do." He answered weakly. "I will see you later."
Even if they had tried to pursue him to follow them he wouldn't have listened. He was too stubborn for that and it was up to him to decide. So they let him be. Leaving without him.
For a couple of minutes none of them spoke. No words left their mouths and they just walked silently.
"Man..." Yuta sighed, breaking the silence. "I still...can't believe that this happened it feels...unreal..." He continued. "Someone would say that I don't have the right to feel this way, because some of us barely knew anything about Jungwoo but... I can't help but feel like I lost a person that was important to me."
"I think everyone feels the same way Yuta." Taeyong said.
"Well...not everyone actually." Jaehyun announced, taking everyone by surprise.
All of them turned their heads shocked, looking at him.
"I meant that one of us is probably the killer, so I doubt that he would feel the same way."
"One...one of us?!" Haechan asked scared.
"I mean yeah... I don't think that just a random person killed Jungwoo. It had to be someone playing the game."
"We can't just accuse anyone without solid proof." Doyoung pointed out.
"Why not?" Jaehyun asked, getting slightly angry. "We can't do anything anyways."
"Hey dude, let's not argue about that right now." Mark suggested.
"Why not? Let me tell you my honest thoughts actually." Jaehyun stated angrily this time. "In this game only one result can come out, you know what result? Death. This is not a game you lose or win, you just lose anyways. No matter what you do, you will not win. It's fucking irritating." He announced and run one of his hands through his hair.
"That's some bold claims." Doyoung said. "We can't be sure about anyth-"
"We can't, but so far two out of the ten persons that play this game are dead." Jaehyun clapped back.
"Yeah but we can't stop playing this game and you know that." Yuta answered. "If we stop then we will face the consequenc-"
"Oh thank you for reminding me Yuta, I didn't remember this detail myself."
"Why are you so angry? Why are you attacking me right now?"
"Because you have nothing to lose while playing this game but on the contrary, I can lose everything." Jaehyun answered.
"Then why did you accept the invitation?" Yuta asked. "If you already had everything?"
"Because I didn't have everything, but I had something and I still do. The only difference is that I have something when you have nothing."
"And how do you know that I have nothing?" Yuta asked angrily as well this time.
"Because-!" Jaehyun wanted to answer but stopped himself from doing so.
"You think I'm Simon don't you?" Yuta asked, but he already knew the answer.
"Yes. I think you are Simon." Jaehyun answered. "But you actually can't do anything to prove me that you are or that you are not."
"I-" Yuta wanted to say that he wasn't Simon, but he knew that nobody was going to believe him.
"Guys stop!" Haechan shouted, making everyone look at him. "This won't lead us anywhere."
"Haechan is right." Doyoung added. "Can't you see what Simon is trying to do? He is trying to turn us against each other." He continued. "Simon could even be someone we don't know, have you ever thought of that?"
Everyone went silent. Haechan and Doyoung were right.
"So...what are we going to do now?" Taeyong asked.
"Continue playing this game." Doyoung answered, looking at Jaehyun. "And hoping for the best outcome."
--
"Hey..." Taeil said softly, trying his best to smile.
"Oh...hi again." The girl that was standing next to Jungwoo's 'grave' answered.
She finally had stopped crying, tear stains although still remained on both of her cheeks.
Taeil stood next to her, but he didn't speak. A small moment of silence followed before she decided to talk.
"Umm...also I wanted to apologize..." She said. "About storming into the café you work so suddenly and for breaking down in there."
Her gaze faced the dirt in front of her. She didn't have the courage to look at the man.
"That's not what matters now." Taeil commented. "But you're forgiven, you didn't do anything wrong to begin with." Silence followed before he spoke again. "I would ask you how you are...but I can clearly see that you're not fine. Since the moment you stepped in the café, asking desperately me to tell you if Jungwoo's death was true...I was worried about you. Coming here, seeing you crying once again non-stop made me worried once again." He admitted. "Minseo..." He said and looked at her, but she didn't do the same. "I know that Jungwoo was someone very important to you, and will always be but please...know that life continues and it will get better. It may hurts now but as the time passes, the pain will be less." He took a small pause. "Move on, feel excited about tomorrow, that's what Jungwoo would want from you as well." He finished and turned his back to her, ready to leave, but before he had the chance to the girl said:
"Taeil..." The man looked at Minseo and saw her smiling slightly behind her tears. "Thank you."
--
*This afternoon*
"Isn't this the way you wanted everyone to view you...?"
"As a human?"
Yes. Yes it was. He wanted everyone to view him as a human but forgot how to be one first. How can you make others see you as a human...when you try so hard not to be one?
Johnny got lost somewhere in the way while trying to figure out, what he wanted to be. His father or not? His naive self thought that if he became the son his father always wanted, he would be satisfied. But the truth was that his father never wanted a son. He wanted a clone. A clone of him. But it's impossible to have a second version of yourself right?
Well, for his father it wasn't. And maybe after all he actually achieved that.
Love and acceptance didn't exist in his vocabulary. Whose vocabulary I'm talking about you may ask? Both of theirs. Because Johnny wasn't himself, he stopped trying to be him, so he automatically stopped being a human. A being that had flaws and troubles. A creature that was allowed to make mistakes.
He couldn't be that. He had to be perfect.
But in the end it wasn't worth it. And he realized it too late.
Was it too late though?
He was sitting in his office when he heard his phone ring. As a habit, he casually picked it up, not caring about who it could be.
"Hello?" Johnny asked.
"Hey Johnny." A sweet, low voice said.
"Um...do I know you?" He asked.
"Oh it's Taeyong. Sorry for not making it clear from the start...it's been a rough day after all."
Right. Jungwoo's funeral.
The thought of it made Johnny feel some type of way.
"Oh right..." He said. "I'm really sorry I couldn't come, something important came up and I really couldn't."
"It's ok." Taeyong said. "I just wanted to check on you."
"It's really been a tough time for me as well...I should have been there but I really couldn't bring myself to-" Shit. He told the truth. He just really hoped Taeyong wouldn't realize that.
"Work can be hard. I understand Johnny. Don't worry." He said and Johnny felt relieved.
"Thank for understanding Taeyong."
"Nothing man are you ok though? I mean, besides Jungwoo's death are you ok?"
Either Taeyong cared...or he actually suspected something.
"I'm trying..." Johnny answered. He wasn't willing to risk anything.
"That's good to hear." Taeyong pointed out. "Then...well...I don't have anything else to say. Good night Johnny."
"Good night."
--
Right after Taeyong closed his phone, it started ringing again.
However this time he felt anxious, once he saw the contact's name.
No...He thought. Not again.
But decided to pick up his phone and answer the call. He didn't have any other choice to begin with.
"H...hello?" He asked unsure, hoping that the person who would answer him, wasn't the one he thought.
"Hello Taeyong. I'm Simon and this is your 2nd mission."
~ I didn't include Sicheng's mission in the missions because he didn't do it. (In case anyone wondered). Also sorry for the kinda late update😔~