A/N: Hi everyone, for this chapter I won't write out the complete names of the speakers anymore, I'll just use the shortened versions. I hope it's not too confusing!

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YG: Dead.

HS: I, I-oh my god--what do I d-do? How did this-

SJ: Call the police immediately. 

(TAEHYUNG MOVES TOWARDS DOOR)

JK: Taehyung--what, where are you going?

TH: I need fresh air. I need to get out of here. 

NJ: Taehyung...

HS: NOBODY LEAVE!

(TAEHYUNG STOPS MID-WAY OUT THE DOOR, COMING BACK INSIDE)

JM: S-she...must've smashed into the counter when the window broke-

SJ: Whatever it was...this is awful.

(HOSEOK RUSHES OVER TO PICK UP PHONE BEHIND COUNTER)

HS (after dialing 911): Yes? I'd like to report a death--yes, no, we didn't witness what happened--yes, um Hope Noodles, brown building on the end of the strip mall of Lyre Lane...

NJ: I can't look at her anymore...Is it alright if we sit in this corner?

HS: Yes...um-

JK: Does anyone have something we could use to cover her up?

TH: I have my jacket-

HS: No, no. They said not to move anything on or near the body.

SJ: But isn't that only for investigations of-

YG: Murder.

(GASPS FILL THE ROOM. HOSEOK LOWERS HIS EYES)

HS: Well, we never did see how...she um...

SJ: That's understandable but it's-

JK: We clearly didn't do it! We were walking with you to the freezer after that tree hit-

TH: I just wanna go home.

NJ: Guys...let's just cooperate when the cops come and leave our statements so we can leave...

JM: B-but-

HS: It's alright, well, it'll be alright I...I think. I don't think any of you did anything, all we have to do it just let them know what happened and it'll clear up.

JM: I don't think-

JK: Does this place have any cameras?

HS: Oh...no. I wish it did. I think the gas station across the street has cameras, but they won't reach this far. There's no way the camera could see into this building.

JM: Can I say someth-

TH: Could we get food while we're waiting?

NJ: Taehyung, this isn't the time-

SJ: How are you still hung-

JM: LET ME SPEAK!

(EVERYONE GOES SILENT)

JM (awkwardly): Oh- u-um...Well, I was going to say...Well ask...

JK: Spit it out already!

JM: What about Yoongi?

(BOYS STOP TO STARE AT YOONGI. YOONGI COUGHS, MEETING THEIR LOOKS WITH A WORRIED GLANCE.)

YG: Yoongi. 

NJ: Shoot, well uh-

HS: I don't mean to sound rude, but is something the matter that he, Yoongi, I mean, can't say more than one word?

(TAEHYUNG STEPS FORWARD)

TH: Yeah! I want to know this too!

SJ: That's up to him...

(JIMIN TURNS TO YOONGI)

JM: You want me to-

(YOONGI NODS)

YG: Tell.

HS: The...I think the police are here.

(RED AND BLUE LIGHTS BATHE THE STORE. CAR DOORS CLOSE OUTSIDE AND OFFICERS WALK TOWARDS THE DOOR)

SJ: I guess you'll have to tell it to the cops, Jimin.

TH: That sounds like it came right out of a goddamn crime novel-

(DOORS OPEN AND 4 OFFICERS WALK IN)

Officer #1: Where's the body?

Officer #2: Which one of you is the owner of this place?

(NAMJOON POINTS OFFICER TOWARDS BODY OF WOMAN)

NJ: The body is over there-by the counter. The owner of Hope Noodles is-

HS: Me! (Hoseok steps forward) I'm Jung Hoseok, the owner of this establishment.

(OFFICERS STEP FORWARD TO SHAKE HOSEOK'S HAND, ONE BY ONE)

Officer #2: Okay. We're going to need you all to come back with us to the station to collect statements before we can let you go.

NJ: Alright. Should we take our vehicles, or-

Officer #1: No, we'll transport you all to and from the station. It's only a few minutes away. We'll have a few squad cars take you.

(OFFICERS #3 and #4 APPROACH BODY AND LEAN DOWN, CONDUCTING TESTS AND TAKING PICTURES)

SJ: Okay. We'll just grab our gear...

(SOME BOYS BEGIN COLLECTING LACROSSE BAGS/STICKS)

Officer #2: You don't have to do that. We'll bring you back here shortly. We'll just need your person.

HS: You heard him. You all can leave your things here.

JM: Can't we just pack our stuff in our cars-

JK: Yeah, I don't want my gear to smell like-

TH: DUDE!

Officer #1: Please leave your gear here.

JM and TH: Alright.

JM and TH: Jinx!

SJ (under breath): Idiots.

Officer #2: Before we go though, I'd like a quick rundown of the situation and all of your names.

(HOSEOK GIVES A BRIEF EXPLANATION OF THE SITUATION. BOYS STEP FORWARD IN TURN, GIVING THEIR NAMES. WHEN IT IS YOONGI'S TURN, JIMIN STEPS UP)

Officer #2: Hey, we still didn't get this one's name-

JM: Sorry officer, but before he speaks I'd like to explain something about him that you should know.

(TAEHYUNG, JUNGKOOK, AND HOSEOK LOOK ON WITH CURIOSITY. OFFICER NODS.)

TH: This is overdue.

JM (Shooting Taehyung an angry glance): You...well, you see- this is Min Yoongi, the last member of our lacrosse team...uhm...he can't speak well-

Officer #2: What do you mean by that? He needs to leave a statement-

JM: I can speak for him...or he can write it down...

Officer #1: What are you getting at--I can't let you speak for someone else-

NJ: Let him finish the story.

(OFFICER FROWNS AT NAMJOON, BUT SAYS NOTHING)

JM: Yoongi, is it okay if I tell them everything...like everything, everything?

YG: Everything.

TH: See, his vocal chords seem to work just fine.

JM: You're right. There's nothing wrong with his vocal chords.

(JIMIN SIGHS, BITING HIS LIP)

JM: Yoongi, ever since he was about ten, stopped talking in complete sentences to people. Contrary to popular belief though, he isn't "special" or "incompetent." In fact, he's rather smart, his IQ is outstanding and on the test-

SJ: Jimin, stay on topic.

(JIMIN BLUSHES)

JM: Oh, sorry. Well, anyway, Yoongi isn't stupid...that's not the reason for his silence. The story behind his...lack of speech...comes from the abuse he suffered from his dad.

(YOONGI STIFFENS, OTHERS GO QUIET)

JM: H-his father was an alcoholic--and I mean raging. Um, well, I knew Yoongi since kindergarten and he was a bubbly and talkative young boy until his asshole of a father took that from him...

TH: Oh. I'm sorry Yoongi, if I would've known-

JM: It's alright. Yoongi isn't mad at anyone for criticizing his silence. He doesn't blame any of you...What his father did was unforgivable. Yoongi began showing up to elementary school late, with marks covering his arms and throat. The teacher addressed him about it, but he denied anything, always claiming he was clumsy. Yoongi's dad never let him speak because he wasn't worthy of a voice at home.

JK: Oh my god-

JM: However, when he needed something, he was only allowed a one word response...or things would get bad...

(STRAY TEAR FALLS DOWN JIMIN'S CHEEK)

JM: It worked for him for awhile, well, until the incident. I was riding him home from school on my bike and I fell off outside his house...my arm was broken badly and I needed to be taken to the hospital. So, like any other caring being, Yoongi went inside to tell his father the story to bring me to the hospital...A-and he...well, he needed more than one w-word to--to explain the story...

SJ: This is terrible...I never heard this part of the story...

JM: W-well, I, let's just say Yoongi was the one who ended up in the hospital that day. His dad had drank more than usual...and almost killed him with a plant pot...I--I-

NJ: Jimin, I think you've told enough, you don't have to-

JM: Yoongi was in the hospital for three days. His dad was apprehended for child abuse and Yoongi moved in with his aunt--his mom left when he was young...but ever since then he can only speak one word at a time or else...well, it's some sort of PTSD thing--I mean, he can write down everything he's thinking...

HS: So how did you understand him in the freezer earlier? About the tornado watch thing? He didn't talk to you...?

JM: Well...(Jimin blushes, officer shuffles his feet) he, Yoongi, I mean--he can talk to me with more than one word because he trusts me and for whatever reason speaking in full sentences won't make him--

YG: Panic.

(EVERYONE TURNS TO LOOK AT YOONGI, WHO HAS HIS HEAD BURIED IN HIS HANDS)

Officer #2: I see...for your statement Min Yoongi, we'll have you write it due to your disability-

JM: Woah woah woah, officer. I don't think you should call it-

NJ: Okay, officer. Thank you--now that we all understand Yoongi's situation, I'm sure the statement-collection process with go over smoothly.

(OFFICERS NOD POLITELY, WALKING OVER TO THE OTHER TWO OFFICERS EXAMINING THE BODY)

HS (Officers out of earshot): I'm so sorry Yoongi. I know we aren't close or anything-

TH: No, I should be the one saying sorry...I didn't realize it was...your father...

(YOONGI BRIEFLY GLANCES AT TAEHYUNG BEFORE LOOKING AWAY)

JK: I should say sorry too. And to Jimin. It must've been hard for you to see your friend go through that.

(JIMIN SAYS NOTHING, ONLY NODS. OFFICERS BEGIN SPEAKING IN FRANTIC HUSHED VOICES TO EACH OTHER)

NJ: What do you think they're talking about? It...it doesn't look too good...

JK: Neither does she...oh, I shouldn't have looked.

SJ: Yeah, don't look...she didn't really have a good...sending away from us. I feel a bit disrespectful if anything-

HS: Oh, they're coming back.

(OFFICERS RETURN, FROWNING)

NJ: Sirs.

Officer #2: I hate to announce this-

JK: This can't be good.

Officer #2: But we are officially treating this as a murder investigation, based on the state of the body.

JM: M-murd-

TH: You can't be serious!!

HS: A murder in my restaurant?

(HOSEOK SCANS OTHER BOYS SUSPICIOUSLY.)

HS: No...a murderer in my restaurant!

SJ: Hey now, Hoseok! We just came in here for food before that storm hit and the window broke. Perhaps they just didn't get the information right and-

Officer #2: There is no mistake. You are all suspects for first degree murder of Mrs. Kang Violeta.

NJ: K-Kang V-Violeta--you mean the founder of--

SJ: Kang Enterprise? That was her....? 

JM: Oh dear God...

Officer #2: You seven fellows will come with my partner and I to the station and explain.

HS: I'm not...I'm not a suspect, right? I was just making food when this happened!

JK: Hey, you aren't outruled! I've known my lacrosse team members for two years and none of them would've done this! Stop trying to put the blame-

Officer #1: That's enough. Come now. 

(HOSEOK GLARES AT 6 BOYS, FOLLOWING OFFICER WITHOUT HESITATION. 6 BOYS FOLLOW, ALL LOOKING SCARED)

YG (Turning around to woman and officers): Sorry. 

JM: What was that Yoongi?

Officer #2: You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say or do how can be used against you as evidence in a court of law-

TH: Ah yes, the Miranda rights. We're fucking receiving the Miranda rights. This is not how I wanted to spend my Friday night. 

JK: Me either.

(BOYS GET INTO SQUAD CARS. HOSEOK GETS IN WITH JIMIN AND YOONGI. SEOKJIN RIDES WITH NAMJOON AND JUNGKOOK RIDES WITH TAEHYUNG)

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* i n s i d e  H o p e  N o o d l e s *

Officer #3: Whoever did this-

Officer #4: It's clearly blunt force trauma to the face and neck. There's no way she fell that hard into one of the tables or chairs. Everything in here is rounded anyway!

Officer #3: Clearly. But...you know the weapon of choice seems...pretty obvious (officer nods his head to lacrosse bags, which have sticks poking out of them.)

Officer #4: Mhm. Those dreadful sticks. But aren't those only plastic? How could one-

Officer #3: You saw those boys. All built up, healthy enough to-

Officer #4: I get your point...And Kang Violeta? What a...a huge target. Whoever gets charged will be hated forever--she was...

Officer #3: Filthy rich. Respected. I wonder what happened...

(OFFICER LOOKS DOWN AT KANG'S CORPSE WITH A FROWN. OFFICER #4 NODS AT HE PREPS TO LIFT THE CORPSE UP ONTO A STRETCHER.)

Officer #4: Well, I think we'll find out soon enough. There's no way Paul won't be able to get past their juvenile lies...

Officer #3: Oh, for sure. Whether it was one of them or all 7...they're going down.

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A/N: so who do you think d i d  i t?

??????  :)  ??????