//tw: homophobia, mentions of non-con

Sunday, 12th June 2019 - Five days to go

HYUNJIN'S POV

"He is awake."

The one thing about me that I adore the most is my ability to not let my nervousness control my actions. It is a family thing for us. My dad was no different, and I am just following in his footsteps.

But today, for the first time, I find myself biting at the nail of my thumb, more nervous than ever. My eyes stare at a blank space on the white tile as I patiently wait.

Time has slowed down for me and every passing second feels like an eternity. The hospital is in one of its busiest hours as people of all sorts rush by through the connecting vestibule. But the corridor I am in is still as silent as ever, with only two other presence beside me-- the two guards from SMPA.

After the team's failure in catching Huening Kai, we had lost our hopes, more so when the body of Kim Daewon was found soaking in the pool of blood in a bathtub. Autopsy reports revealed the obvious missing right hand, but that wasn't it. The reason for Kim Daewon's death was the severe damage to the lower part of his body, which made me wonder.

Last night I stayed over at the office building, spending the hours of the dark, searching for answers.

Now, it is not a secret to the world that detectives tend to have connections of all sorts, and so do I. I asked one such source of mine to gather every information they could about this mystery named Kai Kamal Huening. Five hours were spent in the same manner as we both did our research, just that my method was legal.

It was of no aid.

And then this morning, the news came in.

Kang Taehyun has finally awaken from his temporary comatose.

All my research was thrown into the trash as I stumbled my way to the hospital, still having a hard time processing the ordeal. I am still kind of in a state of stupefaction. My mind chanted the words 'he is awake' like a mantra and I can't really blame it.

The whole situation became more real after I saw the changed location of Taehyun's ward. The team is keeping him under close watch as he is the only person who can tell us anything at all.

But that does not define the reason for the sudden crash of nervousness and unease upon my shoulders. Nor does it explain why my heart is doing somersaults on the mere thought of seeing those enormous brown eyes once again, shining as if they held galaxies. Okay, wait, that sounds a bit too cheesy—

Maybe it is not the answers that I seek, maybe my restlessness means something entirely different. And the only other I can see fears me to no end.

What if...I grew a sort of admiration towards the boy? It is very possible...

Ah, my pride, it hurts.

I am just overthinking it all, being the desperate single hoe who can probably think fist bumps are romantic. And this is not the plot of some cheesy rom-com. Love at first sight sounds great in fantasy, but they aren't real.

My relationship with Kang Taehyun is purely because of the case. Once it's over, we will probably part ways. I am investing myself over nothing, and the pang in my heart does not help at all.

I am being the densest person right now, but I'd love to be in the illusion that all I want from the boy is answers. That sounds much easier...

"You are allowed to meet the patient."

Okay no, admiration suits better. Fuck the easy path.

"Okay."

I take a breath, and then another-- nothing helps. Why is it suddenly so hard to interact?

Damn you, heart.

"Are you going in?"

"Y-yes! I am sorry."

I should stop zoning out so often. This is not good for my profession.

I slowly rise to my feet, taking small paces to the door. I can do this, it's not like this is my first time interrogating someone. 'Man up, Hyunjin. He is just a kid.'

And, with a burst of courage, I inhale sharply and push open the door. The courage decides to betray me, however. As soon as I walk in, I take a U-turn and come back outside.

He really is awake. Goddammit.

I gulp, eyes lingering over to the guards who talk amongst themselves. Thank god they can't see the train wreck I am right now.

Deep breaths. On the count of three...

Two...

I try once again, this time keeping my movements as slow as possible.

"May I come in?"

I thought I was ready this time around, and boy was I wrong. I have goosebumps rising all over my arms as those eyes rest on me. My mind goes into a whirlwind and I stand there as frozen as ice.

But I get no answer in return. Just a blank stare. I take it as my cue to step in.

I find my seat beside his bed, slowly sitting myself down, but Taehyun's gaze remains where I was before. I clear my throat. "Good morning, Taehyun-ssi. I hope you are doing alright?"

Still no reply, and for a moment I question if he is even listening. "Taehyun?"

His gaze shifts to me once again, but not a word is uttered from that mouth of his. His eyes are as soulless as that of a statue, not even blinking. Did he lose his ability to talk?

"You can hear me, right?"

The boy visibly gulps and my heart stops as a lone tear escapes the brim of his eye.

"You...know ev-everything."

It isn't a question, and it leaves me utterly speechless as my old nervousness comes rushing back. For once, I have no answers as I stare helplessly back at the teen.

I was supposed to hold an interrogation and leave, it should've been simple considering this is not my first time doing so. However, it seems a lot harder now that I have realised what it is that I feel for Taehyun. And I mentally curse myself for not being professional with this.

"I- yeah... we do."

Another slip of the pearly tear joins the latter one on the side of his face, leaving behind a visible trail. "I-is he s-safe?"

It isn't hard for me to realise who this 'he' might be, and I no longer have the courage to look him in the eye. Now, what do I say? Lie that he is safe and under custody, or the bitter truth of him fleeing the scene of the crime?

In the end, I settle for the latter. "We can't find him."

A choked sob leaves Taehyun's mouth before he loses himself entirely, breaking down. I just sit here, drowning in shame and suddenly wanting to cry along with him. But I control myself enough. "I am sorry," is all I can say, voice barely above a whisper.

Although this confirms one thing-- Taehyun has no idea where Kai might be.

"T-they took him... They'll k-k-" He falls into a coughing fit and I, at once, find myself on my feet, rushing for the glass of water on the side table, clumsily helping the boy up.

His head rests against my arm as he gulps down the content of the glass, his hands trembling. I resist the urge to stroke his bandaged head. "Calm down. Nothing will happen to him, I promise."

For a while, none of us say anything as the boy takes deep breaths and hugs the glass close to him.

"P-please don't blame him for a-anything. He never w-wanted to do any of i-it... He is n-not bad..."

"I won't."

"T-they changed him. They m-manipulated his mental health to t-their own use. And t-hen they tried t-to kill me because I... I know."

I freeze in my place, not expecting the sudden confession. "Who?"

Taehyun takes in a shaky breath, nuzzling close to my chest. "C-choi Byeol's father."

"Choi Byeol?"

The mere name is enough for the boy to bury his face deeper in my arms. I can feel his tears wetting my shirt, but that is the least of my concern. "H-he... Two years a-ago, Kai had killed him after h-he had..." He gulps, lets out a desperate sob and continues, his voice hoarse.

"Choi Byeol had r-raped him."

SOOBIN'S POV

"So what you mean is that I am lying. Right?"

"How would I know?! I am as confused as you are, Bin."

Miss Jia has been missing more than twenty-four hours now, and we have no clue where she might be. It's all like before, we are still as helpless.

And now, Seonghwa is being of no help. He is not letting me meet the rest of the team and it is slowly getting all too frustrating. I don't know why he has turned so nosy these days, because I am pretty sure he wasn't always like this.

Also, there's Yeonjun who just disappeared into thin air after that one appearance. The wound has still not healed, reminding me of that very moment and it hurts-- not the wound but the fact that the man has ghosted me once again.

I trot away from Seonghwa, heading to the window, suddenly too suffocated my any and all presence. My hand shakily reach inside my pocket to fish for the cigarette, but found it to be empty. I looked down and search for it in the other pocket, it wasn't there either.

"Looking for this, are you?"

My turn back, eyes falling on Seonghwa holding up the cigarette pack and my lighter. I frown. "Give it back."

I head for it but as soon as my hand nears the pack, Seonghwa hides it from my sight. "It is not good for your health. You have been smoking a lot lately."

"That is not for you to decide. Now give it back." I try reaching for it again but he only hides it further, and I couldn't help but glare at him.

However, his face is earnest, eyes wide in a silent plea as he says, "Tell me what is bothering you, Binnie. Don't you trust me?"

I look at him incredulously, rage slowly gripping my senses. "I am just trying to find Miss Jia because, if you don't know, she used to be my teacher and I wouldn't want something bad happening to her—"

"That's not it! There's something else."

"Give me the cigarette back, Hwa!!"

"What the actual fuck is wrong with you?!?"

He breathes heavily, his chest heaving as he stares at me with something I can't quite catch.

"Fuck you, Choi Soobin."

It feels like a deja vu.

"Fuck you, Choi Soobin. You are a selfish asshole."

I gulp. This is all too familiar.

"You only ever think about yourself and what you want. Have you ever asked me of it? Of what I want? Never. I doubt if you even love me at all."

"Hwa-"

"Shut. Up. I am tired of you."

And he walks away, just like Yeonjun had all those years ago.

"Don't try to contact me ever again."

The present is no different, and neither am I.

KAI'S POV

THREE YEARS AGO

"Don't tell them anything."

I thought it was real.

"Don't let them know about this."

I thought we...

"About us."

...we were real.

At some point of my life, I stopped believing in love-- or just feared to even think of it.

Everyone I loved drifted away. My dad, my sisters, and now him.

"I-I won't."

His grip on my jaw tightens, which would surely leave bruises. I don't care though. He still loves me, doesn't he?

"Good boy."

I hope he does.

He is Choi Byeol after all. He is the nicest person I've ever met. And he loves me.

He kisses me, he embraces me, he gives me all the love he can and I don't think I don't want anything else from him.

But I want to be perfect for him.

"I-I love you."

"Yeah, okay."

He loves me too, surely. And he is just angry.

.

.

.

.

"Don't stay with Daewon Sunbae... He is—"

"You are nobody to decide who I should be with."

He loves me, doesn't he?

.

.

.

.

"Why do you have a gun, Hyung?"

"Go away, Huening. I don't wanna see your face."

He scares me... I don't know if I love him anymore.

.

.

.

.

"What do you mean you are breaking up?!?

"Hyung..."

"You fucking faggot!"

He never loved me.

And that made me hate him even more.

-ˋˏ✄┈┈┈┈

A/N ¡! " That indeed was a bad plot twist. I am mad.

Happy pride month, although I am three days late on posting this chapter!!

The Ryeji/Yejisu part of this story now has a separate book named 'Obsessions: Withering Flowers' on my account so you can check it out~

Hope you are enjoying so far, thanks for hanging around! "