Tuesday, 17th June 2019-- 4 hours to go

THIRD-PERSON

"According to a medical report issued by the former criminal psychologist and currently stationed in Haebalgagi Institute of Psychiatric Researches, Dr Lee Yongbok, Kai Kamal Huening was suffering from dissociative identity disorder, anti-social behaviour disorder and probable schizophrenia, although the last one is yet to be confirmed from the boy himself once he is found.

According to the testimonies by Kang Taehyun, a close companion of the accused, Kai was being drugged by an unnamed source with hallucinogens, triggering his alternative identity. This, in fact, falls completely along the testimonies given by Jeong Gaeul about the false counselling and medication her husband, Dr Jeong Minkyung, had been providing to the accused. The above facts were proven by Dr Yongbok. Kang Taehyun also alluded to the involvement of Begonia in manipulating Kai's mental health. He was attacked twice over the course of three days until he was brought under the watch of Detective Hwang Hyunjin.

Law says that if the accused is mentally sick, the sentence is loosened for them. Taking the above as a reference, I would like to appeal to you, your honour, to drop the encounter orders for Kai Kamal Huening."

It feels like a day to celebrate. Yujin is ecstatic as she listens to the final judgement of the day and, oh she loves every single bit of it.

"Keeping the facts presented by Attorney Yujin in mind, this court orders the district police to drop the warrant of encounter issued earlier, and wait for the police procedurals until the accused is found."

Three days of endless work and paperwork later, Yujin can finally take a sigh of relief and go back to the main focus of the case at the moment which Attorney Seokjin was filling her in with from time to time.

Yujin's eyes shift to Jury Kang, but the woman simply keeps her gaze low, looking somewhat afraid. It is weird, to say the least.

After the hearing, Yujin ambles downstairs, giddy and satisfied when she receives a ring, an unknown number displaying on the screen. She pays it no mind.

"Hello?"

[Missed me, Yu?]

That is the last thing she hears before she blacks out.

BEOMGYU'S POV

"Hey, Beomgyu. Long time no see."

Ryujin slips on the seat beside mine. "How have you been?"

My head hurts. I don't want to have conversations, honestly. I know Ryujin is genuinely concerned, I can't help it, however. "I...am okay. You?"

She hums, looks at the book I am reading, and answers, "I don't know. Feel like I failed."

I should be the one saying that. "Did you meet Taehyun?"

"He is in police custody. Someone had attacked him."

My eyes widen. "Is he fine?" I ask. Ryujin just stares thoughtfully at some empty space.

I sometimes wish I had a normal, peaceful life. It seems so far away.

"The teacher is here."

SOOBIN'S POV

"Mapo-gu," Hyunjin announces, pushing himself up from his place on the couch, his tablet in hand. "It's in Mapo-gu"

Senior Minho stands up. Seonghwa looks at me. Yubin is moments away from setting into action. Jongh is just shocked.

"What do you mean?" Senior asks.

Hyunjin turns his tablet for us all to see. "Someone has spotted an armed goon in a marketplace. The was sent directly to the reporting servers."

"It can't be just one." Seonghwa's eyes flick to the Senior.  "We have to act fast."

"I am informing the patrolling cops to be aware," says Yubin, already on her way out of the office.

Something isn't quite right. I ignore the feeling though, getting on my feet. "I'll get the forces ready."

"Inform the bomb squad as well, just in case," suggests Minho, already putting on his coat. I nod to him.

THIRD-PERSON

He flicks through another page of the album, feeling himself getting crushed with every passing second.

Life is complicated. Life is cruel.

Those smiles... his kids might not even miss him. He has done nothing so far to be missed.

He will be remembered maybe, although not longingly. The world might even hate him at this point.

He takes in a sharp breath, closing the album with a snap. At least he won't be here watching it all unfold. It is too much guilt for him already.

Now that he thinks of it, he was never that great of a principal. He has done little to nothing for the children.

His hand shuffles through his drawer. Then it knocks against something soft to his touch. It is a small keychain.

He won't be there for his daughter's birthday.

A painful sob leaves his mouth as he shoves it back in. And then there it is. The cold bottle will end it all. He takes it out and stares at it. He is a coward, he decides.

And then he downs the contents without a second thought.

JAEMIN'S POV

"Are you in school?"

"Literally in the principal's office, darls."

"Damn. He isn't there?"

"Nope. Do you know how hard it was to get the school uniform? If I don't get paid enough for this sting operation, I'll sue the editor."

"Sure. Now focus. Bye."

The files are haphazardly scattered all over the office. What the hell is this principal, so untidy.

I skim through the desks one after the other. There has to be something.

My finger skims through the text. "Tsk." I throw the file back inside.

I sit down to dump out the trash can, shuffling through the plethora of papers when my eyes catch a plastic bag. It holds some kind of white substance in it. I reach for it.

BEOMGYU'S POV

"On oxidation of alkylbenzenes and further hydrolysis of the intermediate formed, we obtain carboxylic-"

There is a loud sound right outside the school building. Everyone's eyes draw off to the classroom door. Mine go to Ryujin behind me. She is staring right back, confused.

And then the sound comes again. And again. Then there's pure silence for a few moments. Mr Lee turns back, looking back at us. "Please maintain the silence. I'll be back in a few." And he walks out. I turn around to Ryujin who leans in to say something to me.

"What was it? What do you think?"

"Don't know. Sounded awfully like...should we go as well?"

"Mr Lee just went to do just that. Calm down."

"Please."

She stares at me incredulously, then rolls her eyes. "Why are you like this?" She stands up, I follow, and then we are walking down the corridor of the school.

"It must be some construction work around here."

"Oh, please-"

That is when the alarm rings, loud and clear.

Red alert.

Ryujin's eyes widen. She freezes in her place. My heart nearly skips a beat.

Red alert. The alarm was only ever used for drills. No such drill was scheduled for today.

"Fuck."

Before any of us could react, a loud gunshot resounds from somewhere close. We snap our heads behind us to see an armed man, his gun held high and ready to shoot. Then there starts the string of loud sounds around us, seeming endless. Gunshots after gunshots. They are distant, but the cries are loud enough to make us immobile. 

Something hits my head and all I remember after that is falling.

"Gyu!"

SOOBIN'S POV

"We have safely captured the goons."

I stare right ahead of me as Seonghwa cuts the call and slips his phone back into his pocket. "Gosh, that was intense."

Jongho laughs turning the steering. "I thought Begonia could do better than this."

"At least no one was hurt. That's all that matters."

The sun is bright outside, almost blinding. The attack, we got control over it before the goon could even start. They did start an open fire but luckily they were suppressed soon enough. The worse is over, that's what the others say.

I think different.

"Soob, you okay? You are too quiet." It's Hyunjin.

"I'm fine."

Something is wrong. Very wrong. There has to be. From what Heeseung had told me, they were planning something big. What would they get from attacking a peaceful marketplace?

Begonia is known for its violent ways in the past while they were still officially active. This attack was suspiciously feeble. Almost as if they had wanted us to go to Mapo- gu, wanted us to capture the goons.

Hyunjin's phone's ring resonates in the car. He takes it out, checking the contact before picking up the call.

"What is it?"

I look over at him just in time to see his expressions turn from delight to horror.

"What?! Check it once more. He must be in the bathroom."

Seonghwa turns to him as well, frowning. Hyunjin's hand squeezes the phone. "What the fuck were you doing?!"

"What is it?" I ask.

He gulps, cuts the call and slowly keeps it on his lap, holding it in place. "Somebody took Taehyun."

BEOMGYU'S POV

"Ugh..."

It feels like I got hit by a truck. Every part of me hurts.

I shift my position when I realise something. There's something around my wrists constricting its movements. I try to move it, but it doesn't budge.

They are tied.

My eyes shoot open, meeting with the floor of the auditorium. I blink and look around. There are people, so many people in every corner. They have guns. And there are people on the floor just like me.

The first one I see is Ryujin, pale and passed out. I try to push myself up. There is also Taehyun in a similar state right beside her. I frantically look at the other side. There's...mom? And Yeonjun? Yeji?

Then my leg knocks something, or rather someone. I push myself further up.

That is when I see him.

Kai lays there, bruised and tattered and soiled and heavenly as ever.

What the fuck?

-ˋˏ✄┈┈┈┈

A/N ¡! " please don't kill me- "