Darling Daisy, don't you cry.

"I...I feel so tainted."

Darling Daisy, don't say goodbye.

"I am suffocating..."

"Let me help—"

"You can't! No one can..."

Darling Daisy, the sun hasn't gone away.

"It's over."

Darling Daisy, hold it tight.

"I lost everything. And nobody believes me."

"I do! I've seen everything— I-I believe you!"

You can bloom again.

"Thank you...but I doubt it changes anything."

You can live again.

"I don't wanna live anymore."

But, oh dear, you withered away.

"I can't take this anymore."

Darling Daisy, you left me by.

┊ʏᴜᴊɪɴ'ꜱ ᴘᴏᴠ┊ೃ⁀➷

"How are you so sure of your plan?"

"You will see for yourself."

The ringing of my phone catches both our attention.

'Minali (미나리) is calling...' (a/n 'Minali' is a term of endearment in the Korean language, translating directly to 'buttercup')

My lips shift on their own accord, forming a small smile. "Your son?" My gaze veers to Minho, his face imbued with fondness.

"I'll be right back," I inform the younger, who returns a nod in understanding and steps away. I leave my seat with the ringing device and out in the empty corridor of the law firm.

"Good evening, Jagiya."

"Mom," he replies in a grave tone, making me raise my eyebrows.

"So...you didn't like the therapist."

Shuffling sounds resonate from the speaker before he continues, "Who even is this Lee Yongbok? And why does he have such a scary voice?"

I chuckle at his childish huffs. "He is an old acquaintance. Also, he is quite handsome."

"His entire existence is so deceiving."

"I consider it a charm." I cross my arms. "Are you going to the Kim's tomorrow? For..." My voice trails off as barely any smile remains on my face.

"No... I don't think I can." I can feel his face dimming, although he isn't in front of me. I let out a sigh, gaze falling to the floor.

"Jagiya, you are my strong baby."

"I am eighteen, mom," he huffs moodily.

"Fine, as you say." Suddenly, I get reminded of something. "Wait a sec, Gyu-ah."

I hear Beomgyu muttering an 'okay' before I lower the phone from my ear, covering its speaker, and turning on my heels to poke my head through the ajar door of my office.

"Minho-ssi, can you check for Dami-ssi's updates?" Inside there, Minho was examining the framed certificates that hang on the walls inside, before his eyes fall upon me.

"Alright."

I smile at him, stepping outside once again, raising the phone to my ear. "So, where are you right now?"

"Heading back home. We'll be there in fifteen. I had called Kai over to discuss the botany project. He might be arriving at seven."

"Okay, then. Enjoy the sleepover."

Beomgyu chuckles. "It's not really a sleepover. He'll be leaving at nine if we finish early with the work."

"Good luck, I'll be back by eleven as well if everything goes."

"See you soon, then. Love you."

"Love you too, minali. Take care."

The phone lets out a satisfying beep before disconnecting the call. I turn back to enter the office.

"Where is your son right now?" I hear Minho ask, a sense of urgency in his voice. I freeze at my place, staring at the man who scowls at the laptop screen atop the mahogany desk.

"What?" I squeak out, not expecting the question he had asked.

He looks up. "Where is your son, Yujin-ssi?"

"He is on his way home from Haebalgagi Institute of Psychiatric Researches..."

I can feel a sliver of fear grip at my heart as I stare at the man, dumbfounded and alarmed. And Minho looks no better.

"We have received a threat. He is in danger."

He turns the laptop screen for me to see. It's an email with an attached photograph.

'Stop the search, Yujin.
It won't take me time to blow his head.'

The picture is of a black Mercedes, a familiar face can be seen on the passenger seat.

"Beomgyu..."

┊ꜱᴏᴏʙɪɴ'ꜱ ᴘᴏᴠ┊ೃ⁀➷

"Meet me at Yeonhui-dong. I will explain the situation on the way."

The last hour has been the most eventful hour of the entirety of today. And things have only taken a turn for the worse, I fear.

In the initial moments, we searched the binders for anything that we could relate to our case, only to come up with little to nothing. Momentarily after, Seonghwa had left when he got a call from the forensics, asking him to collect the reports. We continued even after that, although it was only me and Hyunjin. But soon enough, a name surfaced. A familiar one.

"What's the nature of the case?"

"Disappearance."

Lee Heeseung was seventeen when he went missing on the 6th of July, 2017. Last he was seen heading to Jamsil all alone, captured by a CCTV outside a store. Police probed through every single corner of the city, even extending their areas of search to Daegu. And during all this, they made sure not many were aware of the case, as his mother had requested. The boy was nowhere.

However, a month later, a lone finger washed up against the banks of the Han River. After conducting its DNA test, the finger was soon identified to be of Heeseung's. And to this day, that is all we have of him.

But this wasn't the subject to be frowned upon.

"I-I know him! I talked to him only a year ago!"

I knew Heeseung from high school, he was a rather close friend of mine. So, he was another Ravenwood student.

Well, after that, Seonghwa called me up and the first thing hear from was-- "Meet me at Yeonhui-dong. I will explain the situation on the way."

"Alright. We are on our way. Reaching in ten minutes." My gaze wanders to Hyunjin, his eyes focused on the road as he occasionally shifts the gear. He spares me a glare and then goes back to his job at hand.

"What happened?" He asks through his Bluetooth earpiece that is fixed in his ear.

"Forensics have found a piece of hastily carved wood stuck in Dayeon's trachea."

"Trachea? How?"

"She must've swallowed it, but instead of the stomach, it pierced through her epiglottis and entered the tracheal region."

My eyes widen. That must've been very hurtful. "So?" I press, speaking through my own Bluetooth device.

"So...the wood, it was carved with a message. It says 'Save Da-' and nothing after it."

Hyunjin scowls. "How is this related to you calling us to...wait. Dayeon's house is in Yeonhui-dong..."

There is a pause before Seonghwa speaks again, "I suspect it's her brother, Kim Daewon. Maybe Dayeon knew she'd die and wanted us to find her message. She wasn't in a relationship so the only other person could be her own brother."

"We are here."

"Me too. Report inside the house. I don't see any guards around."

Something is very off with the place. Not a single soul can be seen anywhere, not even on the streets. Only the day before, the place was under high security.

I and Hyunjin share a last glance and a nod before we kick open the car doors in unison, our guns in our hands pointing right ahead. Seonghwa joins our side, his own revolver ready in front of him. With steady and careful steps, we step inside the household. The door was unlocked, which is unsettling in itself.

A foreboding sense of dread arouses with every step we take further into the house. Everything is in its place in the large hall, with no sign of a scuffle.

"Let's check upstairs," Hyunjin whispers. We follow his words and climb the flights of stairs to the first floor. A foyer divides six sets of doors, two on either side while one at the very end. We split up, me going to the right and Seonghwa inspecting the ones on the left.

"Nothing here."

"Not here either-"

"Guys!" Seonghwa shouts out loud. I, on reflex, raise my gun and rush to the door he went through.

My throat runs dry, eyes blowing wide. My gun drops to the wooden floor with a thud.

The white bedsheets are covered in blood, a sole human hand lying in the middle.

.

.

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.

.

"Did you miss me, Daewon-ah?"

"K-Kai?"

-ˋˏ✄┈┈┈┈

A/N ¡! ❝Ahhh that was intense-

And yes, Beomgyu is Yujin's son~

Hope you enjoyed the chapter! Let me know in the comments for any areas I may need improvement.

Also, thank you for the 16k views, it really means a lot! Taking this opportunity to tag these awesome people who never let my motivation die:

gyugyubeombear LexisArc yeonjunsrawwr 

Y'all are amazing!❞