CHAPTER THIRTY ONE: Private Investigation.

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- KIM TAERAE

"Okay I found out something really fucking odd," After continuously pacing back and forth in front of Taerae, Hanbin stopped to face the boy with his fists balled up. "Promise not to tell anyone?"

He wasn't so sure sharing this information would be greatest success - it included something that no one close to them had ever thought of yet. Maybe a few weeks ago this was a popular theory amongst the media, but it was quickly forgotten and no one mentioned it again. However after today, that would clearly change.

Taerae was beyond confused but nodded anyway, watching as Hanbin's normally laidback personality changed drastically to something intimidating. "This is about the case, I'm guessing." Taerae noticed how serious Hanbin seemed, and obviously he was since he called him over for something urgent.

He had been too busy with trying to get Yunmi out of the room that he had accidentally not paid much attention to the case. Even after talking to Gyuvin's parents, nothing seemed significant as of recently. Now the two boys were locked in a room in their new house, making sure none of the other boys come in.

"I know who did it." Hanbin said quietly, making sure only Taerae could hear it. "I know who killed Yejun." He then lifted a phone from his pocket, it recognisably being Yejun's phone that's been passed around this whole time. "I found this in Yejun's mother's room... again."

"Yeah, and?" Taerae raised a brow. "We know the parents are the most suspicious, but I don't think the phone will prove anything..."

"I know, but besides that I know someone who's definitely involved who we haven't questioned yet." The older boy sighed and unlocked the phone before handing it to Taerae. "Read these messages."

Taerae took Yejun's phone into his hands and began to read the conversation that looked like it was supposed to be deleted. Even after reading the contact name, a shiver ran down his spine.

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JIWOONG

yejun:
you'll help me right?
with my plan i mean

jiwoong:
yeah

yejun:
okay great thank you

jiwoong:
okay no worries

yejun:
if i do actually get killed or whatever make sure they actually get framed

jiwoong:
you won't get killed
i'm in the building yejun

yejun:
why are you in the fucking building

jiwoong:
because you're not going to get killed??? why are you even giving away your life like that just to get revenge on your friends

yejun:
because they made me go through shit and deserve it obviously

jiwoong:
you can go about this in so many other ways...

yejun:
anyway, make sure you delete this convo later, no one has to know that you were involved
seen

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Taerae's eyes were still glued to the conversation and he opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out. A wave of anxiety came over him and he dropped the phone onto his lap. Hanbin sighed once he noticed and nodded, "Exactly, I don't fucking get it."

"Jiwoong knew?" Taerae looked up at Hanbin and back at the phone. "I mean he got his brother killed, what the hell?" He picked up the phone and stared at the contact name in horror. "You're saying he failed to keep his brother alive? And he knew?"

Hanbin knew something Taerae didn't, and promised himself he wouldn't say anything about it until he saw it for himself. "Yeah..." He took the phone back and sat down. "He seemed so clueless of why Yejun would do this though, I don't get it."

Taerae went silent to think about the possibilities of what this was about, he didn't want to think their own best friend would be involved in something like this, let alone want Yejun to be killed. "His reactions did seem genuine though..."

Hanbin nodded, recalling every moment of their investigation time together where Jiwoong would just get upset or confused over everything, as well as leading everything and everyone during the case. "I don't really know what to do. I don't want to confront him but I don't want to not say anything either."

Taerae bit his lip and looked at the phone again. "I think we should give the phone to him, and see his reactions on us having it again. Maybe if he read the messages himself he'd know we saw it and say something."

"That doesn't sound like a bad idea." The other replied with a slight nod. "Anyway, I found something else out." He started, sitting on the desk and turning to Taerae. The other nodded and raised a brow in interest, waiting for Hanbin to continue. "You know a few weeks ago when I found the phone hidden and also found that picture where Ricky's face was scribbled out?" Taerae nodded slowly and started to look nervous.

"Yeah, I was minding my business and I hear Gyuvin complaining about it being crossed out, as if he didn't do it nor wanted it like that." He scratched the back of his head and Taerae's eyebrows slightly furrowed in confusion. "So I asked him about it, and he said he didn't do it and that he is a bit upset that someone would cross out Ricky's face. He even said he has nothing against Ricky, even after whatever Z has been saying to them."

Taerae sighed and rubbed his eyes in disbelief. "He could just be lying, like almost everything is a fucking lie, Hanbin. I don't know what and who to believe anymore."

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- HAN YUNMI

Yunmi and Gyuvin agreed to have a talk about their relationship again, since lately they've been through a lot and wanted to get their feelings out. It was obvious that Yunmi was too nervous to talk and Gyuvin took over the conversation straight away.

"Is he the one who hurt you then? Is that how you found out about him being alive?" He asked. His head rested on her shoulder and despite himself not wanting to get clingy so easily again, he felt more comfortable and relaxed when with her.

Yunmi sighed. "I mean, yeah. He wasn't going to hurt me at first I believe..." She tried to scratch out the memories from her mind again, but not too much to ruin her mood. "I want to believe he never wanted to hurt me, but he did for some reason."

The boy gritted his teeth in annoyance and looked up at her. "What did he do to you? Please tell me."

She avoided his eyes and gulped. "Nothing, really. He was just explaining things to me at first, but then suddenly he hit me around the head."

"With what?" He sat up and looked at her in fear. "Don't tell me it was something bad, you didn't seem that injured.."

"I suspected he would somehow get payback and hit me with the bat in the room, but he just hit me with his fist I guess.." She laughed awkwardly. "Then he just talked to me... about things. And I think he just dropped the mug on accident."

He scoffed. "On accident? Really? You think that?" Yunmi nodded slowly and he rolled his eyes. "He promised me he wouldn't hurt you. He said he'd never do something to you."

"What?" She shot up in confusion.

Gyuvin cleared his throat and changed the subject. "Anyway, I'll tell you why I know he's alive." He gave her a small smile before explaining. "Basically, I saw him that night, just bleeding. It was too dark so I don't know how he was injured. It's just so scary. Out of everything I've forgotten, the only thing I remember is seeing him."

"I think it's pretty weird we both forgot everything about that time..." Yunmi sighed whilst leaning further away from the boy. "But you didn't help him?"

After that question, he went silent. It seemed he was drowned in his thoughts for a few seconds and Yunmi just waited in anticipation, as well as being a bit scared on what he was thinking about. "Gyuvin?"

"No." He said, taking his eyes off of the ceiling. "I didn't help him because he deserved it. You do know I was a bitch about him from the start, remember?" Yunmi then thought back to the very start of the case, where she met up with the three boys after such a long time and was definitely not happy with being near Gyuvin.

"It was obvious you hated him, but you were really insensitive..." She backed away from him again, remembering all of those moments where he would shout at her for caring. "I don't understand how you've become so different now."

His eyes widened as he looked at her again. "What do you mean?"

"You just... suddenly started being nice again. I realised it a while ago, but you are acting like him 'dying' was something good in your part." Gyuvin then started to catch onto what she was thinking.

"Woah, you don't think I killed him do you?" He sat up in disbelief. "Yunmi we've gone over this, I really didn't do it."

"How did he die again?" Her voice was sharp this time, causing him to jump a little from her sudden burst. "Tell me, if you saw him bleeding you should know what his injuries were right?"

"Uhm, I don't know.. I wasn't that close to him to see his injuries you know. The files say he got hit around the head and put in a bag or whatever, right? That could be still right."

Yunmi nodded slowly and after inspecting his face, she let go of her suspicions. "Okay, I'm not going to fully believe you but I'll let it go for now."

"Yunmi-"

"Anyway," She cut him off. "Can you elaborate on what you mean by Yejun 'promised you he wouldn't hurt me'? You switched the subject pretty quickly."

His eyes widened. "Well-" He paused and sighed before locking eyes with her. "Don't hate me for this, but I did a shit ton of things to him just because I was jealous... embarrassingly enough."

"What the fuck did you do?" She questioned in surprise. "Don't back down on it now, many people have mentioned things like this but I know damn well I wasn't informed."

"He promised me he wouldn't hurt you if I stopped-" He talked again, this time his voice was shakier and he seemed nervous.

"Gyuvin, what did you do?" She asked sternly.

"That summer house was hell, Yunmi. There was so much shit you never saw.." He looked down in guilt and shame. "Honestly, I promise it wasn't anything bad I just-"

"Wait," She got up and walked towards her desk. He glanced over at her and noticed her holding a familiar book, the same one she used back then. "I found this in the house, from the summer house." She opened it and placed it in front of him. "Is that what this was about?" She raised a brow, pointing at a note on the last page that read 'Yujin told me Gyuvin came over just after we stopped being friends, but then Yejun and him had some sort of argument.'

His eyes widened. "Wait, what?"

"Yeah, so I'm correct." She sighed and closed the book before placing it on her lap. "Go on then, tell me that story."

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FLASHBACK - LAST SUMMER

"Why are you treating everyone like shit?" Gyuvin's voice rang throughout the foyer of Yunmi's house. "Let me in and explain to Yunmi, you can't just fucking stop me. I have the key to her room."

Yejun could only scoff and block Gyuvin again. "Honestly, stop with the big boy nonsense. You simply can't get to my level anymore. Enough trying to murder me and piss off. She hates you now."

At this moment, Yunmi was locked in her room, upset with the result of the summer house and losing all of her closest friends. Gyuvin wanted to come and comfort her as well as apologise for what happened, but some guy had to be in the way of everything.

Gyuvin was close to attacking the other but ad soon as he tried, he felt a strong hit to the face, leaving a mark. "What the fuck?" Gyuvin hissed.

The maids in the foyer turned their heads to ignore the situation and looked on the floor to spot the key to Yunmi's room. One of them, who was like the leader picked it up in a hurry and went upstairs to fetch Yujin.

"I have your friends and your girlfriend, cry about it." Yejun snickered. "If you try to hurt me again, I'll hurt what's precious to you."

"All you do is lie." Gyuvin growled. "Stop fucking acting like some wannabe villain and let me talk to her! And you are not going to hurt her, you wouldn't."

Yejun snickered again. "If you stay away from us I won't." He turned around and watched as Yujin left his room. He walked closer to Gyuvin and looked at his shaking face. "I have a whole plan out here, and I'm not letting some fuck boy ruin it over a girl."

"Okay that's like, insane." Gyuvin scoffed in his face, stepping back from the boy in discomfort.

"Jealousy makes people insane too." He said with a smirk, lifting Gyuvin's face with his hand. "Get out of my business, no one likes you enough for them to believe you over me at this point. And honestly, Yunmi's not going to be into you."

"I don't know what you're trying to do but I will actually not let you do anything to them, especially her." He locked eyes with Yejun and as soon as his face stopped hurting that bad, he felt his legs get hit too, causing him to fall. "What the hell?"

Yejun only responded with a villain-looking smile before turning his back and walking away, leaving Gyuvin on the ground in pain.

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- KIM JIWOONG

"Jiwoong, we found this." Hanbin said, handing Jiwoong the phone. "You can go inspect it if you want." He said in a rather demanding tone, making the rest of the boys come closer in confusion.

He wasn't that fazed but once he opened the phone and pressed on his own contact, he looked up at Hanbin in panic. "No, we have to bring this back. Right now."

"Woah why?" Yujin crossed his arms from the side. "This means more evidence is showing right?" The others started to nod in agreement and Jiwoong slid the phone into his pocket.

He quickly walked off and once he locked himself in his new room, he opened his phone to text the only person who could have gotten those messages back.

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Z

jiwoong:
did you really have to load the messages between yejun and i that day??

Z:
huhhhh??
what do you meannnn?

jiwoong:
are u trying to frame or something

Z:
no wtf😂
i'm just wondering something
do you really not know who the killer is

jiwoong:
i mean
i thought it was gunwook
but now i've come to an awful conclusion

Z:
what have you finally figured it out
is it cause you got the phone again

jiwoong:
of course i have
however i'm not planning to out you yet

Z:
awwwwwww

jiwoong:
in fact there's little evidence pointing towards you, but trust me i'll find something

jiwoong:
i know you killed my brother

Z:
oh come on don't be cheesy

Z:
technically you're the reason he managed to get killed in the first place... if you didn't do what you did maybe one of the four may have not killed him

jiwoong:
i knew i shouldn't have trusted you

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- HAN YUJIN

yunmi

yujin:
WHY THE FUCK

yunmi:
WHAT

yujin:
WHYS GYUVINS MOM FREAKY DEAKY BRO😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭

yunmi:
?????

yujin:
APPARENTLY SHE STALKED SOMEONE

yunmi:
oh
gunwook

yujin:
WHAT

yunmi:
i completely forgot about that
it wasn't stalking she was just... obsessed

yujin:
COUGAR ALERT🤓🤓🤓

yunmi:
wait how did you even find that out

yujin:
idk the others were gossiping about it... oh and also jiwoong had yejun's phone but like ran off with it in a panic

yunmi:
why does he have yejun's phone

yujin:
idk but he's panicking like a little bitch rn

yunmi:
shit
wait
can you steal the phone for me

yujin:
WHAT

yunmi:
ur young and cute they won't say anything to u once they find out it's disappeared

yujin:
okay fine
if i get kicked out i'm gonna cry

yunmi:
Bro this is our little investigation just do it😭

yujin:
OK DAMN GIVE ME LIKE 30 MINS
I NEED TO FIND JIWOONG FIRST

yunmi:
ok hurry

yujin:
okay i
have it
it's in my pocket

yunmi:
come home now
let's go through it
maybe i can find out who his ex is

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hi guys this isn't proofread bc i'm sick atm

short chapter bc the tea is rising (more summer house lore but with ricky coming soon)

Killer is getting more and more obvious guys