⚠ Trigger warning : // Mention of murders, de@ths.

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~[JEONGHAN]

"Hey Mingyu." I walked up to him after all the students had left the school campus.

"Yeah?" He stopped walking and turned around to face me.

"Will your dad be available in the evening, at around uh...6:30-7 pm?"

Mingyu's father was the chief superintendent of SMPA so I could easily ask for his favour.

Because I awaited for this day for 6 long years...to give justice to her death.

"Uh... probably yes. What do you need him for?"

"To trace the killer." My voice sounded as if it fell into a deep gorge.

"Oh why do you need to trace though? She roams everyday in front of us-"

"That's what I need your father for."

Mingyu suddenly blocked my way and spoke in a serious tone.

"I don't get you. You could've easily got her arrested all through these years then why are you asking my father's schedule so that he can definitely arrest her?"

I sighed.

"Let's just say, the story got a major plot twist. And I'll be unfurling the twist to see the truth for myself. So please, talk to your father about Jiyeon's murder case and ask him if he can come today at Cloud 9 café with backup at around 6:45 pm, for there might be an arrest today." I breathed heavily as I spoke out.

"O-okay, I will let him know."

"And also, I have a request."

"Shoot it."

"Please do not accompany him-"

"What the hell, Han?"

"I know, but I want to handle this myself for now. I'll let you guys know every little detail of it once I'm successful."

"But-"

"Mingyu please. I want to see it for myself for now. You gotta go home and convince your dad."

"Alright. As much as I don't want to, I have to go to talk it out with dad. But you gotta tell me everything about this bullshit."

Nodding my head, I smiled mildly as I said, "You have my word."

He gave me a thumbs up and drove off.

Buckling the seatbelt, I sighed as my hands held the steering wheel too tightly while driving back home.

This is gonna be big.

Plopping upon the bed, I took out my phone and searched for that video and played it over 10 times.

As much as it was painful for me to watch it, it was much more painful to see an innocent soul getting hate and framed because of my fear and stubbornness.

Silence filled the room except for the constant ticking of the clock.

Wonwoo and Seungkwan had been to Cloud 9 café earlier and they said it's evening hours opens from 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm.

I decided to leave at 6 because I might get to see all the employees then.

I anxiously glanced over the clock time to time.

Suddenly my phone rang. It was from Mingyu.

I don't know why I was feeling nervous for the first time in picking up his call but anyways, I picked it up finally.

"Hello?"

"Hey, dad wants to talk to you."

"Yeah sure."

"Hey Jeonghan, Mingyu told me everything. Are you sure about this?" Mingyu's dad spoke through the line.

"Yes uncle, I'm sending you the proof that gives me surety of this. Give me a second please."

"Alright. Send it."

I sent him the video and few other photos Kihyun had sent me yesterday.

"I'm damn sure that's not Haeyoon."

"But how come you guarantee this?"

"I will find it out there. Please just be there."

"Alright. Since you're also like my son, I'll help you but I won't be bringing backup but only my fellow member."

"No problem uncle."

"Good luck in your investigation, little detective."

"Thank you, uncle." I hung up the call as I chuckled at his reference.

I sighed and plopped down my bed and began watching random YouTube videos to kill time.

...

TIME SKIP~6:00 p.m.

I played the video one last time before heading out.

Everything's gonna be alright.

My heart was basically at my throat yet I managed to keep my shit cool.

"CLOUD 9"

I double-checked the name on the sign board.

Taking a deep sigh, I turned on the audio recorder in my phone as I made my way inside.

I need to collect every proof of this never-ending nightmare.

My eyes scanned off the whole café only to stop at a particular spot.

Joshua and her.

To be honest, I feel happy yet sad whenever I see them together.

I could feel Joshua's fierce eyes on me at the same time.

My thoughts were interrupted when I heard an awkwardly deep female voice calling out my name.

"Oh hi Jeonghan! Finally we met...after 6 years."

I turned my head to the owner of the voice. It was a female in a very short skirt and an extremely tight blouse.

But how the fuck she knows my name and...'met after 6 years' !?

I took a few steps closer only to realize it was none other than...

Seolhyun.

"Looks like you're not satisfied yet on degrading her in school. Well, what can I say now...you can yell your heart out at her here for being so cheap. I wouldn't mind, you know." She placed her hand on my shoulder.

My head jolted up at the mention of certain words.

'...so she was the one who mailed me that picture.' I realized.

But how come she even got my mail id? I don't remember sharing it with her.

It dawned on me all of a sudden that when I gave Haeyoon my mail id Seolhyun was present too.

Never had I thought that my best friend would backstab me in such a horrible way.

Or let's say, ex-bestfriend.

Politely sliding her hand off my shoulder, I gave her a fake smile as I said, "Yeah. You're right. Would you mind if I take a look at your phone for a minute though?"

I watched her smile falter as she stuttered with her words, "Um- wh-why-?"

"Oh my phone is dead and I need to make a quick call to my mom."

"O-oh I-I can ask one of our staff to let you borrow their phone-"

"Tsk. Why would ask for a stranger's phone when I have my best friend with me, ya?"

"Yea-yeah y-you're right. B-but you can a-ask Ha-Haey-"

"I neither wish to see nor touch her belongings. Now please? My mom's gonna be worried."

"O-okay. T-tell me the number I'll type-YAAAAAH!"

I lost my cool and snatched her phone as I went outside. I do not wish to create a commotion there.

I instantly tapped the mail folder and there!

That damn shitty email was there.

"What do you think you're doing huh!?" She screamed into my ear canals.

"Is it a bad thing to go through my friend's phone?" I asked innocently.

"Or should I say it's a bad thing to go through a person's dirty tactics, mhm?" her head jolted up as she saw me chortling darkly.

"Did you think I would never ever find it out and you can go on framing and manipulating minds, Kim Seolhyun?" she looked at me in disbelief as she took backward steps while I advanced towards her.

"I-I....i-its n-not wh-what y-you th-think-"

"Tell me honestly, what happened on the night of 29th November, 2017."

"I-I d-don't kn-know...H-haeyoon k-killed her..." Her back finally hit the wall as panic and terror got written all over her face.

"Think about your reply. Because after this you won't be in a position to talk." my voice kept getting darker and darker.

"I-I s-seriously d-don't kn-know-"

"Not even when I show this?" I played the video.

In a blink of an eye her face turned horrific as she said, "H-how did you get this...."

"That shouldn't bother you. But tell me now, should I do the same thing as you did to your friend huh!?" I snapped out finally.

She hung her head low in shame, or so had I thought.

Until I heard a satanic chuckle from her mouth.

"You still have the guts to laugh even after-"

"You finally found the truth, Yoon Jeonghan? Oh how sad. You were so naive. I had a lot of fun playing with you bwahahaha!"

I was having a hard time in comprehending her words.

"You know, Jiyeon was saying that you'd find out about everything one day. She looked so pathetic while crying like this, 'J-jeonghan, H-haeyoon h-help-"

I slapped her.

"How the fuck you utter that about her, you motherfucking monster!!?!!?"

She kept her head down turned to the right.

"She treated you as her sister and you...you fucking choked the life out of her!! Why the fuck did you stoop so low, Kim Seolhyun!!! Answer me bitch or else I won't hesitate to choke you!!"

"Then what the fuck do you expect me to do when she learned about my wholeass solid plan of killing Haeyoon!!?"

"What...?" I stepped back as I looked at her in disbelief.

I couldn't process her words.

Why the hell... would she murder Haeyoon even..?

"Yes you heard me right. I wanted to murder Haeyoon and not your sister. But that poor soul learnt my plan and threatened me that she'll tell her everything so I was left with no choice but to wipe her out instead."

"Wh-why would you murder Haeyoon even-"

"Ask that to yourself you bastard! You always talked to her, laughed with her, cared about her, asked about her. Everything about her only mattered to you. Why is it that you fell in love with that fucking bitch and not me!!! Why Jeonghan why!!"

My brain glitched.

I never told anyone I liked her.

Was I that obvious back then?

Was I that much insensitive to Seolhyun that gave rise to such resentment within her?

"You, your fucking sister, damn everyone liked her but not me!! Why the heck!!? I am more beautiful and better than her but you guys never noticed me and my efforts to please you!!"

She paused and continued again.

"And that's why I plotted to kill her. The murder should have been a week after Jiyeon's birthday with Haeyoon being the victim but your darn smarty sister messed up everything and I had to plan everything from the scratch."

"And I am being successful in my second attempt, for your kind information."

"I knew Haeyoon's mother was suffering from cancer and you know, it was painful for me to see her in that condition. So I thought to be a little kind and gave her the initial raw part of my plan, I mean, the news that her daughter was found to be the culprit and lo! The poor woman couldn't take it and died from a cardiac arrest. Although she did leave a cursing note of disowning her daughter and Haeyoon being the bitch she is, cried out so loudly that day that my ears would have bled. Anyways, that was how I wiped out her mom. Now coming to her dad. Well, after his wife left, the old man turned into an alcoholic and abused her. She used to show me the scars and as usual cry about it back then. So I thought as a friend why shouldn't I help her out? She was so helpless and lonely so she could complain to no one if something happened to her. They were also falling into huge debts as her father had been fired for regularly showing up late to work. Anyways, one night on 16th September, 2019, I murdered her dad. I ran the car over him and the gross drunkard died on spot. How weak! I thought there might be a disruption in public after this that's why I lifted the body and threw it down the Yeongsan river. Oops! Did I hit a nerve somehow? How sad!"

I couldn't believe this is reality.

She fucking murdered not only my sister but also her parents.

"Everything was going fine...I got her at my knees, framed , humiliated and hated by you. Life couldn't get more perfect for me until this motherfucker showed up one fine day..." she pointed in a direction behind me which made me take a look as well.

There stood Joshua and Haeyoon, her eyes bloodshot red as trauma was evident in her eyes. She was trembling as she held his hoodie sleeve.

"Joshua please take her away." I tried to sound as stable as possible.

"No! I'm not going anywhere! I will listen to the whole fucking crimes she did-"

"This garçon started to ruin my perfect life once again by showing interest to her again..! Why is it always she snatching away the things I yearn for too..! Why!!?" she paused for a moment and again ranted, "And that's why I decided to cut him off her too by this tiny photo scandal. But Jeonghan, I must say I'm pretty surprised that you got brains at last to analize things!" Seolhyun's deranged voice interrupted us again.

I sighed as I tried to control my inner rage from bursting out. My knuckles had already turned white from anger.

"Joshua please. Take her away."

"Why are you not letting me know the crimes she did to me herself !?" Haeyoon screamed as tears strolled down her cheeks.

"Haeyoon, please not now. Please come with me." Joshua tried to pull her away.

"HAEYOON-"

"EVERYBODY FREEZE! NO ONE WILL MOVE!" Mingyu's dad growed while his colleague arrested her.

"What!? No! You can't be doing this! Yoon Jeonghan, you cheater-"

I slapped her, a lot harsher this time.

"I'm sure the judge and your parents will love to know about you." Hissing into her ears for the very last time, I turned to face the officers as I finally spoke, "Please take her away."

Ignoring her calls and slurs, I turned to Haeyoon who was now squatting on the ground, face hidden in her palms while Joshua rubbed her back.

I gently tapped his shoulder and motioned him to take her home.

"Haeyoon, let's go now. She's gone." He gently called her out.

After sometime, she slowly stood up.

"W-won't you come?" she asked me amidst her tears.

To say I was moved, would be the least.

I treated her like trash yet she understood my situation and asked me to come with her.

There was a reason to fall for her.

There is a reason to fall in love with her.

I tried to maintain a stable posture as I slowly motioned her that I'll come later.

She slowly nodded her head and was about to go.

Unfortunately her head swung that made her go unconscious.

Had it not been for Joshua's grip around her shoulder she would have struck the ground.

But thank goodness, he was there to catch her at the right timing.

Realizing her unconsciousness, he decided to give her a piggy back ride to home.

"I'll take my leave now. Come soon to her house."

I nodded to him as I watched them go.

Once they were out of my sight, I slid down against the brick wall and closed my eyes as her words replayed back in 4k.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAH..........." I let out a loud hopeless groan as hot tears flowed down my cheeks.

My sister sacrificed herself for my love.

My love sacrificed her family because of me.

She suffered all through these years only because of my cowardice.

I had lost the urge to survive.

Is falling in love such an unforgivable crime?