The four NU’EST members stayed together during the funeral, realizing it would be the last time that they could. They did not interact with the Seventeen members at all, even when Pledisboss asked them to bow to one another for the cameras.

“No,” Ren responded when the her made the request, eying Pledisboss like a hawk, “ off.”

Pledisboss looked triggered by Ren’s rudeness, but he held back given that there were policemen watching them. The police were there to look over Minhyun and JR, to make sure they don’t run away before their detainment.

The members of NU’EST found it disgusting that the CEO would take advantage of Baekho’s death like that. They bit down their anger, however, realizing that snapping at him might jeopardize the freedom of the other two members. That would interfere with their plans.

However, none of these plans would be carried out at the funeral. They used that time to mourn Baekho’s passing, and to apologize to his family for what they have done. It seemed only fair that they dedicate this time to him.

When the funeral was over, they had to finally part.

“Have fun in there,” Aron told Minhyun and JR.

“We’ll probably be having more fun than you guys,” Minhyun responded with a slight smile, as he let the police officer handcuff him.

“True,” Aron said, side-eying Seventeen.

“For Baekho,” JR said to them, eying each of s intensely.

Aron nodded in JR’s direction, putting his hand on ’s shoulder in support.

“For NU’EST,” Ren said softly, his voice cracking from all the crying that he had been doing in the funeral.

“For NU’EST,” JR parroted with soft smile, allowing the other police officer handcuff him.

Minhyun and JR were not the only ones at the funeral that were to be handcuffed.

The police officer brought a handcuffed Jihoon to them. Jihoon avoided all eye contact, looking directly at the ground. His nose was a light shade of pink, he was sniffling, and there were bags under his eyes. The members of NU'EST had seen that Woozi cried a lot during the funeral, which somehow made them less angry at him than they had been before.

“Are you happy,” Ren said to Woozi as he was being pulled to the police car, “he died because of you.”

A tear strolled down Jihoon’s cheek as he heard those words. “I know,” Jihoon mumbled under his breath, “I know.”

-

The morning after the funeral, another one needed to be planned.

Choi Seungcheol was found dead. Seventeen's manager found Seungcheol's neck hanging by a scarf onto a chandelier, a chair kicked down from under him.

Seungcheol had left a suicide note that read:

Dear everyone in my life,

Please make this letter public, because I think everyone needs to know this.

A few nights ago, I escaped the room in which I was confined. My member, Hoshi, had left the door to my room open the day he came to visit me, and so I was able to leave that night and go to the Pledis building.

I burned the building down, killing the five people inside of it. I only wanted to kill Baekho, and the rest were collateral damage. It was necessary, but I am very sorry to those affected by the deaths of the staff members.

I killed Baekho because he, and the rest of NU’EST, ruined my life. They killed me, and so I only found it fair that I kill one of them as well. They revealed all of my deepest, darkest secrets, and destroyed Seventeen in the process. I hate them. May they burn in hellfire for the rest of eternity.

To my family: sorry it ended up like this. Sorry your son became a murderer. I'm sorry that within the course of just a few weeks, you went from being extremely proud of me to wanting to disown me. Sorry my past made you hate me. Sorry for everything. Truly, I am.

To my members: you are not implicated in this at all. You are not like me. All of you are wonderful people and I am happy to have spent the last years of my life with you. You are my friends, and I am so unworthy of you. Please continue Seventeen. I put a lot into this group, and I would like it if the legacy is continued. I know that I have ruined Seventeen’s spotless record with my past, and now that I have committed murder, I have tainted that name even more. But please don’t stop. Don’t give NU’EST the satisfaction of saying: ‘we destroyed Seventeen.’ They destroyed S.Coups, but not Seventeen.

To NU’EST: don’t you dare hurt any of my members anymore. You have done your damage, now off and let them be. Don’t try to avenge Baekho’s death, because here I am, admitting to the crime and killing myself for it. You now have no one to punish but yourselves.

To the world: support Seventeen. I know that’s not very convincing coming from a murderer’s suicide note, but I will still try my luck. My members are best of people. All 11 of them. They are passionate, kind-hearted, loyal. Far from what I have ever been. I loved them, and I know you all would surely love them as well. Support them especially after they have endured this whole traumatic scandal together.

To you-know-who: Good job. Live well!

That is all I have to say. Goodbye world.

Choi Seungcheol

A/N: So. I've been giving you a hard time lately haven't I ? :P

Sorry?