Joshua

Am I stupid for believing her? Has she manipulated me? Wormed her way into my head and made me believe she’s innocent, turning me against other people in the group?

I am not cut out for interrogation. I believe people too easily. I tried to read her face like they do in movies, find hints of lies in the way she answered the questions, but instead I found myself feeling strangely closer to her. If she really is a murderer, then she’s a damn good liar.

But I believe her, I really do. And now my sights are set on the two people she named: Mingyu and Nagyung.

I read the Safety Guide before I call them up. More than eight tick bites: that’s when it becomes possibly fatal. Chaeyoung had 17. If the person who read the safety guide knew that, they really wanted her to die.

I call in Mingyu first.

I haven’t spoken to him before. I’ve only seen him in photos, and never paid attention to him in real life. He’s a lot taller than he is in his photos. Wider too. Undeniably handsome.

He sits on the chair in front of me, and flashes a charming smile.

“How’s it going?” he asks me. “Hope you’re doing alright.”

“Why would I not be doing alright?” I ask.

“Many reasons,” Mingyu says. “Maybe you burned your tongue on your coffee this morning. Maybe your favorite Netflix show was canceled. Or maybe someone you really liked isn’t around anymore. All valid reasons to have a ty day.”

A flirt, and an awfully good one at that. Does he think that the game is really still on? Does he think he really still has a chance? Or is he just being nice? The way he’s smiling makes me think it’s the former.

“Someone I liked? Who would that be?”

“Are you in denial or something, bro?” Mingyu asked. “That girl. Chaeyoung. You liked her. We all knew it. And you’re sad about it. It’s okay to be sad. I was sad too and I never even spoke to the girl.”

“Why would you be sad then?”

“She was a living, breathing thing, then she wasn’t anymore. Mortality makes me sad, I guess.”

“Strangers die everyday though. Do you get sad every time someone dies?”

“No. I get sad when it’s someone somehow connected to me.”

“How was she connected to you?”

“She’s a contestant on this show, isn’t she? She was dorming in the same dorm, and she died just a few rooms down from me.”

“Did you see her as competition?”

“I see everyone as competition.”

“Even Saerom?”

Mingyu laughs a little. “Yeah, even her. Especially her.”

“You’re awfully close to Saerom aren’t you.”

“We worked together. You know, back in the real world.”

“You guys are close even here though, right?”

“Well, yeah, we’re hanging out.”

“You worked together to get that old man off the island, didn’t you?”

Mingyu’s smug smile fades a little. “Who told you that? She did?”

“Answer the question.”

“It was her idea.”

“And you helped her?”

“Am I getting disqualified?”

“No. I just want to know the truth.”

“I helped her, yes.”

“How?”

“She was the mastermind. We collected some of those little bugs and put them in a jar. Then released them close to him.”

“You do understand that that was very dangerous. He could have died.”

“I don’t know. I was following her. I didn’t decide .”

“So if she asked you to aid her in murder, would you do it?”

“Of course not. I knew she wouldn’t murder him.”

“So you trust her?”

“I guess? I mean, not anymore, given that she ratted me out. Anyways, where is this interview going? Are you judging my loyalty or something?”

Unlike Saerom, who immediately understood I suspected her of murder, Mingyu seems clueless. He still seems to think this is Wed Game, a game for marriage. He doesn’t make the connection between Chaeyoung’s death and the old man’s sickness.

Which means he doesn’t know she died from ticks.

Which would mean he’s innocent? Either that or he’s a master manipulator. I don’t know.

“Do you know how many ticks it takes to kill someone?” I ask him.

“No clue. But probably more than the four we set off on the guy. Why are you asking about this anyway?”

“Just curious.”

“Well, you’ve asked me a ton of questions. Can I ask you some now?”

“What?”

“Do you still want to get married? Honestly.”

“If I didn’t, I wouldn’t have continued the game now, would I?”

“But why only us? The people who were in the same quarter as Chaeyoung?”

“Eight is so much more manageable than 200. Plus you were the only ones who were left behind after the police investigation.”

“So you’re still looking to marry one of us? And we just got lucky we were in the same quarter as the dead girl?”

Chaeyoung being referred to as ‘the dead girl’ sends a chill down my spine. Charming as he is, Mingyu seems to lack empathy. Even hotheaded Saerom was more careful than that with her words.

“Basically,” I say, masking my discomfort.

“In that case, I hope you choose me. I can make you very happy, Joshua.” A charming smile again, one that gradually turned into a mischievous grin. “When you’re really ready to try something new, I’m here for you. At your disposal.”

He says it sensually, and it would be a lie to say I didn’t feel something in the pit of my stomach for it. He is insanely attractive after all.

Focus. I can’t think about that right now. I have to get back into interrogation mode. Him acting like this with me, making clear his desire to be with me: that must mean something. It’s a motive to kill Chaeyoung, then again, any one of them would have this motive except Seungkwan. The question: how strong is that motive?

“Why do you want to marry me?” I ask. “Be honest.”

“Well, because you’re attractive, you’re wealthy, and you seem like a good person. What’s not to like?”

“You know, Mingyu, I did a background check on everyone in the pool of contestants. You’ve only ever been with girls. There was not a single indication that you were ever interested in guys.”

“That’s because I never found the right guy for me, until now.” Another one of those charming smiles.

If I were on the market, it would have probably worked on me.

He then stands up, and to my surprise, begins taking off his jumpsuit.

“You know there are cameras here, right?”

“I know,” Mingyu says as he pulls the shirt over his head, revealing his bare arms. His chest is covered by a white undershirt that sculpts his body well. I don’t let my eyes linger for too long, and then I ask him to stop when his hands reach for the hem of his undershirt.

“You’re a very attractive guy, Mingyu, but I don’t want to do this right now.”

“You don’t want to do this now, so I guess that means you will later,” Mingyu concludes. “And I’ll be here for it, whenever you feel like it.”

“I’m going to ask you to leave now. The session is over.”

He takes his jacket and slings it over his broad shoulder, and walks out the door with a smirk on his face.

I can’t seem to look away.