When Jongup woke up the next day, he was still tired.  He swung his feet over the edge of the bed and sighed.  Jongup was relieved to find that his ankle didn’t hurt as much now. 

He walked around his room a little and was satisfied that he was well enough to go over to Yongguk and Zelo’s house today. 

After pulling on his hoodie, he started walking towards Yongguk’s house. 

The ground was a little damp, but nothing else indicated that it poured last night.  The near black clouds that appeared out of nowhere just hours ago had gone as quickly as they had come.  The air was chilly again; Jongup shoved his hands into his pockets and shivered.  

From some distance away, Jongup heard a car rev its engine.  Thinking nothing of it, Jongup rounded the bend and kept walking towards the house.

A huge truck came out of nowhere and barreled straight towards Jongup.  He stepped off to the side of the road, initially figuring the driver hadn’t expected to see someone walk along this road and that he would keep going.

But the truck sped up and turned to keep going at Jongup.  Thinking quickly, Jongup jumped and climbed into a tree.  The automobile crashed violently into the same tree, causing it to topple over onto the hood of the truck. 

Jongup desperately clung onto the trees branches and hung a short ways up from the top of the vehicle.  Carefully he dropped down and off of the roof of the truck. 

The driver of the truck had his head on the steering wheel.  A piece of glass that broke from the impact was lodged in the man’s side.  He groaned in pain. 

“Hold on, I’ll get help!” Jongup assured the man.  Thinking quickly, he rushed over to Yongguk’s house.

When he reached the front door, he started ringing the doorbell and knocking.  He got no answer. 

Jongup figured that they were away and turned to go back to his house to call for help.  In the corner of his eye, however, he saw a pool of red through the window. 

Stepping closer to the glass, he peered inside.  It was blood.  He could smell that stomach-churning coppery scent even from outside.

Jongup’s own blood ran cold.  His hands found the doorknob and he tried the door.  It was unlocked. 

“Z-Zelo?  Hyung?” Jongup called warily.  Streaks of blood led Jongup to the kitchen.  He was met with a traumatizing sight. 

Zelo’s body was lying on the cold kitchen floor.  He looked like he was thrown carelessly on the ground and he had lacerations all over his body.   A knife was sticking out of his torso.  The boy’s curly blonde hair was matted with dried blood.

Jongup rushed towards Zelo’s body.  He wouldn’t hear the bright, always-smiling boy speak ever again.   If not for the blood, Zelo would’ve appeared asleep.  He looked peaceful, like he had not been expecting this attack at all.  Jongup felt tears falling again. Zelo was already cold.

One thought flashed through his head.  Yongguk.

“Hyung!” Jongup called again, rushing through the rest of the house.  When he reached the bedrooms upstairs, he found Yongguk.

Yongguk was lying in bed, sleeping.  Relief flooded through Jongup.

“Yah, wake up!  Zelo, he’s really--!” Jongup reached the bed and shook Yongguk.

He turned Yongguk over, and jumped back when he saw what had happened to his hyung.  Yongguk was shot multiple times in the chest.  Once in the head.  Blood and unidentifiable stuff stained the pillow.  Jongup couldn’t see it at first because of the covers, but Yongguk was lying on top of a large, now dried, blood stain. 

Jongup gulped. When had this happened?  Why? 

He reached for the telephone by  Yongguk’s bed and with shaking hands, he called 1-1-9. 

“What’s your emergency?” A voice asked from the other end of the line.  It seemed like it was so far away.  Jongup couldn’t think straight anymore.

“Hello?  Are you okay?” The voice said.

“My friends...they’ve been murdered.  There was a car accident outside, too.” Jongup heard himself speak the words, but it didn’t feel like he said it.   His heart felt like it had stopped beating.

“What is your location?” Jongup told the operator Bang and Zelo’s address.

The operator paused a moment, probably writing the address down. 

“Police will be there soon.  Please remain calm and try not to touch anything.” The operator said, but Jongup didn’t hear her.

Slowly, Jongup hung up and walked back down the stairs.  He turned away so he wouldn’t see Zelo’s body. 

The smell of blood was thick in the air still, so Jongup went outside and sat on the porch.  He stared blankly ahead of him.

Soon he heard the wail of a police car.  After parking, two police officers rushed up to Jongup. 

“You the one who called, son?” The first officer asked, bending down to talk to Jongup.  He was a bigger man with a bushy mustache.

Jongup nodded, tears threatening to fall down.  He felt numb.

“What’d your name, kid?  I’m officer Han.”

“Moon Jongup.” Jongup’s voice sounded foreign to himself.

“Where do you live?”

“Down the street.  The accident is a little ways down that way too.” Jongup said, pointing towards the direction of his house. 

Another police officer, a much thinner, clean shaven man shot Jongup a pitying glance before walking inside the house. 

“I’m going to need to ask you a few more questions.” Officer Han said, patting Jongup on the shoulder.  Jongup nodded mechanically.

He answered the mustached officer’s questions robotically.  Jongup felt like he was in a nightmare that he just couldn’t escape. 

A while later, crime scene investigators were collecting evidence.  Jongup remained on the porch, head buried in his hands.  He didn’t know what to think.  All he knew is that his old friends and his new friends were gone forever. 

Time blurred by for Jongup.  He saw various officers and investigators going in and out of the house.  He felt cold and alone. 

He saw the driver from the truck being pulled to an ambulance.  A sheet was pulled up over his face.  He was dead, too. 

Officer Han walked up to Jongup again.  “Son, let me drive you back home. There’s nothing more you can do here.” He helped Jongup up and led him to the police car.  Jongup simply nodded and followed him.

It didn’t take long to drive the quarter of a mile back.  When they got to Jongup’s house, the officer walked him to the door.

“Take care, son.  We’ll contact you and keep you updated.  I’m sorry you had to see all of that.” Officer Han frowned, patting Jongup on the shoulder comfortingly. 

Jongup only nodded in response.  He closed the door behind him and dragged his feet upstairs.

It was early in the evening, but Jongup just wanted to go to sleep.  Maybe when he woke up, he’d be freed from this nightmare.

Jongup barely closed his eyes before he was interrupted. 

The phone rang, so Jongup rushed downstairs to pick it up.

“Jongup.” It was his father.  Mr. Moon never called Jongup by his name.  Something was wrong.

“Father?”

“I’m not coming back.”

“W-What?”

“I’m at the police station.”

“What happened?” Jongup asked, concerned.  Although his father definitely wasn’t father-of-the-year material, he still worried about him.

“I think you know why, son.”

Jongup  knew what his father was talking about right then and there.

“Why?” Jongup asked.  All feeling was gone from his voice.

“I’m sorry.” His father said.  The line went dead. 

His father’s lack of an answer confirmed Jongup’s initial suspicions.  He had been the one that killed his mother.

Jongup got his truth. 

But somehow, now he felt even more alone.

~~~

...I've decided that this won't end happily.