Thank you to those who commented last chapter, I'm soo grateful <3

This chapter touches on the start of them investigating and trying to get more information on the Golden Students of 1999.

Once again, upvote and comment even if it's just a little it'd make me happy! 

When Jeno and Bunny had arrived back to the Marcier Boarding School, they noticed how everything seemed still. There was not a single sound of Elliot screaming down the halls or Liz reprimanding him for being too loud. Not a single sound of Mark and Haechan laughing, or them playing with the kids. The husband and wife exchanged looks and called out for them.

“Rather quiet,” Patricia voiced, even the seven-year-old knowing that it did not feel right.

“Haechan?” Jeno called out, a movement coming from the stairs when Jeno caught sight of a face peering from between the railings of the third floor. “Elliot, you scared me.”

“Hi Daddio,” Elliot whispered. “Uncle Haechan has a really bad fever.”

“Oh?” Bunny asked, frowning. He seemed very healthy this morning, she wondered if he had caught the common flu. “Did he eat something really bad?”

“No, the woman in the blue dress touched him. Now he’s heating up,” Elliot mumbled, Jeno lifting a hand to tell his son to stay.

As Bunny went to the kitchen to handle the groceries with her niece, Jeno found himself staring down a Haechan who was on the couch of the third-floor common room with Mark fanning him. His cheeks were red, and his body was sweaty.

“Hey,” Jeno greeted, pushing everything out of his mind as Haechan cracked open an eyelid and pushed himself up to a sitting position. “You look like .”

“Shhh, your children are here,” Haechan replied, crackling his knuckles. “My body also feels like it’s been breaking apart. Did you get anything good from Tiffany?”

Jeno nodded, his gaze settling on his daughter who was reading a book by the fireplace.

“Honey, bring your brother down to help your mother and Patricia in the kitchen,” Jeno said to her. “Be very careful when Elliot goes down the stairs.”

“I… I almost sprained my ankle today!” Elliot chirped, speaking as if the fact that he did was an achievement. Jeno’s ears perked up, Haechan cutting in to not worry his friend (and to cover the fact that they practically used Elliot as a tool).

“He was running in the theatre,” Haechan said, grabbing a cloth to wipe his face. “and he slipped. He’s fine, don’t worry. I was with him.”

Mark noticed how Haechan did not mention the woman in the blue dress, the male realizing that even that was something that Haechan did not want to acknowledge. To acknowledge it is to fear it.

When Elliot pointed out that there was a woman dressed in a blue dress behind him, Haechan remembered hearing the humming come closer. He also noticed that Elliot’s foot had tripped on a loose floorboard, the male flipping it over easily to see that there was a tape.

Upon grabbing the tape, he saw a shadow fall on both of them, a cackle echoing through the theatre room when Haechan carried Elliot and rushed out. When he turned back, he saw a woman standing on stage, foaming with white bubbles.

Haechan booked it.

When the kids were gone, Haechan lifted up the tape.

“….Is that?”

“Byun Baekhyun’s tape,” Haechan said, Jeno reaching out to see that the label was already taken out and “DD – Baekhyun” was written on the old one. “We didn’t watch it yet; thought we’d wait for you.”

“Mhm…” Jeno nodded. “Where did you find this?”

“Thea—”

“Under some floorboard somewhere,” Mark said, passing Haechan a look. He knew that if the woman in the blue dress and Elliot were to be in the same vicinity, that would be the last straw for Jeno staying. “I can’t remember.”

“Mhm, guess you got lucky,” Jeno began. “I got this note when I was at the psychiatric ward today. Some nurse said he’d see me soon. Told Patricia that, too.”

Mark narrowed his eyes at the note, a small inking in his heart as he stared at it. The words were loopy and in cursive, the male not being able to put a finger on it. Haechan brushed it off as nothing as he usually did.

“Maybe they’ve mistaken you for someone else,” Haechan said.

“Uh, I don’t know.” Jeno did not mention that Patricia said the nurse was humming a song very identical to the song that the woman in the blue dress was humming. “What do you think, Mark?”

“I think the handwriting looks familiar. Is it Teddy’s handwriting?” Mark said, but it made no sense for someone who went missing years ago to place a message. However, upon checking, it wasn’t.

“Everyone writes in cursive these days, it’s a trend,” Haechan said flippantly. “Let’s have dinner. We’ll watch the tape and do a bit more investigating after.”

“Are you feeling okay?”

“Just a bit feverish, but nothing a big man like me can’t handle. Help me up?”

Jeno helped Haechan up, Mark giving the paper one last look before pocketing it.

The three men then headed straight down for dinner.

Dinner

“So, tell me what you learned today, Liz,” Bunny was saying, the female coughing when milk went up her nose. Elliot cackled, pointing at his sister. She glared at him, diverting her eyes from her brother and focusing on her mother.

“I learned about the history of Niehls Borh,” she said, Jeno tilting his head to the side.

“Oh, honey. Didn’t you already know all about Niehls Borh? You said he was your idol.”

“Who is that dude again?” Bunny asked Jeno, the male whispering back that he was the founder of quantum theory. “Right. You wouldn’t shut up about him, Lizzie.”

“I-I…” Liz blinked. “I just decided to study a bit more on him.”

“Ahuh, what did you learn?”

“That he’s Danish,” she replied simply, Elliot throwing a spaghetti string at her. She turned to glare at him, making no move to replicate his actions.

First thought was that Liz was unlike herself, speaking of such basic facts on Niehls Bohr. Two, she didn’t seem as fired up and she usually would with her brother. He watched as Liz glumly play with her spaghetti.

Maybe she was just tired.

Or maybe there was something going on that he didn’t know about.

“What’s wrong, honey?” he asked, a hand reaching out to gently touch her cheek. He knew Liz did not like being touched. She smiled, allowing him to caress her cheek. “Did something happen?”

“I just miss Sal,” she replied.

That made sense. Jeno thought that twins always had a connection, his daughters were always two peas in a pod.

“We’ll see Sal soon, okay?” he said, Liz looking up and nodding for a split second before turning back to eat silently.

After dinner, Bunny and Jeno sat on the bed for a short break after putting their children and their niece to bed.

“Do you think that Liz has changed a little bit since she’s been here?” Jeno asked, Bunny frowning and turning to her side. “She’s a bit more reserved. A bit more… I don’t know.”

“A bit more lonely?” Bunny asked, a smile on her features. “Honey, her partner in crime isn’t here.”

“That makes sense.” Jeno hummed, thinking to himself that maybe that was what twins did to one another. They begin to mirror each other in the absence of another. He never had twins; he did not know.

A knock on the open door, Haechan popping his head in.

“How’re you, Haechan?” Bunny asked, Haechan giving her a thumbs up despite his white lips.

“After the horrible tea you made for me, I’m sure I’ll be fine in no time. Come to the common room,” he told them. “Mark’s setting up the player.”

Once again, they were back in the common room. Mark flipped through Teddy’s notebook that Tiffany had given them. A bunch of her things seemed to be small presents, a teddy bear, a notebook, and a bunch of loose papers.

But once Mark went through her notebook, he stopped at one page.

“Guys, look,” he said, looking at the list.

Jeno blinked. “Jongin’s not on there. I think Teddy disappeared before Jongin died.”

“I still think we need to look into Do Kyungsoo,” Haechan murmured. “Is there a way for us to find out where he is?”

“I’ll look into it,” Mark said, “but I think it’s safe to say he did graduate from class 2001.”

“He’s not on facebook or Instagram, I can tell you that,” Bunny added.

“The only golden kid who is not murdered? Finds almost all the bodies? It’s a hundred percent this guy,” Haechan whispered, snapping his fingers.

“Let’s not jump to conclusions,” Bunny said to Haechan. “Jeno told me you found a tape?”

“Baekhyun’s,” Haechan said, also explaining to them that he believed that the clock tower was only able to allow them to enter the memory only when they were going through it chronologically.

“That makes sense,” Bunny said, Mark clicking the light shut just for the scene to start on the screen.

The camera shook for a moment, the person whom they would have guessed was Kyungsoo placing it on the table as Baekhyun sat on a chair with a glass of water beside him. His nose was slightly red, and he was wearing a bathrobe.

“I bet you it was Erin who ing killed Chanyeol,” Baekhyun said, rolling his eyes. “That is vindictive.”

“Hardly think you can blame her for Chanyeol’s death.”

“Didn’t you hear? She was the one who reported it?” Baekhyun snapped at Kyungsoo, sneezing. “Why is it so hard to breathe here? Where is my costume? Why isn’t it here yet?” 

“Calm down, dude.” Kyungsoo could be seen moving over to the lighted table, grabbing a brush to help Baekhyun with his makeup. Baekhyun twitched, a hand reaching over to grab Kyungsoo’s wrist.

“Who gave you permission to do that?”

“I’m supposed to help you with your make up,” Kyungsoo said, swatting Baekhyun’s hand away.

“I can’t believe that we’re still having this show when Chanyeol just recently passed,” a voice said from the door, a figure coming closer. “Bora and I wanted to wish you good luck.”

“Headmaster Park said that this was to commemorate Chanyeol and his achievements. Chanyeol would have wanted this to happen – also, I am the star of the show,” Baekhyun announced ever so snottily.

“Is something wrong with your nose, Baek?” Bora asked, Baekhyun going on a grumble about how the show would start in an hour and a half -- yet half the costume team was gone.

“I want to be alone,” Baekhyun suddenly barked out of nowhere.

The three must have felt a tantrum brewing because the next scene went on to show that Kyungsoo left with Matthew and Bora. Baekhyun’s sister looked concerned, the female sighing.

“I know Baekhyun says that he’s not sad, but I’m sure he misses Chanyeol. You know how much Chanyeol meant to him. We’ll go and hang out by the clock tower until this is done, do you want to come along?” Bora asked Kyungsoo, the camera shaking.

“It’s okay, look. It’s my badge,” he said, showing the “theatre crew” badge. “I have to help them out. Teddy said it’s good for my rep in the media team.”

Matthew chuckled, patting Kyungsoo on the shoulder. “Alright, see you later.”

When the two left, the next scene was of Kyungsoo running down the hallway when the camera crashed into a person, the lenses focusing on a face that was stressed out.

“Is that… Is that one of the Golden Students?” Haechan asked, looking at the familiar face staring at the camera.

“That’s Kim Minseok,” Jeno said. “If I remember correctly, he’s the head of student services. Something about leadership in a small organization that he takes part in.”

“Shhh,” Bunny shushed the boys.

“Minseok,” Kyungsaid said, the camera stabilizing. “Where are you going?”

“Going to see Headmaster Park. I ran into Erin in the gym where they keep all the costumes. She was doing something shady. Going to report her.”

“What was she doing?”

“Nothing, just… I’ll see you later, alright?”

The scene continued. It was just a bunch of students walking past as the clock tower chimed, the scene cut short.

Another scene started and the camera was once again propped up. Kyungsoo seemed to be in the front row seat of the theatre room. The curtains were pulled shut and everyone seemed to be ready for the opening act.

“Do you have a good view?” Bora’s voice asked, Kyungsoo turning to show that Bora and Matthew were sitting side by side next to him. “He’s been obsessed about this play for the longest time.”

“He’s also been insufferable,” Kyungsoo whispered under his breath, Bora not hearing him. “It’s here, it’s here.”

The lights dimmed; the camera focused on stage.

Then the curtains were slowly drawn back, the spotlight shining onto the actor that was going to wow the audience away except….

Byun Baekhyun was hanging from the theatre lights, his head lolling to the side. Blood was dripping all over his body, the top of his costume stained with dark red. He had no pants on, his legs dangling six feet above the ground. His eyes were open, staring into space.

The theatre was silent until…

“He’s dead!” one of the students screamed. “He’s dead!”

The theatre room exploded into chaos, the camera falling to the ground for a split second.

Bora had her eyes wide open, her jaw soundlessly opening and closing from the shock.

The tape ended there.

Haechan blinked rapidly, trying to wrap his head around everything that they just watched.

“That was… gruesome…”

“Don’t you guys think that Erin has been mentioned one too many times?” Mark asked, his bottom lip jutting out. “Who exactly is this girl?”

Jeno frowned, trying to remember the first time he had heard her name. He remembered it was in Chanyeol’s tape when Baekhyun came to see the group under the tree at the clock tower.

“Baekhyun mentioned her before. He said, verbatim: Erin, this , is going around running after what we did to her. If Bora mentioned that Baekhyun and Chanyeol were close, could it be that Baekhyun and Chanyeol did something to her? Would that give her motive to kill Chanyeol and then Baekhyun?”

“And then suddenly gain bloodlust to kill more people?”

“Baekhyun did say he blamed Erin for Chanyeol’s death. She was the one who reported the body being in the gym.”

“To be fair, Baekhyun does seem like a jerk,” Bunny said softly. “Every time I see him appear, he’s so mean.”

“Look,” Mark said, lifting the yearbook. He had flipped the yearbook to the Theatre section, and it showed a photo of the shining and bright Byun Baekhyun who stood amid other students.

Bunny sniffed. “Its so obvious people don’t like him.”

“What do you mean?” Jeno asked, not understanding what she was talking about.

“He’s the star of the show, but no one gave him flowers,” she replied. “This is what happens when you’re mean to people.”

Haechan nodded, thinking of the many times he had gotten flowers just for winning a small chess tournament. In the picture, Baekhyun had an angelic smile, quite opposite to his personality as a pretentious and mean 17-year-old. People around him held flowers, but in his arms, there wasn’t a single bouquet.

“I personally wouldn’t spend money to buy him flowers,” Bunny proclaimed. “Knowing he acts like that!”

“Respect the dead, honey,” Jeno said to her, the clock ticking on and on.

They were all waiting for midnight, Bunny deciding that she was going to stay with the kids because she was freaked out by the works of the clock tower.

“I do not want to see any more dead bodies,” she told them, shuddering and leaving for bedtime.

“What if we can’t open the clock tower?” Haechan asked, Mark telling him that it was also a possibility.

Midnight came, the three men rushing towards the clock tower just as it chimed.

Jeno knew deep down that he would never get used to the feeling.

The moment the walls of the clock tower began to spin, he knew it was working.

“I knew it!” Haechan could be heard yelling in rejoice. “My theory must be right! The tapes must be chronological!”

Just as Jeno was about to yell something back, his voice was drowned by the sound of gushing and then it was daytime.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

“Ah!” Mark gasped, squinting at the light that was shining straight to his eyes. “It worked!”

They were in the clock tower, the smell of wood tinging their nostrils. There was a clang, Haechan pulling the handles of the clock tower to see if they could open.

Still closed.

Except this time, Mark wasn’t just going to stay in the clock tower. The male tugged off his coat and left it on the ground, running up the second floor and climbing out of the window. Right next to the window was a tree, Mark using it as leverage before jumping down onto the ground safely.

It felt different now. There was something about the air in the clock tower and outside that felt so different.

“Is the door of the clock tower closed because it’s still summer?” Haechan asked, huffing, and puffing as he followed what Mark did.

“It is still summer,” Jeno said from beside Haechan. “I presume Baekhyun’s play is a summer play. If Chanyeol just died it means people are here just to watch Baekhyun’s play.”

Jeno remembered people not wearing uniforms in the tape, the male finally following his two friends. Once his feet landed on the ground, Mark waved a hand enthusiastically before his feet began to move.

Jeno thought that Mark would head straight to the waiting room—that was where the tape started. He quickly recollected his thoughts, remembering what was happening right then.

“Why are we heading towards the gym? Why aren’t we heading towards the theatre waiting room? That’s where Kyungsoo and Baekhyun is.”

“We don’t need to be where they are,” Mark said to Jeno, walking backwards and slowing down his pace. “We need to go where they aren’t so we know what the tape does not show.”

Haechan’s jaw dropped as if he just had a revelation. “We need to go to the gym. That Kim Minseok guy said that Erin was in the gym doing something shady!”

From afar, he could see Bora and Matthew sitting under the tree right next to the clock tower, Matthew seemingly staring straight at them.

However, Haechan knew for a fact that Matthew couldn’t see them because as he waved, Matthew leaned forward to say something to Bora and both of them looked towards the clock tower.

Mark nodded, not noticing his brother right there as the male running towards the gym to finally witness what was happening. When they entered the gym, there was no one else, the three of them entering the storage room in the gym for a split second when Haechan sneezed.

“Is it your cold? You could have stayed back,” Jeno said, sounding concerned.

“And miss this adventure?” Haechan asked back when he pointed excitedly. “Look! Remember the control room?”

The control room was a room right beside the storage. It had lights, an ancient computer, and a bunch of buttons that controlled the gym whenever there was a basketball game. The glass dividing the gym and the control room was the kind that would use for interrogation rooms in the police station. Those outside could not see inside, but those inside could.

Haechan slipped into the control room, his hands dragging over the many complicated buttons that he once remembered their functions for. He used to help in concerts and talent shows, being the man of the control room.

“We used to stay after every event, lighting up the gym with lights just to breakdance,” Jeno said, having entered the room to reminisce while he was at it. “I had my first kiss in the control room.”

“Yeah, don’t let Bunny hear you say that. I told her your first kiss was with her,” Haechan said, Jeno chuckling.

“You really do have my back,” Jeno mused, clasping his hand on Haechan’s shoulder.

“You guys are making me feel left out,” Mark complained, following his friends into the control room when the door of the storage room opened, a familiar face entering the room holding yellow flowers.

They all froze.

“Grandpa Park,” Haechan whispered, going closer to the glass with his two hands laid flat on the cold surface. “He looks so stressed.”

“Chanyeol just died on school grounds, he must be facing the initial pressure of the board to keep the school running,” Jeno whispered back.

“I know he can’t see us,” Mark said under his breath. “But it feels wrong to move.”

The three of them stood there, watching as the headmaster of Marcier Boarding School took awhile to stand there as if he was deep in thought.

Headmaster Park looked younger than they remembered him, the lines at the corners of his eyes weren’t as deep. He looked around, the man’s eyes falling onto a costume propped up on the chair when he placed the flowers on the chair and looked around. There was a photo of Baekhyun on the wall, Grandpa Park heading over to smooth the photo with his hand lovingly.

“Oh,” he breathed, his eyes turning sad. He sat down on one of the chairs and sobbed. “Oh Lord. My poor child.”

Jeno felt his heart breaking for the old man, inching so close to the glass he saw his breath on the surface. Grandpa looked up, wiping his tears when he stretched his lips out into a smile. He took a deep breath, a hand over his heart as he patted the left side of his chest repeatedly.

Haechan’s felt so much empathy for Grandpa, knowing the old man probably felt horr