Cameras flashed daintily, taking snapshots on the dead body on the floor. The forensic staff were taking blood samples, in hope of getting any evidence that would lead to the possible perpetrator.

Kyuhyun weakly stared at his murdered  friend, tears threatening to fall. Sungmin have been a loyal friend to him, even in his last moments. He closed his eyes and sighed audibly. He can’t believe that this is happening. Losing a friend is one thing but hearing him being murdered is another.

            Choi Siwon, the officer in charge of the case came beside him, his hands clenched in what Kyuhyun know as mock sympathy. “I’m sorry about what happen Mr. Cho.” He said formally, his voice unrestrained. After all, he just had witnessed more ludicrous cases than this one.

            He nodded, without much enthusiasm. He brought up his camera, adjusted the diaphragm and took a picture on his friend. It might be his last Polaroid of him. He wanted to take this last one. At least, there is something that could remind him of Sungmin, even if it’s his death picture.

            “His death is a bit unusual.” Siwon continued. “There is no blood around the crime scene.”

            He nodded. He had seen that himself. When he arrived, he didn’t see any blood on the floor or any trace that someone cleaned the evidence.

            “Was it possible that someone had cleaned it?” the enormous officer added. “Someone who had been in the crime scene?”

            Kyuhyun gulped. He could see where this was going.

            “Cho Kyuhyun, you called at about 5:06 p.m.” he said, carefully observing me. “We came here at approximately 5:20.”

            He trembled. Siwon was shoveling the truth out of him.

            “When the authorities came here, there is no sign of you. We looked for you to get some information but you were nowhere to be seen.” Siwon raised an eyebrow. “Were you somehow away? Cleaning something?”

            Kyuhyun met his gaze coldly. How could he explain this? Moments after he had seen Sungmin’s corpse, he quickly chased the girl he deemed to be the one responsible. He was gone for about half an hour and just came back when the authorities were already there. A tad too late.

            “You came back at 6:50, looking tired and exhausted. Where were you in those thirty minutes?”

            Kyuhyun sighed and squared his shoulders. “I went out to get my camera.”

            Siwon’s eyes narrowed. “In those thirty minutes? You mean you drove all the way to your home?” He squinted at him. “Don’t journalists always have their camera strapped on their necks?”

            Kyuhyun restrained himself from punching this self-proclaimed detective. He was dreadful about Sungmin’s death and here he was niggling on him like he was a notorius killer.  “If you think I killed him..”

            “Oh. I didn’t say anything like that. I am just asking you questions, like any police officer would do.”

            “I’m in a moment of dread right now. Sungmin have been my best friend since we’re in diapers. It would be absurd to presume that I killed him.”

            Siwon nodded in apprehension. “Well I suppose I could give you a day before the questions.”

            “Does that mean I’m a suspect?”

            He shook his head. “Yes. But we can’t be so sure of that yet. We need to scan for fingerprints to see if anyone had been here before you came.”

            Kyuhyun sighed in relief. He hadn’t touched anything.

~~~

            Yonghwa took numerous pictures as the paramedics took Sungmin’s body to the morgue. Kyuhyun trailed close behind, obviously trying to keep his treacherous tears from falling.

            Yonghwa couldn’t help but come to him. He patted his shoulder. “Sorry about Sungmin.” He said. He knows Sungmin well too as the three of us worked as journalists. The only difference is that Yonghwa has the higher position.  He was the chief photographer.

            Kyuhyun just nodded.

            “I wondered who could do that to him.” He said. “A thief?”

            He shook his head. “No. there were no signs that any belongings were taken. And besides Sungmin was wearing a golden watch. He still has it on.”

            The photographer nodded. “The thief could have taken it.”

            The paramedics were loading the stretcher containing the body towards the truck. Kyuhyun took the ramp and boarded the truck, sitting by the rear, beside his bestfriend’s body. Yonghwa was left outside, staring at his newly-developed polaroids.

~ ~ ~

            Kyuhyun went home hurriedly after he was dismissed from the morgue. He can hardly wait to see her.

            The day went on roughly. First, Sungmin’s death and now this weird girl he had taken to his house after he caught her. She appeared to be running from someone.

            Or something.

            She appeared to be unhurt and she didn’t have any dagger in her hands. Just blood. In her hands and mouth.

            Mouth.

            On another day, Kyuhyun might have wondered about it. He might have even turned her already to the police but he thinks that there is something about the girl. And maybe she’s not the killer.

            She didn’t like the type that would break on people’s houses and kill them. She looked fragile and innocent.

            He cursed himself for thinking about it. Sungmin is dead and here he was, protecting the girl who might be his killer.

            Kyuhyun scaled the steps swiftly, without fearing onto bumping on someone. His apartment was on the third floor so it took him roughly three minutes on climbing up. Good thing he has good agility.

            He opened the door and quickly closed it behind. The girl was sound asleep. He was not unduly surprised as he had suffocated him with a cloth during the chase.

            He knelt beside her, eyeing her suspiciously. She looked pretty, with all those big eyes and cherubic lips. Kyuhyun doubt that this pretty girl before her could ever commit such heinous crime.

            Kyuhyun decided that waiting for her to wake up is such a ludicrous thing to do so he willed himself to prepare food for her. He made some soup and cooked some meat. His years of being an orphan had taught him how to cook.

            Several minutes later, while Kyuhyun was having a finishin shot on his soup, the girl bolted upright. He was instantly alerted. He ran towards the girl, almost sliding in the way.

            “Are you alright? What’s your name? What are you doing on his apartment? Why do you have blood in you mouth?”

            The girl seemed to not understand what he was saying. She sat there, just staring at him.

            Kyuhyun raised an eyebrow. “Can’t you speak?”

            She didn’t answer.

            He did some hand gestures. “Can’t you hear?”

            Still no response.

            His mouth gaped in shock. “So you’re both a mute and a deaf are you?”

            She groaned. She mouthes some , grunting and something else Kyuhyun couldn’t make out. All he knew, that she was not a mute. If she can make those sounds, then she can probably talk.

            She is probably crazy. He thought, thinking it’s the possible explanation. Or maybe just deaf. Maybe she didn’t learn how to speak.

            He screamed on her ears and she covered it hurriedly, irritated.

            “So you’re not deaf!” he exclaimed. “So why can’t you talk?”

            It hit him then. She simply could not talk.