[ 15: BREATHE ]
[ CA-23 ][17.03.2015]
"Y'know, we just started making some new plans downstairs, and Hyerin and Jisung got sick, so you're very lucky about that." Sejoon shrugged, but Hyosung noticed a fearful glint in his eyes.
"That is good. But they knew about us the same way we know about Kim Rohee, so please be very careful with your personal information." Hyosung said, scowling. She waved her hand to Iseul, and the latter started typing on her laptop, which then caused the projected screen to reveal the seven's photos.
"What do you mean, 'we know about Kim Rohee'?" Hani asked, hesitant.
"It meant that they knew a lot about us," Jookyung said, turning to her. "but worse. What did you do after that?"
"We took the evidence and closed the site. Iseul will check if she could identify any anonymous hacker behind the scenes, but that could wait until tomorrow. Most importantly, we are identified, and with that kind of information, they could use it against us." Hyosung said, her face filled with bewilderment.
The team went quiet, busy with their thoughts. Hyosung sighed, and clasped her hands. She noticed that there only the six of them, sitting at the round table.
"Actually, the answer is now." Iseul said, face lighting up. After the whole while, she was the only one who looked bright, and pulled a huge red bag. Out of it, she took out several pastel-coloured candies, hastily passing it to them.
"Uh, Iseul? These are?" Sejoon said, raising his eyebrows. He stiarted smiling though, few moments later.
"Lolis, eat them. It'll make you happy." Iseul said, putting the red bag down. The other five looked confusedly at each other, but there was a small smile tugging up in their lips.
"That is very kind of you, Iseul," Hyosung smiled. "thank you."
"Thank you so much Iseul, but I can't really eat them. I tend to get sick." Hani said, hesitant.
"I have cola flavor too." Iseul said, pulling up a dark-looking wrapper to the older. The latter smiled, although reluctance was all over her face.
"Just face it, you tried to be all healthy while still drinking black-coloured sugar liquid." Sejoon said, earning a laugh from everyone, except for Hani WOOYOUNG, who huffed.
"Fine." Hani said, opening the wrapper. The candy never had that tint of freshness that a cola had, and instead tasted weirdly sweet.
"Say," Wooyoung said, turning to Iseul. "what did you mean by, 'the answer is now'?"
"From their link to their passcodes, which is kind of like Kang Yuri's files, TSIT is in this."
"TSIT?"
♦
"What do you mean by TSIT? Yuri's case is in this?" Jookyung turned to Iseul, eyes widening.
"They're not the big criminals," Iseul shrugged. "but they are very close to the big ones."
"But TSIT disbanded years ago." Hyosung said.
"Someone there did this." Iseul said, continuously up to her lollipop. From her lurched posture with her laptop and the glint in her eyes, it made her looked different than anyone, even more than usual.
"Seems very great and all, but can you solve this?" Sejoon asked.
"Yes?" Iseul said. There may have been excitement, but the lingering tone in her voice seemed to falter a little. Sejoon gave an acknowledging nod, and crossed his arms.
"In another question, is Yuri still reachable?" Jookyung said.
Hyosung turned to Iseul, then faced Jookyung. "I'll contact her and see what she could do about it. But in all of our upcoming cases, I wanted all of you to be careful. Wooyoung?"
"We'll investigate around the school late afternoon tomorrow, and I only want Sejoon and Jookyung in." Wooyoung said, stern. Hyosung noticed that he completely avoided Hani's sharp glares.
"What do you mean them only? Not even Hyerin or Jisung?" or me? something that wanted to be the end, but she faltered, crossing her arms.
"Both of them are sick, and you just recovered. I know that you meant well, but you should put yourself first." Wooyoung slowly spoke up.
"Wooyoung has a point, Hani. You should take a good rest before you even made a full recovery." Hyosung said, her tone rougher. She knew the younger would protest and be stubborn, which was why a harsher voice would hopefully, set her straight.
"Let it be, then." Hani quietly sat down. She was itching to just huff on her seat, but Hyosung's harsh tone automatically took her a bit aback. Hyosung has never snapped in the past, but the situation would have made it very easy.
"Then this meeting is dismissed." Hyosung said. The men stood up, and left, leaving Hyosung and Hani sitting with uncomfortable faces—Iseul had left earlier to retrieve something else—as the sky has completely darkened.
"I will see Hyerin now, do you want to, Hani?" the mapper turned at her, looking uncertain.
A strange feeling started to linger in her again, but it wasn't malicious. It felt damp, a little blue, and mostly, heavy. Yet, she stood up.
"Sure."
♦
He silently breathed in and out. The meeting had been very strenous for him, so under the excuse of an urgent medical check-up, Wooyoung actually let him go. Tightening his black cardigan and the white plastic bag, he entered the door.
"Are you even allowed to be in this place?" the man asked. He'd look much paler and his breath has become harsher, but for the least of it, he looked much cleaner, dressed in a white hospital garment and almost buried with the large pillows.
"I wasn't told not to. Are you comfortable?" he placed the white plastic bag down, and pulled a chair next to the man.
"There's the multiple blood tests and super strange questions asked by your staff, but I'm quite fine." the man in bed shrugged, shifting in his bed.
"Glad you found some good stuff, Patient #5089."
"Oh, and that one too," he shrugged. "stop calling me that either."
"Alright, Gyeon Sihoon." the man dressed black shrugged.
"And you," Sihoon said, shaking his head. "who climbed to my room. I still don't know your name."
He paused for a while. He thought about the meeting earlier, and decided against it. "Whatever you wanted, it'll be my name."
"Then you're Kim. What do you want? Did you even have some kind of microphone now to interview me?" Sihoon asked. He still looked noticeably more mellow rather than the first time Jookyung saw him, but there was still hostility in his tone.
"Your interview would be held in time specifically arranged by your doctors and your consent." Jookyung answered, keeping a tight control of his voice.
"Well," Sihoon said. "what do you really want?"
"Earlier, this morning, how did you know about me having a sibling?" Jookyung said. He silently wondered had Hyosung planted a secret hearing device in his clothes, but he decided against it.
"Oh."
♦
The red wisps started rising up, spinning and spiralling high, falling down the downtrodden tunnels, filled with shadows of those who could be.
But never be.
Jisung shifted in his bed, eyes still closed. Something lukewarm started creeping through his hands and legs, but it never quite reached the boiling point. He pulled his blanket tighter, but his breath was shivery, and he was cold.
He breathed in and out, but his lungs felt crushed. Jisung reached for his shirt, inhaling the last bits of fresh air he could, and slowly moved away.
Screams and loud shots echoed throughout, but he kept walking. The smoky air had subsided by bit, and so he started making his steps faster. Bits of debris started sticking on his shoulder, but he only wanted to step one more time.
He never felt a headache that pounded him, taking away his moments to breathe. He gulped, wanting to open his eyes to face the green walls of his bed, but his eyes closed itself to the red.
His steps slowly came to a halt. There was a shadow, moving closer and closer, and Jisung couldn't help but felt his feet moving back.
He breathed in and out.
A shadow of a gun started forming, clearer as it got higher. Its black body seemed to glint under the bright red, pointing towards his face. Jisung stopped, and he closed his eyes, hoping to see it all as a dream.
"Hyung!"
notes: this is what happen when you actually had a writer's burnout. it's relatively shorter because it's an unplanned one.
question: tell me your best 'theories' on what actually happened.
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