Uncover

17.

"......dead, so our focus should be on catching him. Alright?" Jongin asked with a serious voice.

Everybody nodded their heads. Taeyong and Johnny stood up. "We'll get things ready-" 

Winwin slowly raised his hand. "Teach? What about Miss Park?"

Everyone looked at each other and then stared at Jongin. Taeyong's hands curled into tight fists.

Jongin sighed and walked towards Winwin. Putting a hand on his shoulder, he looked at everybody in the room. "Lesson of the day, when false hope can save someone..... then for that moment it's better to hide the bitter truth."

~~~

"You can go home now. I'm okay now."

"I'm not leaving."

"Renjun-"

"No."

Jieun sighed and looked at the boy beside her, who just continued to play some game on his phone. There was a comforting silence around them. A small smile graced Jieun's lips as she saw Renjun slouch and clench his hands out of frustration because he kept on losing the game he was playing.

"You should go back home." Jieun said more firmly. "Your family would be-"

"Stop." Renjun's voice suddenly became cold. Jieun saw his demeanor change and furrowed her brows. "Did I say somethin-"

"Stop talking will you!" Renjun suddenly lashed out.

Jieun flinched and unconsciously moved her chair slightly away from Renjun. Both of them felt the atmosphere becoming heavy as Renjun bit his lips and closed his eyes to hold his anger in. 

 "I- I am sorry." Jieun mumbled, as she stood up. With her back to Renjun, she halted. "You should really go back and rest." 

Renjun sweeped his hair back and sighed. He knew he shouldn't have lashed out like that but  he couldn't help it. Just hearing the word 'family' triggers his anger and he looses control over himself. He watched Jieun walk towards the empty chairs in the Missing Persons department. He wanted to stop her but his body wasn't responding to his thoughts. Despite wanting to say something, his mouth remained shut and his arms and legs just wouldn't move.

Before Jieun could walk further away, a knock on the glass doors interrupted the silent tension between them. "Delivery!" A voice rang out. Jieun turned around in confusion and she looked at Renjun. In response Renjun only shrugged his shoulders and shook his head.

"Must be one of the officers...." Jieun muttered as she hurried towards the glass doors, rushing past Renjun. Renjun watched Jieun as the sliding doors opened and she moved forward to receive the package. His eyes remained on her, watching her every action as she greeted, took the packet, bowed and made her way back. 

Renjun immediately pretended to be playing on his phone. "What is it?" He asked in a low voice once she neared him.

"Probably coffee. The delivery man said that he was asked to hand over the order to me, so it's probably either father or one of the officers....must be for me to calm down."

"You like coffee?" He asked, lowering his head to make it seem as if he was least interested. 

Jieun smiled as she opened the parcel. "Hm. I love coffee. It helps me to- what?"

Renjun raised his head and turned towards Jieun's voice, in curiosity. Jieun was holding a transparent coffee cup but instead of being filled with coffee, it was filled with thick red liquid.