THE DETECTIVE ( ♡ )

1 | HE'S NO MORE

Roseanne Smith sat cross-legged on the faded couch in her living room, her eyes glued to the flickering TV screen. She wasn't watching a show or a movie; she was staring at the news channel, her thoughts racing like a marathon she hadn't signed up for. The room was quiet. She hadn't moved from that spot since she got home from work, her usual routine of cooking dinner forgotten. The walls of the room, once a cheerful shade of yellow, now looked dull and lifeless, mirroring the sadness that had crept into her heart.

Her fingers drummed an anxious rhythm on the armrest, her nails chipped and bitten, a testament to the stress of the past few weeks. Outside, the world went on with its usual hustle and bustle, but in here, it was as if time had frozen. The only light in the room came from the TV, casting shadows that danced on the walls as the news reports played out in a never-ending cycle of tragedy and chaos. The screen was a window to a world that seemed so far away, yet today, it had brought a piece of that chaos to her doorstep.

Her eyes were red and puffy from crying, her cheeks stained with dried tears. The remote control lay forgotten on the coffee table, the plastic cold against the wood. The news anchor's voice was a monotonous drone in the background, recounting the latest disasters and political scandals, but Roseanne wasn't listening. Her mind was elsewhere, reeling from the news that had shattered her world just moments ago.

Suddenly, the room grew colder, and the air thick with a tension that was almost palpable. The news ticker at the bottom of the screen scrolled through the usual mix of stock market updates and celebrity gossip, but then it stopped, the words hanging there like a punch to the gut. "Breaking News: Fatal Car Accident Involving Taehyung." The camera panned to a chaotic scene of flashing lights and twisted metal, and Roseanne's heart skipped a beat. She leaned forward, her breath held in her chest, as the anchor announced the unthinkable. Taehyung, the person she had adored from afar, was gone. The screen filled with his smiling face, and she felt a part of her shatter into a million pieces.

Her mind reeled back to the night before, their final conversation playing out in her mind like a tragic movie reel. The way his eyes searched hers for something she hadn't been able to give, the sadness in his voice when he said goodbye, and the lingering scent of his cologne that still clung to her shirt. It had been a typical breakup, fueled by misunderstandings and unspoken fears, but now it felt like a pebble thrown into a lake of regret.

The phone in her pocket buzzed, pulling her back to the present. It was a text from their mutual friend, confirming the unbearable truth. "It's true, Roseanne. He didn't make it." Her eyes blurred with fresh tears as she read the words, and she clutched her phone tightly, as if willing it to change the outcome. The numbness gave way to a pain so intense she thought she might collapse under its weight. How could she go on without him? The love they once shared now felt like a wound that would never heal.

The room grew darker as the sun set outside, casting the news report in stark relief. The TV's glow painted the room in shades of blue and white, illuminating the sadness that had taken up residence in every corner. The only sound was the rhythmic beat of her heart, echoing in her ears like a mournful drum. She felt a hand on her shoulder, and she looked up to see her roommate, Jennie, standing there with a look of sympathy and concern. Jennie didn't say a word, she just handed her a box of tissues and sat down beside her, wrapping an arm around her trembling shoulders.

In that moment, as the news report continued to play out the grim details of Taehyung's accident, Roseanne realized she wasn't alone. The love they had shared, the memories they had created, and the life they had once dreamt of together would never truly die.

After jennie left, A piece of paper fluttered gently in the breeze from the slightly open window. She frowned, not recalling having left it there. With leaden feet, she approached the window and picked it up. The paper felt cold and damp, almost as if it had been placed there just moments ago.

Her heart skipped a beat as she read the words scrawled in hasty, anonymous handwriting: "It wasn't an accident. Taehyung was killed." The letters danced before her eyes, a macabre ballet that she couldn't reconcile with the reality she had just accepted. Her mind raced, trying to piece together what this could mean. Was it some sick joke? A desperate attempt to give her closure? Or could it be the truth?

Her breathing grew shallow as she studied the note, her thoughts swirling into a tornado of doubt and fear. The wind outside picked up, rustling the leaves of the trees in a way that seemed almost ominous. The room grew colder, as if the very air was thick with secrets that were now spilling into her sanctuary. She wrapped her arms around herself, trying to ward off the sudden chill. Who would do this to her? Who knew enough to cut through the numbness and stir the cauldron of pain she was trying so hard to ignore?

Her eyes darted to the clock again, the red numbers taunting her with the passage of time. In the quiet, she could almost hear the echoes of Taehyung's laughter from happier days. The memories crashed over her like a wave, filling her with a sudden, desperate need to believe that he was still out there, that there was more to his story than what the news had told her. Her heart pounded in her chest as she crumpled the paper in her fist. No, she wouldn't let this be the end. Not without answers.

With a newfound sense of purpose, she stood up, her legs wobbling slightly beneath her. Her eyes searched the room, landing on her phone. She had to tell someone, but who? The police? Her friends? Her family? Her thoughts were a jumble of panic and confusion. But she knew one thing for sure: she couldn't let this go. She had to find out what really happened to Taehyung. And if it was true that he had been killed, she would make sure that justice was served, no matter the cost.

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