Things we keep in the dark | minsung

📖she's gone

The police officially announced the death of Alya Thursday morning, the whole town had its guts turned. People left roses by her locker, placed candles in memory.

Jisung had not stayed overnight, he kept his distance every time Minho mentioned that he wanted answers.

They saw each other at school, sometimes Jisung would show up at his door steps. But this night was particular. Jisung showed up, crying, tears still rolling down his cheeks. Before Minho could even ask, jisung kissed him, sweetly, like he needed it more then life itself. Minho, calmly, tried to pull away to ask him what was wrong, but the younger persisted.

"Jisung-" he pushed his chest. "Wait-"

"Minho." He begged, trying to pull him, but the older had to take a step back. "Please."

It's only then he noticed, the marks, the redness of his cheeks. It was late, almost eleven and he shows up with bruises. It made Minho furious, even more so because he couldn't do anything.

"What are you hoping to get out of this?"

"Stop talking, just-"

"No, Jisung." Minho said so loudly that the echo scared himself. Jisung flinched and finally stopped. They closed the door and jisung sat on the couch. That's when he started crying again.
"I can't keep doing this...okay? I want to help."

"I can't-" jisung sobbed.

"So what then? You'll keep crawling here crying, with bruises, hurt? I hate seing you this way." Minho sat by him and laid a hand on his thigh, but he flinched so hard that he immediately took it away. "I won't hurt you Jisung. I will never harm you o-or even do anything to make you sad I just-" he paused, swallowing. "I just want you to know I'm here, love."

Jisung tensed at the word, tears rolling down his lips. He looked straight at him and crawled on the couch, burying his face in Minho neck. And he cried, for hours until he fell asleep on him.

It didn't take long for Minho to join him.

<3

Minho awoke to the sound of Jisung throwing up in the bathroom, going to hold the few strands of his hair and rubbing his back.

"You've been under so much stress lately..." the older mumbled and whipped the corner of his mouth with a towel, jisung letting him.

"I feel like I'm losing my mind."

"Me too..." they cleaned him up and stayed on the bathroom floor, watching the droplets of the bath tic and tac against the marble floor.

"The cops are going to want to speak to teachers tomorrow, me included." Minho started.

"They can't know you saw her, they can't know I was in your office. They'll know about..." he stopped for a short second before breathing out the next words quietly. "About us."

"So what do we say?"

"She never went into your office, I went home. You stayed correcting copies like half the other teachers did. You lie, Minho."

"You want me to lie to the police? It could help with the investigation, they rolled it down to a murder."

"And I suppose the truth would help? If you're the last person who saw her, they'll try and pin it on you Minho. If they look at the cameras outside your appartement, they'll see me coming to see you. We are each other's alibis that night, that's the problem. And if they somehow realize that I was there, they can only assume the worst." He grabbed Minho by the hand and squeezed it. "Do you understand Minho?"

"Yes I...I understand." He said slowly and then frowned for a moment. "How did you know she came to my office?"

"When I went to give you your keys back, I heard voices from your office, so I didn't go in just yet. I waited for her to leave to enter and then..." he bit his lip. "Then we kissed."

"Yes, we did." He said slowly, as of reliving the moment once more. The taste of his lips, the way his breath felt.

"Could we sleep?"

"Again?" Minho asked and picked up Jisung from the floor.

"Please."

"Of course..."

<3

The next day was a painfully long one. Cops were surrounding the school again, and even if he had done nothing, his hands were humid and clamming together. Minho could barely focus, it was a Friday, last day of the week before the big weekend.

"So..." a cop said, once Minho had walked in the room. He sat down and placed his hands on his lap delicately. "Alya was in your class, correct?"

"Yes. I teacher philosophy."

"And have you observed any particular behaviour she might have been having? Or any detail about her? Anything helps really..."

"Nothing I can recall, she seemed just fine. She answered questions, she had amazing grades...I don't understand why...or what happened to lose such a wonderful student. It's heart wrenching, really."

"Yes, the whole town seems to be run down by it, we rarely get any big casses like these, not around these quiet parts at least." He stayed quiet for a moment and nodded. "When did you see her last?"

"It was a Friday, so she had last period with me. She left class like she always did."

"And then what did you do?"

"I stayed after hours to finish correcting some copies...there are just so many lately..."

He hummed and then nodded.

"Yes. Well, that concludes my questions, let me know if you see anything or remember. Anything can help us."

"Of course." Minho got up.

"Oh and M.Lee?"

"Yes?" He turned back around.

"There is a student of yours I'd like to speak to. His name is Han Jisung...I believe it would be wise that I speak to him next. Could you send him in for me?"

Minho gulped and held the door knob so tight he might have crushed it.

"I'll go and get him right away."