HUNTERS || ENHA/LSFM || - A K-pop Ghost Hunting Story

24. Lost and Missing

There was a burning sensation in Eunchae's heart, as the spirit aroused.

"You've already betrayed them..."

The spirit let out a small chuckle from her mouth.

"You've betrayed them once, why not do it again?"

...

Time: 23:37, October 21

"I think it's better if you take the bottom bunk, Sunghoon. We don't know whether you'll roll off if we put you in the top one." Jungwon said, pointing to the free bed in the corner of the room.

It was after dinner, Heesung had served the two groups a large portion of his home-cooked meal, yet their dine had been completely silent. Sunghoon and Sakura's death glances between each other spoke louder than words.
It was high tension, all the way until Sunghoon, Jay and Jungwon had decided to take an early leave, back into the dorm.

"I think they're still mad at me..." Sunghoon mumbled, climbing into the bunk.

"You mean the others? Like, Sakura and Kazuha? Yeah, big chance." Jay said, his eyes on the door.

Sunghoon scoffed.
Sakura must've still been fuming. She wasn't the type to lash out so easily.

The thought almost made him sad, in a way. Would he ever be able to restore their past relationship, as a group, to its former glory? Or had he broken their trust beyond repair?

"Why do you even have an extra bed here, anyways? A bunk bed, even. There's only seven of you, and Heesung already has his own bunk..." Sunghoon asked, trying to distract himself with a question.

"Speaking about Heesung, that pasta he served wasn't good... but don't tell him that..." Jay whispered from the top bunk, on top of Jungwon's bottom bunk.

"And about the beds?"

Jungwon let out a small sigh.
"Well... that's complicated... I don't really want to talk about it..." he said, trying to dismiss the topic.

But Sunghoon persevered.
He had seen this scenario once before.
Maybe if he let them know they weren't alone, it would make it better for them.

"It must've been hard, mustn't it?" he asked.

Jungwon turned his head.
"What?"

"It must've been hard... losing a member... right?"

His remark made Jay clamber out of his bunk in shock.
"How... how'd you know?" He asked, half bewildered, half concerned.

Sunghoon shook his head.
"You're not the only group, you know. The others, they've also lost one... It's like you guys can walk in each other's shoes."

Jungwon shook his head.
"It wasn't just one..." he mumbled.
He gripped a pillow in his hands.
"It was two..."

Jay gulped as he reminisced the thoughts.
"K and Taki... they were like brothers to us, especially to Niki. As a three, they had all come from Japan together, and we met by chance."

Jungwon took a deep breath in. He tried to calm himself down, to stop himself from breaking. He didn't want to seem weak, not in front of Sunghoon.

He peered at the door, checking for any eavesdroppers.
Jungwon whispered to him from his bunk, in a quieter voice, just so that he could make sure they couldn't hear it from the other room.

"We lost them... three years ago. Niki was still a small child back then, early adolescence. He'd hang everywhere with them, because they spoke the same language. K and Taki knew Korean, they just translated it for him. But, that all changed after they were gone. Niki had to adapt quickly. It was terrifically difficult at first, but now it's fine... the language part, I mean."