Silent Cry ㅡ 2min ✓

Chapter Twenty Six ㅡ Gaslighting & Manipulating.

The ringing of Minho's phone shattered the silence of his apartment, pulling him out of his thoughts. With trembling hands, he answered the call, his heart pounding in his chest.

"Minho speaking," he said, trying to keep his voice steady despite the fear gnawing at him.

"Mr. Lee, this is Detective Park from the Seoul Metropolitan Police Department," a stern voice greeted him from the other end of the line. "I need to ask you a few questions regarding the recent rumours circulating about you and your involvement in certain incidents."

Minho's blood ran cold as the gravity of the situation hit him like a ton of bricks. The police were onto him, and there was no way he could hide the truth any longer. Panic surged through him, threatening to overwhelm his senses.

"Y-yes, of course," Minho stammered, his mind racing as he tried to come up with a plausible explanation. "I'll do my best to cooperate. Please let me get in touch with my lawyer, however, please."

Over the next few days, Minho found himself bombarded with calls from the police, each one more relentless than the last. They questioned him about his whereabouts on the nights of the incidents, his relationships with the victims, and his possible motives for committing such heinous acts.

With each passing day, the weight of his guilt grew heavier, threatening to crush him beneath its suffocating embrace. He couldn't bear the thought of the truth coming to light, of facing the consequences of his actions.

Meanwhile, Stray Kids struggled to come to terms with the revelation of Minho's involvement in the rumours. Their once tight-knit bond had been shattered, replaced by a cloud of suspicion and mistrust that hung heavy in the air.

Seungmin couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to Minho's confession than met the eye. He couldn't believe that he was capable of such cruelty, but the evidence seemed to point in that direction.

As the pressure mounted, Minho found himself teetering on the edge of despair. He knew that he couldn't keep the truth hidden forever, but the thought of facing the consequences was too much to bear.

As the police investigation closed in around him, Minho realized that his darkest secrets were about to be laid bare for all to see. The truth was closing in on him, and there was nowhere left to run.

With a heavy heart and a sinking feeling of dread, Minho braced himself for the inevitable reckoning that awaited him. The consequences of his actions were about to come crashing down upon him, and there was no escaping their merciless grip.

"How about this,"

Shin Jiwoo, their manager, sighs, rubbing his forehead. "You tell me the truth, and we figure out what to do next. The cameras have been tampered with by the JYP team cyber security experts, but it won't be long until the police find out. So either you tell me what happened with those victims or either you let them do it for you. Choice is yours. "

Minho leans back on his chair, his foot tapping anxiously to the ground. His company hired a world class lawyer just a week back, but he turned out to be a 'certified justice seeker', so if Minho's truth comes to light, his lawyer won't be any good to him.

Despite the mounting evidence and pressure from the police, Minho remained steadfast in his denial, weaving a web of lies to obscure the truth. He gaslighted those around him, deflecting blame and manipulating the situation to his advantage. With each passing day, his facade of innocence grew more convincing, further deepening the rift within Stray Kids.

Shin Jiwoo's patience wore thin as Minho continued to evade responsibility, his frustration evident in every interaction. "I can't help you if you won't be honest with me, Minho," he said, exasperation coloring his tone. "You're only making things worse for yourself."

But Minho remained unmoved, his mask of deception firmly in place. He couldn't afford to admit the truth, not when the consequences loomed so ominously on the horizon. So he continued to manipulate and deceive, clinging to the hope that he could outsmart the inevitable.

"Lee Minho, I hope you know that you could be eliminated from the group after this investigation, right?"

He knew that he could.

"I can't keep pretending that everything's okay when it's clearly not."

But Minho only laughed, a hollow, mirthless sound that sent shivers down Seungmin's spine. "You're being paranoid, Seungmin," he said dismissively, his eyes cold and calculating. "You know me better than anyone. You know I could never do something like that."

Seungmin recoiled at the sheer audacity of Minho's gaslighting, his heart heavy with the weight of betrayal. He wanted to believe his boyfriend, to trust in the bond they shared, but doubt gnawed at the edges of his mind like a ravenous beast.

As the night wore on, Seungmin found himself grappling with an impossible choice. Should he continue to stand by Minho, despite the growing evidence against him? Or should he heed the warnings of his intuition and confront the harsh reality that lay hidden beneath the surface?

With the weight of uncertainty pressing down upon him, Seungmin could only cling to the hope that somehow, someway, he would uncover the truth before it was too late. But as the darkness closed in around them, casting a shadow over their once bright future, he couldn't shake the feeling that they were hurtling towards a reckoning from which there would be no escape.

But Seungmin was tired living this way, he'd much rather face the truth than live in denial, and so,

He decided.

Sorry for the horrible chapter this is all I could do guys T-T