"Everything's good," June calmly said. "My phone just fell."
"Well, you better quiet down," Chul said, clicking his tongue.
June sighed before reaching his hand on the car floor. He wandered his hand around, but he couldn't quite reach it.
So, he decided to kneel down, causing the other members to complain about the lack of space.
June ignored their complaints and leaned his head down to visualize his phone better under the seats.
It was a bit dark, a combination of the setting sun and the overly-tinted windows, making the black phone harder to see.
However, once June leaned down, he caught a glimpse of something white—something familiar.
It was a plain, small material, but June couldn't miss the little "J" with cat ears sewed onto its corner.
It was, indeed, his sock.
His other members didn't respond.
"Look at this," June said, bringing out the sock he saw under the car seat just a while ago. "I found this at our van."
"Umm, why'd you leave your sock there?" Zeth asked.
June clicked his tongue in frustration.
"Why would I even take off my sock and leave it in the car?" June asked. "All I'm saying is—Chul uses that car, even outside of our work schedules."
Ren, the smartest (aside from June) in their team, gasped loudly.
"So, you're saying—he might be a sock thief?" he asked.
"He is the sock thief," June said with conviction.
"How are you so sure?" Ren asked.
"Akira, Jisung, show them what I sent you."
"Aww, man!" Akira exclaimed. "I do not want to see that video again."
"You're keeping secrets from us?" Casper exclaimed.
"Shut up," June said. "You didn't want to join in on my plan earlier. I was going to show you anyway."
Jisung braved his fears and opened the video for his other members to see.
June could hear the sucking sounds from where he was standing, so he quickly pursed his lips to keep the contents of his stomach from regurgitating. He had seen plenty of grotesque things in his life, but this one just triggered him to another extent for some reason.
However, he smirked when he saw his members' disgusted expressions. They finally knew what June was feeling!
"Turn that thing off!" Ren exclaimed. "What the hell? Why did you keep this to yourself?"
"Why do you think my stage name changed all of a sudden?" June asked.
"You blackmailed him?" Akira exclaimed. "Good job, bro. I've raised you well."
June shook his head with a smile. "Do you guys believe me now?"
Murmurs of agreement were heard inside the room, the members still disgusted with what they had seen.
"So, what are we going to do now?" Zeth asked.
June pursed his lips while Casper raised his hand.
"I know where Chul lives."
***
In a luminous apartment in the heart of Seoul, a typical office worker's decor embellished the walls—a large LED screen TV, a sleek black couch, picture frames of achievements, and family members donned on top of an expensive-looking wood drawer.
In the kitchen, a huge chunk of roast beef was roasting in the oven, filling the apartment with a heavenly smell.
It was the type of place office workers would dream of having.
However, in the mundane humdrum of the normal apartment, one room stood in contrast. It loomed at the center, covered in an unnatural brightness that defied the otherwise bright and modern interior.
The walls inside were adorned with familiar faces frozen in time within picture frames—the smiling snapshots of K-pop idols. The idols stared down from their photos, their glossy eyes holding a misplaced vibrancy in the dimness of the room.
Yet, something far more unsettling awaited beneath those seemingly innocent images.
Black bags, misshapen and filled with an unknown material, hung beneath the posters.
Next to it was a huge bed—where the owner would usually sleep in. Other people would want to hide their secrets in the unseen parts of their homes. However, this person proudly showed it off in his master bedroom.
The owner, a strange man whose features were obscured by the shadows, hunched over in the middle of the room with an unsettling calmness. He was sitting on the floor, classical music playing in the background.
In his dominant hand, he cradled a cup of coffee. It was his fourth cup of the day, and his breath smelled distinctive of that bad coffee breath.
He started at the TV, which was the only source of light in the room. The TV was playing a familiar performance of a rising idol group. However, it was muted, as the sound of classical music was the only thing being heard in the room.
With an unnatural calmness, the man reached into one of the black bags. His fingers fumbled with the material before extracting the most unexpected item—a sock.
Then, the man brought the sock to his face. With slow and deliberate movements, he took a deep breath and closed his eyes to enjoy the sweet aroma of the white sock. He inhaled more deeply as if savoring the essence of the sock's owner.
Chul clicked his tongue, opening his eyes to stare at the photo of today's victim.
"Your socks were always the sweetest to smell," he whispered. "But you've been a very bad boy," he chuckled, his evilness filling the dark room.
Meanwhile, June's concept photo for their debut album stared back at him.
