His Obsession ➸ Taekook ✓

- Fifty-sixth -

Seokjin didn't know what to think. He was confused, completely lost. How could he not have seen? See who Jungkook was? See the pain he was hiding? This past he could never have imagined... He felt absolutely horrible. He hadn't seen his friend suffer, and his friend had to ask the Mafia for help. Because his only friend hadn't been able to see through his mask. It was a shame.

"Jin?"

The detective was pulled from his thoughts and turned to Namjoon, who was watching him worriedly.

"Are you all right, Jin?" asked the policeman.

"No."

He had no reason to lie, especially not to Namjoon. The man could read him like an open book. And he knew that despite everything that had happened between them, Namjoon still loved him. Painfully. But Jin couldn't return those feelings. That would be a betrayal of his brother's memory.

The policeman sighed, and took Seokjin's hand in his own, stroking it gently to try and soothe him. Jin let him, probably because if he didn't calm down soon, he'd end up exploding.

"Jin, I know what you're thinking, and that's normal. But what's done is done. There's nothing we can do about it. But despite the fact that these scumbags certainly deserved what they got, we can still stop Jeongguk. We can stop him from killing Kang."

Jeongguk. The name was so foreign to him. It was as if they were talking about a completely different person. They probably were, actually. Jin didn't know anything about Jeongguk. And Jungkook, maybe Jungkook wasn't even real. Maybe everything Jungkook had done, said, felt wasn't real. Maybe it was all just something Jeongguk had constructed to hide behind.

Maybe there was nothing real about their friendship either.

"Honestly, I don't know, Joon." replied the detective with a sigh.

Namjoon froze when he heard the old nickname, which he had missed terribly. He wanted to be happy about it, but now was certainly not the time.

"Is what he's doing... really bad?" Jin continued.

"Of course it is, he's killed people..."

Seokjin shook his head.

"You know very well that the line between right and wrong isn't that clear, Namjoon... Justice often overlooks the victims, especially when they're outside the norm, unlike the aggressors. That's exactly what happened with Hyunnie!"

Namjoon bit his lip, not knowing what to say. Hyunnie's death was like a sword of Damocles hanging over their heads. It would forever influence the way they lived and thought, both of them. And it was also because of this story that they would never be able to come to a complete agreement.

"Okay, I get it, let's not talk about it anymore." Concluded the policeman. "But let's look at it another way: if you want to help Jeongguk, we need to find him and talk to him. Because you're wrong if you think I have the power to put an end to this investigation. My every move is being watched. My superiors must already be aware of our progress. So you have a choice: either we find him, or you risk my colleagues doing it before us."

Seokjin took a deep breath, his panting proving that he was holding back tears. This was all too much for him. He felt as if he'd gone back several years ago, when Hyunnie had just been arrested.

"All right, let's find him."

***

The three investigators were standing outside Jung Jungkook's flat, and none of them dared ring the bell. What were they going to do when they came face to face with Jeongguk? Or rather, what was Jin going to do? Namjoon knew what his job was: he would take the suspect to the police station, willingly or not. Soobin would obey his superior. But Jin? Would he try to reason Jeongguk? Or would he stand by and watch his friend being arrested?

"Well, I'll ring..." Namjoon finally sighed, fed up with this interminable wait.

The other two swallowed, and Jin froze when he heard the doorbell ring on the other side of the door. They waited for about thirty seconds, but heard no movement in the flat. Namjoon rang again, but nothing.

"J-Jungkook, it's me, Jin, open up please..."

Still nothing.

"Mr Jung, it's the police, please open the door."

They waited a good minute to be sure, but the door never opened.

"Apparently he's not here." Soobin observed. "What are we going to do now?"

"I've got a warrant, we're going in." Namjoon ordered.

He expected Jin to object, but he did not. He just stood back and let the policemen break down the door. It took them a good five minutes, and when the door finally gave way, they found a completely empty flat. And it looked like it had been empty for some time.

The three men moved forward silently, observing the flat with interest.

"Right, we're going to search the flat for evidence. Jin, I give you permission to take part in the search."

The two men nodded and, without saying a word, began to search the flat. But it was only in the bedroom that Soobin finally found something interesting. He came up to his colleagues with women's dresses and wigs in his hands.

"This doesn't really constitute proof," mumbled Namjoon, "but it does allow us to formulate hypotheses about how he lured his victims without attracting attention."

"Don't forget that one of the murders took place in a hotel room." Interjected Seokjin, who until then had remained silent.

Both nodded, but Jin paid them no further attention. No, because his gaze was riveted on the large painting in front of him. A flower, nothing very interesting. But something was bothering him. This painting was strange, he couldn't say why.

"Namjoon?"

"Hm?"

"Can you take down this painting?"

Namjoon looked at him curiously, but complied anyway. He knew that Jin wouldn't make such a request for no reason. He approached the painting and carefully took it down. But what they discovered behind it chilled their blood.

Dozens of photos, of each of the victims, some crossed out with a red cross. All the research Jeongguk had carried out over the last ten years was there. To find them all. The only photos spared were those of Kang. All these photos supported Park's testimony. And the fact that Kang was in danger.

This was the evidence Namjoon needed, and the evidence Seokjin dreaded. He was devastated. The truth was just in front of him and he could no longer deny it. Jungkook was a killer. He was a danger to society. A danger he had sworn to stop when he joined the police. He didn't know what to do. He felt as if he'd been through the same hell over and over again. Only this time, Jungkook was guilty. And he'd committed horrors that no human being could have done.

Yes, Jungkook was no longer human. He had joined the monsters of this world. And Jin had to admit it.

"We had to find him, and fast..."