crack in the mirror | gayeon 🪞

-13-

"He would've killed us, Jiseok, I had to." He cried, his cheeks were red and his lips trembled.

Sitting with Jiseok in the university's art room was the last thing he expected to happen after murdering a person.

He had a lump in his throat for the past few hours, and he couldn't swallow it for God's sake.

"He wanted to kill me and you. He almost killed you, Seok," Jooyeon muttered, searching for composure in Jiseok's eyes that would calm him down, but—no matter what—he couldn't find it. "He was about to do that, I swear."

He had no idea what had just happened. He killed that man, but he did that in defence.

He was attacking him and Jiseok for no reason—or rather for a reason. Jiseok knew him. He knew some girl who was dead, and she supposedly was close to that man and used to know Jiseok.

His heart began to beat faster as the view of that man's curled body displayed in front of his eyes.

"I killed him."

"I know that you did, I saw it," Jiseok uttered, looking down at his own trembling hands. 

They remained silent for a few good seconds. The only thing that could be heard in the room was the loud beating of their hearts through their pulse and the nervous swallowing of, weirdly, sour saliva.

Jooyeon's mind acted like a photo album—showing him everything that had happened just four hours ago as the sun was setting—first, he saw the dead man, then Jiseok and his frightened expression and the blood dripping from his parted lips. Now the only thing that spoke of their encounter was the small bruise on his neck, which he desperately tried to cover with a scarf.

"Shouldn't you perhaps explain something to me?" Jooyeon asked eventually as the air in the room got less dense and the monotonous thoughts about the murdered man overloaded him.

He looked at Jiseok's face which suddenly got a little red—he knew Jooyeon would ask about it, but was he ready to tell him everything? He knew that he had to and that he should.

He only hoped that Jooyeon was the right person. He thought he was, but knowing what had happened in the past, he couldn't help but expect anything to happen, but Jooyeon wasn't a bad person. He was kind, caring, cute—just too precious to ever think about hurting Jiseok.

Even the way he reflected on the death he had caused showed that he was a good man. Of course, killing wasn't great, but as he said, he had to do it. Otherwise, they would both be dead.

But one thing they could've done was call the police and tell them about the death that occurred, but they hadn't. They had no idea what to do—what if the police wouldn't believe their words and the two of them—or Jooyeon only—would end up behind the barriers in the jail?

Instead, they got rid of the body—digging up a hole in the forest.

"Jiseok, I know that you know him." Jooyeon went on, his breath was swift—very puzzled. He had no idea what to expect from Jiseok's lowered gaze and the way he tried his best not to move at all.

"I'd rather not know him."

"He's gone now." Jooyeon swallowed, trying not to imagine his scream or his hands clenched on the gun, trying to save himself from getting murdered.

He wanted to forget about it and live a normal life, but the anxiety attacking him every now and then didn't allow him to rest. Not yet.

It's been a few hours since the occurrence only and his hands still trembled, feeling the heavy knife handle in his hand.