Silent Cry ㅡ 2min

Chapter Thirty ㅡ Silent Cry

Seungmin's steps led back to the dormitory, walking hastily as tears clouded his vision. The moment he entered his dorm, his knees buckled, and he collapsed onto the cold ground, sobbing heavily.

A few arms wrapped around his small figure, pulling him into a tight group hug as the other boy continued sobbing. The two officers sighed and cleared their throats, causing them to detach. "Did you get it, Mr. Kim?"

Seungmin wiped away his bloodshot eyes and glared at the officers before throwing the pen against the wall, making it clatter. "Take this... and please go away..." He shakily said and the eldest of the group nodded at them.

"We'll meet you at the department tomorrow morning. " Chan said and the officers bowed.

The two officers nodded and were about to leave when a phone call interrupted them.

"Seungmin, are you alright?" Changbin asked as they helped the younger boy up on the sofa. Jeongin handed him a glass of water and they proceeded to sit around him.

"I'm okay." Seungmin responded with a shaky voice. But they knew better.

"Seung, are you sure, we know this is hard-" Chan tried to persist but Seungmin interrupted him with a stern voice.

"I'm okay!...." He said and closed his eyes, trying to breathe deeply. "I'm okay... but... he's not..." and he burst out crying again. The members looked at each other in despair, knowing they couldn't do anything to help their younger member.

"Seungmin..." Felix said softly, kneeling down and tried to hold the other's hand but Seungmin flinched and backed away.

"Hey... it's okay, Seung. You did so well. You did what was right." Felix took a deep breath, it was hard for him too. ''Whatever happened to M-Minho hyung... that's not in our control. "

"He's right, hyung," Jeongin added, kneeling down in front of Seungmin. "There's something clearly wrong... we know Minho hyung would never-"

"He did," Seungmin said, causing all of them to look at each other.

"He did what-"

"He killed them."

"Seungmin, what are you-" Chan tried to speak, but Seungmin beat him to it with a sad chuckle.

"We don't know him... we really don't... anymore," Seungmin added, and everyone's heart broke.

It was silent for a while, the only sounds breaking the stillness were their soft, broken sobs and the occasional sniffle. The room felt heavy, as if the weight of their emotions had permeated the very air around them.

"We don't get it... we never will." Seungmin spoke up, causing all of them to look at him.

"Every day, you and I walk among each other, wearing a mask that hides the chaos inside our minds. " Seungmin's voice was shaky, suppressed by a painful cry as his breath ragged.

"Why is it that when someone breaks a bone, we rush to help, but when someone's mind is breaking, we turn away?... It's like mental health is some taboo, a dirty secret that we're supposed to hide, instead of something that needs understanding and compassion. "

Seungmin's words hung in the air, raw and piercing. The realization washed over them like a tidal wave, crashing against the walls they had built around their own understanding.

Felix, usually the pillar of strength, was now visibly shaken, tears streaming down his face. "We should have seen it... M-Minho hyung..." he admitted, his voice full of anguish.

Beside him, Jisung wiped at his eyes, but the tears kept coming, unstoppable. "we've failed each other, didn't we..." he choked out, his voice breaking.

Chan's sobbed, it was hard for him now knowing that he overlooked it all, Seungmin's words came as a knife piercing him into the pain of reality; not everyone is as happy as they seem.

"Minho hyung was fighting in silence in a world that only exists in his mind. A world where reality and illusion blur together. He was trapped in a world where he couldn't trust even his own senses. "

Seungmin laughed, a dry chuckle as the tears continued to spill down his face. "It's a broken system. Our society is broken. Why are we expected to smile for the cameras, to maintain a facade of happiness... why can't we be ourselves? Why are we pressured to maintain a flawless image at all costs, why are we played on strings like puppets, ruled by people who think they are Gods!?"

Seungmin stood up, walking towards Chan and looked at him in the eyes. "You can't even ask for a day off without having to inform JPYE a week prior. " Seungmin scoffed and turned to Changbin.

"We couldn't even let Changbin hyung rest when he got his gym injuries. We couldn't help Jisung appoint a therapist with his anxiety, we couldn't let Felix clear his schedules when he was on the brink of exhaustion, we couldn't let Hyunjin go on a break when death threats surrounded him, we couldn't let Jeongin have help when he was being denied his paycheck... we couldn't help anyone because we sold our souls to the ones who control us. "

Each accusation felt like a stab, a sharp reminder of how they failed each other. Seungmin's emotional voice made them feel the weight of their guilt, suffocating them with their own shortcomings, leaving them struggling for breath.

"We couldn't help Minho hyung... when he was right in front of us... pleading for help in his silent cry. "

And in the midst of their shared grief, the room seemed to contract around them, closing in until there was nothing left but the raw, unfiltered emotion that bound them together in their collective sorrow.

"Uhm, excuse me?'' They turned towards the voice, it was the officer. "We must head to the station right now, Minho-ssi has reported, you need to be there to testify. "

And they looked at each other in shock.

AUTHOR'S NOTE:
Hi everyone! Sorry for the slow updates and short chapters, I know I say that a lot.

I'm a little sad but also happy to say that Silent Cry will be coming to an end in the next chapter, which will be most probably published today (I'll try)

Thank you for sticking along for so long, please share your votes and comments, it's been silent for a few chapters. They really encourage me to write more!

Next chapter will be the courtroom scene, ironically, I write funerals and courtrooms a lot. See you soon!