Mr. Mania | C.JH , K.YS

{11}

CONTENT WARNINGS: mentions of torture, insane asylums, mentally ill patients, breaking and entering, IBS, inhumane treatment of mentally ill patients

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With a weary sigh, Jongho trudged back towards the entrance of Hongjoong's estate, the other two boys following closely behind.

"You know, this makes me kinda sad," Hongjoong sighed, his breath forming little clouds of condensation in the crisp morning air.

Yunho shrugged quietly, unusually subdued.

The sun began to peek through the breaks in the clouds, casting a fleeting warmth over the trio as they made their way inside. The atmosphere around them felt strangely tranquil now, as if the earth itself was grateful for their efforts in laying a lost spirit to rest.

Just as they entered the house, Jongho's tired feet betrayed him, causing him to trip and stumble into the wall with a string of curses escaping his lips.

Yunho couldn't contain his laughter at the sight, but his amusement was short-lived as he too tripped and ended up sprawled on the floor.

"What the hell is wrong with you guys?" Hongjoong huffed, gingerly making his way inside without mishap. He was determined not to join the others in their clumsy antics.

Jongho and Yunho exchanged sheepish glances, the solemnity of their task momentarily forgotten in the absurdity of their clumsiness.

From the floor, Yunho's voice rang out with a mix of surprise and disgust, "Ew, Jongho, there's a bone stuck to your boot!"

"Huh?" Jongho glanced down at his left foot, where indeed a small bone protruded from the rubber sole.

Hongjoong gagged and hurried over to San, scooping up the kitty and burying his face in the fur, as if seeking solace from the grisly discovery.

Jongho carefully inspected the bone, gingerly pulling it out of his boot with his bare hand. It was thicker than he expected, and as he turned it around, he noted its curved shape and peculiar smoothness.

"Dude, that's freaking gross!" Yunho grimaced, brushing dirt off his clothes. "Touching that thing with your bare hands..."

Jongho ignored Yunho's complaint, his mind racing with questions. The bone was long and distinctly curved, lacking any visible joints or signs of decay. It wasn't straight enough to be from a limb. What could it possibly be?

He pondered aloud, "This must have been buried with the ring... but what kind of bone is nearly pointed and curved like this?"

Hongjoong, now slightly recovered from his momentary repulsion, peered over Jongho's shoulder. "Maybe it's from a small animal? Like a bird or something?"

Yunho shook his head, still uneasy. "Looks too big for that."

Yunho stepped closer to Jongho, his gaze fixed on the small bone fragment in his hand. "Looks like a rib... maybe a piece of a clavicle," he murmured, his voice tinged with uncertainty.

Jongho nodded thoughtfully, frowning slightly. "What gave it away?"

"I used to work in homicide for a bit. Then I did some time in forensic pathology," Yunho confessed with a shrug. "But it didn't last long. They needed more detectives, and, well, the pay was better too."

"You were in forensic pathology?" Jongho raised an eyebrow in surprise. Perhaps there was more to Yunho than met the eye.

"Yeah. It was... enjoyable, actually. I was decent at it," Yunho admitted, a hint of regret in his tone. "But circumstances pushed me into policing. Money was tight."