Cell No. 9 | TaeKook

7 | The Unexpected.

Taehyung was on his knees, struggling to clean the floor. His movements were slow and labored due to the pain from his recent injury. Each swipe of the cloth seemed to take an immense effort. Jungkook observed him from across the cell, his expression inscrutable.

Without a word, Jungkook walked over to Taehyung. He knelt down, took the cloth from Taehyung's hand, and began cleaning the floor himself. Taehyung looked up in surprise but didn't protest.

The day dragged on, and Taehyung kept glancing at the clock, waiting for Myungbak's visit. But as the hours passed, his hope dwindled. When night fell without any sign of Myungbak, Taehyung's heart sank.

The next day, determined to find out what had happened, Taehyung called Myungbak's number again, but there was no answer. Desperation drove him to dial Myungbak's house phone. After a few rings, an elderly woman's voice answered.

"Hello?"

"Hello, this is Kim Taehyung. I was trying to reach Myungbak. Is he there?" Taehyung asked, his voice tinged with anxiety.

There was a brief silence on the other end before the woman spoke, her voice trembling. "Myungbak... my son... he passed away yesterday."

Taehyung's grip on the phone tightened, his knuckles turning white. "What? How did he die?"

"His body was found in the alley behind our house. The police said it looked like an accident, but..." Her voice broke, and she began to sob.

Taehyung swallowed hard, his mind racing. "I'm so sorry for your loss. Thank you for telling me."

He hung up the phone, his thoughts a whirlwind of confusion and fear. Myungbak had known something crucial, and now he was dead.

The night had fallen, casting long shadows across the dimly lit cell. Taehyung sat in the corner, hugging his legs tightly to his chest, resting his head on his knees. The weight of the past few days bore down on him, and he struggled to make sense of it all.

Daejung noticed Taehyung's troubled state and walked over to him, sitting down next to him. "What's the point of overthinking? Just let it out," he said gently, handing Taehyung a small candy.

Taehyung stared at the candy for a moment before taking it. He hesitated, then spoke softly, "You know... the thing is... I didn't do it."

Daejung looked at him, his expression curious. "Didn't do what?"

"My parents... I didn't kill them," Taehyung said, his voice barely above a whisper.

Daejung nodded, his face calm and understanding.

Taehyung looked surprised. "You're not surprised?"

Daejung smiled warmly. "I know. You're not that kind of person."

A small, grateful smile appeared on Taehyung's face. "Thank you."

Jungkook, sitting nearby, glanced over at them, his gaze lingering on Taehyung.

"So, what's been on your mind?" Daejung asked, breaking the silence.

Taehyung took a deep breath. "A few days ago, my neighbor called me. He said he had something to tell me about what happened that night. But..."