Echoes in the forest | Minsung

Mind me

The tension in the room was thick enough to cut with a knife. Han Jisung sat on the edge of the sofa, his eyes fixed on Lee Know, who was sitting across from him. The air between them buzzed with unspoken words and heavy emotions. Chan, Changbin, and Seungmin were also there, their expressions a mix of concern and determination.

Jisung had invited them all over after the unsettling weekend and Lee Know's sudden departure. Now, they were here to confront the truth, no matter how dark it was.

Lee Know looked exhausted, shadows under his eyes, and a heaviness in his posture. He hadn't wanted to open up, but the weight of the secrets he was carrying was clearly taking a toll on him. Jisung could see it, and it hurt him to watch.

"You don't have to do this alone," Jisung said gently, breaking the silence. "We're all here for you."

Lee Know's gaze flickered to Jisung's, and for a moment, his stoic mask slipped, revealing the pain beneath. He took a deep breath, as if steeling himself for what he was about to say.

"I never wanted to drag anyone into this," Lee Know began, his voice strained. "But I guess it's too late for that."

Chan leaned forward, his expression serious. "We're already in it. We need to know what's going on if we're going to help."

Lee Know nodded slowly, his eyes darkening as he recalled the memories he had tried so hard to bury. "It started years ago. My parents... they knew something was wrong in that village. They'd heard rumors—people disappearing, strange occurrences in the forest. They decided to investigate, to find out what was really happening."

Jisung's heart pounded in his chest. He could feel the weight of the story pressing down on them all, the gravity of the situation sinking in.

"What did they find?" Changbin asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

Lee Know's expression hardened, his jaw clenched tightly. "They found out that there were people in the village—powerful people—who were behind the disappearances. They were trying to cover up something. My parents gathered evidence, enough to go to the police."

"And then?" Seungmin prompted, his tone gentle but insistent.

Lee Know's eyes turned distant, as if he was seeing the events unfold before him. "They were on their way to the police station. I was with them in the car. We were driving down a narrow road when... when it happened."

Jisung felt a chill run down his spine. He knew what was coming, but hearing it from Lee Know made it all the more real.

"A truck came out of nowhere," Lee Know continued, his voice shaking slightly. "It slammed into our car, sending us off the road. We rolled over and over... I don't even know how many times. When we finally stopped, we were upside down."

Jisung's breath caught in his throat. He could only imagine the terror Lee Know must have felt.

"I was the only one conscious," Lee Know said, his voice barely audible now. "I saw them... the people who did it. They didn't even stop to check if we were okay. They just... they just walked by. I heard them talking, saying that it was done, that no one would ever know."

A heavy silence fell over the room. The horror of Lee Know's story hung in the air, oppressive and suffocating.

Lee Know's fists clenched in his lap, his knuckles white. "They killed my parents to keep them quiet. I was just a kid... I couldn't do anything to stop them. I was taken to the city by my aunt after that, to live with her. But I never forgot. I never stopped thinking about them, about what they did."