Silent Lies

Unseen Shadows.

Choi Seungcheol's morning was like any other: an early rise, a strong cup of coffee, and a glance at the stack of case files waiting for his attention. As a respected investigative journalist, he had no room for distractions, especially not with the string of disappearances haunting the small town. He was determined to crack the case, relying on his sharp mind and logical approach to piece together the scattered clues. But as the clock struck 10 AM, he found himself stepping into a local café to meet with a source, only to be met with an unexpected complication—Yoon Jeonghan, a psychiatrist who had recently moved to town, was sitting in the corner, as if fate itself had decided to play a cruel joke on Seungcheol.

Seungcheol had heard of Jeonghan. The man had a reputation for being calm and calculating, and perhaps a little too interested in the psychological aspects of things for Seungcheol's liking. When their eyes met across the room, there was no mistaking the tension. Seungcheol walked over to him, his steps deliberate, not bothering to mask his irritation.

"So, you've infiltrated every corner of the town now?" Seungcheol said, his tone laced with sarcasm. "Can't say I'm surprised."

Jeonghan's smile was calm, almost too calm. "You're the one who's always in everyone's business, Seungcheol. It seems we're both just doing our jobs."

Seungcheol gritted his teeth but didn't respond. As they sat down to discuss the case—an assignment that both had been brought in on—Seungcheol could already feel the invisible tension growing between them. Their approaches were worlds apart. Seungcheol focused on the facts, the hard evidence, while Jeonghan spoke in vague psychological terms, his theories more abstract than Seungcheol was willing to entertain. The two argued over details, each too stubborn to yield to the other's methods. Jeonghan's calmness only served to fuel Seungcheol's frustration, and the more he argued with him, the more he couldn't help but notice how effortlessly Jeonghan maintained his composure.

By the end of their meeting, Seungcheol felt a familiar knot of annoyance in his chest. "I'll handle the investigation. You can stick to your... psychological analysis," he said curtly, gathering his things.

Jeonghan, unfazed, leaned back in his chair, his eyes following Seungcheol's every move. "We'll see who's more useful when this case finally unravels," he replied, the faintest smirk tugging at his lips.

As Seungcheol left, he couldn't shake the strange feeling gnawing at him. It wasn't just frustration—there was something else, something he couldn't quite place. He didn't like it. He didn't like Jeonghan. But there was no denying that the man had a way of getting under his skin in ways that no one else could. And somehow, despite the animosity between them, Seungcheol couldn't stop thinking about the psychiatrist as he walked away, his mind already returning to the case at hand.

(Not all members of the seventeen are in the story i hope you all won't mind it.I'll try to add some of them further  ) 

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