MANIAC | SEOKSOO FF ✔️

PART 16

The chilling silence of Seokmin’s backyard wrapped around Jisoo as he crept across the yard, clutching the box tightly against his chest.

He hadn’t told anyone about his plan to bury it; he couldn’t bear the thought of facing another round of questioning, suspicion, or even pity.

He just wanted this nightmare to go away, even if only temporarily.

The moon cast a pale glow over the yard, illuminating Seokmin’s carefully tended plants and shrubs.

Jisoo had never been out here before—it felt almost like stepping into someone’s private sanctuary.

He moved through the yard, searching for a place to bury the twisted gift, somewhere it would be hidden forever.

And then he saw it.

At the far corner of the backyard, glistening under the soft light, was a glass cubicle—a small greenhouse with temperature controls and rows of plants arranged meticulously inside.

Jisoo’s steps slowed, curiosity taking over as he glanced through the clear glass. Rows of delicate flowers bloomed inside, even in the dead of winter.

He stepped closer, and his breath caught in his throat.

Bluebells.

They were clustered together, vibrant and almost surreal in the cold season, their fragile blossoms glowing softly beneath the greenhouse lights.

Jisoo’s heart sank, and a feeling of unease seeped into his chest. Bluebell, he remembered. The name the stalker had used for him. He shuddered, pulling the box tighter against himself as he took a step back, his mind racing.

Why did Seokmin have bluebells here?

Was it just a coincidence, a flower he liked, or was it something more sinister?

The thought clawed at him, tugging him deeper into suspicion. But he bit down on it, unwilling to go down that dark path again.

He had already lashed out at Jeonghan, accusing his own brother of being his tormentor, only to realize how horribly wrong he was.

He couldn’t… he wouldn’t do that to Seokmin. Not to someone who had taken him in when he needed it most.

But the sight of those flowers still unnerved him.

Maybe he just likes bluebells, Jisoo told himself, trying to calm the rising tension. Or maybe they’re a reminder of someone he cared about. He couldn’t afford to jump to conclusions again, couldn’t let the shadows cloud his mind so easily.

He took a shaky breath, tearing his gaze from the greenhouse.

The ground felt cold and hard as he dug a shallow hole in the earth, hands trembling as he dropped the box in and covered it hastily.

It felt surreal, burying something so horrifying right here in the middle of Seokmin’s serene backyard, as if it didn’t belong in this peaceful space at all.

When he finally stood up, he wiped his dirty hands on his pants, glancing one last time at the glass cubicle with its bluebells blooming quietly in the winter chill.

He took a step back, then another, feeling an intense need to put as much distance as possible between himself and that corner of the yard.

As he moved toward the house, he couldn’t shake the feeling that the flowers were watching him, their fragile blue heads nodding gently, as if sharing in some secret he was yet to uncover.

The thought chilled him to his core. But he pushed it away, forcing himself to focus on anything else.

It’s just flowers, he told himself firmly. Just flowers. But a nagging doubt lingered, a shadow of suspicion that whispered to him from the corners of his mind.

Back inside, he washed his hands, scrubbing at them even after the dirt had faded. He couldn’t shake the memory of the box, of the flesh, of the cryptic message. And the bluebells… they remained etched in his mind, haunting him even as he tried to push them aside.

Jisoo knew he should let it go, trust Seokmin and find solace in the fact that he was safe here.

But tonight, with the weight of the buried box and the unsettling sight of those winter-blooming flowers, that safety felt as fragile as the petals of a bluebell.