Uncover

44.

-Neo Police Station Headquarters-

"No. Please tell me it's not true."

Jungwoo stumbles back, realising that he has lost another loved one to the flames. He sinks down in the chair, besides Jieun and Jisung. He buries his face into his hands mourning silently. 

Jieun leans her head against his shoulder. "I'm sorry oppa. This is all because of me. Mark, dad, detective Johnny... even your safety... every single life has been in danger because of me." 

Jieun looks down at Jisung who has cried himself to sleep and has his head resting on her lap, his hands tightly clasped around hers. She lets her free hand rhythmically pat his forehead. 

"If only I hadn't been close to any of you-"

"Park Jieun."

Jieun leans away and looks up at his tired face. It was clearly visible that he was battling a raging storm built on loss, pain, guilt and regret. Yet, Jieun couldn't find any hint of hostility in him, only love and it confused her.

"Believe it or not, you have been our light Eun."

"That's not possible." Jieun mutters, fresh tears threatening to break free.

Wordlessly, Jungwoo caresses Jieun's head. He wraps an arm around her, letting her lean on him. 

"Dad... he was aways the happiest whenever you would tightly hug him before going to bed." He leans back, his head resting against the wall. "And though he acted offended every time you nagged him, he was secretly happy about it." 

Jungwoo sadly chuckles. "At times, he deliberately made mistakes so that you would scold him."

Jieun sniffles. "He's supposed to be the adult." Jungwoo nods along. "Exactly. You made him feel alive. Besides..."

"Besides?"

"He was probably seeing echoes of his friends, your dad and mom, in you and Jisung."

Just when Jieun had thought the pain in her heart couldn't get any worse, she's reminded of all the brutal cards life has dealt her. Ghosts of the past and pain of the present. She screws her eyes shut, feeling that she might explode at any given minute. 

"Just when we all finally had the chance to live like an actual family..."

Jungwoo doesn't respond. His own mistakes come haunting back. He envelops Jieun and Jisung's clasped hands with his own. 

"Oppa... Mark-"

"I felt this coming." Jieun doesn't interrupt, knowing Jungwoo had more to say. 

"Mark was my best friend, but honestly his affection for you was stronger." Jungwoo smiles sadly. "Weird and awkward as he was, he always knew what made you smile. Do you know how much he scolded me, whenever I mistreated you and Jisung? We even had a fight over it."

Jieun smiles through her silent tears. "I remember that."

"And yet despite our fights, he would always show up every time I was in danger." Jungwoo clears his throat and pretends to be Mark. 'Dude, I can't have you die on me; Jieun would kill me'.

Despite the sadness, Jieun can't help the fond smile that graces her lips. "Such a Mark Lee thing to say."

Jungwoo agrees. "So don't blame yourself, Mark wouldn't want that. He made his choice, not because he wanted you to feel guilty like this. He would have wanted you to know how much happiness you brought him."

Jungwoo takes out a watermelon key chain from his pocket. He turns the key chain in his hand for a few moments before gently pushing it into Jieun's hands.

"That's all you have to remember. That he hated seeing you cry, that your laughter always made him smile the brightest."

A teardrop lands on the key chain and Jieun doesn't know if it is her imagination but she can almost feel Mark's warmth surround her. 

Yuta who was standing close by, silently turns around and walks over to Doyoung.

Doyoung was sitting lifeless on Taeyong's desk, since he had received the news. He was staring at the silver ring on his hand. Doyoung's dazed eyes screamed that he was breaking down but still holding it together for the sake of the rest of the people in the room.

"You are allowed to cry Doyoung." Yuta whispers to Doyoung, putting a hand over his shoulder and squeezing it softly. 

"No, I have to be strong. If I crumble too, then Haechan will come undone. And I can't have that. Taeyong wouldn't have wanted that."

"Taeyong wouldn't have wanted any of this Doyoung." 

Yuta pulls Doyoung into a hug, patting his back. His own eyes are moist from gazing at the picture frame that sits on his desk - a picture of him, Mark and Johnny smiling, holding ice-creams.

~~~

"Sorry for going off on you." Haechan apologises, looking out the window.

"I get it."

"I still can't believe Mark had been working undercover for my brother." Haechan grumbles.

Renjun sighs inwardly. "Mark told me, you had caught onto him. I see he was wrong for once."

Haechan huffs. "I knew there was more to him than he was letting on, but how would I know my brother ordered it?" He crosses his arms. "He could have at least told me, it's not like I would have ratted their secret out to Jieun."

"Because she's your cousin?"

Haechan is startled. "He told you that as well?" He scoffs in disbelief. "The man has no filter! How did he keep working undercover without getting his cover blown for so long?"

"The same way you kept your relationship to Jieun and Jisung hidden from us." Renjun commented dryly.

Haechan throws his hands up. "Look it wasn't my idea, go talk to my detective brother."

Renjun nods but says nothing further. Jeno on the other hand thoughtfully hums. "Isn't it interesting, the way all of us are connected to each other? Makes it seem as if fate meant to bring all of us together from the very start."

Jaemin smiles and adds, "Yeah what are the odds that we became Jisung and Chenle's friends and that led Haechan to his cousin and Renjun to his crush." 

Renjun shoots a glare at Jaemin, but Haechan laughs. "Smart one Jaemin." Jaemin reaches out to high-five Haechan but Renjun cuts through it. "Hands on the wheel Na. And hurry, will you?"  

Haechan's playful look drops, and he leans forward to check up on Renjun. Renjun is aggressively tapping on the dashboard. 

"Worrying won't help Renjun." Haechan firmly states. Jaemin takes one look at the passenger seat and adds, "Jieun and Jisung are probably at the station by now. They are in safe hands." 

Renjun stops tapping but makes no move to reply. Jeno can empathise with what he is worrying about. Mark was a close friend to Jieun and Jisung. Judging from how Jisung sounded on the phone, both of the siblings must be shaken to their core.

Jeno constantly looks back forth between the concerned demeanour of Renjun and Haechan. They had heard Jisung but not Jieun. She had not said a word on the call, not even when Renjun asked for her.

Before anything more could be said, the sudden heavy atmosphere of the car was cut short by Renjun's phone ringing.

Another update!

I'm trying to make up for the long wait! So, if the chapters are not up to the standard, I apologise!

Please do let me know how you are finding the book so far. 

Also do you want Mark to live? 👀