ill try to finish this by this weekend. only two more chapters to go. whoop whoop :-)
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❝ leave jeno-hyung alone! ❞
jisung still had his arms locked around the caretaker's waist, using all this strength to stop him from moving. jeno, by then, scurried off to mark's side and held onto his shoulders in fear.
" h-hyung... "
" it'll be okay, " mark reassured him, patting his hand and pointing at jisung. " he's acting like himself again. "
" should w-we go help? "
mark stared at jeno, and back at jisung, before nodding and taking a step forward. and that was when the door behind them creaked wider open, revealing, in all awareness, jaemin.
" jaemin? "
" don't come any closer, hyung, " jisung said, his voice quivering a little as he slowly ran out of breath.
but jaemin stepped forward, past mark, past jeno, towards jisung and the caretaker. he dug for something in his pants pocket, before staring at the caretaker dead in the eye.
in that moment, jisung watched, his hands unwillingly loosening, and the caretaker marched towards jaemin in an attempt to do the same as he did to jeno. but jaemin's hand clenched around the item nobody could see as he neared him, and with every step his hand lifted higher.
to the point when his fist touched the caretaker's chest, a little over to the left; his heart.
jaemin had this curled-up thumb facing him, as he gently pushed it through his fingers. the caretaker flashed him a smile, gums red, and bloody.
" h-hyung, what are you— "
the caretaker collapsed onto the ground, his eyes still open, lips still red, skin still looking healthy and alive. but upon closer examining, mark noticed a little hole in his chest, where jaemin's hand used to be.
" jaemin-n... you-u just... "
the three boys, save for jaemin, stared with wide eyes as the caretaker's skin faded off to an ash grey. his veins couldn't be seen, as though it had turned to stone.
" —killed him. yeah, " jaemin finished off for mark, not really looking surprised by his actions. " he's dead now. "
and as jaemin wanted to walk out of the room, mark pulled him back.
" what was in your hand? "
the question made jaemin smile at the ground, before he eyed mark again. he freed himself from mark's hold and slightly shrugged.
" just...chewing gum. "
