The Invasion (Part 2 of the KaiSoo Fanfic Series)

Chapter 16

It's been a long week since they first gathered, and they have yet to come to a common consensus. The only evidence they have gets tossed back and forth, some elements getting completely eliminated while others stay open on the table. Most of it points to Baekhyun being the culprit they're looking for, but Jongin and everyone else involved know that if that was really it, they would have made an arrest already. But in that office they still sit, deliberating and debating on a decision that should have been made days ago.

For some of them, the choice is simple; all the evidence points to Baekhyun, so take him in and make him pay for his alleged crime. But for others, Suho and Jongin to be precise, the choice is anything but simple. They've been trying to keep their friendship from forming a bias in his favor, but that's not easy to do when you're basically deciding the fate of someone you've known since you were a child. And it's definitely not easy to do when you know how many people are counting on you to make the right decision.

Kyungsoo's been avoiding any attempts at conversation Jongin throws at him and part of him, the more vulnerable side, feels he's doing so rightfully. After all, when Jongin thinks back on how he acted that day Kyungsoo was just trying to give him more evidence, he can't help but slap himself for being such a jerk to someone who just wants the utmost safety and justice for their friend, let alone someone he loves as much as he does.

A separate part of him, however, a part that he supposes came about due to all the time he spent listening to Taemin's reasoning, feels that Kyungsoo is being unfair in giving him the silent treatment; it feels as if he's only doing it to make him feel guilty, which will, in turn, make him cave and be the voice of reason that spares Baekhyun's freedom. This side doesn't seem to mind the wedge being gouged in between Jongin and Kyungsoo, but as Yoochun always told him, the human body wasn't made to feel hatred or resentment; it was made to feel love. Unfortunately for Jongin, though, love is exactly what got him in this sticky situation in the first place.

Right now, everyone but Taemin is on the fence about who the spy is. They've gone over the information laid out in front of them some thousand times, yet they still can't seem to find the obvious answer among any of the words their eyes read.

"I don't know why we're even still discussing this," Taemin says, pacing back in their direction as he unfolds his arms and removes his hands from inside them. "The spy is obviously the one who has the most sketchy record since being here and that is Baekhyun. The answer is right in front of you."

"Perhaps, Taemin, but that's to you," Onew says, closing his eyes and sighing before directing his tired gaze at him. "That's not what everyone else thinks. And you know how decisions are made around here, okay, it's not your first day. Until we can reach a majority consensus we aren't dropping this. I refuse to give an innocent person punishment for a crime they didn't commit."

"Oh, come on," Taemin scoffs, briefly turning his head up and to the side as he huffs in disbelief. "Don't tell me you actually believe in his 'I'm just starting to get used to this place' act? Don't you find it all weird that as soon as we start questioning him, he starts acting like one of us? I mean, seriously, how blind are you guys? It's clearly a setup he has with them."

"But we don't know that for sure and that's the point Onew's trying to make, Tae," Jonghyun interjects, twisting and tilting his torso in order to look back at the younger and quite frustrated male. "Yes, there's a good amount of evidence that leads back to him, but that's implied evidence, it's not set in stone. We don't know if he came here with intentions of destroying us or if They really brainwashed him good and he's just now starting to clear his mind of that." Taemin groans and whips back around, clenching his jaw as he squeezes and rubs the back of his neck.