Purple Death | A BTS Murder Mystery ✔

THIRTEEN

"I swear, I swear! You have to believe me, I swear, I didn't kill him... I didn't kill him, I didn't kill him!" 

Jungkook was down on his knees, in the middle of the living room, tears steaming down his face. He was surrounded by the five people he trusted the most, yet none of them seemed to trust him anymore. All of their eyes didn't leave his form, yet where he used to feel warmness, he could now only see the detachment they were trying hard to built. 

As if they loved Jungkook, they truly did, but they couldn't anymore. Love him, trust him, care for him, it all had to stop right now. It had to stop, because he was now a murderer in their eyes, and he had killed none other than their best friend. 

And if he had killed Hoseok, then who would be next?

"Please believe me, please. I didn't kill him, I didn't, I swear I didn't!"

Jungkook cried and implored for mercy, yet no one answered his pleads, no one dared reassure him, or worse, accuse him some more. And so his cries were left unanswered, his sobs were left ignored, his denials were left unheard. The members just stared at him. They stared as his body started shaking, they stared as his tears got heavier, they stared as he wrapped his arms around himself, squeezing his eyes shut as tight as possible. 

"I didn't kill him, I swear! We - we just talked, I swear, I just went to talk to him! We just talked."

Seokjin scoffed.

"Please, you went to his room in the middle of the night to talk? For an hour? The same night he died? And you had nothing to do with it? Do you really expect us to believe that?"

"Hyung-" Taehyung started as he uncrossed his arms, but he was cut off by Jungkook.

"I swear, it's what happened! I just wanted - I just needed to talk to him, I needed to, and that's why, why I went to his room. To talk, not to - not to kill him, just, just to talk. I swear, we just talked!"

Namjoon narrowed his eyes.

"Okay, let's say you guys talked. What did you guys talk about? And why on earth couldn't it wait until the next morning?" 

A painful sob escaped Jungkook.

"I - I can't say." 

Namjoon almost rolled his eyes. "Are you expecting me to believe that you forgot what couldn't even wait until the morning?"

Jungkook shook his head quickly. 

"No, no, I didn't forget. I - I could never forget. I just, I can't say it. I can't."

"I don't think you have a choice, Jungkook. Now tell us, what did you guys talk about?" 

Jungkook opened his eyes again, and this time he met the hard gaze of Seokjin. His eyes diverted to Yoongi, staring at him warily, right by Seokjin's side. Namjoon was standing closer, his arms crossed, Jimin sat on the couch a bit farther, eyes wide and flickering, and Taehyung was standing in a corner, looking like he had seen a ghost. 

And that ghost was none other than Jungkook. 

"I can't, I can't. I don't want to say it, please."

"Say it." 

"No, I -"

"Say it!" 

"Plea-"

"Say it!"

"I loved him," Jungkook let out, sobbing. "I loved him! I went to his room to tell him that I loved him, okay?" Another sob. "I went to tell him how much he meant to me, that I was crazy about him and that I loved him like I never loved anyone. That's why I went there, to tell him that I loved him!" 

The room fell silent, all the members slightly stunned at Jungkook's words. 

A few moments went by, and the silence turned heavier as it went on, on and on until it was too overwhelming and Jungkook couldn't stand it anymore. He closed his eyes, tightening his arms around himself, rocking back and forth on his knees as if he was pleading to God, pleading for mercy, sentencing and, more than anything, an ending to his torments. He pleaded and pleaded, knowing it would come when the only truth that mattered would be judged as a lie by the people he loved, knowing his innocence was a lost cause before it even went to trial.

"You - you loved him?" It was Taehyung, his voice a confused whisper that mirrored every member's disbelief expression.

Jungkook wanted to say yes, but all that came out was another painful sob, so he settled on nodding with his eyes closed.

The heavy silence took over again, only cut off by Jungkook's whimpers that held too much regrets. 

"What did he say, when you told him that you, that you... when you told him that?" 

"I - nothing. He didn't say anything." Jungkook whispered, shaking his head in denial. "He - he didn't say anything."

"He said nothing? You just told him you loved him and left his room without waiting for an answer?" Namjoon asked suspiciously. 

Jungkook's hands went to his waist, and he squeezed it hard in hopes that it would hold him together, in hopes that it would remind him of where he was, of what he was. But it only reminded him of the fact that he'd never get to touch Hoseok, as he never did when Hoseok was alive. And sure, being accused of killing Hoseok by his best friends hurt, but it didn't hurt as much as Hoseok avoiding his eyes as he confessed, it didn't hurt as much as Hoseok capturing his heart and taking it with him to the grave. 

"He - no, nothing. He said nothing," Jungkook whispered again, his tone almost pleading. It hurt, revealing that Hoseok hadn't said anything. It reminded him that it had happened. Hoseok denying him, it had been real. It hurt his chest, it hurt his soul, it hurt his heart. He wasn't sure he could repeat it again and survive it. 

"Nothing?" Namjoon pressed on. 

Jungkook's posture fell a little, his chest weakening as if someone had stuck a knife in his chest, right into his heart. It hurt. He could still see Hoseok in his mind, Hoseok's stone face as Jungkook confessed his love that night. Hoseok's crossed arms and unmoving body, as if Jungkook's words didn't mean anything to him, Hoseok's eyes looking away from him, Hoseok's lips as he said he didn't want to talk about it. 

"He - he didn't say it back."