0325 ⤅ stray kids leeknow

part four - keeping quiet

Jisung's POV; 0327

Minho and I sat at a table in a small conference room, anxiously waiting for my father who wanted to finally speak with him regarding his parents' death one on one. Of course, Minho had told authorities what happened following the events that night, but it's story was scattered, almost lost at some spots, questioning his role in all of this.

I believed him, he's innocent.

Minho was quiet and unmoving as he stared down at his hands in his lap. He was bothered with the interrogation, but I wanted him to know I would be with him through every step of the process.

"Min, I want you to know I'm here if you need me," I said. He was startled when I spoke, jumping a bit in his seat, but his expression softened when he looked back at me. I held out my arms, and he gladly embraced me, rocking side to side a bit.

But he suddenly tensed once again, his eyes wide as he shook his head and let go of me, mumbling 'no' over and over. He put his head in his hands, now breathing heavier, and I rubbed his back to comfort him, but he pushed me off of him in anger. "Jisung, really it's alright!" He shouted at me. I froze and didn't bother him again.

The sound of the door swinging open startled us both, but there stood my father, "So, Lee Minho, we have something very important to discuss," Minho looked up from his hands and rubbed his eyes. My father continued, "There's been a breakthrough in the case: a tip from an eyewitness."

Minho and I exchanged glances; he didn't say anything about someone else there that night, but to be honest, he didn't say much of anything.

"You've been accused of the murder of your parents. Fingerprints on the gun and lack of a coherent story points the crime toward you, Lee Minho."

Both he and I couldn't speak from the shock. It doesn't make sense... I may have not been with Minho for many years, but he's too quiet, too warm hearted to do something like this. He spoke of how much love he has for his mother, and how much it hurt to see her gone just like that. He did blame himself, but it was because of what he couldn't do.

"A murder investigation has opened up, and usually in murder cases, police always suspect the surviving family first, because the kill could be quick, easy to clean up, right?" He asked it as a question and expected a response, but he didn't receive one.

"I do have an alibi," he stated suddenly, "His name is Bang Chan. I stayed with him and some of my other friends — Woojin, Changbin, and Felix — then went home close to 10pm. Ask him whatever you want, he'll prove me innocent." His voice was cold, almost angry as he spoke, but I couldn't tell if the anger was directed at the accusation or at this Bang Chan.

My father's eyes narrowed, "The murders of your parents' occurred around 10pm, too, Minho. Why did you go home? Did you get in an argument with this Chan?"

Minho's eyes went wide; he was stumped. "We... we," He started but couldn't finish. His face went a bit panicked as he tried to think of how to explain. To comfort him, I held onto his hand and rubbed my thumb on the back of it. I noticed his hand was shaky.

"I'm afraid I'll need an answer, Minho," my father interrupted, but I knew it was time to step in.

"Dad, please give him some time. You have no idea what kind of hell he's going through. He lost both his parents a couple days ago, have some compassion."

"Jisung, this isn't your time to talk," he dismissed coldly. I looked up at him dumbfounded.

"What? Yes it is... I was asked to be here for him and that's what I'm doing-"

He stood up in anger, leaning across the table in my face, "Son, I'm gonna have to ask you to wait outside, you're disrupting this matter." His voice was low, and it caused all my confidence to melt away and my cowardice to wash over me. I didn't argue back this time.

"Jisung, I'm commanding you to leave, not just as your father, but as an authoritative figure!" His voice raised even louder with every word, but I couldn't move, I had to stay with Minho.

Rage took over him completely. He reached all the way across the table to smack me, and I flinched and stumbled back in my chair upon the impact. Minho, frightened, held my cheek where it stung, compassion filling his eyes — then anger. He stood up to face my father head on.

"I came out to my father that day — is that what you wanted to fucking hear? We were getting along better than we ever had, so I thought it was a good time to let him know... maybe let him know that I was in love, huh? I knew he'd be shocked, but I didn't expect him to smack me, punish me, cuss me out, and lock me in my room. Worse yet, he blamed my mother for it all. For letting me be this way... for letting me be too soft is how he put it..."

"I couldn't stand all the screaming between them, so Chan, being the closest friend I had, I had to go to him, ask him what I should do. He didn't know of my sexuality, but he did know how my father treated me and my mother. Typical drunk, am I right?" He laughed bitterly to himself.

"Chan had always been here for me, and I... I was in love with him. I loved him more than anything. He was kind, and humble, and caring, and put me first above all. I came to him that night with everything, confessions and all. He accepted me... and we kissed."

I'm not gonna lie, my heart sank a bit to hear that. My father smiled a bit to himself — but that smile was because he knew Minho would slip up somehow, he'd say something wrong and use it against him. I got anxious at to what he would say next.

"Chan was surprised at first, but then he pulled me in and kissed me back... really hard," he laughed a bit, "It almost went somewhere, but he suddenly stopped and told me he didn't know what he was doing. He cried and cried, telling me how sorry he was and that he didn't think of me like that. What a shame."

"So, my mother and father died because of my dumb, tragic, teenage love story. If I hadn't have been in love with a straight guy, they'd still be alive, wouldn't they! My father wouldn't have hurt her, because I could have been there to stop it. So yes, I guess I am responsible in some way or another. I may have not held the weapon and shot them both in cold blood, but I caused it to happen, right?"

They both stared at each other in silence. How would my father respond to all that with that smug ass look on his face?

"We still have to look into it, Minho. What you're saying could be false for all we know."

I should have known.