Here I Lie // ATEEZ ✔

- 14 -

14 December 2024; the night of the first day of their trip

"Don't... make... me... kill... you... when... I... had... enough," is what Seonghwa says before slamming his head onto the table, knocked out cold.

"He talks a lot when he's drunk," Yunho finds himself saying. His tone shows as if he is amused by the sight in front of him but nobody notices it; not one notices him gripping his utensils tightly until his knuckles turn white.

He's angry; angry that Seonghwa's presence made San's condition worse, that he keeps acting like a child. It was a coping mechanism, the doctor had said to them. Due to the extreme trauma San had experienced, his brain 'decided to break down'. Then he took his own life when he had enough. San was hurt, traumatized by what happened 5 years ago, and now seeing Seonghwa had triggered him again.

No, not Seonghwa himself. His face is what had triggered San.

San storms off, shouting about how he does not want to eat. Wooyoung sighs loudly and explains about San's condition, without giving too much away. Whatever he had said is true anyway, he is not blatantly lying; it's just that he doesn't reveal what more is there. His eyes meet Yunho's, and there is a flicker of understanding between them. The game starts today, and we will continue from there.

What Wooyoung doesn't know is that Yunho had an extra plan, because he is angry at what Seonghwa caused and he is trying to make him pay for it.

After dinner is cleared and everyone has returned to their rooms, he switches off the kitchen and dining room's lights, then calmly returns to his room. He doesn't lock the door, because he still has some business to be settled. He grabs his throwing knife in his room, then rummages through the store for a roll of thick black rope. He steps quietly to Seonghwa's room on the second floor, past Wooyoung and San's room, then Yeosang's room. He makes sure that no one is there, and checks if Seonghwa's room is locked.

Of course it is, the ever trustworthy Kang Yeosang wouldn't leave it unlocked.

Grumbling while he marches to the first floor to grab the spare key, he checks the watch on his wrist. It's already 1 a.m. He doubts anyone would still be awake at this time; he knows the sleeping habits of every person in the house - that includes his own employees - in which he may or may not have done 'investigating' when he was recruiting them. At that moment, he didn't know why he was interested in their habits, but everything is in reach when everyone would share how their days go by through social media. It was just a point of curiousity, but soon he found it to be engrossing. He never said it explicitly, but he was stalking them online.

He's a psychopath, as what Wooyoung had described him. ​​​​​​Because he made everyone believe that he was sane, when he was anything but that. When did it start anyway? Was it when San took his own life away or was it much earlier? He doesn't know - then he quietly chuckles to himself - does a lunatic ever think about when or why they turned crazy?

He ambles past the living room and takes the stairs two steps at a time, bouncing as he's eager to meet the black-haired assistant. With the spare key in tow he slots it in, adrenaline coursing through his veins, his throwing knife at the ready. Stepping into the room, giggling shyly like a newlywed on the first night, he is presented with the heavily snoring, intoxicated Seonghwa. He has an arm draped across his face, obscuring it from view.

Yunho strides towards him, eyes already aiming on where he would tie the soon-to-be victim's hands and legs to the bed. He says a silent thank you for Seonghwa is fully unaware, already chained down by the alcohol in his body. He tightens the rope to the metal headboard and footboard, marvelling at the fact that he receives no resistance at all. Then he raises the knife, tilting his head from side to side, thinking on whether he should finish him off first, and then lacerate his face, or the other way round.