"W-Why are you doing this to me?" He begged, eyes filled with tears as the pain washed over his body.
"Shhh. I never told you can speak. I don't want to hear your voice." The man behind him said, drawing circles on his bare back.
"P-Please let me go...
“His name is Do Yeon Seok, unemployed and was reported missing five days ago at a local police station. He seems to be kidnapped when he was on his way home from a pub.” Hoseok was reading out the file with information regarding the dead body found by the Han river.
“The forensic report given by Dr. Kim Taehyung seems like the perfect copy of those of the victims of The Reaper, not to mention his trademark symbol crafted in the victims chest.”
“Hoseok-ah” Namjoon’s eyebrows were drawn together in a frown when he was listening to his friend.
“Don’t you think the killing is happening too soon. It seems like something is triggering The Reaper. He seems to be too impatient. And this victim must have been picked spot on considering Yeon Seok just came back from Ulsan the night before he got kidnapped. I don’t think the reaper would have travelled to Ulsan just to find a target. Something is triggering him.”
“Yeah that thought has been running in my mind as well Namjoon.” Hoseok said, nodding his head in agreement. His eyes focused on the white board containing the pictures from the crime scene.
One of the pictures seemed so disturbing. It felt like all the answers were right in front of him but disguised from the naked eyes. It was the kind of the gut feeling of a protagonist of a mystery movie. The instinct that never turns out to be wrong.
“Do you think the symbol means anything Joon?”
Namjoon turned his head to the said symbol, captured from one of the bodies and sketched into a paper to get a clear view of the pattern.
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(A/n This is the symbol. You can interpret it too💜. Let me know in the comments. I suck at drawing so my buddy -aurorahope helped me a lot with this. Do check out her story! It's so damn beautiful💜💜💜)
“I don’t know. Seems like a cross to me. A very... artistic one” Joon hesitated. “Do you think it’s some sort of a cult? This might be a cult symbol. Maybe the Reaper is not just one person. What do you say?”
“Uh. It is safe to consider all the options though. Should we just publicize about the similar body proportions thing to the public?”
“And have the people panicking? Hoseok, that’s almost equal to digging our own grave. It will just make the killer more cautious or even more ruthless.”
Namjoon brought his hand towards his slightly jutted out chin, eyebrows frowned in concentration.
“The killer is becoming impatient. This might become an opening for us. He will make a mistake soon. I’m sure of that.” . . . . . “YUNA!” Jimin’s shouted in his phone, relieved that she picked up at last.
“Is something wrong Jimin?” her voice sounded worried about Jimin’s tone earlier.
“Yuna, Taehyung’s is not picking up my calls. He had ignored all of my messages too. I’m worried Yuna.” His voice trembled a little, tears almost brimming his eyes.
“What happened Jimin? Where is Tae?” It was now Yuna’s turn to be shocked. What happened to Tae? Is he alright? He never ignores Jimin’s calls!
“It was all because of that damn Reaper.” Jimin paused, wiping a tear that managed to escape his eyes. “A new body was found today and it was Tae who had to perform the postmortem. You know how much the Reaper’s victims affects him.”
“Today was just too much. The last victim was just about two weeks ago, he didn’t even get the time to pull himself together-”
Yuna hung up, not even letting Jimin finish as she rushed outside her home, panic and worry taking over her mind.
Is Taehyung alright?
The question repeated itself in her mind as she hopped in her car subconsciously, her hands turning the steering wheel towards Taehyung’s home.
“TAEHYUNG!” she banged against his door. Terrible silence followed, not even the sound of footsteps were heard- her anxiousness reached it’s threshold making her heart bang against her rib cage.
“Alright. Let’s calm down.” She took deep breaths, trying to remember the passcode to his door.
She let out a deep sigh of relief as she heard the door open successfully.
Is he not home? Was the first thought that struck her head as she looked around. All the lights were turned off, not even a single movement caught her eye.
But just when she was about to turn around and leave, she heard them. Soft sobs were echoing lightly across the room.
“Taehyung?” she called, her voice low and filled with worry as she headed towards the sounds which led her in the direction of his bedroom.
The door was open and she stepped in to see that his bed was empty. She whipped her head towards the slight moment caught in her peripheral vision to witness a body shivering on the floor with knees pulled up towards it’s chest.
“Taehyung!” she rushed towards him and took his face in her hands. Fresh tears were replacing the dried traces of his previously shed tears. His skin felt too cold against her palms as she held him.
She had never seen him broken like this. It seems like he was not even aware of her presence as he gazed across her into the darkness, eyes lost and terrified.
“Hey hey it’s OK. I’m here for you Tae. Look at me come on.” she desperately held his face, making him face her. She noticed how his features seemed so exhausted and in pain.
She sniffled. When did she start crying? She thought as she wiped her own tears.
“Y-Yuna” his voice sounded too strained. God knows how long he had cried for his vocal chords to worn out like this.
“Shhh Tae. Calm down. It’s Ok. You are not alone. I’m here for you.” She held his body close to her as she patted his head and placed soothing kisses on his hair. His face nested in the crook of her neck as he too held her close, afraid of loosing her warmthness.
They stayed like that for awhile. A comfortable silence interrupted only by their exchanged breathing and occasional sounds of sobs from the male.
Yuna felt like her arms were about to fall off from holding Taehyung in the same position. But no, she wouldn’t dare let him off her grasp. Especially not at a time like this.
“Taehyung, it’s not your fault.” she started speaking after sensing that the other had calmed down a little.
“You have us now. You have me now. And I swear that I will never leave you. I will always stay by your side no matter what.”
Taehyung stilled and looked up suddenly. It seemed like it was exactly what he wanted to hear. His eyes were those of a grateful little child who had to go through too much pain, more than enough to shatter his little soul only to leave scars behind.
But this word. This sentence had seemed to have sprouted beautiful flowers, covering and healing the scar that had haunted him all these years.
“I love you Taehyung.” she uttered, closing her eyes as she rested her forehead against those of Taehyung’s.
She was about to open her eyes, suddenly scared of the silence from the other but was halted as she felt the other’s lips press against her’s as an unspoken confession.
The kiss was not rushed but was overflowing with feelings that couldn’t be voiced. All the pain he had felt was dissipating as he kissed her passionately.
The room soon filled up with their warmth as the kiss deepened. Taehyung’s hand wandered across Yuna’s body as her hand found purchase of the nape of his neck.
