The Ace (Stray Kids Kim Seungmin)

35

Mel leaned her head against Seungmin's chest, his arm loosely wrapped around her shoulders. His other hand was placed under his head as he stared up at the canopy and listened carefully to everything she was whispering to him.

"So you think Aira killed Harri then?" He mumbled under his breath, quiet enough for only Mel to hear.

"I don't know. Harri and her... they are best friends, you know. Anywhere one went, the other followed. It's odd that they went to find Rayne together and only Aira returned."

"You told me she is your Jack card though. Why would she kill one of the teammates for no reason?"

"She wouldn't kill anyone for no reason. No one in this world just kills for the sake of it. There must have been a reason."

"You suspect Harri's the Joker then?"

"No... I don't know, really. A part of me doesn't want to believe it, she's one of my teammates after all. I don't want to believe I, at any point in my life, interacting and befriended a Joker. But there's a sharp sting on the side of my head everything I think about her killing someone."

"You reckon that's from a vague memory?"

"I reckon it might be."

"So that's that. Harri's the Joker I guess."

"I don't think it's that simple though."

"Why not?"

She sighed, "when I first arrived, I quickly learnt that everything was black and white. It was either one way or another, no intersections. And that's how I continued to view things up until we found that Pen."

"Hyunjin could easily kill anyone that stops him from escaping. Maybe the person who died in that shed got in his way."

"It wasn't just one person who was killed. It was a group of people. Murdered in their Pen so that the walls would say down."

"You said you didn't find anything the forest."

"I know you didn't fall for that. I know no one fell for it."

"Then why do you insist on lying?"

She glared up at him, "tell me, Seungmin, do you trust me?"

He furrowed his eyebrows at her, chuckling, "of course I do, why wouldn't I? Are you under the impression I don't?"

"I'm under the impression we both have something to hide so let's both not get too ahead of ourselves, okay? In due time, the truth will come light."

"Sheesh," he raised his hands in mock surrender. "Didn't mean to annoy you. I was just asking."

She simply nodded then uttered, "as I was saying, a group of people died there. A whole team died there. A Joker can't single-handedly murder them all without getting caught."

"Hyunjin's strong, Mel. He managed to do it in my Pen. He would be more than capable of killing another team."

"He was presented the perfect opportunity to kill your people because he had gained your trust. He knew he would be able to get close enough to kill without anyone being suspicious of him and you all cared too much for him to kill him at the time."

"So you think Hyunjin gained their trust then killed them?"

She narrowed her eyes at him, "what makes you so certain Hyunjin had something to do with it?"

"He's a Joker. If he didn't do it, who would?"

"The other Joker could have done it. You never once considered the fact the other Joker was involved. Why?"

He shrugged, "she could have been one who did it. I was just relating it all that I experienced-"

"Seungmin," she sat up, gazing down at him. "Did you remember something when we went there?"

"What?" the panic on his face was obvious but he was quick to regain his composure. "You can't be serious, Mel. You think I had something to do with all that?"

"Is that why you refused to go further in? Because you knew Hyunjin had been there?"

"Come on, Melody," he sat up, caressing her cheek. "Do you honestly think I contributed to the events that unfolded in there?" He paused. "Do you think I was the one who killed the person in the shed?"

"I don't think you killed anyone," she shook her head. "But I know you were involved."

He sighed, running his hands through his hair and closing his eyes, "you heard what Kayleigh told me, didn't you?"

"I did."

"Do you hate me?"

"Depends if we go back to the Pen or not."

"I... We can't go back. We are so close to the escape, Mel. Going back will only be a waste of our time."

"I already know you were involved, what more do you have to hide?"

"I have nothing to hide."

"Then let's go back."

"No."

"Why not?"

"Why should we? We are all getting our memories back. If you just wait long enough, you'll remember what happened-"

"I'm not going to wait, Seungmin. I am going to find out who killed all those people. And if you refuse to go back with me, so be it. I'll go alone."

"Don't be like this. Maybe it's best you don't know who did it."

"Don't be like this? If given the opportunity, you would kill Hyunjin without hesitation! If there was a way you could lure him back to you, you would do it instantly!"

"You can't compare the two situations, Melody! Hyunjin killed my people! He murdered them all!"

"An alliance was formed to kill mine!" she screamed, immediately regretting it when she saw his eyes widen.

"Wait, wait, wait," Brea uttered, earning their attention and that was when they realised their argument had woken everyone up. "Do you mean... The people that died in that Pen... The people that were murdered. They were hearts?"

"An alliance?" Kayleigh raised an eyebrow, crossing her arms over her chest before whispering "You weren't supposed to remember that."