Lost [1/1]
Title: Lost [1/1]
Author: FloweryMisha
Pairing: slight!KaiSoo
Warning: BoyxBoy love. Enough said.
Summary: They say curiosity killed the cat. But really, it was human who killed others.
Author’s Note: Not fluff. Short and rushed. And please, no translations allowed!!
Curiosity is the lust of the mind.
--Thomas Hobbes
“We’re lost.”
Chanyeol finally stated with a tired voice after hours of walking around, a tiny compass was in his hand. Behind him, Luhan grimaced darkly and Sehun, who had been carrying Yixing on his back, groaned.
“I told you we should’ve gone the other way,” Sehun grunted, too tired to snap.
“Now what?” Luhan asked tiredly.
“We can try and go back,” Chanyeol narrowed his eyes as he raised the compass higher, earning a roll of eyes from Luhan. “Or we can just go straight and try to find a way out.”
“Are you okay?” Luhan glanced at Sehun worriedly. “If you’re tired, you can switch with Chanyeol. You’ve been carrying Yixing since hours ago…”
Sehun shook his head with a small smile. “Thanks, but no thanks.”
“I wouldn’t want to carry your boyfriend, too, if it’s any consolation,” Chanyeol said.
“The only consolation I need is for you to find a way out of these woods.”
“Hey, just in case you didn’t notice, I’m trying!”
“Oh yeah? Try harder! Perhaps if you would’ve just listened to your friends, we wouldn’t have gotten lost!”
“If you think you’re so good, perhaps you can lead the way now-“
“Guys! Enough!” Luhan intercepted sternly, making Chanyeol and Sehun zip their lips. “Stop blaming each other. This is all unexpected, okay? Yixing accidentally sprained his ankle and Chanyeol wrongly read the compass, so we’re in this mess together.”
Sehun mumbled an apology as he looked away.
Chanyeol looked apologetically at Luhan. “So what’s your suggestion?”
Luhan sighed. “I say we go forward for now. Hopefully we’ll find a way out before it gets dark…”
“It looks like it’s going to rain, too.” Sehun said. “We should find a good place to rest and set campfire.”
“Sehun…” Yixing whispered weakly.
“Yes, babe?”
“A house…”
“A house?” Sehun thought his boyfriend was dreaming. “Don’t worry, I got you.”
“No. A house…”
“Huh?”
“Over there…” Yixing feebly lifted up his hand and pointed to a direction. “There’s a house…”
The other three pairs of eyes followed the direction Yixing was pointing to, and they soon realized that the latter was right. There was a house in the middle of the woods. More exactly, there was a house in the middle of nowhere.
“It looks…” Luhan trailed off. “…haunted.”
The sound of thunder made them flinch. It could rain any minute now.
“We have no choice,” Chanyeol said. “We’re going there to rest.”
***
By the time they got to the house, it was already raining.
Everyone was soaked.
Sehun automatically checked for Yixing’s temperature. It seemed that a sprained ankle and the rain made his boyfriend have slight fever. Sehun worriedly wiped Yixing’s forehead with a dry handkerchief.
Luhan paused to regain his breath from all the running. He leaned against the wall, his eyes observing the surrounding around them. He was focusing on the road ahead of him earlier, so he didn’t really pay attention. Luhan held his breath when he realized that it was some kind of cemetery in the yard.
Chanyeol placed his backpack on the floor. His gaze was fixed on the pattern on the door. Chanyeol was just about to push to the door, when all of a sudden, the light above them went on.
The three of them looked at each other in horror.
It meant that someone was in the house.
None of them were unable to move, it was as if they were paralyzed.
It was Chanyeol who first snapped out of it and he held up his hand to knock on the door. He could hear it echoing despite the sound of the rain, and he couldn’t help but shudder.
Who the heck lives in the middle of the woods?
A few minutes had passed, but no one came to open the door. Chanyeol knocked once again, a bit longer this time.
Luhan shifted uncomfortably in his track, voicing out his thought. “Uh… I don’t think this is such a good idea now. Perhaps we should just go-“
“I’m not going in this rain,” Sehun interrupted darkly. “Yixing’s temperature is rising and his health is more important to me.”
“But-“
“Just until his fever subsides and then we leave. Please.”
Luhan pressed his lips into a thin line, clearly uncertain. “We don’t even know if the owner would-“
The front door creaked open with a terrifying sound.
Luhan squealed and immediately took cover behind Chanyeol, who was too shocked to do anything. All of them thought that whoever opened it would be as scary as hell, but it turned out that they were wrong.
It was a male.
And he looked…okay.
Scratch that, he was a very handsome male. His skin was tanned and he had a tall, slender body. The male seemed normal, but the way he looked at Chanyeol and the others weren’t exactly welcoming.
“H-hello,” Luhan stepped aside and braved himself to speak. “We’re-“
“You should go.”
Was the male’s only reply, and he was about to shut the door when Sehun exclaimed,
“Wait! Please. We need shelter.”
The male did nothing but to stare nonchalantly at Sehun, and the latter took it as a chance to continue.
“My boyfriend…he has a fever. Please, just until his fever subsides, and then we’re out of here. I swear.” Sehun bowed slightly. “Please…”
“Besides, it’s raining,” Chanyeol hastily added. “You can’t possibly want us to get killed out there…”
The male’s expression changed at that. He seemed to ponder for a moment. His gaze went back and forth between Sehun and Yixing before finally sighing and nodding in resignation. He opened the door wider as he stepped aside. “Just until he’s better.”
“Thank you,” Sehun said gratefully. “Thank you so much…”
Luhan threw one last glance at the cemetery before following his friends inside.
***
A house was probably an understatement.
Given the size, it could be called a mansion. But the chipped paint and cropped wallpaper showed that the place was old, and yet it was still well taken care of. The place was too big for one person-unless the male was actually living here with his royal family and his maids.
They followed the owner quietly to the second floor.
Chanyeol mutely nudged Luhan, motioning about the tan male and he earned a glare in return. The tallest male between the three nearly nudged Sehun too, but he became reluctant when the latter already gave him a look before he did anything.
Suddenly, the owner stopped, and the three men behind him abruptly copied his action in order not to bump into his back.
“You can use these two rooms,” the tan male explained as he pointed two doors at the end of the hall. “Please, have some rest.”
“Thank you,” Sehun said. He seemed to be the only one who was grateful, despite the owner’s cold attitude. But then again, it was perfectly
normal, because they were strangers.
The other male only nodded in response and he was about to walk away when Luhan said,
“Please wait.”
He simply glanced over his shoulder. Their eyes met and something within Luhan’s heart seemed to have stopped functioning, but the Chinese male chose to ignore it.
“May I ask for your name?”
The male’s eyes flashed, but it was probably just the reflection from the light.
“…Jongin.”
“Jongin,” Luhan repeated softly. “I’m Luhan. This is Chanyeol, Sehun, and Yixing. I just want to say…we’re grateful. Thank you very much for having us.”
Jongin stared a bit too long at them. He was expressionless, but something told Luhan that he was actually a kind person. Jongin nodded.
“Goodnight.”
Luhan instinctively smiled.
“Goodnight…”
***
When Luhan woke up, it was already morning.
Usually in a strange place he wouldn’t be able to fall asleep, but he guessed it was because of the exhaustion and Chanyeol’s (loud) snore that he felt a bit like home.
Luhan went to the bathroom to wash his face. He looked at his face in the mirror, letting the water dripped down from his chin and took a deep breath. The Chinese male then stripped out of his clothes to take a shower. The weather was a bit cold due to the rain last night and so did the water that went on his body, but it was refreshing. He decided to go out of the room and look for Jongin. Chanyeol was still sleeping in his bed, and when he peeked into Sehun and Yixing’s room, they were also still in deep slumber.
Luhan looked around in curiosity.
The place looked scary, indeed, because it was so big and no one else seemed to be around. So why did Jongin live here alone? And how did he afford food and electricity?
Luhan walked down the stairs quietly. He paused at the end of the stairs, frowning at the amount of doors. Which room was Jongin in…? He was close to giving up finding out, but as if it was meant to happen, he saw Jongin walking into one of the doors at the end of the hall. Without thinking, Luhan quickened his steps.
“Jongin?”
Jongin turned around and Luhan noticed he was holding a pan in one of his hands. The corner of Luhan’s lips twitched into a smile, feeling a bit amused at the view.
Perhaps Jongin wasn’t that scary after all.
“Good morning,” Luhan’s smile became wider. “Here, let me help you with that.”
Jongin looked a bit skeptical. “It’s okay.”
“No, you’ve helped us. The least I could do is to help you back.”
Jongin stared at Luhan momentarily before shrugging. The taller of the two went to the refrigerator and Luhan had to admit that he was a bit surprised because Jongin had quite a lot of food. Jongin then washed the eggs wordlessly-omelet for breakfast, it seemed-as if Luhan wasn’t there.
Luhan cleared his throat. “Jongin? Do you mind if I ask you something?”
“Shoot.”
“Do you live here alone?”
One of the eggs slipped out of Jongin’s hand and it cracked on the sink. He casually grabbed what was left of it and tossed it in the nearest trash bin. Jongin went back to the refrigerator to take another one.
“Yeah.”
Luhan was itching to grab the eggs to help Jongin, but it didn’t look like Jongin needed-or wanted-help. But still, he didn’t give up. Luhan deliberately opened the cupboards to look for plates or other kitchen utensils. Jongin watched him doing so, but he still said nothing.
“How do you afford the food? I mean, you don’t happen to have any car…do you?”
“Once a month, my brother comes here.”
Jongin was a man with fewer words, which Luhan finally acknowledged. However, at least a conversation was established no matter how short-and cold-it was. Luhan managed to find a knife and he started cutting the onions. He only took a second to pause and look out of the window, and what he saw stunned him.
The cemetery.
Jongin realized where Luhan’s line of sight went.
Luhan counted not one, two, but eight gravestones. Being this far from basically everywhere, it could only mean that they were family-or even pets. Curious, Luhan decided to just ask as he continued cutting.
“Are they your family?”
Jongin ignored the question by turning on the stove and put the pan on it.
“How’s your sick friend?”
“Eh?”
“You should leave as soon as you can.”
“Why?”
The tan male said nothing after that, but Luhan caught him stealing a quick glance at the gravestones, and he just kind of had a feeling.
Perhaps those who were buried there weren’t just family.
***
Chanyeol rubbed his eyes sleepily as he regained his consciousness back.
He fell asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow last night. The bed was still comfortable, although perhaps no one had used it in years. The male yawned widely as he turned to Luhan’s bed, wanted to greet his friend.
It was already made.
Chanyeol blinked and shrugged to himself. Luhan had always been a morning person, so Chanyeol wouldn’t worry if he wasn’t there. Luhan was probably off to explore the place. Chanyeol then took a quick shower and got dressed. He packed his things back just in case Yixing was feeling better. The sooner they got out of there, the better.
The tall male knocked softly on Sehun’s door before peeking inside. He was greeted with the view of Sehun putting a finger on his lips, asking him to stay quiet. Chanyeol flashed him a thumb up as he looked at Yixing. The Chinese male’s breath was steady. The color on Yixing’s face was back to normal. He looked better than last night.
I’ll get you something to eat, Chanyeol mouthed to Sehun which the latter replied with a silent thank you.
The godly smell of eggs and bacon drifted in the air and Chanyeol could feel his mouth watering. He jumped down two stairs at a time with his long legs. Chanyeol saw a glimpse of Luhan’s blond hair in the room at the end of the hall. He almost dashed to where his friend was, but stopped when he saw the door near the stairs was wide open.
Chanyeol became curious.
Was it Jongin’s bedroom?
Chanyeol pursed his lips thoughtfully. Was he curious about Jongin’s bedroom? Why not? Jongin seemed to live alone…what kind of bedroom did he have? His hunger was momentarily forgotten and Chanyeol changed his direction. He carefully pushed the door, but instead of a bed or a chair, the room actually led to what seemed to be a basement.
Chanyeol hesitated.
A basement in this kind of house usually was never good.
Chanyeol crossed his arms, thinking. For some reasons, his curiosity to explore the basement was bigger than to have breakfast at the moment. After having inner battle for a few seconds, the first thought won. Chanyeol dared himself as he silently walked down the stairs.
Surprisingly, the basement was well lit.
Chanyeol glanced around, but so far, there was nothing. It looked like an endless hall. Fear was starting to consume him and just when he thought about going back, he could see the end of the room. Chanyeol slowed his steps down.
He gulped.
It was a jail.
Although the inside wasn’t decorated to be one, it really was a jail.
Chanyeol’s brows knitted together into a line. Why was there a jail…? Who did Jongin hold captive…? There seemed to be a bed and another door that perhaps led to the bathroom. It looked cozy enough, despite the fact that it was behind bars.
His hunger was coming back and Chanyeol decided that his curiosity time was enough. He accidentally made a sound when he turned around-it must’ve been a rock or something that he kicked.
“Who is it?”
Chanyeol froze. Jongin? Wait, no. He thought it was Jongin, but from the way the question was asked, it wasn’t anger. And the voice was different. Chanyeol, a bit scared, tried to find the source of the voice. A ghost…? He almost screamed when he saw someone was there, standing behind the bars.
“Whoa!!” Chanyeol whispered loudly as he jumped backward. “You scared me to death!!!”
He was about to protest some more, but when Chanyeol got a good look at the male’s face, his words diminished instantly.
The male had the most beautiful eyes Chanyeol had ever seen.
Chanyeol’s heart almost came to a stop. The doe-eyed male was beautiful, very, very beautiful. His reddish plump lips, his long eyelashes, his milky skin… Perfect. Chanyeol’s mouth went dry, he ran out of words to describe the male before him. But then it occurred to him what the real problem was, and he frowned.
Why was he there?
“Who are you…?”
Chanyeol blinked. “I…”
“You shouldn’t be here,” the beautiful male whispered fearfully. “It’s not safe for you.”
Chanyeol took a step closer and the other male took a step back. He looked terrified, like he was afraid of him. “What’s your name…?”
The male shook his head.
“Hey, I’m not gonna do anything to you, I promise,” Chanyeol said reassuringly. “My name is Chanyeol. And you are…?”
He hesitated.
“You are…?”
“…Kyungsoo.”
“Kyungsoo. Very well. Kyungsoo.”
“You should leave. Now,” Kyungsoo said in a soft tone, but it was stern. “If you come here to rob, you won’t find anything valuable. We have nothing in this house.”
“I’m-we’re not robbers,” Chanyeol frowned, feeling slightly offended. He took a shower and he dressed decently, did he look like a robber?
Kyungsoo blanched. “We?”
“Yeah. I’m here with my friends. We got lost in the woods and then it started raining. My friend was sick and we had to find a shelter, and-“
“You have to get out of here,” Kyungsoo interjected. “You and your friends.”
“Come on. Is it that bad here?”
“Don’t you get it?” Kyungsoo hissed. “He’ll kill if you stay too long!”
Chanyeol gaped in shock. His eyes widened and for a second, he wondered if Kyungsoo was out of his mind. But the shorter male’s fear was genuine and it looked real. Kyungsoo was damn serious about it.
“Who’s…he?”
Kyungsoo whimpered fearfully.
“Jongin,” Chanyeol said quietly. “Did he lock you in here?”
Kyungsoo’s eyes softened at the name, but he still couldn’t hide the fear.
Chanyeol gritted his teeth. He felt emotional all of a sudden. “Don’t you worry, Kyungsoo. I’ll get you out of here.”
“Don’t,” Kyungsoo whispered, his lower lip was trembling. “I don’t want that. Just…be safe. He’ll kill you if he knows you’re down here…”
“But-“
“Go.”
Chanyeol curled his fingers into a fist. He stared at Kyungsoo, who looked so beautiful yet so fragile behind the bars, who was locked by Jongin but strangely chose not to be freed. It could be fear-no, it was definitely fear. Chanyeol felt a bit angry, but there was nothing he could do right then.
He took a good look at Kyungsoo one more time before turning around and walked away.
Chanyeol wondered if it was the right thing to do…
…to leave Kyungsoo back there.
***
Chanyeol immediately went back to the room to pack the rest of Luhan’s things. He just wanted to go away from there as soon as possible. Something wrong was going on, and he didn’t want his friends to be involved.
He wasn’t sure if Kyungsoo was lying or not, but the fear was real, and it was enough for him to believe the beautiful male’s words.
Chanyeol went to tell Sehun to pack, but when he got to his friend’s room, Sehun was a bit panicked. Yixing’s fever came back and it was 39,8 degrees.
“God,” Sehun breathed. “We need to get him to the hospital.”
It was the perfect reason to leave.
“Go pack your bags,” Chanyeol said to Sehun. “We’re leaving.”
Chanyeol brought his and Luhan’s backpacks downstairs. He placed them carelessly on the floor and barged into the dining room to get Luhan.
“Breakfast time is over. We’re leaving. Now,” Chanyeol said firmly.
Luhan’s eyes widened. “Chanyeol? B-but why?”
“We need to get Yixing to the hospital,” Chanyeol explained shortly. “His fever is high.”
“I have some medicines,” Jongin said as he stood up. “If you want-“
“No.”
Chanyeol’s eyes went to the knife Luhan used for cutting onions earlier. Without thinking, he grabbed it and pointed it toward Jongin’s direction.
“Chanyeol!” Luhan said in disbelief. “What are you doing??”
“I don’t trust him, that’s all. Sorry, Jongin. Luhan, grab another knife.”
“B-but-“
“Hurry, we don’t have much time!!”
Luhan groaned in exasperation but he did as he was told. The Chinese male opened the kitchen drawers frantically, searching for a knife. He finally got one and scurried back to Chanyeol’s side.
“Move,” Chanyeol ordered. Jongin wordlessly obeyed and they walked down the hall. Chanyeol told him to stop when they were in front of the stairs. “Now we wait for Sehun and Yixing and then we’re out of here.”
“Chanyeol,” Jongin said quietly. “Please, take anything you want. Don’t do this.”
Chanyeol opened his mouth to retort, but then he closed it back. “I can take anything I want?”
“I don’t have anything valuable, but if there’s anything you like-“
“How about Kyungsoo?”
Jongin almost cracked his neck for turning to Chanyeol so fast. His expression changed and his eyes were filled with visible anger. “You went to the basement?”
“Yeah. And I’m glad I did. How could you lock him away like that? But since you said, I can take anything I want-“
“Not Kyungsoo,” Jongin shook his head, pleading. “Please, not Kyungsoo, I beg you.”
“He’s the one that needs to be saved,” Chanyeol said coldly. “Luhan, stay here, don’t let him go anywhere. I’ll be back in a moment.” With that, he disappeared into one of the doors near the stairs.
“Who’s...Kyungsoo?” Luhan’s voice cracked. “Is there anyone else here? You…you lied to me?”
“Kyungsoo!”
Kyungsoo gasped when he saw Chanyeol holding the keys in his hands, trying to unlock the bars.
“Chanyeol! What are you doing here?”
“Luhan,” Jongin said through clenched teeth. “Lower your knife.”
“I can’t,” Luhan whispered. “I don’t understand, Jongin. But I’m sorry, I can’t.”
“You were wrong. You’re the one who’s not safe here,” Chanyeol said hastily. “You deserve a life out there, Kyungsoo.”
“B-but Jongin…?”
“You don’t have to be afraid of him anymore. I’ll protect you.”
“I thought you were nice,” Luhan continued sadly. “I thought we… I thought we could be friends.”
“Luhan,” Jongin repeated, firmly this time. “I swear to you…”
“Will I be free?” Kyungsoo’s expression was filled with hope. “I can…?”
“Yes, you can,” Chanyeol smiled in encouragement. “You can, Kyungsoo.”
"No. Don't talk, please."
“…I am not the threat here.”
“Jongin!!”
Jongin immediately fell silent at the mention of his name.
Chanyeol appeared with Kyungsoo behind him. He protectively stood in front of Kyungsoo, covering him from Jongin.
“Jongin!” Kyungsoo cried behind Chanyeol. “Jongin!”
“Kyungsoo,” Jongin said calmly, but there was something laced underneath his tone, that Luhan couldn’t make out what. “Kyungsoo, everything is going to be alright.”
“I’m taking him with me,” Chanyeol said to Jongin before looking at Luhan. “Now we’ll wait for Sehun and-“
Chanyeol never got to finish his sentence.
A knife was stabbed into his chest from behind, and Luhan acknowledged it was the same knife Chanyeol had earlier-he must’ve given it to Kyungsoo for protection. Chanyeol gasped hard for air and he looked down his chest before realizing what was going on.
“Kyung…soo?”
Chanyeol dropped lifelessly to the floor.
Luhan screamed loudly in horror.
“Luhan!!”
Jongin tried to grab Luhan’s arm to pull him closer, but before he got the chance to do so, Kyungsoo had already lunged forward to Luhan, snatching the knife he had, and stabbed the latter mercilessly until Luhan wasn’t breathing anymore. Jongin watched how Luhan struggled to keep his breath but it was no use. He had lost too much blood. Their eyes met, and Jongin knew immediately that Luhan was gone.
“NO!!!”
Jongin weakly dropped to his knees as he reached for Luhan's hand. Luhan wasn’t even able to cry in pain anymore...
There was a thud on the second floor, and both Kyungsoo and Jongin looked up. Sehun’s white face was even paler-he clearly witnessed the whole thing. Kyungsoo narrowed his eyes in disgust. He almost dashed up to where Sehun was, but Jongin shouted,
“Do!! They’ve done nothing wrong!!”
Kyungsoo stopped moving as he looked at Jongin.
“It’s enough, Do…” Jongin said inadequately, his eyes were beginning to tear. “They’ve done nothing wrong… I’m still here, right…?”
Kyungsoo tilted his head to one side, nodding as he walked closer to Jongin. “Chanyeol tried to take me away from you…and him?” He pointed at Luhan’s corpse with his foot. “I was so jealous when you tried to touch his arm, Jongin.”
“I know,” Jongin whispered painfully. “I’m sorry.”
“I had to kill them.”
“I know…” Jongin slowly extended his hand to take the knife Kyungsoo was holding. “I know, Do…”
The knife slipped out of Kyungsoo’s grasp and it made a clattering sound on the floor. Kyungsoo blinked rapidly for a moment before realizing what was going on and gasped loudly. The doe-eyed male went horror at all the blood in his hands and the fact that two dead bodies were around him.
“J-Jongin??” Kyungsoo cried distress. “Again…?”
Jongin looked tired and relieved at the same time. The tan male stood up and pulled Kyungsoo into his arms. “Yes… I’m sorry…”
“You killed them again? You killed them for me…?” Kyungsoo vigorously shook his head, struggling out of Jongin’s arms, but he failed. “Why, Jongin, why…?”
“They…they were trying to take you away from me, Kyungsoo…”
“B-but I’m not leaving, Jongin…”
“I know… I’m sorry…”
Kyungsoo then broke down in Jongin’s arms, his loud sobbing echoed throughout the room.
Jongin never stopped saying that he was sorry.
When he glanced up to the second floor and he saw Sehun was still there, he didn’t know what to do.
Jongin was just as lost as him.
***
Jongin added two more gravestones, this time with the help from Sehun.
Sehun didn’t ask for any explanation, but Jongin felt like he owed him one.
“I should’ve known,” Jongin started dryly. “I should’ve seen it coming.”
Sehun merely looked at him, waiting for the other male to continue his story.
“By the time I realized it, Kyungsoo had killed a lot. At first it was my pet. And then it was my friends. One of them got into a car accident. The other fell down the stairs. Some of them were missing, and the bodies were never found. I’ve just never thought… And then one day, I caught him hurting my brother. It was…horrifying. Fortunately it was just a cut and we were able to stop it. If it was more than that…I wouldn’t be able to forgive myself.”
Jongin exhaled through his nose.
“How could jealousy do such thing? Did I love the wrong person? Should I leave him? These kinds of questions keep on popping inside my head, and then I realize...it’s not Kyungsoo. It’s his other personality. And you’ve seen it, Sehun. You’ve seen Do, the cruelest part of Kyungsoo. And the worst part is that I didn’t know who I fall in love with. Was it Do? Was it Kyungsoo?”
Sehun absently stared at Chanyeol's gravestone.
“Kyungsoo thinks I kill these people because they want to take him away from me. While the reality is that Do kill these people because he thinks they want to take him away from me.”
Jongin grimaced.
“I’m sorry for your friends, Sehun... I’m really sorry.”
Sehun’s eyes became teary as he clenched his teeth. “Kyungsoo…he obviously needs help. You could’ve left, Jongin. Or better yet, you should’ve sent him to a ward. Why did you move here instead?”
“I guess...I guess I just didn’t want him to hurt anyone anymore.”
“Well, now you know that’s not true.”
“But it’s not his fault!” Jongin snapped. “It’s your friend’s fault! If he hadn’t gone to the basement, Kyungsoo wouldn’t have known…” He clicked his tongue. Jongin's eyes softened as he gazed at Luhan’s gravestone. “But Luhan…he was a nice…company.”
Sehun shut his eyes. “Yeah, he was…”
“We could’ve been friends…”
Sehun didn’t know how to react to that, so he said nothing more. They stayed silent for a little longer, staring at their friends’ gravestones.
“You know, Chanyeol said something that night. It was raining, and I couldn’t possibly want you guys to get killed out there…” Jongin chuckled dryly. “The irony.” He sighed and placed the shovel on the ground. “How’s your boyfriend, by the way?”
“He’s a bit better. I still need to take him to the hospital, though.”
“I see. I’m going to call my brother. He and his husband can give you a ride.”
“That would mean a lot. Thank you.”
Jongin smiled bitterly. “Aren’t you going to avenge your friends, Sehun?”
Sehun bit his lower lip. He had witnessed everything, sure, but in his point of view, Jongin wasn’t at fault. If anything, it was his fault, too, for asking shelter.
It got them into this mess.
“Why did you stay, Jongin?”
Jongin glanced up at the sky, as if he could find the answer there.
“Because I’m his husband.”
“And a husband shouldn’t leave his spouse just because they’re not like what he’s expected after marriage…”
End.
There was a story about a couple who lived in the woods.
They were very much in love with each other, and they were happy. The husband was handsome, and the wife was very beautiful. They were probably created and meant to be with each other for the rest of their lives.
However, it was said that nobody should take a look at the wife’s face, no matter how tempted they were. It was forbidden just to think about it, moreover to do it.
Because then, the husband would go berserk and kill everyone who he thought was going to destroy their marriage…
…with no hesitation at all.
That story would be no more.
Jongin watched as Sehun and Yixing drove away in his brother’s car. He had called Junmyeon earlier, asking for a favor to bring his friends to the hospital. When Junmyeon and Yifan, his husband, arrived, they didn’t probe further, but Junmyeon seemed to realize there were two newest graves. Junmyeon just hugged him tightly, and Jongin returned the hug.
Sehun and Yixing would be alright with his brother.
Jongin felt extremely tired. Digging two new holes and then bleaching the floor to get rid of the blood stain were exhausting him. The tan male felt like resting. He locked the front door and then went to the basement where his bedroom was with Kyungsoo.
Kyungsoo was sleeping soundly on the bed, looking very beautiful as usual. Jongin climbed the bed and instinctively pressed his lips against his spouse’s.
Cold.
Jongin observed Kyungsoo’s face for a moment. He looked so peaceful in his eternal sleep. No one would’ve thought that Kyungsoo had double personalities, or that he was capable of taking other people’s lives.
“I love you, Kim Kyungsoo...”
The water in Kyungsoo’s glass on the nightstand was half empty. Jongin brought the glass to his lips, thinking that he should’ve done it sooner. He glanced at Kyungsoo’s face one more time before gulping the rest of the liquid down his throat.
It tasted awful.
The tan male winced painfully as he felt something spread within him. He lie down beside Kyungsoo, and with the last of his strength, he intertwined their fingers together.
Jongin could feel his unconsciousness slipping away, but he knew for certain that this time…
…he wouldn’t be coming back.
Author: FloweryMisha
Pairing: slight!KaiSoo
Warning: BoyxBoy love. Enough said.
Summary: They say curiosity killed the cat. But really, it was human who killed others.
Author’s Note: Not fluff. Short and rushed. And please, no translations allowed!!
Curiosity is the lust of the mind.
--Thomas Hobbes
“We’re lost.”
Chanyeol finally stated with a tired voice after hours of walking around, a tiny compass was in his hand. Behind him, Luhan grimaced darkly and Sehun, who had been carrying Yixing on his back, groaned.
“I told you we should’ve gone the other way,” Sehun grunted, too tired to snap.
“Now what?” Luhan asked tiredly.
“We can try and go back,” Chanyeol narrowed his eyes as he raised the compass higher, earning a roll of eyes from Luhan. “Or we can just go straight and try to find a way out.”
“Are you okay?” Luhan glanced at Sehun worriedly. “If you’re tired, you can switch with Chanyeol. You’ve been carrying Yixing since hours ago…”
Sehun shook his head with a small smile. “Thanks, but no thanks.”
“I wouldn’t want to carry your boyfriend, too, if it’s any consolation,” Chanyeol said.
“The only consolation I need is for you to find a way out of these woods.”
“Hey, just in case you didn’t notice, I’m trying!”
“Oh yeah? Try harder! Perhaps if you would’ve just listened to your friends, we wouldn’t have gotten lost!”
“If you think you’re so good, perhaps you can lead the way now-“
“Guys! Enough!” Luhan intercepted sternly, making Chanyeol and Sehun zip their lips. “Stop blaming each other. This is all unexpected, okay? Yixing accidentally sprained his ankle and Chanyeol wrongly read the compass, so we’re in this mess together.”
Sehun mumbled an apology as he looked away.
Chanyeol looked apologetically at Luhan. “So what’s your suggestion?”
Luhan sighed. “I say we go forward for now. Hopefully we’ll find a way out before it gets dark…”
“It looks like it’s going to rain, too.” Sehun said. “We should find a good place to rest and set campfire.”
“Sehun…” Yixing whispered weakly.
“Yes, babe?”
“A house…”
“A house?” Sehun thought his boyfriend was dreaming. “Don’t worry, I got you.”
“No. A house…”
“Huh?”
“Over there…” Yixing feebly lifted up his hand and pointed to a direction. “There’s a house…”
The other three pairs of eyes followed the direction Yixing was pointing to, and they soon realized that the latter was right. There was a house in the middle of the woods. More exactly, there was a house in the middle of nowhere.
“It looks…” Luhan trailed off. “…haunted.”
The sound of thunder made them flinch. It could rain any minute now.
“We have no choice,” Chanyeol said. “We’re going there to rest.”
***
By the time they got to the house, it was already raining.
Everyone was soaked.
Sehun automatically checked for Yixing’s temperature. It seemed that a sprained ankle and the rain made his boyfriend have slight fever. Sehun worriedly wiped Yixing’s forehead with a dry handkerchief.
Luhan paused to regain his breath from all the running. He leaned against the wall, his eyes observing the surrounding around them. He was focusing on the road ahead of him earlier, so he didn’t really pay attention. Luhan held his breath when he realized that it was some kind of cemetery in the yard.
Chanyeol placed his backpack on the floor. His gaze was fixed on the pattern on the door. Chanyeol was just about to push to the door, when all of a sudden, the light above them went on.
The three of them looked at each other in horror.
It meant that someone was in the house.
None of them were unable to move, it was as if they were paralyzed.
It was Chanyeol who first snapped out of it and he held up his hand to knock on the door. He could hear it echoing despite the sound of the rain, and he couldn’t help but shudder.
Who the heck lives in the middle of the woods?
A few minutes had passed, but no one came to open the door. Chanyeol knocked once again, a bit longer this time.
Luhan shifted uncomfortably in his track, voicing out his thought. “Uh… I don’t think this is such a good idea now. Perhaps we should just go-“
“I’m not going in this rain,” Sehun interrupted darkly. “Yixing’s temperature is rising and his health is more important to me.”
“But-“
“Just until his fever subsides and then we leave. Please.”
Luhan pressed his lips into a thin line, clearly uncertain. “We don’t even know if the owner would-“
The front door creaked open with a terrifying sound.
Luhan squealed and immediately took cover behind Chanyeol, who was too shocked to do anything. All of them thought that whoever opened it would be as scary as hell, but it turned out that they were wrong.
It was a male.
And he looked…okay.
Scratch that, he was a very handsome male. His skin was tanned and he had a tall, slender body. The male seemed normal, but the way he looked at Chanyeol and the others weren’t exactly welcoming.
“H-hello,” Luhan stepped aside and braved himself to speak. “We’re-“
“You should go.”
Was the male’s only reply, and he was about to shut the door when Sehun exclaimed,
“Wait! Please. We need shelter.”
The male did nothing but to stare nonchalantly at Sehun, and the latter took it as a chance to continue.
“My boyfriend…he has a fever. Please, just until his fever subsides, and then we’re out of here. I swear.” Sehun bowed slightly. “Please…”
“Besides, it’s raining,” Chanyeol hastily added. “You can’t possibly want us to get killed out there…”
The male’s expression changed at that. He seemed to ponder for a moment. His gaze went back and forth between Sehun and Yixing before finally sighing and nodding in resignation. He opened the door wider as he stepped aside. “Just until he’s better.”
“Thank you,” Sehun said gratefully. “Thank you so much…”
Luhan threw one last glance at the cemetery before following his friends inside.
***
A house was probably an understatement.
Given the size, it could be called a mansion. But the chipped paint and cropped wallpaper showed that the place was old, and yet it was still well taken care of. The place was too big for one person-unless the male was actually living here with his royal family and his maids.
They followed the owner quietly to the second floor.
Chanyeol mutely nudged Luhan, motioning about the tan male and he earned a glare in return. The tallest male between the three nearly nudged Sehun too, but he became reluctant when the latter already gave him a look before he did anything.
Suddenly, the owner stopped, and the three men behind him abruptly copied his action in order not to bump into his back.
“You can use these two rooms,” the tan male explained as he pointed two doors at the end of the hall. “Please, have some rest.”
“Thank you,” Sehun said. He seemed to be the only one who was grateful, despite the owner’s cold attitude. But then again, it was perfectly
normal, because they were strangers.
The other male only nodded in response and he was about to walk away when Luhan said,
“Please wait.”
He simply glanced over his shoulder. Their eyes met and something within Luhan’s heart seemed to have stopped functioning, but the Chinese male chose to ignore it.
“May I ask for your name?”
The male’s eyes flashed, but it was probably just the reflection from the light.
“…Jongin.”
“Jongin,” Luhan repeated softly. “I’m Luhan. This is Chanyeol, Sehun, and Yixing. I just want to say…we’re grateful. Thank you very much for having us.”
Jongin stared a bit too long at them. He was expressionless, but something told Luhan that he was actually a kind person. Jongin nodded.
“Goodnight.”
Luhan instinctively smiled.
“Goodnight…”
***
When Luhan woke up, it was already morning.
Usually in a strange place he wouldn’t be able to fall asleep, but he guessed it was because of the exhaustion and Chanyeol’s (loud) snore that he felt a bit like home.
Luhan went to the bathroom to wash his face. He looked at his face in the mirror, letting the water dripped down from his chin and took a deep breath. The Chinese male then stripped out of his clothes to take a shower. The weather was a bit cold due to the rain last night and so did the water that went on his body, but it was refreshing. He decided to go out of the room and look for Jongin. Chanyeol was still sleeping in his bed, and when he peeked into Sehun and Yixing’s room, they were also still in deep slumber.
Luhan looked around in curiosity.
The place looked scary, indeed, because it was so big and no one else seemed to be around. So why did Jongin live here alone? And how did he afford food and electricity?
Luhan walked down the stairs quietly. He paused at the end of the stairs, frowning at the amount of doors. Which room was Jongin in…? He was close to giving up finding out, but as if it was meant to happen, he saw Jongin walking into one of the doors at the end of the hall. Without thinking, Luhan quickened his steps.
“Jongin?”
Jongin turned around and Luhan noticed he was holding a pan in one of his hands. The corner of Luhan’s lips twitched into a smile, feeling a bit amused at the view.
Perhaps Jongin wasn’t that scary after all.
“Good morning,” Luhan’s smile became wider. “Here, let me help you with that.”
Jongin looked a bit skeptical. “It’s okay.”
“No, you’ve helped us. The least I could do is to help you back.”
Jongin stared at Luhan momentarily before shrugging. The taller of the two went to the refrigerator and Luhan had to admit that he was a bit surprised because Jongin had quite a lot of food. Jongin then washed the eggs wordlessly-omelet for breakfast, it seemed-as if Luhan wasn’t there.
Luhan cleared his throat. “Jongin? Do you mind if I ask you something?”
“Shoot.”
“Do you live here alone?”
One of the eggs slipped out of Jongin’s hand and it cracked on the sink. He casually grabbed what was left of it and tossed it in the nearest trash bin. Jongin went back to the refrigerator to take another one.
“Yeah.”
Luhan was itching to grab the eggs to help Jongin, but it didn’t look like Jongin needed-or wanted-help. But still, he didn’t give up. Luhan deliberately opened the cupboards to look for plates or other kitchen utensils. Jongin watched him doing so, but he still said nothing.
“How do you afford the food? I mean, you don’t happen to have any car…do you?”
“Once a month, my brother comes here.”
Jongin was a man with fewer words, which Luhan finally acknowledged. However, at least a conversation was established no matter how short-and cold-it was. Luhan managed to find a knife and he started cutting the onions. He only took a second to pause and look out of the window, and what he saw stunned him.
The cemetery.
Jongin realized where Luhan’s line of sight went.
Luhan counted not one, two, but eight gravestones. Being this far from basically everywhere, it could only mean that they were family-or even pets. Curious, Luhan decided to just ask as he continued cutting.
“Are they your family?”
Jongin ignored the question by turning on the stove and put the pan on it.
“How’s your sick friend?”
“Eh?”
“You should leave as soon as you can.”
“Why?”
The tan male said nothing after that, but Luhan caught him stealing a quick glance at the gravestones, and he just kind of had a feeling.
Perhaps those who were buried there weren’t just family.
***
Chanyeol rubbed his eyes sleepily as he regained his consciousness back.
He fell asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow last night. The bed was still comfortable, although perhaps no one had used it in years. The male yawned widely as he turned to Luhan’s bed, wanted to greet his friend.
It was already made.
Chanyeol blinked and shrugged to himself. Luhan had always been a morning person, so Chanyeol wouldn’t worry if he wasn’t there. Luhan was probably off to explore the place. Chanyeol then took a quick shower and got dressed. He packed his things back just in case Yixing was feeling better. The sooner they got out of there, the better.
The tall male knocked softly on Sehun’s door before peeking inside. He was greeted with the view of Sehun putting a finger on his lips, asking him to stay quiet. Chanyeol flashed him a thumb up as he looked at Yixing. The Chinese male’s breath was steady. The color on Yixing’s face was back to normal. He looked better than last night.
I’ll get you something to eat, Chanyeol mouthed to Sehun which the latter replied with a silent thank you.
The godly smell of eggs and bacon drifted in the air and Chanyeol could feel his mouth watering. He jumped down two stairs at a time with his long legs. Chanyeol saw a glimpse of Luhan’s blond hair in the room at the end of the hall. He almost dashed to where his friend was, but stopped when he saw the door near the stairs was wide open.
Chanyeol became curious.
Was it Jongin’s bedroom?
Chanyeol pursed his lips thoughtfully. Was he curious about Jongin’s bedroom? Why not? Jongin seemed to live alone…what kind of bedroom did he have? His hunger was momentarily forgotten and Chanyeol changed his direction. He carefully pushed the door, but instead of a bed or a chair, the room actually led to what seemed to be a basement.
Chanyeol hesitated.
A basement in this kind of house usually was never good.
Chanyeol crossed his arms, thinking. For some reasons, his curiosity to explore the basement was bigger than to have breakfast at the moment. After having inner battle for a few seconds, the first thought won. Chanyeol dared himself as he silently walked down the stairs.
Surprisingly, the basement was well lit.
Chanyeol glanced around, but so far, there was nothing. It looked like an endless hall. Fear was starting to consume him and just when he thought about going back, he could see the end of the room. Chanyeol slowed his steps down.
He gulped.
It was a jail.
Although the inside wasn’t decorated to be one, it really was a jail.
Chanyeol’s brows knitted together into a line. Why was there a jail…? Who did Jongin hold captive…? There seemed to be a bed and another door that perhaps led to the bathroom. It looked cozy enough, despite the fact that it was behind bars.
His hunger was coming back and Chanyeol decided that his curiosity time was enough. He accidentally made a sound when he turned around-it must’ve been a rock or something that he kicked.
“Who is it?”
Chanyeol froze. Jongin? Wait, no. He thought it was Jongin, but from the way the question was asked, it wasn’t anger. And the voice was different. Chanyeol, a bit scared, tried to find the source of the voice. A ghost…? He almost screamed when he saw someone was there, standing behind the bars.
“Whoa!!” Chanyeol whispered loudly as he jumped backward. “You scared me to death!!!”
He was about to protest some more, but when Chanyeol got a good look at the male’s face, his words diminished instantly.
The male had the most beautiful eyes Chanyeol had ever seen.
Chanyeol’s heart almost came to a stop. The doe-eyed male was beautiful, very, very beautiful. His reddish plump lips, his long eyelashes, his milky skin… Perfect. Chanyeol’s mouth went dry, he ran out of words to describe the male before him. But then it occurred to him what the real problem was, and he frowned.
Why was he there?
“Who are you…?”
Chanyeol blinked. “I…”
“You shouldn’t be here,” the beautiful male whispered fearfully. “It’s not safe for you.”
Chanyeol took a step closer and the other male took a step back. He looked terrified, like he was afraid of him. “What’s your name…?”
The male shook his head.
“Hey, I’m not gonna do anything to you, I promise,” Chanyeol said reassuringly. “My name is Chanyeol. And you are…?”
He hesitated.
“You are…?”
“…Kyungsoo.”
“Kyungsoo. Very well. Kyungsoo.”
“You should leave. Now,” Kyungsoo said in a soft tone, but it was stern. “If you come here to rob, you won’t find anything valuable. We have nothing in this house.”
“I’m-we’re not robbers,” Chanyeol frowned, feeling slightly offended. He took a shower and he dressed decently, did he look like a robber?
Kyungsoo blanched. “We?”
“Yeah. I’m here with my friends. We got lost in the woods and then it started raining. My friend was sick and we had to find a shelter, and-“
“You have to get out of here,” Kyungsoo interjected. “You and your friends.”
“Come on. Is it that bad here?”
“Don’t you get it?” Kyungsoo hissed. “He’ll kill if you stay too long!”
Chanyeol gaped in shock. His eyes widened and for a second, he wondered if Kyungsoo was out of his mind. But the shorter male’s fear was genuine and it looked real. Kyungsoo was damn serious about it.
“Who’s…he?”
Kyungsoo whimpered fearfully.
“Jongin,” Chanyeol said quietly. “Did he lock you in here?”
Kyungsoo’s eyes softened at the name, but he still couldn’t hide the fear.
Chanyeol gritted his teeth. He felt emotional all of a sudden. “Don’t you worry, Kyungsoo. I’ll get you out of here.”
“Don’t,” Kyungsoo whispered, his lower lip was trembling. “I don’t want that. Just…be safe. He’ll kill you if he knows you’re down here…”
“But-“
“Go.”
Chanyeol curled his fingers into a fist. He stared at Kyungsoo, who looked so beautiful yet so fragile behind the bars, who was locked by Jongin but strangely chose not to be freed. It could be fear-no, it was definitely fear. Chanyeol felt a bit angry, but there was nothing he could do right then.
He took a good look at Kyungsoo one more time before turning around and walked away.
Chanyeol wondered if it was the right thing to do…
…to leave Kyungsoo back there.
***
Chanyeol immediately went back to the room to pack the rest of Luhan’s things. He just wanted to go away from there as soon as possible. Something wrong was going on, and he didn’t want his friends to be involved.
He wasn’t sure if Kyungsoo was lying or not, but the fear was real, and it was enough for him to believe the beautiful male’s words.
Chanyeol went to tell Sehun to pack, but when he got to his friend’s room, Sehun was a bit panicked. Yixing’s fever came back and it was 39,8 degrees.
“God,” Sehun breathed. “We need to get him to the hospital.”
It was the perfect reason to leave.
“Go pack your bags,” Chanyeol said to Sehun. “We’re leaving.”
Chanyeol brought his and Luhan’s backpacks downstairs. He placed them carelessly on the floor and barged into the dining room to get Luhan.
“Breakfast time is over. We’re leaving. Now,” Chanyeol said firmly.
Luhan’s eyes widened. “Chanyeol? B-but why?”
“We need to get Yixing to the hospital,” Chanyeol explained shortly. “His fever is high.”
“I have some medicines,” Jongin said as he stood up. “If you want-“
“No.”
Chanyeol’s eyes went to the knife Luhan used for cutting onions earlier. Without thinking, he grabbed it and pointed it toward Jongin’s direction.
“Chanyeol!” Luhan said in disbelief. “What are you doing??”
“I don’t trust him, that’s all. Sorry, Jongin. Luhan, grab another knife.”
“B-but-“
“Hurry, we don’t have much time!!”
Luhan groaned in exasperation but he did as he was told. The Chinese male opened the kitchen drawers frantically, searching for a knife. He finally got one and scurried back to Chanyeol’s side.
“Move,” Chanyeol ordered. Jongin wordlessly obeyed and they walked down the hall. Chanyeol told him to stop when they were in front of the stairs. “Now we wait for Sehun and Yixing and then we’re out of here.”
“Chanyeol,” Jongin said quietly. “Please, take anything you want. Don’t do this.”
Chanyeol opened his mouth to retort, but then he closed it back. “I can take anything I want?”
“I don’t have anything valuable, but if there’s anything you like-“
“How about Kyungsoo?”
Jongin almost cracked his neck for turning to Chanyeol so fast. His expression changed and his eyes were filled with visible anger. “You went to the basement?”
“Yeah. And I’m glad I did. How could you lock him away like that? But since you said, I can take anything I want-“
“Not Kyungsoo,” Jongin shook his head, pleading. “Please, not Kyungsoo, I beg you.”
“He’s the one that needs to be saved,” Chanyeol said coldly. “Luhan, stay here, don’t let him go anywhere. I’ll be back in a moment.” With that, he disappeared into one of the doors near the stairs.
“Who’s...Kyungsoo?” Luhan’s voice cracked. “Is there anyone else here? You…you lied to me?”
“Kyungsoo!”
Kyungsoo gasped when he saw Chanyeol holding the keys in his hands, trying to unlock the bars.
“Chanyeol! What are you doing here?”
“Luhan,” Jongin said through clenched teeth. “Lower your knife.”
“I can’t,” Luhan whispered. “I don’t understand, Jongin. But I’m sorry, I can’t.”
“You were wrong. You’re the one who’s not safe here,” Chanyeol said hastily. “You deserve a life out there, Kyungsoo.”
“B-but Jongin…?”
“You don’t have to be afraid of him anymore. I’ll protect you.”
“I thought you were nice,” Luhan continued sadly. “I thought we… I thought we could be friends.”
“Luhan,” Jongin repeated, firmly this time. “I swear to you…”
“Will I be free?” Kyungsoo’s expression was filled with hope. “I can…?”
“Yes, you can,” Chanyeol smiled in encouragement. “You can, Kyungsoo.”
"No. Don't talk, please."
“…I am not the threat here.”
“Jongin!!”
Jongin immediately fell silent at the mention of his name.
Chanyeol appeared with Kyungsoo behind him. He protectively stood in front of Kyungsoo, covering him from Jongin.
“Jongin!” Kyungsoo cried behind Chanyeol. “Jongin!”
“Kyungsoo,” Jongin said calmly, but there was something laced underneath his tone, that Luhan couldn’t make out what. “Kyungsoo, everything is going to be alright.”
“I’m taking him with me,” Chanyeol said to Jongin before looking at Luhan. “Now we’ll wait for Sehun and-“
Chanyeol never got to finish his sentence.
A knife was stabbed into his chest from behind, and Luhan acknowledged it was the same knife Chanyeol had earlier-he must’ve given it to Kyungsoo for protection. Chanyeol gasped hard for air and he looked down his chest before realizing what was going on.
“Kyung…soo?”
Chanyeol dropped lifelessly to the floor.
Luhan screamed loudly in horror.
“Luhan!!”
Jongin tried to grab Luhan’s arm to pull him closer, but before he got the chance to do so, Kyungsoo had already lunged forward to Luhan, snatching the knife he had, and stabbed the latter mercilessly until Luhan wasn’t breathing anymore. Jongin watched how Luhan struggled to keep his breath but it was no use. He had lost too much blood. Their eyes met, and Jongin knew immediately that Luhan was gone.
“NO!!!”
Jongin weakly dropped to his knees as he reached for Luhan's hand. Luhan wasn’t even able to cry in pain anymore...
There was a thud on the second floor, and both Kyungsoo and Jongin looked up. Sehun’s white face was even paler-he clearly witnessed the whole thing. Kyungsoo narrowed his eyes in disgust. He almost dashed up to where Sehun was, but Jongin shouted,
“Do!! They’ve done nothing wrong!!”
Kyungsoo stopped moving as he looked at Jongin.
“It’s enough, Do…” Jongin said inadequately, his eyes were beginning to tear. “They’ve done nothing wrong… I’m still here, right…?”
Kyungsoo tilted his head to one side, nodding as he walked closer to Jongin. “Chanyeol tried to take me away from you…and him?” He pointed at Luhan’s corpse with his foot. “I was so jealous when you tried to touch his arm, Jongin.”
“I know,” Jongin whispered painfully. “I’m sorry.”
“I had to kill them.”
“I know…” Jongin slowly extended his hand to take the knife Kyungsoo was holding. “I know, Do…”
The knife slipped out of Kyungsoo’s grasp and it made a clattering sound on the floor. Kyungsoo blinked rapidly for a moment before realizing what was going on and gasped loudly. The doe-eyed male went horror at all the blood in his hands and the fact that two dead bodies were around him.
“J-Jongin??” Kyungsoo cried distress. “Again…?”
Jongin looked tired and relieved at the same time. The tan male stood up and pulled Kyungsoo into his arms. “Yes… I’m sorry…”
“You killed them again? You killed them for me…?” Kyungsoo vigorously shook his head, struggling out of Jongin’s arms, but he failed. “Why, Jongin, why…?”
“They…they were trying to take you away from me, Kyungsoo…”
“B-but I’m not leaving, Jongin…”
“I know… I’m sorry…”
Kyungsoo then broke down in Jongin’s arms, his loud sobbing echoed throughout the room.
Jongin never stopped saying that he was sorry.
When he glanced up to the second floor and he saw Sehun was still there, he didn’t know what to do.
Jongin was just as lost as him.
***
Jongin added two more gravestones, this time with the help from Sehun.
Sehun didn’t ask for any explanation, but Jongin felt like he owed him one.
“I should’ve known,” Jongin started dryly. “I should’ve seen it coming.”
Sehun merely looked at him, waiting for the other male to continue his story.
“By the time I realized it, Kyungsoo had killed a lot. At first it was my pet. And then it was my friends. One of them got into a car accident. The other fell down the stairs. Some of them were missing, and the bodies were never found. I’ve just never thought… And then one day, I caught him hurting my brother. It was…horrifying. Fortunately it was just a cut and we were able to stop it. If it was more than that…I wouldn’t be able to forgive myself.”
Jongin exhaled through his nose.
“How could jealousy do such thing? Did I love the wrong person? Should I leave him? These kinds of questions keep on popping inside my head, and then I realize...it’s not Kyungsoo. It’s his other personality. And you’ve seen it, Sehun. You’ve seen Do, the cruelest part of Kyungsoo. And the worst part is that I didn’t know who I fall in love with. Was it Do? Was it Kyungsoo?”
Sehun absently stared at Chanyeol's gravestone.
“Kyungsoo thinks I kill these people because they want to take him away from me. While the reality is that Do kill these people because he thinks they want to take him away from me.”
Jongin grimaced.
“I’m sorry for your friends, Sehun... I’m really sorry.”
Sehun’s eyes became teary as he clenched his teeth. “Kyungsoo…he obviously needs help. You could’ve left, Jongin. Or better yet, you should’ve sent him to a ward. Why did you move here instead?”
“I guess...I guess I just didn’t want him to hurt anyone anymore.”
“Well, now you know that’s not true.”
“But it’s not his fault!” Jongin snapped. “It’s your friend’s fault! If he hadn’t gone to the basement, Kyungsoo wouldn’t have known…” He clicked his tongue. Jongin's eyes softened as he gazed at Luhan’s gravestone. “But Luhan…he was a nice…company.”
Sehun shut his eyes. “Yeah, he was…”
“We could’ve been friends…”
Sehun didn’t know how to react to that, so he said nothing more. They stayed silent for a little longer, staring at their friends’ gravestones.
“You know, Chanyeol said something that night. It was raining, and I couldn’t possibly want you guys to get killed out there…” Jongin chuckled dryly. “The irony.” He sighed and placed the shovel on the ground. “How’s your boyfriend, by the way?”
“He’s a bit better. I still need to take him to the hospital, though.”
“I see. I’m going to call my brother. He and his husband can give you a ride.”
“That would mean a lot. Thank you.”
Jongin smiled bitterly. “Aren’t you going to avenge your friends, Sehun?”
Sehun bit his lower lip. He had witnessed everything, sure, but in his point of view, Jongin wasn’t at fault. If anything, it was his fault, too, for asking shelter.
It got them into this mess.
“Why did you stay, Jongin?”
Jongin glanced up at the sky, as if he could find the answer there.
“Because I’m his husband.”
“And a husband shouldn’t leave his spouse just because they’re not like what he’s expected after marriage…”
End.
There was a story about a couple who lived in the woods.
They were very much in love with each other, and they were happy. The husband was handsome, and the wife was very beautiful. They were probably created and meant to be with each other for the rest of their lives.
However, it was said that nobody should take a look at the wife’s face, no matter how tempted they were. It was forbidden just to think about it, moreover to do it.
Because then, the husband would go berserk and kill everyone who he thought was going to destroy their marriage…
…with no hesitation at all.
That story would be no more.
Jongin watched as Sehun and Yixing drove away in his brother’s car. He had called Junmyeon earlier, asking for a favor to bring his friends to the hospital. When Junmyeon and Yifan, his husband, arrived, they didn’t probe further, but Junmyeon seemed to realize there were two newest graves. Junmyeon just hugged him tightly, and Jongin returned the hug.
Sehun and Yixing would be alright with his brother.
Jongin felt extremely tired. Digging two new holes and then bleaching the floor to get rid of the blood stain were exhausting him. The tan male felt like resting. He locked the front door and then went to the basement where his bedroom was with Kyungsoo.
Kyungsoo was sleeping soundly on the bed, looking very beautiful as usual. Jongin climbed the bed and instinctively pressed his lips against his spouse’s.
Cold.
Jongin observed Kyungsoo’s face for a moment. He looked so peaceful in his eternal sleep. No one would’ve thought that Kyungsoo had double personalities, or that he was capable of taking other people’s lives.
“I love you, Kim Kyungsoo...”
The water in Kyungsoo’s glass on the nightstand was half empty. Jongin brought the glass to his lips, thinking that he should’ve done it sooner. He glanced at Kyungsoo’s face one more time before gulping the rest of the liquid down his throat.
It tasted awful.
The tan male winced painfully as he felt something spread within him. He lie down beside Kyungsoo, and with the last of his strength, he intertwined their fingers together.
Jongin could feel his unconsciousness slipping away, but he knew for certain that this time…
…he wouldn’t be coming back.