Finale [2/2]
Title: Finale [2/2]
Author: FloweryMisha
Pairing: Sope, slight!VKook
Warning: BoyxBoy Love. Enough said.
Summary: When a string of murders take place in his town, Hoseok believes it’s the work of one person.
[1]
Another week went by quickly.
Hoseok felt like the weather was in sync with him that morning because the sun was hidden under the clouds. It had been raining all night before he went to bed, and hadn’t stopped the moment he woke up.
Not really wanting to speed up, the male arrived a bit late at the station. Hoseok nodded at the police officer in the front office. The said officer stood up, handing him a piece of yellow post-it.
“Good morning.”
“Good morning. There was a call from one Lee Jaehwan. He wished to speak to you or Detective Kim.”
“Thanks,” Hoseok frowned. A phone number was written on the post-it. Lee Jaehwan? He tried to remember who it was.
No clue.
Hoseok made himself a cup of coffee before settling on his desk. He glanced around at the empty room. Due to the gloomy weather, it seemed most of his colleagues decided not rushing to work that morning. Including Taehyung. He took a sip, savoring the godly feeling that radiated through his body, before dialing the phone number on the post-it.
It rang three times before someone picked it up. Hoseok took another sip.
“Good morning.”
Hoseok swallowed. “Good morning. Uh…Mr. Lee Jaehwan? This is Detective Jung. I was told you wanted to talk to me, or my partner.”
“Ah yes, I’m Lee Jaehwan. I’m a detective from K town. Is this the detective who handles the Yang Yoseob case?”
Hoseok straightened in his seat. “Yes, that’s me. I’m Jung Hoseok. How can I help you, Detective Lee?”
“I’ve been meaning to call you, but I wasn’t sure. I found out about Yang Yoseob from the news. However, since it’s been on my mind…I just feel like I should tell you. Uh, have you found who did it?”
“Unfortunately, not yet. Whoever did it was meticulous and precise…he really didn’t leave anything for us to find, except the body…”
“I see…so there’s been no progress?” It was like Jaehwan knew Hoseok was shaking his head, because he continued, “So the killer left the body in an alley. And it said in the news that the tongue was cut?”
“Right.”
“Detective Jung, other than losing his tongue…say, was he strangled?”
Hoseok’s heart almost stopped beating. “How do you know? We didn’t publish that fact. Don’t tell me, Detective Lee…do you have a similar case in K town?”
“Ah… I know I should’ve called you sooner. But you know, a killer in a small town like this makes everyone scared and started pointing fingers at each other. But in the end, we got nothing.”
“I understand. Here is just slightly bigger than your town, but it’s still a small one. We got nothing too at the moment. So did your victim die in a similar way or…?”
“Similar is the word. She was placed in an alley. Her hands were tied with a cable tie as well. But unlike your victim, her eyes were burnt. She still had her tongue, though.”
“And her cause of death…?”
“Strangulation.”
“The eyes-were they done postmortem?”
“Yes,” Jaehwan paused for a moment. “Do you think it’s a coincidence?"
Hoseok curled his hand into a fist. His heart was beating so fast.
It’s not a concidence.
“Thank you for calling me, Detective Lee. This is really helpful. Would you mind sending me a copy of the file? I’ll text you my email address right away.”
“I will. Anyway, if our cases are related…I hope you catch whoever did it.”
“Thank you. Again, thank you for information.”
Hoseok hung up and sank on his seat. His feeling was right. This was the work of a serial killer. There, he said it out loud in his mind.
K town was only two hours drive by car. It could’ve been the first victim…since it happened before Yoseob. But why did the killer do the first killing in another town? Did he live there? Or just happened to be passing by?
Just a few minutes after he texted his email address, his computer screen made a beep sound, indicating the email from Detective Lee had arrived. Hoseok grabbed his mouse and made clicking sound each time he opened a file.
Lee Chaerin.
Hoseok held his breath when he pulled up Chaerin’s ID, and she looked somewhat similar…
…to Yoongi.
Hoseok groaned as he slapped himself, hard.
“Hyung???”
Ignoring the stinging pain on his cheek, Hoseok turned to Taehyung, who gave him a wtf Hyung look. “Good morning.”
“Are you alright?” Taehyung frowned as he glanced at the screen. “Who is this?”
“The first victim.”
“The first…?”
“There’s been three victims so far, Taehyung. She was the first one. Yoseob was second, and Daniel was the third one.”
“But I don’t remember her. Or was her case handled by other detectives?”
“She was killed in the K town. Same environment, same cable tie, but her eyes were burnt. Look,” Hoseok pulled up the pictures of crime scene on the plasma screen. “She was also strangled to death. All these three were killed by the same person. Now we just have to find out the connection.”
“But why burn the eyes? Why cut the tongue? Why shoot the brain out?”
“…she saw something she wasn’t supposed to see? Yoseob said something he wasn’t supposed to say, and Daniel… I don’t know yet. He wasn’t thinking?”
“Wait,” Taehyung snapped his fingers. “What if your theory about CI was right? What if…these guys are witnesses and they’re about to testify? And whoever it is that they’re about to testify against, kill them? So that there won’t be any witness.”
“That’s a good theory,” Hoseok’s expression brightened before dimming again. “But if that’s the case, why hasn’t any of the lawyer contacted us? They definitely would know if their witnesses are being slaughtered…”
“Hm, you’re right, Hyung. Oh well, I’ll just start digging into their past, maybe these guys crossed paths somehow.” Taehyung paused, noticing that Hoseok had been glaring at the screen. “Are you alright, Hyung?”
Hoseok buried his face in his arms, sighing. He hated this feeling, he hated being restless like this. “Taehyung…do you think she looked like Yoongi?”
Taehyung tilted his head. “This woman? No, not really.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. Perhaps her eyes, but not…overall. No, not really. Why?”
Hoseok stared blankly at the photos of Chaerin on the screen. Was it just him, or did he think she did look a bit like his spouse…?
Maybe the killer had a type.
And the type just happened to be Yoongi.
Ah, no… Hoseok gritted his teeth. Don’t even think about it.
“If you miss Yoongi-hyung so much, why don’t you just give him a call?”
Taehyung then left to make some coffee, giving Hoseok some quietness to think.
The male’s thumb hovered on his screen on Yoongi’s name, wondering if he should call or not. Not that there was something wrong with calling his spouse...
"Babe?"
Hoseok’s eyes widened, he must’ve accidentally pressed it-which Yoongi picked up right away.
“Hello?”
“Hey,” Hoseok cleared his throat, hoping he wouldn’t sound off. “Are you still at home?”
“Nope, I’m at work already.”
“Oh. Alright.”
“So, what is it?”
“Uh…I forgot to ask you how the contract went.”
“And you only remember now? Well, Chanyeol-hyung was being very helpful and detailed, I think I might sign it this week. Cross my fingers, but hopefully everything goes well.”
“That’s good to hear, baby.”
“Yes. Anything else, babe?”
“Uh…you don’t happen to have a sasaeng, do you?”
Yoongi chuckled softly from the end of the line, it soothed Hoseok’s heart. “Seriously? I am not an idol, Hoseok-ah. I happen to have a lot of followers on my social media, but that’s just it.”
“Yoongi, I’m being serious. You would tell me if someone threatens you, right? Or if someone is stalking you…”
“Nothing like that, I swear. But, um…should I be worried?”
“No, no, just…tell me if anything seems out of place. Even just the smallest thing. Okay?”
“Speaking of out of place…do you really think Taehyung is the type of person who will send flowers to Jungkook?”
“Not in a million years.”
“I know, right? I wonder why Jungkook put them in my room. Did they have a fight?”
“I don’t think so, Taehyung seems to be in a good mood this morning.”
“Ah, okay then. My students are here. I need to go, Hoseok-ah."
"One more thing. Do you know a Lee Chaerin? Or a Yang Yoseob?”
“Hmm…not that I know of.”
Hoseok sighed inaudibly, not knowing if he should feel relieved or anxious about it. “Have a nice day, baby."
"Thank you. I love you, Hobi. Don’t forget to smile."
Hoseok replied with a small smile and hung up. Maybe Yoongi really was his soulmate, the one who always managed to make him loved, taken care of, and feel better. The thought made his heart flutter, and he was determined to go through the day with a positive attitude-hoping there would be a light in this case.
But it was too soon to think that way.
“Hyung,” Taehyung came back into the room with a serious expression. “We’ve got another...”
Hoseok went pale.
***
The rain subsided after another hour or so.
By the time it stopped, the body was completely drenched.
When they arrived at the crime scene, it was already too late. The rain probably had washed it all away.
Hoseok nearly had a heart attack the moment they arrived at the crime scene.
The victim looked exactly like Yoongi.
“Taehyung,” Hoseok pulled the younger male aside. “You wouldn’t lie to me this time, right? He looked like Yoongi!”
Taehyung took a swift glance at the victim and his eyes widened. He clasped a hand over his mouth, trying to sink the fact in. “Holy shit. You’re right, Hyung. What does it mean?”
Hoseok couldn’t bring himself to answer. Fear was starting to seep in, he didn’t know what to think anymore.
“Where’s Jimin-hyung? He definitely would notice, right?”
“Notice what?”
A handsome male was standing before them. He was carrying the evidence bag Jimin usually had with him.
“Uh…” Taehyung frowned. “Where’s Jimin?”
“I’m your medical examiner for today, since Jimin called-in sick. Said he’s coming down with something.”
“Where’s his intern?”
“Jimin has an intern? Lucky him. By the way, I’m Kim Seokjin.”
“You’re the medical examiner Namjoon-hyung favors,” Taehyung said without thinking, earning a dry smile from the handsome male. “I’m sorry. Please proceed. I’m Kim Taehyung and this is Jung Hoseok.”
Seokjin put on his surgical gloves and nodded. “I’ll do my best.”
“He’s escalating,” Hoseok said, more to himself than to anyone else. “Why is he escalating? What’s his endgame?”
“I don’t mean to be rude or anything, but he looks...so peaceful,” Seokjin said. “Like a lifeless doll…”
He was right, the victim looked like he was sleeping. His hands were tied with a cable tie on his lap-didn’t seem to be missing anything this time…
Hoseok merely stared as the medical examiner brushed a few strands aside from the victim’s forehead, and there was a sudden pang when he got a good look at the victim’s face.
Yoongi.
The victim looked so much like Yoongi that Hoseok’s mental was damaged.
“Don’t look,” Taehyung whispered, but Hoseok wouldn’t listen. “Hyung…”
Seokjin took his device out of the bag, and he was about to pull up the victim’s shirt when he stopped halfway. “Oh.”
“What?” Hoseok asked through his gritted teeth.
“He’s missing the skin of his torso. And what’s this…?” Seokjin trapped his tongue between his lips and tried to reach something with a tweezer. He finally got it. “A blue butterfly?”
It was as if a lightning struck through Hoseok’s brain.
“Did you send flowers to Jungkook the past few weeks?” Hoseok asked Taehyung, his voice trembling. “I said, did you even send flowers to Jungkook??”
“No,” Taehyung exclaimed in confusion. “I never sent Jungkook any flowers.”
“Shit,” Hoseok took out his phone, trying to reach Yoongi. “It’s a good thing Yoongi’s at work…at least there are a lot of people around…”
“What are you saying, Hyung?”
“Shit, where are you, baby,” Hoseok tapped on his screen frantically when his call couldn’t come in. “Wait, maybe he’s still teaching… Taehyung, could you please call Jungkook for me?”
“I don’t understand,” Taehyung said, but took out his phone anyway. “What is it, Hyung?”
“This guy was strangled,” Seokjin said as-a-matter-of-factly, but neither the detectives paid attention to him.
“I think the killer’s been targeting Yoongi all along,” Hoseok said, his eyes on Taehyung’s screen-the latter had set the call on speaker. Jungkook was still not picking up. “I think the killer’s…obsessed.”
“Obsessed? How?”
“First victim-her eyes were burnt. What if it was the killer’s way of saying, you blinded me-or your beauty blinded me?”
Taehyung nodded slowly, as realization dawned upon him. “Then the meaning of the second killing would be…you made me speechless-Yoongi-hyung’s song, perhaps? His voice?”
“The third one-now I understand: You blew my mind. And this one…definitely butterflies in my stomach.”
“Holy shit,” Taehyung whistled. “It’s a love declaration. A love poem. Dude, what a twisted say of saying ‘I love you’...”
“Interesting,” Seokjin piped in. “But you might want to revise that poem. The skin was neatly sewn back, so I almost missed it. But I have great eyes-and yes, Namjoon favors me.”
Both detectives stared at him in confusion.
“Your beauty blinded me, your voice rendered me speechless, you blew my mind, you caused butterflies in my stomach,” Seokjin held up a finger for each sentence. He paused, waiting for the suspense to kick in even more before adding,
“And you’ve stolen my heart.”
***
Hoseok’s world stopped moving when Jungkook said Yoongi left a few minutes just after their last phone call.
How, why, when, where, with who, Jungkook didn’t know. All he knew was that Yoongi went outside, and he never went back.
And the flowers were indeed for Yoongi.
There were no cards, but the courier always said it was for the pretty male, which was why Jungkook put them in his room.
They were probably from the killer.
Fortunately, the camera in the hallway was working, so they could see who was in the hallway before Yoongi went out.
It was Yeonjun.
Taehyung looked at the video in disbelief. Yeonjun said something to Yoongi, which got the latter to follow the him outside. It was raining at the moment, what could Yeonjun possibly had said to Yoongi…?
Hoseok was so angry at himself.
Was that why the intern had been glaring at him this whole time? Because he was a fan-no, it was more than that, it was an obsession. Did Yeonjun love Yoongi…?
Yoongi was his, dammit, they had tied the knot and their marriage was legal.
Was that why he came after people who looked similar to Yoongi? Because he couldn’t have him? And if he couldn’t have him, then no one else could?
Hoseok’s head hurt so bad from all the anger and unanswered questions. If only he had taken his gut seriously from the start, that the victims had a resemblance to Yoongi…no matter how small it was, perhaps it wouldn’t have gotten this far. And why was he so calm this whole time, knowing that the killer might really after the real Jung Yoongi?
Yeonjun’s phone was turned off, and his apartment was empty. Taehyung had officers guarding at the highway to the next town, but Hoseok didn’t think he’d run away… If Yoongi was his real target all along, there was a chance he would hurt him.
Dear God, please, don’t let it happen.
Please.
I’m begging you…
Taehyung looked at his partner worriedly. If he were in his shoes-if it was Jungkook who was missing-he probably would be in the same state.
Worse, perhaps.
Taehyung tried to encourage the older male by patting his shoulder. “You need to eat something, Hyung. You need to have strength to find Yoongi-hyung.”
“Can’t. Yoongi is my strength.”
“I know… Let’s review the cases back, Hyung. From the first victim.”
“It’s no use, Taehyung. I can’t think.”
“Come on, Hyung, let’s think together. Two brains are better than one. So, judging from the whole love declaration thingy, how long do you think Yeonjun the villain has fallen in love with Yoongi-hyung?”
Hoseok gave Taehyung a very nonchalant stare, but his eyes were sparkled with slight curiosity.
“Let’s see, Yoongi-hyung stepped out of the spotlight right after he marries you, so it was around…eight months ago? If he was really a fan of Yoongi-hyung, certainly the resentment started around eight months ago. But the first killing happened around two months ago. Right before…Yeonjun became an intern with Jimin. What if the first one was an accident?”
“Accident how?”
“I mean, more like…after the first kill, he wanted more. You know, the adrenaline that was felt through the first killing was so amazing that he had to kill more.”
Hoseok pondered momentarily. “Maybe you were right. Maybe, when he was in K town, he just came across Chaerin, surprised that she looked a lot like Yoongi. Maybe Chaerin rejected him. Yeonjun, whose pride was hurt, decided to kill her.”
“But it wasn’t enough. So when he was back in town, and he saw Yoseob-”
“But wait, if I’m the one he hates so much, why not kill someone who looks like me?”
“Maybe it’s harder to find someone who looks like you,” Taehyung tried to crack a joke, a really bad joke.
“Are you kidding me? It’s harder to find people with faces like Yoongi. Unless he…” Hoseok trailed off, his eyes diverting to their plasma screen.
“Finds people using our database,” Taehyung finished Hoseok’s sentence. “Damn brilliant, Jimin’s intern. Just run a picture against a database full of millions of people-I don’t know if it’s really working though-wait, this isn’t the time to compliment a killer on the loose. Come on, Hyung. Help me think. If you were the killer…where would you take him?”
“Stop forcing me to think, would you be able to think if you were in my position?”
“You have to, Hyung. Don’t you want to find Yoongi-hyung?”
Hoseok nearly broke down upon hearing it. Of course it was the main purpose right now. But what if he couldn’t find him…? His mind flashed back to that one moment, their very first meeting.
Yoongi looked so beautiful that night, clad in white sweater, that somehow brought out the color of his eyes. His smile was somewhat sheepish, Hoseok confidently wondered if it was also love at first sight for Yoongi…?
The black-haired male brought his hand to his lips, biting his nail. Something seemed to be on his mind.
Taehyung noticed that expression. “What is it, Hyung?”
“If it’s just like what you said, the resentment started around eight months ago…then it must be before our wedding. That means, Yeonjun could be one of the regulars that came to watch Yoongi sing.” Hoseok stood up abruptly, nearly causing Taehyung to fall from his seat. “Of course! The café!”
“The café? But it’s closed three months ago, right? Which is perfect for-you’re a genius, Hyung!”
Taehyung quickly followed Hoseok who was already half-running and managed to grab his jacket on his way out.
***
Fortunately, Hoseok’s gut was right.
His heart almost sank to the bottom of his stomach upon seeing Yoongi, in the middle of the empty room, bound to a chair with his mouth gagged and his wrists tied with a cable tie. His hands were taped together, clearly holding something.
Hoseok tried not to think about it, as Yoongi’s safety was his first priority. Relief washed over him when he realized there was no strangulation mark on his neck and his husband was still breathing. Hoseok immediately tried to free him with the pocket knife Taehyung gave him.
Unfortunately, Yoongi jerked awake when Hoseok was still done halfway, and his eyes widened in horror as he realized something was on his hands. Needless to say, the pretty male whimpered loudly, panicked and scared as he tried to break loose of the chair, causing Hoseok to almost stumble backward.
Hoseok nearly shouted in frustration, wanting Yoongi to calm down, but then managed to tear the tape in time and slapped away whatever the thing that was on Yoongi’s palms.
It was a heart.
The missing heart from the last victim.
Yoongi cried feebly as Hoseok pulled him into his embrace, removing the handkerchief from the former’s mouth, not giving a damn that his shirt was stained with traces of blood from the heart. What was important that Yoongi was safe, and it was all that mattered.
Taehyung sent him a look of relief, which Hoseok returned with wordless gratitude.
Yeonjun was nowhere to be found.
The reason why Yoongi agreed to follow Yeonjun was because he said he was sent by Hoseok, to get him to a safe place. He didn’t know why he obliged-he had just hung up the call with Hoseok back then. The last thing Yoongi remembered was him entering the car, and then everything went black.
It seemed that Yeonjun killed all the victims at the café first before relocating them to the alleys. They dusted the place for prints, but certainly Yeonjun wore surgical gloves, because there weren’t any.
Hoseok was determined not to make the same mistake again. It was fortunate that Yoongi wasn’t hurt this time. But what about next time? There couldn’t be a next time…he couldn’t let it happen. Hoseok wouldn’t be able to live if something ever happened to Yoongi again…so with that in mind, he submitted his resignation letter. He made up his mind about moving to Seoul, so that Yoongi could start his career right away.
Taehyung said he could ask Chanyeol to help if Hoseok was interested in becoming a PI in Seoul, but right now, he just wanted to be there for Yoongi, to accompany him wherever he needed.
In his last week as a detective, Yeonjun was found dead in a motel. He hung himself in the motel room. There was no foul play, said Seokjin-since Jimin was still sick, everything was consistent with suicide, so it was what they ruled out.
Hoseok managed to take a look at Yeonjun’s palms before they took him down. They were pretty smooth for a killer who strangled four victims to death. Maybe they were already healing…
He decided not to think about it.
On his last day of work, Hoseok came to the station to gather his stuff. He sat by his desk in silence. All the memories came back to him-his first day of being a detective, his first day of having Taehyung as a partner, his first time solving a case…
Hoseok smiled.
He was grateful for everything. Partnering with Taehyung got him to meet Yoongi. Although the pay as a homicide detective wasn’t much, it was enough to pay the bills and put some food on the table. The black-haired male was almost done putting the rest of his stuff into a medium-sized box when his phone was ringing.
“Hey, baby.”
“Are you still at the station?”
“Yeah, I’m done though. I’ll be home soon.”
“Can you drop by the store? I suddenly crave for meat…”
“Sure. Better yet, how about we just dine-in at the restaurant? I should be able to pick you up in thirty.”
“You’d do that?”
Hoseok snorted. “What do you mean, I’d do that? Of course I’ll do anything for you.”
Yoongi fell silent on the other line, and it lasted for a while. “…babe?”
“Yes?”
“Are you sure about moving to Seoul? You don’t have to worry about me… I’ll be fine as long as I’m with you.”
Hoseok knew Yoongi was lying. He knew that the pretty male still woke up in the middle of the night, suppressing his tears so that he wouldn’t wake Hoseok up. His soft sobs pained him. Sometimes it was obvious that he wasn’t fine, the way his shoulders flinched every time Hoseok was about to grab his hand, but still, he lied to make him feel better. Yoongi insisted that he didn’t need to see anyone about it, so the younger of the two decided that a new environment would be better for them.
“I’m sure. Stop asking me about it, okay? We’re moving and that’s final.”
“…alright babe… Well, I’ll get ready then. See you soon, Hobi-baby.”
The moment Yoongi disconnected the call, another call came in. It was Jimin.
“Hey, how are you?”
“Hyung!” Jimin said and immediately erupted into series of coughing. “Hyung! Are you really quitting?”
“Ah… I’m sorry I haven’t told you. I’m afraid it’s true, I really quit, and I’m leaving next Monday.”
“That’s three days to go! You’re really moving to Seoul? For real? Why so sudden? Why must you do it when I’m sick? Taehyung by himself is not fun! Yin-Yang couple is not going to be the same anymore! Who am I going to watch for entertainment then?”
“I do hope my replacement will be as fun as me,” Hoseok laughed heartily. “And I hope you find someone soon. Why are you still single, again?” He could feel Jimin pouting and quickly added, “Anyway, thank you so much for everything. It’s been fun, Jimin.”
It was obvious that the younger male started tearing up. “Ah, I hate you for making me feel like this… Thank you so much for everything too, Hyung…and… I’m sorry…”
“What are you apologizing for?”
“Because Yeonjun… I swear, I had no idea…”
“It’s not your fault,” Hoseok shook his head as if Jimin could see him. “If anyone is to be blamed, I blame myself. All of this probably happens because of me…”
Because I married Yoongi.
“Anyway, I gotta go…and oh, if you’re feeling any better…why don’t you come tomorrow night? Taehyung and Jungkook are coming over for a little farewell party. Not exactly a party, it’s just the four of us, though. But I think I heard him saying something about dragging Namjoon and Seokjin-hyung along…”
“I’d love to, but…this is the worst cold I’ve ever had. I’m afraid I would just spread the virus to the others…but maybe I could send you at the airport on Monday?”
“Sounds good,” Hoseok grinned. “See you then, Jimin. Get well soon.”
“See you, Hyung…”
With that, Hoseok looked at his surrounding once again before leaving for good.
***
When the time came, Hoseok didn’t think he would feel this brokenhearted.
He hugged Taehyung tightly at the airport one last time before really letting him go. All the good times they spent together would definitely be the most cherished memories. Hoseok didn’t forget to nudge the younger male in the rib, whispering, don’t let Jungkook wait too long!
Jimin managed to come to send them off, and he seemed to be the saddest one between them all. The blond-haired male couldn’t stop crying as he buried his face in Yoongi’s arms. Sleep well, eat well, Hyung. Don’t forget to smile. Don’t forget me.
In the end, they really had to say goodbye and parted ways with each other.
Hoseok and Yoongi waved one last time at the three of them before walking into the waiting room.
A couple of minutes after the plane had taken off, Yoongi leaned his head on Hoseok’s shoulder, chuckling. “I can’t believe we’re really doing this. Aside from marrying you, this has got to be the biggest decision of my life. I’m about to be a music producer!”
“Have you decided your producer name yet?”
Yoongi pursed his lips. “Perhaps the same one as my stage name…”
“Suga sounds good.”
“Or Agust D…something. I don’t know yet.”
“How about J-Hope? Sounds lovely.”
Yoongi wrinkled his nose in playful distaste. “It sounds more like a hip-hop singer than a producer. Also, off topic, I can’t believe Taehyung shed a tear back then. He must really cares about you.”
“Well, we’ve been partners for six years…how could he not care about me?”
Yoongi laughed.
Hoseok smiled upon seeing him laugh. His spouse was looking a lot prettier than usual. He could tell that Yoongi was happy-it must be why he smiled so much.
“Ah…”
Yoongi then reached for a box from his bag. It was a small carton box, wrapped prettily with a blue ribbon.
“What’s that?”
“I almost forgot. Jimin said to open this while in the sky… It means while we’re still on the plane, right?” He carefully unwrapped the ribbon and opened the box. “Hm? What’s this? So pretty…a blue butterfly.”
Hoseok’s expression turned horror.
End.
Jimin hated Hoseok.
He hated him so much he wanted to kill him.
He was the first person to fall in love with Yoongi. Way back before Hoseok came into the picture.
Jimin never missed Yoongi’s performance in the café. He never missed Yoongi’s live story on social media, he never missed the older male’s birthday, he never missed anything about Yoongi.
That idiot Taehyung just had to bring Hoseok along and ruin everything!
And how could Yoongi accepted someone who looked like Jung Hoseok, when Park Jimin was clearly better looking than him? And was he out of his mind that only after three months of dating, he accepted that regular-looking guy’s proposal??
Jimin was outraged.
He loathed Hoseok, but he couldn’t show it, for the sake of seeing Yoongi. If he maintained a good friendship with Hoseok, surely he could still see Yoongi, since the pretty male decided to quit singing ever since he married that awful detective. Jimin couldn’t see him freely anymore without Hoseok by his side.
Goddammit.
There was nothing he could do about it.
So Jimin started to fantasize.
He started to fantasize the extreme ways of crying his heart out loud to Yoongi. Should he murder Hoseok first? Torture him? Mutilating him? And then display his dead body in public?
Hmm, it would be very satisfying.
But no, he wasn’t in a rush. He would plan it all first so that it would be a perfect kill.
Jimin came across Chaerin by accident. He went to K town to attend a friend’s wedding party, and that was when he met her. Jimin was utterly shocked that there was someone who looked similar to Yoongi, although this one happened to have boobs.
While thinking how to approach Chaerin, Jimin was approached first by Yeonjun. He remembered him, he was his junior while they were in the university, and he knew for a fact that Yeonjun was madly in love with him since a long time ago. So they had sex in Jimin’s car, and he offered him an internship, knowing that it would look good on his resume, which the younger male happily accepted. Jimin smiled, before kissing Yeonjun one last time, saying see him soon, before leaving and went to kill Chaerin.
It evolved the needing to kill more.
Every time the killing happened, if Taehyung and Hoseok were bright enough, they would ask where had he been, why his car changed every single time, but no. They trusted him, and that was where they wrong.
But while working on the last victim-Lee Jihoon, who happened to have the most similar face to Yoongi-his stupid rental car broke down, so he had to walk in the rain after placing the body. It was midnight, so he couldn’t get any Uber, since the neighborhood he was in was a bit sketchy. He got no umbrella and no jacket, which resulted in a fever.
Yeonjun came over to check on him, and somehow that idiot Yeonjun found out that Jimin was behind the killings all along-it seemed like because he found the heart in the jar, Jimin forgot to hide it. At first Yeonjun must’ve thought that Hoseok was the one he liked-based on the glaring he sent the older male. His mistake was that he tried to be a hero and made things right, as he kidnapped Yoongi and set him in that café. Jimin guessed Yeonjun did it in order to help him, if any of the suspicion ever pointed at him, at least he had an alibi.
It was a shame Jimin had to end Yeonjun’s life-because how could he ever lay his filthy hands on Yoongi? The male had been nothing but sweet to him. But of course, there was nothing sweeter to him than Yoongi, the Suga of his life.
“Seoul, huh…?”
Jimin knew he had to up his endgame the moment Hoseok said they were moving. It was no use hiding it now, he would show them all his true colors.
“Just wait, Yoongi-hyung. I’ll soon make you mine. Just you wait…”
Jimin smiled darkly as he held a blue butterfly.
“It’ll be my finale for you, Hyung.”
Author: FloweryMisha
Pairing: Sope, slight!VKook
Warning: BoyxBoy Love. Enough said.
Summary: When a string of murders take place in his town, Hoseok believes it’s the work of one person.
[1]
Another week went by quickly.
Hoseok felt like the weather was in sync with him that morning because the sun was hidden under the clouds. It had been raining all night before he went to bed, and hadn’t stopped the moment he woke up.
Not really wanting to speed up, the male arrived a bit late at the station. Hoseok nodded at the police officer in the front office. The said officer stood up, handing him a piece of yellow post-it.
“Good morning.”
“Good morning. There was a call from one Lee Jaehwan. He wished to speak to you or Detective Kim.”
“Thanks,” Hoseok frowned. A phone number was written on the post-it. Lee Jaehwan? He tried to remember who it was.
No clue.
Hoseok made himself a cup of coffee before settling on his desk. He glanced around at the empty room. Due to the gloomy weather, it seemed most of his colleagues decided not rushing to work that morning. Including Taehyung. He took a sip, savoring the godly feeling that radiated through his body, before dialing the phone number on the post-it.
It rang three times before someone picked it up. Hoseok took another sip.
“Good morning.”
Hoseok swallowed. “Good morning. Uh…Mr. Lee Jaehwan? This is Detective Jung. I was told you wanted to talk to me, or my partner.”
“Ah yes, I’m Lee Jaehwan. I’m a detective from K town. Is this the detective who handles the Yang Yoseob case?”
Hoseok straightened in his seat. “Yes, that’s me. I’m Jung Hoseok. How can I help you, Detective Lee?”
“I’ve been meaning to call you, but I wasn’t sure. I found out about Yang Yoseob from the news. However, since it’s been on my mind…I just feel like I should tell you. Uh, have you found who did it?”
“Unfortunately, not yet. Whoever did it was meticulous and precise…he really didn’t leave anything for us to find, except the body…”
“I see…so there’s been no progress?” It was like Jaehwan knew Hoseok was shaking his head, because he continued, “So the killer left the body in an alley. And it said in the news that the tongue was cut?”
“Right.”
“Detective Jung, other than losing his tongue…say, was he strangled?”
Hoseok’s heart almost stopped beating. “How do you know? We didn’t publish that fact. Don’t tell me, Detective Lee…do you have a similar case in K town?”
“Ah… I know I should’ve called you sooner. But you know, a killer in a small town like this makes everyone scared and started pointing fingers at each other. But in the end, we got nothing.”
“I understand. Here is just slightly bigger than your town, but it’s still a small one. We got nothing too at the moment. So did your victim die in a similar way or…?”
“Similar is the word. She was placed in an alley. Her hands were tied with a cable tie as well. But unlike your victim, her eyes were burnt. She still had her tongue, though.”
“And her cause of death…?”
“Strangulation.”
“The eyes-were they done postmortem?”
“Yes,” Jaehwan paused for a moment. “Do you think it’s a coincidence?"
Hoseok curled his hand into a fist. His heart was beating so fast.
It’s not a concidence.
“Thank you for calling me, Detective Lee. This is really helpful. Would you mind sending me a copy of the file? I’ll text you my email address right away.”
“I will. Anyway, if our cases are related…I hope you catch whoever did it.”
“Thank you. Again, thank you for information.”
Hoseok hung up and sank on his seat. His feeling was right. This was the work of a serial killer. There, he said it out loud in his mind.
K town was only two hours drive by car. It could’ve been the first victim…since it happened before Yoseob. But why did the killer do the first killing in another town? Did he live there? Or just happened to be passing by?
Just a few minutes after he texted his email address, his computer screen made a beep sound, indicating the email from Detective Lee had arrived. Hoseok grabbed his mouse and made clicking sound each time he opened a file.
Lee Chaerin.
Hoseok held his breath when he pulled up Chaerin’s ID, and she looked somewhat similar…
…to Yoongi.
Hoseok groaned as he slapped himself, hard.
“Hyung???”
Ignoring the stinging pain on his cheek, Hoseok turned to Taehyung, who gave him a wtf Hyung look. “Good morning.”
“Are you alright?” Taehyung frowned as he glanced at the screen. “Who is this?”
“The first victim.”
“The first…?”
“There’s been three victims so far, Taehyung. She was the first one. Yoseob was second, and Daniel was the third one.”
“But I don’t remember her. Or was her case handled by other detectives?”
“She was killed in the K town. Same environment, same cable tie, but her eyes were burnt. Look,” Hoseok pulled up the pictures of crime scene on the plasma screen. “She was also strangled to death. All these three were killed by the same person. Now we just have to find out the connection.”
“But why burn the eyes? Why cut the tongue? Why shoot the brain out?”
“…she saw something she wasn’t supposed to see? Yoseob said something he wasn’t supposed to say, and Daniel… I don’t know yet. He wasn’t thinking?”
“Wait,” Taehyung snapped his fingers. “What if your theory about CI was right? What if…these guys are witnesses and they’re about to testify? And whoever it is that they’re about to testify against, kill them? So that there won’t be any witness.”
“That’s a good theory,” Hoseok’s expression brightened before dimming again. “But if that’s the case, why hasn’t any of the lawyer contacted us? They definitely would know if their witnesses are being slaughtered…”
“Hm, you’re right, Hyung. Oh well, I’ll just start digging into their past, maybe these guys crossed paths somehow.” Taehyung paused, noticing that Hoseok had been glaring at the screen. “Are you alright, Hyung?”
Hoseok buried his face in his arms, sighing. He hated this feeling, he hated being restless like this. “Taehyung…do you think she looked like Yoongi?”
Taehyung tilted his head. “This woman? No, not really.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. Perhaps her eyes, but not…overall. No, not really. Why?”
Hoseok stared blankly at the photos of Chaerin on the screen. Was it just him, or did he think she did look a bit like his spouse…?
Maybe the killer had a type.
And the type just happened to be Yoongi.
Ah, no… Hoseok gritted his teeth. Don’t even think about it.
“If you miss Yoongi-hyung so much, why don’t you just give him a call?”
Taehyung then left to make some coffee, giving Hoseok some quietness to think.
The male’s thumb hovered on his screen on Yoongi’s name, wondering if he should call or not. Not that there was something wrong with calling his spouse...
"Babe?"
Hoseok’s eyes widened, he must’ve accidentally pressed it-which Yoongi picked up right away.
“Hello?”
“Hey,” Hoseok cleared his throat, hoping he wouldn’t sound off. “Are you still at home?”
“Nope, I’m at work already.”
“Oh. Alright.”
“So, what is it?”
“Uh…I forgot to ask you how the contract went.”
“And you only remember now? Well, Chanyeol-hyung was being very helpful and detailed, I think I might sign it this week. Cross my fingers, but hopefully everything goes well.”
“That’s good to hear, baby.”
“Yes. Anything else, babe?”
“Uh…you don’t happen to have a sasaeng, do you?”
Yoongi chuckled softly from the end of the line, it soothed Hoseok’s heart. “Seriously? I am not an idol, Hoseok-ah. I happen to have a lot of followers on my social media, but that’s just it.”
“Yoongi, I’m being serious. You would tell me if someone threatens you, right? Or if someone is stalking you…”
“Nothing like that, I swear. But, um…should I be worried?”
“No, no, just…tell me if anything seems out of place. Even just the smallest thing. Okay?”
“Speaking of out of place…do you really think Taehyung is the type of person who will send flowers to Jungkook?”
“Not in a million years.”
“I know, right? I wonder why Jungkook put them in my room. Did they have a fight?”
“I don’t think so, Taehyung seems to be in a good mood this morning.”
“Ah, okay then. My students are here. I need to go, Hoseok-ah."
"One more thing. Do you know a Lee Chaerin? Or a Yang Yoseob?”
“Hmm…not that I know of.”
Hoseok sighed inaudibly, not knowing if he should feel relieved or anxious about it. “Have a nice day, baby."
"Thank you. I love you, Hobi. Don’t forget to smile."
Hoseok replied with a small smile and hung up. Maybe Yoongi really was his soulmate, the one who always managed to make him loved, taken care of, and feel better. The thought made his heart flutter, and he was determined to go through the day with a positive attitude-hoping there would be a light in this case.
But it was too soon to think that way.
“Hyung,” Taehyung came back into the room with a serious expression. “We’ve got another...”
Hoseok went pale.
***
The rain subsided after another hour or so.
By the time it stopped, the body was completely drenched.
When they arrived at the crime scene, it was already too late. The rain probably had washed it all away.
Hoseok nearly had a heart attack the moment they arrived at the crime scene.
The victim looked exactly like Yoongi.
“Taehyung,” Hoseok pulled the younger male aside. “You wouldn’t lie to me this time, right? He looked like Yoongi!”
Taehyung took a swift glance at the victim and his eyes widened. He clasped a hand over his mouth, trying to sink the fact in. “Holy shit. You’re right, Hyung. What does it mean?”
Hoseok couldn’t bring himself to answer. Fear was starting to seep in, he didn’t know what to think anymore.
“Where’s Jimin-hyung? He definitely would notice, right?”
“Notice what?”
A handsome male was standing before them. He was carrying the evidence bag Jimin usually had with him.
“Uh…” Taehyung frowned. “Where’s Jimin?”
“I’m your medical examiner for today, since Jimin called-in sick. Said he’s coming down with something.”
“Where’s his intern?”
“Jimin has an intern? Lucky him. By the way, I’m Kim Seokjin.”
“You’re the medical examiner Namjoon-hyung favors,” Taehyung said without thinking, earning a dry smile from the handsome male. “I’m sorry. Please proceed. I’m Kim Taehyung and this is Jung Hoseok.”
Seokjin put on his surgical gloves and nodded. “I’ll do my best.”
“He’s escalating,” Hoseok said, more to himself than to anyone else. “Why is he escalating? What’s his endgame?”
“I don’t mean to be rude or anything, but he looks...so peaceful,” Seokjin said. “Like a lifeless doll…”
He was right, the victim looked like he was sleeping. His hands were tied with a cable tie on his lap-didn’t seem to be missing anything this time…
Hoseok merely stared as the medical examiner brushed a few strands aside from the victim’s forehead, and there was a sudden pang when he got a good look at the victim’s face.
Yoongi.
The victim looked so much like Yoongi that Hoseok’s mental was damaged.
“Don’t look,” Taehyung whispered, but Hoseok wouldn’t listen. “Hyung…”
Seokjin took his device out of the bag, and he was about to pull up the victim’s shirt when he stopped halfway. “Oh.”
“What?” Hoseok asked through his gritted teeth.
“He’s missing the skin of his torso. And what’s this…?” Seokjin trapped his tongue between his lips and tried to reach something with a tweezer. He finally got it. “A blue butterfly?”
It was as if a lightning struck through Hoseok’s brain.
“Did you send flowers to Jungkook the past few weeks?” Hoseok asked Taehyung, his voice trembling. “I said, did you even send flowers to Jungkook??”
“No,” Taehyung exclaimed in confusion. “I never sent Jungkook any flowers.”
“Shit,” Hoseok took out his phone, trying to reach Yoongi. “It’s a good thing Yoongi’s at work…at least there are a lot of people around…”
“What are you saying, Hyung?”
“Shit, where are you, baby,” Hoseok tapped on his screen frantically when his call couldn’t come in. “Wait, maybe he’s still teaching… Taehyung, could you please call Jungkook for me?”
“I don’t understand,” Taehyung said, but took out his phone anyway. “What is it, Hyung?”
“This guy was strangled,” Seokjin said as-a-matter-of-factly, but neither the detectives paid attention to him.
“I think the killer’s been targeting Yoongi all along,” Hoseok said, his eyes on Taehyung’s screen-the latter had set the call on speaker. Jungkook was still not picking up. “I think the killer’s…obsessed.”
“Obsessed? How?”
“First victim-her eyes were burnt. What if it was the killer’s way of saying, you blinded me-or your beauty blinded me?”
Taehyung nodded slowly, as realization dawned upon him. “Then the meaning of the second killing would be…you made me speechless-Yoongi-hyung’s song, perhaps? His voice?”
“The third one-now I understand: You blew my mind. And this one…definitely butterflies in my stomach.”
“Holy shit,” Taehyung whistled. “It’s a love declaration. A love poem. Dude, what a twisted say of saying ‘I love you’...”
“Interesting,” Seokjin piped in. “But you might want to revise that poem. The skin was neatly sewn back, so I almost missed it. But I have great eyes-and yes, Namjoon favors me.”
Both detectives stared at him in confusion.
“Your beauty blinded me, your voice rendered me speechless, you blew my mind, you caused butterflies in my stomach,” Seokjin held up a finger for each sentence. He paused, waiting for the suspense to kick in even more before adding,
“And you’ve stolen my heart.”
***
Hoseok’s world stopped moving when Jungkook said Yoongi left a few minutes just after their last phone call.
How, why, when, where, with who, Jungkook didn’t know. All he knew was that Yoongi went outside, and he never went back.
And the flowers were indeed for Yoongi.
There were no cards, but the courier always said it was for the pretty male, which was why Jungkook put them in his room.
They were probably from the killer.
Fortunately, the camera in the hallway was working, so they could see who was in the hallway before Yoongi went out.
It was Yeonjun.
Taehyung looked at the video in disbelief. Yeonjun said something to Yoongi, which got the latter to follow the him outside. It was raining at the moment, what could Yeonjun possibly had said to Yoongi…?
Hoseok was so angry at himself.
Was that why the intern had been glaring at him this whole time? Because he was a fan-no, it was more than that, it was an obsession. Did Yeonjun love Yoongi…?
Yoongi was his, dammit, they had tied the knot and their marriage was legal.
Was that why he came after people who looked similar to Yoongi? Because he couldn’t have him? And if he couldn’t have him, then no one else could?
Hoseok’s head hurt so bad from all the anger and unanswered questions. If only he had taken his gut seriously from the start, that the victims had a resemblance to Yoongi…no matter how small it was, perhaps it wouldn’t have gotten this far. And why was he so calm this whole time, knowing that the killer might really after the real Jung Yoongi?
Yeonjun’s phone was turned off, and his apartment was empty. Taehyung had officers guarding at the highway to the next town, but Hoseok didn’t think he’d run away… If Yoongi was his real target all along, there was a chance he would hurt him.
Dear God, please, don’t let it happen.
Please.
I’m begging you…
Taehyung looked at his partner worriedly. If he were in his shoes-if it was Jungkook who was missing-he probably would be in the same state.
Worse, perhaps.
Taehyung tried to encourage the older male by patting his shoulder. “You need to eat something, Hyung. You need to have strength to find Yoongi-hyung.”
“Can’t. Yoongi is my strength.”
“I know… Let’s review the cases back, Hyung. From the first victim.”
“It’s no use, Taehyung. I can’t think.”
“Come on, Hyung, let’s think together. Two brains are better than one. So, judging from the whole love declaration thingy, how long do you think Yeonjun the villain has fallen in love with Yoongi-hyung?”
Hoseok gave Taehyung a very nonchalant stare, but his eyes were sparkled with slight curiosity.
“Let’s see, Yoongi-hyung stepped out of the spotlight right after he marries you, so it was around…eight months ago? If he was really a fan of Yoongi-hyung, certainly the resentment started around eight months ago. But the first killing happened around two months ago. Right before…Yeonjun became an intern with Jimin. What if the first one was an accident?”
“Accident how?”
“I mean, more like…after the first kill, he wanted more. You know, the adrenaline that was felt through the first killing was so amazing that he had to kill more.”
Hoseok pondered momentarily. “Maybe you were right. Maybe, when he was in K town, he just came across Chaerin, surprised that she looked a lot like Yoongi. Maybe Chaerin rejected him. Yeonjun, whose pride was hurt, decided to kill her.”
“But it wasn’t enough. So when he was back in town, and he saw Yoseob-”
“But wait, if I’m the one he hates so much, why not kill someone who looks like me?”
“Maybe it’s harder to find someone who looks like you,” Taehyung tried to crack a joke, a really bad joke.
“Are you kidding me? It’s harder to find people with faces like Yoongi. Unless he…” Hoseok trailed off, his eyes diverting to their plasma screen.
“Finds people using our database,” Taehyung finished Hoseok’s sentence. “Damn brilliant, Jimin’s intern. Just run a picture against a database full of millions of people-I don’t know if it’s really working though-wait, this isn’t the time to compliment a killer on the loose. Come on, Hyung. Help me think. If you were the killer…where would you take him?”
“Stop forcing me to think, would you be able to think if you were in my position?”
“You have to, Hyung. Don’t you want to find Yoongi-hyung?”
Hoseok nearly broke down upon hearing it. Of course it was the main purpose right now. But what if he couldn’t find him…? His mind flashed back to that one moment, their very first meeting.
Yoongi looked so beautiful that night, clad in white sweater, that somehow brought out the color of his eyes. His smile was somewhat sheepish, Hoseok confidently wondered if it was also love at first sight for Yoongi…?
The black-haired male brought his hand to his lips, biting his nail. Something seemed to be on his mind.
Taehyung noticed that expression. “What is it, Hyung?”
“If it’s just like what you said, the resentment started around eight months ago…then it must be before our wedding. That means, Yeonjun could be one of the regulars that came to watch Yoongi sing.” Hoseok stood up abruptly, nearly causing Taehyung to fall from his seat. “Of course! The café!”
“The café? But it’s closed three months ago, right? Which is perfect for-you’re a genius, Hyung!”
Taehyung quickly followed Hoseok who was already half-running and managed to grab his jacket on his way out.
***
Fortunately, Hoseok’s gut was right.
His heart almost sank to the bottom of his stomach upon seeing Yoongi, in the middle of the empty room, bound to a chair with his mouth gagged and his wrists tied with a cable tie. His hands were taped together, clearly holding something.
Hoseok tried not to think about it, as Yoongi’s safety was his first priority. Relief washed over him when he realized there was no strangulation mark on his neck and his husband was still breathing. Hoseok immediately tried to free him with the pocket knife Taehyung gave him.
Unfortunately, Yoongi jerked awake when Hoseok was still done halfway, and his eyes widened in horror as he realized something was on his hands. Needless to say, the pretty male whimpered loudly, panicked and scared as he tried to break loose of the chair, causing Hoseok to almost stumble backward.
Hoseok nearly shouted in frustration, wanting Yoongi to calm down, but then managed to tear the tape in time and slapped away whatever the thing that was on Yoongi’s palms.
It was a heart.
The missing heart from the last victim.
Yoongi cried feebly as Hoseok pulled him into his embrace, removing the handkerchief from the former’s mouth, not giving a damn that his shirt was stained with traces of blood from the heart. What was important that Yoongi was safe, and it was all that mattered.
Taehyung sent him a look of relief, which Hoseok returned with wordless gratitude.
Yeonjun was nowhere to be found.
The reason why Yoongi agreed to follow Yeonjun was because he said he was sent by Hoseok, to get him to a safe place. He didn’t know why he obliged-he had just hung up the call with Hoseok back then. The last thing Yoongi remembered was him entering the car, and then everything went black.
It seemed that Yeonjun killed all the victims at the café first before relocating them to the alleys. They dusted the place for prints, but certainly Yeonjun wore surgical gloves, because there weren’t any.
Hoseok was determined not to make the same mistake again. It was fortunate that Yoongi wasn’t hurt this time. But what about next time? There couldn’t be a next time…he couldn’t let it happen. Hoseok wouldn’t be able to live if something ever happened to Yoongi again…so with that in mind, he submitted his resignation letter. He made up his mind about moving to Seoul, so that Yoongi could start his career right away.
Taehyung said he could ask Chanyeol to help if Hoseok was interested in becoming a PI in Seoul, but right now, he just wanted to be there for Yoongi, to accompany him wherever he needed.
In his last week as a detective, Yeonjun was found dead in a motel. He hung himself in the motel room. There was no foul play, said Seokjin-since Jimin was still sick, everything was consistent with suicide, so it was what they ruled out.
Hoseok managed to take a look at Yeonjun’s palms before they took him down. They were pretty smooth for a killer who strangled four victims to death. Maybe they were already healing…
He decided not to think about it.
On his last day of work, Hoseok came to the station to gather his stuff. He sat by his desk in silence. All the memories came back to him-his first day of being a detective, his first day of having Taehyung as a partner, his first time solving a case…
Hoseok smiled.
He was grateful for everything. Partnering with Taehyung got him to meet Yoongi. Although the pay as a homicide detective wasn’t much, it was enough to pay the bills and put some food on the table. The black-haired male was almost done putting the rest of his stuff into a medium-sized box when his phone was ringing.
“Hey, baby.”
“Are you still at the station?”
“Yeah, I’m done though. I’ll be home soon.”
“Can you drop by the store? I suddenly crave for meat…”
“Sure. Better yet, how about we just dine-in at the restaurant? I should be able to pick you up in thirty.”
“You’d do that?”
Hoseok snorted. “What do you mean, I’d do that? Of course I’ll do anything for you.”
Yoongi fell silent on the other line, and it lasted for a while. “…babe?”
“Yes?”
“Are you sure about moving to Seoul? You don’t have to worry about me… I’ll be fine as long as I’m with you.”
Hoseok knew Yoongi was lying. He knew that the pretty male still woke up in the middle of the night, suppressing his tears so that he wouldn’t wake Hoseok up. His soft sobs pained him. Sometimes it was obvious that he wasn’t fine, the way his shoulders flinched every time Hoseok was about to grab his hand, but still, he lied to make him feel better. Yoongi insisted that he didn’t need to see anyone about it, so the younger of the two decided that a new environment would be better for them.
“I’m sure. Stop asking me about it, okay? We’re moving and that’s final.”
“…alright babe… Well, I’ll get ready then. See you soon, Hobi-baby.”
The moment Yoongi disconnected the call, another call came in. It was Jimin.
“Hey, how are you?”
“Hyung!” Jimin said and immediately erupted into series of coughing. “Hyung! Are you really quitting?”
“Ah… I’m sorry I haven’t told you. I’m afraid it’s true, I really quit, and I’m leaving next Monday.”
“That’s three days to go! You’re really moving to Seoul? For real? Why so sudden? Why must you do it when I’m sick? Taehyung by himself is not fun! Yin-Yang couple is not going to be the same anymore! Who am I going to watch for entertainment then?”
“I do hope my replacement will be as fun as me,” Hoseok laughed heartily. “And I hope you find someone soon. Why are you still single, again?” He could feel Jimin pouting and quickly added, “Anyway, thank you so much for everything. It’s been fun, Jimin.”
It was obvious that the younger male started tearing up. “Ah, I hate you for making me feel like this… Thank you so much for everything too, Hyung…and… I’m sorry…”
“What are you apologizing for?”
“Because Yeonjun… I swear, I had no idea…”
“It’s not your fault,” Hoseok shook his head as if Jimin could see him. “If anyone is to be blamed, I blame myself. All of this probably happens because of me…”
Because I married Yoongi.
“Anyway, I gotta go…and oh, if you’re feeling any better…why don’t you come tomorrow night? Taehyung and Jungkook are coming over for a little farewell party. Not exactly a party, it’s just the four of us, though. But I think I heard him saying something about dragging Namjoon and Seokjin-hyung along…”
“I’d love to, but…this is the worst cold I’ve ever had. I’m afraid I would just spread the virus to the others…but maybe I could send you at the airport on Monday?”
“Sounds good,” Hoseok grinned. “See you then, Jimin. Get well soon.”
“See you, Hyung…”
With that, Hoseok looked at his surrounding once again before leaving for good.
***
When the time came, Hoseok didn’t think he would feel this brokenhearted.
He hugged Taehyung tightly at the airport one last time before really letting him go. All the good times they spent together would definitely be the most cherished memories. Hoseok didn’t forget to nudge the younger male in the rib, whispering, don’t let Jungkook wait too long!
Jimin managed to come to send them off, and he seemed to be the saddest one between them all. The blond-haired male couldn’t stop crying as he buried his face in Yoongi’s arms. Sleep well, eat well, Hyung. Don’t forget to smile. Don’t forget me.
In the end, they really had to say goodbye and parted ways with each other.
Hoseok and Yoongi waved one last time at the three of them before walking into the waiting room.
A couple of minutes after the plane had taken off, Yoongi leaned his head on Hoseok’s shoulder, chuckling. “I can’t believe we’re really doing this. Aside from marrying you, this has got to be the biggest decision of my life. I’m about to be a music producer!”
“Have you decided your producer name yet?”
Yoongi pursed his lips. “Perhaps the same one as my stage name…”
“Suga sounds good.”
“Or Agust D…something. I don’t know yet.”
“How about J-Hope? Sounds lovely.”
Yoongi wrinkled his nose in playful distaste. “It sounds more like a hip-hop singer than a producer. Also, off topic, I can’t believe Taehyung shed a tear back then. He must really cares about you.”
“Well, we’ve been partners for six years…how could he not care about me?”
Yoongi laughed.
Hoseok smiled upon seeing him laugh. His spouse was looking a lot prettier than usual. He could tell that Yoongi was happy-it must be why he smiled so much.
“Ah…”
Yoongi then reached for a box from his bag. It was a small carton box, wrapped prettily with a blue ribbon.
“What’s that?”
“I almost forgot. Jimin said to open this while in the sky… It means while we’re still on the plane, right?” He carefully unwrapped the ribbon and opened the box. “Hm? What’s this? So pretty…a blue butterfly.”
Hoseok’s expression turned horror.
End.
Jimin hated Hoseok.
He hated him so much he wanted to kill him.
He was the first person to fall in love with Yoongi. Way back before Hoseok came into the picture.
Jimin never missed Yoongi’s performance in the café. He never missed Yoongi’s live story on social media, he never missed the older male’s birthday, he never missed anything about Yoongi.
That idiot Taehyung just had to bring Hoseok along and ruin everything!
And how could Yoongi accepted someone who looked like Jung Hoseok, when Park Jimin was clearly better looking than him? And was he out of his mind that only after three months of dating, he accepted that regular-looking guy’s proposal??
Jimin was outraged.
He loathed Hoseok, but he couldn’t show it, for the sake of seeing Yoongi. If he maintained a good friendship with Hoseok, surely he could still see Yoongi, since the pretty male decided to quit singing ever since he married that awful detective. Jimin couldn’t see him freely anymore without Hoseok by his side.
Goddammit.
There was nothing he could do about it.
So Jimin started to fantasize.
He started to fantasize the extreme ways of crying his heart out loud to Yoongi. Should he murder Hoseok first? Torture him? Mutilating him? And then display his dead body in public?
Hmm, it would be very satisfying.
But no, he wasn’t in a rush. He would plan it all first so that it would be a perfect kill.
Jimin came across Chaerin by accident. He went to K town to attend a friend’s wedding party, and that was when he met her. Jimin was utterly shocked that there was someone who looked similar to Yoongi, although this one happened to have boobs.
While thinking how to approach Chaerin, Jimin was approached first by Yeonjun. He remembered him, he was his junior while they were in the university, and he knew for a fact that Yeonjun was madly in love with him since a long time ago. So they had sex in Jimin’s car, and he offered him an internship, knowing that it would look good on his resume, which the younger male happily accepted. Jimin smiled, before kissing Yeonjun one last time, saying see him soon, before leaving and went to kill Chaerin.
It evolved the needing to kill more.
Every time the killing happened, if Taehyung and Hoseok were bright enough, they would ask where had he been, why his car changed every single time, but no. They trusted him, and that was where they wrong.
But while working on the last victim-Lee Jihoon, who happened to have the most similar face to Yoongi-his stupid rental car broke down, so he had to walk in the rain after placing the body. It was midnight, so he couldn’t get any Uber, since the neighborhood he was in was a bit sketchy. He got no umbrella and no jacket, which resulted in a fever.
Yeonjun came over to check on him, and somehow that idiot Yeonjun found out that Jimin was behind the killings all along-it seemed like because he found the heart in the jar, Jimin forgot to hide it. At first Yeonjun must’ve thought that Hoseok was the one he liked-based on the glaring he sent the older male. His mistake was that he tried to be a hero and made things right, as he kidnapped Yoongi and set him in that café. Jimin guessed Yeonjun did it in order to help him, if any of the suspicion ever pointed at him, at least he had an alibi.
It was a shame Jimin had to end Yeonjun’s life-because how could he ever lay his filthy hands on Yoongi? The male had been nothing but sweet to him. But of course, there was nothing sweeter to him than Yoongi, the Suga of his life.
“Seoul, huh…?”
Jimin knew he had to up his endgame the moment Hoseok said they were moving. It was no use hiding it now, he would show them all his true colors.
“Just wait, Yoongi-hyung. I’ll soon make you mine. Just you wait…”
Jimin smiled darkly as he held a blue butterfly.
“It’ll be my finale for you, Hyung.”