{exo} In Pace Requiescat (1/2)
title: In Pace Requiescat
pairing: Kai/D.O., Xiumin/Luhan, Tao/Sehun
word count: 13,317 words
rating: R
summary: The best camping trips are worth dying for. Literally.
warnings: (highlight to see) multiple character deaths, cliche (because i suck)
“Where all life dies, death lives, and Nature breeds,
Perverse, all monstrous, all prodigious things,
Abominable, inutterable, and worse”
- Paradise Lost, Book II
☠☠☠
It doesn’t start out the way Kyungsoo planned it to be.
In Kyungsoo’s head, it should go something like this: The sky is painted different hues of orange as the sun dips down the horizon, and he glances at the person sitting beside him with pure adoration. The person smiles back, ear-splitting grin making him look years younger than he is. Or maybe how young he really is supposed to be. The leaves rustle as a gust of wind passes by and the other person sweeps his fringe away from his eyes. He blushes furiously at the contact, but doesn’t protest or do anything about it. Unsurprisingly, they both lean in closer, for this is just the most perfect time and the most perfect place for everything. The kiss is chaste, quick, yet enough to send tremors to Kyungsoo’s body, enough to make him want more.
But he doesn’t get what he wants because his mind is awakened through a scream and an accusatory look, and a jab of a finger in his direction is what greets him. Hearing the word “murderer” escape the lips of the person he has liked for quite some time now also isn’t part of what he imagined as the onslaught of romantic and blush-inducing things that the guy was supposed to say.
“No, I’m not,” Kyungsoo answers, voice trembling with faked calm. “You’re getting the wrong idea here.” The tanned boy in front of Kyungsoo shakes his head, mind still unable to process the information right in front of him, blonde hair silvery white under the moonlight. Kyungsoo would’ve thought that a midnight rendezvous would have been fine too, except that a circumstance like this wasn’t what he was expecting.
Kyungsoo holds up both of his bloodied hands in surrender.
☠☠☠
He closes his eyes as a dozen or so kids throw raw eggs in his direction. One hits him smack in the forehead, yet he just stands there, eyes closed and unmoving.
“Hey brats, stop that!” A voice rings out amongst the bustling of catcalls and jeers, and Kyungsoo opens his eyes to find chocolate brown eyes inches from his with a look of concern mixed with worry floating between them after he hears the sound of scuffling and curses. A white piece of cloth covers his face, and he realizes with a jolt that it is the person wiping a handkerchief on his stained face.
“Are you okay? Why were you just standing there? They could’ve killed you, you know!” Kyungsoo almost laughs as the stranger berates him. He misses the way his mother nags at him to move faster because he needs to get ready for school or else he’ll be running late, because the comparison between the guy in front of him and the woman that used to be always by his side is dissonantly similar.
Kyungsoo nods and manages to squeak out an “I’m okay,” in reply (which doesn’t really go well with the fact that he’s already sixteen and is supposed to be the intimidating one from the reputation he has earned in their neighborhood from being the son of a killer who murdered his own wife and almost killed his only son too)
“Why were they doing this to you, though? And why did they keep calling you ‘The Executioner’? You don’t even look like you’re close to killing a fly, to be quite honest.” The man rattles on, and Kyungsoo is surprised that the guy still manages to breathe despite spewing out a lot of questions in a short amount of time. Kyungsoo just shrugs in response, afraid that his newly-found acquaintance would leave his company because of something wrong he had said.
The people in their village have been insisting that Kyungsoo came straight out from a horror movie, what with the bowl cut and the deep, rounded eyes that could throw people off from their train of thought, believing that he’s that kid from Ju-on who has a fond thing for turning into a soccer ball. Kyungsoo doesn’t even like horror movies. But no one knows that, because nobody dared to ask. He thinks their perception of him will stay like that for quite some time.
Kyungsoo doesn’t get to ask the name of the strange guy that had just helped him, for he is called over by a tall figure that Kyungsoo remembers from a class that he has. He doesn’t bother to remember the name of that person though, because what’s the use of remembering someone when they won’t even notice your existence?
But he does get to sleep with a smile on his face for the first time after the incident. It’s been years, that he feels that the corners of his lips are already rusty, but nevertheless, the grin that spreads across his face as he lies down on his bed is enough proof that not everything ends along with the demise of someone important in your life.
Maybe he could still find solace in the fact that humanity might change its perception of other people.
(Or not)
☠☠☠
Kyungsoo opens his eyes to the blaring light of his phone. It’s 4:44 am.
Time to get to work.
☠☠☠
Kyungsoo stops to wipe a bead of sweat trickling down his forehead with the back of his hand. He continues shoveling the soil to cover up the hole he had made. With every thumping sound that echoes in the dimly-lit forest as heaps of soil come in contact with a body, Kyungsoo almost shivers from the look the unseeing eyes are giving him. He pats the covered ground once he’s done with the shovel, and walks back the way he came.
No one will ever find out.
Except that somebody does find out, because he doesn’t notice a shining pair of eyes, the moonlight’s radiance giving its eyes an eerie glow, making them look cat-like.
☠☠☠
The first step is to find a target that wouldn’t make you get caught easily. It would be easy as pie; high school is filled with hormonal teenagers, dickbags and wallflowers that won’t be missed, anyway.
The second step is to approach your target. Try to act friendly around them. Keep your friends close, your enemies closer, right? The more they trust you, the more they will end up as a painless kill.
Third, lock in on them. Don’t let them suspect, don’t let others suspect, and most especially never let them gain grounds to fight back against you.
The fourth step is to find the perfect time and place to commit the most perfect crime of all-one that doesn’t have patterns so that no one will be able to connect any of them. One so elaborate and difficult to understand that no one will ever even take time to go dig deeper and take a closer look.
The fifth and final step is… Should I still be saying this?
Begin the purge and purify his soul from his sins.
However, one rule should be abided: once you find you prey, you never let them get away.
☠☠☠
“The grim reaper himself? Seriously guys? Have you even tried thinking this over?” are the words that come tumbling out of Baekhyun’s lips the moment the three graduating seniors are within earshot. Yixing looks up from the fire he is trying to conjure by rubbing sticks together, eyes filled with blank innocence. Yifan, who is cutting up pieces of wood to use for the bonfire gives Baekhyun a short nod in acknowledgement and nothing more, while Junmyeon still couldn’t be bothered as he is still receiving calls from congratulatory friends and relatives.
Baekhyun envies Junmyeon for being rich and famous, but he wouldn’t really be dying to trade lives with the older one because he firmly believes in his philosophy that he’d rather be poor his whole life than have such an atrocious fashion sense. (I mean just look at his matching pullover and shorts! It’s almost 35 degrees and he’s wearing a sweater? Not to mention they were colored Prussian blue and printed with neon yellow flowers. Baekhyun might not know shit about Junmyeon’s fashion sense, but he has come with a hypothesis that the guy probably never buys clothes that cost less than fifty dollars even if those things he buys at a ridiculously large amount of cash could be bought from buy-one-take-one bargain boxes at the department store near the market. Baekhyun would rather die than get caught wearing clothes like those)
“Who’s the grim reaper? I don’t see anyone in a black coat wielding a scythe,” Yixing states, eyes occupied with all the gullibility and ingeniousness the world has to offer. Baekhyun worries that Yixing will be left to be drowned and eaten in a tank filled with flesh-eating piranhas the next time they visit him just because someone told him that he could find world peace down at the bottom.
Chanyeol blinks from beside Baekhyun, sensing the other’s impatience at waiting for another decade for Yixing to completely analyze and absorb what he just said. “Hyung, he means to ask why you brought Kyungsoo along.”
“Because why not?” Yixing blinks back at Chanyeol. “Kyungsoo’s a nice person, trust me,”Baekhyun sighs in vexation because no thanks, he’d rather be bored to death at home rather than be put in a tent together with the son of a vicious killer, which would probably mean the same thing as setting him as one of the addends to an equation that could result to imminent death. Yixing doesn’t tell them that it’s because he thinks it would be favorable for all, since he has noticed Jongin always keeping an eye out for Kyungsoo if ever the neighborhood bullies attempted to harm him again.
“Well, just don’t blame me when the time comes that he murders at least one of you guys. I’d hate to be the breaker of bad news, but I know the perfect moment to say ‘I told you so’ when shit happens.”Chanyeol gives them a sour look before turning away, but ends up landing on his butt when he comes in contact with a person.
“Sor-oh my god!” Comes the initial reaction when Chanyeol realizes that it’s none other than the grim reaper himself that he has been lucky enough to literally bump into. “I-I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean it! I didn’t see you were there, honestly!” He stutters. Despite the usual tough exterior that he usually boasts of, Chanyeol’s knees were shaking uncontrollably and he looks like he’s going to pee his pants any minute now.
Kyungsoo gives a small nod. “It’s okay, no harm done,” he turns to Yixing and the other seniors, giving a perfect ninety-degree bow, back stiff and straight that makes him look like a folder. “Thank you for inviting me over, sunbaenim.” Even if you didn’t have any reason to.
Yixing stands up to bow back in response, never failing to be the role model that he is. “Of course, of course. The more, the merrier, right? And this might be the last time we’ll see you before we go off to college, right guys?”Yixing looks over to his classmates for support. Yifan shrugs, not really giving a shit whether Kyungsoo is the son of a serial killer, a drag queen or a Laundromat because he was brought up believing in the principle that what the parents are don’t necessarily reflect what their children will be, because it’s the choice of the children themselves who or what they will become. Junmyeon, who has just finished talking to his cousin over the phone, gives Kyungsoo a firm smile, his student council president instincts telling him that it would do best to stay polite and civilized with everyone, especially if they’re not doing anything wrong. As far as Junmyeon could remember, Kyungsoo was never a problem child, a straight-A student even. It was just that he rarely talks and shows his face, head always bent low because of the story that tainted his life.
“Uhm… we’ll be back in a while.” Baekhyun half-drags, half-assists a still spluttering Chanyeol to their shared tent, knowing that his best friend needs to sort some shit out.
12 people. The game begins.
☠☠☠
“I-I’m…” Kyungsoo stutters. He couldn’t form any coherent words right now, seeing as he is tongue-tied, for the object of his admiration is standing right in front of him. Chiseled features that could be likened to Adonis and sun-kissed skin that would put all beach models to shame greeting him first thing in the morning has left him dumbfounded. Well, not that he wouldn’t like that sort of thing. Kyungsoo would rather end up stuttering every minute of the day if it would mean that he’d get to see the one and only Kim Jongin.
“Do Kyungsoo. I know,” the Kim Jongin smiles at him, flashing a perfect toothpaste commercial-worthy smile. “I’ve heard things about you.”
“Well hopefully not those things.” Kyungsoo mutters, as he is reminded of being beaten to semi-consciousness with a cane by the person he used to trust the most, and thinking that after the death of that person, he’s finally free. He’s wrong of course, because then the neighborhood kids started treating him like a piece of shit because of some rumor the old lady who lives down the street said, which was something like the involvement of Kyungsoo’s father in a murder spree.
Jongin laughs a childish and carefree laugh that Kyungsoo forgets for a moment that his childhood is comprised of being chased around the neighborhood by his drunken father because he bought the wrong brand of beer, muffling his crying from deep cuts and bruises with the sleeve of his tattered shirt, and seeing his mother’s lifeless body on the floor, the black handle of the old kitchen knife that she always uses in cutting vegetables even if it’s edge was kind of starting to become dull facing the ceiling. The blade is buried somewhere near her stomach, and it gleams wickedly under the harsh orange light of their 10-watt light bulb. Jongin’s laugh pushed further back into Kyungsoo’s mind the newspaper articles of a whole family living in the richest part of town being murdered and an unlucky passerby who just happened to be at the wrong place and at the wrong time being stabbed multiple times.
“No, actually I’ve heard from someone that you’re a nice person,” Jongin states, but he doesn’t say that he remembers saving a wide-eyed boy from children throwing eggs at him over a year ago, and he would never admit to the fact that he’s been silently watching over the welfare of that boy ever since that day even though the boy was clearly older than him by a year. “Can I see for myself if you really are?”
Jongin’s smile is warm and inviting, and Kyungsoo is tempted to take his offer especially since he’s been practically waiting for over a year for Jongin to notice him.
“I’m sorry, that person wasn’t me because I don’t like praising people that way.” Yifan’s head emerges from the tent, and Kyungsoo almost jumps at the sight, because his senior just looks as if he had been beheaded. He finally manages to get out of the tent almost ending up rolling around since the tent’s flaps got tangled in his hands, and Kyungsoo is somehow relieved from the disturbance because he’s still painfully shy being around Jongin. “And I don’t think you’re evil. Maybe you’ll even be an angel if you’d be kind enough to help me making the tent comfortable inside?”Kyungsoo nods, thankful for the distraction and proceeds to arrange the sleeping bags inside the tent.
“Get a grip of yourself kid, I’ll be sleeping in the middle so none of you could try anything funny.” Yifan warns, and Jongin flushes a deep shade of red upon realizing what his hyung had just said. “What funny things? Who said I was going to do anything funny?”
Yifan shakes his head and pats Jongin on the back. “You still need a lot to learn, kid. Maybe I’ll tell you my secrets sometime.”
Jongin scoffs. “Yeah right, as if that’d be helpful,” he mutters when the older male has moved back to help Yixing with preparing the food for their dinner and is assured that he is out of his hyung’s earshot. “The only secret you can share is that the model you always brag about that you used to date back when you were still in China is actually Luhan.”
☠☠☠
The jesting atmosphere wrapping the night is dropped when a blood-curdling air is released in the air, piercing sensitive ears. Jongdae, always being the brave one hurries over to the source of the scream to find Baekhyun on the verge of hysterics, a hand clamped over his mouth to keep more sounds of anguish escape from his lips as tears cascade down his cheeks like waterfalls.
“What happened?” the adrenaline is pounding in Jongdae’s veins, and he is ready to jump in to action whenever the situation requires him to. Baekhyun points at the opened flap of his shared tent with Chanyeol. Jongdae peeks in, and with one sweeping look, deduces the source of the uproar.
A somber-looking Jongdae reports back to where nine others stand looking uneasy, others halfway through eating their dinner, their mouths still coated with greasy barbeque sauce. “He’s dead. Chanyeol’s dead.” He announces, trying not to cry himself.
All hell breaks loose.
“He was noisy and really annoying, but he didn’t deserve anything like this happening to him,” Zitao starts sobbing, and Sehun awkwardly pats him in the back, feeling that it is his responsibility to comfort the guy. Minseok and Luhan, two of their seniors who already graduated but were invited to come along anyway since they have been close to the bunch for who-knows-how-long go over to further investigate the situation and assess the damage.
“I’ll… just go check on Baekhyun, I think he’d really need someone with him right now.” Yixing says, and nobody protests because everybody needs somebody, especially at moments like these.
“He was bitten by a snake,” Luhan announces immediately upon their return. “Near his wrist, to be exact.”
“It was venomous, as could be observed from the sickly pallor of his skin and the veins seeming to pop out. The poison spread quickly, he didn’t even seem to have time to ask for help, as he was already paralyzed by the time he realized what was going on.” Minseok adds, shaking his head. “We shouldn’t have headed here; this place might be infested with snakes.”
“I knew it; I should not have gotten out of bed today!” Zitao’s body is shaking as he wracks with sobs, and Sehun isn’t sure if he should be ashamed of the other’s behavior or pity him.
“But what if it wasn’t an accident? What if someone did murder him and just made it look like an accident?” Sehun whispers, but everyone was able to hear what he just said. All heads turn to Kyungsoo, whose eyes look like they were going to pop out of their sockets any time soon. All he wanted was to fit in, and accepting Yixing’s invitation was what he believed could be the starting point for it all. He wasn’t up for any of their shits, accusing him as a murderer right away.
Jongin shakes his head. “That’s impossible, Sehun. Maybe you’ve just read too much manga again.” He addresses everyone, looking quite older for his age. “Look guys, even if it was planned, then what would be the killer’s motive for killing Chanyeol-hyung? Nothing, right?”
Yifan rubs his temple. “I suppose the kid’s right, we’d have to rule out the possibility of murder. Anything might happen in the forest. Let’s just call the police station and report the incident, maybe they could help.”
“I just wish they could help Baekhyun, though.” Jongdae sighs. “Maybe we should’ve all stayed at home instead.”
11 people left.
☠☠☠
Baekhyun throws a rock into the water, not minding the loud splash it makes, nor the droplets of water that make their way to his pants. He used to make stones skip across any body of water he deems appropriate whenever he’s upset, but now even that doesn’t cheer him up, as he usually does that with Chanyeol around. Now that Chanyeol is gone, he doesn’t know who to turn to and what to do. He hasn’t even confessed to the big oaf, for fuck’s sake.
Yixing had come to him earlier while Luhan and Minseok were taking a better look at the situation, trying to calm him down and even singing to him to try to sooth his feelings. Baekhyun admits that Yixing’s presence had helped, but it will never be enough. Now that he’s alone, he feels as if he’s been left by Chanyeol to his own devices. That traitor. (He knows it’s selfish, but he had wished that he’d be with Chanyeol forever. However, what happened that night put a halt to his wishes in one instant)
And so, Baekhyun stares at the ripples the rock he threw makes, not hearing the crunch of fallen leaves underneath black sneakers. He doesn’t notice the figure’s face contort to a wince because of heavy footfalls, nor the shadow hovering above him.
10 people left.
☠☠☠
“We report the death of one friend, and the police end up hauling back two bodies. Great.” Luhan rubs the back of his neck. He wasn’t able to sleep a wink after the incident even though Minseok kept tugging at his sleeve to tell him to at least take a rest. He didn’t want to miss anything, after all. And true enough, the police had arrived two hours later after their report. The problem, though, was that they might have miscalculated the number of people needed to be transported back to the city. “It’s not even sunrise yet.”
“Actually, there’s still four hours before that,” Minseok takes a sip from his second cup of coffee. Luhan stifles a tired yawn, not wanting to be sent off again. “Y’know what, I’m starting to believe what Sehun said. That kid might look like he doesn’t care because he never usually speaks his mind, but I think it’s because he’s trying to observe everyone at first, before trying to do anything else.”
Minseok shakes his head to clear the thoughts away. “But I don’t know, I don’t see why anyone would do that. If it’s one of the villagers, it’s probably because they just want to protect their territory. But…” he scratches his head in frustration. “Ugh, I don’t know!”
“But the police doesn’t consider it as a murder, since they found Baekhyun’s body hanging on a tree,” Luhan says in a small voice, still unsure of everything. “None of them has found any evidence pointing to foul play.” Yet. “Maybe he just got really sad to find out about Chanyeol’s death… It was all too sudden, y’know. For a moment, they’re brushing each other off and teasing one another about past crushes, and the next, he ends up finding his best friend dead.”
“I know, I know. It had been a really hard time for him.” Minseok sighs. But I don’t think Baekhyun would ever do that. From the years that I’ve known that kid, he would’ve tried to do something about the case first before jumping into action.“Anyway, I hope they’re right.” Luhan runs a hand over his boyfriend’s hair before hugging him close.
“C’mon Minseok, stop being so paranoid,” the sound of his statement is hollow, even to his own ears. “Everything will be alright. Have a little faith.” He says, more to himself than to Minseok.
☠☠☠
“Look, in movies, those who you least suspect are usually the killers, right?” Jongdae proposes. Junmyeon simply nods, looking increasingly worried over the minutes. “So, Kyungsoo can’t be the killer. He’d be the most obvious catch.”
“But this isn’t a movie, Jongdae.” Junmyeon sighs. He’s already had enough of conspiracy theories, and as much as possible, he wants to avoid having to think right now.
“Yes, but what if I’m right? What if the killer was someone who was close to the victims themselves?”
“Look, I would hate to ruin you playing detective, but Chanyeol was bitten by a snake. And Baekhyun was probably devastated by his death so much that he chose to take away his life instead,” so as to free himself from all the misery of trying to live in this fucked-up world, “Maybe these evidences are enough to rule out murder?”
“No, you don’t understand-“
“Oh, but the problem, Jongdae, is that I do understand. You’re just trying to play hero here, wanting to give everyone justice. But to blame someone over an accident and a suicide… I don’t know, Jongdae.” Junmyeon shakes his head, raking his fingers through his hair. “Take a rest, you’re probably just tired. It’s been a really long day.” Jongdae nods uneasily, more ideas running through his mind, getting more sinister by the moment, taking hold of memories and past knowledge.
(And he doesn’t want to believe it, but part of him thinks that maybe he’s already talked to the killer. Maybe the killer is the one he is facing right now, because it is just perpetually impossible for someone as perfect as Kim Junmyeon to exist. Someone has to have a flaw, right?)
☠☠☠
Yixing isn’t sure whether he made the best decision of inviting Kyungsoo over. He believes in the workings of fate, but he doesn’t want anyone getting hurt for a slip-up that he made. Especially since it already cost them two lives.
(He, however, strongly believes that if someone dies, it is because of one big reason created by the intergalactic powers of the cosmos, chiefly for the greater good. He hopes that the death of his two friends would be justified enough by whatever reason fate has)
Junmyeon wants to choke himself for even coming up with the idea of inviting their friends to a camping trip to celebrate graduation, just for it to end up this badly. Curse money and easy-access to forests that might as well be rigged to be like the Forbidden Forest.
And Yifan… Yifan just wants to go home, but he doesn’t seem to have somewhere to go back to. He doesn’t know it yet, but he would’ve found out immediately, (or at least have a clue about it)if he just went home earlier than planned, opening the door to his home to find it unlocked, blood matting the floor and shards of broken glass scattered everywhere, along with the shattering of his heart.
☠☠☠
A killer is in their midst, but everyone refuses to believe it.
All except one.
Well two, actually. If you redo the headcount and count the killer in.
☠☠☠
Zitao doesn’t sleep a wink that night, a hundred images flashing through his mind, messing with his thoughts. He tightens his hold on his pillow, and is thankful for Sehun’s presence radiating warmth. He snuggles closer to his boyfriend, feeling sleep teeter along the edges of his eyes, but not having the ability to completely fall asleep with everything that has been disturbing him.
Maybe tomorrow holds a better promise.
☠☠☠
The problem with heroes is that they bother too much. Maybe that’s why Jongdae died next. Or at least, as Minseok would always insist, is still “Missing,” having had not found a body or anything else that could help him how to take it from there.
“We were supposed to be leaving already,” Zitao grumbles, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. “Why did Jongdae-hyung have to act like such a diva and leave us here? And where the hell did he run off to?”
“I think it’s because he and Minseok-hyung had that fight first thing in the morning,” Sehun raises his eyebrows, not wanting to elaborate more about the fight that ensued that morning, right before Jongdae stalked off in a rush to the forest, armed with nothing but a jacket and his anger, leaving a fuming Minseok. Zitao nods in understanding and doesn’t press more on the matter. “I hope whatever they fought over for was worth all this trouble, though.” He says instead.
“No, not really, it isn’t.” Zitao almost jumps in surprise when Yixing speaks up. He had thought that the latter was still fast asleep, what with his eyes closed and mouth hanging open. “I heard bits of their conversation from my-I mean the tent I’m sharing with Junmyeon and Jongdae. It’s got something to do with the…” he gestures with his hands, not being able to fully say what happened was. An accident? A suicide? A murder? “That,” he decides, settling for something that wouldn’t give away his muddled thoughts. “Anyway, I think they were sharing ideas about what really happened, but then it all got into the thought that Minseok hasn’t been spending much of his time with Jongdae and keeps on hanging out with Luhan instead?”
Zitao scrunches his nose. “But I don’t understand, Luhan-gege and Minseok-hyung are together, aren’t they?”
Yixing doesn’t need to say anything anymore because this time, Sehun speaks up for him. “Yes, but Jongdae-hyung has been Minseok-hyung’s best friend for quite some time now.But since Minseok-hyung had to be away for months for college, don’t you think Jongdae-hyung would miss him?”
Yixing nods. “Right. And since Luhan was a constant presence in Minseok’s life, Jongdae was probably thinking that Minseok’s supposed to spend more time with him now because it’s only rare that they get to see each other, while Luhan will always be there anyway.”
“But what the hell does that have to do with what happened,” Zitao deadpans, eyes going blank as he is almost drifting off to sleep once more.
“Well, maybe because from everything that has been happening, Jongdae-hyung thought of saying what was in his mind?” Kyungsoo suggests, and the two younger ones stare at him in disbelief, more of because he has spoken to them and not because of his existence. They know that Kyungsoo has been observing their exchange and didn’t mind that, warming up to the other’s presence now that they don’t see him as much of a threat. Sehun even apologized for thinking that Kyungsoo murdered Chanyeol the previous night.
Only Yixing was left unperturbed, mostly because he’s got used to Kyungsoo’s quirkiness by now. “And why do you think so?” the corner of his lips curl up to form an intrigued smile.
Kyungsoo gives Yixing a blank look, eyes devoid of emotion as if he’s just stating a fact he has read from a book over and over again. “Because won’t people say what is right on their minds when they think something bad is going to happen?” Zitao shivers despite the warmth provided to him by his thick, woolen coat.
9 people left.
☠☠☠
part 2
pairing: Kai/D.O., Xiumin/Luhan, Tao/Sehun
word count: 13,317 words
rating: R
summary: The best camping trips are worth dying for. Literally.
warnings: (highlight to see) multiple character deaths, cliche (because i suck)
“Where all life dies, death lives, and Nature breeds,
Perverse, all monstrous, all prodigious things,
Abominable, inutterable, and worse”
- Paradise Lost, Book II
☠☠☠
It doesn’t start out the way Kyungsoo planned it to be.
In Kyungsoo’s head, it should go something like this: The sky is painted different hues of orange as the sun dips down the horizon, and he glances at the person sitting beside him with pure adoration. The person smiles back, ear-splitting grin making him look years younger than he is. Or maybe how young he really is supposed to be. The leaves rustle as a gust of wind passes by and the other person sweeps his fringe away from his eyes. He blushes furiously at the contact, but doesn’t protest or do anything about it. Unsurprisingly, they both lean in closer, for this is just the most perfect time and the most perfect place for everything. The kiss is chaste, quick, yet enough to send tremors to Kyungsoo’s body, enough to make him want more.
But he doesn’t get what he wants because his mind is awakened through a scream and an accusatory look, and a jab of a finger in his direction is what greets him. Hearing the word “murderer” escape the lips of the person he has liked for quite some time now also isn’t part of what he imagined as the onslaught of romantic and blush-inducing things that the guy was supposed to say.
“No, I’m not,” Kyungsoo answers, voice trembling with faked calm. “You’re getting the wrong idea here.” The tanned boy in front of Kyungsoo shakes his head, mind still unable to process the information right in front of him, blonde hair silvery white under the moonlight. Kyungsoo would’ve thought that a midnight rendezvous would have been fine too, except that a circumstance like this wasn’t what he was expecting.
Kyungsoo holds up both of his bloodied hands in surrender.
☠☠☠
He closes his eyes as a dozen or so kids throw raw eggs in his direction. One hits him smack in the forehead, yet he just stands there, eyes closed and unmoving.
“Hey brats, stop that!” A voice rings out amongst the bustling of catcalls and jeers, and Kyungsoo opens his eyes to find chocolate brown eyes inches from his with a look of concern mixed with worry floating between them after he hears the sound of scuffling and curses. A white piece of cloth covers his face, and he realizes with a jolt that it is the person wiping a handkerchief on his stained face.
“Are you okay? Why were you just standing there? They could’ve killed you, you know!” Kyungsoo almost laughs as the stranger berates him. He misses the way his mother nags at him to move faster because he needs to get ready for school or else he’ll be running late, because the comparison between the guy in front of him and the woman that used to be always by his side is dissonantly similar.
Kyungsoo nods and manages to squeak out an “I’m okay,” in reply (which doesn’t really go well with the fact that he’s already sixteen and is supposed to be the intimidating one from the reputation he has earned in their neighborhood from being the son of a killer who murdered his own wife and almost killed his only son too)
“Why were they doing this to you, though? And why did they keep calling you ‘The Executioner’? You don’t even look like you’re close to killing a fly, to be quite honest.” The man rattles on, and Kyungsoo is surprised that the guy still manages to breathe despite spewing out a lot of questions in a short amount of time. Kyungsoo just shrugs in response, afraid that his newly-found acquaintance would leave his company because of something wrong he had said.
The people in their village have been insisting that Kyungsoo came straight out from a horror movie, what with the bowl cut and the deep, rounded eyes that could throw people off from their train of thought, believing that he’s that kid from Ju-on who has a fond thing for turning into a soccer ball. Kyungsoo doesn’t even like horror movies. But no one knows that, because nobody dared to ask. He thinks their perception of him will stay like that for quite some time.
Kyungsoo doesn’t get to ask the name of the strange guy that had just helped him, for he is called over by a tall figure that Kyungsoo remembers from a class that he has. He doesn’t bother to remember the name of that person though, because what’s the use of remembering someone when they won’t even notice your existence?
But he does get to sleep with a smile on his face for the first time after the incident. It’s been years, that he feels that the corners of his lips are already rusty, but nevertheless, the grin that spreads across his face as he lies down on his bed is enough proof that not everything ends along with the demise of someone important in your life.
Maybe he could still find solace in the fact that humanity might change its perception of other people.
(Or not)
☠☠☠
Kyungsoo opens his eyes to the blaring light of his phone. It’s 4:44 am.
Time to get to work.
☠☠☠
Kyungsoo stops to wipe a bead of sweat trickling down his forehead with the back of his hand. He continues shoveling the soil to cover up the hole he had made. With every thumping sound that echoes in the dimly-lit forest as heaps of soil come in contact with a body, Kyungsoo almost shivers from the look the unseeing eyes are giving him. He pats the covered ground once he’s done with the shovel, and walks back the way he came.
No one will ever find out.
Except that somebody does find out, because he doesn’t notice a shining pair of eyes, the moonlight’s radiance giving its eyes an eerie glow, making them look cat-like.
☠☠☠
The first step is to find a target that wouldn’t make you get caught easily. It would be easy as pie; high school is filled with hormonal teenagers, dickbags and wallflowers that won’t be missed, anyway.
The second step is to approach your target. Try to act friendly around them. Keep your friends close, your enemies closer, right? The more they trust you, the more they will end up as a painless kill.
Third, lock in on them. Don’t let them suspect, don’t let others suspect, and most especially never let them gain grounds to fight back against you.
The fourth step is to find the perfect time and place to commit the most perfect crime of all-one that doesn’t have patterns so that no one will be able to connect any of them. One so elaborate and difficult to understand that no one will ever even take time to go dig deeper and take a closer look.
The fifth and final step is… Should I still be saying this?
Begin the purge and purify his soul from his sins.
However, one rule should be abided: once you find you prey, you never let them get away.
☠☠☠
“The grim reaper himself? Seriously guys? Have you even tried thinking this over?” are the words that come tumbling out of Baekhyun’s lips the moment the three graduating seniors are within earshot. Yixing looks up from the fire he is trying to conjure by rubbing sticks together, eyes filled with blank innocence. Yifan, who is cutting up pieces of wood to use for the bonfire gives Baekhyun a short nod in acknowledgement and nothing more, while Junmyeon still couldn’t be bothered as he is still receiving calls from congratulatory friends and relatives.
Baekhyun envies Junmyeon for being rich and famous, but he wouldn’t really be dying to trade lives with the older one because he firmly believes in his philosophy that he’d rather be poor his whole life than have such an atrocious fashion sense. (I mean just look at his matching pullover and shorts! It’s almost 35 degrees and he’s wearing a sweater? Not to mention they were colored Prussian blue and printed with neon yellow flowers. Baekhyun might not know shit about Junmyeon’s fashion sense, but he has come with a hypothesis that the guy probably never buys clothes that cost less than fifty dollars even if those things he buys at a ridiculously large amount of cash could be bought from buy-one-take-one bargain boxes at the department store near the market. Baekhyun would rather die than get caught wearing clothes like those)
“Who’s the grim reaper? I don’t see anyone in a black coat wielding a scythe,” Yixing states, eyes occupied with all the gullibility and ingeniousness the world has to offer. Baekhyun worries that Yixing will be left to be drowned and eaten in a tank filled with flesh-eating piranhas the next time they visit him just because someone told him that he could find world peace down at the bottom.
Chanyeol blinks from beside Baekhyun, sensing the other’s impatience at waiting for another decade for Yixing to completely analyze and absorb what he just said. “Hyung, he means to ask why you brought Kyungsoo along.”
“Because why not?” Yixing blinks back at Chanyeol. “Kyungsoo’s a nice person, trust me,”Baekhyun sighs in vexation because no thanks, he’d rather be bored to death at home rather than be put in a tent together with the son of a vicious killer, which would probably mean the same thing as setting him as one of the addends to an equation that could result to imminent death. Yixing doesn’t tell them that it’s because he thinks it would be favorable for all, since he has noticed Jongin always keeping an eye out for Kyungsoo if ever the neighborhood bullies attempted to harm him again.
“Well, just don’t blame me when the time comes that he murders at least one of you guys. I’d hate to be the breaker of bad news, but I know the perfect moment to say ‘I told you so’ when shit happens.”Chanyeol gives them a sour look before turning away, but ends up landing on his butt when he comes in contact with a person.
“Sor-oh my god!” Comes the initial reaction when Chanyeol realizes that it’s none other than the grim reaper himself that he has been lucky enough to literally bump into. “I-I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean it! I didn’t see you were there, honestly!” He stutters. Despite the usual tough exterior that he usually boasts of, Chanyeol’s knees were shaking uncontrollably and he looks like he’s going to pee his pants any minute now.
Kyungsoo gives a small nod. “It’s okay, no harm done,” he turns to Yixing and the other seniors, giving a perfect ninety-degree bow, back stiff and straight that makes him look like a folder. “Thank you for inviting me over, sunbaenim.” Even if you didn’t have any reason to.
Yixing stands up to bow back in response, never failing to be the role model that he is. “Of course, of course. The more, the merrier, right? And this might be the last time we’ll see you before we go off to college, right guys?”Yixing looks over to his classmates for support. Yifan shrugs, not really giving a shit whether Kyungsoo is the son of a serial killer, a drag queen or a Laundromat because he was brought up believing in the principle that what the parents are don’t necessarily reflect what their children will be, because it’s the choice of the children themselves who or what they will become. Junmyeon, who has just finished talking to his cousin over the phone, gives Kyungsoo a firm smile, his student council president instincts telling him that it would do best to stay polite and civilized with everyone, especially if they’re not doing anything wrong. As far as Junmyeon could remember, Kyungsoo was never a problem child, a straight-A student even. It was just that he rarely talks and shows his face, head always bent low because of the story that tainted his life.
“Uhm… we’ll be back in a while.” Baekhyun half-drags, half-assists a still spluttering Chanyeol to their shared tent, knowing that his best friend needs to sort some shit out.
12 people. The game begins.
☠☠☠
“I-I’m…” Kyungsoo stutters. He couldn’t form any coherent words right now, seeing as he is tongue-tied, for the object of his admiration is standing right in front of him. Chiseled features that could be likened to Adonis and sun-kissed skin that would put all beach models to shame greeting him first thing in the morning has left him dumbfounded. Well, not that he wouldn’t like that sort of thing. Kyungsoo would rather end up stuttering every minute of the day if it would mean that he’d get to see the one and only Kim Jongin.
“Do Kyungsoo. I know,” the Kim Jongin smiles at him, flashing a perfect toothpaste commercial-worthy smile. “I’ve heard things about you.”
“Well hopefully not those things.” Kyungsoo mutters, as he is reminded of being beaten to semi-consciousness with a cane by the person he used to trust the most, and thinking that after the death of that person, he’s finally free. He’s wrong of course, because then the neighborhood kids started treating him like a piece of shit because of some rumor the old lady who lives down the street said, which was something like the involvement of Kyungsoo’s father in a murder spree.
Jongin laughs a childish and carefree laugh that Kyungsoo forgets for a moment that his childhood is comprised of being chased around the neighborhood by his drunken father because he bought the wrong brand of beer, muffling his crying from deep cuts and bruises with the sleeve of his tattered shirt, and seeing his mother’s lifeless body on the floor, the black handle of the old kitchen knife that she always uses in cutting vegetables even if it’s edge was kind of starting to become dull facing the ceiling. The blade is buried somewhere near her stomach, and it gleams wickedly under the harsh orange light of their 10-watt light bulb. Jongin’s laugh pushed further back into Kyungsoo’s mind the newspaper articles of a whole family living in the richest part of town being murdered and an unlucky passerby who just happened to be at the wrong place and at the wrong time being stabbed multiple times.
“No, actually I’ve heard from someone that you’re a nice person,” Jongin states, but he doesn’t say that he remembers saving a wide-eyed boy from children throwing eggs at him over a year ago, and he would never admit to the fact that he’s been silently watching over the welfare of that boy ever since that day even though the boy was clearly older than him by a year. “Can I see for myself if you really are?”
Jongin’s smile is warm and inviting, and Kyungsoo is tempted to take his offer especially since he’s been practically waiting for over a year for Jongin to notice him.
“I’m sorry, that person wasn’t me because I don’t like praising people that way.” Yifan’s head emerges from the tent, and Kyungsoo almost jumps at the sight, because his senior just looks as if he had been beheaded. He finally manages to get out of the tent almost ending up rolling around since the tent’s flaps got tangled in his hands, and Kyungsoo is somehow relieved from the disturbance because he’s still painfully shy being around Jongin. “And I don’t think you’re evil. Maybe you’ll even be an angel if you’d be kind enough to help me making the tent comfortable inside?”Kyungsoo nods, thankful for the distraction and proceeds to arrange the sleeping bags inside the tent.
“Get a grip of yourself kid, I’ll be sleeping in the middle so none of you could try anything funny.” Yifan warns, and Jongin flushes a deep shade of red upon realizing what his hyung had just said. “What funny things? Who said I was going to do anything funny?”
Yifan shakes his head and pats Jongin on the back. “You still need a lot to learn, kid. Maybe I’ll tell you my secrets sometime.”
Jongin scoffs. “Yeah right, as if that’d be helpful,” he mutters when the older male has moved back to help Yixing with preparing the food for their dinner and is assured that he is out of his hyung’s earshot. “The only secret you can share is that the model you always brag about that you used to date back when you were still in China is actually Luhan.”
☠☠☠
The jesting atmosphere wrapping the night is dropped when a blood-curdling air is released in the air, piercing sensitive ears. Jongdae, always being the brave one hurries over to the source of the scream to find Baekhyun on the verge of hysterics, a hand clamped over his mouth to keep more sounds of anguish escape from his lips as tears cascade down his cheeks like waterfalls.
“What happened?” the adrenaline is pounding in Jongdae’s veins, and he is ready to jump in to action whenever the situation requires him to. Baekhyun points at the opened flap of his shared tent with Chanyeol. Jongdae peeks in, and with one sweeping look, deduces the source of the uproar.
A somber-looking Jongdae reports back to where nine others stand looking uneasy, others halfway through eating their dinner, their mouths still coated with greasy barbeque sauce. “He’s dead. Chanyeol’s dead.” He announces, trying not to cry himself.
All hell breaks loose.
“He was noisy and really annoying, but he didn’t deserve anything like this happening to him,” Zitao starts sobbing, and Sehun awkwardly pats him in the back, feeling that it is his responsibility to comfort the guy. Minseok and Luhan, two of their seniors who already graduated but were invited to come along anyway since they have been close to the bunch for who-knows-how-long go over to further investigate the situation and assess the damage.
“I’ll… just go check on Baekhyun, I think he’d really need someone with him right now.” Yixing says, and nobody protests because everybody needs somebody, especially at moments like these.
“He was bitten by a snake,” Luhan announces immediately upon their return. “Near his wrist, to be exact.”
“It was venomous, as could be observed from the sickly pallor of his skin and the veins seeming to pop out. The poison spread quickly, he didn’t even seem to have time to ask for help, as he was already paralyzed by the time he realized what was going on.” Minseok adds, shaking his head. “We shouldn’t have headed here; this place might be infested with snakes.”
“I knew it; I should not have gotten out of bed today!” Zitao’s body is shaking as he wracks with sobs, and Sehun isn’t sure if he should be ashamed of the other’s behavior or pity him.
“But what if it wasn’t an accident? What if someone did murder him and just made it look like an accident?” Sehun whispers, but everyone was able to hear what he just said. All heads turn to Kyungsoo, whose eyes look like they were going to pop out of their sockets any time soon. All he wanted was to fit in, and accepting Yixing’s invitation was what he believed could be the starting point for it all. He wasn’t up for any of their shits, accusing him as a murderer right away.
Jongin shakes his head. “That’s impossible, Sehun. Maybe you’ve just read too much manga again.” He addresses everyone, looking quite older for his age. “Look guys, even if it was planned, then what would be the killer’s motive for killing Chanyeol-hyung? Nothing, right?”
Yifan rubs his temple. “I suppose the kid’s right, we’d have to rule out the possibility of murder. Anything might happen in the forest. Let’s just call the police station and report the incident, maybe they could help.”
“I just wish they could help Baekhyun, though.” Jongdae sighs. “Maybe we should’ve all stayed at home instead.”
11 people left.
☠☠☠
Baekhyun throws a rock into the water, not minding the loud splash it makes, nor the droplets of water that make their way to his pants. He used to make stones skip across any body of water he deems appropriate whenever he’s upset, but now even that doesn’t cheer him up, as he usually does that with Chanyeol around. Now that Chanyeol is gone, he doesn’t know who to turn to and what to do. He hasn’t even confessed to the big oaf, for fuck’s sake.
Yixing had come to him earlier while Luhan and Minseok were taking a better look at the situation, trying to calm him down and even singing to him to try to sooth his feelings. Baekhyun admits that Yixing’s presence had helped, but it will never be enough. Now that he’s alone, he feels as if he’s been left by Chanyeol to his own devices. That traitor. (He knows it’s selfish, but he had wished that he’d be with Chanyeol forever. However, what happened that night put a halt to his wishes in one instant)
And so, Baekhyun stares at the ripples the rock he threw makes, not hearing the crunch of fallen leaves underneath black sneakers. He doesn’t notice the figure’s face contort to a wince because of heavy footfalls, nor the shadow hovering above him.
10 people left.
☠☠☠
“We report the death of one friend, and the police end up hauling back two bodies. Great.” Luhan rubs the back of his neck. He wasn’t able to sleep a wink after the incident even though Minseok kept tugging at his sleeve to tell him to at least take a rest. He didn’t want to miss anything, after all. And true enough, the police had arrived two hours later after their report. The problem, though, was that they might have miscalculated the number of people needed to be transported back to the city. “It’s not even sunrise yet.”
“Actually, there’s still four hours before that,” Minseok takes a sip from his second cup of coffee. Luhan stifles a tired yawn, not wanting to be sent off again. “Y’know what, I’m starting to believe what Sehun said. That kid might look like he doesn’t care because he never usually speaks his mind, but I think it’s because he’s trying to observe everyone at first, before trying to do anything else.”
Minseok shakes his head to clear the thoughts away. “But I don’t know, I don’t see why anyone would do that. If it’s one of the villagers, it’s probably because they just want to protect their territory. But…” he scratches his head in frustration. “Ugh, I don’t know!”
“But the police doesn’t consider it as a murder, since they found Baekhyun’s body hanging on a tree,” Luhan says in a small voice, still unsure of everything. “None of them has found any evidence pointing to foul play.” Yet. “Maybe he just got really sad to find out about Chanyeol’s death… It was all too sudden, y’know. For a moment, they’re brushing each other off and teasing one another about past crushes, and the next, he ends up finding his best friend dead.”
“I know, I know. It had been a really hard time for him.” Minseok sighs. But I don’t think Baekhyun would ever do that. From the years that I’ve known that kid, he would’ve tried to do something about the case first before jumping into action.“Anyway, I hope they’re right.” Luhan runs a hand over his boyfriend’s hair before hugging him close.
“C’mon Minseok, stop being so paranoid,” the sound of his statement is hollow, even to his own ears. “Everything will be alright. Have a little faith.” He says, more to himself than to Minseok.
☠☠☠
“Look, in movies, those who you least suspect are usually the killers, right?” Jongdae proposes. Junmyeon simply nods, looking increasingly worried over the minutes. “So, Kyungsoo can’t be the killer. He’d be the most obvious catch.”
“But this isn’t a movie, Jongdae.” Junmyeon sighs. He’s already had enough of conspiracy theories, and as much as possible, he wants to avoid having to think right now.
“Yes, but what if I’m right? What if the killer was someone who was close to the victims themselves?”
“Look, I would hate to ruin you playing detective, but Chanyeol was bitten by a snake. And Baekhyun was probably devastated by his death so much that he chose to take away his life instead,” so as to free himself from all the misery of trying to live in this fucked-up world, “Maybe these evidences are enough to rule out murder?”
“No, you don’t understand-“
“Oh, but the problem, Jongdae, is that I do understand. You’re just trying to play hero here, wanting to give everyone justice. But to blame someone over an accident and a suicide… I don’t know, Jongdae.” Junmyeon shakes his head, raking his fingers through his hair. “Take a rest, you’re probably just tired. It’s been a really long day.” Jongdae nods uneasily, more ideas running through his mind, getting more sinister by the moment, taking hold of memories and past knowledge.
(And he doesn’t want to believe it, but part of him thinks that maybe he’s already talked to the killer. Maybe the killer is the one he is facing right now, because it is just perpetually impossible for someone as perfect as Kim Junmyeon to exist. Someone has to have a flaw, right?)
☠☠☠
Yixing isn’t sure whether he made the best decision of inviting Kyungsoo over. He believes in the workings of fate, but he doesn’t want anyone getting hurt for a slip-up that he made. Especially since it already cost them two lives.
(He, however, strongly believes that if someone dies, it is because of one big reason created by the intergalactic powers of the cosmos, chiefly for the greater good. He hopes that the death of his two friends would be justified enough by whatever reason fate has)
Junmyeon wants to choke himself for even coming up with the idea of inviting their friends to a camping trip to celebrate graduation, just for it to end up this badly. Curse money and easy-access to forests that might as well be rigged to be like the Forbidden Forest.
And Yifan… Yifan just wants to go home, but he doesn’t seem to have somewhere to go back to. He doesn’t know it yet, but he would’ve found out immediately, (or at least have a clue about it)if he just went home earlier than planned, opening the door to his home to find it unlocked, blood matting the floor and shards of broken glass scattered everywhere, along with the shattering of his heart.
☠☠☠
A killer is in their midst, but everyone refuses to believe it.
All except one.
Well two, actually. If you redo the headcount and count the killer in.
☠☠☠
Zitao doesn’t sleep a wink that night, a hundred images flashing through his mind, messing with his thoughts. He tightens his hold on his pillow, and is thankful for Sehun’s presence radiating warmth. He snuggles closer to his boyfriend, feeling sleep teeter along the edges of his eyes, but not having the ability to completely fall asleep with everything that has been disturbing him.
Maybe tomorrow holds a better promise.
☠☠☠
The problem with heroes is that they bother too much. Maybe that’s why Jongdae died next. Or at least, as Minseok would always insist, is still “Missing,” having had not found a body or anything else that could help him how to take it from there.
“We were supposed to be leaving already,” Zitao grumbles, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. “Why did Jongdae-hyung have to act like such a diva and leave us here? And where the hell did he run off to?”
“I think it’s because he and Minseok-hyung had that fight first thing in the morning,” Sehun raises his eyebrows, not wanting to elaborate more about the fight that ensued that morning, right before Jongdae stalked off in a rush to the forest, armed with nothing but a jacket and his anger, leaving a fuming Minseok. Zitao nods in understanding and doesn’t press more on the matter. “I hope whatever they fought over for was worth all this trouble, though.” He says instead.
“No, not really, it isn’t.” Zitao almost jumps in surprise when Yixing speaks up. He had thought that the latter was still fast asleep, what with his eyes closed and mouth hanging open. “I heard bits of their conversation from my-I mean the tent I’m sharing with Junmyeon and Jongdae. It’s got something to do with the…” he gestures with his hands, not being able to fully say what happened was. An accident? A suicide? A murder? “That,” he decides, settling for something that wouldn’t give away his muddled thoughts. “Anyway, I think they were sharing ideas about what really happened, but then it all got into the thought that Minseok hasn’t been spending much of his time with Jongdae and keeps on hanging out with Luhan instead?”
Zitao scrunches his nose. “But I don’t understand, Luhan-gege and Minseok-hyung are together, aren’t they?”
Yixing doesn’t need to say anything anymore because this time, Sehun speaks up for him. “Yes, but Jongdae-hyung has been Minseok-hyung’s best friend for quite some time now.But since Minseok-hyung had to be away for months for college, don’t you think Jongdae-hyung would miss him?”
Yixing nods. “Right. And since Luhan was a constant presence in Minseok’s life, Jongdae was probably thinking that Minseok’s supposed to spend more time with him now because it’s only rare that they get to see each other, while Luhan will always be there anyway.”
“But what the hell does that have to do with what happened,” Zitao deadpans, eyes going blank as he is almost drifting off to sleep once more.
“Well, maybe because from everything that has been happening, Jongdae-hyung thought of saying what was in his mind?” Kyungsoo suggests, and the two younger ones stare at him in disbelief, more of because he has spoken to them and not because of his existence. They know that Kyungsoo has been observing their exchange and didn’t mind that, warming up to the other’s presence now that they don’t see him as much of a threat. Sehun even apologized for thinking that Kyungsoo murdered Chanyeol the previous night.
Only Yixing was left unperturbed, mostly because he’s got used to Kyungsoo’s quirkiness by now. “And why do you think so?” the corner of his lips curl up to form an intrigued smile.
Kyungsoo gives Yixing a blank look, eyes devoid of emotion as if he’s just stating a fact he has read from a book over and over again. “Because won’t people say what is right on their minds when they think something bad is going to happen?” Zitao shivers despite the warmth provided to him by his thick, woolen coat.
9 people left.
☠☠☠
part 2