warm like a gun | ot23 nct; ot5 red velvet

Chapter 11

Doyoung arrives at Kun's before Jungwoo does, and they pull together breakfast quietly. Kun's parents are already gone for the day, so luckily, they'll have the house to themselves for whatever new horror Jungwoo is bringing to the door.

Kun wasn't really sure how much to tell his parents, so he told them only a little bit. He'd sat them down that afternoon before his friends had arrived, briefly explained Jaehyun's case, and told them to be careful.

Doyoung hadn't told his parents anything aside from the fact that Jaehyun is missing—he hadn't even told them why. They are more affluent, powerful people; they are in less danger, and he didn't want to give their friends away. Kun has a feeling Jungwoo did the same.

Jungwoo arrives around 10.00, and they move downstairs. Kun starts the music, and Jungwoo unzips his bag.

"I'm going to preface this," he says, casting them a warning look, "by saying that it's terrible." He opens the bag and nods for them to come look. Kun inches forward; Doyoung gets there first and flinches, turning his head away.

It's what appears to be a human calf, somehow preserved. Kun glances between it and Jungwoo. "What—Is it real?"

Jungwoo nods. "At least, I think so. A package was delivered yesterday, addressed to my father. I received it instead." As Jungwoo recounts his day, Kun feels dread settle heavy like an anchor in his stomach. He exchanges looks with Doyoung as Jungwoo talks. "I know I shouldn't have snapped at him or said so much. I know it puts us in danger. But I'm so angry, and I'm so—" Jungwoo shakes his head. "I'm so sick," he says, all the vehemence from just a moment before disappearing, leaving his voice quiet and broken. "Anyway, I bring this to you because I need you to confirm that it's real. I know you have that DNA sequencer. Could you take a sample, and take a look?"

"Sure," Kun agrees shakily, going to boot up the scanner. "What are you gonna do if you're right?"

"I don't know," Jungwoo mutters. "What can I do? I feel so helpless. I'm so stupid; I should've just played along so I could find out more. It's too late now. There's no way my father will trust me."

"Yeah, you're stupid," Doyoung replies, "but there's no helping it now."

"I'll get in touch with Chenle," Kun says as he takes a sliver of the calf, trying not to gag. "Maybe his parents know something."

"Jeno, too," Doyoung says. "We all need to act like everything is fine, and if anything suspicious crops up, we need to act like we don't mind it."

Kun sets the scanner to do its work, and steps back. "It should have a full report within the next twenty minutes or so," he tells them. "Let's have some tea while we wait."

They are silent as they drink their tea. What is there to say? No expression of horror can encapsulate the gravity of their situation, nor the despair that comes with it. They all feel it; they all know it. Kun swirls the liquid in his teacup.

"Can we check the news?" Doyoung asks quietly. "While we wait?"