The Song of Us [IZ*ONE x SVT]

12

[TRIGGER WARNING: VIOLENCE SCENE AND MENTIONED OF RAPED]

Jihoon slumped his body beside Nako after thirty minutes freezed himself outside in the backyard. A worry expression plastered on her face. "What's wrong, Oppa? That call before from my uncle, right? Is that about work?"

He was silent for some time. That silence was defining and made Nako more worry. She patted his left arm softly to brought him back. "Jihoon-oppa? Tell me, what happened?"

"Nako," he said and proceed to side hug her. "They found the culprit."

Her body grew tense. "The stalker?"

"Yes."

For a moment, both were lost in their own thoughts. A very different thought where Nako was trying to shrugged the crazy scene back in her apartment, and Jihoon with how he should break the news about the stalker being on the run.

Nako hugged herself. Fear enveloped her mind at the moment. What should she do? What gonna happen after all of this? How is she going to move on?

On the same time, Jihoon noticed the uncomfortable silence from his lady. After a defeated sigh, he moved and cocooned the lady back. "Nako, you're not alone, okay? I'm here and later the police will be here, too. We'll protect you so don't worry to much."

"Huh?" her confused tone responded him, "What do you mean?"

"The stalker," he said slowly, "is still on the run."

"What?" her voice grew worries. "How?"

Jihoon sighed and placed his chin on her right shoulder. "Police found a lead from your cousin's case. The truth is, she wrote a suicidal note and hide it in one of your book. The letter said that actually she was being stalked with the same man that stalked you."

They stayed silent, tried to process the information she just got. Jihoon continue more slowly, "At some point, the stalked got worse and he... raped her." He gritted his teeth. "Not just once or twice. It was multiple times. He threatened your cousin so she couldn't and didn't dare to tell anybody the pain she suffered."

A water drop trickled down from her eyes. Two drops, three drops, and she let the rainfall. "For how long?"

Jihoon embraced her more tight. "A year and a half."

She sobbed and Jihoon said nothing more. He only hugged and constantly remind her that he was there. For her.

***

Few hours later, a police car parked in front of the villa. Upon heard the car engine, Jihoon went out the door. A tall police man stepped out from the car and bowed politely.

"Hello, I'm Officer Chang."

"Hello, I'm Jihoon."

Officer Chang flashed him a smile. "So, where is the lady that I need to protect? I was sent by my superintendent per her relative's request."

Jihoon eyed the man. This so called 'officer' totally suspicious. "Can I see your ID?"

"Of course, of course. It's in the car. Let me bring it for you."

The tall officer walked back to his car and rummaged through it. When Jihoon followed quietly behind him, Officer Chang took a sudden turn and face the song producer with a gun in his hand.

"What—"

Jihoon's sentence was cut with a gunshot followed not long after.

Nako jumped on the couch, surprised from the loud bang outside. Anxiety waved through her body. What happened? What was that sound? Where was Jihoon? Was that a gunshot?

In a panic state, the petite girl ran to the kitchen and grabbed a knife she could find. Then, she dashed to a room nearest and locked her door.

"Nakooo," an unfamiliar voice sang her name, "where are you~?"

Tears broke from her again. Quietly, Nako opened a wooden cupboard inside the room, squatted in the far corner and hide there. She muffled her mouth so no sound could be heard.

"Do you want to play hide and seek? Okay, then~ hide as long as you want~ I'll come find you."

Heavy steps walked further from where Nako was. She tried to listened to his steps while calmed herself from sobbing.

"Not here? Ah, you hide better than Hye Na. You make this game more interesting than her."

The trembled lady listened again when he walked to the room next door. Her breathing got heavy.

"You here?" he sang again. "Meh, I'll look every nook and cranny for you, Nako-chan. Just wait patiently wherever you are."

She could heard the strange man broke everything in the room next door. This villa only have three rooms and whenever he's done with the second room, he'll get to her.

Was there any passage way to outside? Is the time for her has come?

The petite lady tried really hard to muffled every sound she produced. From her breath to her scream of fear. Why didn't she brought her phone earlier? She was so mad and scared. What should she do?

The man's psychotic laugh roamed around the villa. Her body trembled more. She needed to escape! But how?

"NAKO!" he shouted before laugh maniacally, "MOVE YOUR ASS RIGHT HERE SO I CAN SHOW YOU EXACTLY WHAT I DID TO YOUR COUSIN!"

He threw everything. Loud noises from things broke compete with his evil laugh to be the loudest. Nako shut her eyes tight and held herself to her knee.

"NOT HERE? BACKYARD?" he sang again, "No, I shall check the last room first."

The tall man whistled to the last room. But once he discovered the kitchen, he circled the room for a while and grinned.

"Nako?" he called, "Not the best move to bring a knife with you. You know, I have a gun. I'll shoot you faster than you'll stab me."

'Damn. Damn. Damn. He has gun! Did he shot Jihoon-oppa back then? Did Jihoon-oppa...' she didn't dare to think any further.

He leisurely passed to the room. For the nth time, he sang, "So, here?"

Tears streamed down harder. 'Please. Please...'

She couldn't think of anything beside a helpless please. So, she'll die? Leaving behind everything? How about her parents? Her uncle and aunt? She haven't told them enough how much she loved them and felt regretful enough to always took them for granted.

And Jihoon-oppa...

She hoped he didn't die because of her. Her uncle still need him. The world still need to listen to more of his songs. He still need to receive more love.

The love that she couldn't gave him in this lifetime.

She sobbed.

She felt bad. She always took him for granted, too. He gave her everything, but she never did the same.

For once, at least, she wanted to do something for him. Return the love she received. But, maybe it was too late for that.

If he already passed away, she hoped she could met him again in the afterlife.

Then, she'll properly love him like she should've been.

"I'm sorry," she said quietly.

The next thing she listened to was a loud maniac cackled and the heavy steps movement, along with a doorknob open.

This was it.

She shut her eyes.

And then, another gunshot was heard.

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.

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