psychotic - taehyung ff

07. interview IV

"the best stories stories are the ones with the unexpected plot twists that no one would have guessed, even the writer" - unknown
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"you can just have a seat right over there," haneul says, pulling out the chair opposite of her to gesture where she meant. though she knew he was a brilliant man, she couldn't help the habit that kicked in from time to time. jungkook chuckled at this, noting her habitual habits.

"thanks," he murmurs, slipping into the seat, leaning into it comfortably.

"you know i wouldn't ask you here if i didn't think it wasn't important," haneul began, trying to make sure the interview went smoother than yoongi's did yesterday. he was an absolute mess afterwards and she couldn't help but feel it was entirely her fault (despite jimin soothing her fears over, saying she couldn't have predicted that outcome).

"i know. i knew this was going to happen eventually. it was just a matter of when," jungkook shrugged, crossing his arms over his chest. haneul noted that he had gotten beefier since the last time she saw him. when was that? a month ago? maybe two? what a friend, she thought.

"right. so, i'm sorry to have to say this, but i'm going to have to take you back to the night of eun hui's death," haneul murmured, trying her best to be as sympathetic as she possibly could. this job was fun, and she loved saving people. but it could have it's days where she had to be invasive and come off as insensitive. much like yesterday. much like right now.

jungkook offers a scoff like chuckle, rubbing the back of his head with discomfort, "truth be told, i've tried my best to remember that night but i never could. never in full anyways."

"it's okay. that's normal. sometimes, in order to cope, our minds tend to shut up the painful past in order to make the healing process easier," haneul says, a small smile on her lips as she tries to explain that what jungkook was feeling was totally normal.

"that sounds like a profile," he teases, returning his arms back to their relaxed position, crossed over his chest.

"not a profile, just psychology," she chuckles, pulling out her notepad and files.

"is this like criminal minds? are you gonna throw me back in time?" he asks, watching her meticulously set up her things.

"sort of. same concept, different execution. no vivid walk through or anything like that. it's sort of like a movie playing within your mind," she counters, scribbling some notes down.

"well go ahead and fire away, doc," he teases, leaning further into his seat. she smiles at this and also leans back into her seat.

"close your eyes, and take a deep breath. where does your memory of that night usually start?" haneul offers, watching as jungkook did as he was told and sinks further and further into his chair.

"i remember how cold it was, walking home from work that night," jungkook begins, his eyebrows furrowed.

jungkook clutches his coat tighter to his chest, trying to keep himself as warm as possible. he clutched the bouquet of lilies in his hands, hoping that the numbness of his fingers didn't loosen the grip on the brightly colored flowers. eun hui's favorite.

he stomps his boots into the cement steps, head hung low as he tried to focus on not tripping on any icy steps. man, did he hate the winter. when he reached his level, his focus was so entranced on trying to achieve his keys that he didn't see the person rushing past him.

"oops, i'm sorry," he apologizes, turning to the persons retreating figure, noting that they were dashing down the steps, not acknowledging his presence whatsoever. jungkook shrugs the encounter off, noting that the person may have been having a bad day and not in the mood to socialize.

"wait, go back to that moment. was the person a man or a woman?" haneul asks, trying to divulge information out of this memory that she could get.

"uh.. a man. it was most definitely a man," jungkook said.

"how do you know?" she counters, trying to help him recall the information as clearly as possible, hoping to avoid recalling a false memory.

jungkook's eyes sharpened on the the broadness of the mans back, his brown curls stopping at the nape of his neck. jungkook was sure the man's side profile was in total view, noting the small mole on the man's right ear lobe. his eyes were sharp and small, his nose a larger curve.

"okay, now go back to when you were walking to the apartment. what happened next?" haneul asks, taking not of everything that jungkook said.

jungkook managed to pull the keys from his pocket, shoving them into the keyhole.

"babe, i'm home," jungkook calls out, shutting the door. the house was quiet, empty almost. jungkook set the bouquet onto the table in the kitchen rushing around to find his girlfriend. but there were no signs. nothing. jungkook began to shed his coat when he received a text from his girlfriend.

went out, be home late, was all it said. again? jungkook had had enough of this late night waltzing in bullsh*t. he decided to call her.

"why aren't you home?" jungkook shouted, feeling himself getting angry at the situation.

"i told you, i went out," eun hui stated, as if it was not a big deal.

"for the fifth night in a row?" jungkook counters.

"jungkook, you go out all the time. why can't i?" she says, a twinge of annoyance in her tone.

"yeah but not like this. i get one day out of the month and i dedicate the rest of my time to you," jungkook huffs, feeling his heart ache.

"why are you being like this?" eun hui asks, trying to turn the blame around. jungkook couldn't understand why she was being this way. this was not the girl he fell in love with.

"why are you?" he says before hanging up. he needed a drink.

so that's how he found himself in his favorite bar. alone.

"rough night?" the bartender asks, her voice tender.

"rough week," jungkook chuckles.

"want to talk about it? nothing like venting to a stranger," she offers, smiling at him. so that's how jungkook spent the next hour, venting to this random bar tender who probably didn't care and was just looking to pass the time.

"well, just give it time. it'll pass," she smiles, sauntering away. jungkook was hopeful. he loved eun hui and he sincerely saw a future with this woman he found solace in. but why were things becoming difficult all of a sudden?

"okay, now, jungkook. this part is very important. when the bar closed, did you see the bartender at closing?" haneul asks. jungkook exhaled deeply before searching the darkest part of his mind some more.

"no, she wasn't," he breathes out. jungkook couldn't understand where haneul was going with this but he was trying his best to help her in any way he can.

"okay, no jungkook. i need you to look at these pictures. do any of this women seem familiar to you in any way, shape or form?" haneul asks, spreading out five different women's ID photos onto the silver table. jungkook's doe like eyes fluttered open as he tried to focus on the pictures before him. his eyes cautiously scanned each one, trying to search each crevice of his inner psyche, hoping that one of the photos would jump out at him.

and his heart jumped out when not on,e but two photos stood out.

"her, th-that's the bartender. my god," jungkook says, picking up the photo in his hand. haneul began to collect the other photos when jungkook's hand stopped hers when she grabbed a particular photo.

"did you know this woman?" haneul asked, her gaze locked onto jungkook's face. he looked scared.

"yes. that's... that's eun hui's best friend. choi seoyeon."
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(unedited and not proofread)