we the cursed, nct dream ✔

part sixteen

⇉ the one where they snoop around.

part sixteen

"We can't have the lights on."

"Yes, that would be too conspicuous," Juno agrees, reaching into the small bag she has at her side. "So I thought ahead and brought these." She pulls out three small flashlights.

Renjun gapes. "How did you-"

"Smuggled them out of the Bio cabinet," she smirks, looking immensely pleased with herself. "I just had a feeling they would come in handy sometime."

"Good thinking," Renjun praises softly, and they share a smile.

Jeno clears his throat louder than he probably should, reaching over to pluck one of the flashlights from Juno's outstretched hands. "Let's hurry up with this so there's less time for us to get caught," he says, urgency and something else in his tone. "What are we looking for, exactly?"

Renjun shrugs. "Anything."

For a moment, the three of them take it all in. Oddly enough, the glass door to the indoor pool room had been left unlocked. But caution tape has already been put up everywhere, and students had been expressly directed to stay away from this area of the school, both for their own safety and so as not to disrupt the scene.

The boys leave their spots at the entrance and start toward it, but Juno stops them, taking some more items from bag slung across her front. "If we're gonna leave this place exactly how we found it, then we need these." They're plastic gloves and bags. "And it also means we don't screw ourselves over later, because if they run forensics and find our fingerprints and footprints everywhere..."

Jeno nods. "That would be bad. And I get the gloves, but what are the plastic bags for?"

"We slide them over our shoes so we don't leave footprints," Renjun tells him, and turns to her with a brow raised. "I'm impressed."

"You might have read the crime novels, but I've watched the crime shows," Juno replies, smirking with self-satisfaction. Renjun just shakes his head, used to her by now.

Jeno pushes past them, having gotten ready the fastest. The other two join him soon, and they duck under the lines of caution tape to enter the scene. And even though Juno has seen it already, all the smeared, now dry blood on the floor still jars the rest of her senses when she catches sight of it. The pool itself is covered with tarp. Juno switches her flashlight on and lifts a corner up to check, and the sight of the discolored water is enough to make her feel queasy all over again.

"I found something." Jeno's voice comes minutes later, and Juno stands up to walk over to him, Renjun behind her. Jeno holds up a small stud earring, and the others lean in closer to see it better.

"Why would this be here?" Juno asks, voicing the other two's thoughts exactly.

"It could've belonged to Jaesu, or it could belong to the person who killed him." Renjun reaches forward to take it with gloved hands. "I can't remember if Jaesu wore earrings or not."

"He does," Jeno says quickly. "I mean, he did. I remember changing for practice with him last year, he'd always take them off and put them in his bag."

"But this doesn't really tell us much, does it? It could be anyone's." Juno looks at the other two. "Should we just leave it here?"

"Probably." Renjun nods.

They go back to examining the place. After a while, Juno rises. "Usually in those crime shows, they give a walk-through of what they know at the scene just in case anything is forgotten. Would it help if we do that?"