Sycophantism

12. Suspicions

"So, what San was keeping from us was... that one of us is a lethal alien creature posing as a person? And it just so happened to get into its reproduction cycle? What a cruel joke.." Seonghwa's fingers had cramped up on the table and balled into fists. Hongjoong could see his fingernails digging into his skin to leave red marks. He voiced their collective thoughts, laid them out on the table for everyone to see and nobody to deny anymore.

Hongjoong wanted to cringe away from that truth. He wanted it to be fabricated.

Maybe somebody had written that log as a joke? Or San had gone mad with his odd sickness that blurred his mind.

The six of them shared the same expression of empty shock. Dread clawed at their hearts and had vile contempt for each other developing in their minds. They side-eyed their neighbours involuntarily, suddenly watchful of their friends' expressions and words.

Hongjoong hated it. He hated how the gorges between them ripped open and how frightened gazes changed into expressions of vigilance.

"Seonghwa..." Hongjoong reached out for the man's shoulder, squeezing it gently. No words of comfort came to him. If anybody knew about medical conditions, then it was San. And he was required to keep such secrets.

If Hongjoong could deny the existence of aliens altogether, this wouldn't even be a discussion. But as it was, they didn't know what they were dealing with. He only knew that two people were dead and one of the survivors was out for murder.

Wooyoung's sneer directed at Seonghwa. His face was so pale that the skin around his eyes looked transparent. Hongjoong could count his pale blue veins as the man spitefully stared at them.

"Bet it's that fucker. I wouldn't be surprised if he broadened his interests from robbing to killing."

Before hurt could even cross Seonghwa's features, Hongjoong sent Wooyoung a sharp glare.

"We are not doing this. Nothing good will come of accusations and you should know better than to blame someone for something as grave as this."

Wooyoung clenched his jaw. The furious hatred in his eyes glimmered like molten lava.

"I want justice for San. If it was one of the people here, one of our friends then you bet I will find them and rip them apart. No matter your orders, Captain. You saw what he did to Yeosang. Do you think he deserves any mercy from us?"

The idea just wouldn't catch up with Hongjoong, as if a blockade smothered his mind. No, he didn't want it to be one of his friends. No, he didn't want to imagine any of them breaking Yeosang's body and gouging out his eyes. And especially, he didn't want them to be sitting in the very room with them pretending to be innocent after such a vile murder.

"What if they aren't consciously an alien? Somebody here might carry it like a parasite and not be aware until it takes over," Yunho suggested quietly. A breath of relief escaped Hongjoong's lips at the careful approach.

It was the only healthy option. The only excuse they could give if they didn't want to rip each other apart in their despair.

When Wooyoung opened his mouth to argue, Hongjoong cut him off.

"That's exactly what we will assume for now. That nobody here is pretending and that we all try to figure this out. Let's not do any more damage. We lost two friends already. The rest of us is stronger if we work together," Hongjoong enhanced Yunho's words. His warning tone shut up any protests. Like ghosts, the crew sat around the desk, staring at its surface.

"But if the intruder just lies we are still in danger," Mingi croaked. Beneath the table, Yunho reached over to his lap to take one of his hands reassuringly. When Mingi leaned into him subconsciously, Yunho wrapped an arm around his shivering form.