Disease || Hwang Hyunjin ✔️

3.

The next day, all eight of us were crowded in Seungmins hospital room, everyone else chatting happily with him about their recent cases, and all the stories he missed out on.

There was an empty gap in the room, where the air was heavy.
Our ninth detective was gone, and it was difficult to get over that fact.
When Seungmin came back to the office later that day, he sunk right into his chair.

"I never thought I would say this, but I am so glad to be back. Hospitals are so loud." He whined.
I just laughed. "You were in a semi-coma the whole time so how would you know!"

"I could still hear stuff. That includes you." He grumbled.
"I probably said some real cringe stuff." I cringed. "Sorry about that."

"No, no, you were fine. It was all very sweet. Can I see the note though?" He asked nosily.
I rolled my eyes. "I survived so no."

He groaned. "How mean! I'm hurt, Y/N, really!"

"Oh you'll get over it." I said, rolling around on my chair as well.
Me and Seungmin stayed at the office, whilst the other detectives left and came back during the day.

"Seungmin, so was it like, actually Hyunjin? They were all infected so any of them could have killed you." I asked slowly. "If you don't mind me asking."

"It was him, but there was someone in the shadow. Watching so to speak." He explained, narrowing his eyes as he thought back.

Seungmin looked in front of him, as he cowered in the corner in agony.
Hyunjin held onto the box tightly, turning randomly to look into the darkness.

Eyes. Someone was standing there.
"You're insane." He hissed.

The man from behind walked forward.
"I would say mentally deranged my dearest Seungmin, but it doesn't really matter. As long as you're gone, no one will know." He grinned, his face dimmed in the moon light, the only light coming through from the window.

Hyunjin walked over to the tub of evidence.
"I'm sorry." He kept whispering, as a tear fell down his face, lighting the match, and dropping it in the box.

"Hyunjin, you'll have to deal with the rock later. That won't burn." The man said, and for once his face was viable in the orange light.

Han.

"I thought- you're dead Han, how?" Seungmin spluttered.
"Oh Seungmin, no one's ever truly dead when they're plagued, you should know that. You're plagued yourself." Han snickered.

"Hyunjin, do it." Han then said, glaring at his partner in crime.

"I can't." Hyunjin whispered.

"Just. Fucking. Do. It." He half yelled, pushing Hyunjin towards Seungmin.

"I can't believe I trusted you. I suppose what they say is true, it is like paper. Once it's crumpled, it'll never be the same again." Seungmin hissed, tensing as he knew what was coming.

"I hope you rot in hell, Han Jisung."

"Now that I think about it, Han was there. If only I had woken up in time to tell you. I could've made it easier." Seungmin grumbled.
"Well, we solved it so it's okay!" I said.
"So this plague.. the whole team was infected, yeah?" He asked.

"Yeah..?" I responded.
"Han said that anyone who is plagued is never truly dead. But Changbin's gone?" He asked again.
"His brain was active but diseased to my knowledge. Since we got rid of it, he's most likely gone. I'm sorry." I explained painfully.

"Sorry. It was just a thought, anyway."
"It's fine. I know you're trying."

"I'm still just skeptical about everything. I don't really trust Hyunjin, but I have no choice but to if I want to get over everything. Han either, but I'm sure I can get over it." Seungmin explained quietly.

"It's okay, Min, I wouldn't trust them again for awhile either if I was in your position. It's perfectly fine. They have to regain your trust. That's really how it should be, anyway." I half smiled.
Seungmin rolled forward on his chair, giving me a hug.

"I've missed this." He whispered.
"I missed you too, seriously ditching me was so rude." I whined, hugging him back, tightly.

I didn't want to lose him like that ever again.

Thursday rolled around quickly, and as the men carried his coffin, my heart shattered.
It couldn't be true.
But the harsh reality, was that it was.

Changbin was gone.

That was until I noticed how the funeral workers were moving, as they moved his coffin onto the device that would bury him in the Earth.
I turned to Bang Chan, tears staining my face.

"They're not carrying the coffin with their whole weight, like it's really heavy. Chan, what if it's empty?" I asked through sniffles.
He placed his arm around me.
"You're just imagining things. He's gone. I'm sorry." He whispered, his voice breaking as he cried.

I stepped forwards, towards the employees.
"Is he light?" I asked, blinking back tears.

One of the workers just looked at me, the other keeping his eyes away.

"I asked, is he light? Is the coffin heavy? Answer the fucking question." I hissed.

"No, it's not heavy. Please let us do our job." The first man said, turning away.

"Open it." I asked.
The second man looked at me for the first time.
"I'm sorry, I can't do that." He said.

"I don't care, just open it." I hissed, feeling that searing pain split through my head.

Just like the pain from the disease. Except, that was impossible. We had gotten rid of it.
I was just being stupid. It was probably just another migraine.
I had been getting them quite a lot since I woke up, and I blamed the medication for my lungs.

Hyunjin came forward, grabbing my arm, pulling me back.

"Sorry, they're just really upset." Hyunjin said, smiling weakly.
I pulled away from him.

"They say the coffin is fucking light. His body can't be in there otherwise. I just want to look. I've seen his body before, remember?" I hissed.

The second worker scoffed.
"If that's really what you want to see." He said, pulling at the latch, flipping it up.
He gripped at the edge, opening the coffin as I came around to see it open.

"I assure you he's in here-"

Then he fell silent, and so did me and Hyunjin.

There was no body, just an imprint of where it should have been.

Changbin's body was missing.