𝘠𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘏𝘰𝘯𝘰𝘳 | JJK | ✓

33

[TRIGGER WARNING: Contains disturbing scenes, violence, suggestive content. Viewer's discretion is advised.]

Jungkook's mind was a mess. This was ultimately what he had dreaded from the beginning and that had been the reason he was reluctant to let Heiran know his real identity. But then deceiving her felt like an even worse idea and he had reached out to his good old friend Taehyung with his dilemma.

"Maaate, do not tell her! I tell you, don't! Imagine you going to her being like, 'oh my god, Ahn Heiran? It's me, that jerk of a boyfriend that left you like eight years ago in high school. Oh, and by the way, I'm still in love with you.' I would definitely be creeped out if I were her, just saying..."

Well Taehyung, Jungkook thought savagely. Your advice was complete bullsh*t! He blamed it all on that romantic freak who gave horrible relationship advice, but even Jungkook knew ultimately that it wasn't Taehyung's fault. 

He had had his chances, on many many instances, to tell her the truth. Still, he chose to remain silent, too afraid of losing her when he finally had a chance to be with her again, forgetting all that happened in the past.

He clutched his head and groaned. Oh, what have I done? I absolutely messed up! This wasn't how he had planned for it to go. This wasn't at all how this was supposed to go.

Jungkook's ringtone cut through his thoughts and he answered the call. "Hello, Prosecutor Jeon Jungkook speaking."

A frail shaky voice crackled on the other end. He recognized that sound, "Prosecutor Jeon. I am Yoon Hae-so, Saebom's mother."

He instantly sat up at the mention of the high school student Yoon Saebom, one of the victims of Y's rampages, his mind becoming more alert than ever. "Yes, Ms. Yoon. I'm listening. Is something the matter?"

"Prosecutor, remember on that day we talked, I mentioned a young man Saebom had become friends with. I didn't think of it as much at that time since Saebom was always making friends with random people on the streets and that man really didn't look like anything of a murderer. But now that Saebom's gone... I can't help but question everyone," from the way the woman's voice shook and grew quiet, Jungkook knew she was holding back her sobs at the thought of her dear daughter gone, murdered by sick and twisted beings who still walked on earth freely. His heart reached out to her, "Well, yesterday as I was sleeping, I dreamt of my Saebom again and... I remembered this man. I remember his name now."

"Is that so Ms. Yoon?"Jungkook shifted in his seat to sit straighter as his ears perked up at her statement, "Who was it? What was his name?"

A pause that felt like ages stretched on from the other end of the line and Jungkook hung onto his phone in anticipation when the woman finally spoke.

"... Jung Hoseok. It was Jung Hoseok."

* * *

Heiran's vision swam in and out as she slowly came to be and the first thing she registered as her eyes focused was the high domed ceiling of a dilapidated living room and the creaky old chandelier that hung above. Something sticky taped her hands together at the back and she realized the same was the fate of her legs. The coldness of the marbled floor bit into her skin but her head was weirdly elevated off the ground onto something warm. 

Heiran gave a helpless tug at the tape that bound her. Dusty photos lined up on the wooden shelf, faintly announcing the achievements of their owner. Her eyes zeroed in on the photo at the far end where the owner, a doctor, sat with a little girl on a park bench, right before a building that spelled out Maple Leaf Institution for Mental Health and Sciences.