thirty; love, love, love, love, makes the world go around

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  WHOOSHHHHHH!!

  The sound of running water occupies the cabin's toilet as Jeno furiously washes his hair in the shower. Steam fogs up the shower's glass barriers and he sighs, opens his eyes when the shampoo foams are all washed away.

  Red dyed the puddle his feet stand in and his mind carries him back to 10 minutes ago.

  "Jeno..." Jia whispered shakily through the call and Jeno who was on the receiving end, clenched his fingers around his phone at the sound of her fearful voice.

  "Where?" Was all he asked before immediately rushing to her destination to dispose of yet, another corpse she had created.

  And here Jeno is, cleansing himself from the blood of the body after 'reforming' it to be easily erased.

  Knock, knock.

  He closed the bottle of soap after squeezing a sufficient amount and shouts a response to the noise.

  "The girls are all here now. We're waiting for you to start the movie and dinner," Jaemin tells through the closed door and Jeno's silence is enough to be considered a reply. 

  Jeno continues his showers, scrubbing himself clean before going out- meeting an unexpected guest sitting on the stool of his dressing table.

  "...Jia," he says belatedly and although, it's only for a mere second, she notices.

  She lifts her chin more and more to meet his gaze as he nears. "Are you unhappy to see me?"

   "Never. You're the very reason I live," Jeno assures in a low whisper and reaches out to stroke her cheek but stops midway once he remembers his wet hands.

  Again, Jia notices and stands to hold his face instead- resting her hand on his cheek and suddenly, he feels warm despite the winds freezing his drenched form.

  He gazes deep into her eyes while she studies his that are hidden under his dark, soaked bangs.

  She is always like this. Attentive, meticulous and sharp to a fault, yet at other times, she switches completely- like after she kills.

  During it, she's precise, she knows where the vital points are, she knows where it will hurt the most and least but after doing it, she turns into a scared, trembling mess that even witnesses would be fooled thinking that she was the victim.

  Which one is the real her?

  "I'll leave you to get dressed," she says and walks out the door without another look back.

  Droplets of water drips from his strands to his face and he ambles to his wardrobe to clothe himself.

  It barely takes 10 minutes and he's already exiting his room while rubbing his hair dry with a small towel and he's just about to walk down the stairs if not for the two faint, very vague voices conversing in the farthest room- the storeroom.

  And it becomes the magnet of his steps.

  "...too much," Jaemin can be heard.

  Jeno furrows and sticks his ear to the door. Who is he talking to?

  "And what about it?" A feminine voice queries.

  Her lover's eyes widen. Jia.

  "They're getting on the news. You're gonna get yourself called a serial criminal," Jaemin claims strongly.

  "It doesn't matter. They don't know I did it and they don't even know if all the people were killed or not- they're just pronounced missing. Besides, we're leaving soon, anyways. They'll never find out," Jia argues, her soft voice stiffening- expressing her unwavering view.

  A sigh follows from the other. "It's not that... Jiji."

  Then, footsteps- Jaemin must've moved closer to Jia.

  "All this it's- it's too much. You have no reason to get your hands dirt—"

  "Yes, I do! I do, Nana, and you know that! Better than anyone!" Jia finally breaks her composure and Jeno's hand that's pressed against the door clenches furiously.

  Whatever it is that they're discussing, they should stop now. If Jaemin triggers her one more time—

  "Yes, I do! I know it best! And that's why I'm saying this to you!" Jaemin retorts, voice raised as well, oblivious to his friend that's shaking with anger right past the door. "Listen to me, Ji! I want the best for you because I love you and this.isn.it!"

  At that moment, all of Jeno's senses seem to have numbed. Who... loves... who now?

And the next moment he's retrieved his consciousness, his fist is sunk deep into Jaemin's face as he, himself, seethes like a rabid animal.

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