Heyo! Firstly, since I feel like this is gonna be rather long. How have you been? I hope youâre doing alright! <3
I just wanted to hop on here and take a moment to gush about your writing! I feel like itâs such a perfect balance between concise and easy to read but without sparing the details! I remember reading the first chapter of Strangers when you posted it and just being so intrigued with the story and so impressed with your writing! I gotta say, you really didnât disappoint with the entire Strangers series; Iâve probably gone back to read it at least twenty times by now. Since it was based on the series Strangers From Hell, I went ahead and watched the drama for that, too, since I thought the plot was so interesting. And w o w. Watching the show made everything even more unsettling; I loved it lol.
Even now, I still read it with the same level of enthusiasm as I did the first time. I constantly wondered about little spin-offs like, what if the MC had been a secret serial killer, too? What if she had actually fallen in love with the boys before the final? This spooky world youâve brought to life is definitely my favorite yandere story out there! Iâm so glad that youâve decided to write something so special!!
Hope youâre doing well!
hello! wow this is seriously such a sweet surprise. I really appreciate you saying that about my writing! I def have those fics that I can always go back to for a comfort read so to hear that youâve read Strangers that many times is so surreal to me. Iâm also glad it inspired you to check out the show! itâs such an underrated classic.
hmm that is an interesting thought - if the mc had been a secret serial killer or had fallen for the boys before the final, it def would have made their relationship grow a lot quicker. I feel like they would have figured it out pretty quickly bc of how obsessed they were with her! Iâm still not 100% what would become of her eventually but if we follow how the show ended, the mc would slowly start to lose her own mind and become like the boys. She already has that animalistic side to her and they would just work on her until it came out again.
I hope youâre doing well too! it was nice to hear from you :)
1 note
·
View note
I'm just here to wish you a Merry Christmas, I hope you have the best time. I love you. âĄ
Sorry this is so late but thank you! I hope you had a merry christmas as wellđ
0 notes
Don't Fear the Reaper
Scream AU
pairing: taehyung x reader
genre: yandere, horror/thriller
warnings: murder, graphic violence, mature themes, obsessive behavior, sexual content
word count:Â 13k
summary/preview: Just a year since your brotherâs brutal murder, bad luck seems to strike again in your once-peaceful hometown. It seems as if death wants to follow you as it finds its next victim in one of your school friends. The more the murders start to connect, you begin to wonder if it really could be just a copycat killer or if the wrong man was imprisoned.
quick note: this is very unedited so pls excuse any mistakes!! tyđ€
It had been almost a year since your brotherâs death and you still couldnât believe it was real. His bedroom door had been practically sealed shut, neither you nor your father daring to venture inside. The sight of his empty room getting dusty would have just made it that much more real - something the both of you didnât need as the constant news coverage had done enough of that job already.
It wasnât necessarily that you were so distraught over Seowonâs death that you couldnât come to terms with it. He was your older brother, your own blood, but that didnât mean the two of you had been the closest siblings. You would describe your relationship over the years as lukewarm at best. You loved him because he was your brother but you never truly felt like you knew him. It was also hard to mourn with news vans following you everywhere you went.
The part that was hard to believe was the way in which he had died. He had been found in the woods near your house with seventeen stab wounds. It didnât make any sense. Your brother had been a star football player at your school, part of the popular crowd. He was well-liked amongst students and teachers. You didnât think anyone had a bad opinion of him. Itâs possible he had rivals especially in sports or romances but nothing that would warrant murder.
Initially, there had been a lot of speculation in the town and you had heard all the rumors, including the one where your father had killed him in a fit of rage. You knew it could never be true; your father had been devastated by your brotherâs death. He had been emotionless before, but now he was just a shell of the man he was. And whoever said loss could bring people closer had obviously never met your father.
The truth was that your father had always been emotionally closed for as long as you had known him. Your mother had died from complications after your birth and though he had never voiced it, you knew that he had resented you for being the cause of your motherâs death. At times, you wished you had never been born because living with the guilt had been too much to bear especially living with a father who never forgave you for it.Â
When the police eventually did find a suspect, you were shocked to say the least. Min Yoongi was a few years older than you and had already graduated when the murder weapon as well as your brotherâs blood on his clothing was found. He had always been a serious guy and if you asked most people, they would say they had always believed he kept skeletons in his closet. You knew he was a bit of a recluse, but you never would have guessed he was capable of murder. The motive they came up with was that Yoongi had been jealous of your brotherâs popularity and mixed with his own mental instability, things inevitably came to a day and he decided to act out his aggressions.
Many people wanted to know your side of it, whether you believed the story and whatnot. You had mostly stayed silent on the matter, unlike your father who had screamed at Yoongi in court and had to be dragged out of the room. You can still remember the stares you got from everyone that day - it was the same look you got from most of the town and your classmates. A mix of pity, curiosity, and judgment.
It was safe to say you hadnât been looking forward to this time of year. The true crime fanatics had seemingly been ramping up their shenanigans, hoping to possibly find some clue that would connect more of the dots. The stares you always felt in town and at school hadnât lessened and seemed to be picking up a bit more in recent weeks as the anniversary drew closer.
Which is why most nights, you would find yourself holed up in your bedroom where it was calmer. Much to your best friend's dismay, as she would always try to drag you away to some party or school outing. Haena hated it when you closed yourself off and didnât believe in wallowing alone. In her eyes, it was as if your introvertedness was just a sickness that she had to cure.
The only person who understood your feelings was your boyfriend, Taehyung. He, too, was a bit of a homebody and didnât mind staying in with you most nights. He did have more friends and liked to party, but he never pressured you to go out. Part of you believed he enjoyed having you all to himself that way and for some reason you didnât mind it.
You donât know how you got so lucky getting a boyfriend like Taehyung. He was so dreamy with dark black locks that were often tucked behind his ear and matching dark eyes that seemed to always be on you. He was an artist and could often be found wearing distressed jeans and sweaters with little splotches of paint here and there. He was extremely affectionate, always having to have his hands on you some way or another.
The two of you met in freshman year art class where you had quickly realized you had no business holding a paintbrush, much to Taehyungâs amusement. He would offer to fix up your paintings when the teacher wasnât looking and was the only reason you ended up passing. It wasnât until a little after that semester that the two of you started dating.
A low tapping interrupted your thoughts as you sat in bed, almost too quiet to hear over the television playing in your room. You got up to investigate, pulling your curtains open to see none other than Taehyung leaning up against your window using a ladder to get up here. You werenât even sure if that ladder was yours but you were glad your window didnât face the street where others could see.
You opened the window as you spluttered in shock, stepping back to allow him room to clamber inside. You held your breath as you kept an ear out to make sure your dad hadnât heard his nosy arrival, eyes trained on the door like he would bust in any moment.
âWhat are you doing here?â You hissed once you had regained your composure.
âWhat, I canât visit my girlfriend?â Taehyung pouted. âI missed you.â
âI missed you too but if my dad catches you-â
âHe wonât.â Taehyung cut you off, leveling you with his beautiful dark eyes as he leaned closer to you on the bed. âIâm stealthy.â
You breathed out a sigh, at a loss for words from his sudden close proximity. He reminded you of a tiger the way he stared you down like you were prey. You were so mesmerized by him you had missed him inching closer until you could feel his breath on your lips.
âTae-â You tried to stop him but he shushed you, pressing his mouth to yours.
Taehyung was your first serious boyfriend and there hadnât been a single dull moment in your relationship yet. For you, every new experience you had with him had been a thrill. But there was only so many heated makeouts you two could have before you knew he would want to do more. He understood you were inexperienced and was willing to wait but you wondered how much longer before he cracked.
As if on cue, his hand grazed your thigh lightly as if to test the waters. When you didnât stop him, he grew more confident and raised it until it reached your hip, squeezing gently. You appeared calm on the outside but on the inside, your heart was racing.
He pulled back a bit to look you in the eyes, licking his lips as he smirked. âI can feel your heartbeat.â
Your eyes widened in embarrassment as you quickly sat up, covering your cheeks as you felt them heating. You had hoped it wouldnât have been so obvious. Why couldnât you just be normal?Â
âStill so nervous around me after all this time,â He chuckled wryly, lifting a hand to remove the ones covering your face. His fingers caressed your cheek as he gazed at you. âWhat can I do to make you more comfortable, baby?â
âIâm sorry.â You breathed, feeling your heart skip at all the intense eye contact. âI just need more time.â
âDonât be sorry. I told you I would wait.â He gave you a small smile, leaning in to give you another kiss. He brushed a hand through your hair before pulling away and making his way back over to the window.
You watched him begin his descent back down to the ground before an idea popped into your head. You donât know where the sudden confidence came from but the sight of his retreating back made you want to try something.
âTaehyung,â You called out from the window once he had made it all the way down. He looked back up at you curiously, his eyebrows raised in question. âSomething to hold you over for now?â
You didnât wait for him to reply before you lifted your shirt up, exposing your breasts to him from down below. You waited a few nerve wracking seconds before pulling it back down, giggling nervously as you did.
His look of pure shock made it all worth it, preventing any possible embarrassment from flooding into your system. You could tell your stunt had rendered him speechless for a moment, if the choked sputters coming from him were anything to go by.
âI think you just made it worse.â He finally spoke, his voice deep and chilling. You laughed loudly, moving to shut your window closed.
*****
When you arrived at school the next day, the atmosphere was tenser than usual. You were used to people whispering around you but this was different. People seemed to be more huddled in groups. It was as if there was some unseen sinister presence that had arrived. You werenât sure if you could just blame it on the seasons changing but there definitely seemed to be a chill in the air this morning.
A hand grabbing your arm on your way through the courtyard startled you, your heart jumping only to see it was just Haena. Her eyes were wide as she squeezed your forearm urgently. You could tell just by her expression that whatever was going on was serious.
âAre you okay?â
âWhy wouldnât I be?â Your confusion was obvious as you watched realization dawn on her.
âYou havenât heard...â She paused as if trying to find the right words, biting her lip unsurely. âYN, some students were murdered last night.â
âWhat? Who?â The shock spread throughout your body like a numbness, your extremities feeling cold all of the sudden.
âPark Jimin and Yoon Iseul.â
You werenât sure if any names that could possibly come out of her mouth would not come as a shock but this just floored you. Jimin and Iseul were the schoolâs power couple. Everyone was in love with them or wanted to be their friend. The correlation between their deaths and your brotherâs wasnât lost on you. Could it be a copycat killer? You didnât want to think of the alternative - that Yoongi had been wrongfully imprisoned.
âThat must be why everyone is acting so strange today.â You mumbled mindlessly, hearing the words coming out of your mouth but not feeling connected with them. âI just saw Iseul yesterday in sixth period.â
âItâs all Iâve been hearing about this morning. How Iseulâs parents came home to the grizzliest scene you can imagine. They said Jimin was tied up and they found Iseul out- '' Her chattering stopped upon seeing the sick look on your face, her lips pressing together as if just now realizing who she was speaking to. You didnât blame her though - you knew she was just in shock. âWell, you get the gist. Apparently a neighbor saw the killer run out of there wearing some kind of weird ghost mask. Now everyoneâs calling them âGhostface.ââ
âI donât understand why this keeps happening.â
At some point in the day, you were called to the principalâs office for questioning. This wasnât strange, though, as everyone in the entire school was going through the same thing. The police figured their first place to look was at the school, which made sense.
They had asked you simple questions like how well you knew Jimin and Iseul, if you knew if they were in any drama at school, etc. You had answered honestly and as accurately as you could. To be honest, you hadnât the slightest who could have done something like this. But you could sense the detectives figured you might have some clue as you had been around death before. They looked at you like you had some kind of ghost hanging around you.
You decided that going through your day like you always did was the best shot at getting through it, clinging to any shred of normalcy that you could find. And if that meant having lunch with Haena and her usual friend group, then so be it. The seven of you were sitting outside in the courtyard, the climate having warmed up a bit since this morning.
The boys were goofing off with each other as if nothing was wrong, which in a way comforted you. You needed to act like everything was okay or else you could feel your sanity start to slip. Eyeing Haena, she was chatting with Jungkook while throwing her feet in his lap. He was rubbing her lower calves and you couldnât help but watch how comfortable they were with each other in public like this.
It gave you the courage to lean back onto Taehyung who was sitting behind you, his warm chest a welcome embrace. He responded by wrapping his arms around your front, not missing a beat as he conversed with Hobi about the quiz they took this morning.
âDid they ask you guys if you liked to hunt?â Hobi asked all of the sudden, the idle chatter dying down as you all knew he was talking about the police interrogations all students had to partake in today.
âYeah, I just told them I liked to fish.â Jin barked out a laugh.
You wondered out loud, âWhy would they ask that?â
âBecause their bodies were gutted.â Hobi responded matter-of-factly, turning to Jin with a suspicious look. âKind of like a fish.â
âThank you, Hobi.â Taehyung spoke sarcastically and you could practically feel his eye roll from behind you.
âThey didnât ask me about hunting,â Haena frowned in confusion.
âYou think a girl could have pulled off a murder like that? Yeah, right.â Jungkook chuckled, wiggling his eyebrows at her in a condescending manner.
Haena scoffed in disgust, pulling her legs off his lap. âThat is so sexist of you. Plenty of women become serial killers - look at Aileen Wuornos.â
âShe used a gun on her male-only victims. Not exactly the same.â
âYeah, from what I hear Jimin and Iseul were barely recognizable by the time they found them.â Jungkook informed, seemingly undeterred by Haenaâs annoyance. âThe fact is that it would take a man to do something like that.â
âHow do you gut someone?â Your voice trembled as you voiced the question, your curiosity getting the best of you. Taehyung tightened his arms around you and leaned his head on your neck, leaving a kiss there.
It was silent for a moment before Jungkook spoke up, âWell, youâd get a knife and start from the groin-â
âJungkook, shut the fuck up.â Taehyungâs harsh tone left no room for argument and even made you tense up a bit.
âDidnât you date Iseul?â You asked Jungkook.
His eyes lit up for a moment as he chuckled, âYeah, for like two seconds.â
âBefore she dumped him for Jimin!â Hobi chimed in. âHmm, I wonder how the police would feel if they knew you were her lover scorned.â
âWhat, you think I killed her?â Jungkook laughed genuinely, shaking his head in disbelief. âIâm sure you would love to see me behind bars but Iâm afraid I have an alibi.â
Haena rolled her eyes as Jungkook winked at her, fed up with his immaturity. âIf you think Iâm going to defend your misogynistic ass, youâre sorely mistaken.â
Jungkook watched her with a pout as she stood up to leave, gathering her books for the next class. âCome on, baby! You know Iâm not a killer.â
She ignored him as she walked off, which led to him jumping up and following her to no doubt get back in her good graces. Those two had been on-and-off for a while but you would be lying if you said their shenanigans werenât entertaining. He was a pig-headed jock and she was an artsy type. They didnât make any sense but somehow they ended up together.
*****
You went home that day to an empty house and a note on the kitchen table, which both surprised you and somehow didnât. You were used to your father skipping out on you with no notice but to leave a note? That wasnât like him.
Got a lead for a job out of town so Iâll be gone for a few days. Iâll try to call but might not have service -DadÂ
You supposed the message was emotionally detached enough to be from him but you couldnât help the strange feeling you got from reading it. You knew he probably wouldnât call or if he did, it would be just to let you know he was staying longer. He knew you didnât expect much from him and probably preferred it that way. Weirdly enough, you did too.
Exhausted from the day, you threw your bag on the floor and collapsed on the couch. You flipped the TV on and surfed through the channels mindlessly before one with a news headline and familiar face caught your eye. It was a reporter that you recognized almost immediately - Kim Namjoon. He had covered your brotherâs case extensively and even wrote a book about it.
â This small but mighty town has been hit yet again with another gruesome homicide case. Two young teenagers were found brutally murdered in their own home. â He spoke clearly, his dragon-eyes penetrating you through the TV screen. You had seen them in person and knew how deadly their effect could be. â Authorities have yet to release any statement but we know now that no arrest has been made and the murderer could strike again. â
â Could it be merely just a coincidence that this month is the anniversary of yet another senseless killing? It has been only ten months since Min Yoongi was found guilty for the murder of Jung Wooshik, who was also a student at Woodsboro High. â Namjoon continued, and you held your breath as you waited for him to say what you had been fearing. â Many have made a few theories on what could be the meaning of this, including that of a possible copycat killer or perhaps a wrongful imprisonment. Itâs safe to say the town of Woodsboro needs to stay vigilant on protecting its own. â
You cut him off there, not wanting to hear any more. Namjoon had made it clear early on that he was doubtful of Yoongi being the killer and spent most of his news coverage with that perspective. You tried not to take it personally but there had been instances where it seemed like the reporter blamed you for what happened. You knew you werenât directly responsible for Yoongiâs conviction but you couldnât help but wonder if you should feel guilty. You had only told the truth to the judge, that you had seen Yoongi by your house the day your brother died. That your brother had bought some weed from him and that you had seen him leaving while your brother was still alive. What happened between then and when your brother was killed was completely unknown to you.
But your witness testimony along with the physical evidence found in Yoongiâs home and car had been enough to convict him. You can still vividly remember the expression on Yoongiâs face when the verdict was given, as though he hadnât even heard the judge. You couldnât help but be amazed at his absolute indifference to everything going on around him at all times. You had never seen him smile or get angry ever. He kept all his emotions inside and it only fueled to make you more unsure of him.
The sound of the phone ringing loudly next to you made you jump, hand laying on your chest to feel your racing heart. You took a deep breath before you answered, âHello?â
âYN, I just wanted to check on you and make sure you got home okay.â Of course it was just Haena. You knew she worried about you especially when you were home with your father.
âYeah, Iâm okay. My dadâs left town apparently so Iâve got the place to myself.â
âOh shit, really?â She sounded stunned by this. âDidnât he hear the news?â
âNot sure. Although knowing him, he might have just wanted to get away from all the media craziness.â
âDo you want to stay at my place?â As if she could sense your hesitance, she continued in a more serious tone, âI know you probably think Iâm being dramatic but I just donât think you should be alone right now.â
âOkay.â You relented, agreeing that it was probably best to not be isolated and vulnerable with a killer on the loose.
You ran upstairs to pack some clothes for the week, unsure of how long you would be staying there. The thought occurred to you that you should probably let Taehyung know where you would be going just in case he tried to make another surprise sneak-in on you again. You picked up your phone and dialed his number. It rang one time before immediately going to voicemail, causing you to pull the phone back and look at it in confusion. It wasnât like him to outright reject your call, so you tried again. This time it rang all the way through before going to voicemail.Â
âHuh, thatâs weird.â You waited for the automated voice to end and the beep to sound before leaving him a message informing him of where you would be tonight as well as Haenaâs home number in case he needed to reach you later.
When you got to Haenaâs house a little while later, you werenât exactly sure why you felt uneasy all of the sudden seeing the police vehicle in her driveway. Her dad was Sheriff Lee and he had always been like a father to you, more so than your own father anyway. But just seeing his car again after so long and knowing he was in there was dredging up old memories that you had tried to forget.
Haena answered the door with a bright grin and pulled you inside excitedly. You already knew you were in for an eventful next few days, especially with her two younger brothers who were always loud and rambunctious. But oddly enough, you found that you enjoyed being around such a loving and busy household because that had never been your home experience.
You were greeted by warm hugs from Mrs. Lee before she quickly sat you down for dinner with a plate full of food. Haena rolled her eyes at her momâs antics especially when she realized she was not included in this display of special treatment and would have to make her own plate. At some point, Sheriff Lee rolled in and you could tell by the tired lines on his face that this week had taken a toll on him.
He still greeted you with a smile and a pat on the head before joining you all at the table. Mrs. Lee brought her husband a plate and you couldnât help but watch as he grabbed her hand to give it a kiss. The two of them had always been a sweet couple and what with your lack of ever seeing that growing up, you were always fascinated by them.
âHowâs your father doing, YN?â Haenaâs father asked.
âFine,â You answered, rolling a cherry tomato around on your plate with your fork. âHeâs actually on a work trip this week so Haena convinced me to come stay here for a little while if thatâs okay.â
âYou know youâre always welcome here, honey. Youâre practically family.â Mrs Lee was quick to reassure you.
âWork trip, huh?â Sheriff Leeâs eyebrows were drawn together as he held a spoonful of stew in front of him thoughtfully. âDid he mention where?â
âNope. You know how he is,â You answered honestly and he nodded.
Just then, the phone rang and Mrs. Lee got up to go answer it. You were about to go clean your dish when she came back into the kitchen and said, âYN, someoneâs on the phone for you.â
You quickly went over to go pick it up, âHello?â
âYN,â Taehyungâs deep voice came through on the other line, sounding hushed and slightly out-of-breath. âI just got your message.â
âOh, yeah well I just didnât want you to go worrying if you called me and I didnât answer. Haenaâs family is taking care of me.â
âYeah? Thatâs good.â He responded, and you could practically picture him posted up somewhere like the cool guy he was. âAlthough, I wish I had answered when you called because I could have kept you company.â
âIâm sure you would have liked that.â You chuckled. âI donât think my heart can handle another one of your window sneak-ins.â
âWell, I donât think my heart can handle being away from you that long.â
âYouâll still see me at school.â You reasoned, rolling your eyes despite him not being able to see you.
âYeah but thatâs school. You wonât even let me kiss you unless itâs somewhere hidden.â You could practically hear his pout through the receiver. âWhy donât you meet me at your place sometime this week? Iâll cook you dinner and we can finally be alone together.â
You couldnât help but feel overwhelmed at his sudden pushiness to get you alone. You knew if you agreed to meet him at your house that he would probably try to have sex with you again. As much as you wanted to take that step with him, you were scared.
âI donât know if thatâs a good idea, what with the recent murders and all. I think itâs probably best to stay in larger groups.â
âWhat, you donât think I can protect you? I know Iâm skinny but Iâm strong.â
âNo I know you can but itâs just not a good time right now.â
âYeah, I know. You havenât been yourself in a while.â He huffed into the receiver.Â
You laughed sarcastically, unsure if he was being serious right now. âYeah, sorry Iâm not in the mood to have sex with you right now. Iâm kinda still reeling over the deaths of our classmates.â
âI donât mean recently. You havenât been the same since Seowon died.â His words shocked you, not understanding where this was coming from all of the sudden.
âUh, well thatâs kind of what loss does to a person if you didnât know. They change - drastically.â All humor was gone from your tone as you felt yourself getting annoyed with him.
âYeah well itâs been a year since he died and youâre still so skittish around me. Itâs like you think Iâm some kind of bad guy.â
âIâm sorry if my trauma has ruined things for you but no one is making you stay with me. If you need it that badly then you-âÂ
âStop. Thatâs not what I meant at all.â He huffed angrily, taking a pause to gather his thoughts. âListen, I donât want to make you upset. I know itâs hard to see right now but Iâm just feeling insecure. I want to make sure weâre still okay.â
At your silence, he let out another sigh. âIâm gonna let you go now. Please donât be mad at me. I love you.â
He didnât say anything after that but he stayed on the line, and you knew he was waiting for you to say it back. Hoping for you to say it back. And as pissed off as he had made you, you hated the idea of going to bed mad at him. So you conceded, for now.
âI love you too.â
*****
When you arrived on campus the next day, you spotted Namjoon standing near his usual news van. He was dressed smartly in an olive sweater and gray slacks, his glasses making him look more like a university student than a reporter. He was busy sorting through some papers, probably brushing up on his notes before he did his next broadcast.
You felt compelled to speak with him, especially after everything that had been going on recently. Over the past year, he had reached out to you multiple times for a comment and you always declined. The only time you had spoken in-person was after the court case had ended and it hadnât been the most cordial moment.
âYN, this is a surprise. What can I do for you?â Namjoon raised his eyebrows at you, a mix of curiosity and something else you couldnât quite pick up in his expression.
âI wanted to talk to you about Min Yoongi.â
âOkay.â He spoke slowly, glancing over at his camera crew who were standing a few feet away. âIâm guessing this is off the record?â
âYes, please.â You paused, trying to think on how to start. âI know you probably donât think very highly of me.â
âWhat makes you say that?â
âWell, you wrote a whole book on how my witness testimony was the reason an innocent man was imprisoned.â
âYes. I still stand by that.â He responded honestly, crossing his arms over his chest.
âSo what, you think Iâm a liar?â
âYou painted a picture that made him look like a killer. I think you were so desperate for all the media coverage and court trials to end that you picked him as a scapegoat.â
âHave you talked to Yoongi?â
âMany times. He admits to selling drugs to your brother but thatâs all.â The look on his face told you just how in-depth their conversations had gone. Namjoon was a very detail-oriented man.
âThen how do you explain the blood on his clothes and the murder weapon in his home?â
âHis roommate testified that he came home high with no blood on his clothes. Someone else planted all that evidence and framed him.â The way he spoke of Yoongi was almost like they were close; he clearly felt very strongly about clearing his name.
âWhy are you so adamant on proving his innocence? Did you know him?â
âWhy do you care what I think?â Namjoonâs face screwed up as he seemed to grow more irritated with you. This was the real emotion you expected to get from him, behind the friendly facade he tried to put on with you. âYou got what you wanted, didnât you? Yoongiâs life is ruined, heâll never see the light of day again.â
âThatâs not what I wanted.â Now, it was your turn to look confused. âI wanted justice. I told the judge exactly what I saw that day.â
His lips pursed as he thought for a moment, processing your words. âYes, I knew Yoongi. We werenât exactly friends but anyone who knew him knew he was harmless. He wouldnât hurt a fly.â
âHarmless and yet he sold drugs to teenagers?â You regretted it as soon as it came out your mouth. You knew it was a low blow and you didnât truly care that he did that anyway but you needed to cling onto some semblance that you made the right call.
He hummed as he searched your face for a moment, âWhy are you asking me about Yoongi all of the sudden? Youâre not so sure anymore, are you?â
âNo, Yoongi murdered my brother.â You werenât even sure if you believed yourself at how weak your voice sounded.
âThese murders are related, arenât they? The killerâs still on the loose.â He sounded almost triumphant as he marveled at your recent revelation, the cogs in his head working on overdrive. You had just confirmed his biggest theory yet despite your best efforts not to.
Now was a good time to leave. You werenât sure what you had hoped to get out of this interaction but it wasnât this. You had been avoiding the truth for a long time but it was catching up to you.Â
âGoodbye, Namjoon. Always a pleasure.â He didnât respond as he watched you move to leave, his lips moving as he quietly murmured to himself. Despite his dark calculating eyes following your every move, you knew that he was in a different place conjuring up his next news broadcast.
*****
Halfway through the school day, it became apparent that Principal Choi had not shown up nor called in sick. After multiple attempts to reach his home phone, one of the administrators called the police to do a wellness check. And what they had found upon entering his home had been what everyone was fearing.
The news of Principal Choiâs death spread through the school like wildfire and you could tell the staff struggled to hold themselves together while keeping the students organized. A few police officers arrived at the school to work with the administrators on figuring out how to go about letting the students go home.
You were in the library with Haena and Jungkook when a pair of boys came running through your section and drawing the attention of everyone nearby. One was screaming in an exaggerated manner and the other was wearing the infamous Ghostface mask and chasing the former. You could tell they were just playing a prank but you didnât see how anyone could be making fun of the situation right now.
âWhat is wrong with people?â
âAre you kidding me? Look at this place, itâs like Halloween.â Jungkook threw his head back and laughed.
âStupidity leak!â Haena berated him, whacking him in the head with her notebook.
You shook your head at him, deciding to just ignore his comment. âHave you guys seen Taehyung around?â
âYou mean after you gave him blue balls? No, his heartâs broken.â
âJungkook,â Haena elbowed him hard, causing him to grunt.
âHe said that?â You were shocked that even Jungkook knew about your lack of a sex life but should have known that boys would talk just like girls did.
âOf course he did. The guyâs crazy about you.â
âWhat guyâs crazy about her?â Speak of the devil and he shall appear. Taehyung leaned over you from behind to kiss the top of your head, causing your heart to do a flip.
âKeanu Reeves, of course.â You mouthed a âthank youâ to Haena at her swift coverup, causing her to give you a wink.
âHey, can I talk to you for a second?â Taehyung whispered in your ear and held your hand as he pulled you out of your chair. Haena ignored Jungkook trying to get her attention as she watched you follow your boyfriend to a more secluded area.Â
âIâm really sorry about what I said before - it was way out of line. Iâve been a little out of sorts lately with everything going on.â He sounded vulnerable as he spoke, and you couldnât help but feel your heart tug at his remorseful face. He had always been the type to wear his heart on his sleeve. âI just want us to be okay again. I want my girlfriend back.â
âIâm still your girlfriend,â You rolled your eyes playfully, squeezing his hand in yours. âBut Iâm sorry if Iâve made you feel insecure. I know Iâve been acting different for a while and it wasnât fair to you. I guess I just havenât been dealing with my trauma very well.â
âThatâs not your fault. You donât need to feel bad about how you grieve.â He reached up to tuck a lock of hair behind your ear, a soft expression on his face.
âI havenât been grieving at all - thatâs the problem. Itâs like my emotions have been shut off.â You sighed, shutting your eyes as his hand moved to caress your cheek. âI canât keep hiding in my room forever. I need to move on.â
When you opened your eyes again, Taehyung was watching you carefully with his mouth pressed shut. You wished you could read his mind. There was more you wanted to say but you found it hard to find the words, so you decided to let your actions speak by leaning forward and kissing him deeply.
You could tell he hadnât expected you to make the move by the way he froze but he quickly recovered, pulling you closer with his arms settling around your waist. You pressed yourself to him as he leaned against the bookshelf. This was the most hot and heavy you had ever been in public and you could tell he was enjoying it, not wanting to part from you for even a second.
When you did eventually pull away, you felt brave enough to ask, âWill you meet me at my house later?â
You felt him tense up in shock yet again but couldnât see his face as you were leaning on his chest. You dared to look up and see him looking at you with wide eyes.
âI thought you wanted to stay at Haenaâs.â
âI changed my mind.â You shrugged, feeling giddy as his face lit up. âYouâll protect me from any bad guys, right?â
He pulled you in again, wrapping his arms around you tightly and resting his chin on the crown of your head. You had never felt safer.
âI wonât let anything happen to you.â
Taehyung has always been careful and thoughtful about how he treated you. His touches were gentle and soft; you couldnât imagine him hurting a fly. Maybe it was just his artsy persona but you had always known him to be a deep, considerate person. He was meticulous about every detail, whether it was his art or his life. Sometimes it seemed like he truly believed life was art; a painting that was ever-changing and inspiring.
You were a masterpiece in his eyes. Something to be cherished and never tarnished. That was why he wanted to keep you safe from the evil in the world. He knew that life had already not been fair to you. But he believed it was his job to prevent any further wrongdoings from coming into your life. He wouldnât hesitate to destroy anyone who would even try to cause you harm.
It was when you were laid out on your bed looking like an angel, Taehyung felt like he was truly going to Hell. Surely God was coming for him because he had stolen an angel and kept her all to himself. You had given yourself up to him and you didnât know it yet but he would never let you go. How could he?
The only word to describe it was heaven. Having you in his arms like this, touching parts of you his hands had never dared to before - it was pure bliss. He wanted to stay like this forever. There was nothing out there for either of you. Everything you both needed was right here, in each otherâs arms.
He had lost count of how many times he made you come undone before he had even entered you. This wasnât his first time but it may as well have been with the way he struggled to not fall apart almost immediately. You were his weakness and at the same time you were the only thing keeping him together most of the time. He didnât care how old you both were - you were it for him.
You had always imagined your first time would be like a dream, full of romantic candles and roses. The reality of it was much different, more natural, and yet you found it to be better than you could have ever imagined. You felt like one of Taehyungâs paintings as his lips and fingertips caressed you everywhere, molding you into one of his perfect creations. You were his muse and you had never felt so beautiful.
It was a night of passion and love; the perfect embodiment of your relationship. Whatever rocky period you had been going through before was long gone and you almost couldnât believe you had ever wanted to delay this. This was where you needed to be. You knew you probably sounded like a naive teenager, but you didnât want to think of anyone else in this way ever. You only wanted Taehyung.
âIâll always love you, YN. Iâll never leave you.â
*****
The next day, you were on your way to your locker when you spied Haena waiting for you. You tried to act indifferent to Haenaâs wide eyes looking you up and down as you approached her. It was as if she was trying to find some kind of visible evidence on you.
âSo?â You knew she wanted to know what happened last night, but you werenât ready to spill so soon.Â
âSo... what?â You acted ignorant as you opened up your locker, reaching for your math textbook.
âOh come on, Iâm dying here! Spill.â
âOkay, okay.â Laughter bursted out of you, your resolve crumbling before you could even try to build it up. âWe, uh... did it.â
âMore details, please.â She rolled her eyes at your vagueness.
âIt was really sweet. He made us a nice dinner and then we...â You cringed, not knowing how to talk about it without sounding corny. âI donât know how to describe it.â
âWell, did it hurt? Did you come?â You nodded to both questions honestly and her eyebrows raised as she became more intrigued. âHow many times?â
When she saw you counting on your fingers higher and higher, she blew a low whistle. âGod damn. Good for you, girl.â
âI feel like he set the bar pretty high. Is it always like this or is he just really talented?â
âWell, it depends. Jungkook is usually pretty good but sometimes heâs too drunk or lazy and then I end up doing most of the work myself.â
You pursed your lips in thought, âDoesnât he go down on you before?â
Her eyes widened as she opened her mouth in shock, âCan I borrow him?â
You smacked her on the arm as she laughed, linking arms with you as you both made your way to class.
âOh, by the way, Jungkookâs having a party at his house later.â She mentioned nonchalantly as she popped her gum in her mouth.
âWhat about curfew?â
She shrugged, âI donât think theyâre being too strict about it. Itâs probably safer that weâre all together anyway.â
You still looked convinced, so she added, âBut if youâre really worried, we can just stay over at his place. His parents are out of town.â
âDoes your dad know?â You glanced at her curiously.
âGod, no,â she laughed, shaking her head. âHeâs working a night shift so heâll be busy patrolling. And Iâll just tell my mom weâre staying at yours.â
âOkay. We can go.â
âYeah?â She looked surprised, a bright smile painting her face. It was infectious as you found yourself smiling back at her and nodding. She bumped shoulders with you, wiggling her eyebrows as she leaned in, âHmm, I like the new you. Sheâs fun.â
You were surprised how easy it was for you to agree to the party. Maybe last night gave you more confidence to just live a little. All you knew was the old you would have opted to stay at Haenaâs for another night in and you didnât want to be stuck in your old ways. You owed it to yourself and everyone you loved to move on.
You had foolishly fallen into a sense of false security, not necessarily forgetting about the horrors your town had been cursed with but just for once not having it in the forefront of your mind. You had felt closer to your boyfriend than ever before and now you were ready to be more adventurous. It wasnât until later in the day did that bubble of excitement pop.
When the classroom door opened to reveal Sheriff Lee, the students around you immediately began whispering to each other conspiringly. You wondered what it could be this time around as he whispered something to the teacher before turning back to face front with a serious expression. Your teacherâs eyes landed on you as she waved her hand, âYN.â
Everyone around you hushed as you gathered your things with shaking hands, making your way to the front of the room quickly. The air out in the hallway felt different, less suffocating. It somewhat helped your rising anxiety.
One look at Sheriff Lee gave you a new perspective of this man who had practically raised you. He wasnât that old, only early 50s, but the stress he had put under with his profession had aged him. He had tired bags under his eyes, worry lines on his forehead, and sprouting grays here and there. He had always been handsome and you could tell he would continue to age like wine. But that didnât change how sad it made you to see him in this state.
âYN, Iâm afraid I have some bad news. There was a report of a car that wrecked on the side of the road just outside of town.â He spoke slowly as he relayed the information, the consideration from him not lost on you. You were trying to process it all while still not understanding why he was telling you this. âIt was your dadâs car.â
Your heart stopped as you clutched your school bag in your hand. Thoughts were going wild in your head as your breathing became erratic. You didnât know what any of this meant.Â
âWhat, um... is he dead?â Your tongue felt disconnected like your brain was just on autopilot.
âNo one has seen him yet.â He sighed, a deep frown etched across his features. âI know you said he was leaving for a work trip but have you spoken to him at all since he left?â
He was aware that your father wasnât known for contacting you at times like these, but you understood he still had to ask. âNo. The last time I saw him was the night before he left.â
He nodded as if he expected that, giving you a small smile. âWell, weâll keep looking. In the meantime, I want you to stay out of your house in case there are any clues to where he could have gone. And itâs probably safer that youâre not alone right now.â
âOkay.â
It seemed like he wanted to say more but clearly was out of his depth when it came to comforting someone. It wasnât like he could make any promises about finding your dad because the truth was he was most likely gone. You had dealt with enough loss that you knew this feeling well. You gave him a matching small smile, albeit weak but you hoped it would appear encouraging.
âThank you, Sheriff Lee.â
*****
School ended early that day, mostly due to the fact that half the staff had called out in fear of receiving the same fate as Principal Choi. It was strange that they even had anyone come in at all but you figured the police had already suspected the killer was at the school, thus being their best bet at finding them. Everyone was on edge as if Ghostface was still lurking in its shadows. Which technically, he probably was.
You had already started to go through in your mind which students in your school could have done it. There were a few stronger girls in your class who could have had the physical power to do it, but they were all too nice or non confrontational. There were plenty of bully-like guys that could fit the description, but you had a hard time truly seeing any of your classmates being involved in such gruesome scenes. Itâs just that all the victims had one thing in common: the high school. It only made sense that all suspicion would be pointed here.
Eventually, you gave up trying to figure it out because you were only going in circles in your head. The police would figure it out. Tonight was supposed to be fun and you were sure the killer wouldnât be brave enough to attack a whole group of teenagers. There was strength in numbers and you felt safer this way.
As you and Haena made your way up the driveway, music could be heard blasting from inside. You werenât even that late but it seems the party was already in full swing. There were a dozen football players and cheerleaders lounging in the main room when you walked in, most of them unknown to you. Haena greeted a few people in the hallway and you followed her into the kitchen as she searched for some refreshments.Â
âItâs about time you guys showed up,â Jungkook yelled from where he was standing by the snack table.
âI see you guys couldnât wait to get started,â Haena eyed where Hobi was pouring beer down a funnel into Jinâs mouth.
âWell no one told you guys to arrive fashionably late,â Hobi replied, high-fiving Jin before switching places with him. Haena rolled her eyes, moving on to talk to Jungkook on the other side of the room.
âHey, have you guys seen Taehyung?â You asked, leaning against the countertop island.
âHe was in here earlier. I think he said something about going outside for a smoke,â Jin informed, not taking his eyes off where he was pouring.
You briefly wondered how you had missed him if you had just come from the outside but shrugged it off. He had to be around here somewhere. You ventured out into the main room and plopped down on the couch. The music had been turned down a bit as they were going back and forth trying to decide what movie to watch. For some reason, the genre they had settled on was horror which was in poor taste in your opinion. At least it was entertaining to hear them argue about who usually survives in a horror movie.
A hand on your shoulder startled you, looking up to see Hobi standing there with the telephone. âPhone for you.â
You held in your confusion as you got up to take the call in a quieter area. âHello?â
âYN, itâs Namjoon.â Of all people who could be calling you, he was probably the last one you would suspect. âAre you guys okay?â
âYes, why wouldnât we be?â
âIâm guessing you havenât heard yet.â He sighed and your heart thudded in your chest, unable to speak as you willed him to continue. âSheriff Leeâs dead. They found him strung up on one of the field goals in the football field.â
You almost dropped the phone, a stuttered gasp being the only sound you could make for a moment.Â
âOh god,â you finally spoke, your hand coming up to cover your mouth. âI think Iâm gonna be sick.â
âIs Haena with you?â He asked quickly, trying to distract you.
âYes.â Swallowing, you covered your other ear as the voices in the main room started getting louder. How were you supposed to tell everyone? You were surprised you were even still standing.
âStay with her. If I were you, I wouldnât leave that house. â
You were still so in shock from the news about your Haenaâs father that it suddenly dawned on you that he had figured out where you were without you ever telling him.Â
âHow did you know I was here?â
âSomeone reported a large gathering of students at the Jeon house on the scanner. I had a feeling you would be there.â His answer was a shock to you, not expecting anyone to know about the party as it was out on the edge of town.
âO-okay, I better go warn everyone...â
âYN?â You held in your breath as you waited for him to continue, unease crawling into your system at his pause. âBe careful.â
For him to sound so concerned for you only heightened your paranoia, quickly walking back into the main room where everyone was. Jungkook was sprawled out on the couch now along with Jin and Hobi, throwing his head back at something the latter had said. You shakily placed the phone back on the stand.
âJungkook, I need to talk to you.â You were surprised your voice was so steady, his big eyes meeting yours as he took in your expression.
âAre you okay? You look like youâve seen a ghost,â He joked, standing up to meet you behind the couch.
âKim Namjoon just called me,â You felt your stomach flip as you held the back of the couch for support. âSheriff Lee was murdered.â
You had tried to be discreet about it but your shock must have garnered enough attention, gasps sounding around the room as they all picked up on what you had revealed.
âHoly shit, Iâm getting out of here.â
There was a chorus of responses as people started to make themselves scarce, clearly not in the mood for a party anymore. The only ones that stayed were Hobi and Jin, either not concerned enough about the killer or not brave enough to leave the house. You werenât sure which group you belonged to but you knew you had to find Haena. You looked up at Jungkook, who was staring at the carpet with a serious expression on his face and biting his lip.
âWhereâs Haena?â It was like he almost didnât hear you until you shook his shoulder. âJungkook?â
âUm, she went to get more beer-â He blinked a few times, waving his arm behind him. âGarage.â
You walked quickly around the house, trying to find the correct door to the garage. When you finally did, it was pitch black save for some light coming in from the opened garage door. You almost turned back as it was clear there was no one in here before something made you stop. There was no noise, no movement but you felt like something was in here.
Your hand sought out the light, switching it on and blinking as it flicked a few times before brightening up the room. Your gaze flitted around, almost giving up before you saw something dark and red that made you flinch backwards.Â
There was a piercing scream and you felt the ground beneath you move, your ass hitting the wooden step hard. It wasnât long before thundering steps came behind you, stopping as they hit your back. Your ears, seemingly filled with water with how muted everything seemed, caught a few more gasps and screams. Hands gripped you under your armpits, pulling you up over the steps and back into the hallway.
After that, everything was a blur of commotion. You were vaguely aware of people yelling around you but it wasnât until Hobi crouched down, waving his hand in front of your face that you felt alert again.
âI think sheâs in shock,â He relayed to the others.
âYN?â Taehyungâs voice sounded from the other end of the hallway, his expression bewildered as he approached quickly. âI heard screaming.â
âJesus, where have you been Tae?â Jin asked.
âHaving a smoke,â Hobi moved out of the way so Taehyung could kneel before you, bringing his hands to your cheeks and analyzing your face closely. âWhat happened? Are you okay?â
âHaena...â
âGo find Jungkook,â Tae instructed the older two.
Hobi groaned, âWhy do we have to keep splitting up? This is what the killer wants!â
Jin smacked him behind his head, angling his head towards your shell shocked figure. âShut up, would you?â
The two of them walked off, bickering quietly as they went. Taehyung sat with you silently as you stayed in the same position, wiping away any tears that escaped. You stared at the floor as your mind raced with a million thoughts, not a single one sticking long enough for you to linger on.
How could this happen so fast? You had just seen Haena in the kitchen talking to Jungkook. Everything was fine. You couldnât have been gone from her for more than thirty minutes and yet so much had changed. It didnât make any sense.
First Sheriff Lee, now Haena. The killer was getting closer. No, the killer was already here. It couldnât have been Jungkook, Hobi, or Jin. They had all been with you.
But...
âTaehyung?â He looked up at you, surprised to hear your voice finally. He leaned in, reaching a hand out to brush your hair back but you shied away. He reared back in shock, his expression confused as he met your suspicious one.
âWhat?â
âYou were... smoking? For thirty minutes?â Your voice was unsure as you questioned him, sounding stuffed up from all the crying.
âYes, wh-â The sound of screaming from outside interrupted him. You shot up from your spot, running towards the front door where it came from. âWait, YN! Donât!â
You ignored him as you threw open the door; you needed to stop any more evil from happening. You had already lost so much in your life. Enough was enough.
The sight of Hobiâs bloody body laying on the front steps had you freezing in your tracks, feeling Taehyungâs chest collide with your back a moment later. The two of you stared in shock before you became aware of the violent tussle happening further out in the yard. It was hard to make it out but it looked like Jungkook and Jin were fighting. What the hell had happened? You were guessing this was Jungkookâs fight-or-flight response to finding out about Haena.
âStay right here,â Taehyung spoke softly to you as he brushed past you, walking around Hobiâs battered body and approaching the two other boys with a calmness you didnât quite understand.
The further he went out, the harder it was to make out who was who especially as they moved between bushes and trees. You felt anxious and stupid as you just stood there, your feet itching to move out and help them but not knowing if it was a smart idea.
âYN,â A voice coughed out from below you, a gasp escaping as you fell to your knees where Hobi was laying. You had been so distracted by the fight that you almost forgot he was there.
âWhat happened?â You asked urgently, grabbing one of his hands and squeezing.
He choked a bit, blood spraying out onto his lips and neck. âDonât trust them.â He gave your hand one last squeeze, meeting your eyes as if to make the message stronger. You watched in concern as he closed his eyes, chest rising and falling rapidly. He was still alive but he wasnât doing well. He needed medical care immediately.
âYN! Get inside now!â Your head flew up to see Taehyung underneath Jin, the two of them fighting over something shiny and sharp-looking between them as what looked like Jungkook was passed out next to them.
Your gaze flew back and forth from them to Hobiâs unconscious face, trying to figure out who to believe. You took a deep breath and ran back inside, locking the door behind you as you ran for the phone. You hit redial, hoping it would direct you to Namjoon. You never thought you could ever cry with relief at hearing his voice.
âYN? Are you okay?â
âNamjoon, tell the police the boys must have snapped or something, I donât know. But Haenaâs dead and we need help.â The words flew out of you so fast you werenât even sure what all you said, hoping you got the message across as you huffed.
The line went silent at that, and you held your breath as you waited for a response. But there was nothing - just dead air.
âHello? Namjoon?â You tried again, pulling the phone away before you realized the line was dead. Someone had cut the lines. âShit.â
Just then, a sudden banging could be heard from the front door followed by desperate shouts of your name. You ran over to it, ready to unlock the door when you hesitated with your hand on the lock.
âWhoâs there?â
âYN, let me in! Hurry!â The urgency in Jinâs voice made you throw open the door, gasping when you saw him covered in blood with a knife in his hand.
âJin, what-â
âDonât let him in, YN! He attacked me!â Jungkook suddenly appeared behind him, a deep cut on his cheek that hadnât been there before.Â
You looked between Jungkook and Jin, trying to decipher who to believe but not finding any conclusive evidence. To be honest, when you saw them out in the yard before, it was hard to tell who had even started the fight. And now seeing them both with blood on them, you felt at a loss. All you knew was people were dying and someone had cut the phone lines. You didnât know who you could trust.
âFuck, I canât.â You slammed the door as quickly as you could, locking it again. The banging and shouting continued.
âHelp me! Heâs gone crazy!â
You stood there for a few moments, palms still on the door as you willed your racing heart to calm down. Tonight had been nonstop crazy and you couldnât remember the last time it was at a resting rate. Before you could turn around, a pair of hands landed on your shoulders and ruined any chance of your heartbeat slowing down any time soon. You shrieked as you turned around, not expecting to see Taehyung standing behind you.Â
âShh, itâs just me.â He shushed you, putting his hands on your shoulders to calm you down.Â
âWh- how did you get in here?â You hadnât seen him outside just now.
âI came in through the back. Are you okay?â He checked over your body, fingers brushing over the visible skin on your face and arms.
âIâm fine but Tae, where have you been all night?â Your exasperated tone caught him off guard, a somber look coating his features as he regarded you. âIâm getting really freaked out.â
âIâm sorry, I didnât mean to run off like that. Iâve just been trying to protect you.â His words didnât make any sense but you werenât thinking clearly enough to dissect what he meant.
The banging grew louder and Taehyung moved to open it. The roles were reversed this time as you shook your head at him, silently urging him not to let anyone in. Your fingers gripped the sleeve of his sweater anxiously. He turned to look at you, his hand coming up to cover yours on his arm.
âItâs okay. You can trust me.â He nodded at you with a small smile, and you released the breath you didnât know you were holding.
The door swung open to reveal Jungkook standing there looking out of breath, but his face lit up when he saw you standing there with Taehyung. A grin broke out across his face, âThe gangâs all here!â
You could only watch in confusion as Jungkook stepped in in the same move that Taehyung backed you up with him. Jungkook shut the door behind him looking gleeful as ever. You looked at Taehyung who had a serious look on his face but you recognized a glint of something in his eye, almost like he had just won a bet or something.
âWhatâs going on?â You asked, stepping back cautiously from them. The energy had changed drastically and you didnât like it one bit.
Taehyung eyed you like you were a scared animal, holding his hands out as if to placate you. His gaze was locked on yours and you almost felt like he could read your thoughts, anticipating your next move before you could even do it.
âSurprise, YN.â Jungkook smirked at you, looking far too elated right now to have just lost his girlfriend.
Your eyes flitted back and forth between the two of them before you spun around, racing toward the kitchen to find something you could defend yourself with. Although you had no proof, you knew it was them. Taehyung and Jungkook were the killers. You didnât have time to feel heartbroken and betrayed. Your only thought right now was survival.
Before you could get far, arms wrapped around your waist and yanked you back towards a firm chest. You eyed the knife block longingly - so close. Taehyung held you tightly to his front, turning the two of you around so you were backed up against the counter. Jungkook leered from across the room looking like a dangerous predator.
âWhy are you doing this?â You cried, hot tears streaming down your face.
âI already told you. Iâm protecting you.â Taehyung explained as if it was the most obvious thing.
âBy killing all my family and friends? Youâre fucking crazy!â Your voice grew louder, unable to feel shy about getting angry despite being caught in a murdererâs arms.
Taehyung was a murder. Your soft, loving, artsy boyfriend was a cold-blooded killer. This was a nightmare; this couldnât be real.
âYes, I am crazy, but only for you. I would do anything for you, YN.â
âYouâll never get away with this.â
Jungkook chuckled, âTell that to Min Yoongi. You wouldnât believe how easy he was to frame.â
âWhat did you have against my brother?â There was a lot to unpack here but this was the question you had been wondering for a whole year.
âYour brother wasnât the picture perfect star quarterback everyone believed him to be. He had a bad habit of date raping girls from other schools, including my cousin.â Taehyung answered for you, the lack of eye contact with him making him hard to read if what he was saying was true.
âYouâre lying,â You hissed, trying desperately to break out of his arms.
âWhy are you defending him? He was never nice to you.â Jungkook reminded you, his eyes calculating and cold. âFace it, YN. Your brother was a bad apple who got what was coming to him.â
âWhat do you have to gain from this?â
âWell, naturally, I wanted his spot on the team.â He grinned at you, flashing a perfect set of teeth. âIt wasnât hard for Taehyung to convince me once I realized what a piece of shit he was.â
âAnd Haena?â You glared at Jungkook. âHow could you kill your own girlfriend?â
âI canât take credit for that,â He nodded towards Taehyung behind you and you felt your body go still. âYou saw me. I was here the whole night.â
âWrong place, wrong time.â Taehyung added, leaning his head on the space between your shoulder and your neck. âBut I wonât lie. I hated sharing her with you all the time.â
âYouâre okay with him murdering your girlfriend?â
âI liked Haena but she didnât get me. She didnât get you either.â Jungkook approached the two of you slowly, dark gaze zeroed in on your anguished expression. He reached out to caress your face, causing you to tense up as Taehyung straightened behind you. âYouâre too good for her.â
âJungkook.â Taehyungâs voice was rough as he motioned with his head towards another part of the kitchen. The two shared some sort of unspoken communication as something dawned on the other boy.
âOh yeah! We got a surprise for you, YN.â Jungkookâs voice grew louder and more excited as he walked towards the hallway closet door. âYouâre gonna love this. Itâs a scream, baby.â
It didnât take him long to retrieve what he was looking for, your eyes almost bulging out of your head as you saw who it was. âDad!â He was tied up with tape around his mouth and a nasty cut on his forehead.
âSee, YN? We got it all figured out, donât worry.â Jungkook began, pulling the knife from his pants and stuffing it in your dadâs belt. âThe cops are already onto him and now the evidence is all over him. Just one more thing to do.â
Leaving you no time to react, Jungkook pulled a gun from behind his pants and aimed it right at your fatherâs head, shooting him dead. You couldnât help the scream that tore out of your lungs. You felt cold all over, like your body had disconnected from your brain. Vaguely, you registered Taehyungâs arms holding you steady as your knees buckled.
âHe deserved it, YN.â Taehyung spoke so plainly about the murder of your father like it was just a harmless prank he had pulled, âHe didnât appreciate what he had. Deep down, we all know he blamed you for being the one that survived. He never loved you the way a father should.â
The harsh reality of his words hurt. It was like he was looking into your soul, into your deepest darkest feelings that you had tried to keep down for so long.
âWe did you a favor.â Jungkook added, his dark stare penetrating you where you stood behind the kitchen island. âAnd he makes the perfect suspect, triggered by your brothersâ death anniversary, then goes on a killing spree and finally kills himself with the sheriffâs gun. Itâs like it was meant to be.â
These two were insane, no doubt about it. They had seen too many scary movies and now they felt like they were invincible. You could practically feel the adrenaline running through Taehyungâs veins.
âAnd now what? Iâm next?â
âOf course not,â Taehyung laughed, switching you around so that he cornered you into the kitchen counter. He leaned in and pressed a kiss to your forehead, ignoring your deep cringe. âThis has all been for you, baby.â
âNow, we finish what we started.â
Faster than you could blink, Taehyung swung at Jungkook, causing him to keel over. Red started pooling through the side of his shirt as he coughed into his hand, staining it with blood. You couldnât believe your eyes.
âTae, what the fuck?â Jungkook grunted, holding his side as he looked up at Taehyung in shock.
âI changed my mind. I donât need a sidekick anymore.â Taehyung sneered, a venomous look on his face. âThanks for all the help, buddy.â
Jungkook fell to the kitchen floor and Taehyung moved on top of him, stabbing him a few more times for good measure. In his bloodlust frenzy, he failed to notice that he had turned his back on you. Not only that, but the gun in Jungkookâs hand was now within reach of you.
You wasted no time in falling to your knees to grab it, quickly standing up and aiming it at the back of his head. Taehyung froze, still not facing you but somehow already figuring out his mistake. It was a foolish move on his part but he wasnât exactly thinking clearly.
âDonât move.â You spoke clearly, trying to keep your hand steady.
He didnât listen to you though, moving slowly and carefully as he got off of Jungkook. He turned around with his hands raised, eyes wide as he stared at you. âYN, donât do anything youâll regret.â
âI said donât move!â You yelled, your fingers trembling. You had never even held a gun before and now here you were aiming it at the love of your life.
âI know you donât understand right now but you have to know: I did it all for you. So that we could be closer. I never meant to hurt you.â The sight of him inching further set you off, giving you the motivation you needed to pull the trigger.
âGoodbye, Taehyung.â You closed your eyes, not wanting to see the image of the light draining from his eyes.
It was over.
*****
Months later, you were relieved to find that life had seemed to calm down after that horrible night full of evil and bloodshed. You had suffered and lost so many people you loved. Much like a year before, only this time you felt somewhat hopeful for the future. Death couldnât follow you around anymore like a bad curse; the evil was dead and gone from your life. It was the only thing keeping you going.
That and having a positive influence in your life, like for example Namjoon. He was the first to find you there at the Jeon house after getting your phone call but never receiving your message due to the phones being tampered with. You were lying on the kitchen floor, covered in blood and still in shock over everything. He had been so helpful, urging you to call 911 on his cell phone while he checked to see if Hobi and Jin were still somehow alive - which by some miracle, they were. They had sustained serious injuries and were lucky to be alive, each spending quite some time in the hospital and then physical therapy after that. You visited them almost every day.
It had been hard, dealing with the survivorâs guilt. Losing your entire family, best friend, and boyfriend (even though he had been the cause of it all) had done some serious damage to your mental health. And despite all the therapy you had been receiving and would continue to receive, you knew it would never completely be healed. But that was okay. In your mind, you deserved some kind of scar from the whole ordeal since you hadnât suffered any physical injuries. Several of your friends were dead or badly hurt - you could deal with it if not for yourself, then for them.
The best part about it was being able to exonerate Yoongi. To finally be able to see some emotion from him on the day the judge ruled him not guilty had been life changing. Yoongi had always been such a calm guy and never blamed you for the year of his life wasted behind bars. You wanted desperately to make it up for him but didnât know how you possibly could. Namjoon assured you that you had done enough but the guilt never seemed to go away.
Namjoon and you had started to develop more of a friendly relationship, something you had never expected to come out of this. But after all the conflict was gone, it was much easier to see each otherâs point of view. And the truth was, he had always been right.
âGot any plans this weekend?â Namjoon asked as he poured some sugar into his coffee before taking a sip.
âNot sure,â you began, taking a breath as you thought it over. âI got invited to an end-of-year party but Iâm not sure if I should go. Feels too soon.â
âOh, you should definitely go. Itâs not as soon as you think.â He responded encouragingly, sounding like a big brother.
âI just donât see what thereâs to celebrate about.â You shrugged, meeting his gaze.
âThereâs plenty to celebrate! How about surviving a tragic murder spree, exonerating an innocent man, finishing up a school year?â You didnât look convinced, so he tried again, âCome on, I think it would be good for you to get out. You shouldnât stay in that big house by yourself all the time.â
âYou sound like my therapist.â You rolled your eyes at him, stirring the tea in your cup mindlessly.
âWell, you sound like a petulant child.â He chuckled.
You opened your mouth to retort, eyes flying up to look at him when something in the distance caught your eye. Your body felt cold, frozen up as you stared at the familiar figure. Dark black mop of hair covered his face, baggy sweater and jeans on his frame. You blinked a few times but he didnât move at all. It didnât make any sense.Â
âYN? What is it?â Namjoon waved a hand in your face, distracting you from whatever it was you just saw.
âHuh?â You asked, blinking at Namjoon before glancing back at where he stood before. Only now, there was nobody in sight. You cleared your throat as your gaze fell back on the man before you, âUh, nothing.â
âYou looked like you saw a ghost.â He laughed, eyebrows furrowing at you in a concerned manner.
âYeah, right.â You shook your head. There was no such thing.
Iâll always love you, YN. Iâll never leave you.
*****
A/N: i'm baaaack! ngl i'm proud of myself for getting this one done bc it was a whopper. i really hoped you liked it! scream is one of my fave scary movies so i've always wanted to make an AU for it. ty for reading and pls lmk what you think!!
435 notes
·
View notes
Don't Fear the Reaper
Scream AU
pairing: taehyung x reader
genre: yandere, horror/thriller
warnings: murder, graphic violence, mature themes, obsessive behavior, sexual content
word count:Â 13k
summary/preview: Just a year since your brotherâs brutal murder, bad luck seems to strike again in your once-peaceful hometown. It seems as if death wants to follow you as it finds its next victim in one of your school friends. The more the murders start to connect, you begin to wonder if it really could be just a copycat killer or if the wrong man was imprisoned.
quick note: this is very unedited so pls excuse any mistakes!! tyđ€
It had been almost a year since your brotherâs death and you still couldnât believe it was real. His bedroom door had been practically sealed shut, neither you nor your father daring to venture inside. The sight of his empty room getting dusty would have just made it that much more real - something the both of you didnât need as the constant news coverage had done enough of that job already.
It wasnât necessarily that you were so distraught over Seowonâs death that you couldnât come to terms with it. He was your older brother, your own blood, but that didnât mean the two of you had been the closest siblings. You would describe your relationship over the years as lukewarm at best. You loved him because he was your brother but you never truly felt like you knew him. It was also hard to mourn with news vans following you everywhere you went.
The part that was hard to believe was the way in which he had died. He had been found in the woods near your house with seventeen stab wounds. It didnât make any sense. Your brother had been a star football player at your school, part of the popular crowd. He was well-liked amongst students and teachers. You didnât think anyone had a bad opinion of him. Itâs possible he had rivals especially in sports or romances but nothing that would warrant murder.
Initially, there had been a lot of speculation in the town and you had heard all the rumors, including the one where your father had killed him in a fit of rage. You knew it could never be true; your father had been devastated by your brotherâs death. He had been emotionless before, but now he was just a shell of the man he was. And whoever said loss could bring people closer had obviously never met your father.
The truth was that your father had always been emotionally closed for as long as you had known him. Your mother had died from complications after your birth and though he had never voiced it, you knew that he had resented you for being the cause of your motherâs death. At times, you wished you had never been born because living with the guilt had been too much to bear especially living with a father who never forgave you for it.Â
When the police eventually did find a suspect, you were shocked to say the least. Min Yoongi was a few years older than you and had already graduated when the murder weapon as well as your brotherâs blood on his clothing was found. He had always been a serious guy and if you asked most people, they would say they had always believed he kept skeletons in his closet. You knew he was a bit of a recluse, but you never would have guessed he was capable of murder. The motive they came up with was that Yoongi had been jealous of your brotherâs popularity and mixed with his own mental instability, things inevitably came to a day and he decided to act out his aggressions.
Many people wanted to know your side of it, whether you believed the story and whatnot. You had mostly stayed silent on the matter, unlike your father who had screamed at Yoongi in court and had to be dragged out of the room. You can still remember the stares you got from everyone that day - it was the same look you got from most of the town and your classmates. A mix of pity, curiosity, and judgment.
It was safe to say you hadnât been looking forward to this time of year. The true crime fanatics had seemingly been ramping up their shenanigans, hoping to possibly find some clue that would connect more of the dots. The stares you always felt in town and at school hadnât lessened and seemed to be picking up a bit more in recent weeks as the anniversary drew closer.
Which is why most nights, you would find yourself holed up in your bedroom where it was calmer. Much to your best friend's dismay, as she would always try to drag you away to some party or school outing. Haena hated it when you closed yourself off and didnât believe in wallowing alone. In her eyes, it was as if your introvertedness was just a sickness that she had to cure.
The only person who understood your feelings was your boyfriend, Taehyung. He, too, was a bit of a homebody and didnât mind staying in with you most nights. He did have more friends and liked to party, but he never pressured you to go out. Part of you believed he enjoyed having you all to himself that way and for some reason you didnât mind it.
You donât know how you got so lucky getting a boyfriend like Taehyung. He was so dreamy with dark black locks that were often tucked behind his ear and matching dark eyes that seemed to always be on you. He was an artist and could often be found wearing distressed jeans and sweaters with little splotches of paint here and there. He was extremely affectionate, always having to have his hands on you some way or another.
The two of you met in freshman year art class where you had quickly realized you had no business holding a paintbrush, much to Taehyungâs amusement. He would offer to fix up your paintings when the teacher wasnât looking and was the only reason you ended up passing. It wasnât until a little after that semester that the two of you started dating.
A low tapping interrupted your thoughts as you sat in bed, almost too quiet to hear over the television playing in your room. You got up to investigate, pulling your curtains open to see none other than Taehyung leaning up against your window using a ladder to get up here. You werenât even sure if that ladder was yours but you were glad your window didnât face the street where others could see.
You opened the window as you spluttered in shock, stepping back to allow him room to clamber inside. You held your breath as you kept an ear out to make sure your dad hadnât heard his nosy arrival, eyes trained on the door like he would bust in any moment.
âWhat are you doing here?â You hissed once you had regained your composure.
âWhat, I canât visit my girlfriend?â Taehyung pouted. âI missed you.â
âI missed you too but if my dad catches you-â
âHe wonât.â Taehyung cut you off, leveling you with his beautiful dark eyes as he leaned closer to you on the bed. âIâm stealthy.â
You breathed out a sigh, at a loss for words from his sudden close proximity. He reminded you of a tiger the way he stared you down like you were prey. You were so mesmerized by him you had missed him inching closer until you could feel his breath on your lips.
âTae-â You tried to stop him but he shushed you, pressing his mouth to yours.
Taehyung was your first serious boyfriend and there hadnât been a single dull moment in your relationship yet. For you, every new experience you had with him had been a thrill. But there was only so many heated makeouts you two could have before you knew he would want to do more. He understood you were inexperienced and was willing to wait but you wondered how much longer before he cracked.
As if on cue, his hand grazed your thigh lightly as if to test the waters. When you didnât stop him, he grew more confident and raised it until it reached your hip, squeezing gently. You appeared calm on the outside but on the inside, your heart was racing.
He pulled back a bit to look you in the eyes, licking his lips as he smirked. âI can feel your heartbeat.â
Your eyes widened in embarrassment as you quickly sat up, covering your cheeks as you felt them heating. You had hoped it wouldnât have been so obvious. Why couldnât you just be normal?Â
âStill so nervous around me after all this time,â He chuckled wryly, lifting a hand to remove the ones covering your face. His fingers caressed your cheek as he gazed at you. âWhat can I do to make you more comfortable, baby?â
âIâm sorry.â You breathed, feeling your heart skip at all the intense eye contact. âI just need more time.â
âDonât be sorry. I told you I would wait.â He gave you a small smile, leaning in to give you another kiss. He brushed a hand through your hair before pulling away and making his way back over to the window.
You watched him begin his descent back down to the ground before an idea popped into your head. You donât know where the sudden confidence came from but the sight of his retreating back made you want to try something.
âTaehyung,â You called out from the window once he had made it all the way down. He looked back up at you curiously, his eyebrows raised in question. âSomething to hold you over for now?â
You didnât wait for him to reply before you lifted your shirt up, exposing your breasts to him from down below. You waited a few nerve wracking seconds before pulling it back down, giggling nervously as you did.
His look of pure shock made it all worth it, preventing any possible embarrassment from flooding into your system. You could tell your stunt had rendered him speechless for a moment, if the choked sputters coming from him were anything to go by.
âI think you just made it worse.â He finally spoke, his voice deep and chilling. You laughed loudly, moving to shut your window closed.
*****
When you arrived at school the next day, the atmosphere was tenser than usual. You were used to people whispering around you but this was different. People seemed to be more huddled in groups. It was as if there was some unseen sinister presence that had arrived. You werenât sure if you could just blame it on the seasons changing but there definitely seemed to be a chill in the air this morning.
A hand grabbing your arm on your way through the courtyard startled you, your heart jumping only to see it was just Haena. Her eyes were wide as she squeezed your forearm urgently. You could tell just by her expression that whatever was going on was serious.
âAre you okay?â
âWhy wouldnât I be?â Your confusion was obvious as you watched realization dawn on her.
âYou havenât heard...â She paused as if trying to find the right words, biting her lip unsurely. âYN, some students were murdered last night.â
âWhat? Who?â The shock spread throughout your body like a numbness, your extremities feeling cold all of the sudden.
âPark Jimin and Yoon Iseul.â
You werenât sure if any names that could possibly come out of her mouth would not come as a shock but this just floored you. Jimin and Iseul were the schoolâs power couple. Everyone was in love with them or wanted to be their friend. The correlation between their deaths and your brotherâs wasnât lost on you. Could it be a copycat killer? You didnât want to think of the alternative - that Yoongi had been wrongfully imprisoned.
âThat must be why everyone is acting so strange today.â You mumbled mindlessly, hearing the words coming out of your mouth but not feeling connected with them. âI just saw Iseul yesterday in sixth period.â
âItâs all Iâve been hearing about this morning. How Iseulâs parents came home to the grizzliest scene you can imagine. They said Jimin was tied up and they found Iseul out- '' Her chattering stopped upon seeing the sick look on your face, her lips pressing together as if just now realizing who she was speaking to. You didnât blame her though - you knew she was just in shock. âWell, you get the gist. Apparently a neighbor saw the killer run out of there wearing some kind of weird ghost mask. Now everyoneâs calling them âGhostface.ââ
âI donât understand why this keeps happening.â
At some point in the day, you were called to the principalâs office for questioning. This wasnât strange, though, as everyone in the entire school was going through the same thing. The police figured their first place to look was at the school, which made sense.
They had asked you simple questions like how well you knew Jimin and Iseul, if you knew if they were in any drama at school, etc. You had answered honestly and as accurately as you could. To be honest, you hadnât the slightest who could have done something like this. But you could sense the detectives figured you might have some clue as you had been around death before. They looked at you like you had some kind of ghost hanging around you.
You decided that going through your day like you always did was the best shot at getting through it, clinging to any shred of normalcy that you could find. And if that meant having lunch with Haena and her usual friend group, then so be it. The seven of you were sitting outside in the courtyard, the climate having warmed up a bit since this morning.
The boys were goofing off with each other as if nothing was wrong, which in a way comforted you. You needed to act like everything was okay or else you could feel your sanity start to slip. Eyeing Haena, she was chatting with Jungkook while throwing her feet in his lap. He was rubbing her lower calves and you couldnât help but watch how comfortable they were with each other in public like this.
It gave you the courage to lean back onto Taehyung who was sitting behind you, his warm chest a welcome embrace. He responded by wrapping his arms around your front, not missing a beat as he conversed with Hobi about the quiz they took this morning.
âDid they ask you guys if you liked to hunt?â Hobi asked all of the sudden, the idle chatter dying down as you all knew he was talking about the police interrogations all students had to partake in today.
âYeah, I just told them I liked to fish.â Jin barked out a laugh.
You wondered out loud, âWhy would they ask that?â
âBecause their bodies were gutted.â Hobi responded matter-of-factly, turning to Jin with a suspicious look. âKind of like a fish.â
âThank you, Hobi.â Taehyung spoke sarcastically and you could practically feel his eye roll from behind you.
âThey didnât ask me about hunting,â Haena frowned in confusion.
âYou think a girl could have pulled off a murder like that? Yeah, right.â Jungkook chuckled, wiggling his eyebrows at her in a condescending manner.
Haena scoffed in disgust, pulling her legs off his lap. âThat is so sexist of you. Plenty of women become serial killers - look at Aileen Wuornos.â
âShe used a gun on her male-only victims. Not exactly the same.â
âYeah, from what I hear Jimin and Iseul were barely recognizable by the time they found them.â Jungkook informed, seemingly undeterred by Haenaâs annoyance. âThe fact is that it would take a man to do something like that.â
âHow do you gut someone?â Your voice trembled as you voiced the question, your curiosity getting the best of you. Taehyung tightened his arms around you and leaned his head on your neck, leaving a kiss there.
It was silent for a moment before Jungkook spoke up, âWell, youâd get a knife and start from the groin-â
âJungkook, shut the fuck up.â Taehyungâs harsh tone left no room for argument and even made you tense up a bit.
âDidnât you date Iseul?â You asked Jungkook.
His eyes lit up for a moment as he chuckled, âYeah, for like two seconds.â
âBefore she dumped him for Jimin!â Hobi chimed in. âHmm, I wonder how the police would feel if they knew you were her lover scorned.â
âWhat, you think I killed her?â Jungkook laughed genuinely, shaking his head in disbelief. âIâm sure you would love to see me behind bars but Iâm afraid I have an alibi.â
Haena rolled her eyes as Jungkook winked at her, fed up with his immaturity. âIf you think Iâm going to defend your misogynistic ass, youâre sorely mistaken.â
Jungkook watched her with a pout as she stood up to leave, gathering her books for the next class. âCome on, baby! You know Iâm not a killer.â
She ignored him as she walked off, which led to him jumping up and following her to no doubt get back in her good graces. Those two had been on-and-off for a while but you would be lying if you said their shenanigans werenât entertaining. He was a pig-headed jock and she was an artsy type. They didnât make any sense but somehow they ended up together.
*****
You went home that day to an empty house and a note on the kitchen table, which both surprised you and somehow didnât. You were used to your father skipping out on you with no notice but to leave a note? That wasnât like him.
Got a lead for a job out of town so Iâll be gone for a few days. Iâll try to call but might not have service -DadÂ
You supposed the message was emotionally detached enough to be from him but you couldnât help the strange feeling you got from reading it. You knew he probably wouldnât call or if he did, it would be just to let you know he was staying longer. He knew you didnât expect much from him and probably preferred it that way. Weirdly enough, you did too.
Exhausted from the day, you threw your bag on the floor and collapsed on the couch. You flipped the TV on and surfed through the channels mindlessly before one with a news headline and familiar face caught your eye. It was a reporter that you recognized almost immediately - Kim Namjoon. He had covered your brotherâs case extensively and even wrote a book about it.
â This small but mighty town has been hit yet again with another gruesome homicide case. Two young teenagers were found brutally murdered in their own home. â He spoke clearly, his dragon-eyes penetrating you through the TV screen. You had seen them in person and knew how deadly their effect could be. â Authorities have yet to release any statement but we know now that no arrest has been made and the murderer could strike again. â
â Could it be merely just a coincidence that this month is the anniversary of yet another senseless killing? It has been only ten months since Min Yoongi was found guilty for the murder of Jung Wooshik, who was also a student at Woodsboro High. â Namjoon continued, and you held your breath as you waited for him to say what you had been fearing. â Many have made a few theories on what could be the meaning of this, including that of a possible copycat killer or perhaps a wrongful imprisonment. Itâs safe to say the town of Woodsboro needs to stay vigilant on protecting its own. â
You cut him off there, not wanting to hear any more. Namjoon had made it clear early on that he was doubtful of Yoongi being the killer and spent most of his news coverage with that perspective. You tried not to take it personally but there had been instances where it seemed like the reporter blamed you for what happened. You knew you werenât directly responsible for Yoongiâs conviction but you couldnât help but wonder if you should feel guilty. You had only told the truth to the judge, that you had seen Yoongi by your house the day your brother died. That your brother had bought some weed from him and that you had seen him leaving while your brother was still alive. What happened between then and when your brother was killed was completely unknown to you.
But your witness testimony along with the physical evidence found in Yoongiâs home and car had been enough to convict him. You can still vividly remember the expression on Yoongiâs face when the verdict was given, as though he hadnât even heard the judge. You couldnât help but be amazed at his absolute indifference to everything going on around him at all times. You had never seen him smile or get angry ever. He kept all his emotions inside and it only fueled to make you more unsure of him.
The sound of the phone ringing loudly next to you made you jump, hand laying on your chest to feel your racing heart. You took a deep breath before you answered, âHello?â
âYN, I just wanted to check on you and make sure you got home okay.â Of course it was just Haena. You knew she worried about you especially when you were home with your father.
âYeah, Iâm okay. My dadâs left town apparently so Iâve got the place to myself.â
âOh shit, really?â She sounded stunned by this. âDidnât he hear the news?â
âNot sure. Although knowing him, he might have just wanted to get away from all the media craziness.â
âDo you want to stay at my place?â As if she could sense your hesitance, she continued in a more serious tone, âI know you probably think Iâm being dramatic but I just donât think you should be alone right now.â
âOkay.â You relented, agreeing that it was probably best to not be isolated and vulnerable with a killer on the loose.
You ran upstairs to pack some clothes for the week, unsure of how long you would be staying there. The thought occurred to you that you should probably let Taehyung know where you would be going just in case he tried to make another surprise sneak-in on you again. You picked up your phone and dialed his number. It rang one time before immediately going to voicemail, causing you to pull the phone back and look at it in confusion. It wasnât like him to outright reject your call, so you tried again. This time it rang all the way through before going to voicemail.Â
âHuh, thatâs weird.â You waited for the automated voice to end and the beep to sound before leaving him a message informing him of where you would be tonight as well as Haenaâs home number in case he needed to reach you later.
When you got to Haenaâs house a little while later, you werenât exactly sure why you felt uneasy all of the sudden seeing the police vehicle in her driveway. Her dad was Sheriff Lee and he had always been like a father to you, more so than your own father anyway. But just seeing his car again after so long and knowing he was in there was dredging up old memories that you had tried to forget.
Haena answered the door with a bright grin and pulled you inside excitedly. You already knew you were in for an eventful next few days, especially with her two younger brothers who were always loud and rambunctious. But oddly enough, you found that you enjoyed being around such a loving and busy household because that had never been your home experience.
You were greeted by warm hugs from Mrs. Lee before she quickly sat you down for dinner with a plate full of food. Haena rolled her eyes at her momâs antics especially when she realized she was not included in this display of special treatment and would have to make her own plate. At some point, Sheriff Lee rolled in and you could tell by the tired lines on his face that this week had taken a toll on him.
He still greeted you with a smile and a pat on the head before joining you all at the table. Mrs. Lee brought her husband a plate and you couldnât help but watch as he grabbed her hand to give it a kiss. The two of them had always been a sweet couple and what with your lack of ever seeing that growing up, you were always fascinated by them.
âHowâs your father doing, YN?â Haenaâs father asked.
âFine,â You answered, rolling a cherry tomato around on your plate with your fork. âHeâs actually on a work trip this week so Haena convinced me to come stay here for a little while if thatâs okay.â
âYou know youâre always welcome here, honey. Youâre practically family.â Mrs Lee was quick to reassure you.
âWork trip, huh?â Sheriff Leeâs eyebrows were drawn together as he held a spoonful of stew in front of him thoughtfully. âDid he mention where?â
âNope. You know how he is,â You answered honestly and he nodded.
Just then, the phone rang and Mrs. Lee got up to go answer it. You were about to go clean your dish when she came back into the kitchen and said, âYN, someoneâs on the phone for you.â
You quickly went over to go pick it up, âHello?â
âYN,â Taehyungâs deep voice came through on the other line, sounding hushed and slightly out-of-breath. âI just got your message.â
âOh, yeah well I just didnât want you to go worrying if you called me and I didnât answer. Haenaâs family is taking care of me.â
âYeah? Thatâs good.â He responded, and you could practically picture him posted up somewhere like the cool guy he was. âAlthough, I wish I had answered when you called because I could have kept you company.â
âIâm sure you would have liked that.â You chuckled. âI donât think my heart can handle another one of your window sneak-ins.â
âWell, I donât think my heart can handle being away from you that long.â
âYouâll still see me at school.â You reasoned, rolling your eyes despite him not being able to see you.
âYeah but thatâs school. You wonât even let me kiss you unless itâs somewhere hidden.â You could practically hear his pout through the receiver. âWhy donât you meet me at your place sometime this week? Iâll cook you dinner and we can finally be alone together.â
You couldnât help but feel overwhelmed at his sudden pushiness to get you alone. You knew if you agreed to meet him at your house that he would probably try to have sex with you again. As much as you wanted to take that step with him, you were scared.
âI donât know if thatâs a good idea, what with the recent murders and all. I think itâs probably best to stay in larger groups.â
âWhat, you donât think I can protect you? I know Iâm skinny but Iâm strong.â
âNo I know you can but itâs just not a good time right now.â
âYeah, I know. You havenât been yourself in a while.â He huffed into the receiver.Â
You laughed sarcastically, unsure if he was being serious right now. âYeah, sorry Iâm not in the mood to have sex with you right now. Iâm kinda still reeling over the deaths of our classmates.â
âI donât mean recently. You havenât been the same since Seowon died.â His words shocked you, not understanding where this was coming from all of the sudden.
âUh, well thatâs kind of what loss does to a person if you didnât know. They change - drastically.â All humor was gone from your tone as you felt yourself getting annoyed with him.
âYeah well itâs been a year since he died and youâre still so skittish around me. Itâs like you think Iâm some kind of bad guy.â
âIâm sorry if my trauma has ruined things for you but no one is making you stay with me. If you need it that badly then you-âÂ
âStop. Thatâs not what I meant at all.â He huffed angrily, taking a pause to gather his thoughts. âListen, I donât want to make you upset. I know itâs hard to see right now but Iâm just feeling insecure. I want to make sure weâre still okay.â
At your silence, he let out another sigh. âIâm gonna let you go now. Please donât be mad at me. I love you.â
He didnât say anything after that but he stayed on the line, and you knew he was waiting for you to say it back. Hoping for you to say it back. And as pissed off as he had made you, you hated the idea of going to bed mad at him. So you conceded, for now.
âI love you too.â
*****
When you arrived on campus the next day, you spotted Namjoon standing near his usual news van. He was dressed smartly in an olive sweater and gray slacks, his glasses making him look more like a university student than a reporter. He was busy sorting through some papers, probably brushing up on his notes before he did his next broadcast.
You felt compelled to speak with him, especially after everything that had been going on recently. Over the past year, he had reached out to you multiple times for a comment and you always declined. The only time you had spoken in-person was after the court case had ended and it hadnât been the most cordial moment.
âYN, this is a surprise. What can I do for you?â Namjoon raised his eyebrows at you, a mix of curiosity and something else you couldnât quite pick up in his expression.
âI wanted to talk to you about Min Yoongi.â
âOkay.â He spoke slowly, glancing over at his camera crew who were standing a few feet away. âIâm guessing this is off the record?â
âYes, please.â You paused, trying to think on how to start. âI know you probably donât think very highly of me.â
âWhat makes you say that?â
âWell, you wrote a whole book on how my witness testimony was the reason an innocent man was imprisoned.â
âYes. I still stand by that.â He responded honestly, crossing his arms over his chest.
âSo what, you think Iâm a liar?â
âYou painted a picture that made him look like a killer. I think you were so desperate for all the media coverage and court trials to end that you picked him as a scapegoat.â
âHave you talked to Yoongi?â
âMany times. He admits to selling drugs to your brother but thatâs all.â The look on his face told you just how in-depth their conversations had gone. Namjoon was a very detail-oriented man.
âThen how do you explain the blood on his clothes and the murder weapon in his home?â
âHis roommate testified that he came home high with no blood on his clothes. Someone else planted all that evidence and framed him.â The way he spoke of Yoongi was almost like they were close; he clearly felt very strongly about clearing his name.
âWhy are you so adamant on proving his innocence? Did you know him?â
âWhy do you care what I think?â Namjoonâs face screwed up as he seemed to grow more irritated with you. This was the real emotion you expected to get from him, behind the friendly facade he tried to put on with you. âYou got what you wanted, didnât you? Yoongiâs life is ruined, heâll never see the light of day again.â
âThatâs not what I wanted.â Now, it was your turn to look confused. âI wanted justice. I told the judge exactly what I saw that day.â
His lips pursed as he thought for a moment, processing your words. âYes, I knew Yoongi. We werenât exactly friends but anyone who knew him knew he was harmless. He wouldnât hurt a fly.â
âHarmless and yet he sold drugs to teenagers?â You regretted it as soon as it came out your mouth. You knew it was a low blow and you didnât truly care that he did that anyway but you needed to cling onto some semblance that you made the right call.
He hummed as he searched your face for a moment, âWhy are you asking me about Yoongi all of the sudden? Youâre not so sure anymore, are you?â
âNo, Yoongi murdered my brother.â You werenât even sure if you believed yourself at how weak your voice sounded.
âThese murders are related, arenât they? The killerâs still on the loose.â He sounded almost triumphant as he marveled at your recent revelation, the cogs in his head working on overdrive. You had just confirmed his biggest theory yet despite your best efforts not to.
Now was a good time to leave. You werenât sure what you had hoped to get out of this interaction but it wasnât this. You had been avoiding the truth for a long time but it was catching up to you.Â
âGoodbye, Namjoon. Always a pleasure.â He didnât respond as he watched you move to leave, his lips moving as he quietly murmured to himself. Despite his dark calculating eyes following your every move, you knew that he was in a different place conjuring up his next news broadcast.
*****
Halfway through the school day, it became apparent that Principal Choi had not shown up nor called in sick. After multiple attempts to reach his home phone, one of the administrators called the police to do a wellness check. And what they had found upon entering his home had been what everyone was fearing.
The news of Principal Choiâs death spread through the school like wildfire and you could tell the staff struggled to hold themselves together while keeping the students organized. A few police officers arrived at the school to work with the administrators on figuring out how to go about letting the students go home.
You were in the library with Haena and Jungkook when a pair of boys came running through your section and drawing the attention of everyone nearby. One was screaming in an exaggerated manner and the other was wearing the infamous Ghostface mask and chasing the former. You could tell they were just playing a prank but you didnât see how anyone could be making fun of the situation right now.
âWhat is wrong with people?â
âAre you kidding me? Look at this place, itâs like Halloween.â Jungkook threw his head back and laughed.
âStupidity leak!â Haena berated him, whacking him in the head with her notebook.
You shook your head at him, deciding to just ignore his comment. âHave you guys seen Taehyung around?â
âYou mean after you gave him blue balls? No, his heartâs broken.â
âJungkook,â Haena elbowed him hard, causing him to grunt.
âHe said that?â You were shocked that even Jungkook knew about your lack of a sex life but should have known that boys would talk just like girls did.
âOf course he did. The guyâs crazy about you.â
âWhat guyâs crazy about her?â Speak of the devil and he shall appear. Taehyung leaned over you from behind to kiss the top of your head, causing your heart to do a flip.
âKeanu Reeves, of course.â You mouthed a âthank youâ to Haena at her swift coverup, causing her to give you a wink.
âHey, can I talk to you for a second?â Taehyung whispered in your ear and held your hand as he pulled you out of your chair. Haena ignored Jungkook trying to get her attention as she watched you follow your boyfriend to a more secluded area.Â
âIâm really sorry about what I said before - it was way out of line. Iâve been a little out of sorts lately with everything going on.â He sounded vulnerable as he spoke, and you couldnât help but feel your heart tug at his remorseful face. He had always been the type to wear his heart on his sleeve. âI just want us to be okay again. I want my girlfriend back.â
âIâm still your girlfriend,â You rolled your eyes playfully, squeezing his hand in yours. âBut Iâm sorry if Iâve made you feel insecure. I know Iâve been acting different for a while and it wasnât fair to you. I guess I just havenât been dealing with my trauma very well.â
âThatâs not your fault. You donât need to feel bad about how you grieve.â He reached up to tuck a lock of hair behind your ear, a soft expression on his face.
âI havenât been grieving at all - thatâs the problem. Itâs like my emotions have been shut off.â You sighed, shutting your eyes as his hand moved to caress your cheek. âI canât keep hiding in my room forever. I need to move on.â
When you opened your eyes again, Taehyung was watching you carefully with his mouth pressed shut. You wished you could read his mind. There was more you wanted to say but you found it hard to find the words, so you decided to let your actions speak by leaning forward and kissing him deeply.
You could tell he hadnât expected you to make the move by the way he froze but he quickly recovered, pulling you closer with his arms settling around your waist. You pressed yourself to him as he leaned against the bookshelf. This was the most hot and heavy you had ever been in public and you could tell he was enjoying it, not wanting to part from you for even a second.
When you did eventually pull away, you felt brave enough to ask, âWill you meet me at my house later?â
You felt him tense up in shock yet again but couldnât see his face as you were leaning on his chest. You dared to look up and see him looking at you with wide eyes.
âI thought you wanted to stay at Haenaâs.â
âI changed my mind.â You shrugged, feeling giddy as his face lit up. âYouâll protect me from any bad guys, right?â
He pulled you in again, wrapping his arms around you tightly and resting his chin on the crown of your head. You had never felt safer.
âI wonât let anything happen to you.â
Taehyung has always been careful and thoughtful about how he treated you. His touches were gentle and soft; you couldnât imagine him hurting a fly. Maybe it was just his artsy persona but you had always known him to be a deep, considerate person. He was meticulous about every detail, whether it was his art or his life. Sometimes it seemed like he truly believed life was art; a painting that was ever-changing and inspiring.
You were a masterpiece in his eyes. Something to be cherished and never tarnished. That was why he wanted to keep you safe from the evil in the world. He knew that life had already not been fair to you. But he believed it was his job to prevent any further wrongdoings from coming into your life. He wouldnât hesitate to destroy anyone who would even try to cause you harm.
It was when you were laid out on your bed looking like an angel, Taehyung felt like he was truly going to Hell. Surely God was coming for him because he had stolen an angel and kept her all to himself. You had given yourself up to him and you didnât know it yet but he would never let you go. How could he?
The only word to describe it was heaven. Having you in his arms like this, touching parts of you his hands had never dared to before - it was pure bliss. He wanted to stay like this forever. There was nothing out there for either of you. Everything you both needed was right here, in each otherâs arms.
He had lost count of how many times he made you come undone before he had even entered you. This wasnât his first time but it may as well have been with the way he struggled to not fall apart almost immediately. You were his weakness and at the same time you were the only thing keeping him together most of the time. He didnât care how old you both were - you were it for him.
You had always imagined your first time would be like a dream, full of romantic candles and roses. The reality of it was much different, more natural, and yet you found it to be better than you could have ever imagined. You felt like one of Taehyungâs paintings as his lips and fingertips caressed you everywhere, molding you into one of his perfect creations. You were his muse and you had never felt so beautiful.
It was a night of passion and love; the perfect embodiment of your relationship. Whatever rocky period you had been going through before was long gone and you almost couldnât believe you had ever wanted to delay this. This was where you needed to be. You knew you probably sounded like a naive teenager, but you didnât want to think of anyone else in this way ever. You only wanted Taehyung.
âIâll always love you, YN. Iâll never leave you.â
*****
The next day, you were on your way to your locker when you spied Haena waiting for you. You tried to act indifferent to Haenaâs wide eyes looking you up and down as you approached her. It was as if she was trying to find some kind of visible evidence on you.
âSo?â You knew she wanted to know what happened last night, but you werenât ready to spill so soon.Â
âSo... what?â You acted ignorant as you opened up your locker, reaching for your math textbook.
âOh come on, Iâm dying here! Spill.â
âOkay, okay.â Laughter bursted out of you, your resolve crumbling before you could even try to build it up. âWe, uh... did it.â
âMore details, please.â She rolled her eyes at your vagueness.
âIt was really sweet. He made us a nice dinner and then we...â You cringed, not knowing how to talk about it without sounding corny. âI donât know how to describe it.â
âWell, did it hurt? Did you come?â You nodded to both questions honestly and her eyebrows raised as she became more intrigued. âHow many times?â
When she saw you counting on your fingers higher and higher, she blew a low whistle. âGod damn. Good for you, girl.â
âI feel like he set the bar pretty high. Is it always like this or is he just really talented?â
âWell, it depends. Jungkook is usually pretty good but sometimes heâs too drunk or lazy and then I end up doing most of the work myself.â
You pursed your lips in thought, âDoesnât he go down on you before?â
Her eyes widened as she opened her mouth in shock, âCan I borrow him?â
You smacked her on the arm as she laughed, linking arms with you as you both made your way to class.
âOh, by the way, Jungkookâs having a party at his house later.â She mentioned nonchalantly as she popped her gum in her mouth.
âWhat about curfew?â
She shrugged, âI donât think theyâre being too strict about it. Itâs probably safer that weâre all together anyway.â
You still looked convinced, so she added, âBut if youâre really worried, we can just stay over at his place. His parents are out of town.â
âDoes your dad know?â You glanced at her curiously.
âGod, no,â she laughed, shaking her head. âHeâs working a night shift so heâll be busy patrolling. And Iâll just tell my mom weâre staying at yours.â
âOkay. We can go.â
âYeah?â She looked surprised, a bright smile painting her face. It was infectious as you found yourself smiling back at her and nodding. She bumped shoulders with you, wiggling her eyebrows as she leaned in, âHmm, I like the new you. Sheâs fun.â
You were surprised how easy it was for you to agree to the party. Maybe last night gave you more confidence to just live a little. All you knew was the old you would have opted to stay at Haenaâs for another night in and you didnât want to be stuck in your old ways. You owed it to yourself and everyone you loved to move on.
You had foolishly fallen into a sense of false security, not necessarily forgetting about the horrors your town had been cursed with but just for once not having it in the forefront of your mind. You had felt closer to your boyfriend than ever before and now you were ready to be more adventurous. It wasnât until later in the day did that bubble of excitement pop.
When the classroom door opened to reveal Sheriff Lee, the students around you immediately began whispering to each other conspiringly. You wondered what it could be this time around as he whispered something to the teacher before turning back to face front with a serious expression. Your teacherâs eyes landed on you as she waved her hand, âYN.â
Everyone around you hushed as you gathered your things with shaking hands, making your way to the front of the room quickly. The air out in the hallway felt different, less suffocating. It somewhat helped your rising anxiety.
One look at Sheriff Lee gave you a new perspective of this man who had practically raised you. He wasnât that old, only early 50s, but the stress he had put under with his profession had aged him. He had tired bags under his eyes, worry lines on his forehead, and sprouting grays here and there. He had always been handsome and you could tell he would continue to age like wine. But that didnât change how sad it made you to see him in this state.
âYN, Iâm afraid I have some bad news. There was a report of a car that wrecked on the side of the road just outside of town.â He spoke slowly as he relayed the information, the consideration from him not lost on you. You were trying to process it all while still not understanding why he was telling you this. âIt was your dadâs car.â
Your heart stopped as you clutched your school bag in your hand. Thoughts were going wild in your head as your breathing became erratic. You didnât know what any of this meant.Â
âWhat, um... is he dead?â Your tongue felt disconnected like your brain was just on autopilot.
âNo one has seen him yet.â He sighed, a deep frown etched across his features. âI know you said he was leaving for a work trip but have you spoken to him at all since he left?â
He was aware that your father wasnât known for contacting you at times like these, but you understood he still had to ask. âNo. The last time I saw him was the night before he left.â
He nodded as if he expected that, giving you a small smile. âWell, weâll keep looking. In the meantime, I want you to stay out of your house in case there are any clues to where he could have gone. And itâs probably safer that youâre not alone right now.â
âOkay.â
It seemed like he wanted to say more but clearly was out of his depth when it came to comforting someone. It wasnât like he could make any promises about finding your dad because the truth was he was most likely gone. You had dealt with enough loss that you knew this feeling well. You gave him a matching small smile, albeit weak but you hoped it would appear encouraging.
âThank you, Sheriff Lee.â
*****
School ended early that day, mostly due to the fact that half the staff had called out in fear of receiving the same fate as Principal Choi. It was strange that they even had anyone come in at all but you figured the police had already suspected the killer was at the school, thus being their best bet at finding them. Everyone was on edge as if Ghostface was still lurking in its shadows. Which technically, he probably was.
You had already started to go through in your mind which students in your school could have done it. There were a few stronger girls in your class who could have had the physical power to do it, but they were all too nice or non confrontational. There were plenty of bully-like guys that could fit the description, but you had a hard time truly seeing any of your classmates being involved in such gruesome scenes. Itâs just that all the victims had one thing in common: the high school. It only made sense that all suspicion would be pointed here.
Eventually, you gave up trying to figure it out because you were only going in circles in your head. The police would figure it out. Tonight was supposed to be fun and you were sure the killer wouldnât be brave enough to attack a whole group of teenagers. There was strength in numbers and you felt safer this way.
As you and Haena made your way up the driveway, music could be heard blasting from inside. You werenât even that late but it seems the party was already in full swing. There were a dozen football players and cheerleaders lounging in the main room when you walked in, most of them unknown to you. Haena greeted a few people in the hallway and you followed her into the kitchen as she searched for some refreshments.Â
âItâs about time you guys showed up,â Jungkook yelled from where he was standing by the snack table.
âI see you guys couldnât wait to get started,â Haena eyed where Hobi was pouring beer down a funnel into Jinâs mouth.
âWell no one told you guys to arrive fashionably late,â Hobi replied, high-fiving Jin before switching places with him. Haena rolled her eyes, moving on to talk to Jungkook on the other side of the room.
âHey, have you guys seen Taehyung?â You asked, leaning against the countertop island.
âHe was in here earlier. I think he said something about going outside for a smoke,â Jin informed, not taking his eyes off where he was pouring.
You briefly wondered how you had missed him if you had just come from the outside but shrugged it off. He had to be around here somewhere. You ventured out into the main room and plopped down on the couch. The music had been turned down a bit as they were going back and forth trying to decide what movie to watch. For some reason, the genre they had settled on was horror which was in poor taste in your opinion. At least it was entertaining to hear them argue about who usually survives in a horror movie.
A hand on your shoulder startled you, looking up to see Hobi standing there with the telephone. âPhone for you.â
You held in your confusion as you got up to take the call in a quieter area. âHello?â
âYN, itâs Namjoon.â Of all people who could be calling you, he was probably the last one you would suspect. âAre you guys okay?â
âYes, why wouldnât we be?â
âIâm guessing you havenât heard yet.â He sighed and your heart thudded in your chest, unable to speak as you willed him to continue. âSheriff Leeâs dead. They found him strung up on one of the field goals in the football field.â
You almost dropped the phone, a stuttered gasp being the only sound you could make for a moment.Â
âOh god,â you finally spoke, your hand coming up to cover your mouth. âI think Iâm gonna be sick.â
âIs Haena with you?â He asked quickly, trying to distract you.
âYes.â Swallowing, you covered your other ear as the voices in the main room started getting louder. How were you supposed to tell everyone? You were surprised you were even still standing.
âStay with her. If I were you, I wouldnât leave that house. â
You were still so in shock from the news about your Haenaâs father that it suddenly dawned on you that he had figured out where you were without you ever telling him.Â
âHow did you know I was here?â
âSomeone reported a large gathering of students at the Jeon house on the scanner. I had a feeling you would be there.â His answer was a shock to you, not expecting anyone to know about the party as it was out on the edge of town.
âO-okay, I better go warn everyone...â
âYN?â You held in your breath as you waited for him to continue, unease crawling into your system at his pause. âBe careful.â
For him to sound so concerned for you only heightened your paranoia, quickly walking back into the main room where everyone was. Jungkook was sprawled out on the couch now along with Jin and Hobi, throwing his head back at something the latter had said. You shakily placed the phone back on the stand.
âJungkook, I need to talk to you.â You were surprised your voice was so steady, his big eyes meeting yours as he took in your expression.
âAre you okay? You look like youâve seen a ghost,â He joked, standing up to meet you behind the couch.
âKim Namjoon just called me,â You felt your stomach flip as you held the back of the couch for support. âSheriff Lee was murdered.â
You had tried to be discreet about it but your shock must have garnered enough attention, gasps sounding around the room as they all picked up on what you had revealed.
âHoly shit, Iâm getting out of here.â
There was a chorus of responses as people started to make themselves scarce, clearly not in the mood for a party anymore. The only ones that stayed were Hobi and Jin, either not concerned enough about the killer or not brave enough to leave the house. You werenât sure which group you belonged to but you knew you had to find Haena. You looked up at Jungkook, who was staring at the carpet with a serious expression on his face and biting his lip.
âWhereâs Haena?â It was like he almost didnât hear you until you shook his shoulder. âJungkook?â
âUm, she went to get more beer-â He blinked a few times, waving his arm behind him. âGarage.â
You walked quickly around the house, trying to find the correct door to the garage. When you finally did, it was pitch black save for some light coming in from the opened garage door. You almost turned back as it was clear there was no one in here before something made you stop. There was no noise, no movement but you felt like something was in here.
Your hand sought out the light, switching it on and blinking as it flicked a few times before brightening up the room. Your gaze flitted around, almost giving up before you saw something dark and red that made you flinch backwards.Â
There was a piercing scream and you felt the ground beneath you move, your ass hitting the wooden step hard. It wasnât long before thundering steps came behind you, stopping as they hit your back. Your ears, seemingly filled with water with how muted everything seemed, caught a few more gasps and screams. Hands gripped you under your armpits, pulling you up over the steps and back into the hallway.
After that, everything was a blur of commotion. You were vaguely aware of people yelling around you but it wasnât until Hobi crouched down, waving his hand in front of your face that you felt alert again.
âI think sheâs in shock,â He relayed to the others.
âYN?â Taehyungâs voice sounded from the other end of the hallway, his expression bewildered as he approached quickly. âI heard screaming.â
âJesus, where have you been Tae?â Jin asked.
âHaving a smoke,â Hobi moved out of the way so Taehyung could kneel before you, bringing his hands to your cheeks and analyzing your face closely. âWhat happened? Are you okay?â
âHaena...â
âGo find Jungkook,â Tae instructed the older two.
Hobi groaned, âWhy do we have to keep splitting up? This is what the killer wants!â
Jin smacked him behind his head, angling his head towards your shell shocked figure. âShut up, would you?â
The two of them walked off, bickering quietly as they went. Taehyung sat with you silently as you stayed in the same position, wiping away any tears that escaped. You stared at the floor as your mind raced with a million thoughts, not a single one sticking long enough for you to linger on.
How could this happen so fast? You had just seen Haena in the kitchen talking to Jungkook. Everything was fine. You couldnât have been gone from her for more than thirty minutes and yet so much had changed. It didnât make any sense.
First Sheriff Lee, now Haena. The killer was getting closer. No, the killer was already here. It couldnât have been Jungkook, Hobi, or Jin. They had all been with you.
But...
âTaehyung?â He looked up at you, surprised to hear your voice finally. He leaned in, reaching a hand out to brush your hair back but you shied away. He reared back in shock, his expression confused as he met your suspicious one.
âWhat?â
âYou were... smoking? For thirty minutes?â Your voice was unsure as you questioned him, sounding stuffed up from all the crying.
âYes, wh-â The sound of screaming from outside interrupted him. You shot up from your spot, running towards the front door where it came from. âWait, YN! Donât!â
You ignored him as you threw open the door; you needed to stop any more evil from happening. You had already lost so much in your life. Enough was enough.
The sight of Hobiâs bloody body laying on the front steps had you freezing in your tracks, feeling Taehyungâs chest collide with your back a moment later. The two of you stared in shock before you became aware of the violent tussle happening further out in the yard. It was hard to make it out but it looked like Jungkook and Jin were fighting. What the hell had happened? You were guessing this was Jungkookâs fight-or-flight response to finding out about Haena.
âStay right here,â Taehyung spoke softly to you as he brushed past you, walking around Hobiâs battered body and approaching the two other boys with a calmness you didnât quite understand.
The further he went out, the harder it was to make out who was who especially as they moved between bushes and trees. You felt anxious and stupid as you just stood there, your feet itching to move out and help them but not knowing if it was a smart idea.
âYN,â A voice coughed out from below you, a gasp escaping as you fell to your knees where Hobi was laying. You had been so distracted by the fight that you almost forgot he was there.
âWhat happened?â You asked urgently, grabbing one of his hands and squeezing.
He choked a bit, blood spraying out onto his lips and neck. âDonât trust them.â He gave your hand one last squeeze, meeting your eyes as if to make the message stronger. You watched in concern as he closed his eyes, chest rising and falling rapidly. He was still alive but he wasnât doing well. He needed medical care immediately.
âYN! Get inside now!â Your head flew up to see Taehyung underneath Jin, the two of them fighting over something shiny and sharp-looking between them as what looked like Jungkook was passed out next to them.
Your gaze flew back and forth from them to Hobiâs unconscious face, trying to figure out who to believe. You took a deep breath and ran back inside, locking the door behind you as you ran for the phone. You hit redial, hoping it would direct you to Namjoon. You never thought you could ever cry with relief at hearing his voice.
âYN? Are you okay?â
âNamjoon, tell the police the boys must have snapped or something, I donât know. But Haenaâs dead and we need help.â The words flew out of you so fast you werenât even sure what all you said, hoping you got the message across as you huffed.
The line went silent at that, and you held your breath as you waited for a response. But there was nothing - just dead air.
âHello? Namjoon?â You tried again, pulling the phone away before you realized the line was dead. Someone had cut the lines. âShit.â
Just then, a sudden banging could be heard from the front door followed by desperate shouts of your name. You ran over to it, ready to unlock the door when you hesitated with your hand on the lock.
âWhoâs there?â
âYN, let me in! Hurry!â The urgency in Jinâs voice made you throw open the door, gasping when you saw him covered in blood with a knife in his hand.
âJin, what-â
âDonât let him in, YN! He attacked me!â Jungkook suddenly appeared behind him, a deep cut on his cheek that hadnât been there before.Â
You looked between Jungkook and Jin, trying to decipher who to believe but not finding any conclusive evidence. To be honest, when you saw them out in the yard before, it was hard to tell who had even started the fight. And now seeing them both with blood on them, you felt at a loss. All you knew was people were dying and someone had cut the phone lines. You didnât know who you could trust.
âFuck, I canât.â You slammed the door as quickly as you could, locking it again. The banging and shouting continued.
âHelp me! Heâs gone crazy!â
You stood there for a few moments, palms still on the door as you willed your racing heart to calm down. Tonight had been nonstop crazy and you couldnât remember the last time it was at a resting rate. Before you could turn around, a pair of hands landed on your shoulders and ruined any chance of your heartbeat slowing down any time soon. You shrieked as you turned around, not expecting to see Taehyung standing behind you.Â
âShh, itâs just me.â He shushed you, putting his hands on your shoulders to calm you down.Â
âWh- how did you get in here?â You hadnât seen him outside just now.
âI came in through the back. Are you okay?â He checked over your body, fingers brushing over the visible skin on your face and arms.
âIâm fine but Tae, where have you been all night?â Your exasperated tone caught him off guard, a somber look coating his features as he regarded you. âIâm getting really freaked out.â
âIâm sorry, I didnât mean to run off like that. Iâve just been trying to protect you.â His words didnât make any sense but you werenât thinking clearly enough to dissect what he meant.
The banging grew louder and Taehyung moved to open it. The roles were reversed this time as you shook your head at him, silently urging him not to let anyone in. Your fingers gripped the sleeve of his sweater anxiously. He turned to look at you, his hand coming up to cover yours on his arm.
âItâs okay. You can trust me.â He nodded at you with a small smile, and you released the breath you didnât know you were holding.
The door swung open to reveal Jungkook standing there looking out of breath, but his face lit up when he saw you standing there with Taehyung. A grin broke out across his face, âThe gangâs all here!â
You could only watch in confusion as Jungkook stepped in in the same move that Taehyung backed you up with him. Jungkook shut the door behind him looking gleeful as ever. You looked at Taehyung who had a serious look on his face but you recognized a glint of something in his eye, almost like he had just won a bet or something.
âWhatâs going on?â You asked, stepping back cautiously from them. The energy had changed drastically and you didnât like it one bit.
Taehyung eyed you like you were a scared animal, holding his hands out as if to placate you. His gaze was locked on yours and you almost felt like he could read your thoughts, anticipating your next move before you could even do it.
âSurprise, YN.â Jungkook smirked at you, looking far too elated right now to have just lost his girlfriend.
Your eyes flitted back and forth between the two of them before you spun around, racing toward the kitchen to find something you could defend yourself with. Although you had no proof, you knew it was them. Taehyung and Jungkook were the killers. You didnât have time to feel heartbroken and betrayed. Your only thought right now was survival.
Before you could get far, arms wrapped around your waist and yanked you back towards a firm chest. You eyed the knife block longingly - so close. Taehyung held you tightly to his front, turning the two of you around so you were backed up against the counter. Jungkook leered from across the room looking like a dangerous predator.
âWhy are you doing this?â You cried, hot tears streaming down your face.
âI already told you. Iâm protecting you.â Taehyung explained as if it was the most obvious thing.
âBy killing all my family and friends? Youâre fucking crazy!â Your voice grew louder, unable to feel shy about getting angry despite being caught in a murdererâs arms.
Taehyung was a murder. Your soft, loving, artsy boyfriend was a cold-blooded killer. This was a nightmare; this couldnât be real.
âYes, I am crazy, but only for you. I would do anything for you, YN.â
âYouâll never get away with this.â
Jungkook chuckled, âTell that to Min Yoongi. You wouldnât believe how easy he was to frame.â
âWhat did you have against my brother?â There was a lot to unpack here but this was the question you had been wondering for a whole year.
âYour brother wasnât the picture perfect star quarterback everyone believed him to be. He had a bad habit of date raping girls from other schools, including my cousin.â Taehyung answered for you, the lack of eye contact with him making him hard to read if what he was saying was true.
âYouâre lying,â You hissed, trying desperately to break out of his arms.
âWhy are you defending him? He was never nice to you.â Jungkook reminded you, his eyes calculating and cold. âFace it, YN. Your brother was a bad apple who got what was coming to him.â
âWhat do you have to gain from this?â
âWell, naturally, I wanted his spot on the team.â He grinned at you, flashing a perfect set of teeth. âIt wasnât hard for Taehyung to convince me once I realized what a piece of shit he was.â
âAnd Haena?â You glared at Jungkook. âHow could you kill your own girlfriend?â
âI canât take credit for that,â He nodded towards Taehyung behind you and you felt your body go still. âYou saw me. I was here the whole night.â
âWrong place, wrong time.â Taehyung added, leaning his head on the space between your shoulder and your neck. âBut I wonât lie. I hated sharing her with you all the time.â
âYouâre okay with him murdering your girlfriend?â
âI liked Haena but she didnât get me. She didnât get you either.â Jungkook approached the two of you slowly, dark gaze zeroed in on your anguished expression. He reached out to caress your face, causing you to tense up as Taehyung straightened behind you. âYouâre too good for her.â
âJungkook.â Taehyungâs voice was rough as he motioned with his head towards another part of the kitchen. The two shared some sort of unspoken communication as something dawned on the other boy.
âOh yeah! We got a surprise for you, YN.â Jungkookâs voice grew louder and more excited as he walked towards the hallway closet door. âYouâre gonna love this. Itâs a scream, baby.â
It didnât take him long to retrieve what he was looking for, your eyes almost bulging out of your head as you saw who it was. âDad!â He was tied up with tape around his mouth and a nasty cut on his forehead.
âSee, YN? We got it all figured out, donât worry.â Jungkook began, pulling the knife from his pants and stuffing it in your dadâs belt. âThe cops are already onto him and now the evidence is all over him. Just one more thing to do.â
Leaving you no time to react, Jungkook pulled a gun from behind his pants and aimed it right at your fatherâs head, shooting him dead. You couldnât help the scream that tore out of your lungs. You felt cold all over, like your body had disconnected from your brain. Vaguely, you registered Taehyungâs arms holding you steady as your knees buckled.
âHe deserved it, YN.â Taehyung spoke so plainly about the murder of your father like it was just a harmless prank he had pulled, âHe didnât appreciate what he had. Deep down, we all know he blamed you for being the one that survived. He never loved you the way a father should.â
The harsh reality of his words hurt. It was like he was looking into your soul, into your deepest darkest feelings that you had tried to keep down for so long.
âWe did you a favor.â Jungkook added, his dark stare penetrating you where you stood behind the kitchen island. âAnd he makes the perfect suspect, triggered by your brothersâ death anniversary, then goes on a killing spree and finally kills himself with the sheriffâs gun. Itâs like it was meant to be.â
These two were insane, no doubt about it. They had seen too many scary movies and now they felt like they were invincible. You could practically feel the adrenaline running through Taehyungâs veins.
âAnd now what? Iâm next?â
âOf course not,â Taehyung laughed, switching you around so that he cornered you into the kitchen counter. He leaned in and pressed a kiss to your forehead, ignoring your deep cringe. âThis has all been for you, baby.â
âNow, we finish what we started.â
Faster than you could blink, Taehyung swung at Jungkook, causing him to keel over. Red started pooling through the side of his shirt as he coughed into his hand, staining it with blood. You couldnât believe your eyes.
âTae, what the fuck?â Jungkook grunted, holding his side as he looked up at Taehyung in shock.
âI changed my mind. I donât need a sidekick anymore.â Taehyung sneered, a venomous look on his face. âThanks for all the help, buddy.â
Jungkook fell to the kitchen floor and Taehyung moved on top of him, stabbing him a few more times for good measure. In his bloodlust frenzy, he failed to notice that he had turned his back on you. Not only that, but the gun in Jungkookâs hand was now within reach of you.
You wasted no time in falling to your knees to grab it, quickly standing up and aiming it at the back of his head. Taehyung froze, still not facing you but somehow already figuring out his mistake. It was a foolish move on his part but he wasnât exactly thinking clearly.
âDonât move.â You spoke clearly, trying to keep your hand steady.
He didnât listen to you though, moving slowly and carefully as he got off of Jungkook. He turned around with his hands raised, eyes wide as he stared at you. âYN, donât do anything youâll regret.â
âI said donât move!â You yelled, your fingers trembling. You had never even held a gun before and now here you were aiming it at the love of your life.
âI know you donât understand right now but you have to know: I did it all for you. So that we could be closer. I never meant to hurt you.â The sight of him inching further set you off, giving you the motivation you needed to pull the trigger.
âGoodbye, Taehyung.â You closed your eyes, not wanting to see the image of the light draining from his eyes.
It was over.
*****
Months later, you were relieved to find that life had seemed to calm down after that horrible night full of evil and bloodshed. You had suffered and lost so many people you loved. Much like a year before, only this time you felt somewhat hopeful for the future. Death couldnât follow you around anymore like a bad curse; the evil was dead and gone from your life. It was the only thing keeping you going.
That and having a positive influence in your life, like for example Namjoon. He was the first to find you there at the Jeon house after getting your phone call but never receiving your message due to the phones being tampered with. You were lying on the kitchen floor, covered in blood and still in shock over everything. He had been so helpful, urging you to call 911 on his cell phone while he checked to see if Hobi and Jin were still somehow alive - which by some miracle, they were. They had sustained serious injuries and were lucky to be alive, each spending quite some time in the hospital and then physical therapy after that. You visited them almost every day.
It had been hard, dealing with the survivorâs guilt. Losing your entire family, best friend, and boyfriend (even though he had been the cause of it all) had done some serious damage to your mental health. And despite all the therapy you had been receiving and would continue to receive, you knew it would never completely be healed. But that was okay. In your mind, you deserved some kind of scar from the whole ordeal since you hadnât suffered any physical injuries. Several of your friends were dead or badly hurt - you could deal with it if not for yourself, then for them.
The best part about it was being able to exonerate Yoongi. To finally be able to see some emotion from him on the day the judge ruled him not guilty had been life changing. Yoongi had always been such a calm guy and never blamed you for the year of his life wasted behind bars. You wanted desperately to make it up for him but didnât know how you possibly could. Namjoon assured you that you had done enough but the guilt never seemed to go away.
Namjoon and you had started to develop more of a friendly relationship, something you had never expected to come out of this. But after all the conflict was gone, it was much easier to see each otherâs point of view. And the truth was, he had always been right.
âGot any plans this weekend?â Namjoon asked as he poured some sugar into his coffee before taking a sip.
âNot sure,â you began, taking a breath as you thought it over. âI got invited to an end-of-year party but Iâm not sure if I should go. Feels too soon.â
âOh, you should definitely go. Itâs not as soon as you think.â He responded encouragingly, sounding like a big brother.
âI just donât see what thereâs to celebrate about.â You shrugged, meeting his gaze.
âThereâs plenty to celebrate! How about surviving a tragic murder spree, exonerating an innocent man, finishing up a school year?â You didnât look convinced, so he tried again, âCome on, I think it would be good for you to get out. You shouldnât stay in that big house by yourself all the time.â
âYou sound like my therapist.â You rolled your eyes at him, stirring the tea in your cup mindlessly.
âWell, you sound like a petulant child.â He chuckled.
You opened your mouth to retort, eyes flying up to look at him when something in the distance caught your eye. Your body felt cold, frozen up as you stared at the familiar figure. Dark black mop of hair covered his face, baggy sweater and jeans on his frame. You blinked a few times but he didnât move at all. It didnât make any sense.Â
âYN? What is it?â Namjoon waved a hand in your face, distracting you from whatever it was you just saw.
âHuh?â You asked, blinking at Namjoon before glancing back at where he stood before. Only now, there was nobody in sight. You cleared your throat as your gaze fell back on the man before you, âUh, nothing.â
âYou looked like you saw a ghost.â He laughed, eyebrows furrowing at you in a concerned manner.
âYeah, right.â You shook your head. There was no such thing.
Iâll always love you, YN. Iâll never leave you.
*****
A/N: i'm baaaack! ngl i'm proud of myself for getting this one done bc it was a whopper. i really hoped you liked it! scream is one of my fave scary movies so i've always wanted to make an AU for it. ty for reading and pls lmk what you think!!
435 notes
·
View notes
Don't Fear the Reaper
Scream AU
pairing: taehyung x reader
genre: yandere, horror/thriller
warnings: murder, graphic violence, mature themes, obsessive behavior, sexual content
word count:Â 13k
summary/preview: Just a year since your brotherâs brutal murder, bad luck seems to strike again in your once-peaceful hometown. It seems as if death wants to follow you as it finds its next victim in one of your school friends. The more the murders start to connect, you begin to wonder if it really could be just a copycat killer or if the wrong man was imprisoned.
quick note: this is very unedited so pls excuse any mistakes!! tyđ€
It had been almost a year since your brotherâs death and you still couldnât believe it was real. His bedroom door had been practically sealed shut, neither you nor your father daring to venture inside. The sight of his empty room getting dusty would have just made it that much more real - something the both of you didnât need as the constant news coverage had done enough of that job already.
It wasnât necessarily that you were so distraught over Seowonâs death that you couldnât come to terms with it. He was your older brother, your own blood, but that didnât mean the two of you had been the closest siblings. You would describe your relationship over the years as lukewarm at best. You loved him because he was your brother but you never truly felt like you knew him. It was also hard to mourn with news vans following you everywhere you went.
The part that was hard to believe was the way in which he had died. He had been found in the woods near your house with seventeen stab wounds. It didnât make any sense. Your brother had been a star football player at your school, part of the popular crowd. He was well-liked amongst students and teachers. You didnât think anyone had a bad opinion of him. Itâs possible he had rivals especially in sports or romances but nothing that would warrant murder.
Initially, there had been a lot of speculation in the town and you had heard all the rumors, including the one where your father had killed him in a fit of rage. You knew it could never be true; your father had been devastated by your brotherâs death. He had been emotionless before, but now he was just a shell of the man he was. And whoever said loss could bring people closer had obviously never met your father.
The truth was that your father had always been emotionally closed for as long as you had known him. Your mother had died from complications after your birth and though he had never voiced it, you knew that he had resented you for being the cause of your motherâs death. At times, you wished you had never been born because living with the guilt had been too much to bear especially living with a father who never forgave you for it.Â
When the police eventually did find a suspect, you were shocked to say the least. Min Yoongi was a few years older than you and had already graduated when the murder weapon as well as your brotherâs blood on his clothing was found. He had always been a serious guy and if you asked most people, they would say they had always believed he kept skeletons in his closet. You knew he was a bit of a recluse, but you never would have guessed he was capable of murder. The motive they came up with was that Yoongi had been jealous of your brotherâs popularity and mixed with his own mental instability, things inevitably came to a day and he decided to act out his aggressions.
Many people wanted to know your side of it, whether you believed the story and whatnot. You had mostly stayed silent on the matter, unlike your father who had screamed at Yoongi in court and had to be dragged out of the room. You can still remember the stares you got from everyone that day - it was the same look you got from most of the town and your classmates. A mix of pity, curiosity, and judgment.
It was safe to say you hadnât been looking forward to this time of year. The true crime fanatics had seemingly been ramping up their shenanigans, hoping to possibly find some clue that would connect more of the dots. The stares you always felt in town and at school hadnât lessened and seemed to be picking up a bit more in recent weeks as the anniversary drew closer.
Which is why most nights, you would find yourself holed up in your bedroom where it was calmer. Much to your best friend's dismay, as she would always try to drag you away to some party or school outing. Haena hated it when you closed yourself off and didnât believe in wallowing alone. In her eyes, it was as if your introvertedness was just a sickness that she had to cure.
The only person who understood your feelings was your boyfriend, Taehyung. He, too, was a bit of a homebody and didnât mind staying in with you most nights. He did have more friends and liked to party, but he never pressured you to go out. Part of you believed he enjoyed having you all to himself that way and for some reason you didnât mind it.
You donât know how you got so lucky getting a boyfriend like Taehyung. He was so dreamy with dark black locks that were often tucked behind his ear and matching dark eyes that seemed to always be on you. He was an artist and could often be found wearing distressed jeans and sweaters with little splotches of paint here and there. He was extremely affectionate, always having to have his hands on you some way or another.
The two of you met in freshman year art class where you had quickly realized you had no business holding a paintbrush, much to Taehyungâs amusement. He would offer to fix up your paintings when the teacher wasnât looking and was the only reason you ended up passing. It wasnât until a little after that semester that the two of you started dating.
A low tapping interrupted your thoughts as you sat in bed, almost too quiet to hear over the television playing in your room. You got up to investigate, pulling your curtains open to see none other than Taehyung leaning up against your window using a ladder to get up here. You werenât even sure if that ladder was yours but you were glad your window didnât face the street where others could see.
You opened the window as you spluttered in shock, stepping back to allow him room to clamber inside. You held your breath as you kept an ear out to make sure your dad hadnât heard his nosy arrival, eyes trained on the door like he would bust in any moment.
âWhat are you doing here?â You hissed once you had regained your composure.
âWhat, I canât visit my girlfriend?â Taehyung pouted. âI missed you.â
âI missed you too but if my dad catches you-â
âHe wonât.â Taehyung cut you off, leveling you with his beautiful dark eyes as he leaned closer to you on the bed. âIâm stealthy.â
You breathed out a sigh, at a loss for words from his sudden close proximity. He reminded you of a tiger the way he stared you down like you were prey. You were so mesmerized by him you had missed him inching closer until you could feel his breath on your lips.
âTae-â You tried to stop him but he shushed you, pressing his mouth to yours.
Taehyung was your first serious boyfriend and there hadnât been a single dull moment in your relationship yet. For you, every new experience you had with him had been a thrill. But there was only so many heated makeouts you two could have before you knew he would want to do more. He understood you were inexperienced and was willing to wait but you wondered how much longer before he cracked.
As if on cue, his hand grazed your thigh lightly as if to test the waters. When you didnât stop him, he grew more confident and raised it until it reached your hip, squeezing gently. You appeared calm on the outside but on the inside, your heart was racing.
He pulled back a bit to look you in the eyes, licking his lips as he smirked. âI can feel your heartbeat.â
Your eyes widened in embarrassment as you quickly sat up, covering your cheeks as you felt them heating. You had hoped it wouldnât have been so obvious. Why couldnât you just be normal?Â
âStill so nervous around me after all this time,â He chuckled wryly, lifting a hand to remove the ones covering your face. His fingers caressed your cheek as he gazed at you. âWhat can I do to make you more comfortable, baby?â
âIâm sorry.â You breathed, feeling your heart skip at all the intense eye contact. âI just need more time.â
âDonât be sorry. I told you I would wait.â He gave you a small smile, leaning in to give you another kiss. He brushed a hand through your hair before pulling away and making his way back over to the window.
You watched him begin his descent back down to the ground before an idea popped into your head. You donât know where the sudden confidence came from but the sight of his retreating back made you want to try something.
âTaehyung,â You called out from the window once he had made it all the way down. He looked back up at you curiously, his eyebrows raised in question. âSomething to hold you over for now?â
You didnât wait for him to reply before you lifted your shirt up, exposing your breasts to him from down below. You waited a few nerve wracking seconds before pulling it back down, giggling nervously as you did.
His look of pure shock made it all worth it, preventing any possible embarrassment from flooding into your system. You could tell your stunt had rendered him speechless for a moment, if the choked sputters coming from him were anything to go by.
âI think you just made it worse.â He finally spoke, his voice deep and chilling. You laughed loudly, moving to shut your window closed.
*****
When you arrived at school the next day, the atmosphere was tenser than usual. You were used to people whispering around you but this was different. People seemed to be more huddled in groups. It was as if there was some unseen sinister presence that had arrived. You werenât sure if you could just blame it on the seasons changing but there definitely seemed to be a chill in the air this morning.
A hand grabbing your arm on your way through the courtyard startled you, your heart jumping only to see it was just Haena. Her eyes were wide as she squeezed your forearm urgently. You could tell just by her expression that whatever was going on was serious.
âAre you okay?â
âWhy wouldnât I be?â Your confusion was obvious as you watched realization dawn on her.
âYou havenât heard...â She paused as if trying to find the right words, biting her lip unsurely. âYN, some students were murdered last night.â
âWhat? Who?â The shock spread throughout your body like a numbness, your extremities feeling cold all of the sudden.
âPark Jimin and Yoon Iseul.â
You werenât sure if any names that could possibly come out of her mouth would not come as a shock but this just floored you. Jimin and Iseul were the schoolâs power couple. Everyone was in love with them or wanted to be their friend. The correlation between their deaths and your brotherâs wasnât lost on you. Could it be a copycat killer? You didnât want to think of the alternative - that Yoongi had been wrongfully imprisoned.
âThat must be why everyone is acting so strange today.â You mumbled mindlessly, hearing the words coming out of your mouth but not feeling connected with them. âI just saw Iseul yesterday in sixth period.â
âItâs all Iâve been hearing about this morning. How Iseulâs parents came home to the grizzliest scene you can imagine. They said Jimin was tied up and they found Iseul out- '' Her chattering stopped upon seeing the sick look on your face, her lips pressing together as if just now realizing who she was speaking to. You didnât blame her though - you knew she was just in shock. âWell, you get the gist. Apparently a neighbor saw the killer run out of there wearing some kind of weird ghost mask. Now everyoneâs calling them âGhostface.ââ
âI donât understand why this keeps happening.â
At some point in the day, you were called to the principalâs office for questioning. This wasnât strange, though, as everyone in the entire school was going through the same thing. The police figured their first place to look was at the school, which made sense.
They had asked you simple questions like how well you knew Jimin and Iseul, if you knew if they were in any drama at school, etc. You had answered honestly and as accurately as you could. To be honest, you hadnât the slightest who could have done something like this. But you could sense the detectives figured you might have some clue as you had been around death before. They looked at you like you had some kind of ghost hanging around you.
You decided that going through your day like you always did was the best shot at getting through it, clinging to any shred of normalcy that you could find. And if that meant having lunch with Haena and her usual friend group, then so be it. The seven of you were sitting outside in the courtyard, the climate having warmed up a bit since this morning.
The boys were goofing off with each other as if nothing was wrong, which in a way comforted you. You needed to act like everything was okay or else you could feel your sanity start to slip. Eyeing Haena, she was chatting with Jungkook while throwing her feet in his lap. He was rubbing her lower calves and you couldnât help but watch how comfortable they were with each other in public like this.
It gave you the courage to lean back onto Taehyung who was sitting behind you, his warm chest a welcome embrace. He responded by wrapping his arms around your front, not missing a beat as he conversed with Hobi about the quiz they took this morning.
âDid they ask you guys if you liked to hunt?â Hobi asked all of the sudden, the idle chatter dying down as you all knew he was talking about the police interrogations all students had to partake in today.
âYeah, I just told them I liked to fish.â Jin barked out a laugh.
You wondered out loud, âWhy would they ask that?â
âBecause their bodies were gutted.â Hobi responded matter-of-factly, turning to Jin with a suspicious look. âKind of like a fish.â
âThank you, Hobi.â Taehyung spoke sarcastically and you could practically feel his eye roll from behind you.
âThey didnât ask me about hunting,â Haena frowned in confusion.
âYou think a girl could have pulled off a murder like that? Yeah, right.â Jungkook chuckled, wiggling his eyebrows at her in a condescending manner.
Haena scoffed in disgust, pulling her legs off his lap. âThat is so sexist of you. Plenty of women become serial killers - look at Aileen Wuornos.â
âShe used a gun on her male-only victims. Not exactly the same.â
âYeah, from what I hear Jimin and Iseul were barely recognizable by the time they found them.â Jungkook informed, seemingly undeterred by Haenaâs annoyance. âThe fact is that it would take a man to do something like that.â
âHow do you gut someone?â Your voice trembled as you voiced the question, your curiosity getting the best of you. Taehyung tightened his arms around you and leaned his head on your neck, leaving a kiss there.
It was silent for a moment before Jungkook spoke up, âWell, youâd get a knife and start from the groin-â
âJungkook, shut the fuck up.â Taehyungâs harsh tone left no room for argument and even made you tense up a bit.
âDidnât you date Iseul?â You asked Jungkook.
His eyes lit up for a moment as he chuckled, âYeah, for like two seconds.â
âBefore she dumped him for Jimin!â Hobi chimed in. âHmm, I wonder how the police would feel if they knew you were her lover scorned.â
âWhat, you think I killed her?â Jungkook laughed genuinely, shaking his head in disbelief. âIâm sure you would love to see me behind bars but Iâm afraid I have an alibi.â
Haena rolled her eyes as Jungkook winked at her, fed up with his immaturity. âIf you think Iâm going to defend your misogynistic ass, youâre sorely mistaken.â
Jungkook watched her with a pout as she stood up to leave, gathering her books for the next class. âCome on, baby! You know Iâm not a killer.â
She ignored him as she walked off, which led to him jumping up and following her to no doubt get back in her good graces. Those two had been on-and-off for a while but you would be lying if you said their shenanigans werenât entertaining. He was a pig-headed jock and she was an artsy type. They didnât make any sense but somehow they ended up together.
*****
You went home that day to an empty house and a note on the kitchen table, which both surprised you and somehow didnât. You were used to your father skipping out on you with no notice but to leave a note? That wasnât like him.
Got a lead for a job out of town so Iâll be gone for a few days. Iâll try to call but might not have service -DadÂ
You supposed the message was emotionally detached enough to be from him but you couldnât help the strange feeling you got from reading it. You knew he probably wouldnât call or if he did, it would be just to let you know he was staying longer. He knew you didnât expect much from him and probably preferred it that way. Weirdly enough, you did too.
Exhausted from the day, you threw your bag on the floor and collapsed on the couch. You flipped the TV on and surfed through the channels mindlessly before one with a news headline and familiar face caught your eye. It was a reporter that you recognized almost immediately - Kim Namjoon. He had covered your brotherâs case extensively and even wrote a book about it.
â This small but mighty town has been hit yet again with another gruesome homicide case. Two young teenagers were found brutally murdered in their own home. â He spoke clearly, his dragon-eyes penetrating you through the TV screen. You had seen them in person and knew how deadly their effect could be. â Authorities have yet to release any statement but we know now that no arrest has been made and the murderer could strike again. â
â Could it be merely just a coincidence that this month is the anniversary of yet another senseless killing? It has been only ten months since Min Yoongi was found guilty for the murder of Jung Wooshik, who was also a student at Woodsboro High. â Namjoon continued, and you held your breath as you waited for him to say what you had been fearing. â Many have made a few theories on what could be the meaning of this, including that of a possible copycat killer or perhaps a wrongful imprisonment. Itâs safe to say the town of Woodsboro needs to stay vigilant on protecting its own. â
You cut him off there, not wanting to hear any more. Namjoon had made it clear early on that he was doubtful of Yoongi being the killer and spent most of his news coverage with that perspective. You tried not to take it personally but there had been instances where it seemed like the reporter blamed you for what happened. You knew you werenât directly responsible for Yoongiâs conviction but you couldnât help but wonder if you should feel guilty. You had only told the truth to the judge, that you had seen Yoongi by your house the day your brother died. That your brother had bought some weed from him and that you had seen him leaving while your brother was still alive. What happened between then and when your brother was killed was completely unknown to you.
But your witness testimony along with the physical evidence found in Yoongiâs home and car had been enough to convict him. You can still vividly remember the expression on Yoongiâs face when the verdict was given, as though he hadnât even heard the judge. You couldnât help but be amazed at his absolute indifference to everything going on around him at all times. You had never seen him smile or get angry ever. He kept all his emotions inside and it only fueled to make you more unsure of him.
The sound of the phone ringing loudly next to you made you jump, hand laying on your chest to feel your racing heart. You took a deep breath before you answered, âHello?â
âYN, I just wanted to check on you and make sure you got home okay.â Of course it was just Haena. You knew she worried about you especially when you were home with your father.
âYeah, Iâm okay. My dadâs left town apparently so Iâve got the place to myself.â
âOh shit, really?â She sounded stunned by this. âDidnât he hear the news?â
âNot sure. Although knowing him, he might have just wanted to get away from all the media craziness.â
âDo you want to stay at my place?â As if she could sense your hesitance, she continued in a more serious tone, âI know you probably think Iâm being dramatic but I just donât think you should be alone right now.â
âOkay.â You relented, agreeing that it was probably best to not be isolated and vulnerable with a killer on the loose.
You ran upstairs to pack some clothes for the week, unsure of how long you would be staying there. The thought occurred to you that you should probably let Taehyung know where you would be going just in case he tried to make another surprise sneak-in on you again. You picked up your phone and dialed his number. It rang one time before immediately going to voicemail, causing you to pull the phone back and look at it in confusion. It wasnât like him to outright reject your call, so you tried again. This time it rang all the way through before going to voicemail.Â
âHuh, thatâs weird.â You waited for the automated voice to end and the beep to sound before leaving him a message informing him of where you would be tonight as well as Haenaâs home number in case he needed to reach you later.
When you got to Haenaâs house a little while later, you werenât exactly sure why you felt uneasy all of the sudden seeing the police vehicle in her driveway. Her dad was Sheriff Lee and he had always been like a father to you, more so than your own father anyway. But just seeing his car again after so long and knowing he was in there was dredging up old memories that you had tried to forget.
Haena answered the door with a bright grin and pulled you inside excitedly. You already knew you were in for an eventful next few days, especially with her two younger brothers who were always loud and rambunctious. But oddly enough, you found that you enjoyed being around such a loving and busy household because that had never been your home experience.
You were greeted by warm hugs from Mrs. Lee before she quickly sat you down for dinner with a plate full of food. Haena rolled her eyes at her momâs antics especially when she realized she was not included in this display of special treatment and would have to make her own plate. At some point, Sheriff Lee rolled in and you could tell by the tired lines on his face that this week had taken a toll on him.
He still greeted you with a smile and a pat on the head before joining you all at the table. Mrs. Lee brought her husband a plate and you couldnât help but watch as he grabbed her hand to give it a kiss. The two of them had always been a sweet couple and what with your lack of ever seeing that growing up, you were always fascinated by them.
âHowâs your father doing, YN?â Haenaâs father asked.
âFine,â You answered, rolling a cherry tomato around on your plate with your fork. âHeâs actually on a work trip this week so Haena convinced me to come stay here for a little while if thatâs okay.â
âYou know youâre always welcome here, honey. Youâre practically family.â Mrs Lee was quick to reassure you.
âWork trip, huh?â Sheriff Leeâs eyebrows were drawn together as he held a spoonful of stew in front of him thoughtfully. âDid he mention where?â
âNope. You know how he is,â You answered honestly and he nodded.
Just then, the phone rang and Mrs. Lee got up to go answer it. You were about to go clean your dish when she came back into the kitchen and said, âYN, someoneâs on the phone for you.â
You quickly went over to go pick it up, âHello?â
âYN,â Taehyungâs deep voice came through on the other line, sounding hushed and slightly out-of-breath. âI just got your message.â
âOh, yeah well I just didnât want you to go worrying if you called me and I didnât answer. Haenaâs family is taking care of me.â
âYeah? Thatâs good.â He responded, and you could practically picture him posted up somewhere like the cool guy he was. âAlthough, I wish I had answered when you called because I could have kept you company.â
âIâm sure you would have liked that.â You chuckled. âI donât think my heart can handle another one of your window sneak-ins.â
âWell, I donât think my heart can handle being away from you that long.â
âYouâll still see me at school.â You reasoned, rolling your eyes despite him not being able to see you.
âYeah but thatâs school. You wonât even let me kiss you unless itâs somewhere hidden.â You could practically hear his pout through the receiver. âWhy donât you meet me at your place sometime this week? Iâll cook you dinner and we can finally be alone together.â
You couldnât help but feel overwhelmed at his sudden pushiness to get you alone. You knew if you agreed to meet him at your house that he would probably try to have sex with you again. As much as you wanted to take that step with him, you were scared.
âI donât know if thatâs a good idea, what with the recent murders and all. I think itâs probably best to stay in larger groups.â
âWhat, you donât think I can protect you? I know Iâm skinny but Iâm strong.â
âNo I know you can but itâs just not a good time right now.â
âYeah, I know. You havenât been yourself in a while.â He huffed into the receiver.Â
You laughed sarcastically, unsure if he was being serious right now. âYeah, sorry Iâm not in the mood to have sex with you right now. Iâm kinda still reeling over the deaths of our classmates.â
âI donât mean recently. You havenât been the same since Seowon died.â His words shocked you, not understanding where this was coming from all of the sudden.
âUh, well thatâs kind of what loss does to a person if you didnât know. They change - drastically.â All humor was gone from your tone as you felt yourself getting annoyed with him.
âYeah well itâs been a year since he died and youâre still so skittish around me. Itâs like you think Iâm some kind of bad guy.â
âIâm sorry if my trauma has ruined things for you but no one is making you stay with me. If you need it that badly then you-âÂ
âStop. Thatâs not what I meant at all.â He huffed angrily, taking a pause to gather his thoughts. âListen, I donât want to make you upset. I know itâs hard to see right now but Iâm just feeling insecure. I want to make sure weâre still okay.â
At your silence, he let out another sigh. âIâm gonna let you go now. Please donât be mad at me. I love you.â
He didnât say anything after that but he stayed on the line, and you knew he was waiting for you to say it back. Hoping for you to say it back. And as pissed off as he had made you, you hated the idea of going to bed mad at him. So you conceded, for now.
âI love you too.â
*****
When you arrived on campus the next day, you spotted Namjoon standing near his usual news van. He was dressed smartly in an olive sweater and gray slacks, his glasses making him look more like a university student than a reporter. He was busy sorting through some papers, probably brushing up on his notes before he did his next broadcast.
You felt compelled to speak with him, especially after everything that had been going on recently. Over the past year, he had reached out to you multiple times for a comment and you always declined. The only time you had spoken in-person was after the court case had ended and it hadnât been the most cordial moment.
âYN, this is a surprise. What can I do for you?â Namjoon raised his eyebrows at you, a mix of curiosity and something else you couldnât quite pick up in his expression.
âI wanted to talk to you about Min Yoongi.â
âOkay.â He spoke slowly, glancing over at his camera crew who were standing a few feet away. âIâm guessing this is off the record?â
âYes, please.â You paused, trying to think on how to start. âI know you probably donât think very highly of me.â
âWhat makes you say that?â
âWell, you wrote a whole book on how my witness testimony was the reason an innocent man was imprisoned.â
âYes. I still stand by that.â He responded honestly, crossing his arms over his chest.
âSo what, you think Iâm a liar?â
âYou painted a picture that made him look like a killer. I think you were so desperate for all the media coverage and court trials to end that you picked him as a scapegoat.â
âHave you talked to Yoongi?â
âMany times. He admits to selling drugs to your brother but thatâs all.â The look on his face told you just how in-depth their conversations had gone. Namjoon was a very detail-oriented man.
âThen how do you explain the blood on his clothes and the murder weapon in his home?â
âHis roommate testified that he came home high with no blood on his clothes. Someone else planted all that evidence and framed him.â The way he spoke of Yoongi was almost like they were close; he clearly felt very strongly about clearing his name.
âWhy are you so adamant on proving his innocence? Did you know him?â
âWhy do you care what I think?â Namjoonâs face screwed up as he seemed to grow more irritated with you. This was the real emotion you expected to get from him, behind the friendly facade he tried to put on with you. âYou got what you wanted, didnât you? Yoongiâs life is ruined, heâll never see the light of day again.â
âThatâs not what I wanted.â Now, it was your turn to look confused. âI wanted justice. I told the judge exactly what I saw that day.â
His lips pursed as he thought for a moment, processing your words. âYes, I knew Yoongi. We werenât exactly friends but anyone who knew him knew he was harmless. He wouldnât hurt a fly.â
âHarmless and yet he sold drugs to teenagers?â You regretted it as soon as it came out your mouth. You knew it was a low blow and you didnât truly care that he did that anyway but you needed to cling onto some semblance that you made the right call.
He hummed as he searched your face for a moment, âWhy are you asking me about Yoongi all of the sudden? Youâre not so sure anymore, are you?â
âNo, Yoongi murdered my brother.â You werenât even sure if you believed yourself at how weak your voice sounded.
âThese murders are related, arenât they? The killerâs still on the loose.â He sounded almost triumphant as he marveled at your recent revelation, the cogs in his head working on overdrive. You had just confirmed his biggest theory yet despite your best efforts not to.
Now was a good time to leave. You werenât sure what you had hoped to get out of this interaction but it wasnât this. You had been avoiding the truth for a long time but it was catching up to you.Â
âGoodbye, Namjoon. Always a pleasure.â He didnât respond as he watched you move to leave, his lips moving as he quietly murmured to himself. Despite his dark calculating eyes following your every move, you knew that he was in a different place conjuring up his next news broadcast.
*****
Halfway through the school day, it became apparent that Principal Choi had not shown up nor called in sick. After multiple attempts to reach his home phone, one of the administrators called the police to do a wellness check. And what they had found upon entering his home had been what everyone was fearing.
The news of Principal Choiâs death spread through the school like wildfire and you could tell the staff struggled to hold themselves together while keeping the students organized. A few police officers arrived at the school to work with the administrators on figuring out how to go about letting the students go home.
You were in the library with Haena and Jungkook when a pair of boys came running through your section and drawing the attention of everyone nearby. One was screaming in an exaggerated manner and the other was wearing the infamous Ghostface mask and chasing the former. You could tell they were just playing a prank but you didnât see how anyone could be making fun of the situation right now.
âWhat is wrong with people?â
âAre you kidding me? Look at this place, itâs like Halloween.â Jungkook threw his head back and laughed.
âStupidity leak!â Haena berated him, whacking him in the head with her notebook.
You shook your head at him, deciding to just ignore his comment. âHave you guys seen Taehyung around?â
âYou mean after you gave him blue balls? No, his heartâs broken.â
âJungkook,â Haena elbowed him hard, causing him to grunt.
âHe said that?â You were shocked that even Jungkook knew about your lack of a sex life but should have known that boys would talk just like girls did.
âOf course he did. The guyâs crazy about you.â
âWhat guyâs crazy about her?â Speak of the devil and he shall appear. Taehyung leaned over you from behind to kiss the top of your head, causing your heart to do a flip.
âKeanu Reeves, of course.â You mouthed a âthank youâ to Haena at her swift coverup, causing her to give you a wink.
âHey, can I talk to you for a second?â Taehyung whispered in your ear and held your hand as he pulled you out of your chair. Haena ignored Jungkook trying to get her attention as she watched you follow your boyfriend to a more secluded area.Â
âIâm really sorry about what I said before - it was way out of line. Iâve been a little out of sorts lately with everything going on.â He sounded vulnerable as he spoke, and you couldnât help but feel your heart tug at his remorseful face. He had always been the type to wear his heart on his sleeve. âI just want us to be okay again. I want my girlfriend back.â
âIâm still your girlfriend,â You rolled your eyes playfully, squeezing his hand in yours. âBut Iâm sorry if Iâve made you feel insecure. I know Iâve been acting different for a while and it wasnât fair to you. I guess I just havenât been dealing with my trauma very well.â
âThatâs not your fault. You donât need to feel bad about how you grieve.â He reached up to tuck a lock of hair behind your ear, a soft expression on his face.
âI havenât been grieving at all - thatâs the problem. Itâs like my emotions have been shut off.â You sighed, shutting your eyes as his hand moved to caress your cheek. âI canât keep hiding in my room forever. I need to move on.â
When you opened your eyes again, Taehyung was watching you carefully with his mouth pressed shut. You wished you could read his mind. There was more you wanted to say but you found it hard to find the words, so you decided to let your actions speak by leaning forward and kissing him deeply.
You could tell he hadnât expected you to make the move by the way he froze but he quickly recovered, pulling you closer with his arms settling around your waist. You pressed yourself to him as he leaned against the bookshelf. This was the most hot and heavy you had ever been in public and you could tell he was enjoying it, not wanting to part from you for even a second.
When you did eventually pull away, you felt brave enough to ask, âWill you meet me at my house later?â
You felt him tense up in shock yet again but couldnât see his face as you were leaning on his chest. You dared to look up and see him looking at you with wide eyes.
âI thought you wanted to stay at Haenaâs.â
âI changed my mind.â You shrugged, feeling giddy as his face lit up. âYouâll protect me from any bad guys, right?â
He pulled you in again, wrapping his arms around you tightly and resting his chin on the crown of your head. You had never felt safer.
âI wonât let anything happen to you.â
Taehyung has always been careful and thoughtful about how he treated you. His touches were gentle and soft; you couldnât imagine him hurting a fly. Maybe it was just his artsy persona but you had always known him to be a deep, considerate person. He was meticulous about every detail, whether it was his art or his life. Sometimes it seemed like he truly believed life was art; a painting that was ever-changing and inspiring.
You were a masterpiece in his eyes. Something to be cherished and never tarnished. That was why he wanted to keep you safe from the evil in the world. He knew that life had already not been fair to you. But he believed it was his job to prevent any further wrongdoings from coming into your life. He wouldnât hesitate to destroy anyone who would even try to cause you harm.
It was when you were laid out on your bed looking like an angel, Taehyung felt like he was truly going to Hell. Surely God was coming for him because he had stolen an angel and kept her all to himself. You had given yourself up to him and you didnât know it yet but he would never let you go. How could he?
The only word to describe it was heaven. Having you in his arms like this, touching parts of you his hands had never dared to before - it was pure bliss. He wanted to stay like this forever. There was nothing out there for either of you. Everything you both needed was right here, in each otherâs arms.
He had lost count of how many times he made you come undone before he had even entered you. This wasnât his first time but it may as well have been with the way he struggled to not fall apart almost immediately. You were his weakness and at the same time you were the only thing keeping him together most of the time. He didnât care how old you both were - you were it for him.
You had always imagined your first time would be like a dream, full of romantic candles and roses. The reality of it was much different, more natural, and yet you found it to be better than you could have ever imagined. You felt like one of Taehyungâs paintings as his lips and fingertips caressed you everywhere, molding you into one of his perfect creations. You were his muse and you had never felt so beautiful.
It was a night of passion and love; the perfect embodiment of your relationship. Whatever rocky period you had been going through before was long gone and you almost couldnât believe you had ever wanted to delay this. This was where you needed to be. You knew you probably sounded like a naive teenager, but you didnât want to think of anyone else in this way ever. You only wanted Taehyung.
âIâll always love you, YN. Iâll never leave you.â
*****
The next day, you were on your way to your locker when you spied Haena waiting for you. You tried to act indifferent to Haenaâs wide eyes looking you up and down as you approached her. It was as if she was trying to find some kind of visible evidence on you.
âSo?â You knew she wanted to know what happened last night, but you werenât ready to spill so soon.Â
âSo... what?â You acted ignorant as you opened up your locker, reaching for your math textbook.
âOh come on, Iâm dying here! Spill.â
âOkay, okay.â Laughter bursted out of you, your resolve crumbling before you could even try to build it up. âWe, uh... did it.â
âMore details, please.â She rolled her eyes at your vagueness.
âIt was really sweet. He made us a nice dinner and then we...â You cringed, not knowing how to talk about it without sounding corny. âI donât know how to describe it.â
âWell, did it hurt? Did you come?â You nodded to both questions honestly and her eyebrows raised as she became more intrigued. âHow many times?â
When she saw you counting on your fingers higher and higher, she blew a low whistle. âGod damn. Good for you, girl.â
âI feel like he set the bar pretty high. Is it always like this or is he just really talented?â
âWell, it depends. Jungkook is usually pretty good but sometimes heâs too drunk or lazy and then I end up doing most of the work myself.â
You pursed your lips in thought, âDoesnât he go down on you before?â
Her eyes widened as she opened her mouth in shock, âCan I borrow him?â
You smacked her on the arm as she laughed, linking arms with you as you both made your way to class.
âOh, by the way, Jungkookâs having a party at his house later.â She mentioned nonchalantly as she popped her gum in her mouth.
âWhat about curfew?â
She shrugged, âI donât think theyâre being too strict about it. Itâs probably safer that weâre all together anyway.â
You still looked convinced, so she added, âBut if youâre really worried, we can just stay over at his place. His parents are out of town.â
âDoes your dad know?â You glanced at her curiously.
âGod, no,â she laughed, shaking her head. âHeâs working a night shift so heâll be busy patrolling. And Iâll just tell my mom weâre staying at yours.â
âOkay. We can go.â
âYeah?â She looked surprised, a bright smile painting her face. It was infectious as you found yourself smiling back at her and nodding. She bumped shoulders with you, wiggling her eyebrows as she leaned in, âHmm, I like the new you. Sheâs fun.â
You were surprised how easy it was for you to agree to the party. Maybe last night gave you more confidence to just live a little. All you knew was the old you would have opted to stay at Haenaâs for another night in and you didnât want to be stuck in your old ways. You owed it to yourself and everyone you loved to move on.
You had foolishly fallen into a sense of false security, not necessarily forgetting about the horrors your town had been cursed with but just for once not having it in the forefront of your mind. You had felt closer to your boyfriend than ever before and now you were ready to be more adventurous. It wasnât until later in the day did that bubble of excitement pop.
When the classroom door opened to reveal Sheriff Lee, the students around you immediately began whispering to each other conspiringly. You wondered what it could be this time around as he whispered something to the teacher before turning back to face front with a serious expression. Your teacherâs eyes landed on you as she waved her hand, âYN.â
Everyone around you hushed as you gathered your things with shaking hands, making your way to the front of the room quickly. The air out in the hallway felt different, less suffocating. It somewhat helped your rising anxiety.
One look at Sheriff Lee gave you a new perspective of this man who had practically raised you. He wasnât that old, only early 50s, but the stress he had put under with his profession had aged him. He had tired bags under his eyes, worry lines on his forehead, and sprouting grays here and there. He had always been handsome and you could tell he would continue to age like wine. But that didnât change how sad it made you to see him in this state.
âYN, Iâm afraid I have some bad news. There was a report of a car that wrecked on the side of the road just outside of town.â He spoke slowly as he relayed the information, the consideration from him not lost on you. You were trying to process it all while still not understanding why he was telling you this. âIt was your dadâs car.â
Your heart stopped as you clutched your school bag in your hand. Thoughts were going wild in your head as your breathing became erratic. You didnât know what any of this meant.Â
âWhat, um... is he dead?â Your tongue felt disconnected like your brain was just on autopilot.
âNo one has seen him yet.â He sighed, a deep frown etched across his features. âI know you said he was leaving for a work trip but have you spoken to him at all since he left?â
He was aware that your father wasnât known for contacting you at times like these, but you understood he still had to ask. âNo. The last time I saw him was the night before he left.â
He nodded as if he expected that, giving you a small smile. âWell, weâll keep looking. In the meantime, I want you to stay out of your house in case there are any clues to where he could have gone. And itâs probably safer that youâre not alone right now.â
âOkay.â
It seemed like he wanted to say more but clearly was out of his depth when it came to comforting someone. It wasnât like he could make any promises about finding your dad because the truth was he was most likely gone. You had dealt with enough loss that you knew this feeling well. You gave him a matching small smile, albeit weak but you hoped it would appear encouraging.
âThank you, Sheriff Lee.â
*****
School ended early that day, mostly due to the fact that half the staff had called out in fear of receiving the same fate as Principal Choi. It was strange that they even had anyone come in at all but you figured the police had already suspected the killer was at the school, thus being their best bet at finding them. Everyone was on edge as if Ghostface was still lurking in its shadows. Which technically, he probably was.
You had already started to go through in your mind which students in your school could have done it. There were a few stronger girls in your class who could have had the physical power to do it, but they were all too nice or non confrontational. There were plenty of bully-like guys that could fit the description, but you had a hard time truly seeing any of your classmates being involved in such gruesome scenes. Itâs just that all the victims had one thing in common: the high school. It only made sense that all suspicion would be pointed here.
Eventually, you gave up trying to figure it out because you were only going in circles in your head. The police would figure it out. Tonight was supposed to be fun and you were sure the killer wouldnât be brave enough to attack a whole group of teenagers. There was strength in numbers and you felt safer this way.
As you and Haena made your way up the driveway, music could be heard blasting from inside. You werenât even that late but it seems the party was already in full swing. There were a dozen football players and cheerleaders lounging in the main room when you walked in, most of them unknown to you. Haena greeted a few people in the hallway and you followed her into the kitchen as she searched for some refreshments.Â
âItâs about time you guys showed up,â Jungkook yelled from where he was standing by the snack table.
âI see you guys couldnât wait to get started,â Haena eyed where Hobi was pouring beer down a funnel into Jinâs mouth.
âWell no one told you guys to arrive fashionably late,â Hobi replied, high-fiving Jin before switching places with him. Haena rolled her eyes, moving on to talk to Jungkook on the other side of the room.
âHey, have you guys seen Taehyung?â You asked, leaning against the countertop island.
âHe was in here earlier. I think he said something about going outside for a smoke,â Jin informed, not taking his eyes off where he was pouring.
You briefly wondered how you had missed him if you had just come from the outside but shrugged it off. He had to be around here somewhere. You ventured out into the main room and plopped down on the couch. The music had been turned down a bit as they were going back and forth trying to decide what movie to watch. For some reason, the genre they had settled on was horror which was in poor taste in your opinion. At least it was entertaining to hear them argue about who usually survives in a horror movie.
A hand on your shoulder startled you, looking up to see Hobi standing there with the telephone. âPhone for you.â
You held in your confusion as you got up to take the call in a quieter area. âHello?â
âYN, itâs Namjoon.â Of all people who could be calling you, he was probably the last one you would suspect. âAre you guys okay?â
âYes, why wouldnât we be?â
âIâm guessing you havenât heard yet.â He sighed and your heart thudded in your chest, unable to speak as you willed him to continue. âSheriff Leeâs dead. They found him strung up on one of the field goals in the football field.â
You almost dropped the phone, a stuttered gasp being the only sound you could make for a moment.Â
âOh god,â you finally spoke, your hand coming up to cover your mouth. âI think Iâm gonna be sick.â
âIs Haena with you?â He asked quickly, trying to distract you.
âYes.â Swallowing, you covered your other ear as the voices in the main room started getting louder. How were you supposed to tell everyone? You were surprised you were even still standing.
âStay with her. If I were you, I wouldnât leave that house. â
You were still so in shock from the news about your Haenaâs father that it suddenly dawned on you that he had figured out where you were without you ever telling him.Â
âHow did you know I was here?â
âSomeone reported a large gathering of students at the Jeon house on the scanner. I had a feeling you would be there.â His answer was a shock to you, not expecting anyone to know about the party as it was out on the edge of town.
âO-okay, I better go warn everyone...â
âYN?â You held in your breath as you waited for him to continue, unease crawling into your system at his pause. âBe careful.â
For him to sound so concerned for you only heightened your paranoia, quickly walking back into the main room where everyone was. Jungkook was sprawled out on the couch now along with Jin and Hobi, throwing his head back at something the latter had said. You shakily placed the phone back on the stand.
âJungkook, I need to talk to you.â You were surprised your voice was so steady, his big eyes meeting yours as he took in your expression.
âAre you okay? You look like youâve seen a ghost,â He joked, standing up to meet you behind the couch.
âKim Namjoon just called me,â You felt your stomach flip as you held the back of the couch for support. âSheriff Lee was murdered.â
You had tried to be discreet about it but your shock must have garnered enough attention, gasps sounding around the room as they all picked up on what you had revealed.
âHoly shit, Iâm getting out of here.â
There was a chorus of responses as people started to make themselves scarce, clearly not in the mood for a party anymore. The only ones that stayed were Hobi and Jin, either not concerned enough about the killer or not brave enough to leave the house. You werenât sure which group you belonged to but you knew you had to find Haena. You looked up at Jungkook, who was staring at the carpet with a serious expression on his face and biting his lip.
âWhereâs Haena?â It was like he almost didnât hear you until you shook his shoulder. âJungkook?â
âUm, she went to get more beer-â He blinked a few times, waving his arm behind him. âGarage.â
You walked quickly around the house, trying to find the correct door to the garage. When you finally did, it was pitch black save for some light coming in from the opened garage door. You almost turned back as it was clear there was no one in here before something made you stop. There was no noise, no movement but you felt like something was in here.
Your hand sought out the light, switching it on and blinking as it flicked a few times before brightening up the room. Your gaze flitted around, almost giving up before you saw something dark and red that made you flinch backwards.Â
There was a piercing scream and you felt the ground beneath you move, your ass hitting the wooden step hard. It wasnât long before thundering steps came behind you, stopping as they hit your back. Your ears, seemingly filled with water with how muted everything seemed, caught a few more gasps and screams. Hands gripped you under your armpits, pulling you up over the steps and back into the hallway.
After that, everything was a blur of commotion. You were vaguely aware of people yelling around you but it wasnât until Hobi crouched down, waving his hand in front of your face that you felt alert again.
âI think sheâs in shock,â He relayed to the others.
âYN?â Taehyungâs voice sounded from the other end of the hallway, his expression bewildered as he approached quickly. âI heard screaming.â
âJesus, where have you been Tae?â Jin asked.
âHaving a smoke,â Hobi moved out of the way so Taehyung could kneel before you, bringing his hands to your cheeks and analyzing your face closely. âWhat happened? Are you okay?â
âHaena...â
âGo find Jungkook,â Tae instructed the older two.
Hobi groaned, âWhy do we have to keep splitting up? This is what the killer wants!â
Jin smacked him behind his head, angling his head towards your shell shocked figure. âShut up, would you?â
The two of them walked off, bickering quietly as they went. Taehyung sat with you silently as you stayed in the same position, wiping away any tears that escaped. You stared at the floor as your mind raced with a million thoughts, not a single one sticking long enough for you to linger on.
How could this happen so fast? You had just seen Haena in the kitchen talking to Jungkook. Everything was fine. You couldnât have been gone from her for more than thirty minutes and yet so much had changed. It didnât make any sense.
First Sheriff Lee, now Haena. The killer was getting closer. No, the killer was already here. It couldnât have been Jungkook, Hobi, or Jin. They had all been with you.
But...
âTaehyung?â He looked up at you, surprised to hear your voice finally. He leaned in, reaching a hand out to brush your hair back but you shied away. He reared back in shock, his expression confused as he met your suspicious one.
âWhat?â
âYou were... smoking? For thirty minutes?â Your voice was unsure as you questioned him, sounding stuffed up from all the crying.
âYes, wh-â The sound of screaming from outside interrupted him. You shot up from your spot, running towards the front door where it came from. âWait, YN! Donât!â
You ignored him as you threw open the door; you needed to stop any more evil from happening. You had already lost so much in your life. Enough was enough.
The sight of Hobiâs bloody body laying on the front steps had you freezing in your tracks, feeling Taehyungâs chest collide with your back a moment later. The two of you stared in shock before you became aware of the violent tussle happening further out in the yard. It was hard to make it out but it looked like Jungkook and Jin were fighting. What the hell had happened? You were guessing this was Jungkookâs fight-or-flight response to finding out about Haena.
âStay right here,â Taehyung spoke softly to you as he brushed past you, walking around Hobiâs battered body and approaching the two other boys with a calmness you didnât quite understand.
The further he went out, the harder it was to make out who was who especially as they moved between bushes and trees. You felt anxious and stupid as you just stood there, your feet itching to move out and help them but not knowing if it was a smart idea.
âYN,â A voice coughed out from below you, a gasp escaping as you fell to your knees where Hobi was laying. You had been so distracted by the fight that you almost forgot he was there.
âWhat happened?â You asked urgently, grabbing one of his hands and squeezing.
He choked a bit, blood spraying out onto his lips and neck. âDonât trust them.â He gave your hand one last squeeze, meeting your eyes as if to make the message stronger. You watched in concern as he closed his eyes, chest rising and falling rapidly. He was still alive but he wasnât doing well. He needed medical care immediately.
âYN! Get inside now!â Your head flew up to see Taehyung underneath Jin, the two of them fighting over something shiny and sharp-looking between them as what looked like Jungkook was passed out next to them.
Your gaze flew back and forth from them to Hobiâs unconscious face, trying to figure out who to believe. You took a deep breath and ran back inside, locking the door behind you as you ran for the phone. You hit redial, hoping it would direct you to Namjoon. You never thought you could ever cry with relief at hearing his voice.
âYN? Are you okay?â
âNamjoon, tell the police the boys must have snapped or something, I donât know. But Haenaâs dead and we need help.â The words flew out of you so fast you werenât even sure what all you said, hoping you got the message across as you huffed.
The line went silent at that, and you held your breath as you waited for a response. But there was nothing - just dead air.
âHello? Namjoon?â You tried again, pulling the phone away before you realized the line was dead. Someone had cut the lines. âShit.â
Just then, a sudden banging could be heard from the front door followed by desperate shouts of your name. You ran over to it, ready to unlock the door when you hesitated with your hand on the lock.
âWhoâs there?â
âYN, let me in! Hurry!â The urgency in Jinâs voice made you throw open the door, gasping when you saw him covered in blood with a knife in his hand.
âJin, what-â
âDonât let him in, YN! He attacked me!â Jungkook suddenly appeared behind him, a deep cut on his cheek that hadnât been there before.Â
You looked between Jungkook and Jin, trying to decipher who to believe but not finding any conclusive evidence. To be honest, when you saw them out in the yard before, it was hard to tell who had even started the fight. And now seeing them both with blood on them, you felt at a loss. All you knew was people were dying and someone had cut the phone lines. You didnât know who you could trust.
âFuck, I canât.â You slammed the door as quickly as you could, locking it again. The banging and shouting continued.
âHelp me! Heâs gone crazy!â
You stood there for a few moments, palms still on the door as you willed your racing heart to calm down. Tonight had been nonstop crazy and you couldnât remember the last time it was at a resting rate. Before you could turn around, a pair of hands landed on your shoulders and ruined any chance of your heartbeat slowing down any time soon. You shrieked as you turned around, not expecting to see Taehyung standing behind you.Â
âShh, itâs just me.â He shushed you, putting his hands on your shoulders to calm you down.Â
âWh- how did you get in here?â You hadnât seen him outside just now.
âI came in through the back. Are you okay?â He checked over your body, fingers brushing over the visible skin on your face and arms.
âIâm fine but Tae, where have you been all night?â Your exasperated tone caught him off guard, a somber look coating his features as he regarded you. âIâm getting really freaked out.â
âIâm sorry, I didnât mean to run off like that. Iâve just been trying to protect you.â His words didnât make any sense but you werenât thinking clearly enough to dissect what he meant.
The banging grew louder and Taehyung moved to open it. The roles were reversed this time as you shook your head at him, silently urging him not to let anyone in. Your fingers gripped the sleeve of his sweater anxiously. He turned to look at you, his hand coming up to cover yours on his arm.
âItâs okay. You can trust me.â He nodded at you with a small smile, and you released the breath you didnât know you were holding.
The door swung open to reveal Jungkook standing there looking out of breath, but his face lit up when he saw you standing there with Taehyung. A grin broke out across his face, âThe gangâs all here!â
You could only watch in confusion as Jungkook stepped in in the same move that Taehyung backed you up with him. Jungkook shut the door behind him looking gleeful as ever. You looked at Taehyung who had a serious look on his face but you recognized a glint of something in his eye, almost like he had just won a bet or something.
âWhatâs going on?â You asked, stepping back cautiously from them. The energy had changed drastically and you didnât like it one bit.
Taehyung eyed you like you were a scared animal, holding his hands out as if to placate you. His gaze was locked on yours and you almost felt like he could read your thoughts, anticipating your next move before you could even do it.
âSurprise, YN.â Jungkook smirked at you, looking far too elated right now to have just lost his girlfriend.
Your eyes flitted back and forth between the two of them before you spun around, racing toward the kitchen to find something you could defend yourself with. Although you had no proof, you knew it was them. Taehyung and Jungkook were the killers. You didnât have time to feel heartbroken and betrayed. Your only thought right now was survival.
Before you could get far, arms wrapped around your waist and yanked you back towards a firm chest. You eyed the knife block longingly - so close. Taehyung held you tightly to his front, turning the two of you around so you were backed up against the counter. Jungkook leered from across the room looking like a dangerous predator.
âWhy are you doing this?â You cried, hot tears streaming down your face.
âI already told you. Iâm protecting you.â Taehyung explained as if it was the most obvious thing.
âBy killing all my family and friends? Youâre fucking crazy!â Your voice grew louder, unable to feel shy about getting angry despite being caught in a murdererâs arms.
Taehyung was a murder. Your soft, loving, artsy boyfriend was a cold-blooded killer. This was a nightmare; this couldnât be real.
âYes, I am crazy, but only for you. I would do anything for you, YN.â
âYouâll never get away with this.â
Jungkook chuckled, âTell that to Min Yoongi. You wouldnât believe how easy he was to frame.â
âWhat did you have against my brother?â There was a lot to unpack here but this was the question you had been wondering for a whole year.
âYour brother wasnât the picture perfect star quarterback everyone believed him to be. He had a bad habit of date raping girls from other schools, including my cousin.â Taehyung answered for you, the lack of eye contact with him making him hard to read if what he was saying was true.
âYouâre lying,â You hissed, trying desperately to break out of his arms.
âWhy are you defending him? He was never nice to you.â Jungkook reminded you, his eyes calculating and cold. âFace it, YN. Your brother was a bad apple who got what was coming to him.â
âWhat do you have to gain from this?â
âWell, naturally, I wanted his spot on the team.â He grinned at you, flashing a perfect set of teeth. âIt wasnât hard for Taehyung to convince me once I realized what a piece of shit he was.â
âAnd Haena?â You glared at Jungkook. âHow could you kill your own girlfriend?â
âI canât take credit for that,â He nodded towards Taehyung behind you and you felt your body go still. âYou saw me. I was here the whole night.â
âWrong place, wrong time.â Taehyung added, leaning his head on the space between your shoulder and your neck. âBut I wonât lie. I hated sharing her with you all the time.â
âYouâre okay with him murdering your girlfriend?â
âI liked Haena but she didnât get me. She didnât get you either.â Jungkook approached the two of you slowly, dark gaze zeroed in on your anguished expression. He reached out to caress your face, causing you to tense up as Taehyung straightened behind you. âYouâre too good for her.â
âJungkook.â Taehyungâs voice was rough as he motioned with his head towards another part of the kitchen. The two shared some sort of unspoken communication as something dawned on the other boy.
âOh yeah! We got a surprise for you, YN.â Jungkookâs voice grew louder and more excited as he walked towards the hallway closet door. âYouâre gonna love this. Itâs a scream, baby.â
It didnât take him long to retrieve what he was looking for, your eyes almost bulging out of your head as you saw who it was. âDad!â He was tied up with tape around his mouth and a nasty cut on his forehead.
âSee, YN? We got it all figured out, donât worry.â Jungkook began, pulling the knife from his pants and stuffing it in your dadâs belt. âThe cops are already onto him and now the evidence is all over him. Just one more thing to do.â
Leaving you no time to react, Jungkook pulled a gun from behind his pants and aimed it right at your fatherâs head, shooting him dead. You couldnât help the scream that tore out of your lungs. You felt cold all over, like your body had disconnected from your brain. Vaguely, you registered Taehyungâs arms holding you steady as your knees buckled.
âHe deserved it, YN.â Taehyung spoke so plainly about the murder of your father like it was just a harmless prank he had pulled, âHe didnât appreciate what he had. Deep down, we all know he blamed you for being the one that survived. He never loved you the way a father should.â
The harsh reality of his words hurt. It was like he was looking into your soul, into your deepest darkest feelings that you had tried to keep down for so long.
âWe did you a favor.â Jungkook added, his dark stare penetrating you where you stood behind the kitchen island. âAnd he makes the perfect suspect, triggered by your brothersâ death anniversary, then goes on a killing spree and finally kills himself with the sheriffâs gun. Itâs like it was meant to be.â
These two were insane, no doubt about it. They had seen too many scary movies and now they felt like they were invincible. You could practically feel the adrenaline running through Taehyungâs veins.
âAnd now what? Iâm next?â
âOf course not,â Taehyung laughed, switching you around so that he cornered you into the kitchen counter. He leaned in and pressed a kiss to your forehead, ignoring your deep cringe. âThis has all been for you, baby.â
âNow, we finish what we started.â
Faster than you could blink, Taehyung swung at Jungkook, causing him to keel over. Red started pooling through the side of his shirt as he coughed into his hand, staining it with blood. You couldnât believe your eyes.
âTae, what the fuck?â Jungkook grunted, holding his side as he looked up at Taehyung in shock.
âI changed my mind. I donât need a sidekick anymore.â Taehyung sneered, a venomous look on his face. âThanks for all the help, buddy.â
Jungkook fell to the kitchen floor and Taehyung moved on top of him, stabbing him a few more times for good measure. In his bloodlust frenzy, he failed to notice that he had turned his back on you. Not only that, but the gun in Jungkookâs hand was now within reach of you.
You wasted no time in falling to your knees to grab it, quickly standing up and aiming it at the back of his head. Taehyung froze, still not facing you but somehow already figuring out his mistake. It was a foolish move on his part but he wasnât exactly thinking clearly.
âDonât move.â You spoke clearly, trying to keep your hand steady.
He didnât listen to you though, moving slowly and carefully as he got off of Jungkook. He turned around with his hands raised, eyes wide as he stared at you. âYN, donât do anything youâll regret.â
âI said donât move!â You yelled, your fingers trembling. You had never even held a gun before and now here you were aiming it at the love of your life.
âI know you donât understand right now but you have to know: I did it all for you. So that we could be closer. I never meant to hurt you.â The sight of him inching further set you off, giving you the motivation you needed to pull the trigger.
âGoodbye, Taehyung.â You closed your eyes, not wanting to see the image of the light draining from his eyes.
It was over.
*****
Months later, you were relieved to find that life had seemed to calm down after that horrible night full of evil and bloodshed. You had suffered and lost so many people you loved. Much like a year before, only this time you felt somewhat hopeful for the future. Death couldnât follow you around anymore like a bad curse; the evil was dead and gone from your life. It was the only thing keeping you going.
That and having a positive influence in your life, like for example Namjoon. He was the first to find you there at the Jeon house after getting your phone call but never receiving your message due to the phones being tampered with. You were lying on the kitchen floor, covered in blood and still in shock over everything. He had been so helpful, urging you to call 911 on his cell phone while he checked to see if Hobi and Jin were still somehow alive - which by some miracle, they were. They had sustained serious injuries and were lucky to be alive, each spending quite some time in the hospital and then physical therapy after that. You visited them almost every day.
It had been hard, dealing with the survivorâs guilt. Losing your entire family, best friend, and boyfriend (even though he had been the cause of it all) had done some serious damage to your mental health. And despite all the therapy you had been receiving and would continue to receive, you knew it would never completely be healed. But that was okay. In your mind, you deserved some kind of scar from the whole ordeal since you hadnât suffered any physical injuries. Several of your friends were dead or badly hurt - you could deal with it if not for yourself, then for them.
The best part about it was being able to exonerate Yoongi. To finally be able to see some emotion from him on the day the judge ruled him not guilty had been life changing. Yoongi had always been such a calm guy and never blamed you for the year of his life wasted behind bars. You wanted desperately to make it up for him but didnât know how you possibly could. Namjoon assured you that you had done enough but the guilt never seemed to go away.
Namjoon and you had started to develop more of a friendly relationship, something you had never expected to come out of this. But after all the conflict was gone, it was much easier to see each otherâs point of view. And the truth was, he had always been right.
âGot any plans this weekend?â Namjoon asked as he poured some sugar into his coffee before taking a sip.
âNot sure,â you began, taking a breath as you thought it over. âI got invited to an end-of-year party but Iâm not sure if I should go. Feels too soon.â
âOh, you should definitely go. Itâs not as soon as you think.â He responded encouragingly, sounding like a big brother.
âI just donât see what thereâs to celebrate about.â You shrugged, meeting his gaze.
âThereâs plenty to celebrate! How about surviving a tragic murder spree, exonerating an innocent man, finishing up a school year?â You didnât look convinced, so he tried again, âCome on, I think it would be good for you to get out. You shouldnât stay in that big house by yourself all the time.â
âYou sound like my therapist.â You rolled your eyes at him, stirring the tea in your cup mindlessly.
âWell, you sound like a petulant child.â He chuckled.
You opened your mouth to retort, eyes flying up to look at him when something in the distance caught your eye. Your body felt cold, frozen up as you stared at the familiar figure. Dark black mop of hair covered his face, baggy sweater and jeans on his frame. You blinked a few times but he didnât move at all. It didnât make any sense.Â
âYN? What is it?â Namjoon waved a hand in your face, distracting you from whatever it was you just saw.
âHuh?â You asked, blinking at Namjoon before glancing back at where he stood before. Only now, there was nobody in sight. You cleared your throat as your gaze fell back on the man before you, âUh, nothing.â
âYou looked like you saw a ghost.â He laughed, eyebrows furrowing at you in a concerned manner.
âYeah, right.â You shook your head. There was no such thing.
Iâll always love you, YN. Iâll never leave you.
*****
A/N: i'm baaaack! ngl i'm proud of myself for getting this one done bc it was a whopper. i really hoped you liked it! scream is one of my fave scary movies so i've always wanted to make an AU for it. ty for reading and pls lmk what you think!!
435 notes
·
View notes
iâm so close to being done just need a little bit more time!! itâs getting pretty long so i hope yall will excuse the wait
also just a little spoiler there will be a *sexual content* warning but itâs nothing too spicy i promise lol. itâs been a while since i wrote smut so go easy on me đ
iâm trying to have this fic done by next week so it can be a halloween ficđ€ hereâs hoping yall
5 notes
·
View notes
It makes me really happy to hear from you, I hope you're doing well. âĄ
you are so sweet! I hope youâre doing well toođ
1 note
·
View note
iâm trying to have this fic done by next week so it can be a halloween ficđ€ hereâs hoping yall
5 notes
·
View notes
Iâve been working on something exciting and I canât wait to share with yallđ
9 notes
·
View notes
re reading strangers and like whenever i see seokjin pop up out of nowhere im always like âwhy is he always theređâ LOL i loved how you wrote the story btw !
LMAO he def did & I have to blame it on the character he was inspired by bc heâd always be showing up like đ§
thank you so much!! đ«¶
7 notes
·
View notes
ahhh this made me realize how much i missed ur reviewsđ€§ i gotta start posting again fr
YESSS iâm so glad u liked the crutches part! i had to include it hehe. i love how u never miss a detail
iâm relieved that the stockholm syndrome vibe came thru bc thats def where weâre at nowđ poor yn
it is crazy to think how things would be diff if jihoon/nayeon hadnât done what they didđł
thank u so muchđ©”đ©”
Strangers (Birthday Drabble)
Series Masterlist
pairing: ot7 x reader
genre: yandere, horror/thriller
word count: 3k
warnings: unreliable narrator, depressive thoughts, mature themes, obsessive/possessive behavior, emotional manipulation, stalking, non-consensual touching.
summary: Itâs been a few months since that fateful night where everything changed. You have been doing your best to heal and get acclimated to your new life at Eden Residence but when a surprise date arrives, you find yourself reevaluating your situation. Moving to the big city certainly wasnât what you had pictured it to be.
The days you spent at Eden Residence had all blurred together and you werenât even sure how much time had passed. You knew it had probably been months at this point, but after enough time went by you didnât care to keep track. The calendar the boys had hung up on the wall had been stuck on September since you moved into your new room.
After that fateful night, the boys had moved you down to the basement. Their reasoning was it was big and safe enough while you were recovering from your injury but you knew they just preferred it because of its advanced door locks. Plus, you didnât think youâd be able to make it up the stairs that led to the exit of the building. It was the perfect spot to hide you in.
Maybe it was just your trauma response to it all but you had to admit - this room was an upgrade from your last. You were honestly surprised it was part of the same building, they had clearly spent a lot of time renovating it. It had much more space and the boys had decorated as best they could to keep you comfortable. There was a decent-sized bed as well as a couch, table, and TV. The connected bathroom was tiny but it had its own shower which was all you cared about. You were even impressed to see a small kitchenette off to the side equipped with a sink, minifridge and microwave. You didnât have to use it too often, as most of the time food would be brought down to you or on occasion they would bring you upstairs to eat with the whole group in the kitchen.
âYN~,â A voice sang, breaking you away from your thoughts as the door opened. You were still in bed, not caring to get up just yet. Namjoon, Jungkook, and Jimin all filed into the room as if they owned the place - which technically, they did. âAre you awake, sleeping beauty?â
Your silence and blank stare was all that met them, causing a few chuckles as they were quite used to your negative attitude especially in the mornings. Today, however, they seemed more adamant about getting your attention. Jungkook jumped onto the bed next to you, causing the mattress to bounce under you as you grunted in discomfort. For the most part, they seemed to respect your personal space but there were a few that still fought for your affection.
âDo you know what today is?â Namjoon asked, distracting you from the younger male who was currently throwing his arms around your figure from over the covers and snuggling close. You eyed the taller male from where he stood by the small table helping Jimin unload a bag of breakfast items.
Keep reading
256 notes
·
View notes
this is like my 5th time reading strangers (it's one of my favorite fics ever btw) and it's amazing how my desire to beat nayeon's ass never gets smaller. i think it gets bigger, in fact.
omg Iâm in shock when someone rereads it one time let alone FIVE times!! that means so much to međ
and iâm also dead at the nayeon hate train still being alive and wellđ€Ł i havenât had a hate comment for her come in a while and didnât know how much i missed it!
6 notes
·
View notes
Fic Survey
Hello! I've been doing some more writing and I'm so excited to share new stuff with you all :)
I'm looking to get some feedback for future projects so if you're interested pls fill this out.
2 notes
·
View notes
I just read the entire strangers series and i am in awe, the creepiness and eerie feeling that it displays and your writing was so good!!
oh wow this is the highest complimentđ„° Iâm so glad you found the story eerie enough, sometimes I wondered if it would be believable. thank you so much!!
5 notes
·
View notes
Again I am missing you, I hope you are well and healthy. âĄ
omg idk how I didnât see this until now!! but I miss you too and Iâm so sorry Iâve been MIA :(
this summer has been rly busy and Iâm not gonna pretend writerâs block hasnât been a factor but Iâm really hoping to start posting again soon. I promise Iâm not abandoning this blog I just need time to flesh out my ideas đ
1 note
·
View note
OMG Iâm so excited for this! Such an interesting and unique concept, I canât wait to see what happens
- Tiger Lily -
(Yandere! Namjoon x Reader) - Part 1
Warnings: Slight ABO, smut/noncon (not this part), kidnapping, innuendos, harassment, gaslighting, drugs, forced undressing, nonconsensual touching, slavery/forced prostitution, dark themes. You have been warned.
Summary: To be a flower maiden is to know pain. Pain that comes many forms. It's too bad for you that your curse is not well known, and running from the only man who knows about it, won't do you much good. Run while you can... for when he catches you, there's no telling how he'll ravage you.
Note: I have no idea what time line I wrote this for lol. Iâm also thinking of making this a series with the other members, so if you like it, please let me know! This is inspired by the Yuri Manwha Kang Unnie.
Your clothes had always smelled of smoke.
Not because you enjoyed the bad habit, but because as you grew older smoke was the only thing able to cover the scent. The scent of the Tiger Lily. The scent ranged from cigarettes, to old incense, to burnt ash from the fireplace. Your parents never took chances when it came to you. Fear always glimmered in their eyes; Fear that their only child would get taken away to be a noble's toy, never to be seen again.
It was a bright summer day, when you first interacted with Namjoon. With no idea as to who he was, he was the first person to see past the smoke.
You wished you had been more careful; More cautious as to who you interacted with. But the Tiger Lily came with a curse. And it was naĂŻve of you to believe you could escape the curse.
"Are you alright?"
It took a moment for you to realize that a young gentleman had bumped into you. The arms that had wrapped around your own, allowed for a more stable support. Strong muscles hardened over time, with scars easily noticeable underneath long sleeves.
It was the first thing you noticed about him. Second, were his eyes. They gleamed mahogany and dared those that didn't know him to lean in a bit closer. You wanted to lean in closer. Sadly, you did not have that luxury. Especially, when that very same man was apologizing for falling into your lap and ruffling your skirts.
"I really am so clumsy." He rubbed the back of his head and chuckled. "It is not gentlemanly to be falling into a young ladies lap."
He grabbed your right hand and kissed it, looking into your own eyes. Maintaining eye contact, he raised himself up before looking around. You had been sitting at a nearby fountain with a book in one hand, when he had stumbled upon you. It was a common habit of yours, when taking a break from the old apothecary your parents ran. It was a nice place to take a rest from the outside world; a place where no one had to worry about greedy individuals in the dark. Your own refuge.
It was when you had been in the middle of a kissing scene, that you heard a scuffle occurring nearby. The strange man had been perusing the shops nearby, when someone had ran into his shoulder, and shoved him to the cobblestone at your feet. In the process of catching himself from the fall, he had managed to face plant into your colorful skirts.
"It's quite alright sir." You giggled. "I'm just glad you are not hurt. Some of the people around here can be quite rude." He smiled at that before tilting his head.
"Still, it was not appropriate of me. Though I am curious, you smoke ma'am?"
No one had asked it outright as forthcoming as that in the past.
"Why no-" you chuckled "my parents just enjoy it, and who I am I to judge them for the habit."
There was a hum from his side, before he bowed before you. "Well, my lady, it was lovely meeting you, albeit in the wrong circumstances." He looked over at someone that was approaching quickly. They seemed to be in servant attire. A large tailcoat and white cuffs clipped at the wrist. Peculiar for a small town like yours.
"You really shouldn't run off like that -"
He shook his head at the man approaching. They shut their mouth and backed up a step, giving the gentleman his space. He sighed. It seemed that was his notice to leave.
Before the clumsy man left, he managed to look over his shoulder and asked you one last question. "What might my savior's name be?"
"(Y/N). And yours?"
He paused, thinking over his response. His eyes flitted over your attire, the long skirts that dragged in the dirt. The corset framing your bodice. The way you fidgeted your hands together.
"Namjoon. Just Namjoon."
You didn't think anything of your interaction with Namjoon. He wore peasant clothing, and yet held himself in a more gentlemanly manner than most commoners you lived with. If anything, your interaction with him had made your day.
It wasn't until later in the day, when your parents reminded you to keep the incense burning in the home, that you remembered why you can't get close to men. They would just use you, and drag you away for their own selfish desires.
That is what happened to all flower maidens.
Flower maidens were around for as long as you could remember. They were always young ladies born with seeds implanted in them. Seeds that on their 21st birthday, would bloom across them starting all the way from the nape to their back all the way to their bottom, creating imagery of gorgeous flowers unlike any tattoo or painting could ever envision. Blooming in real time, more alluring than anything. Each maiden embodied a different flower, all the way to the way their hair shined in the sun, to the powerful scent given off by each fair lady. To be a flower maiden, was to be an angel incarnate.
These ladies were cursed though. For even though they held immense beauty and could bewitch any man that came across their path. The blooming's held a price.
Starting from the first blooming, the maiden would be weak to anyone that came across them, unable to fend for themselves or against anyone that came to take advantage of them. Their minds would be primed only for the sexual desires of themselves and others, ravaged by the sensations that occurred across their skin. A fire and pain that only got worse the longer they ignored the want for someone inside them. It was said that the pleasure from bedding a flower maiden was unlike anything feasible on earth.
To "protect" the flower maidens, the royals and nobility created a garden hidden away. This garden held all the rare and beautiful flower maidens, and treated them like nobility themselves. The cost being that, a flower maiden must always give themselves to the nobility that visited and paid. It was a "treat for all the nobles hard work". A life of a gilded cage of prostitution. All nobles agreed that watching a maiden writhe around in want and need, as pansies, poinsettia's, roses, and more, spread like a new painting across their bosom was mesmerizing.
The clientele were highborn, and with that came the expectation that a flower maiden may never leave. Every flower maiden that has entered that garden has died before the age of thirty five. It is said that the thorns and blooms wrap around their heart, swallowing them whole of loneliness. Nobles pay millions to enjoy the final blooming of a flower maiden and it is common knowledge that there is no known cure.
There has always been speculation, however, and in your heart you always hold out hope. Hope that by the time your blooming comes, you will have found a way to beat the death curse.
As you pass your hand over the seed on your thigh, you are reminded of this. The seed that would one day bloom into beautiful pink and orange Tiger Lily's.
Your parents always said that the Tiger Lily represented wealth and pride. That was what scared them so. Fear that the nobility would snatch you away. That you would be cursed by their pride and wealth in an endless loop. A toy for them to enjoy.
You refused to be that for them.
When you were sixteen you first noticed a scent start to appear. Your parents quickly moved homes, albeit not easily due to the poverty you all suffered from. Incense soon became common in your household as well. But they refused to allow you to be taken. For they knew they could not afford the cost to visit the gardens, lest you be taken, and knew that you were worth so much more than a life in an esteemed brothel.
It was a dangerous game, but one they were willing to pay.
It was the law that any flower maiden born in Korea be handed over to the government from birth. It was easier to raise a lady into prostitution, than to convince her it was her duty to her kingdom later in life.
The cost of hiding one, was death.
"(Y/N)! Dinner's almost ready!"
You looked one last time at the seed at your thigh.
"Coming!"
âWhat have you been reading about this time?â
Looking up from your book, you made eye contact with your parents in the kitchen. They both were cleaning up from the days meal, and you could notice a hunch in their shoulders from the days work at the apothecary. You shrugged.
âItâs just another fairytale romance. Prince falls in love with a peasant girl and love happily ever after.-â Your mother smiled. âYou know how they go.â
âIâm glad youâre still able to enjoy those things.â She patted her hands on her apron, before grabbing the flour off the table, reorganizing the pantry as she meandered.
âI will be needing some help in the shop tomorrow. You know how busy it gets on Wednesdays. Is that alright?â Your mother never wanted to impede on your personal studies. It was rare for a women to be educated, so she prioritized your own before the need for money.
âOf course. Nine oâclock?â
âOn the dot.â
She blew a bit of dust off a shelf, and wiped a few things down before settling in next to you on the lounge. It creaked under the weight, with old florals stained over time, but made no other noise. She wrapped her arm around your back and held you close. She smelled of smoke and ash, although, you knew she hated it. But she loved you more.
It was as your eyes were starting to shut. The warmth and breath lulling you to sleep, that you heard three knocks on the door.
They were concise and clear.
It was unclear to you, why someone would be knocking at this hour. Many individuals should have settled in for the night by now, or at least been off the streets. Your parents were intrigued by who was at the door as well, as they looked at each other in suspicion, before you felt the warm touch of your mother leave your side.
Their steady footsteps rang out as they approached the door. A creak was heard as the hinges squeaked open. And on the other side stood a royal guard.
You froze in your seat.
The officer took off his hat and held it at his waist.
âExcuse me, maâam. So sorry to intrude at this late of an hour.â He peaked his head in, making eye contact at you before smiling. âMy name is Officer Jungkook. We were alerted of a disturbance on this property. May we come in?â He paused to allow your guardians a moment to process the request.
They looked at each other before nodding. No one could deny an officer of the king.
âOf course. Please donât stand outside too long. Itâs far too cold for anyone to be out.â She waved her arms inside, before around ten men entered the premises. Each one donned in navy blue, with patches of red on their shoulders, designating them as members of the royal forces. They meandered along the walls, dragging fingers along surfaces, led by none other than the individual introducing himself as Jungkook. He looked around with hooded eyes, almost as if intrigued by the atmosphere and cozy home.
It wasnât until he was far into the living room and the door had been shut, that he clapped his hands.
The sound rang out. Like thunder in a storm.
That was when all hell broke loose.
Hands grabbed and vases flew, as you were apprehended by multiple men. Your parents yelled out for you as you were dragged back screaming and kicking. They were not far better as men dragged them away to a back corner. Muffled yells and tears were the only thing you could hear from your parents.
âLet me go!â You went to bite your oppressors hand, but they quickly brought their hand back before another grabbed your head and held your jaw shut.
âSearch her.â
You snapped your head to look over at Officer Jungkook. The order was quick, and if one were not paying attention, they would have missed it. Too bad for you, the royal guards were paying very close attention. Within a second, you had been stripped of your blouse and hands were touching all over your shoulders, back, and neck. You quickly yelled out, as no one had seen or even touched you in those areas before. Face heating up, you kept kicking and shoving at anyone that dared lay a hand on you.
The head guard snapped his fingers in front of the faces of his men quickly.
"Enough of this! The report was for a scent near the skirts. Don't undress the women more than is necessary!" There were a few mumbled apologies before your bodice was thrown back over your shoulders and instead your skirts were pulled down. The situation seemed to be getting worse by the second. You yelled out, as their hands passed over your skin. Brushing over calves and thighs, before finally landing on what they were looking for.
You shook in their grasps, as one of their hands gently passed over the indent of a seed on your thigh.
Your cursed Tiger Lily.
"It's in the middle of the thigh, sir."
Quickly, your skirts were pulled up, but not before the arms around your waist tightened further. Head Guard Jungkook nodded his head and looked pleased before turning to your parents, tailcoat whirling behind him.
"The cost for housing a flower maiden is death. In accordance with our laws, you will be escorted to the palace where you will await trial. This process can take weeks or months, but it is within your best interests to come silently, as we may have to use more force than necessary otherwise." While the other guards were groaning at every jab you sent back, the head guard seemed to be fairly content with the events of the evening. Your parents heads hung low in shame. They had failed protecting their little girl.
He slowly walked over to you. The way he held himself was almost bunny like, with a chagrin smile and mischievous brown eyes. He was just as mesmerizing as the man you had seen earlier. He leaned in close to you and took a piece of hair within his grasp, twirling it around his finger, before his grin reached larger across his face.
"Poor little maiden, I'm sorry you've been cooped up here so long. I can assure you that we will -"
"Piss off fucker!" You snarled. The smile slightly slipped, but never disappeared.
"It seems you are a bit confused. That is of no worry, Wonho?" He held out his hand. One of the guards seemed to get the memo.
"Yes sir!" A needle was placed into Jungkook's hand. Your eyes narrowed onto it. Gritting you teeth, you gave the man your deepest glare.
He smiled. "Don't worry fair flower maiden, in time -" He pulled off the cap. "You will see that this is your true purpose."
You felt a needle plunge into your neck, before everything went dark.
Note:
Hello Everyone! This story is a lot darker than anything I've ever written. This part was about halfway done when I first started writing Snatched Part two, so I can assure you that is coming out soon as well. But boy, do I have a bad habit of trying to write one-shots and them turning into multiple parts. I'm expecting this to be about two to three parts. Hope you all enjoyed! Let me know what you think. Your comments make my day! Who do we think Namjoon is? Is there more to the curse?
618 notes
·
View notes
What fanfic writers say vs what they mean. Btw.
11K notes
·
View notes