Chapter Text
camera shutter clicks
' Any evidence on sight doctor? or anything I should know? '
The doctor kept inspecting the deer closely. There wasn't a single scratch on the body, the mouth of the animal was gaping open and pupils blown wide. He couldn't exactly point what made a shiver course through his body, was it the chilly weather or the fact that he was surrounded by twenty such carcasses.
' It's the same sir.. no scratches but looks like it has been sucked dry.'
The officer in charge cackled, dimples out on display.
'What do you mean sucked dry? You suddenly believe in vampires now doc?'
Hoseok's stomach lurched, this is the third time in a month that something unearthly like this has happened. Even after spending days and hours at his lab he hasn't found a solid answer to these mysterious deaths.
Every animal was devoid of a single drop of blood, eerily so.
' I'll examine this one and let you know if anything concerns me, I'm gonna leave first officer.. not a good place to hang out I suppose.'
Hoseok smiled as he further wrapped himself with his coat, seeking any kind of comfort to sheild himself from the freezing winds. Those eyes, so hollow, he sees them everywhere now. He was going crazy.
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The rain wouldn't stop pouring, the sky looked glum and dark with roaring sounds and lights every now and then. Jeongguk hated that he looked kind of comical with his matted hair and wet clothes sticking to his body at odd angles. He hated school and people his age. As if nothing could infuriate him more he saw almost whole of the school gathering at the hallway.
'What the fuck..'
He thought as he adjusted his backpack and tried to a make a beeline around the commotion but came to a halt when faced with a rather unusual sight. There was a boy standing in the deluge, dripping wet from his head to toes as the other in front of him was hysterically screaming something.
"Noooo it can't be ... Nooo nooo... Park Jimin is dead... He has been dead for two years now.. you are supposed to be dead.. Park Jimin is dead."
Jeongguk's mind blanked. Dead? The guy was supposed to be dead? Nothing made sense. He asked the girl next to him if she knew something.
'You don't know Park Jimin?'
She asked quizzically.
' Park Jimin was Taehyung's bestfriend until two years ago when they went on a road trip together and the car plunged into the river. Park Jimin supposedly drowned and Taehyung had been the one driving. Surprisingly enough no body had been found at the site and Taehyung was just sitting there quiet when the police reached. '
'The searching party found nothing? How long did the search continue?"
'Hmm.. I don't know really.. the search was dropped after one week..'
Strange Jeongguk thought.
' What about his family? Where were they? '
' Omg Jeongguk you really don't know anything huh?.. Park Jimin has no one, only had Kim Taehyung. He is an orphan. '
Jeongguk's heart bled on hearing that, he was drowning in flashbacks. He turned on his heels and rushed to the locker room.
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When Jeongguk stepped inside the classroom the buzzing stopped. It fell silent.
Jungkook thought the teacher had walked in after him but realised that the only empty seat left in the class was next to Jimin. People were watching him as if he were an animal stepping into the trap that had been exclusively laid out for him. This town gave him the chills, ever since he moved to his shitty town from Seoul people just stared at him like an alien. He walked slowly towards Jimin who had his head buried in his hands.
' umm... is the seat taken?'
Jeongguk mumbled out.
The said boy looked up at him, with eyes wide as saucers and shook his head slowly. He had huge black glasses perked up on his button nose which was red from all the sniffling. Up close Jeongguk realised, the boy was so pretty. Porcelain skin, soft eyes, cute nose and luscious lips, he looked so fragile. He looked like he could crumble into pieces any time. He tentatively reached out his hand for the other.
'I'm Jeongguk..'
'umm.. I'm Jimin..'
Oh his voice, it sounded like wind-chimes to his ears on that glum day.
When Jeongguk settled down beside him as the teacher walked in, he cast a long look at the mystery boy. Who is Park Jimin? His mind was reeling. The boy looked back at him, his eyes held nothing. No hope, no stars just a deep void and Jeongguk feared he would drown in them.
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'So I have been informed by a student about the commotion that happened in the hallway earlier.. anybody wants to explain what they saw?'
' Why is Park Jimin in our class? '
Taehyung spoke up.
Jeongguk stared at him. Wasn't he supposed to be fast friends with Jimin. Why is he being like this?
' What do you mean? He moved back here from Gwangju two days ago. '
'Gwangju? '
'Yes his orphanage called and provided with the required documents, we also saw his previous IDs and everything has been checked and confirmed by the police. So it would be really helpful if you just stopped traumatizing him more..'
Taehyung kept shaking while looking at Jimin. Jeongguk saw tears roll down the cheeks of the boy beside him, he started sniffling again and began picking his nails. The skin at his fingertips were broken and red already. Maybe this was Park Jimin's way of coping with anxiety, he couldn't imagine what the boy must have gone through. He reached out his hands and placed them on Jimin's, he stopped fidgeting & looked at him with bloodshot eyes.
' It's gonna be okay Jimin..'
The boy nodded meekly and said, 'I came here with the hope to fix our friendship, I don't think he wants it anymore. I don't know what to think now.'
The bell went off and the students started to scatter towards the exit, they were having a joint class next. Jeongguk moved out last, absently typing away at his phone when he heard hushed shouting. He took two steps back and saw two figures near the corridor.
' No.. You stay away from me Park, you are not my Jimin. He is long gone, you are something else under his skin. You freak, I wish I realised it sooner. '
And Taehyung was sobbing his heart out, as he went past Jeongguk.
'Jeon, I know we aren't friends but... Stay away from him..'
Jeongguk looked at the frail body sitting on the floor with his glasses thrown aside, clutching his heart and crying.
'Yeah we will see about that Taehyung..'
Jeongguk mumbled as he walked towards him, the boy looked like he couldn't hurt a fly.
The weather was getting tremendously chilly for the month of March, cold and dark.
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