Kang Min did not move.
He couldn't.
Even after the footsteps faded… even after the door creaked shut… even after the house returned to silence—
His body refused to respond.
His hands were still clamped over his mouth, his fingers trembling uncontrollably.
You're a quiet one.
The voice echoed in his head.
Soft.
Calm.
Almost kind.
That was what made it worse.
Tears slid down his cheeks silently as he stared into the darkness beneath his bed.
He didn't know how long he stayed there.
Minutes.
Maybe longer.
Until—
Another sound.
The front door.
Opening.
⸻
A Different Kind of Silence
Footsteps entered the house.
Familiar.
Steady.
Unhurried.
Kang Min's breathing hitched.
His father.
Song Min Jae.
"Jang Mi?" his voice called out.
No answer.
A pause.
Then slower footsteps.
Moving deeper into the house.
Kang Min squeezed his eyes shut.
Part of him wanted to run out.
To say something.
To scream.
But something stronger held him back.
Fear.
Pure, suffocating fear.
⸻
Discovery
The sound came suddenly.
A sharp inhale.
Then—
"Jang Mi?!"
The shout tore through the house.
Kang Min flinched.
Footsteps rushed.
Something fell.
A chair, maybe.
Then panic.
Real panic.
"Jang Mi—hey—hey!"
His father's voice cracked.
For the first time—
It sounded real.
⸻
Under the Bed
Kang Min slowly crawled forward.
Just enough to see the faint light outside his room.
His body moved like it didn't belong to him.
Heavy.
Numb.
Drawn by something he didn't understand.
The hallway was empty.
But the door to his mother's room was wide open now.
Light spilled out.
And shadows moved inside.
Kang Min stepped out.
One step.
Then another.
His legs felt weak, but he kept going.
Slowly.
Carefully.
Until he reached the doorway.
⸻
What Remained
His father was on his knees.
Holding Jang Mi.
Shaking her.
"Wake up… please—Jang Mi, wake up…"
His voice broke completely now.
But Kang Min didn't react to that.
His eyes were fixed on his mother.
Still.
Too still.
Something was wrong.
No—
Everything was wrong.
The room looked… different.
Too neat.
Too arranged.
The evidence on the desk—
Gone.
The mess from earlier—
Gone.
And then he saw it.
The rope.
The position.
The setup.
Even at thirteen—
Kang Min understood.
This wasn't how it happened.
This wasn't what he saw.
But no one else knew that.
Only him.
⸻
Eye Contact
Min Jae looked up.
His eyes met Kang Min's.
For a moment—
Everything froze.
"Ka… Kang Min…"
His voice was unsteady.
Shocked.
Panicked.
"Go back to your room."
Kang Min didn't move.
Didn't speak.
Didn't cry.
He just stared.
Then slowly—
He turned.
And walked away.
⸻
The Police
The house filled with noise not long after.
Flashing lights.
Voices.
Footsteps.
Strangers.
Kang Min sat on his bed, knees pulled to his chest, staring at nothing.
An officer stepped into the room gently.
"Hey… kid."
No response.
The officer crouched slightly.
"You heard anything tonight?"
Silence.
Kang Min's fingers tightened around his sleeve.
He could hear it again.
That voice.
You're a quiet one.
His lips parted slightly.
But no words came out.
The officer waited.
Then sighed softly.
"It's okay," he said. "You don't have to talk right now."
And just like that—
The truth stayed buried.
⸻
Later That Night
Downstairs, the investigation continued.
"Signs point to suicide," one officer said quietly.
"No forced entry," another added.
"Scene is clean."
Too clean.
But no one questioned it deeply enough.
Not yet.
⸻
A New Arrival
The front door opened again.
This time—
Someone important.
A man stepped inside, calm and composed despite the late hour.
Sharp suit.
Sharp eyes.
Controlled presence.
"Prosecutor," one officer greeted.
This was Lee Tae Jun.
At this moment—
A man known for his integrity.
For his precision.
For his commitment to justice.
He nodded slightly as he walked in, his gaze sweeping the room once.
Calculating.
Observing.
He stepped closer to where Jang Mi's body had been.
Now covered.
Removed.
But the room still held traces.
Invisible to most.
Not to him.
His eyes lingered for just a second longer than necessary.
Then—
He spoke.
"Preliminary conclusion?"
"Likely suicide," the officer replied.
Tae Jun didn't respond immediately.
He simply looked around once more.
Then nodded.
"Proceed accordingly."
Calm.
Decisive.
Unquestioned.
⸻
Upstairs
Kang Min sat in silence.
The house no longer felt like home.
It felt empty.
Cold.
Wrong.
He slowly lay down, staring at the ceiling.
His mind replayed everything.
Over and over.
But one thing stayed clearer than anything else—
Not a face.
Not a name.
Just—
Eyes.
Cold.
Unfeeling.
Watching him.
And that voice.
"You're a quiet one."
A tear slid down his temple into his hair.
And for the first time—
Kang Min made a decision.
He would say nothing.
Not now.
Not ever.