Choi house, three years following Secret Ending 2

MC walked into the house after work, expecting to see only one—maybe two, since she lived with twins—person in the house. Maybe even doing something normal like playing Words with Friends from their bedrooms. MC did not, however, intend to find four other people in her house.

"Hello, people who don't live here," she stated while putting her keys on the hook and taking her shoes off.

She was greeted with a wave of hellos throughout the room, Yoosung even getting up with an empty bowl and saying, "You're out of tortilla chips."

"I'll be sure to put that on the list," MC said dryly. "What are you all doing here?"

Zen paused the game on the tv (were he and Jumin playing Wii Tennis?) and walked to MC. "Something's been bothering us all for a few days now—that trust fund jerk especially—and we wanted to come to you for answers. Yoosung pointed out something to us the other day and that kind of sparked the curiosity. We figure you could help quell our wonder?"

MC took a fruit water out of the fridge and took a sip. "Tell me what the topic of suspicion is."

"V." Jaehee said from her spot on the couch. "We want to know what really happened to V."

MC was confused. "He committed suicide. I don't see—"

Yoosung cut her off. "No, he didn't. At the funeral, I noticed something off about the way his body laid in the casket, specifically how his hands were placed. His hands were resting higher up his body than is usual."

"What are you getting at?" MC looked around at the others in the room and they all seemed set on what Yoosung was saying.

"In a casket, the hands normally rest on top of the abdomen, but V's were resting over top of his chest. While no one was looking, I did something of my own autopsy on his body and noticed that there were no wounds anywhere on the body except for in his chest, underneath his hands. I found a bullet wound in his chest; that's not the mark that someone committed suicide."

MC put her drink down on the counter. "Maybe he shot himself in the chest."

Zen shook his head. "No, a normal suicide with a gun would be a bullet through the head. Yoosung said he found nothing save for the wound in the chest."

MC suddenly whistled loud enough to be heard throughout the whole house, almost like a New York cab whistle.

Zen covered his ears. "What was that for?"

"It's how I call the twins when I need to speak with them."

Saeyoung and Saeran emerged from opposing sides of the house. "Dinner ready?" Saeran asked.

"After this talk, you may not want to eat."

Saeyoung went to stand next to MC. "Why, what's going on?"

"They want to know more details about V's death."

Saeyoung shrugged, "He committed suicide."

MC shook her head. "Sweetie, they know something's up. They've caught on that we're hiding something."

"We are hiding something and it's best they not know what we're hiding."

She looked at him dumbfounded. "Really? You're still going to lie to them?"

"It's to protect them." Saeyoung retorted.

"From what?"

"They can't handle the truth."

MC stared at Saeyoung for a long minute. "We've grown up, Saeyoung. Jumin is almost thirty, I've finally reached the American legal drinking age, and Yoosung is no longer the young, naïve college kid you once got to pick on. We can handle things more than you give us credit for."

Saeyoung shook his head. "You know full well who I'm really trying to protect and why." He whispered lowly.

She pinched the bridge of her nose and tried to keep her frustration in check. "Saeyoung. For the last several years, RFA has been considered a family. Granted, I wasn't here for all of it or for all of its drama, but I've learned to grow and adapt to my environment." She paused, and continued. "Do you know how we built this family, Saeyoung? By trusting one another and with openness and honesty. Even if the truth is hurtful, the truth is the truth. A family should be able to handle it, and if they can't then they don't deserve to be a family. I understand that you are scared—trust me, I myself am terrified—but we need to do it at some point, and now is as good a time as ever. All I am asking is for your permission to tell them the truth."

There was a long silence on Saeyoung's end before he motioned toward his brother.

MC turned to Saeran. "Saeran," she started quietly and gently, "may I tell them the truth? About what really happened that day?"

Saeran emptily stared at the counter for a moment before taking a shaky breath. "I had always hated you guys for withholding the truth from me, so I find it equally unfair to abstain secrets from them any longer."

Saeyoung looked around the room. "There is not enough seating for everyone up here. You guys head down to the basement and get comfy. We'll meet you down in a minute."

While the rest of the members filed out, MC turned to both twins. "Are you sure you both can do this?"

Saeran's voice cracked when he began talking. "I'll be okay, don't worry."

She looked at him with sad eyes, wishing she could erase history so his truth would not be so painful. But alas, she had to set things straight, whether everyone liked it or not.

The twins headed down to the basement while MC mentally prepared herself. She knew it would be pointless to worry or back out now, so down she went.

She made herself comfortable in an armchair across from the couch. She began by recounting the day as she remembered it, with Saeyoung and Saeran cutting in at times, though one had a very different take than the other. When it got to the climax of the story, all three of them turned silent.

"Now it's time you know the truth. We made up the story that V killed himself because we feared how you would take it. Even now, we're all terrified." She took a long, deep breath.

"Jihyun Kim did not commit suicide.

He was murdered.

By Saeran."

Heavy, palpable silence filled the entire basement. Yoosung looked disappointed, Zen looked confused, Jaehee was somber, Jumin was on the brink of furious, Saeyoung was nervous, and Saeran was shaking with tears ready to fall.

"I—I killed hi-m," Saeran shakily muttered. MC took pity on him; he was always forced into certain situations and V's death had been his breaking point. Now he looked to be shattering.

"Saeran—" she tried soothing.

He began clutching at his hair and curling into himself, similarly to that day, three years ago. "NO! I don't d-deser-ve your – love!" He began sobbing. "I AM – A MON-STER!" Then the thing MC had hoped she would never have to hear again: his screams. Each one breaking her heart . . . and her eardrums.

Saeran stormed out of the room in a fit, MC close behind for fear of what would happen. Luckily anything lethal was safely hidden away from his bedroom, but that didn't mean he would always stay away from them.

He got to the bedroom faster than she could and slammed the door in her face, still ugly crying. Saeran's bedroom was down the hall from the basement door, so MC was there all alone. She could do nothing to help him right now, not unless he let her in. So far it appeared the answer was no.

She heard him. He sounded like a child: lost and helpless, unsure of what will happen next. Simultaneously, he echoed the sounds of broken glass: garish to the ears, molecular shards becoming eternally lost, impossible to ever put back together. Oh, how she desperately longed to take him away; somewhere better than Mint Eye, with someone better than Rika. A place where Saeran could be truly happy. MC nearly cried of longing at the thought of Saeran having peace. The world had only ever been unfair to him.

Deciding to try it, she knocked on Saeran's door. When she heard a faint signal to enter, she did. She closed the door behind her as to be alone with him.

MC sat down at the side of Saeran's bed, lightly rubbing his shoulder in a loving, motherly way. "Hey," she talked gently, "are you okay?"

Saeran sniffled and rolled over to face her. "Do I look okay?" A few more tears rolled down his nose. "Sorry, I—"

"Don't be."

"I can't help but feel shitty for what I did. Even if the others forgive me, how can I go on when I'll always have this guilt looming over me?"

"Have you tried forgiving yourself?"

Saeran shook his head into the pillow.

"Just simply say, 'I forgive myself'."

"I forgive myself." He looked even more sad than before. "Now I feel worse!"

"Have you tried praying for forgiveness?"

"How can God do for me what I can't even do for myself?"

"He's stronger than you give him credit for. And if you truly believe He can forgive you, He will. He's promised us such."

Saeran sat up and wiped his eyes with his shirt sleeve. "What does God say exactly? I've heard bits and pieces from church, but that's it."

MC smiled. She had been awaiting this moment for a long time. "Well, as from what I know you know, you understand that humans fall short of God's glory. We can't save ourselves so we need a savior. That savior is named Jesus Christ. He died to save you, just as he died to save me and your brother. What stands Jesus apart from all other people that have died is that Jesus conquered death. He rose again; why we celebrate Easter.

"As you may or may not know, there are three parts to God: the Father, who watches over us as His children; the Son, who died on a cross and was basically slaughtered so we could have access to wash ourselves in his pure blood; and the Holy Spirit, who remains as our conscience telling us what is right and wrong.

"God has told us that if we give in and admit our wrongdoings, believe that He sent His son to die for us, and firmly understand and believe that God will do what He said He would, He would save us from eternal punishment.

"You've been punished enough, right? You don't want it for eternity?" MC joked.

Saeran at this point had stopped crying. "So, what do I do, exactly?"

"Try this: say that you 'believe in what Jesus has done for you and that you accept him as your savior' with enough conviction that you believe yourself."

"I believe in what Jesus has done for me and I accept him as my savior."

"I could tell that wasn't as strong of a belief as you can do. Do it again, but this time with more conviction."

Saeran repeated the line with more emphasis a second time.

MC smiled. "That's great! Now the first thing you must always do when asking for forgiveness is to swallow your pride, realize your mistake, and apologize. When praying for salvation, you need three things: admittance and apology, request for forgiveness, and a plea for salvation. Don't word your prayer directly like any prayer you've heard before. Make yours genuine by speaking what you truly want to say to God. This prayer is not the time to be angry at God. This is a time for you to reflect on yourself and say that what happened was your fault and that you're sorry."

"Please, I just want to get this over with."

"Are you ready?"

"I am. I hope I can do this correctly."

MC put her hand on his shoulder. "There is no wrong way to pray. Would you like me to pray for you first?"

Saeran shook and bowed his head. "God, I haven't believed in you my entire life. I never thought that a god would allow my life to be what it was. I put my faith in another god, one I now know would have gotten me nowhere. God, I'm sorry. I greatly apologize for doubting you and even your existence. But God I'm desperate. I need your salvation. I don't understand all of it but I know I need you. I'm asking for your forgiveness. I pray God that you save me. I don't want to live in my past anymore. God, I give that to you. There's nothing I can do about it but leave it. I want to be saved. I want to finally have peace. I want you, dear God. I pray and ask in Christ's name. Amen."

He turned to MC. "I feel like, ten pounds lighter. Holy cow."

MC couldn't stop beaming. "Saeran! You got saved!"

Little did they know that Saeyoung had been eavesdropping from the other side of the door. He let himself in. "You two seem in a happy mood considering what happened just ten minutes ago."

"Is everyone still here?" MC asked.

"Nah, they all went home to figure out their own emotions. Jumin called the shots on that one. . . . Why are you smiling so much?"

MC spoke very steadily, "Saeyoung, your brother has something to say."

"Thanks for throwing me under the bus, MC." Saeran sighed. "Anyway, I got saved through this whole mess."

Saeyoung was shook. "You—you got saved?"

Saeran nodded. "I'm officially what you guys would call a 'Christian'."

Saeyoung could not stop smiling. "Saeran! This is the best news EVER!" He went in for a hug and Saeran obliged.

Next it was MC's turn to hug Saeran and congratulate him for getting saved. She wrapped her arms around his neck so she could whisper something in his ear. "Now we really can go to Paradise together."

Saeran buried his face into MC's soft t-shirt to keep himself from crying. "Thank you," he whispered into her shoulder.

A few seconds lingered between Saeran and MC and Saeyoung cut in. "Hey. I think you're giving him more attention, MC."

MC laughed at his slight whininess and stretched an arm out to him. "Oh, come here, ya big baby. I have enough love for both of you."

Saeyoung went to embrace her, wrapping his arm around her waist but stopping short with his fingers curled over the side of her ribs. Out of curiosity (of course), he wiggled his fingertips over the area, causing MC to giggle. Saeran picked up on the idea and went in from the other side. "Don't forget there's two of us, MC."

MC tried to free herself from their grasp, only to fall off the bed on the other side by the window seat. She grabbed a throw pillow as defense against the tickling twins. Apparent by how they were advancing on her from both sides, the twins weren't satisfied. MC threw the pillow at Saeyoung, knocking his head back, and turned to grab another when Saeran snuck up behind her and held her arms pinned to her chest.

"Saeyoung! Now's your chance!"

MC quickly became a mix of rapid-fire "no's" and a fit of giggles from Saeyoung tickling her at every place he could find. There were a lot of places. Unfortunately for both twins, Saeran had never pinned down MC's feet and they got kicked from her laughing so hard: Saeyoung in the stomach and Saeran in the leg.

Deciding they'd had enough fun (and no desire for more bruises), Saeran put MC down and sat down on the window seat.

When the giggling had died down also, Saeyoung turned to MC. "This was quite literally a roller coaster of emotions, but for real though, what's for dinner?"

MC shrugged. "I don't feel like cooking and it's getting late so I say we go get Chinese takeout, watch anime on Netflix and stay in for the night."

"That is a fantastic idea," Saeran said.

And do just that, they did.

. . .

For the next several months, Saeran had a complete one-eighty on his attitude and behavior. He went from being the grumpy, angsty one to the happy, cheery one.

Saeran began even wearing brighter, more fun colors to reflect his personality. He no longer wore black and dark reds and greens all the time. He would instead mix it up with pops of color, like a sunny yellow or a vivid green. Saeran disposed of his mint color contacts, deciding instead to keep the gold, no matter how much he looked like Saeyoung.

He began to appreciate everything more: the rain on his bedroom window while he reads; the tiny wildflowers at the end of the driveway; he would even sit outside on a night he can't sleep well and stargaze. Everything became more beautiful to him not because he may never see it again like so in the past, but more because he knew who created it all.

The RFA learned to accept and forgive Saeran for what had happened at Mint Eye and to V. They knew it was foolish and immature to deny a member after three years of their work and participation. Even Jumin came around and forgave Saeran. Though Saeran wasn't expecting the gesture, he was grateful for it.

Overall, that one night had been the turning point for Saeran, both physically and mentally. He was so much more content, more satisfied, and just happier after that one night. It's a night he, MC, and Saeyoung will never forget.

Saeran had found his true happiness.

And for the first time ever,

Saeran was at peace.