Chapter Text
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A long desk stretches from the southern wall of the room to the north. The commissioner looks at the file on the table with a frown and a clouded head. The rest, about ten of them sit on either side of the desk, waiting for a direct order, an answer, a thought on the recent cases that had been occurring with “The Calico”
Jeongguk shifts in his seat, the commissioner makes direct eye contact with him, but nothing is directed to him.
The commissioner says, his tone serious and deep, “The Calico has been basically striking merely hiding and still–“ he pauses, getting up with a slam of his palms on the desk and an increase in the volume of his voice. He continues calm, which is even scarier than a yell, “..and still you all failed to catch him!”
The commissioner doesn’t joke around when the city needs him. In his prime, as a mere police officer under his superiors, he worked diligently everyday until he secured a spot at the top. He has worked for and helped many citizens of Seoul and not a single time did he complain that it’s “too much” or it’s “too difficult”
The room had an awkward atmosphere, no one dared to meet the commissioner’s eyes. Except for one, Jeongguk. The commissioner looked directly at him a few minutes after thinking, as if he almost forgot Jeongguk was there. His best officer.
“Jeon,” he calls, voice stern.
“Yes sir?”
“Take this case,” he says sliding the file across the desk all the way from north to south, towards Jeongguk. He sits back down and continues, “bring him and lock him up for good Jeon, I know you can do it, you were always better than these incompetent fools!” He shot a glance at the others who kept their heads low.
Jeongguk flashed an awkward smile, yet proud to be named ‘better’ by the commissioner himself. Although he’s dumping all the work on Jeongguk.
“Get as much as people you want for the help, I hand over this case completely to you.”
“Yes sir!” He says, getting up fast. He looks at his other colleagues and replies. “I will take care of this case myself sir.” He already knows nobody will be helping him with the case anyways.
Back in his office he completes some tasks he had left earlier. Finishing a task, removing his glasses, he stretches his hands up in the air then locked his eyes on the brown file next to his computer named, “The Calico” he took the file in his hands and opened it to look at the criminal profile.
“How does it feel to be the commissioner’s pet huh Jeon?” He takes his gaze off the file and looks up to meet it with his colleague’s
“I sense jealousy Marcus,” he sneers.
“Jealousy? Oh please, that’s the last thing I have against you!” Marcus cackles mockingly “I would rather work as a mere policemen than being the commissioner’s dog. You know, he only puts all these cases on you because he can’t handle them himself.”
“And yet I don’t seem to understand why he didn’t trust YOU enough to handle it” Jeongguk gets up from his desk and walks over to Mark with a smirk. “I’ll let this slide. Only because every greatness” he spread his arms to either side of his body gesturing to himself “needs their useless haters” he finishes. Marcus scoffs it off and replies,
“Fucking moron” then leaves the office. Jeongguk returns to his desk and finally takes a look at the profile.
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“Good Afternoon sir” the guard greets him as he makes his way through the doors with a slow nod and smile. His aura is screaming ‘rich and sexy and I know it’. He wears a medium sized hat enough to cover his eyes and half of his nose with the shadow, the perfectly tailored purple suit that hugs his ever so perfect body framing his hourglass silhouette. His boots clicking on the marble tiles of the building. His walk is elegant, his legs and hip move in perfect rhythm. A never perishing smirk on his face.
He walks towards the artifacts he plans to get a grip on, spending a perfectly calculated moment in-front of each of them. He glides through, camouflaged almost and walks precisely he twists his heel like a ballet and takes a quick glance at the big golden clock hung on the wall, his plan takes action in a moment. He pulled every jewels on the women, and all the vintage watches the men wore whilst he talked to them. He then walks towards the back of the building where only staff can reach. He throws his side-bag now filled with all the jewels and watches out of the hallway end window, where the bag lands exactly in his car parked outside. He pulls out his hand gun tucked inside his coat and walks towards the staff lounge.
His hat sits low on his face only him being able to look at his surrounding and others but the rest unable to meet his eyes or see the upper half of his face. He loads his gun and points it out.
“Sir this area is for staf-“ the worker turns pale realizing the situation.
“Why so scared?” He asked, his voice like silk and alluring. The man was speechless, frozen at the sight of his gun “Alright, let’s make this fast I got places to be. All of it. First all the money, and then blah blah blah you know, the good stuff. Go ahead” the worker did as he was told too feared of the gun.
“Oh wow, pack these up as well, and these, oh and these too!” he went around the back skipping like an excited little kid getting ice cream. And hey! Put that phone down” he orders, shooting the phone in the workers hand as he falls on the ground. No sound was emitted, gun silenced.
“Please don’t hurt me! I’ll do as you say!”
“Good boy” he says leaning forward a little, messing up the worker’s hair, giving him a crooked smile, eyes sparkling.
As he walked to the hallway he ordered the worker to toss the bags filled with goods and money through the window onto the car.
“Pleasure doing business with you sweetie” he pats the worker’s head and walks towards the other end of the hallway to get to the main part and out of the building. But behind him he hears the workers voice again.
“Stop the guy in the black hat and purple suit, he’s on his way to the front right now! Don’t let him get out. Got you now Calico” The worker talks calmly into the two-way radio.
“You got to be kidding me” he muttered under his breath and started walking forward faster. He saw all the security guards at the entrance getting ready to block his way but he kept walking, his smirk returned to his face.
“Little fun before I go wouldn’t hurt” he said to himself in a soft voice and charged forward, all the security came towards him and threw punches and hits from left, right, up and down, all which he dodged like the professional he was. He fought back, gliding through all their holds. Throwing calculated punches and kicks to the perfect spot. He took down one guard precisely and quickly before moving to the next within seconds.
“There we go” he said dusting his hands standing in-front of the guards who were in unimaginable pain with him spotless and not a single scratch on his body. He fixed his hat to the usual way that hid half of his face in a dark shadow. He fixed his suit, dusting it off—sirens. He turned his head towards the outside of the doors of the building.
A black Mercedes parked at the front of the building on the road with a slight screech. Jeongguk got out in a full black suit minus the coat, hair slicked back messily with a singular strand falling on his forehead, he flashed a grin at the man.
“You’re brave to steal during broad daylight, Park Jimin” he praised. The people around them stopped in their steps to watch how the show goes down, the guards still sitting on the ground helping each other stand up, the customers in the shop stood still.
“I thought everyone knew by now that, that was my thing?” He smirked asking.
“How long do you think it would take for me to catch you?”
“Hahaha, catch me? I can see you’re new to this, that won’t be happening anytime soon” he had his signature smirk plastered across his face. He was known for it. ‘The Calico with the mischievous smirk’
“I bet five minutes”
Jeongguk stepped forward trying to catch Jimin but he quickly slipped to the side avoiding Jeongguk’s attack, but quickly got a hit back from Jeongguk and lost balance but gathered himself.
The two fought back to back but Jimin’s smirk never disappeared from his face.
“Damn you’re way faster than those old geezers sent after me” Jimin chuckled while Jeongguk tried to trap him. The two looked like they were dancing, both highly trained, they were both able to calculate each other’s next move. Finally Jeongguk was able to get a hold on Jimin—or so he thought, Jimin was known to be the king of smooth escapes, he slipped away quickly from Jeongguk’s hold. Giving him a second crooked smile he pushed Jungkook making him stumble a bit which left him surprised as to how strong Jimin actually was.
Jimin takes this opportunity to run to the back and jump into his black Porsche, and drove to the front where Jeongguk was standing in high speed. He flashed a mischievous smile to him and said, “It was nice meeting you handsome, but I have to get going.”
Giving him a small wink Jimin drove the car really fast exiting the area in lightning speed, whilst playing music out loud he went to his hideout. Driving for a few minutes he reached the small route that divided to a whole different area with a mountain and a road that went up it spiraling, the road was in between the edge of the mountain and a forest on the mountain.
In the meantime with his window cracked open all the way, the wind rustled through his a minute ago well styled hair. One of his hands occupied on the stirring wheel, the others’ elbow propped on the window frame of the door, his finger brushed his plump pair of lips as he thought deeply, the music running through his right ear mixing with his thoughts. He scoffed to himself thinking about the policemen he just met.
“Who the fuck was that?” He laughed as he turned onto a gravel road, he drove forward to meet with two huge tunnel rings as he drove into the right one. As he drove further he reached his destination to an abandoned wooden and concrete house. Parking his Porsche into the garage he took the elevator up to the house.
“I am back!” He grinned with a laugh leaving his mouth, as he shouted raising his hands, but his whole face dimmed in a second. No one was there. But there was a time when it was just the three of them–not so much anymore. He shook his head and removed his coat and went over to his fridge, grabbing a soju he cracked the lid open and walked back to the couch. Sitting down he took a gulp from the soju bottle and reached into the pocket of his coat where a small chain was peeking out, taking it out he dangled it side to side..
“That little Calico bastard! I will end him!” Christian snarled.
“How dare he, I should’ve ruined him more in school! I will kill that Park!” He brushed his fingers through his hair, jaw clenched he calmed down and said further,
“replace all the lost goods for now, I’ll get those stolen goods back somehow. And you all worthless pieces of shit! You’re fired! Get out of my sight!” The guards and the staff member who packed all the goods begged on their knees.
The smirk reappeared on Jimin’s face, as he sat back on the couch chuckling slightly to himself.
“The sapphire gem! That necklace was passed down from my grandmother! No no no! What will I do?” He cried whining like a baby throwing a fit on the ground.
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At Jeongguk’s house.
After taking a shower, he grabbed his dinner and laptop and sat down in the couch in-front of the television. He took the file back into his hands and opened it.
Park Jimin, also known as—by now which you know, “The Calico”. Grew up in the Jinju orphanage since he was six years old. At a dip into his early teens, he got an opportunity, a full school year scholarship to one of the private schools in Seoul. Once the news was shared around the city he spent his time learning many things, he occupied himself at the library in the orphanage with donated books from outsiders. He didn’t quite have friends in the orphanage so he found studying comforting.
His parental background was a mystery. Nobody knew how he actually ended up at the orphanage, one day he was just dropped off by the child services.
He had many talents, his special technique was a creation of his own, combining two of the most powerful traits he had. Taekwondo mixed with contemporary dance.
The worst case scenario is when a bad guy is well educated. He takes a sip of his drink and spoke to himself, “no wonder he slips through everyone’s fingers… it’s not going to be easy with me though. Park..” he gave a good look to his picture clipped onto the top left corner of the profile. He chuckled lowly and finished his dinner. He dropped the file onto the table and went to clean the dishes and go to sleep.
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On the next day, the commissioner asked Jeongguk to present in front of the media about the ongoing case of ‘The Calico’ and told him to reassure the citizens.
Upon entering the building the commissioner walked towards Jeongguk on his way outside.
“Jeon, the press has been going crazy outside,” he says turning Jeongguk back toward the door.
“Yeah, I saw sir..”
“You need to do only a simple thing, reassure everyone, answer a few questions and come back to work”
And just that he did. The station flooded with the press from all channels, citizens gathered around just a few steps behind the press controlled by a few policemen.
Everyone’s eyes turned to the direction of the front door of the station as the commissioner and Jeongguk stepped out. The commissioner gave a proud smile followed by Jeongguk’s small smile. He gestured Jeongguk to the front where the media were ready with the mics and cameras, ready to attack him with the million questions gathered from the citizens.
“Officer Jeon, is it true that you have been handed over the case of The Calico?” One reporter questions and Jeongguk replies,
“Yes, and I can assure you that I will catch The Calico and put an end to his reckless schemes”
Meanwhile..
“Pfft, who put this guy in charge?” Jimin scoffed with a soju in his hand.
Another reporter speaks up, “Why do you think Calico does all this? He doesn’t seem to be trying to hide his identity either”
Jeongguk answers calmly, yet he also has no idea as to why Jimin does this with his identity out in the open.
“I personally think it is his way of showing character, a way of self esteem, an escape from reality. There is a chance of him just being a bit hurt.”
Jimin spat out the sip of soju he took leaning forward on the couch. “being HURT!? He doesn’t even know me. Who gave him this script?”
Jimin switched off the television and drank the bit of soju that was left, he walked towards the door. “I’ll show you whose hurt”
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Upon arriving at the police station he quickly walked up the stairs, he stopped in-front the men at the door.
He said, “I surrender myself”
The men were shocked, didn’t even try to hide it. They quickly put the handcuffs on Jimin and took him inside. They were talking to each other thinking about how proud the commissioner will be.
One said, ”the commissioner is going to be so happy when we say we caught The Calico”
The other replied, “right, and he might even give us a promotion!”
All giddy meanwhile Jimin looked around the departments as they walked towards the direction of the cells. Soon he saw the “Records division”
One of them continues, “It’ll also wipe that Jeon’s name off his head as well, he will be able to see how his favorite isn’t—“
A kick landed onto his knee making him fall in pain, the other man was surprised but got ready to handle Jimin. Jimin quickly jumped over his arms to get his hands to the front of his body in the cuffs, then casually threw a few punches into the man and made him fall unconscious. Taking the cuffs key he unlocked himself out and hurried into the records division. He went behind one of the desks and searched through each shelf. Not finding what he wanted he almost gave up until he spotted a blue file laid under the other files on the shelf. Taking it out he opened it.
“Found it!” But his victorious emotion faded into a dust within seconds once again as he saw the picture clipped on top. His eyes shined, in a saddening way. But his heart beat in a relief. Just then the men in the department walked back towards the office.
“HEY! it’s Calico!” First one said
“Get him!” Another man said
“Fuck” Jimin cursed. Clutching onto the file hard he charged forward and fought the men who came two by two at him from all directions. Whilst kicking one guy he hit the other guy with the file distracting him then throwing a punch at him. Going down low he tripped three of them to the ground and ran out of the department.
He ran through the halls really fast and finally got out the entrance. But up the stairway was Jeongguk who quickly noticed Jimin running towards him rushed to catch and stop him. He twisted back to the direction he was walking from trying to grab Jimin while he threw his arms against Jeongguk’s to get his grip off of him, he then ran fast to his car skipping steps two by two and drove off, Jeongguk tried to follow but he was already gone, catching up would be a waste of time.
Wondering what the file Jimin had in his hands was he went back up the stairs when his eyes caught onto something that was fallen on the stairs. A photograph. He took a good look at the photo and glanced into the direction of where Jimin disappeared in his car to, then walked inside to witness absolute chaos that Jimin had created.
“Why the hell did I put you two in charge of guarding the entrance!” The commissioner screamed, the two men from earlier who were tricked in a second by Jimin, were kneeled down in front of the commissioner.
“Imbeciles”
“What about him! Wasn’t he put into charge of the case!?” The head of records department pointed at Jeongguk who stood behind the whole scene.
“SHUT IT!” the commissioner shouted. The man hurriedly knelt down despite the throbbing pain in his knee from the kick he got. The commissioner glanced at Jeongguk and left to his office with a huff.
Jeongguk quickly went past the men with a slight chuckle from all the damage Jimin has caused on them and went to his office. He quickly ran the photograph through his computer and a few seconds later the results showed up. It was a murder case from a year ago. The results coming up first came up was the digital fact file of the person.
“Kim Taehyung..”
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Chapter 2
Notes:
OMGGG rereading and procrastinating on whether it’s good or not. My first draft actually sucked lmao and I went into a writers block as well.
My posting days and times are much unexpected times cause I got random work to do and get busy out of nowhere and then I have to rewrite the whole chapter cause—that’s just how I am lol. Working on chapter 3 as soon as I’m done posting 2!! YAY.Anyways, Whoever gave me a kudos and bookmarked this! THANKYOU! Byeee!!
Chapter Text
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“Hey, hey, hey! Get up! Wake up!” Jimin shook his cold body on the ground surrounded by a pool of deep red. His hands covered in the blood. “Taehyung no, please get up!” He shouted tears uncontrollably starting to fall from his bruised eyes and along his cheeks.
Jimin jolted up awake in his seat with a loud gasp, he took huge breaths trying to calm himself down and looked down at the table he was working on; lying there was the case file opened up with the documents scattered all around him. Finally after a minute of looking around at the documents he was able to recollect what he was doing, he slowly closed his eyes leaning back on the chair’s back rest and took in a deep breath, letting it out he focused back onto the documents going through the evidence.
A few photographs of the crime scene gave him a clear reminder of what he had to face that night, he took those specific papers onto his hands where he closely looked through the pictures. The policemen have found three key evidences from that night. A knife, the bullets and a gun. Later that night they had also been handed a bullet that had gone through the victim—Jimin’s best friend—by the hospital where they confirmed the victim had already passed.
Lurking around hid in the shadows of trees and other buildings, Jimin heard the news from passerby policemen who came out of the hospital. The autopsy report clearly indicated that the bullet that was shot inside the body directed to the left side and aimed at his heart, his cause of death had been cardiac tamponade—blood filled the sac around the heart causing the immediate death.
Second, more bullets were found in the gun that had been fallen on the ground next to the victims body, the round bullets weren’t like the modern jacketed ones, it had a round shape to it. One picture had another bullet that was found near the area and the other was a picture of a knife and a sheath of one.
Third, the gun; its base was a beautiful wood with a floral design engraved on it, its butt plate, lock plate and barrel were golden with the butt plate and lock plate having a special carving of its on complementing the floral design on the wooden base. The blood prints found on the gun was identified as the victims as it was predicted that he was knocked out from the gun before attack, since he had a bruise on his right cheek.
Fourth, the silver knife, it had a beautiful design engraved on it, the moon phase along with a few roses and spiraea that reached halfway up the blade, with the whole knife being silver. DNA tests of the blood that had been found in that silver was not detected in the database, however handprints on it were collected and identified to do being Jimin’s…
He set aside all the evidence pictures and picked up all the other reports and detailed documents and shoved them inside the brown file then set it beside on the desk. He then picked up the evidence documents and his phone and car keys and went towards the elevator, flipping the house slippers off he put on his shoes as he pressed on the elevator button. Going down to the garage he closed the second protective retractable cast iron gate and locked it in place, pulling the keys out he walked towards his car and got in, starting the car he pulled it out of the garage and accelerated out onto the gravel road continuing to drive going through the tunnel and onto the slope road of the mountain, after driving for a few minutes he finally got out of the entrance between two groves then drove through the main road to the city.
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“You go first I’ll follow” a loud whisper was passed onto his friend and the friend replied
“No way! You go first you’re the one who found out!” He screamed in a whisper. Inside the office the commissioner kept getting interrupted during a discussion between him and Jeongguk when he finally got irritated and he nodded towards the door looking at Jeongguk, then Jeongguk nodded and got up from his seat and walked towards the door. He took a split second of rest and pulled the door wide open—
“It’s anyway your fault that you—“ the two men stopped yelling and eyes widened as they felt the natural light from the offices direction. They were frozen mid air with one of them pointing at the other as the commissioner looked at them with one eyebrow raised and a serious look on his face, while Jeongguk looked at them with a ‘what the fuck is going on right now’ expression. They slowly fixed their posture and walked inside the office as Jeongguk shut closed the door and took his previous seat.
“Now what were you two bickering about outside?”
“S-sir,” Joon-Ho looked at His colleague next to him, Byung-Ho and nodded at the commissioners direction and as a response Byung-ho’s eye twitched and he looked forward.
“It’s t-the calico–“ he took a painful gulp before continuing, “he has taken the file of last year’s murder case…” the commissioners eye contact hardened with his pupils sharpening.
“He. What?” His jaw clenched asking teeth gritted. Jeongguk didn’t really look in their direction nor butt into the conversation. The commissioner slowly stood up and walked towards the two men; when they started to tremble in fear. “You fucking idiots!” He then picked up a thin stack of paper on his desk and rolled it up into a thick stick and hit their heads.
“You know how the syllable “Ho” in your name means ‘greatness’? Maybe consider changing it!” Jeongguk in the midst of the conversation awkwardly shifted in his seat however his mind was elsewhere. He then got up and turned around to walk out of the office, but quickly stopped near the commissioner bowing in respect,
“I’ll get going now sir.” The commissioner simply nodded and turned back to the ‘ho’ duo. Jeongguk slid beside them to the door and quickly walked outside.
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Upon arriving at the location he parked his car beside the brick pavement and got out locking it. He took a step forward reaching for the door and walked inside pushing it forward. There was a short narrow hallway which turned the corner to the further back of the room, the cashier of the small trading shop sat behind the wooden ledge with glass covering the rest of the space framed in wood with just the enough amount of space open for him to deal with his customers. The cashier had his feet propped up on his side of the ledge and a newspaper covering his whole face with loud ever so forged snores.
“Get up old ass,” Jimin said calmly sitting on the stool that stood just below the customers side of the wooden ledge. The man didn’t budge an inch making Jimin sigh, exhausted he then scolded, “I know you’re not fucking sleeping, you just saw me come in and decided to put on an act!”
The man still didn’t budge, not even a sneaky look of ‘I’m trying to piss you off’ came off of him, and that was probably the last strike Jimin took where as a response he pulled out his hand gun from inside his jacket pocket and shot a bullet that flew past the cashiers ear, startled he almost fell off his chair and quickly felt his ear.
“Are you crazy!?” He screamed slapping the wooden ledge.
“Oh? I thought you knew” Jimin said in a sarcastic tone while pushing his gun back inside his pocket. The cashier sighed muttering some curses as he fixed his posture,
“What do you want Park” he leaned with his elbows onto the wooden ledge from his side.
“Simple, give me all the information you can on these” he kept all the prints of the evidence on the ledge and pushed it forward leaning himself forward as well on his elbows.
“Where did you get these?” He lifted his gaze raising an eyebrow with his round wired glasses resting on the bridge of his nose.
“Evidence photos I ‘burrowed’ from the police. You’ve got any idea?”
“Look here. See this sun and crescent moon detail with a sword going through it?” Jimin nodded as a response as he continued, “this belongs to the second richest man of all Albania.”
“Albania?” Jimin stretched and dropped his head forward with his eye brows raised up, jaw slightly dropped. The cashier chuckled at his behaviour,
“The second richest man in Albania is known as Skender Prenga.”
“Slender Pringle?”
“That’s not even close to the pronunciation Jimin!”
“Okay alright, it’s just such a…new name. He’s a fucking drug addict.”
“Oh yes, he has done deals and made private routes for his business throughout the European”
“Is the fact that policemen being stupid a universal thing? This guy is a major drug dealer and they haven’t caught him still?”
“How do you think he’s staying under cover? He’s not rich only because of his deals—shoes, business complex’s, clothes, donations and so much more. He has turned everyone blind with his good act.”
“Oh so he basically does good things as a cover, I guess the policemen aren’t to blame”
“What’s your beef with policemen anyways?”
“I’ve told you already come on, I don’t like talking about it anyways. So the gun belongs to that Skender guy. Any additional information you can give me on their bullets?”
“Not really, I assume you already know that they are special for this pistol specifically?”
“Yeah the details of the evidence sheet had them printed—wait, the victim had parts of the bullets everywhere in his body close to the aimed target. That doesn’t usually happen with our bullets”
“Ah right, so these bullets can be handmade as well, so when those handmade bullets hit or collide with any bones its shards can spread around.” Jimin attentively listened to what he said, in his mind going back and forth to the autopsy and damages in the victims body and how it actually happened.
“Tell me more about this Prenga guy”
“Well, he has a whole gang, and they can be identified rather easily… it’s all in the tattoo.”
“Tattoo?”
“Yeah, some of them have the sun and sword, actually the ‘sword’ is called a Yatagan.”
“Now tell me why you want to suddenly know about Skender and these evidences”
“Oh you know, just bored”
“Uh-huh” still going through the pictures something catches the man’s eyes. “Hey wait a second!” He slowly looked up at Jimin with a horrifying expression
“What?”
“Isn’t this the knife you got from me? What’s it doing here?”
“That’s not—no”
“Jimin…”
“It wasn’t me”
“Jimin you told me that before as well and I believed you. Now seeing it in the evidence—“
“IT WASN’T ME!” Jimin stood up suddenly making the stool fall back as he did, with his palms straining against the wood enough to make a print. His whole body trembled in anger as he collected the pictures on the ledge. The man now had pulled himself back a little in horror. Jimin, now calmed down slowly said “it wasn’t me…I was—“
“Get out Park” he cut him off swatting his hands back and forth with an unreadable expression on his face. “You lied to me. And I believed you” but that just may have triggered Jimin even more, his eyes darkened, with anger and misunderstanding but somewhere in between there was a hint of sadness lingering as he replied,
“Fine, you don’t wanna believe me either? FINE!” he stormed off picking up the pictures leaving a startled cashier behind.
Getting into his car he slammed the door shut and threw the pictures onto the passenger seat, along with his phone and insert the car keys starting the car and drove off in high speed with smoke emitting from the exhaust pipe and a scratching noise with the tension from the road on the tire with a few marks left on the road. On his way back home he abruptly stepped on the break peddle bringing the car to a quick stop and let out a loud scream while slamming his hands on the stirring wheel. A scream of frustration, anger, sadness and loneliness that he had been bottling up for all his life since he was young. Just when he thought he got a reason to be free, that reason gets mercilessly killed. Soon after the scream tears started brimming on his eyes as he felt the slight burn in them, a tear rang down his cheek halfway as he leaned forward and rested his forehead on the steering wheel.
He whispered to himself between sobs, “I didn’t do it…I would’ve never… done it…” fresh tears fell from his eyes onto his lap creating wet dots on his suit pants as he closed his eyes taking a breath in and exhaling with his lips lightly trembling.
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Jeongguk stopped his car next to the same brick pavement and grabbed the file on the passengers seat as he opened the door and got out, closing the car door shut he walked towards the entrance, only to see the door had a sign hanging on a sticker hook in the middle of the door which read ‘closed’ in black bold letters.
“The one day I needed it” he mumbled to himself as he turned his heel walking back towards his car, while opening the door he noticed the familiar marks on the road, he remembered the same marks as the ones Jimin had made on the day Jeongguk got this case.
“Is it his habit or something?”
He had doubted for a second however brushed it off by the fact that there are more Porsches in the country.
Just as he got back into the car dropping the file back onto the passengers seat his phone vibrated in his pocket, he leaned way back straightening his leg so he could easily get the phone out and tapped on the screen, getting his face recognition he tapped and held on the notification
“Jeon, a word.” Sent by the commissioner, switching off the phone he placed it in the center counsel and drove off. Straight away he walked to the commissioner’s office, giving a few knocks onto the wooden door, and soon the raspy deep voice of the commissioner called him into the office.
He closed the door behind him and walked over to the desk where the commissioner was staring into his computer as he continuously tapped his pen onto the desk. He then gestured Jeongguk to take a seat and Jeongguk quickly got to it.
“Is everything alright sir?”
“Jeon how is the case going?” The commissioner asks rapidly disregarding Jeongguk’s question.
“It—It’s going alright sir.” He unknowingly stuttered but the commissioner didn’t catch it. “Why do you ask?”
“There are too many reports against him that has been piling up. Left and right our people want us to catch him and get rid of him as soon as possible. But considering your past work and your ability of never letting me down..Jeon, I give my trust to you.”
“Thank you sir.” Jeongguk smiled small his confidence pooling at the top of his shoulders.
“Alright then, I called you here to let you know about the upcoming event that is held at the Heesung hall here in Seoul. There will be an auctioning event where several guests will be coming, not only that there will be many great treasures that are placed for the auction and most important one of them all is a diamond known as the Lunarius.”
The Lunarius is a rare diamond and it got its name after the lunar eclipse for its behavior being just like it.
The diamond at first looks like a normal everyday diamond you see, it shines bright like the moon in the night sky brightening everything around it, however as soon as you take it outside into the sun it turns into a bright red almost like a ruby but brighter mixed with its previous silver shine. It’s worth trillions. Guests from all around the world were coming to make it theirs but not just them, word goes around as if it’s from the wind so, there was a specific set of cat eyes ready to make it theirs all without betting on it.
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On the day of the event, museum owners, auctioneers, billionaires and millionaires, Collectors and enthusiasts everyone came well dressed to the event, women in different luxurious yet elegant dresses and men in their best suits showing off their status, they got down at the entrance walking up the stairs into the hall where many artifacts were held up each behind a curtain and the main artifact of the night—the Lunarius hid behind a grand curtain behind all the rest which were in casual containers behind curtains.
The guests came and sat down in their relevant seats according to their group categories. The policemen stood on guard inside and out. With the halls security helping on guard as well, Jeongguk stood right at the center as per instructions,
…
“This is a one way ticket to catching that Calico Jeon! On that day stay at the front. He could be anywhere. There will be a finger print machine at the front doors where every guests identification is taken. If he comes through that he is caught easily.”
…
Soon a Merce came and stopped at the entrance just like the rest of the cars and a slim figure stepped out of the car and the car drove off. He walked up the stairs like no other, in perfect steps, a slow sweet sway in his hips as he took each step, his boot heels clinking on the steps as they always do, he wore a mask to hide his lower part of his face now and let everyone see his sharp eyes, black suit tailored perfectly to his body. He placed his index finger pad on the scanner and identified himself as one of the millionaires without having to remove his mask.—
Before the event. Jimin had created himself a fake identity and hacked into the system of the event guests list, placing him in the list with his finger print connected to the identity.
—The guards all bowed in respect as he walked through the doors. Jeongguk felt a little off seeing the pair of burnt caramel pass through.
As soon as Jimin felt the gaze on him disappear he took a quick glance back to reassure and slipped to the side of the washrooms. Upon entering that hallway he discarded his mask and slipped on some leather gloves and a black cap. He went into the security room to see about two people in the controls. When the two noticed he swiftly pushed close the door and knocked out one guy, as for the other as soon as he tried to get attention, Jimin hurriedly caught up to him and pulled him off the alarm systems and held a handkerchief on his mouth. He then disconnected all the cameras in the hallways he was about to enter and walked out of the room and went to one of the hallways that directed to the Lunarius which was behind the curtains. But the room which doubled as a backstage had a whole security system of its own which was remote controlled and notified by the host.
Reaching the other entry way to the back stage he quickly hid behind the wall seeing two guards. He went right ahead in-front of them where the two came at him ready to take him down. While Jimin was busy fighting one of them the other came from behind and head locked him while the one that was freed from Jimin’s grip got balance and threw a few hits to his stomach. He kicked the man back from his feet and landed on his feet pulling the man over him and slammed him on the ground making his grip around Jimin loose.
The one who was kicked back got up and charged at Jimin but he jumped up kicking him to the wall making him unconscious. The other one got up and kicked Jimin from the back earning a groan from him as he fell onto the ground but he swiped his leg against the guard’s feet making him lose balance and fall to the ground; Jimin then pounced on him, grabbing his collar lifting his head up from the ground he forwarded a punch straight onto the guards face again followed by another from his left and let go of the grip on his collar. He went inside the room looking at his watch and saw as time was running out.
He looked around and saw the Lunarius right in front of him but without taking any further steps he looked around the room and saw a small vent on both sides of the room. He quickly assessed the situation and went to one of them, he quickly cut some wires using the pliers in his coat pocket and disconnected one set of the beams before getting to the next,
“Now for the moment you’ve all been waiting for, the Lunarius, but before we start bidding I would like to give a few information to where we got it from— its history.”
Hearing as he got limited time he used a bit of reflective powder he had in a small bag and blew it into the room to locate the rest of the beams. Seeing slight glows he moved carefully through them and got to the diamond. The introduction was almost done, he quickly opened the glass door of the whole and slipped it into his pocket then right as he was about to go out the curtains started to open.
“Fuck” he whispered to himself looking around the room. When the curtains were fully open the atmosphere broke into gasps and chatter seeing the diamond has disappeared while at the same time the hosts control started beeping uncontrollably detecting a touch in the lasers. Jimin successfully got out of the room and went to the bathroom where he got out in a new mask acting as if he just went there. The host ran to the security room and at the same time Jimin slipped out of the hallway and into the main hall where everyone was now standing with endless chattering and worry; at the same time he glanced at the entrance where some security were looking outside to see any traces and others were searching inside.
“A thief! He made is way through the down hall! He stole my necklace!” Jimin shouted enough for everyone in the hall to hear. To that all the guards discussed in a second and divided into all the possible paths to corner the thief and Jimin quickly made his way out, Jeongguk however noticed him and followed him out and got into his car following Jimin’s Mercedes out of the venue parking and gates.
Along the main road Jimin suspected nothing because Jeongguk made sure to hold a good distance. But in the rear view mirror he was able to see the same black car following him onto the hill road, Jimin stepped hard on the accelerator and sped the car up but Jeongguk did the same, soon catching up with the same distance. Jimin couldn’t expose his hideout and needed to figure out a way to lose him, in a minute Jeongguk’s eyes widened as Jimin drifted the car around facing Jeongguk’s one.
“So it was you” he said to himself but just then Jimin quickly shot the front wheel with his hand gun and again drifted the car back to normal and drove off,
Jeongguk quickly pulled his gun out as he stopped the car to avoid from going off road and falling to his death; he tried shooting back at Jimin but missing he stared into Jimin’s disappearing car and got out, frustrated he kicked the road and cursed out loud. Now he was stuck between the edge of a road on a mountain and a forest. He hurried to the trunk of his car and opened it getting the spare tire out along with a car jack and leaned the tire onto the car on the road. He turned back and searched for the wrench in his trunk but he sighed bending down to the trunk keeping his head on the edge.
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” he muttered towards his stupidity. He slammed the trunk close and again went to his drivers seat and reached to his phone on the floor of the passenger seat, where it had fallen down from the abrupt stop earlier.
In the forest, further back Jimin was sitting on a tree branch that was lowered down and watching Jeongguk as he called several colleagues to see if anyone could come to get him.
“Hello?”
“Hey, I’ll send my location to you, can you come pick-“ the line beeped indicating that the call was ended. He then called another colleague—only to get laughed at.
“Why don’t you ask your master to come help you?” The colleague mocked referring to the commissioner. Jimin chuckled lowly looking at a helpless Jeongguk below him. His smirk then disappeared and his emotion changed to an unreadable one as he thought, he shook his head to the thought furrowing his eyebrows but glancing back at the desperate man below for a second he got up and hurriedly went back to his hideout. Meanwhile Jeongguk threw his phone back inside the car with just one percent battery left. The sky shifted from light blues to dark as the skies glimmering freckles showed up.
While trying to remove the bolts from his tires without an actual wrench he got tired and seeing his phone dead inside the car he gave up for a little and sat on the edge of the road beside the car and leaned onto it, looking at the stars that have now appeared and let out a sigh.
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Go check on him. What if he’s still out there with no help? He didn’t have a wrench Jimin.
“Ugh he probably left already after fixing his stupid car!” He shouted to himself wiping away all his thoughts, but when he looked to the side he saw his wrench that he took out ready to go and give it to Jeongguk somehow.
“I must really be crazy! How the hell do I even give this to him? ‘Oh hey sorry for shooting your tire flat—here’s a wrench for you to switch the tires, please don’t arrest me. I didn’t murder that man’… as if he believes I didn’t do it!” He mimicked letting all of his frustration out. By this time he had walked outside but then changed his mind and walked in again— then again paced back and forth for thirty more minutes. Taking one last glance at the wrench he groaned picking it up from the couch and finally got out of the house.
Jimin returned to the same spot as he stayed on before and sat on his toes on the branch looking down on the road below and snorted holding in a laughter.
“So this idiot is really still here, I thought he was the king of the station,” He chuckled sadly realizing maybe Jeongguk was also in the same position as him; no friends, no one to help or understand, so he slowly went down the mountain grabbing onto different trees so he doesn’t slip straight away and hurt himself and looked around to see if Jeongguk was near by. Maybe he went to find help down the road–but just then he heard a small snore from the other side of the car, and there he was..leaning his back to the car and sleeping on the ground,
His expression changed to a numb one and asked himself, “are you serious” he questioned if Jeongguk was even a real cop. He looked at the flat tire where the replacement was just sitting on the ground next to it.
Maybe just leave this here for him to fix it when he gets up? Or…………. I fix it and take my wrench with me. He crouched down grabbing the car jack and placed it underneath the car, but before he could do anything he had to make sure Jeongguk didn’t fall over with the car about to be leaned to the side so he walked back to his way and removed his jacket folding it into a small rectangular shape and placed it next to Jeongguk a bit further. He then took a deep breath holding it in as he needed to be stealthy and walked to the other side of Jeongguk and slowly pulled his shoulders away from the car and took all his weight onto him as he slowly but surely turned Jeongguk to the side pivoting him from his butt on the ground,
“Shit—why is he so heavy?” He grumbled and slowly let Jeongguk’s head lie on his jacket, and he himself in an Asian squat fell back on his butt and took a huge breath in and exhaled. He then got back up rushing to the other side again and stepped on the lever to lift the car, doing so he promptly removed the bolts and the flat tire.
A policemen that doesn’t have a tool box in his car…unbelievable and he’s supposed to catch me? He joked while he fixed in the spare. It was about midnight right now and Jeongguk was still sound asleep. Jimin tightened the last bolt and lowered the car removing the car jack from underneath the car and kept it aside with the removed tire. He then went back to Jeongguk’s side and as he was about to switch Jeongguk back to his earlier position, Jimin was abruptly knocked out of his mind as he came to a halt; Jeongguk’s face glowed under the moonlight with his eyebrow piercing and lip piercing combination sparkled.
Jeongguk’s usual proper hairstyle was out of the question; now his hair was messed up, a few hairs falling over his forehead. His lips parted and pouty, his round nose creating a small shadow on his milky skin. Jimin crouched down next to him glueing his gaze on him the whole time.
Maybe he would believe me. Jimin instinctively lifted his hand to push away the stray hairs on his forehead but withdraws it fast realizing. Something in him switched as he looked to another direction. No—they’re all the same. His eyes returned back onto Jeongguk’s sleeping face and immediately his features softened. He’s cute though. He mused with his lower lip curled outwards completely.
A few minutes passed with him staring uncontrollably at Jeongguk. He then flinched back into reality dropping wrench creating a noise right next to Jeongguk’s ear waking him up so Jimin quickly got up and ran almost tripping towards the forest and climbed the mountain with the help from the trees and hid behind an old building remains. He took deep breaths as Jeongguk shot up awake, the first thing he realized was the wrench next to the jacket that was folded into a pillow like form. He quickly got up from the ground and searched around the place to see if anyone was hiding but couldn’t spot Jimin further up in the back.
He then slowly walked back to where he previously lied and picked up the wrench and the jacket, the wrench had a small J carving on the end of it–that’s when he quickly took a look at the flat tire which was now replaced with the spare one and the old one along with the car jack was sitting on the ground right next to the car. He again took a look around the area to see if there were a single trace of someone there. Instead, his nose has been getting a sweet hint of vanilla and roses since he picked the jacket up, he dusted it off with the specks of dust flying out of it. He then opened the driver’s seat door and kept the wrench and jacket on the seat, then he opened the trunk and put the spare tire in along with the car jack. He then closed the trunk back and went to the front of the car and got in the car putting the jacket and wrench on the passengers seat. He slowly took a turn on the road and drove down the mountain and Jimin could get off the ground now.
“Aw man that was my favorite jacket…” he sulked dramatically. ”and I need to get a new wrench now!” He complained clicking his tongue. He then turned around trembling in the midnight cold air and went through the shortcut he came from. “Stupid dumb cop who can’t even manage to fix his own car in an emergency” he murmured scolding as he walked up the path.
While driving through the roads on his way home, the street lights made the silver object on top of the seat glimmered every now and then, reflecting at the corner of his eye, and each time Jeongguk switched his gaze from the road to that said object for seconds, by now the whole air inside the car was shifted to the vanilla and rose scent that came off the jacket. Finding comfort in the scent and the air conditioner blasting in his face he drove back home, however he was a little disappointed since he let Jimin slip under his nose twice now—thrice, can’t forget the police station scene.
Could it have been him? How could someone manage to cause the problem and fix it as well, so it’s not him. What’s with the initial then? Is this jacket his? His mind travelled through each puzzle piece trying to connect it but couldn’t figure out the exact scenario.
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Chapter 3
Notes:
I really wanted to post this chapter on Jimin’s birthday yesterday BUT I was extremely busy!!!!!! Anyways, please trust the process of this work!
And I got 2 kudos, thank you whoever it issss and the 2 bookmarks as well.
Now imma run into chpt 04!!!
Also omg JIMIN confirmed AYS ssn 2????!???/@-&/&/@/$:&/&/$/$/@-@:&$;$/@-&/ actually freaking out rn. I wonder when it’ll come out! This time I can watch it without worrying about studying for a mass exam 😆
Chapter Text
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“Everything has been arranged. I had checked in with your flight information so my men will be there to pick you up from the airport and bring you to my place, I have already set up a room for you here.” The phone call cut short with a simple ‘good’ from the other side of the line.
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“Why Jeon why? We even discussed!” The commissioner sat in his chair uneasy with one palm gripping onto the chair handle elbow bent in an obtuse angle while leaning into his right side where his lower arm rested on top of the handle, ‘disappointed’ was written all over his face. Across from him, Jeongguk kept his head hung low unable to meet the commissioner’s eyes.
It was an easy catch. You could’ve run after his car. You could’ve checked up there on the road. You fell asleep instead.
“I’m sorry sir,” he bowed for what felt like the hundredth time and the commissioner dismissed him with a warning.
“Catch him by the end of next month or I’ll hand over the case to someone else” Jeongguk bowed one more time agreeing and left the office.
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In the midst of the crowd that just arrived at the Incheon airport walked a tall, muscular tatted man towards the exit with one of his men dragging his suitcases behind him. Getting out of the airport exit he located the dark blue BMW and walked in that direction. The driver got out opening the door for him while his man put the suitcase in the trunk, then he walked to the other black car behind it where two men in suits were already sitting inside. The driver got in and drove off with the black car following close behind.
The two cars drove for about an hour and arrived at a mansion with a huge land beneath it, the cars went around the fountain entering through the gate and stopped right in front of the entrance to the mansion. The man got down from the car as the guards in the second car got down along with his personal one that came with him, taking his suitcase he followed close behind the man up the stairs. Going inside a figure appeared from the left side of the house through the hallway.
“Skender! Long time no see” he called out raising his arms out inviting him for a hug. Skender did the same as he went forward returning the same energy.
“It hasn’t been that long has it?”
“Right, you came here last year huh?”
“Getting old?”
“Oh shut up, stress has caught up to me” the two went towards the living room in the man’s guidance and plopped down on the couches—with Skender spreading his arms over the back rest of it.
“What’s going on?”
“Well—actually wait let’s get something to drink and then talk” the man got back up from the one seat couch and walked back to the hallway he came through, leading into the kitchen he told one of his workers to get food and snacks ready as he went into a full sized cabinet area right next to his wine cellar and grabbed a nice whiskey bottle and went into the living room. The worker quickly set up the small table grill and cut up some pork into bite sized pieces, washed and kept some lettuce on a platter along with a small ceramic dish filled with ssamjang, she then brought it into the living room and set it beside the grill. She again went back to the kitchen and grabbed two glasses and prepped them by putting a slice of lime on the rim of the cup and filled a small steel bucket with ice topped it with a pair of small tongs, along with those she told her colleague to bring a soda water and follow her.
Skender and his friend waited for the worker to finish her work and leave the living room to finally talk, the man put some ice cubes into each of the glasses and added some whiskey to each, then he slowly poured in the soda water filling the glasses halfway with the sizzling crisp of the pork on the grill and the delicious aroma filling in the air.
“Alright! Where were we” the man sat back in his chair after flipping the pork bites.
“What’s causing your stress now?” Skender replied swishing the ice cubes in his glass taking a sip.
“Ah right, remember.. Jimin?” He looked through his eyebrows head still tilted towards his own glass as Skender looked at him blankly.
[flashback]
Skender held Taehyung up in the air by his collar, Jimin arriving just on time charged towards Skender and jumped on his back getting his grip off of Taehyung.
“Who the fuck are you” Skender grumbled pushing Jimin away from his back making him hit a barrel and fall.
“Jimin!” Taehyung screamed behind Skender.
[flashback]
“Right… that troublesome runt from that day.” Skender replied.
“Yeah”
“I thought he got arrested for good after that day”
“He had managed to get away, it’s not a surprise though considering how stupid our whole police department is. The commissioner is all talk but no work” the man scoffed flipping the bites on the grill as he picked up and set down a few each onto his and Skender’s dishes. “That little bastard stole a handful of goods from my business!” Skender laughed aloud.
“So he managed to get under your nose as well” the man didn’t quite see it as a joke though, he glared at Skender and distracted himself to his drink. Skender took a sip from his drink and spoke again,
“Just ignore the little runt, he won’t be any trouble since his friend is all gone now”
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After the long night he managed to sleep in until eleven in the morning. The sun reaching onto his face directly as the whole room was brightened made him shift in bed a couple of times until he actually sat up in bed rubbing his eyes continuously until he was able to open them without it burning. He stretched out letting out a yawn and sat there for a few minutes with his hair ruffled up, left strands turned to right, vise versa and some even standing up with his eyes halfway closed again.
Finally getting down from bed he fixed his pants waistband and then lifted the fallen shoulder of his long sleeved shirt, he walked into the kitchen and put the water kettle to boil. Rustling through one of the overhead cabinets he got a teabag out along with his cup and dropped the bag in and waited for the water to boil with his elbows propped up on top of the counter and head resting on his palms his eyes stuck on his cup.
Getting the needed energy from his morning tea he walked into his bathroom and did his morning routines. Changing into a black t-shirt and blue baggy denims he combed through his hair with his fingers and fixed it in a messy way. He dropped his phone into his pocket and picked out a mask from his drawer then walked out of his room towards the elevator.
“Damn it I forgot my jacket was with him” he told himself lifting the corner of his lip up depicting an ‘annoyed’ emotion and reached for a dark green jacket that was hanging on the wall hanger. He then grabbed his black cap and went down the elevator.
…
He stood there under the scorching sun as it hit noon in front of the same closed door with its ‘closed’ sign still hanging in the middle of it the same as it was yesterday. He knows who he’s looking for is in there—maybe a hidden talent of his to sense people now—but he doesn’t do anything, stands there for a couples of minutes until he turns his body around to get to his car with a small sigh leaving his mouth.
However, in a car slowly reaching up to the shop about a block away, Jeongguk’s suspicions were correct—it was Jimin who made those marks on the road.
Jimin pulled his car off parking and slowly drove unlike his usual speed. Jeongguk quickly following behind him keeping a distance and this time he was ready for any kind of tactic Jimin was to pull.
After a few minutes of driving in a steady speed, Jimin parked his car on the gravel land next to a cemetery he pulled the keys out and got down with a white bouquet of fresh flowers in his hand, close behind Jeongguk managed to park unseen and away from Jimin’s car and got out shutting the door close.
Jimin walked through the paths between the gravestones as he looked side to side walking slowly,
Seo Min-jeong, February 12th, 1971 – August 3rd, 2002. The gravestone read, at the very end under a tall tree providing a wide space of shade. Jimin made his way towards it slowly removing his mask keeping his hood on even if it’s burning hot, his eyes stung—but not because of the sun. Tears brimmed on his eyes which he quickly wiped off from his jacket sleeve. He knelt down in front of the grave and kept the flowers on it.
“Happy d-death anniversary—mom” his voice cracked as silent tears started dripping down his face falling short from his cheek. He gave a sad tight lipped smile at the grave trying not to break down out loud forcing his sobs to go back down his throat not letting it escape, can’t let anyone hear, can’t get any attention.
A few feet back Jeongguk stood behind a well trimmed bush line watching as Jimin knelt down in front of the gravestone and started falling apart a few seconds later. He sucked in a gasp when he heard Jimin say ‘mom’. A few minutes after Jimin sat there murmuring things silently as if he was talking with her, he got up from the ground murmuring one last thing holding in his tears once again and dusted his pants off and walked back, by this time Jeongguk had already left the cemetery not sure if he should’ve captured Jimin or not.
He went to the station and went directly to the archive records department, in the department a lady officer sat behind her desk in a more confined room in the larger department. Jeongguk stood at the rooms separator as the lady stood up from her desk.
“Officer Jeon, what can I help you with?” She asked with enthusiasm in her tone.
“I need access to an old report, anything related to Jimin’s family and him.”
“Alright you know what to do,” she went back to her desk opening one of the drawers next to it and pulled out a file and grabbed a single document out of it. She then also grabbed a pen and brought it over to the separator ledge. “Here.” She handed him the paper and pen where he had to fill in his details and why he wanted the reports, she then went to the back and searched through the different files on the many racks in the room, she was able to find one file which she pulled out of the rack and walked back, she opened the door and went to the side Jeongguk was in and handed him the file. “This is the only other file I could find, the other file—which is about Park Jimin—is with the commissioner, and now I think you already have it. Jeongguk nodded and took the file from her hands and went through it quickly on a table that was beside the door.
“Can I get copies of these documents?” The officer went back and got another document and handed it to Jeongguk, where he wrote his identification details once again, the case number, date and time and finally the file copied. He then handed the pen and paper over to the lady as she picked up the previous one and went back to her desk stapling it together putting it into a separate file and inside another drawer. She took the file from Jeongguk and photocopied them creating a separate stack of paper, she grabbed a file and pushed in all the documents handing it to him. Jeongguk thanked her and left the department quickly with the file.
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Later that evening, coming home after work he ate a quick dinner after shower and got into the file. He had both files—Jimin’s personal fact-file and his family background, which was not mentioned about in his case.
Full Name: Seo Min-jeong
Gender: Female
Date of birth: February 12th, 1971
Residence: 13-5 Seorae‑gil, Gwangalli‑dong, Suyeong‑gu, Busan, South Korea.
Time and date of death: August 3rd, 2002, 10:15pm.
Cause of death: Murder
Case number: 2002‑BSN-0472
Additional notes/ officer notes: Park Min-joon identified as the victim’s partner and killer.
Jeongguk spewed out the water he just sipped from his bottle reading the additional notes. He then flipped to the next few pages and went to the man’s fact-file.
Full name: Park Min-joon
Aliases: -
Date of birth: November 22nd, 1965
Gender: Male
Residence: 13-5 Seorae‑gil, Gwangalli‑dong, Suyeong‑gu, Busan, South Korea.
Occupation: accountant (9years)
Physical description: Broad shouldered with a light crouching posture, dark brunette hair thinning in the middle of the scalp, reddened brown hair eyes. Cannot write nor hold a pen without hand shaking.(heavy use of drugs reported). Weight; 55kg.
Case number: 2002-BSN-0472
Date, time and place of arrest: August 3rd, 10:35pm, at the 13-5 Seorae-gil residence.
Arresting officer: Kang Seung-ho, Busan Station North.
[updated]
Time and date of death: April 17th, 2010
Cause of death: Suicide
Taking in all that information definitely messed with Jeongguk’s brain, he flapped the end cover of the file onto the front closing the file and sliding it to the edge of the table. His eyes slightly widened from the information he just gathered.
His own father killed his mother—he gulped as he reviewed all the information in his mind.
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For the rest of the day after visiting his mother’s grave, Jimin fell straight onto his couch coming back and only after half an hour he went and changed into some comfortable house clothes taking a shower and plopped on bed not even minding to eat something.
“Dad please!” Seven year old Jimin screamed standing in front of his mother who was weak on the floor cornered by a wall.
“Don’t butt in to adult business Jimin!” His dad screamed, his eyes bloodshot, conscience shifted. He stepped forward and grabbed Jimin by his upper arm and pushed him to the side making him slip and fall on the wooden floor.
“Jimin! Don’t touch him!” His mother screamed giving a weak push on the dad’s knees grabbing his attention back onto her.
“It’s your fault! You have made him think I’m a monster! You think I can’t provide for this family! You make me feel worthless! I’m the man of this house you all should listen to me!” He screamed nonstop complaints and hit the mother many times. Jimin was terrified and had no idea what to do to stop him.
“NO!” Present Jimin woke up with tears starting to stream down his face uncontrollably, lips trembling as he completely broke down. “She’s already gone” he whispered to himself, a statement of finding peace if you will. He slowly backed up to the headboard and took his knees close to his chest resting his head deep in his knees and arms covering his head on top.
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“Here’s the number, call me as soon as he enters the shop. Thank you.” Jeongguk said as he bowed to the cashier at the counter of the supermarket and left. For the many supermarkets and small stores near Jimin’s ‘possible’ hideout location according to Jeongguk he gave the owners a picture of Jimin along with his second phone number saying the same line ‘give this number a ring if he shows up’. He then left the area in hopes of finding him soon. It’s been three days since he last saw Jimin at the cemetery, even if he may have a sad past, yet not knowing the whole story he couldn’t just let this criminal run around the city freely. He has a duty and he is ready to abide by it. Since he can’t catch him on the spot—judging by the many times he let him slip through his fingers—he decided to carry out an observation any type of hint or clue he could gather to figure out Jimin’s plans and hideout.
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Completing five whole days of no activity from himself, Jimin walks lazily towards the kitchen stomach growling of starvation. He only ate when he felt like the past five days, sometimes breakfast and lunch which ended up being eaten at three o’clock afternoon. Or sometimes he would only eat one of the three main meals.
He opened the fridge pulling out the only thing which was in it—a milk carton. As he opened it he got a whiff of the expired smell, his face twisted into a sour expression as he gagged and threw the carton into the trash. Closing the fridge he then walked towards his cabinets, the stash of ramen have vanished according to him but in reality in the house for the couple of weeks previously there was a food inhaler who ate a ramen every minute he got hungry.
Damn it he thought closing the cabinet door. He opened the other cabinets to see if some type of edible source appears out of the blue but left with closing the door. “I can’t starve no longer and I want an ice cream” he spoke to himself as he walked across the living room area to his bedroom. Changing into a white T-shirt with some black shorts he walked out of the bedroom putting his wallet in his back pocket and his phone on the front right, he grabbed his car keys from the little plate on his desk near the door and walked towards the elevator, there he put on the slides he wears outside and went out.
After a few minutes he reached the supermarket parking lot and went in, as he entered the cashier sat behind his counter and greeted Jimin back as he greeted the cashier. Taking a full scan of Jimin’s face. Jimin felt comfortable going bare faced to the local shops and markets since the city is further away and these people rarely take into account what kind of things happen in the city through news.
Soon the black Mercedes pulled up into the parking lot right in-front of the entrance. Jeongguk sat still inside as he waited for Jimin to show up. Minutes later as expected the entrance glass doors slid to the side as Jimin stepped out of it with three big bags on his left hand along with a smaller bag, his right hand occupied with holding a popsicle to his mouth.
A little boy with his mom walked up to the market entrance, the boy stopped near Jimin and smiled at him looking up, Jimin smiled fondly and held his popsicle between his teeth and lips and opened the smaller bag pulling out another popsicle from it, he handed it over to the little boy ruffling his hair. The mom smiled and the boy ran up to her and held her hand making her drop her small purse with her hand occupied with many other things already. He quickly picked it up with the popsicle on his left arm. To this Jeongguk was about to step out but stopped still when he saw him hand over the purse to the lady and turned around walking towards his parked car.
Jeongguk looked at him as he walked past his car mouth slightly parted eyes stuck on the walking figure. “What the fuck” it came out as a whisper but clear as the day. Jimin drove off and Jeongguk just stayed there. What was the point of spending the whole morning till day passing out that message to every shop if he wasn’t even going to catch him.
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After another boring two days passed Jeongguk was patrolling the area when a kid ran his way and told him that there was a gang of kids bullying another. He quickly went to the alleyway that went straight forward and another road attached in the middle in the left side that reached the other side of another alleyway connected.
“Yah! Don’t y’all have homework to complete? How old are you?”
“Ugh mind your own business ahjussi” he heard the conversation as he watched Jimin standing in between the kids keeping one kid behind him with one of his arms covering him from the side. The other five six kids standing in front of him. With a stunned Jimin.
“Ahjussi?!” He asked with his upper lip lifted in one corner along with the same side eyebrow. “I’m not that old!” To that Jeongguk stifled a snorting laugh. “Yah!” Jimin took a step forward and flicked the little kids forehead, the little kid tried to push Jimin but instead he grabbed the kids hands and held them in one hand and quickly pinched his ear letting the boy’s hands go earning painful whines from the boy. “Okay here’s what we’re going to do, you all go home right now and tell your parents what happened here. Doesn’t matter if you get a spanking. If I catch y’all doing something to this kid—” he said nodding back to the little boy behind him “—or any other kid I won’t let you go easily, understood?” The boy nodded hurriedly. “Words” he said sternly instantly getting a ‘yes’ from the boy but still replied “I couldn’t hear your friends”
“Say yes you idiots!” The boy shouted back as the rest said ‘okay’ and ‘yes’ collectively. Jimin let go of his ear and watched them run away to the other end of the alley way. He then turned around to face the boy and Jeongguk quickly hid behind a building peeping in. Jimin picked up the bag from the ground dusting it off and helped the boy put it on, then he picked up his bottle which rolled to a different direction and handed it over as well. He guided the kid back to his house where Jeongguk followed behind and kept hiding behind buildings.
The yellow lights on the porch of his house lit up the whole front yard as the kid opened the gate and walked in with Jimin closely, as he opened the door he heard the boys mother. “Yoon-ju-yah are you home? What took you so long?”
“Eomma this hyung saved me” he said as he turned around but Jimin had disappeared.
“What did you say? What are you looking for?”
“I was bullied again today but this hyung with really pretty eyes saved me, he flicked that idiots head even”
“Yah! Words”
“Alright alright!”
Jeongguk watched Jimin slowly back up and run away from the house. “But if he did something good why not make people known of it? Maybe this is an act to throw me off his trail. Not gonna happen Jimin-ssi”
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“Yah yah! Not like that Jimin-ah!”
“This is exactly what you did!”
“No it isn’t, you forgot this whole step”
“Oh come on hyung! I so did it but you just want to point out a mistake!”
“You forgot it!!!”
“No I didn’t!!”
“Can you two stop fighting for gods sake”
“You shut it” both of them said together earning an eye roll from the other.
“Let’s just eat”
“Ughh” Jimin groaned on the couch shifting from left to right. “For fucks sake” he got up and changed into a casual outfit and took his jacket. He went to the city and parked his car at a playground and walked around the city until he walked into a small straight alleyway between buildings.
Jeongguk was busy running some errands but remembered something and walked into the same alleyway as Jimin earlier taking out a small cat food tube from his grocery bag, to the single light that illuminated the outer street he could see the figures silhouette and instantly knew it was Jimin when he heard the tiny voices.
“You also don’t have parents huh?” He was sitting on the ground leaning his back onto the old grandparents house across from him a building put for sale, ghosted so he was covered. His words twisted something in Jeongguk’s heart. ‘No parents’ he could only imagine how hard it was for Jimin, but a part of him still reminded him that Jimin was a reckless thief and killer. But his thoughts were clouded and tossed away as soon he heard Jimin’s soft voice again mimicking a small meow he received from the cat.
Jeongguk’s eyes softened to the view of Jimin slowly petting the cat, his mask hanging by one ear, cap still on, knees standing up close a little further from his chest. Feeding the cat little treats. But it was all ruined when Jeongguk accidentally hit a tossed away can tried to fix his posture to keep watching Jimin. Jimin’s attention went to that direction to the sound as he quickly fixed his mask on and pulled his hat more down and quickly got up and ran away to the other direction. Jeongguk as if to stop him from running away ran to the same direction but had already lost him.
Turning around he found the cat rubbing herself against his shins, he slowly crouched down and opened the food tube and fed the cat, “is he nice? Are you both alike?” He asked the cat and she kept licking the opening of the paper tube, “adorable and misunderstood?” The cat had often been chased out of houses, that’s how Jeongguk had found this cat and fed it every chance he got just like this. The cat had never misbehaved but everyone around the neighborhood said she had except for the grandparents who lived in the house next to this alleyway. It’s just she didn’t get a chance to show them what she is actually like. Sweet and caring, smart and misunderstood, for something she hadn’t done. Just blamed…wait a second. Jeongguk’s head shot up with a thought. He got up quick and squeezed the remaining cat food onto a clean cardboard he found and left the place.
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Jimin mindlessly walked around the streets one night a week later from seeing that little cat. The yellow street lights stood tall on either side of the bricked street, illuminating circles onto it. Himself in his green jacket, cap and mask stared at the street lights and people passing along the side walk, some jogging, some walking with their dogs, one or two couples were spotted. He wore a white T-shirt and gray sweatpants so he’d look less like a man who is about to abduct someone. In his mind all he wanted to do was walk around with no attention on him and ease into the night hoping he could sleep better at least tonight.
Not so far away from him though, like a snake trailing its prey through the grass, Jeongguk casually walked behind him keeping a distance of about twenty meters further from him. Hoping he’d slip up any second now, targeting a passerby woman or shop. The same as the past few days and weeks that Jeongguk did an observation on him. His attention sharpened when Jimin swiftly turned and ran across the street to the other side.
“Stay away!”
“Oh come on… you’re so beautiful…. and sexy” as the man tired to get closer, shortening the proximity between him and the woman he pulled on the woman’s hand making her drop her side bag out of a flinch but Jimin stepped in and pushed the man back. The man was a clear drunk, with an intention of getting into any kind of woman that passed by.
“What part of stay away don’t you understand” Jimin muttered with disgust lingering on his every facial feature behind the mask. The man instantly got triggered, he was an inch or two taller than and more stronger looking than Jimin himself.
“Stay out of our business you bastard, she’s my girlfriend” Jimin twisted his neck and looked over his shoulder to see the woman’s face to get a confirmation. Seeing her slightly shake her head almost unnoticeable he again pushed the man from his shoulders. The guy getting more irritated pounced on Jimin and punched him, but in return of recovery Jimin gave a hit back, the two fought back to back until the man pulled out a pocket knife and went back towards Jimin. He was able to avoid each strike minus a few punches that landed on his stomach and face, as he was about to strike back the man swung the knife towards Jimin’s face slicing against his skin cutting off the right band of the mask, he kicked the knife out of the man’s hand in air and again directed one to the man himself making him fall on the ground, Jimin quickly got onto him and threw a few more punches onto the man’s face making blood spill out of his nose and a little from his mouth making the man powerless. Finally, Jimin dragged him next to a light pole, taking his hands behind the pole he tied them with one of the shoelaces he quickly removed from his right shoe managing to keep his face hidden from the woman who was stuck in her tracks. Jimin quickly picked up her purse on the ground and lower his cap as much as possible, he bowed to the woman to hide his face and handed the purse while saying,
“Call the police and explain what he did” the woman took the purse from his hands
“Ah-alright.. Thank—“ before she could finish Jimin completed the bow and ran off to the other direction going in between two buildings to get to the other side and reach his car. The woman stared at his back and shook her head grabbing her phone and dialing, but just then from the back Jeongguk came slightly jogging towards her,
“Don’t worry, right here” he showed her his police ID and walked towards the man tied up.
“Oh– thank goodness, could you tell that colleague who took care of this that I said thank you? He ran off when I was about to and I couldn’t even see his face properly.” Jeongguk crouched down behind the man untying the shoe lace stayed silent unsure what to tell the woman but replied when he lifted the man off the ground and cuffed him, turning his head to the woman he gave a slight smile,
“I’ll be sure to let him know. Get home safe miss” he replied giving a short bow and took the man with him to the station.
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Maybe he really isn’t the killer. Jeongguk thought as he paced back and forth in his study mind wondering to the past events.
“Sir maybe he isn’t the actual killer”
“What are you getting at Jeon, you can clearly see he’s hiding from us not to get caught for that murder”
“But sir, even if we confirmed that the knife belonged to Jimin, the blood on it wasn’t identified”
“But the hand prints were clear as day, and only those two were present at the alleyway”
“But who would do such a thing and stay there crying next to the victim whom THEY killed?” Jeongguk slowly lost his patience, he probably felt the way Jimin might have felt if his theory was sane.
“Jeongguk, I think we should give this case to someone else. Take a rest I think you have too much on your head” realizing the weight of the situation Jeongguk quickly replied,
“No you’re right sir. I’ll catch him. Don’t give this case to anyone else I’ll handle it.” With that he gave a quick bow and left the office.
He rubbed his palms over his face and glided them through his neck to the back interlocking his fingers letting his head rest on his hands. “Is he or is he not!!” He groaned and sat back on his chair keeping his head on the desk.
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Jeongguk took a quick stop near the cat alleyway and got down. He didn’t even have a treat for the cat… maybe he wasn’t searching for the cat, but to his luck none of the two were there. Maybe tomorrow, maybe day after. Or maybe next week. Maybe the next Wednesday.
One day he wanted to see if Jimin comes to the nearby shops at least or just walk on those roads of his mountain hideout. ‘Where even is his hideout?’ Is a question that ran through his mind each and every day. He’s probably just playing with your mind. Maybe this is all an act.
“When me and the rest showed up he got up and called for help from us, but obviously he was playing an act so we targeted him and threatened to shoot him, then the knife in his hand fell to the floor and he just paused. But when we walked towards him a bit he turned his back and started running and somehow escaped every attack.”
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“I’ll send you an address, see you there after the meeting” Skender listened to his friend on the other line while he walked into a tall building, he’s here today for a meeting he had scheduled to discuss about his plans of expanding his business to South Korea. The meeting had went according to his exact planning but also cost a few bribes in order to get control on everything. The meeting had started at three o’clock pm but got delayed so it finally ended at five thirty pm, Skender was pissed with the low effort to his work. Now he was finally able to walk towards the entrance and out of the building.
There you are… Jeongguk thought as he looked at the familiar figure walking on the street. Usual black mask, cap and green jacket combination, white T-shirt with black baggy denims. Jeongguk in his casual attire of dark blue denims, and plaid blue and black shirt, sleeves bent up close to his elbows. He got onto watched Jimin walk forward as he got out of the cafe standing still at the entrance.
Jimin walked along the sidewalk killing time till he was able to get his car from being serviced. He looked around seeing people walking around as usual until he caught his eyes on a familiar figure. His blood ran cold, eyes slightly widened as the figure slowly made his way out of the building and walked through the entry way towards his car. Jeongguk who follow for a little distance paused as well with Jimin and looked at the direction he was staring into spotting the same figure. He watched as Jimin slowly made to that side of the street watching out for cars coming his way and latch onto a truck that was pulling off the side of the street. Jeongguk wasted no time and got onto his own car running back towards the cafe and followed the truck where Jimin stayed latched on.
“What the fuck is he doing” he mumbled to himself driving about ninety meters away from the truck. The drive took about two hours long, Jimin was laying on the truck top holding onto the small handle on the door of the truck. His hand was in unimaginable pain with holding onto tightly for two whole hours.
They soon reached a building site with construction equipment and a bunch of men working walking around the area. Multiple trucks and vehicles used for constructing parked in the middle of the land in different places. Jimin quickly got off the truck before everyone else got off and hid behind a pile of cement bags. Once everyone got out and walked into the land did Jeongguk pull his car inside. He parked it out of the main gates and quickly got out his gun ready in his waist band.
Jimin slowly made his way more inside behind a big container peeping into the commotion. His eyes wondered around the area looking at the people and the site. He was so focused on the area until he heard a gun clicking. His attention turned to his side.
“No no no no” he looked at Jeongguk with horror.
“Hands up in the air”
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Chapter 4
Notes:
Thought of finishing the whole story and then uploading, but then I’m taking too much time cuz I get writers block and then again I’m busy and get distracted with random errands. AND I write the story along the way and change shit as I go… which is probably bad LOL but anyways I’m trying to be like one or two chapters ahead in writing so I can make adjustments as needed and then upload on here.
Also AYS 2 is CRAZY, I just wanted to randomly mention it on here.
My fan is being “serviced” frrrrr
Chapter Text
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“Hands up in the air,” Jeongguk’s gun is now face to face with Jimin’s horrified expressions.
“What are you doing here”
“I won’t tell you again!” Jeongguk stepped towards Jimin making him step back now being visible to the people at the construction area out of the shadow of the building, Jimin glanced to his left and right in horror of getting caught. It’s a double attack then. Jeongguk was getting impatient. He shouted warning “Hands up in—“
“No shh!” Jimin pounced forward lowering the gun equipped hand and pinned him to the wall with his right palm over Jeongguk’s mouth, his elbow extending further to the right. Jimin pinned Jeongguk onto the wall and had to lean onto Jeongguk’s left side chest in the hurry so he wasn’t visible past the building wall, Jeongguk stared at him with slightly widened eyes, the similar vanilla and rose scent surrounding his nostrils, Jimin’s jaw lightly brushing against Jeongguk’s left shoulder when Jimin returned to position after peeping back out to see if anyone noticed they were there—or at least just Jimin, considering the state he was almost put in by Jeongguk. Making sure the surroundings are clear and nobody heard or noticed anything Jimin turned his face towards Jeongguk frowning prominently. Their faces inches away, Jimin glaring at him through his furrowing eyebrows. Jeongguk looked down at him with Jimin’s palm still covering his mouth tightly.
“What are you doing here?!” Jimin asked him again in a whispering scold, Jeongguk shifted his eyes up and down pointing to Jimin’s hand from his eyes. “Do. Not. Shout,” a slow nod made Jimin slowly take his hand off of Jeongguk’s mouth.
“You’re a part of this, what’s going on here?” Jeongguk whispered back.
“What the fuck, I’m not a part of these assholes businesses”
“Then what are you doing here?”
“Spying on them!” He shouted in a whisper. “What do you think, moron”
“What do you me—“
“Yah! Who are you?” One worker screamed in their direction, grabbing both their attention as their heads snapped towards him.
“Well shit,” Jimin said then he quickly moved forward towards the men, cocking his arms he dodged a punch towards him circling around the other’s arm and punched his stomach, two others charged at him but in a quick load Jeongguk managed to shoot one off while Jimin flew in the air and kicked the other away. As another came towards Jeongguk he used his gun to hit the man in the head and stomach and kicked him off, Jimin a few feet behind him blocked the attacking punches from his opponent then kicked his knees making him fall kneeling as he threw in another punch towards his jaw. They both fought side by side against the men. As of now the men were on the ground groaning in utter pain with blood dripping from their noses and mouths. Just as they thought they were done, Jimin watched in horror as more men appeared from behind more containers. While Jeongguk was too busy looking at all the men they beat up Jimin hit Jeongguk on his chest from the back of his hand a few couple times even after getting his attention.
“Yah! Yah! Run,” Jeongguk snapped his head to the front while the men closed up and this time there were too many at once. Jimin took a running start as Jeongguk followed and from the construction area Skender and his friend turned around to the commotion, as Jimin also looked that way he locked his eyes on Skender while he spotted Jimin at the same time. They hurriedly ran towards the gate and quickly got in Jeongguk’s car as he unlocked it. Jeongguk got into the drivers seat, Jimin got into the passengers seat and shouted,
“drive, drive!” Jeongguk pulled his car out and drove off quickly, increasing speed from behind two other cars with the men following.
At high speed he switched to different lanes on the road going in between cars not wanting to hurt any civilian. Jimin looked to his side mirror and then the rear view mirror to see the cars still managing to follow them. He lightly groaned as he charged his gun. “Keep driving,” he said as he turned his head towards Jeongguk who quickly nodded, unsure what exactly he was about to do.
Jimin punched the sunroof button with his finger and stood up with one foot on the middle counsel and the other on his seat, he aimed at one of the cars and shot a few times at the windshield and then hit the front two tires sending it off the road, some men grunting in pain in the car as the bullets slashed their way against their skin. The other car still kept coming, whilst one kept driving forward catching up with Jimin and Jeongguk’s speed the other popped his upper body out of the window and shot a few bullets at their car, Jimin quickly ducked in, hissing in pain taking quick short breaths,
“Are you okay?”
“Yeah just keep going,” he said, clicking the gun back and quickly shooting in the direction as soon as he popped out. He managed to puncture one of the wheels and shoot the gun out of the man’s hand which went flying on the road, then shot the windshield again that made the bullet go through the driver's arm. Then Jimin slowly dipped back in and sank in his seat and he closed the sun roof and watched the car disappear on the side mirror.
“Call your men and tell them to get these people, they’re gonna be fine. I used rubber bullets,” he said breathless, his left palm gripping his right upper arm. Jeongguk quickly contacted the station as he slowed down on the road and reported the address and situation through his two way radio. He quickly sneaked a peek at Jimin holding onto his arm with blood drips on his palm and arm as he kept on driving towards Jimin’s location.
The long car ride back was silent, the air was thick. A cop and a criminal sitting inside one car side by side. He turned the stirring wheel pulling into the road that went through two sets of groves on either side. As soon as the car came to a stop on the side of the road, Jimin opened the door not even facing Jeongguk and got down, shutting it close. Jeongguk watched him until he quickly opened his door and got down himself,
“Wait,” he called out, making Jimin stop in place and slowly look back at him still clutching onto his arm. “Let me treat that,” he nodded towards his wound in his upper arm which was a cut from a bullet that was shot really close to his arm and missed with just a mere wound. Jimin had a blank face as he replied,
“No thanks,”
“You’re hurt and I wanna help you now,” Jeongguk said with hope moving a little forward. Jimin hesitated, he looked to the opposite side and down on the road letting out a sigh and looked back at him. Jeongguk in the meantime went to the cars back seat and got a first aid kit from the floor of it, bringing it out and placing it on the car hood.
Jimin broke into a laugh with a small snort, “You have a first aid kit but not a tool box?” However, he went dead silent when he realized what he had just said. His expression changed to a slight annoyance and worry but Jeongguk just smiled lightly while shuffling through the contents in the box.
“So it was you,” he said, voice low but enough for Jimin to hear.
“I’ll take care of this,” Jimin said awkwardly, lifting his arm, wanting to leave this place. He turned back around about to walk away when Jeongguk called out again,
“It’s okay, just come here,” Jimin was still unsure about this. He looked back at Jeongguk staring into his eyes that shimmered to the moonlight, a sight he would’ve seen if Jeongguk hadn’t been sleeping that night. Jimin still stood there staring at Jeongguk, making a decision in his head.
“Don’t worry I don’t have cuffs in here,” Jeongguk snickered, Jimin rolled his eyes and slowly took a few steps towards the car, just so he could get it over with and leave. He stood at one of the headlights far enough from Jeongguk who stood near the other. He extended his arm towards Jeongguk’s as he kept his head turned away from Jeongguk with his other hand in his pocket. Jeongguk grabbed some rubbing alcohol and went to clean the wound and its surrounding. Realizing he was too far he grabbed Jimin’s wrist and pulled him closer towards him so it would be easier to clean the wound and blow in it when it burns. Jimin looked in a snap with a frown but was surprised when he saw Jeongguk’s face closer. Jeongguk’s presence so close to him made his body run warm, because of the hatred he had for policemen. He quickly looked in the opposite direction.
Jeongguk slowly rubbed the cotton on his wound and blew on it as soon as he did so it stopped burning and didn’t hurt much, while Jimin on the other hand had no reaction. An unamused expression plastered on his face. Then he grabbed the medicine, took a glop onto his finger and applied it.
“Thanks for saving me back there.. glad I didn’t die on my birthday,” he said continuing with his little care session. Jimin’s sweet scent of vanilla and roses lingering in his nose bringing him the comfort he found from the jacket making the same print in the air inside his car.
“Happy birthday,” Jimin replied, still not facing Jeongguk. Finally Jeongguk finished wrapping the wound in a piece of gauze and tie a small knot on top.
“Thanks, you’re the first stranger to wish me. Wait here,” Jimin stared at him as he finished and went to the back side of his car and then stared down at his now treated wound, his lips lightly curving upwards, Jeongguk closed the door of the back seat again and walked up to Jimin and stretched his hands out giving him his jacket which was nicely folded with the wrench resting on top of it. Jimin quietly reached out and took it.
“And thank you again for saving me that night as well even though you technically put me in trouble that night” Jimin shot a quick glance at him and pulled away from the car hood and walked away,
“you didn’t do it, right?” Jimin’s eyebrows furrowed as he twisted his head back.
“What do you mean?”
“Kim Taehyung, the victim who was killed on November 20th. The killer isn’t—you is it”
“What makes you think that?” Jimin’s signature smirk returned to his face.
“Knife ownership but no blood identification, were you the killer or not?” But something shifted in Jimin suddenly.
“Now do you realize? How incompetent you cops are, wrongly accusing an innocent of doing something they didn’t do”
“That’s why I asked if it was you.”
“What about the gun? That didn’t have any finger prints. Oh let me take a few seconds to just think how could the knife have fingerprints but not the gun? Hmm, Maybe, because the actual murderer was wearing fucking gloves.”
“You aren’t answering my question, and you know who the killer is. I know you didn’t do it, so let’s work together to find the real killer and clear your name.”
Jimin scoffed, “work together? You all were the ones who framed me first, remember? What makes you think I will work with you?”
“You can trust me, I did more research than them, this is proof”
“Just stay out of it. I’ll take care of the killer on my own. I don’t need any help from idiots like you. Don’t step into conclusions. I may have actually done it”
“I’m certain you didn’t do it,” Jeongguk replied immediately, surely.
“Oh yeah?” Jimin took a few steps towards Jeongguk, immediately placing his gun on his forehead. “What if I kill you right here right now?”
“You won’t—“
“I so definitely will! What makes you so sure! Huh?” Jimin demanded red eyed. He hesitated, and took the gun off Jeongguk’s head and tucked it in his waistband. “Stay away from me and my business. Don’t follow me. Oh and, I will never, ever, trust lousy cops– like you!” Jimin took a dismissive turn and walked up the road in long steps. Jeongguk let out a deep sigh and turned around taking the first aid box with him, he tucked it under the back seat and drove off back home.
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Back at the construction site.
“Was that him?” Skender asked still gazing at the entrance direction.
“How did he get here?”
“Who’s the other one?”
“Not sure, I couldn’t see his face properly, but I’m sure they’ll become a threat later on”
“If that happens I’ll take care of them like I took care of his little friend and many other allies of ours… It isn’t that hard” Skender patted his friend's shoulder while walking past him, going back to supervising the work.
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A couple of days later, in the evening Jimin gets ready and goes out to the city. Nothing special, just a casual walk at his favorite time of the day. He gets on his bike and rides his way to the city park. He parks the bike and makes his way through the grassy land and sits down under a tree where not many people are present but can be seen in the distance. He leaned onto the tree and watched his surroundings, a small boy running around his parents who sat on a picnic blanket, their combined laughters streaming out. Jimin broke open a can of peach juice and sipped from it as he looked at the sky.
“So we cool now?” The familiar low yet soft voice spoke from behind him as he lowered his drink from his lips and turned around. What was once a curious emotion he had switched to an expression that screamed, ‘fuck off please’. Jeongguk stood next to him looking down at Jimin who returned the same look upward.
“I should have sent a bullet through your head that night”
“I get why it’s hard to trust me but tell me a way I can prove myself” Jimin stood up from the ground swiftly,
“Listen, I saved you once and you thanked me by treating my wound. But that doesn’t mean we are friends or even will try to be. I am certain I made it very fucking clear that I hate you and every other cop. Good try though” Jimin shot a fake smile and brushed past Jeongguk walking towards his bike, Jeongguk turned around right then and followed him with his hands buried in his pockets.
“Maybe you can give me a chance to prove?” Jimin came to an abrupt stop and Jeongguk flinched backward preventing a bump onto Jimin. He turned to face Jeongguk, eyebrows furrowed, eyes sharp.
“I told you to fuck off.” He turned back around.
“Would you have given a chance if I weren’t a cop?”
“Yes. But since it’s you. No.”
“Woah what did I do to you?”
“You’re annoying. Why aren’t you even making efforts to just throw me in jail?”
“Cause you’re not the killer?” Jimin turned back to face him repeating the same flinch in Jeongguk not wanting to bump together.
“For theft? A million hundred times?”
“But you can catch the real killer,” without a response Jimin got on his bike, put his drink in a holder and accelerated out of the park. Jeongguk let his head drop in frustration.
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“Pow and you’re done” Jimin playfully said as he kicked the security guard unconscious. “That might hurt even more tomorrow, sorry” he fixed his hat on him as he slouched on the wall is his station. He grabbed the entrance keys and made his way inside the gallery.
…
A few hours later, early in the morning a frantic call directed to the police station, and Jeongguk arrived at the gallery quick. Upon entering with calm composure he saw the owner walking around worriedly but reassured once Jeongguk was in the view.
“Officer! Thank goodness you came fast.” Jeongguk stared at the paintings, one was turned upside down, the other side ways, one even had a cloth over it with a cat print sticky note pasted on it. He reached up and grabbed the note. ‘Did all of you a favor’ written in the middle, as it seemed he had wrote it against the textured wall, each letter picking up a pattern.
“That’s not the worse part. Look here, he took-he took the Aetherion. It values so much, and it’s supposed to be packed and transferred to Switzerland!” Jeongguk listened as he stared at the empty container.
“And you didn’t have any security up for these artifacts?”
“I did! For some reason it had malfunctioned”
“Show me the security footage”
Jeongguk’s jaw dropped to the floor, in the footage a figure jumped around the gallery carelessly, same jacket, same eyes, same aura, moving from one painting to another flipping them around and placing them back haphazardly. He then walked up to the Artherion displayed in the middle of the building. Digging into a pocket of his jacket he took out and placed on a small device on the glass door, seconds later the lock clicked open. He slipped his hand inside and took the gem out and tucked it in one of his pockets and ditched the device he used before. Next second he locked his eyes with the camera blowing a kiss with his hand right at the camera and then left the gallery, outside cam recorded him dropping the keys back at the security station and leave.
“Hold off the transfer, as of now he is on observation because of his calculated tactics. If I don’t study him properly I won’t be able to catch him. Nothing to worry, I will make sure to capture him and bring back that gem to you.” The owner shot an obvious beaten expression as Jeongguk tried to comfort her.
As he walked out of the gates and directed to his car, the similar kind of sticky note was pasted on his car hood catching his attention before he could hop in. He grabbed it and read the content on it.
‘I think I know why you don’t arrest me. I’m too fast.’ He could already imagine the smug look on Jimin’s face.
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In the following week another theft occurred, this time not Jimin but Jeongguk was assigned to it, Jimin made his way to that crime scene before Jeongguk and the crime investigation team could and messed with the evidence and traces of the thief without getting himself included.
“Nothing?” Jeongguk questioned the investigators.
“The finger prints were messed with, as though someone came here right after the crime and smudged the finger prints available, he was a sloppy thief too leaving finger prints and many hints around but all of them were messed with so we couldn’t find any matches or any active evidence. However, we did find this.” He handed him a sticky note that made Jeongguk throw his head back in annoyance.
‘You all should have a pep in your step.’
…
Days later Jimin appeared at the station with the criminal from the previous theft. He crouched down beside the concrete staircase railing holding onto the criminal in front of him.
“Just like we practiced, okay? Otherwise you already know what’ll happen, right?” His hands were tied behind his back along with his feet just enough to walk, and in a second Jimin made him stand up and kicked him making him visible to the front guards of the station.
“Go on,” Jimin waved his hand while his gun was in the other making the criminal quiver.
“I surrender! Please take me! Otherwise he’ll kill me, I have the money and jewelry in my pockets, from last week!” He used his body to express the gestures to ‘last week’.
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He panted on the ground with the three men surrounding him, blood seeping from his mouth as he felt his vision blur each second with each breath. Coughing out blood with each kick onto his stomach. The three men themselves had a bunch of bruises and bleeding spots.
“You’ve been a little problem to our boss”
“We only came to give you a little warning”
“Do you want an extreme one so you won’t even think of disturbing him again?”
Jimin got up slowly feeling heavily dizzy his hair falling onto his forehead.
“Open sesame,” they forcefully put some popping candy into his mouth and held his mouth closed while it all popped in his mouth. They made him kneel on the ground powerless as the contents of the candy took control over Jimin’s body. A loud thud on the ground grabbed the attention of two of them as Jeongguk pounced on the third, punching his face a few couple of times and getting attacked by the other.
Jeongguk pushed the man hard from his shoulder and kicked his abdomen while the man who fed Jimin left Jimin to fall back and lean on the wall having a hard time to breathe. Jeongguk kicked one’s knees making him fall on the floor with a loud groan. The third who was knocked out for a bit got up and attacked again with a piece of wood and made Jeongguk slump onto the ground but he turned around swiftly and kicked the man away. And took the wooden stick and slammed it at the other. Then knocked out the one he kicked off with a strong punch into his head. He threw the stick away and ran his hands through his hair breathing heavily. A small whimper of pain stirred his attention towards him. Jeongguk wide eyed quickly bent down near Jimin as he whined in agony feeling spirals in his head.
“Jimin, Jimin. It’s me. Not who you want to see for sure but get up.” Opening his eyes clearing his blurred vision he suddenly backed up to the wall feared.
“No! No! Stop!” Jimin flinched off of Jeongguk’s hold, his hands shivered and his mind was roaming everywhere, anxiety crippling in,
“Stop what?, Jimin what’s going on” Jimin’s breath quickened as he looked at Jeongguk in absolute terror but his eyes slowly got heavy, as he was about to fall side ways. Before he did Jeongguk immediately caught him.
“Jimin… Jimin” Jeongguk pulled him a little closer. He saw a small wrapper with contents spill out on the ground next to Jimin. He picked the packaging up and put it in his pocket. He pulled Jimin’s hood on and picked him up from the ground horizontally and walked out of the alleyway with his head leaned onto him hiding his face. He went to the passenger seat side and opened the door after struggling for a bit with Jimin still in his arms. He put him down on the seat and leaned forward to lower the seat and put on the seatbelt. He closed the door and walked back over to the drivers seat, getting in and drove off.
“Control, officer Jeon reporting in. I’ve got three suspects in the north eastern alleyway, street 1012, they’re restrained but I’m moving out to assist an injured civilian. Send a unit to pick them up immediately. Over.” He quickly said to his two way radio in the car.
…
Waking up he felt an unfamiliar scent running around his atmosphere. He woke up in a darker room than his usual dark grey concrete finished room. The curtains drawn blocking out the sun from entering into the room, a bowl of water on the night stand next to him along with a thermometer. An IV drip connected to his left hand with saline passing through into his body. He looked at everything in confusion and panic.
Realizing his clothes weren’t even his he lifted the blanket up to reveal his whole body covered in bandaids and gauze. But that small quick motion was enough to make him disorient a bit as he laid back again closing his eyes. A faint headache making its way. He slowly turned to the other side and tried to fall asleep again, but not even a minute later he felt nauseous so he got up and let his feet touch the ground still sitting on bed. His whole body felt weak but he needed to get to the bathroom, he stood up— and fell to the floor.
“Ow” he held onto the bed stand and got up again, removing the IV drip needle he started walking along the frame reaching to the door, holding onto the walls with his life he opened a door next to the room, but only found a study room, next to it he opened the door next to it and finally cheered finding the bathroom. He knelt in front of the toilet and gagged but nothing happened and yet he felt sick to his stomach. He flushed the toilet even though there wasn’t anything in it and walked out of the bathroom still holding onto the walls of the apartment and walked into the dining and living room area and saw photos standing on a beam In front of the mid high windows.
He looked at Jeongguk’s framed photos realizing he was at his apartment. He smirked looking into his study. With steady steps he made his way towards the room and opened the door wide open. Stepping inside he saw a few case folders on his desk. He had a sneaky look on his face as he opened two files, he swapped the evidence prints with each others and proceeded to get the other two files.
He opened the file ‘case no. 0472’ ready to mess the documents up. His sneaky face immediately vanished. He took a seat feeling unsteady and looked at the documents again.
‘Seo Min-Jeong’ he bit on his trembling bottom lip as he flipped through the pages one by one. One of the few memories he didn’t want to revisit, silent tears began to fall as he looked at his mother’s case, a night he was too young to do anything.
“I’m sorry about what happened to your mom” Jimin quickly wiped his tears off seeing Jeongguk standing in the door way.
“What’s done is done I guess” he closed the file and got up. “Where’s my bike? And keys.”
“You need to rest”
“Don’t tell me what to do. I don’t like you”
“Right. Keys are on the little dish near the door, bikes in the garage, ground floor” Jimin walked out of the study past Jeongguk and through the living area, he still had aches here and there but he ignored it and kept going. He put his shoes on at the door and grabbed the keys from the dish and stared at the door lock.
“0109!” Jeongguk said out loud from his study, he quickly punched in the code and closed the door once he got out. Taking in and letting a deep breath out he walked upto the elevator and tapped the button. He got to the ground floor and looked for his bike, finally he found it parked next to Jeongguk’s Mercedes. He slowly rode on the roads going amongst the other vehicles, his breath quickening time to time.
A few meters away Jeongguk followed closely yet far enough. Went upto the road that seperated from the main road, he chose to watch Jimin go in through the two groves and turned around to leave.
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There was this unfamiliar scent of worn leather with a hint of rain-soaked wood like surrounded Jimin. He sniffed on the t-shirt he was wearing; sleeves almost reached his elbows, broad shoulders that dropped down his own. His face scrunched into a frown and almost immediately he took it off and threw it in his laundry bin, he grabbed a t-shirt from his closet and pulled it onto his body, then he changed his pants into a new pair throwing the previous sweats the same way. Not a single braincell of his tried to figure out or remember that he was wearing a more fitted pant with a beige shirt.
Previous night
Jeongguk dropped Jimin onto his bed with a slight thump almost losing his balance and falling over him. He leaned a palm into Jimin’s forehead to feel if he was getting warm. He was awake but definitely not in his right conscious. Jimin only saw through a fogged window from his eyes. Who was there, where he was, what he ate, what happened, everything was a blur to him. He felt a pinching pain on his left arm but couldn’t put a pin on it what it exactly was, just for a split second he felt it was difficult to breathe.
“Why are you helping a criminal?” Jeongguk stayed silent. He knew he was doing the right thing, or was this just a mistake,
“Please let’s keep this between us.” The doctor just silently agreed. He was Jeongguk’s family doctor, understanding and doesn’t like to pry on other people’s business, simply doing his job and taking care of his patients. When the doctor left, Jeongguk took on the task of patching up Jimin’s smaller injuries. Applying ointment, cleaning up the wounds and covering them in gauze.
In the midst of the night Jeongguk checked on him every hour or so, wiping his face and arms with a damp cloth. Changing his blood and dirt covered clothes to a pair of his own. ‘Im not a pervert I swear’ he told to Jimin’s sleeping self before he switched his blood and mud patched clothes. Checking his temperature every time he felt his skin warm up, the many times he would wake up to Jimin’s loud suffocated gags reaching over Jeongguk’s bed, almost falling into the very mess he created. Jeongguk would wipe his face with a cloth and help him sip some water and go back to sleep, then he would get to work with cleaning up and going back to sleep on the couch himself.
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Jimin sat on his couch with one leg bent below him. His fingers caressing his lips as he searched for information. He still felt sickly, as though he was still being fed something disgusting. He let out a deep breath and leaned back with his head back, when he closed his eyes he could feel the similar touches as he did the previous night. Someone was caring for him, he felt his hands and face freshening.
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Deep grunts left his mouth while chasing the man in a deep brown jacket, dressed in casual clothing looking like a mere citizen. The man ran pushing past other civilians as Jeongguk followed. The man went flying into the pavement on his hands—a foot stuck out to trip him— face inches away from smashing against the blocked floor. Jeongguk came to a halt right behind the man on the floor and looked back.
“One chance. But the second you fuck up,” he took a pause closing towards Jeongguk in his mask. “I will kill you.”
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