| District 9 | STRAY KIDS SHIPS

No One Suspects The Butcher// Hyunho

"Shut up, Jisung. This is becoming out of hand and we need to keep all our options open. So, we're questioning everybody," Hyunjin raised his eyebrows in a challenging manner before tugging Jisung through the door. Jisung groaned lowly, pulling Hyunjin in close by his bicep so they could speak with one another quietly.

"Okay, first of all, you're not even a detective. You're a forensic scientist. And second of all, the butcher is too obvious! Since when was the butcher ever the murderer?" Jisung whispered harshly, but all Hyunjin could do was glare. "We're wasting time being here!"

"Listen, the limbs were cut with precision and took only one swing, we know this, and who else is able to-" Hyunjin started, but cut himself off with a yelp when someone came out from the back of the shop through the door and stood behind the counter. It was a man, maybe a little older than the both of them wearing a blue and white vertical striped apron over a white shirt, thick brown pants, and black boots Hyunjin saw when the man walked by the opening that leads to the counter. He was attractive with parted brown hair, sharp eyes, and muscles bulging from his shirt. Hyunjin gulped a bit.

"What can I get for you, detectives?" God, even his voice was attractive. the way his lips moved was breathtaking, and his Adam's apple bobbed a bit...

A quick elbow to Hyunjin's side snapped him out of it and Hyunjin coughed, rubbing at the back of his neck shyly. "Erm... can we speak to the owner of this establishment?" Hyunjin stammered out, ignoring Jisung mumbling under his breath for Hyunjin to not drool so much. The worker cocked his head to the side, and a small smile spread over his lips and Hyunjin felt like the air had been knocked out his lungs.

"You're speaking with him now," The owner teased, and Jisung gaped a bit.

"You own this place? But you look so young..." Jisung murmured, and the owner, Minho his name tag read, laughed through his nose.

"It was my aunt's a few years ago, but she passed and she gave the shop to me in her will. I've been working here since I was 15," Minho explained, tone light but oddly secretive all the same. Hyunjin frowned and bowed a bit, apologizing for Minho's loss. "It's alright. It was a few years ago and I think this town has lost more in a few months than I have my whole life," Minho murmured the last part solemnly, and if Hyunjin hadn't been so stricken by the man... perhaps he would have noticed the emptiness to Minho's eyes.

"And how old are you now?" Jisung questioned, crossing his arms over his chest in his standard detective pose and Hyunjin snickered a bit at it. "Shut up, Hyunjin," Jisung growled toward the elder, but it only made him snicker a bit louder and clapped his hands once quietly. Minho simply watched them with a studious gaze, trying to figure out their dynamic, but he put on an amused facade so they didn't grow suspicious of him.

"You just don't look cool, Ji."

"I'm 28. I inherited the business a little after I got out of college so maybe 24? 25?" Minho shrugged. He knew exactly when he got the business. It was December 29, 2025, 2 weeks after his aunt died, and he was turning 25 in a few weeks. "Now... do you want to get into the questions?" The two looked at each other. "This about the recent murders right? The serial killer?" Minho questioned, coming out from behind the counter, and Hyunjin nearly dropped to the floor when Minho's full-body became exposed. The man was shorter than Hyunjin, but Jesus was he built.

"Right... How'd you know it's a serial killer? That information hasn't been confirmed yet," Jisung furrowed his eyebrows, and Minho scratched at his forehead.

"Well... there's a pattern there. Unless it's just a coincidence," Minho muttered, eerily calm when they were talking about dead bodies. Hyunjin believed it was just a front though.