Behind the Azalea Heist Series

Scene 1: An Azalea

So, this is the first concept of An Azalea. It's closer to the inspiration "White Collar". I wanted policeman Namjoon to use the criminal he caught, Taehyung, to help him catch bad guys. Taehyung is on the leash with an electronic foot chain and sets up a plan to catch the guy who wants the painting "An Azalea". Oh, and not even Taehyung knows Suga's real name. (I loved re-reading this...)

Taehyung focus

Taehyung stared at the back of the barista who worked on his order. A snow-white shirt taunted over well-build shoulders and hugged a slim waist, and below the coffee-brown ribbon of the apron, a bubble but waited to be tapped. Delicious. Just like the drinks.

"You know, normal people use these around their neck," a familiar voice from behind knocked his not-so-innocent fantasies out of his head, and a perfectly manicured hand tugged on the tie he wore as a belt. The hand was connected to a tall, broad-shouldered man in a sky-gray tailored suit, whose plush lips carried a soft smile and whose chestnut hair looked ridiculously soft. "Nice hair color, by the way."

"Jin," Taehyung stated not so intelligent and cross-eyed to look at the mentioned gray hair that hung into his eyes lazily, "I haven't seen you in years." The counter-boy who tried to hand him his morning Matcha milk with a phone number scribbled on the cup was forgotten.

Jin raised a perfect eyebrow and let go of the tie. "Seriously?" the beauty snarled, "You expected me to visit you in jail and get myself into the focus of the KNP? No thank you." Taehyung could see the counter-boy paling from the corner of his eye. He suppressed a chuckle and instead smiled at Jin apologetically.

"Well, now I'm back," he replied, almost sighing. That was a lie. He was not even close to back. The once great and glorious master of forgery and theft now was degraded to one of the KNP dogs. But everything was better than instant coffee and scratchy onesies and a cell as big as a broom cabinet, so he had taken the offer of the government's good boys.

"That's why I'm here," Jin replied with sudden seriousness and finally took Taehyung's drink from the counter-boy, paying a Matcha milk with a 200'000 Won bill. The younger looked after the bill longingly. "I have a job for you," Jin sat his mind straight. The taller gestured him to follow to one of the tables outside which were bathed in the beaming sunlight of early summer.

Taehyung looked at the beauty skeptically when they sat down. Was his Hyung serious? Jin knew he only was free because he helped the KNP white-collar department in catching people who were like him, well not as good of course otherwise they would not get caught by him. The police had offered him the opportunity to be a consultant because he was the smartest of all criminals who ever had been dumb enough to get arrested. They wanted his insight. So, he might be out of prison, but he was definitely not free. The electronic foot chain that dangled around his left ankle and traced every of his steps made that more than clear. As well as his income...

"You know my... scope is limited," he said and pulled up his trouser to show the unhandy black tool that decorated his leg. Limited was a nice word for what this really was; he had a 3km radius around Seoul's Yongsan police office and if he overstepped it, his supervisor was automatically informed by SMS. A 3km radius was a joke in a city like Seoul; he only was able to visit museums if one of the officers accompanied him. But complaining had gained him nothing; he had tasted that bitter piece of reality.

"I know," Jin said, after giving the limiting tool a judging look that bordered disgust. "But hear me out."

Taehyung glanced at his watch. He was about to be late, but Namjoon would most likely be happy to see his face a little later. Jin's job offers had always been the best. His friend was personal shopper for the Chaebol, the top one percent of the country, but not the kind of personal shopper one might expect to find under this title. His offers were a little more special. If his customer wanted a picture or artefact that he could not get, Jin would find the people who could. And Taehyung had mostly been the one he had asked, because he has been the best of the best and he had loved it. So, he gestured Jin to continue. There was no harm in listening to the man.