WONWOO
sometimes, wonwoo misses the old warehouse. he misses its minimalism, the odd comfort it provided, and the simplicity it held. things were so much more different when it was just him, vernon, seungcheol, and mingyu alone in the warehouse with no strings attached and no commitments to anyone but themselves.
but he can't lie; he quite enjoys the large house the golden lights live in. he wonders how they got there, how they built everything up from the ground after arriving from utopia. he thinks yin likely had a big part in it, but he doesn't pry into business that isn't his.
while the house is rather spacious, they have to share rooms, though he's used to it as they all slept in the same room in the warehouse. he ends up sharing with mingyu, which is the only slight issue he has with the whole arrangement. even with his slow-growing likeness towards the younger, he doesn't think he's that far yet. he sees all of mingyu's habits in an even closer view than before, as their beds are just feet apart. wonwoo sees the pile of clothes mingyu leaves on the ground for days at a time, sees the used tissues and empty packaging from snacks left on the bedside table, sees the abandoned attempts at reading books (books that are wonwoo's, and he's displeased about seeing them left so haphazardly). he tends to clean up after the younger simply because he despises living in such a messy room, but other times, he leaves it be and hopes the other will take care of it. more often than not, he's wrong, but he digresses.
"how come you can clean up the kitchen and the rest of the house but not your side of the room?" he asks one day, exasperated at the younger's behaviour.
"because the kitchen is a communal space," retorts mingyu, not even looking up from the book he's pretending to read.
wonwoo leans over the length of the couch—including a helpless jongho, who thought he was free of cats and dogs—and smacks the taller on the head. "our room is a communal space!"
"communal implies it's shared by more than two people, like a community." mingyu flips a page, though wonwoo's fairly certain he's still not actually reading the book.
"i will break your nose," he threatens without malice, only strong irritation. "i don't care if you're sharing with one person or one hundred; you need to clean up your messes! i'm sick of sharing a room with you. you're insufferable."
"um," seonghwa interjects from across the coffee table, looking unsure as he speaks, "if we can manage to move the gym equipment to the garage, you both could have your own room."
wonwoo's eyes widen, and his head tilts as he mulls it over. he thinks it wouldn't be so bad because he could have his own space for once, and he wouldn't have to deal with mingyu's tiresome living habits. "i mean—"
"no, it's all right," mingyu interrupts quickly. "i'll work on it." he runs a hand through his hair. "just, uh, don't—um, i want to keep sharing a room with you."
wonwoo's nose scrunches, slightly raising his glasses back up his nose. he doesn't understand mingyu or any of the thoughts that run through his head, if any. "why?"
mingyu swallows and fumbles over his words again. wonwoo just raises an expectant eyebrow at him. mingyu finally huffs and drags his hands down his face in defeat. "never mind," he mumbles. "do whatever you want."
and for whatever reason, wonwoo says, "i guess it's not that bad. i can probably get used to it."
mingyu's head shoots up. "no." he takes a breath. "if i'm really that bothersome, we'll get you your own room. you shouldn't have to suffer because of me. stop compromising for the sake of others."
the gap between wonwoo's eyebrows narrows, and he squints at the younger, trying desperately to figure out what he's thinking. although mingyu wears an outer layer of confidence and playfulness, wonwoo thinks he hides everything else beneath it. perhaps he doesn't like being vulnerable; perhaps he would rather keep that part for himself only. but whatever it is, wonwoo suddenly feels the desire to know it.
he settles on not saying anything, and the conversation lulls to a stop. no one else says a word either, creating another suffocating silence. highly uncomfortable, wonwoo leaves the room, grabs the book from his bedside table, and heads to the backyard to try and clear his mind.
it's a warmer day at the beginning of april; the temperature is tolerable, especially with the sun shining. wonwoo zips up his jacket and repositions his glasses on his nose before opening his book where he left off.
the time they've had to simply be has been a nice respite. instead of being criminals, they're just everyday people. wonwoo thinks he rather likes it. maybe enough that he might have a change of heart at some point. he only vaguely remembers the time before perilous. there are both good and bad parts of his current life, but he only allows himself to think about them occasionally.
but of course, nothing lasts forever.
"we've created a diversion," yang says the next time they meet up.
"diversion? how so?" seungcheol asks.
"if they do learn who i am—as yang—we've created a fake person for them to find instead. instead of yang ji long or yang ji yong, they'll find yang jia zhuang. from what yin's told me, they know i'm related to jeongin and hongseok, but they also know that i'm chinese. we're giving this pretend person a chinese name since that's most likely what they'll be looking for."
"how'd you manage that?" mingyu questions.
"yin has a small circle of professionals who are more loyal to them than to their father. one of them is very good at making fake papers look authentic. a team has begun to create a timeline for yang jia zhuang's existence," she continues. "if possible, they'll disconnect me from my alias so jiyong and yang are seen as separate people. it'll be hard since the public already knows yang ji yong, but i believe in them."
"that's impressive," compliments hongjoong, who has been silently observing. "but i'm beginning to think you two are the real criminals here."
wonwoo can't stop the bark of laughter that escapes him, quickly covering his mouth with a sleeve-enveloped hand. all eyes shoot to him, and he feels the need to explain. "i just agree with you, is all. we might plan and carry out our schemes, but yin and yang make everything possible and ensure our success. it's more like we're the pawns in their game."
unreadable expressions cross both yin and yang's faces, but hongjoong also laughs. "they're crafty, that's for sure."
"how long will it take to finish setting up?" vernon asks, slightly shifting the topic of conversation.
"anywhere from a few days to a few weeks," replies yin with a casual shrug. "depends on what kinds of roadblocks pop up. i'm confident they'll manage without issue, however."
"in the meantime," seungcheol says, "should we plan our next step? if this is the case, i think we'll be able to pull off something even bigger. and since we have more people on our side, now seems like a good a time as any, don't you think?"
although wonwoo is a little reluctant about their leader's claim—and he can see it on yin and yang's faces, too—there's not much he can say or do. everyone else seems to be completely on board, so he just waits to see how it plays out.
"what should we do, then?" mingyu wonders, fingers rhythmically tapping the couch's armrest.
"something big," answers seungcheol with an almost scary, devilish smirk. "i just don't know what yet."
wonwoo watches as seungcheol and hongjoong hunch over a series of documents, mumbling quietly to each other. he's sitting far enough away that he can't see what they're looking at or hear what they're saying, but from their furrowed brows and scrunched faces, he can tell they're thinking hard. instead of supplying anything, he just watches. he notices the way their expressions change and the way their bodies shift.
"if you stare any harder, i think you might burn a hole through them," mingyu says, suddenly beside him.
"i just want them to know that i don't fully agree," he sighs, readjusting his glasses. it reminds him of that time back in the beginning of march, when seungcheol wanted to play a game with the police, and they ended up sending four rookie criminals to get caught and pretend to be them. wonwoo had been against the whole idea—doing anything at all, really—but it was three against one, and he ultimately lost. it seems like a common occurrence: the three of them agree on a terrible idea, and he's left to reluctantly go along with it.
"i know," replies mingyu, tapping his fingers on his thigh. "but think of it this way: perilous has given the golden lights a new reason to fight. for as long as i've known them, they've all been spirited and passionate. losing wooyoung destroyed them. but our cause means something to them."
when wonwoo doesn't say anything, only scrunches his nose up, mingyu continues. "i know you don't know them—and you don't really have a reason to care about them—but i think it's easy to tell they're perfervid about this."
wonwoo's head tilts to the side, a slow, creeping smirk making its way onto his lips. "i didn't think you knew such a fancy word."
mingyu punches his arm, a small pout visible. "you're so rude. i'm trying to be insightful."
wonwoo laughs. "you know i'm joking, right?"
"yeah, but still." the younger crosses his arms like a petulant child not getting his way. "you're mean."
"thank you for the words," wonwoo tells him, hoping his honesty is evident. he only thinks for a second—a frazzled, hesitant second—before placing his hand on mingyu's shoulder. "you've given me a new perspective on it, and i'll think more about it later."
the smile mingyu shows is bright and pleased. wonwoo can't help but coo at the younger, and he's embarrassed by it, immediately covering his face with his hands. "you didn't hear that."
mingyu nudges him. "hear what?"
wonwoo never thought he'd be grateful for mingyu, but at this moment, he very much is.
☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎
"wonwoo, since you're the most against this, we wanted to get your opinion," seonghwa announces some number of days later. "we have the start of something big, but we want your input. all of yours, actually."
between seungcheol, seonghwa, and hongjoong, they explain their ideas and reasoning. "since this could be our last crime—either in the near future or ever—we want it to be spectacular. originally, we were thinking of something against the president as he's the face of our government, but we chose not to because of yin. we don't want to cause them and yang any trouble ahead of their wedding. instead, we decided on a large-scale heist. we've stolen from the cops before, but that was just for information. if we steal something expensive, we could go out with a bang."
"we thought about a museum since there are a lot of priceless artefacts and such there. it certainly won't be easy, but it will definitely be rewarding. our little pirate brains found that a little comforting, to be honest." hongjoong laughs fondly. "but on the other hand, stashing anything adds more danger to our lives, and we didn't really want to deal with trying to sell it and not seem suspicious. it's easier on the water because it's less likely mainlanders will find it and use their newer technology against us."
"stealing something useless and confusing also crossed our minds. we could just baffle the nation instead of stealing something serious. it would simply be funny," says seungcheol.
wonwoo raises his eyebrows at that one, but he only receives a noncommittal shrug in response.
"as ambitious as an art heist sounds," yin interjects, "why don't we just take something from my father's house?" everyone gapes at them. "seriously, think about it. i can get you access, and you can still make a move against him. that, or i could probably even get you into the capitol building. there's a lot of vital information stored there; you could take your pick. we'll be busy with last-minute wedding preparations, but getting you into my father's house wouldn't be a problem."
wonwoo doesn't have to deliberate much on that idea. he quite likes it, actually. they'll still be making a stance, but it won't involve death or risk their capture.
"doesn't your father have an annual fundraising gala or something?" yang asks with furrowed brows.
yin bites their lip. "you're right, he does. i'd completely forgotten about it. in fact, this year, it's just a few days before our wedding. if you all agree, we can start planning now. it's usually a masked event, so we can create some more fake identities and get you in without issue."
it doesn't take much convincing for everyone else to be on board. seungcheol reasons that it's a much simpler job, and already having connections helps them tenfold. they won't have to start from scratch. mingyu agrees with a smile, and vernon just shrugs as he does. the golden lights don't have any arguments; they seem to be up for anything.
"again," says hongjoong, "you two just might be the real criminals amongst us."
the next week passes by in a blur. as the fake identities created aren't for bigger purposes, all that's needed for them is a few papers to back up their credibility. wonwoo memorises the information he's given, but he doubts he'll need much more than his name and occupation. he gets the feeling that most of the crowd attending the gala will be snobby people with too much time on their hands, too much money in their bank accounts, and too much alcohol in their systems.
it's six o'clock in the evening, and wonwoo is standing in front of the floor-length mirror that's attached to the wall. he smooths his hands over the front of his dress shirt and frowns. he doesn't look like himself; he looks wrong. he feels wrong, too. his hair is gelled, and there's a light smattering of makeup applied to his skin. it's unnatural for him.
the door opens, almost into his face. he lets out a yelp and holds his hands out to stop the door from hitting him. he takes a step back and focuses on the person in front of him. "mingyu?"
"hi," the younger replies. "sorry about that. i didn't know you were there."
wonwoo hums and takes another step back as he continues to eye himself in the mirror. "it's fine."
"you look good," mingyu chirps. "i've never seen you in a suit before. in fact, i don't think i've ever seen you out of sweatpants and a hoodie. maybe jeans and a t-shirt on occasion, but even that's rare."
"don't get used to it," wonwoo mumbles, still fussing over his appearance. "i hate this."
"hate what?"
"all of it." he waves a hand over himself and sighs heavily. "i feel too constricted, and i don't like having layers of anything on my face."
mingyu hums. "i get it. it's definitely out of the ordinary for us."
"we're leaving in five minutes!" seonghwa calls from somewhere else in the house.
wonwoo stops fussing over himself and looks around the room for anything he might've missed picking up. mingyu waits by the door until he's ready, and then they make their way to the others.
all eleven of them are dressed in neatly pressed suits with an assortment of accessories. vernon has traded his signature beanie for an ugly, western top hat. (wonwoo has no clue where it came from, but he's learned not to question the younger's fashion choices.) yin is wearing a dark pantsuit, and yang has on a pretty, nondescript navy dress. yin reaches into the cloth bag they're holding and pulls out a dozen plastic masks that range from covering only their eyes to most of their faces. "you don't have to put them on until we get there, but i wanted you to have them beforehand."
they take two cars; six are crammed into one in a way that's definitely dangerous and probably illegal. on the ride to president park's loud, extravagant mansion, they go over the details once more, connected via phone. "the statue you're taking is fairly small, but it's worth a lot, and it's not important to my father. he probably won't notice it's missing for a while, honestly. he just has it because it's gold and expensive. it's located in the east wing on the second floor. if i remember correctly, the library is next to an unused drawing room."
"you have a drawing room on the second floor?" vernon interjects, incredulous.
"my father does," they correct quickly.
"you call it a drawing room?" yeosang adds from the other car. wonwoo can hear the slight tone of judgement, but it's not like he has any different thoughts. rich people really are obnoxious.
yin only shrugs at that. "it's fitting because it's in a mansion. it'd be called a living room anywhere else." they're quiet for a moment before shaking their head. "i think the best time is when the auction winner is announced. there will be a lot of excitement and commotion, and no one will be paying attention to you. until then, you'll have to mingle with a bunch of rich assholes."
they're separated into extroverts and introverts, and at first, wonwoo finds it to be a very strange distinction, but once yang explains it, he finds it rather clever. mingyu, vernon, seonghwa, yunho, and mingi are together; seungcheol, wonwoo, hongjoong, yeosang, san, and jongho are in another group. one of each is paired together to make rounds throughout the evening. the extroverts will talk and socialise while the introverts scope out the building.
wonwoo is paired with yunho. he finds the younger slightly off-putting, but it's solely because he reminds him of mingyu. both yunho and mingi do if he thinks about it. maybe it's because they don't know each other very well, but yunho doesn't talk as much as mingyu does. while the silence is a little uncomfortable, wonwoo also appreciates it because he doesn't have to ask or answer any awkward surface-level questions.
they split off into their groups: seungcheol and seonghwa; wonwoo and yunho; hongjoong and mingyu; yeosang and vernon; san and yang; jongho with yin and mingi. wonwoo and yunho wander around the main sitting room, seeing couples dressed in some of the most uncomfortable-looking outfits. wonwoo finds the interior design and decorations to be gaudy, over-the-top, and unnecessary. he wrinkles his nose in distaste and turns away to observe the attendees instead.
"yin said there's a small staircase by the kitchen that should get us closer to the library," wonwoo whispers to yunho.
yunho nods. "let's wait for a little before looking. i don't want to seem suspicious right off the bat."
wonwoo returns it, and they wander through the crowd. a few people stop them for a chat or to share a drink, and wonwoo's glad he has someone more keen on conversing with strangers beside him. he slowly sips from the glass someone handed him, tasting the bubbly bitterness of champagne on his tongue. he tells his fake name and his fake story to these mostly intoxicated attendees, and they happily take it in.
when the bidding period is opened, wonwoo and yunho scan the masked faces for the rest of their group. mingyu and mingi are easy to spot as they also tower over everyone else. wonwoo internally laughs at that, amused for some reason. hongjoong looks so small next to mingyu, though he knows the leader of the golden lights is fierce and dangerous when need be.
wonwoo doesn't pay close attention to the auction. he sees what's getting bid on and makes faces at the objects, but he doesn't want to hear how much people are willing to pay for them. he's content with silently judging the interior of the mansion again.
the most anticipated object of the night is saved for last. it's a chair akin to a throne that's made out of pure gold and encrusted with numerous gemstones and intricate designs. the owner claims they bought it for nearly two billion won, and wonwoo's mouth drops open. he can't even fathom that much money, much less having it—and spending it on a chair, no doubt. it ends up selling for close to three billion won, and he clenches his jaw in anger.
"now's the time," yin tells them, eyes discreetly trained on their father. "before people start to calm down and go back to mingling. yang and i will stay down here and let you know if anything happens."
as one of the designated pairs, wonwoo and yunho slip away and ease their way to the kitchen staircase. the steps are carpeted—which seems wildly out of place with the rest of the mansion, but he supposes rich people can do whatever the hell they want—and it helps hide the sound of their shoes as they make their way up.
the library is one of the first doors, and it's made obvious by the doorway that's far too grand for such a room. wonwoo smiles at the sheer amount of shelves that have books filling every possible space. he wishes he could visit such a place, or maybe one day own such a place. this is the only room he'll accept in its gaudy entirety.
"you like books?" yunho asks softly.
wonwoo is unable to contain his excitement. "i actually wanted to be a writer when i grew up, but clearly, my life took a different path."
yunho smiles. "there's always time. maybe you can revisit it after this heist. the rest of us have thought about finally chasing other dreams, too, and now seems like as good a time as any."
wonwoo nods slightly, biting his lip in thought. maybe there's still time; maybe it isn't too late. he'll likely have to reestablish himself as a member of society once perilous is done, so he might as well do what he wanted to do originally.
"i think i found it!" someone calls out. wonwoo looks over to see san holding up a statue the size of wonwoo's two hands put together. it's too big to fit into a pocket, and none of them had brought outer jackets because they'd have fewer belongings to keep track of.
"i think yin left the bag holding our masks at home," mingi says glumly.
a sudden idea pops into wonwoo's head. he reaches out a hand. "can i hold it?" despite being made out of pure gold, it's not particularly heavy. "vernon, put it in your hat."
vernon just stares at him like he's lost his mind. "what?"
"put it in your hat," he repeats. "if it's too heavy to sit on your head or there's too much extra space, take your hat off and hold it upside down. put the statue in and cover it with jongho's pocket square, and then we can exchange it with yang's scarf once we go back down."
vernon only shakes his head, not saying anything in response. he plucks the statue from wonwoo's grasp and dumps it into the space of his hat. jongho hands over his pocket square. "your brain is so brilliant," he says at last. "let's go."
they head back down the stairs at different intervals, slowly reintegrating into the throng of people. wonwoo does his best to keep his eyes forward, not wanting his gaze to wander back to vernon. the unspoken rule is that if something happens, it's everyone for themselves. perhaps it's counterintuitive to their whole family-like dynamic, but they can't risk all of them getting caught.
a few people stop them for a chat, but for the most part, they're able to escape without issue. the april air is warming up as the month is in its first weeks, but wonwoo still shivers slightly, sensitive to the cold. he wishes he had mingyu's scarf with him.
and because wonwoo's sure mingyu has some sort of sixth sense that tells him when someone is thinking about him, he appears. hongjoong is no longer by his side, instead replaced with yang. he notices them speaking in hushed tones and raises an eyebrow at it, but he doesn't comment on it.
"vernon was right behind us..." yang trails off, noticing he's not. they all look back and see him talking to a masked figure in a striped suit by the front door. yin exits and pauses to join the conversation. from his spot, however, wonwoo can't hear what they're talking about, but he can tell from yin's body language that they know the unknown person.
"oh," yang breathes out as they watch yin hug them. "i think i know who that is."
vernon rejoins the group before yin, who is still talking to them. "they're exes, i guess. it was kind of uncomfortable to keep standing there." he shrugs, playing with the rim of his hat.
wonwoo vaguely remembers an ex being mentioned at some point, but he can't recall anything about them. he gives vernon an awkward pat on the shoulder instead.
when yin finally returns to them, they're nearly beaming. "sorry, i didn't know he'd be here."
seonghwa clears his throat. "who's 'he,' if i may ask."
"his name's chan. we dated for a year, and he's on the team trying to catch perilous," they state matter-of-factly. "he's very nice, though."
"that doesn't make me feel better," seonghwa answers.
"i think we should have a talk about what gets shared because that would've been nice to know beforehand," yeosang says. "i accidentally spilt some of my drink on him, and he seemed very distraught about it."
"he loves that suit," yin explains. "we bought it together after he joined the precinct. it has sentimental value." yeosang nods in understanding but doesn't say anything else. "he'll be okay. don't worry about it."
then, perilous, yin, and yang take their leave, escaping into the evening with one last successful crime on their hands.
JIHOON
jihoon has gotten tired of endlessly chasing dead ends. their boss has them working overtime on projects outside of perilous. a few nights ago, chan and seokmin were tasked with spying on a rich businessman at the president's mansion, suspected of embezzlement. just last night, he had been sent to a nightclub that supposedly fronted a gang hideout, but it was only speculation and hadn't led to anything except wasting his time. (he was sure the only powerful gangs in seoul had been combined into one and worked with the police to some degree, so he wasn't surprised when it turned out to be a bust, and he wasn't sure why he had been sent.)
so, when their boss announces, "something valuable was stolen from the president's house a few nights ago," he really doesn't care. that, and he despises their president. he's an arrogant, capitalistic, cowardly prick. "we think it's part of a string of robberies of influential people. a few of you will go and interview him; the rest will canvass the area for any witnesses."
not much else had happened in the weeks since they found vernon's social media accounts. they'd mostly been sent on small jobs that were all focused on petty crimes. the most exciting thing that happened was when they were called to a home robbery that had taken a bad turn and ended in murder. but ultimately, they were pushed to the side, letting the specialised homicide unit take over.
it's a sunny day, making the winter-like spring chill seem less than it is. jihoon trails after joshua, jeonghan, and junhui, called to interview the president. he's wary of being face-to-face with the man, but he digresses. it's part of his job, after all; it comes with good and bad, and he has to deal with all of it.
the president is a tall, cruelly handsome man with a pointed nose and narrow eyes. the upturned lip seems to be permanent. jihoon can't find any resemblance between him and chae min yeong. minyeong has a stony resting face, but they don't have a cold, calculating presence. he wonders how they're possibly related.
"you're the cops?" he asks, the judgement in his voice barely detectable.
"yes?" joshua replies with a furrowed brow. "we'd like to ask you some questions."
the president just waves his hand dismissively. "go on."
"we were told the stolen object is a small statue," joshua surges on. "can you describe it in more detail? or, do you have a picture of it?"
"it's about this big." the president holds his hands out lazily, indicating its size. "it's pure gold, maybe ten pounds." the more he describes it, the more jihoon wants to roll his eyes. if he could, he'd sock this guy. he oozes privilege and condescension. jihoon despises him.
"i'm aware that it was a busy night, but is there anyone you noticed that seemed suspicious?" junhui questions, tapping his pen on his notepad.
"i'm sure my daughter was there. maybe she saw something."
"your daughter?"
"minyeong. she lives with her...fiancée across the city. i'll have my assistant get her address for you."
"understood," says junhui. "can we get a list of the guests that attended the gala?"
"i'll have my assistant send that over as well."
"thank you for your time, mr. president," jeonghan finishes off. "we'll leave a card with you to send the address and guest list to, or if you have any other information for us later on. we'll get out of your way now." jihoon forces himself not to say anything when he sees that the card handed over has his name, phone number, and email address.
once they're out of earshot, off of his property, jihoon growls, "i absolutely hate him."
"me too," joshua huffs. "he's quite despicable." the fact that joshua hates him is saying something.
"i can't believe he disrespects his own kid like that." junhui clenches his fist. "even if queer identities aren't really welcomed here, the least he could do is respect them."
"as much as i agree, he's too prideful for that," says jeonghan wistfully. "he's too set in his ways that anything doesn't matter. i've seen far too many people like that, unfortunately."
"guess we should get these notes back to the boss," joshua says, shaking his head.
they meet up with the rest of the team as they walk back to their vehicles. "did you get anything useful?" minghao asks.
"not really," replies junhui. "the guy's a prick."
a sudden ding! sounds from one of jihoon's phones. he pulls both of them out and sees a message from an unknown number on his work phone. he opens the message and sees an address. "here's minyeong's address. the assistant says they'll get the guest list to us by tonight."
"i'll call the boss and see what he says," seokmin tells the group. minutes later, he announces, "he wants jihoon, chan, and seungkwan to go check it out. the rest of us are to return to the precinct."
jihoon hops into one of the cars, chan sliding into the passenger seat before seungkwan can even say anything. "how come i never get to sit in the front? i'm older than you!"
"it's 'cause you're old and slow."
seungkwan shoots him an unimpressed look. "shut up, chan. i'm only a year older than you."
"as i said, old." chan sticks out his tongue, further proving his childish side.
"i hope you find someone who puts you in your place," grumbles seungkwan.
jihoon doesn't say a word the whole time. he focuses on driving but likes listening to his coworkers' banter. though sometimes annoying, it's always entertaining.
an evil thought pops into jihoon's head. "hey, chan, how's your little crush?"
seungkwan's jaw drops. "your what?"
"yeah, my what?" chan splutters.
jihoon smirks. "you know, that guy you were basically stalking online not too long ago."
chan turns to him, a look of horror on his face. "you wouldn't," he whispers.
"i already did."
the youngest slouches back in his seat, pouting. "i hate you."
"hey!" seungkwan leans forward in his seat, stretching the seatbelt as far as it goes. "i still need details! who is he? what does he look like? what does he do? how'd you find him?"
as seungkwan throws question after question—faster than anyone would be able to answer—jihoon laxly holds the steering wheel, a satisfied grin on his lips. he was careful not to mention who it was, but he still wanted to tease chan about it.
"you're enjoying this, aren't you?" chan complains, dragging his hands down his face in exasperation.
"very much," jihoon cackles. he stops as he pulls into the apartment complex's parking lot. "we're here."
the drive proves fruitless, however; minyeong isn't home. another hour wasted. jihoon sighs in frustration. "that guest list better help us, or i'm going to—"
"we'll find the culprit," chan interrupts, probably aware that jihoon was about to say something unsavoury.
jihoon grits his teeth so he doesn't finish his thought. it's the best he can do for now. seungkwan just pats his shoulder.
MINGHAO
minghao follows behind junhui, bored out of his mind. he wants to be looking for perilous, not a fucking statue. he feels he could be doing anything else, but alas, here he is, searching for an object that, ultimately, probably doesn't mean a whole lot to someone so rich and powerful.
while chan, seungkwan, and jihoon go to the address the president's assistant sent over, the rest of them have returned to the precinct. minghao wishes a new development would occur in the perilous case so he can feel like he's doing something worthwhile.
as much as he enjoys his job, he feels like a little child, following vague instructions while not comprehending a damn thing. he feels like most of the cases he's put on are pointless and unimportant. he wants to do something, wants to be something.
of course, he doesn't voice any of this out loud. if he did, his boss wouldn't be happy, and he's sure no one else would understand. besides, he's a foreigner here. even though he's been in korea for years, he feels like he doesn't get a say.
"welcome back, boys," says the slightly questionable older man who happens to be their boss. "i hope you know how vital finding this statue is. the president is a very powerful, very respected man. as law enforcers to his government, we must always have him as a priority."
more than once, he had showcased his affinity for the president and his ideals. the president is middle-aged, having been born in a different time. he carries values and thoughts from a different generation, and their boss easily accommodates them into his own agenda. but president park doesn't respect his child's identity or acknowledge them as something else, and minghao will never go along with someone like that.
minghao has learned that things are vastly different amongst the youth of the current era. it's much more open and welcoming—though it's not all positive. some of the outrage is public, but a lot of it is anonymous. he has spent enough time online that he knows. he's seen forums full of rants, sites advertising petitions, and even protests at universities.
"how—may i ask how this is related to the string of robberies?" joshua ventures.
their boss leans back in his chair, hands laced together over his stomach. "for the past few weeks, notable celebrities have reported stolen belongings. only a handful of them have been returned, and no one has been arrested. they've all been small but expensive objects. no prints are left at the scene, and there are no witnesses."
minghao's brows furrow. "how are they recovered, then?"
"luck. coincidence. whatever you want to call it." he shrugs, then lists off some examples. "one was caught on a surveillance camera at a pawn shop. another was discarded in a dumpster behind a restaurant, and a partial print was found, but it didn't lead to anything."
"if that's the case, then why do you think we're going to find anything now?" jeonghan demands in his light tone. minghao can feel the discreet irritation radiating off of him.
their boss turns to jeonghan with stern, narrow eyes. "we're the best police task force in the city. we're entrusted with the safety of the community. every person is valuable. it's our responsibility to protect them."
minghao wants to laugh. what a nice fucking sentiment. if only it were genuine. minghao knows the man doesn't believe that. he only cares about the rich and famous; he only has his well-being in mind. if the ones with the most power are thriving, then he is, too. it's that simple.
there's an awkward silence that permeates the room. none of them want to go against the boss, but most—if not all—of them know he's full of shit. they're saved by the fact that he doesn't seem to notice. he just continues.
"i'll give you your next step once chan, seungkwan, and jihoon have returned. for now, there's more work to be done." he dismisses them with a wave of his hand.
exasperated, minghao decides to take a walk. he feels suffocated in the precinct building, and he knows there isn't anything for him to do at his desk—despite what his boss says. though it's still winter, he thinks the fresh air will help clear his head.
"hey, wait up." he stops and turns, seeing junhui briskly walking towards him. "mind if i join you?"
"i could be going to take a piss, but sure," he answers.
"unless you're pissing outside, the bathroom's in the opposite direction," junhui shoots back, equally playful. "do you mind if we stop at the bakery? i, uh, might've told the others i'd get them doughnuts last week."
minghao shakes his head fondly. "whatever, loser."
the two of them make their way to the nearby bakery, trudging through the light layer of snow and slush. minghao wishes spring would get here faster because he's sick of the biting cold and the grey, lifeless clouds.
they buy two dozen doughnuts (the nine of them can go through so much food it's scary), and each gets a drink to go with it. minghao likes the way his drink warms his insides, fighting off some of the chill that's cascaded throughout his body.
"so, what's up?" junhui asks as they walk back.
"what do you mean? i'm just thinking."
"you've been thinking a lot lately. what's going on?"
minghao huffs, annoyed that junhui knows him so well. "there's something that's been bothering me. you know how the president's kid, minyeong, is supposed to get married soon?" the elder nods. "it just seems kind of sudden, doesn't it? and if the president doesn't respect them in any way, why is he letting it happen? something about it just feels off."
"i...i'm not sure i really know what you mean," he answers, head tilted in question.
minghao deflates. he shouldn't have expected anyone else to understand. he thinks his train of thought always gets lost on other people; they don't fully understand what he means, and he can't figure out how to properly and clearly explain it.
"never mind," he says instead because he doesn't want to think about it anymore. maybe one day he'll be able to explicate what he means.
YIN
it's the day of the wedding, and yin couldn't be more confused about how to feel. the date had been pushed back a few days due to unforeseen circumstances, so now it's the middle of april, and yang is already twenty-one. but the temperature and weather are pleasant, and that's all yin could ask for at this point.
it seems so strange to yin: getting married at such an age. they suppose it's not terribly unusual, but they still feel so young. it feels like there's still so much more to accomplish, so much more to experience. but they know the ways of this world. at least they're not being forced into the business.
it's fairly early in the morning—a little after eight o'clock. yin has been awake for three hours already, unable to fall back asleep. they're too anxious to do anything productive.
finally deciding to get up, they shower and dress, then head to the kitchen for some coffee and something to eat. an envelope catches their eye with its subtle message of warning. they make their way to the balcony with a mug and plate in hand, and the envelope tucked into their pocket.
the envelope contains a single piece of paper with seven words written on it: the cops are looking for the dragon. it was sent almost a week ago, coinciding with the heist perilous and the golden lights pulled off at their father's mansion. the most concerning thing about the letter is that they don't know who sent it.
unbeknownst to yin's father, his assistant is loyal to yin instead. they act as a spy—yin can't think of a better word—reporting events of interest and sending warnings. they purposefully sent the cops the address of an apartment yin and yang don't use often because it's under their father's name and money, which meant they most likely wouldn't be there.
but despite that, yin knows it's not from the assistant. it's not their handwriting, and it's not cryptic enough; it's too blunt. they have guesses about who the dragon is, but they can't recall anyone who would know and also be warning them. the handful of people who know either already work with them or aren't involved in this life in any way.
"what are you looking at?" yang's voice startles yin so badly they spill some of their coffee. "sorry, i thought you heard me open the door."
yin shakes their head and holds out the letter. "just this."
yang hums. "are you worried about it?"
yin shrugs because, honestly, they don't know. they feel like they don't know anything lately. everything is starting to feel like too much. they think that the scales will tip one day, and everything will change for the worse.
"it's okay if you are," she says, taking the seat beside them. "but we'll get out of it; we always do."
"how do you know?"
"because we're yin and yang," she answers easily. "it's us against the world."
☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎
the wedding is a mix of traditional korean and chinese and western. even though most people will see it as two women marrying each other, yin wears the blue, and yang wears the red. both sets of parents have been given the appropriate gifts beforehand. yin is surprised when they're presented with a goose, knowing full well that their father doesn't quite see their relationship as valid. red and gold decorations are displayed everywhere, and the tea ceremony is performed.
the most western part of it all is the reception and everything else afterwards. the reception is held at a high-end restaurant in the city's heart. there's a big, tiered cake that probably took hours to make. speeches are made by numerous family members (the invitations to perilous and the golden lights were rescinded for safety reasons).
it's early evening by the time everything is finished, and yin is exhausted. fortunately, everything went smoothly. they profusely thanked the guests for coming, most of whom, outside of family, they don't know because they're mainly business people connected to yin and yang's parents. (so much for having a friends and family wedding.) they also made sure to thank the people in charge of planning and carrying out the wedding for all of their time and effort.
before flying to jeju island for their honeymoon, yin and yang stop by the golden lights' house to check on everyone.
"aren't you supposed to be gone by now?" hongjoong asks once he's opened the door, eyebrows raised.
"yes, yes. we'll be quick."
"we just wanted to see you before we leave," yang says.
"we'll miss you," san tells them, giving each a tight hug. yang pats his head fondly, which makes yin smile. sometimes, yin forgets that they're the youngest out of all of them.
"make sure to stay out of trouble," yin warns. "i'm serious. there are people after all of us now, and it's imperative that you stay low."
"we will. all of us." seungcheol looks solemn as he speaks. "we swear."
yin bites their lip and nods. "good."
"all right. well. we should go," starts yang. "we'll be back in a week."
the mood having changed once more, mingyu exclaims, "have fun!"
yin huffs a laugh. "we will."
"myin, your phone keeps buzzing."
it's three days in, and yin is sitting in a lounge chair by the pool, soaking in the sun.
"who is it?" they question.
"it's an unknown number, but it seems kind of urgent."
frowning, yin takes the device and looks at the frantic series of texts.
unknown number
hey do you know perilous
like of them
obviously
why would you know them personally
oh it's chan btw
me
how'd you get this number?
unknown number
i never deleted it
and you never mentioned changing it either
so i kinda just assumed it was the same
oops
but i was right
me
oh
okay
yes, i know of perilous
why?
chan
what do you think of them
me
what do you mean?
chan
like do you agree with them or not
me
i feel like this is a trick question
you're not gonna tell my father, are you?
chan
it's not i swear!
and it's not like i could tell him even if i wanted to
you'd find me before that happened
i'm just curious
me
that's true
well, i suppose they have their reasons
i guess it just depends on what those are
if they're stealing or committing crime because they want money or power or just for fun, then i don't agree
but if it's more along the lines of justice or proving a point, then i can understand it
the response is delayed, with the little dots appearing, disappearing, and reappearing multiple times.
chan
is it bad that i'm starting to question my role as a police officer?
like i still want to fight for justice, but i don't know if i'm on the right side here
i love my coworkers, but i can tell they're all a little weary too
and
there's another long pause as he seems to think over his words.
chan
and i want to have a life of my own again
yin's never thought of cop work like that. they've always seen it as dirty—in the way that the police are dirty. they cover shady things up; they're prejudiced; they're arrogant; they only care about themselves and people who can elevate their position. maybe it's yin's experience talking, but they forget that most of them are normal people who have no ill intent, who truly want to make the world better for everyone, who genuinely believe they're doing good work. they realise that their view has changed only slightly in the time since they dated chan.
when chan went into criminal investigative work and was recruited to the precinct, yin was beyond worried. they were scared something bad would happen to him. he was so young and bright, excited and hopeful. they thought police work and everything it entailed would destroy all of that, would absolutely break him. there were so many possible horrors involved, and they wanted to protect him from them all.
looking back, they realise it was hypocritical. being on the other side isn't much safer. they believe they're doing good from a different side. but it really isn't. there are similar horrors to encounter, perhaps, and punishment for getting caught can be another type of trauma. but they didn't have anyone looking out for them like that. yang wasn't a permanent staple in their life at that point, and chan didn't know—still doesn't know.
but chan has always been able to make yin see another point of view, one that isn't theirs. he widens their tunnel vision.
me
i don't think it's bad
maybe you just need a change of scene?
or maybe it's deeper than that
i think that's for you to find out
but i want to tell you that as long as you keep your morals straight and aren't influenced by the corrupt, i think you'll be okay with whatever you end up choosing
and i guess our morals are subject to change, but it's all up to you, ultimately
sorry if that wasn't helpful
chan
no it was
it's given me a lot to think about
but do you really think it'd be so bad if i wanted to join perilous?
if i thought that what they stand for (or what i think they stand for) aligns more with what i believe now?
me
if that's what you decide, it's not like i can stop you
we're far too similar in that way
chan
that's true
anyway
me
yes?
chan
what would you say if i told you i might've found someone i wanted to get to know better
someone who's a little...
let's say unconventional
me
i'm calling
chan picks up immediately. "hello?"
"what do you mean by unconventional?"
yin swears they hear chan swallow. "um, well—vernon."
yin's eyebrows furrow, but they force themselves to keep a steady voice. "who's that?"
"he's one of the members of perilous. jihoon and i found his social media accounts, and i couldn't help it. and he makes music, min. actually good music."
yin rubs their forehead in anguish. this can't be happening. these parts of their life are supposed to stay separate. they can't have chan crushing on vernon because, eventually, he'll fall in love. it's not that they don't want him to, but they just wish it was someone else. almost anyone else.
"min?"
"i'm here, i'm here. i just—that took me by surprise, is all."
"is it bad?"
yin swallows hard. "not necessarily. i just wonder if that's wise."
chan laughs, and yin feels like crying. they miss him. they miss him so damn much. "oh, it's not. i already know that. but i want to meet him. i want to get to know him as a person. there's just something about him that makes me think there's more to him than being a criminal."
oh, how yin wishes they could tell him that there is more to vernon—so much more. but they can't, so they say, "i don't advise you do that, but if it's what you want, i won't stop you. i just want you to be careful."
and happy, but they don't say it out loud, either. they want chan to be happy, but they hope it's with someone who won't put them in danger. it's another small reason why they and chan aren't together anymore—other than yin realising they're absolutely in love with yang.
they don't mention that he and vernon have technically already met—that night at the gala. yin doesn't tell him that, in his favourite striped suit with the little champagne stain, he was talking to vernon chwe, the person of his attention. they're extremely grateful both of them were masked. they're sure vernon would've recognised chan, and based on chan's words, he likely would've recognised vernon.
"i will. i always am. thank you for talking and listening to me. i'll stop bothering you now."
"you could never bother me, chan. i'll always have time for you."
"i know. and you know that it's the same for me, right?"
"of course i do."
"talk to you later, min."
"goodbye, chan."
a few contemplative minutes end with yin noticing they're hungry, their stomach rumbling. they shake their head, trying to clear their mind, and go inside.
"that was a long call," yang says from the stove, standing over a steaming pot. "who was it?"
"it wasn't all a call."
"i know. i left once it became one."
"it was chan." they quickly add, seeing yang stiffen ever so slightly, "he was just asking for advice. it's not my business to tell, but he's thinking about a possible change of pace."
"oh."
"if it makes you feel any better, i think he might end up falling for vernon."
yang stops and twirls around, eyes wide and mouth open. "what? that doesn't make me feel better at all."
"chan's...quick to get attached to people, especially romantically. he saw vernon's social media posts and listened to some of his music, i guess, and that's all it took."
"can i...can i ask how he fell in love with you?" yang sounds hesitant. yin is aware that she doesn't care that she wasn't their first, but they can tell the current contact bothers her somewhat. they don't think she's jealous, but there's definitely some sort of doubtful feeling present.
"i don't actually know," they reply honestly. "sure, i know the things he loved about me, but i don't know what the first one was. maybe—maybe you could ask him that yourself."
yang bites her lip and turns back towards the stove. "maybe."
upon returning to seoul, yin and yang encounter a new problem. at the golden lights' house, wonwoo shows them an online chat forum dedicated to perilous. most of the comments praise their bravery, discuss their identities, debate their help, talk about their work. but it's a specific username that caught wonwoo's eye.
wonwoo had followed a user with the handle dino99 to a university chat forum, asking about vernon. a few people say they recognise the name, but no one remembers enough about him to be helpful.
"it might be nothing," wonwoo starts cautiously, "but i wanted you to take a look, just in case."
yin sighs. "and i appreciate it. i'm pretty sure that's chan. i need to stop him before he does something stupid."
"hold up." vernon's voice surprises them. "chan's the one i met at the gala, right? the criminal investigator?"
yin nods slowly, unsure of where this is going. "what about him?"
"well..." vernon's holding back. yin doesn't want to pressure him, but if it has to do with chan, they want to know. they're aware that they don't have the right to know about him anymore, but they can't stop themselves from wondering, from caring—perhaps too much. "we only talked for a few minutes, but he seemed very interesting."
yin freezes, eyes widening in realisation. "are you saying what i think you're saying?" they nearly screech.
"maybe?" he squeaks in response, shrinking back a little at their tone and sheer volume. "i'm guessing that's not a good thing?"
they exhale loudly as they drag their hands down their face, exasperated and perplexed. "i don't know anymore." but they decide they don't have any more reason to hide anything, though there's still something to lose. "since you're both seemingly on the same page, i guess i'll let you in on it. chan's been looking for you. he's been interested ever since they discovered your identity." to the rest of the group, "he contacted me last week. he didn't explicitly say it, but he heavily implied that he's thought about what it'd be like to join perilous."
yin lets that sink in, taking note of everyone's reactions. it's the golden lights who seem to care the least. yin supposes it makes sense. they don't know chan, and they're technically not part of perilous. and while yin and yang aren't either, yin is so ridiculously protective of chan that it matters a lot to them.
amongst perilous, seungcheol looks the most worried. yin thinks it's most likely because he's their leader, also taking on the group's father figure, but their relationships are their business. wonwoo has his usual impassive expression, not giving anything away. beside him, mingyu has a thoughtful look. yin can't tell if that's a good or bad sign. they can't read vernon's look either, and that makes them the most anxious. they really want to know what he's thinking.
finally, seungcheol declares, "if he's serious about joining perilous, then i guess we can give him a chance."
yin is caught off-guard by his decision, but vernon looks more attentive than he did seconds before. "really?" they say at the same time with different tones.
"really. but yin, you need to be absolutely positive that he won't rat us out to his buddies. the cops work with the light gang sometimes, and i know they're always watching, always listening. i'm willing to give him a chance, but there are a lot of steps we need to take before we even get there."
vernon nods vigorously, but yin still has doubts. a nameless, gut-wrenching feeling eats away at their insides. they do their best to ignore it, to push it so far down that it's forgotten. "i understand."
a sinister, wicked grin spreads across seungcheol's lips. yin swallows thickly.