firstly, thank you so much for 3.4k reads!! it truly means so much to me that you guys take your time to read and interact with this book uwu ♡
secondly, this is the first (and most likely not last) chapter in Jooheon's point of view !
Lee Jooheon
"What?" I turned to Hyungwon, a smug grin on his face.
"I said you look well rested today," he replied. "is this what having a boyfriend does to you?"
I blushed, immediately looking back down to the sketchbook I'd doodled on. "It's nothing to do with that."
"Sure. It's totally not the reason why you've been so happy and giggly at all times and blushing like your life depends on it. Or why you're even more forgetful than usual. Not at all." He crossed his arms, clearly enjoying how I seemingly lost the ability of finding any decent comeback to his words.
"When you find the right person you'll know." I eventually muttered, defeated.
"Nothing to do with that my ass," he scoffed. "and yeah, that may be a task for me."
"You will!! Everybody in the world will find their person." I smiled.
"What's your said person's name, then?" He sat behind the counter, arranging some of the pencils beside the cashier.
"Minhyuk." I choked out, immediately laying on the table with a groan as Hyungwon proceeded to laugh.
"You're so smitten, it's quite cute, and a little odd. I'm used to being the mess here, now I'm the one who has it together by the looks of it. What does Minhyuk do? Where did you meet?"
"Why are you so invested?" I laughed.
"Have you seen how empty the shop is? I want some form of entertainment, now come on." He gestured for me to carry on.
"Minhyuk works as a police officer but he's studying to become a prosecutor. We met a few months ago when he nearly got decapitated by a bus," I waved away his confused look. "just take what I'm saying. But yeah, we clocked that we live in the same apartment block and yeah. Here we are."
"Well, he already sounds like an improvement in comparison to that other guy you used to date."
I nodded. "Yeah. Minhyuk's sweet."
Hyungwon's multiple cringing sounds and my laughs were cut off by the text tone coming from my phone, Minhyuk's name flashing on my screen.
Minhyuk 💛
Today 12:02pm
babyyyyyy
I'm gonna pass out
but yes hello 😊
😂😂
you ready for lunch?
about that actually
my boss and my assistant Hyunwoo asked to join us but I can tell them maybe next time if that isn't okay
no! I'm okay with that! we can go to a bbq if you guys want ? especially because it's your boss 🙂
probably a good idea yeah
stop your emojis are so cute
is he okay with us??
what do you mean?
you know
like, two guys
being together 😬
I made it really clear to him that you are in fact a man and he didn't seem like he cared too much, plus he knows since that asshole outed me to the whole station basically
don't worry babe :)
🤩
but okay hehe
come meet us at the police station and we can go from here, okay?
I'll be there in 10 minutes !
okay!
"Hyungwon?" I mused.
"Yes I can. Go on, I'll go for lunch when you get back." He shook his head.
"I'll pay you back! Promise!" I yelled behind me, grabbing my jacket and leaving the shop as fast as possible to catch the bus downtown.
Once I reached my stop, I smoothed down my shirt, rubbing off any spots of chalk from the earlier art session, putting my hands in my pockets as I quickly walked towards the police station.
Minhyuk was stood with his back to me, facing two men, one a little shorter and older than the one beside him. Both looked to me curiously, smiling a little when I touched Minhyuk's shoulder and he flinched. "Hey." I said quietly, ignoring how my face immediately began to burn.
"Hey," he grinned shyly, linking into my arm. "this is Jooheon, my boyfriend. This is my boss, Mr Kim, and my partner in stopping crime, Son Hyunwoo."
"Hello," I mirrored their polite bows. "it's great to meet you."
"And you too, it's great to finally put a face to the person that's making Minhyuk so happy," Mr Kim immediately responded, much to Minhyuk's despair. "should we go on our way?"
"Great idea, let's stop embarrassing me." he sighed, leading the way.
***
"Where do you work, Jooheon?" Hyunwoo asked as we handed the menus to one of the waitresses floating around the table.
"Oh, I work at an arts store in Myongdong."
"Ahh, So you're an artist, I want to assume?" Mr Kim asked, Minhyuk pouting him a glass of soju with a proud smile on his face.
"Yeah, I majored in Fine Arts but I'm not sure of what to do with it yet."
"Come do sketches for the station; the artist we have now is terrible," Hyunwoo laughed. "all the people he draws end up looking like Quentin Tarantino."
I snorted. "I'll drop off my CV and sketchbook tomorrow. I'll ask the witnesses if they'd like me to draw them anime style for a little change up."
"I like him." Mr Kim chuckled.
"I do too." Minhyuk grinned, squeezing my hand beneath the table. I offered him a smile, keeping a hold of his hand for a few seconds longer.
"So, you must be wondering why I specifically requested to have dinner with the two of you, plus your partner." Mr Kim suddenly announced, causing me to stop grilling the meat that had just arrived to our table, pausing briefly when addressed.
"You requested to see me?"
"Yes, and if Hyunwoo was seeing someone I would have asked him to invite them too," he nodded. "I invited you here because there has been a breakthrough in a case against huge underground drug cartel. Several police stations around Seoul are working with the government to send forward their best detectives for a drug bust, which is due to occur in two days, early morning."
The table became eerily silent, only the sounds of other voices and sizzling audible as Mr Kim took a brief pause. "My choice for our department were Minhyuk and Hyunwoo. I wanted to formally ask the two do you if you agree to partake in this, but I also understand if not, because there are obvious dangers with such operations. We never know what we could be facing; this cartel's trafficking may run deeper than just drugs, we may be outnumbered or just be completely wrong. Regardless, it's a high risk operation, and I guess I should make you aware of what could occur. However, by having the best of the best working together, this could be avoided."
He spoke a little bit longer, but I could barely hear him over the sound of my own blood rushing by my ears, until—
"I'm in," My head flicked to Hyunwoo, nonchalantly making a wrap as he spoke. "I guess I signed up for this when I became a police officer, right? Yeah, whatever."
Mr Kim nodded, and in that moment, all eyes turned to Minhyuk, who's eyes were on me. I blinked, offering him a small smile.
"Count me in." He finally said, immediately reaching for my hand.
"That's great news. I knew I could trust the two of you," he beamed. "Jooheon, I can assure you we'll return you Minhyuk in one piece."
I chuckled, masking my speechlessness by eating, thankful that Hyunwoo took my cue and switched the topic, the three of them launching into conversation.
However just like that, lunch came to an end, and we were soon on our way back. Mr Kim and Hyunwoo led the way, Minhyuk and I walking behind them.
"Are you okay with it?" He asked quietly.
"Sorry? Oh- yeah. I mean, it's your job, isn't it?" I shrugged. "You'll be okay. I trust you."
"I can tell you're worrying; you get this really cute wrinkle on your forehead and you start talking with a pout," he nudged me playfully. "if you don't want me to go, I won't."
"God, no. It's not that, it's just..I guess I'm worried about you," the pout intensified as he started to tease me. "you may be all grown and whatever but you're mad thin like-like imagine they throw like..4kg of cocaine straight to your hip or something...shit will just break!"
"Baby," I immediately stopped talking, almost tripping over as he suddenly stopped in front of me. "I'll be okay, I promise. It will be like a normal day at work, I'll come home, have a shower, and then we can go out. How does that sound?"
"I mean that sounds great, I just don't want to come off as clingy-"
"Listen, I don't ever want anybody to be clingy with me but if someone has to, let it be you," Minhyuk smiled, before immediately cringing. "please hit me as hard as you can."
"I won't," I sighed, accepting the hug he offered me. "now go on, I'm sure you have tons to get on with."
"I'll see you at home okay?" He mumbled after kissing my forehead. "They're watching us."
I looked aside, Hyunwoo and Mr Kim smiling proudly. Immediately, the two looked elsewhere, turning around. I laughed. "Wow."
Minhyuk leaned over, quickly kissing me. "See you later."
The stupid smile didn't fade from face even after hours since I'd seen Minhyuk, sat back at the cashier of the shop, messing around with some chalk before the start of one of the art workshops that took place during the day.
At least that was until a woman walked into the near deserted store, peering around entirety of the shop floor before making into the counter, carrying multiple paint supplies.
"Hey." She said breathlessl, bagging the items.
"Hello, did you find everything you were looking for today?"
"I did, thank you- did you just make this?" She pointed at the chalk drawing I was doing.
"Oh, I'm just messing around. I'm terrible at these things." I smiled.
"It's fantastic," she said, looking st me for permission to flick the pages of the sketchbook. "wow. You're amazing."
"Thank you ma'am, and about that. We're about to have a chalk workshop, so you're free to stay!"
"Oh, why not?" She eventually shrugged, following me to the art rooms around the back of the shop. By the time we'd arrived, some other workers and general members of the public had sat down and were already working on a piece, so I led her to a quiet table, sitting opposite her.
"Here," I ripped a page from my own sketchbook. "you can use this, or I can get you a sketchbook if you'd like."
"Oh, no don't hassle yourself, this is fine." she smiled, sitting down.
It was quiet for a while, the two of us silently getting on with our pieces. Only when I returned from washing my hands with tea in my hands, did she begin to talk. "Thank you," she grinned. "What a kind and talented young man you are!"
"Oh, just equal parts customer service and decency, you know? And, oh, I picked up a couple of things from my Mom when I was younger, she used to draw a lot too."
"Oh, has she passed away?"
I shook my head, taking a sip of my tea. "No, I don't actually know where she is. She left when I was younger."
"Oh," her tone changed. "I never asked for your name."
I took off my jacket, flicking my name tag. "I'm Jooheon. Lee Jooheon."
"Lee Jooheon?"
"Yeah." I smiled, but it was short-lived as she didn't smile back, a more serious, stunned look on her face.
"Oh."
"Is everything okay?" I asked carefully.
"My son was called Lee Jooheon."
"That's awesome," I grinned. "how old is he?"
The woman finally tore her eyes from whatever spot on the table she had them fixed to on the table. "He's 23, turning 24 in October..October 6th."
***
Minhyuk 💛
Today 3:47pm
hey is everything okay? I couldn't pick up at the time
hey
uh, idk
Jooheon
What's wrong?
So uh
My mom is here
Oh, is she visiting? She can stay with us!
No, Minhyuk
not my stepmom
What?
My biological mom just walked into the shop.
[Dramarama begins to play, 8D, bass boosted]
I wish I could say this was the end of the drama, hehe