I had a bad feeling about that mission from the very beginning. I should've listened to my gut feeling, persistently trying to tell me that something was going to go wrong, but I let Nana convince me to go through with it anyway. She had a special dislike for targets like the man that we were trying to find. He already tried to kill the same victim once and what I saw in my dreams was a second attempt, right at the hospital where she was brought after she miraculously survived the first one. Her room was supposed to be closed off from the general public, which could only mean that the one who tried to murder her had to be a close family member.
'' Maybe we got off on the wrong foot. Tell me 'when', okay? '' Nana asked as she picked up a kettle and looked at the man that was sitting down in front of her. It was the middle of the night and we managed to sneak in to the surveillance room of the hospital where the victim was staying. We thought that it would be easy to convince the worker to let us look through the footage, but surprisingly enough, he was trying to argue with us and threaten us with the police.
Nana's eyes held an eerie glow in the faint light of the screens, which were showing footage from different parts of the hospital. Her face was hidden behind a mask, covered by red poppies. In the darkness, you could easily mistake them for blood.
The worker held his mug towards Nana and the girl kept pouring from the kettle until the boiling liquid overflowed. He hissed in pain when the tea burned his skin and opened his mouth to scream. His mug loudly shattered against the ground, but Nana threw the kettle in his face before he could let out a sound. My eyes slightly widened when I saw her grab his neck, while the skin on his cheeks started to get red. '' You can talk willingly, but I can also force you. The choice is yours. ''
'' How about we take it down a notch instead? '' I spoke up for the first time and raised my eyebrows in question. I knew that I wasn't out as a cop that night, but I still couldn't just turn a blind eye on violence.
Nana twisted her head and glared at me, clearly annoyed that I didn't back her up, while the worker suddenly choked out: '' A lot of people are coming by today. ''
'' What? '' we simultaneously asked and looked at him in shock.
'' Somone was here earlier, '' the man seriously continued and took a deep breath. He was clearly in pain from the burns that Nana caused on his face and his hand, but she didn't seem to care. Instead, she only tightened her grip around his neck, urging him to speak faster. '' I didn't understand earlier, but now I do. He wanted to know if anyone asked about the security camera footage from that girl's room, the one that's under the surveillance of cops... I suppose he thought that you'd be a little faster than him. Now that I think of it, he did look kind of disappointed when I told him that you didn't come by yet. ''
'' Bold of you to insult us after you got a taste of what I can do, '' Nana hissed in response and narrowed her blazing eyes.
The worker mockingly smirked. '' I'm not scared. What can you do other than petty tricks? ''
My eyebrows furrowed together with confusion, I took a step closer and pushed Nana out of the way. He didn't try to fight when I grabbed the collar of his shirt and carefully asked: '' How long ago did that man come by? ''
The worker let out a quiet laugh in response, while Nana suddenly tapped my shoulder. I turned my head and saw her staring at the numerous screens that were showing security camera footage from different corners of the hospital. My eyes grew wide with shock at the sight of the men in suits that appeared out of nowhere and I instantly let go of the worker. They were running down the hallways, all headed towards the surveillance room. '' Shit. Let's go. ''
'' I thought that I smelled something too honorable, lawful and cop-like, but I thought that it was just you, '' Nana cried out and pushed her hood on her head. '' Dammit. I didn't even wear my running shoes today. ''
Nana and I split up right outside the surveillance room and went separate ways. I heard someone screaming after her when she ran around the corner, but I trusted her to get away safely, so I didn't turn back and try to go help her. Nana had a difficult past behind her and there were multiple instances when she had to escape out of situations much more dangerous than this one. I was a cop, so I was used to running too, even if I was usually the one that was chasing someone instead of it being the other way around.
I had to make an emergency jump through a window of the first floor and landed in a bush of roses. My skin was covered with scratches, petals were stuck in my dark hair and I was still picking thorns out of my skin when I met up with the others again. Nana was already with Jimin and Yoongi once I got to the tent restaurant, waving her hands through the air and explaining what happened. They barely even acknowledged my arrival when I showed up and grabbed one of the soju bottles that were on the table.
The tent restaurant was empty at that time of the night and the owner was cleaning up the tables while he was waiting for us to leave. He asked me if I wanted some of the dumplings that he still had left, but I politely declined. I didn't trust the mosquito light that was hanging right above his cooking pots, zapping insects and making them fall down in to the food. The restaurant didn't come even close to passing any sanitary regulations, but we still kept coming back here because it was one of the places that Jimin used to visit ever since he was a child.
'' This has never happened before, '' I seriously mumbled and took a few long gulps of my soju. The alcohol burned down my throat and warmed my chest, but it didn't do much at calming my nerves. '' I don't like this. I feel like someone is after us. ''
'' I saw him, '' Nana suddenly announced and instantly made everyone turn their heads at her.
'' Really? How did he look like? ''
The girl frowned and thoughtfully stroked her chin. '' He looked like a jerk. ''
I sighed, rolled my eyes and rested my chin against my hand. '' Wow. That's really helpful. ''
'' You're worried for no reason, Jihyun, '' Yoongi spoke up and drunkenly waved his glass around. He already had a few of them before Nana and I reached the restaurant and now he was half laying on Jimin. One of his arms was loosely wrapped around the detective, he was leaning towards him and his chin was resting on his shoulder. Jimin was used to Yoongi becoming extremely touchy after a couple of drinks, so he didn't even try to push him away. '' Who cares about some random guy that tried to come after us? We're not that easy to defeat. Even a bunch of weaklings can become a true army if they join forces. ''
Jimin and I were supposed to be free the next morning, so we stayed in that restaurant and continued drinking until late at night, but in the end, we barely got to sleep until sunrise before we both got called in to work. A dead body was found in the outskirts of Seoul. At first glance, it seemed like an ordinary victim of a hit and run accident, but once the cops got there, they realised that it was actually a famous idol actor, who got shot in the middle of the head and dumped out of a car.
Cops were scattered around the crime scene, some of them collecting evidence, others conversing about the murder and shielding their eyes from the boiling sun. Lines of vehicles were already waiting on each side of the closed-off road, with confused and curious people gathering in front of the yellow police tape and trying to find out what was going on. I was massaging my temples as I trailed after Jimin, who was trying to hide his hangover behind a pair of dark sunglasses. '' This better be good. I almost decided to destroy my phone, so that I wouldn't feel bad about ignoring the chief's phonecalls. ''
'' Rough night? '' Hoseok asked when he saw us approach the side of the road where someone spotted the victim. I clenched my teeth at the sight of the legs that were sticking out of the tall grass, stained with dark red blood. Jimin covered his mouth with his hand and lowered his gaze from the dead body, before his nausea would get the best of him. '' Honestly, I don't even want to know how much fun you two have without me. Why do you never remember to invite me to one of your outings? ''
I thought about our questionable friendship with Yoongi and Nana and forced a smile on my lips. '' Our outings aren't even half as cool as you think they are. Don't worry, you aren't really missing out on anything... Hey, why does this guy's face look so familiar? ''
'' Do you really not know him? His name is Kangyoon. Stage name Yoon. He used to be part of RBB Entertainment, but then they got in a lawsuit, so he left and joined a different company. He starred in quite a few very successful movies. '' The forensic pathologist frowned and shook his head in confusion. '' Do you not watch rom-coms? ''
'' Do I look like someone who watches rom-coms? '' I seriously mumbled, rolled my eyes and squatted down next to the idol. My gaze was carefully scanning his dead body and searching for any possible clues until I suddenly realised something. '' Wait, is he the one who got married just a good month ago? I remember hearing my neighbors screaming at each other and then the wife told her husband how he'll never be as amazing as Yoon. ''
Hoseok snapped with his fingers and pointed at me. '' Bingo. Everyone thought that him and Sora seemed like the perfect couple... Until yesterday. Yoon posted a screenshot of a chat on one of his social media profiles. He deleted it almost right away, but some fans still managed to save it. They reposted the photo and it clearly shows messages from his wife where she's threatening him to release... Uh... ''
Jimin crossed his arms on his chest and raised his eyebrows in question. Hoseok's cheeks slightly reddened in embarrassment and he slightly lowered his voice when he continued: '' His wife was threatening to release some kind of sex tape if he would leave her. ''
I stood up again and looked at him in confusion. '' What? Why would she release their own sex tape? ''
'' Unless it's not her that's on the video with him, '' Jimin seriously murmured.
Gasping, I turned my head towards him and exclaimed: '' You're right! A sex tape with another woman would completely destroy him! I mean, she'd probably receive some hate for threatening him, but I bet that the majority of the public would still side with the woman that got cheated on... I say that she is the one who killed him. ''
Jimin raised his hand and added. '' Or the person that's on the sex tape together with him. ''
We high fived each other and my lips curved in to a small smile. '' We're on fire today. ''
I had high hopes that the case would be easy to resolve, but I was wrong. The victim's wife Sora had an alibi for the time of Yoon's death and she completely broke down when we told her what happened. It turned out that she had no idea about the threatening messages or the sex tape - someone stole her phone just a couple of days ago and they were using it to talk to the idol.
It was Jimin who suggested that we go to Jungkook for help. The idol was good friends with the victim and they were part of the same entertainment agency before Yoon got in to trouble and decided to leave. I didn't think that it was a good idea, but my partner passed it on to our police chief and surprisingly - the man agreed with him. I was sitting at my desk and peacefully reading through old reports of Yoon's lawsuit with RBB Entertainment, when he appeared in front of me and told me to go pay a visit to Jungkook.
'' It's not that simple. He's not that simple. '' I put the report down and ran through my dark hair with my hand. '' I don't think that I have enough vocabulary to describe how annoying he actually is. ''
Jimin grinned in amusement and challengingly raised his eyebrows. '' Weren't you bragging to me just earlier how you can win anyone over with your looks? ''
I cringed at the sound of his embarrassing words, glanced at the police chief and started waving my hands in front of him. '' Don't listen to him, sir. We don't really talk about things like that. ''
In the end, I had no choice but to do as he said. Jungkook was just in the middle of getting styled for a photoshoot when I found him. A stylist was blowdrying his dark curls and another one was preparing to do his makeup. He was wearing a soft white robe, looking down and typing something on his phone until he saw me leaning against the doorway of the dressing room and watching him. His lips immediately curved in to a smile and his eyes glimmered in the strong lights that were illuminating his face. '' Why are you here? Did you come to congratulate me for my recent music show win? ''
I sighed and took a step closer. '' Trust me, I wouldn't be here if it wasn't necessary. ''
'' Are you deliberately trying to make me your enemy? '' Jungkook asked and raised an eyebrow in curiosity. Instead of faltering, his smile got even wider than before. Something about my attitude seemed to always entertain his boredom and appeal to his humor. '' That's not how you get what you want, detective. I'm not an idiot, I know that you are here because you have ulterior motives. But you should still just lie and tell me what I want to hear. ''
'' I have a new murder to investigate and I need your help. ''
'' That has a really nice ring to it... I need your help, '' the idol beamed, savoring the way that I admitted my incompetence. He signaled his stylists to leave us alone for a few minutes, then he turned his chair around and faced me for the first time. '' What is it? Is it a serial killer? ''
I frowned and muttered: '' You sound like you'd want it to be a serial killer. ''
'' More bodies make it more interesting. If it's not a serial killer then I don't want to hear it. ''
'' Come on. ''
'' Don't want to. ''
'' Please? ''
'' No. ''
'' I can't believe that you're actually playing hard to get! '' I snapped and clenched my fists in anger. His arms were folded on his chest and he was trying to hold back his amused laughter. He enjoyed toying with me, even if he knew that he was going to help me from the start. His smile disappeared only when I told him who it was that died. The news about Yoon's murder had yet to reach the public, so Jungkook didn't know about it yet. His eyes were wide in shock once I finished explaining the whole story and he seemed devastated. He admitted that the two of them lost touch a couple of months ago, when Yoon first started dating Sora, but he still knew some things about him that could help us in our investigation.
He agreed to come by the police station when he would be done with the photoshoot and I prepared to leave, when I suddenly noticed something that made me stop. A bouquet of daisies, stuck in a beautiful vase and placed on a coffee table in the corner of the dressing room. A bouquet of daisies that I didn't send.
My eyebrows slightly furrowed together in confusion and I quietly asked: '' Who are those from? ''
'' Some fan, '' Jungkook replied and dismissively waved with his hand, but I noticed how something shifted in his gaze. He suddenly stood up from his chair and took a step closer, challengingly raising his eyebrows as he asked: '' Why do you care? Are you jealous or do your detective senses tell you that there's something important about those flowers? ''
I frowned and rolled my eyes in annoyance. '' I'll see you later, Jeon. ''
'' Why don't you stay here and wait until I'm done with my photoshoot? Then we can go back to the police station together. You owe me a favor anyway. More than just one, actually. I already told you that my help doesn't come for free, '' the idol tauntingly said and took off his white robe.
I was beginning to get more used to his presence, but my heart still nearly jumped out of my chest when I saw that he wasn't wearing a shirt. He was modeling in jeans that day and the stylist who was blowdrying his hair earlier, also covered his chest with glitter. He looked ethereal and he was standing so close, that I could barely keep my composure. '' That doesn't sound like a bad idea, but I have an even better one. Why don't I go to eat lunch, while you do your photoshoot thing and then come back when you're dressed and looking decent again? ''
'' You're blushing, detective. ''
'' You need to get your eyes checked, Jeon, '' I snapped, turned around and hurried out of the dressing room, followed by the muffled sound of his laughter.