Posted originally on the Archive_of_Our_Own at https://archiveofourown.org/ works/12670962. Rating: Explicit Archive Warning: Graphic_Depictions_Of_Violence, Major_Character_Death, Underage Category: M/M, Multi Fandom: 방탄소년단_|_Bangtan_Boys_|_BTS Relationship: Jeon_Jungkook/Kim_Taehyung_|_V, Jeon_Jungkook/Kim_Taehyung_|_V/Park Jimin, Kim_Taehyung_|_V/Park_Jimin, Jeon_Jungkook/Park_Jimin, Other Relationship_Tags_to_Be_Added Character: Kim_Taehyung_|_V, Jeon_Jungkook, Park_Jimin_(BTS), Jung_Hoseok_|_J-Hope, Kim_Seokjin_|_Jin, Min_Yoongi_|_Suga, Kim_Namjoon_|_Rap_Monster, Police Officers_(Characters), Lieutenant Additional Tags: Alternate_Universe_-_Detectives, Smut, Angst_and_Romance, everything_goes wild, Crime_Scenes, Pole_Dancing, Min_Yoongi_|_Suga_is_So_Done, Daddy Kink, Tragedy, Gay_Bar, References_to_Drugs, Jin_more_like_Gin, The Author_Regrets_Everything Stats: Published: 2017-11-09 Updated: 2018-01-03 Chapters: 9/? Words: 7861 ****** Dark Tulip ****** by Zenzel Summary A famous detectives duo in Seoul is meeting the only witness of a triple murder. In parallel, a masked man is placing his pawns in the shallows of the city. Two conflicts will soon collide… and only one will come out victorious. ***** Lost Sheep ***** Chapter Notes See the end of the chapter for notes [https://78.media.tumblr.com/f028bafdca1f2540cfdf19a07189ddbb/ tumblr_inline_p1sxonvyyR1tlr0k3_540.png] 8h08, February 26th, 2018 I sat down on an uncomfortable chair, asking myself where the fuck did I put my precious pencil to take notes. Searching frantically in my pockets, I finally felt the object in question under my fingers. Pleased, I grabbed it, but the moment I pressed its end on a new loose-leaf paper, the mine broke. My thousand and one clumsiness didn’t affect me at all so I pretended that nothing happened. I was finally ready to start. “Thank God, I didn’t bring any coffee today. Last time, it felt all over the table…” I thought. I was facing a new patient, as we liked to call them. My cheerful smile was probably showing off my dimples at the moment. I’m actually very proud of them… It’s something that grabs a woman’s attention, according to my latest one night stands. “I’m Kim Namjoon, nice to meet you.” If you ask my boss, that’s not a very professional way to introduce ourselves to a subject. ‘’What type of officer would act like a random guy in his own interrogation?’’ he would claim. No need to be judgy, sweetie. I don’t want to act like a typical investigator anyways. Portraying myself as someone cold who has no facial expressions would be lying. My voice was calm, confident as always. I was –almost– in perfect control of the situation. Y’all would be surprise of my talent: I can make the quietest persons speak! I showed up in the room because, in approximately two hours of interrogation hosted by other officers, the subject hadn't pronounced a single word. This is why I wasn’t surprised at all to receive no answer. I took a moment to examine the individual who was sitting peacefully in front of me, his head down. He was younger than me, or at least he seemed so. His hair was messily bleached blond and although he has a thin corpulence, I could guess a big chest and a six pack under his white t-shirt. The only thing I couldn’t tell was who was stronger between the two of us. I started to look at the bunch of papers spread on the table in front of me. Blondie boy had been arrested in a delinquent part of the city four hours ago. Police officers found his wallet in his leather coat during his detention, so we have discovered some information about him: his age and his name. But soon enough we found out that his only ID card was fake, so those information could have been falsified. In the end, we could not base ourselves on it anymore. “So… You must be the guy named Park Jimin.” I could almost hear my boss says “what a clumsy approach for a detective of your rank. You should be ashamed!” but I couldn’t care less. If I followed his instructions to the letter since the beginning, Park Jimin would have already been declared guilty of first degree murder and imprisoned for the rest of his life. Here was the main problem: my patient was found on a crime scene of a triple murder. Since he was the only witness, many of my colleagues assumed that he might be the killer himself. Meh, it was nonsense to me. How can we, simple humans, give such an assumption over a case we didn’t even know the existence only a couple hours ago? We didn’t find the motive nor the weapon yet! Most of my squad agree on one thing: I’m too nice with the patients. It’s okay… I think they’re too dumb to understand my way of proceeding anyways. “You should go.” Park Jimin said simply. My pencil stopped writing. I narrowed my eyes, suddenly curious. Great news: the guy wasn’t mute! Although, his sentence looked more like an advice than an order. He didn’t feel the need to be bossy, in fact… he was being polite. Interesting. Rare are the case where patients are relaxed in such a risky situation... While scribbling a few notes on my notepad, I heard someone open the door and footsteps in my back. I didn’t even need to turn my head to know that the big bad guy had just joined the party. “It’s the first time in ages that I see you arrive so early at the Central.” I smelled the pleasant odor of coffee floating in the air. Repressing the childish desire of stealing his drink, I answered: “Couldn’t sleep last night. Instead of losing any more time in bed, I chose to go to work earlier.” “What a good dog.” I would have glared to anyone else who would have passed me this remark, but since it came from my best friend, I didn’t even look in his direction. I simply smiled and he added: “So, what’s the big deal?” Because of the nonchalant and sarcastic attitude of the newcomer, Park Jimin finally raised his chin. I could read detached curiosity in his black eyes. “Park Jimin, I present you my faithful acolyte, Min Yoongi” I proudly said. On these words, my partner frankly asked: “So… it seemed that you’ve killed three persons?” At that moment, I almost laughed when I saw the shocked gaze that our patient was displaying, unsure if that was normal for an officer to use that sort of behaviour. He had still no idea who he was about to deal with: the most iconic detectives’ duo in Seoul. Chapter End Notes Dear readers, I'm finally going to write about something more topical in my present life: Kpop! Long life to BTS and Army <33 By the way, what are your impressions of this first chapter? Feel free to share anything! Xx Yours truly, - Zenzel ***** A Rose and Its Many Thorns ***** Chapter Notes POV are constantly changing in this Fic, just so you know. 23h32, September 26th, 2017 Darkness had for a long time filled the large living room in which we were sitting in silence, a glass of red wine in one hand. The shadows were almost omnipresent, partially hiding our faces despite the fire crackling not far from here. Sitting comfortably in red velvet sofas, we could hear in the distance the noise of the city. We both knew that this serenity was only temporary… “What a spacious accommodation you’ve got!” Talking about the outside temperature would have been just as futile, but a change of subject was welcome. As dazzled, I passed the richly furnished room in review without missing the obvious and stunning painting hung above the marble fireplace. I always had the impression of recognizing a face I know in this multicolor portrait. “Thank you. It’s nothing, really… A simple construction idea.” “In any case, you’ve created it to your image…” While saying that, I slipped a glance to the polar bear rug at our feet. In other circumstances, I would have been impressed by it because I could almost see the dollar bills attached to it. However, the teddy’s stillness creeped me out a little at that moment… “Did I?” The man took a sip of his Petrus Pomerol 78’, repressing a little smile. After so much time devoted to it, someone had finally noticed his genius in interior design. Plus, it was the first time someone compared himself to Art. My plan worked perfectly because there’s no way he could not be touched. “I was wondering if you had any time to devote me… tonight.” I looked the man right in the eyes, suddenly more cautious. A shiver ran through my spine when I saw their lugubrious depth. What was he exactly talking about? “I’m sorry… I thought we had finished discussing the previous matter?” He put down his half-filled glass on the mahogany table and slowly passed a hand through his hair. The other one was already busy unbuttoning his black blouse, perfectly indicated where the discussion was going. “I meant… Our contract.” I understood the sexual allusion. After all, there was no room for confusion here… only for two persons. Holding a sigh, I automatically stood up and came closer to my superior. I began to fix the wall behind him instead of those eyes that were already detailing my body from head to toes. Those same fucking eyes as always… Two dark holes that kept making me think of a bottomless well. “I hope that you’re not in a hurry” he said, no longer restraining himself from smiling. I felt like a piece of meat, ready to be eaten ironically by the hand that was nourishing me. I removed my belt in a second –a familiar gesture for me, and then lied with a straight face: “Of course not. It’s a real pleasure to dedicate time to you.” Pleased by such a tender answer, the man drew his toy towards himself and softly kiss me. According to my superior, our lips began to dance an unbridled ballet, our clothes felt to the ground in an impulse of passion and our hands, unable to stop their cadence without the satisfaction of their common desires, explored the body of the other with a sensuality surpassing the understanding. But, if you ask me, he was just another warm mouth added to my list. ***** Red and Yellow Road ***** Chapter Notes My chapter's inspiration was from a Robert Frost's poem, The Road Not Taken: “Two roads diverged in a wood, and I– I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference.” 11h03, February 26th, 2018 The crime scene was situated in a normally crowded street in Itaewon district, but thanks to the yellow ribbons on which “POLICE DO NOT CROSS” was written, the avenue was deserted. However, we had less than 24 hours to analyse the entire site before the boutiques owners from around start complaining. In brief, it was a race against the clock. I was driving at 80km/h in a 40km/h area when I thought about what the boss kept repeating me recently: “Min Yoongi, for God’s sake, don’t exceed the speed limit… You’re a cop!” As detectives, it was simply not in our priorities to follow the rules since we thought we were above them. Anyways, Namjoon and I were just getting out of our police car when a subordinate came to welcome us with a tight smile. “Good morning, investigators.” Despite his advanced age, I could tell it was the first time he had faced a case of this magnitude. I also noticed his disdain when he realised we were both much younger than him. I glanced at my watch, already getting on my nerves. “Tell us what happened real quick’.” My lack of tact seemed to frustrate him even more. It didn’t matter at all for me, I had bigger fish to fry than to worry about the opinion of a trivial neighbourhood policeman. “Excuse him, he meant… Can you please explain to us what happened?” Bloody Namjoon! He has always been more gifted than I with the choice of polite words. His method seemed to work better than mine because grumpy grandpa led us to the scene without losing any more time. We passed a couple of sex shops and shabby stores before stopping our little walk in front of what I thought was a bar. After reading its signboard surrounded by bulbs, I realized thatMad Lounge was the name of an erotic cabaret. “Here’s the place where the bodies of three young men were found, lying on their back.” The officer pointed the cabaret’s broken glass door that was still open. Close by, some blood spatter analysts were having a discussion about the bullets’ impact. I nodded my chin in their direction as a salute, always making sure to have good relationships with useful people. “The bodies have fallen a few steps from the entrance?” asked my acolyte, calculating. “In fact, one of them was just about crossing the door frame when the shots started. Since the dancers finished their shift at 3 a.m., it’s obvious that they were the targets!” the old man corrected. Namjoon and I had an eye contact, on the same wavelength. He could have read on my face an exasperated expression. It was way too far to say what was obvious and what was not! “So apparently, they were all working here?” “We assume. As I said, their shift finishes at 3 a.m. and there was no customers anymore.” “What time was it when you first heard the shots?” The policeman wiped his forehead with his backhand, noticeably crumbling under pressure. “All the details are listed in the folder, but if I recall correctly… it had to be around 4 a.m.” Overall, it made sense. Knowing when the dancers were quitting, the killer, if he was alone, just had to wait until the closure and then he shot in the crowd. But why did he attack the employees only? Still, one of the most important detail was missing… “D’you guys found anything related to Park Jimin?” He told us that they found our patient in the corridor near the entrance. He added that Park Jimin was probably the only witness that survived the shooting. Pinching my chin, I asked: “Anything else?” “The coronary’s analysis will be sent to your offices shortly. Meanwhile, the lieutenant leaves you free.” I had to contain myself from not grimacing when I heard the word lieutenant. Our boss clearly did not deserve such an honorable title. “Thank you officer. Well-done job!” The subordinate almost blushed when receiving Namjoon’s comment, bend his back and withdrew. When he was far enough for not hearing me, I started joking: “Oh my god, thank you officer!! What would be our case without your precious help?!” “Shut up, Yoongi…” Namjoon replied, amused. I didn’t push the humoristic note because we had tracks to search for. Since the bodies had been removed from the street, it was easier for us to spot a lead. I decided to retreat a bit to get an overview… Like they say, the closer you look, the less you actually see. Somehow, a reflection caught my eye on the right. Taking care not to overstep potential drivers, I stopped right in front of the tiny object which would have gone completely unnoticed in a usual situation. “You’ve find something?” “Kinda…” He joined me and we observed without touching the one-cent penny. Obviously, the coin wasn’t from South Korea and probably not from Asia at all. Plus, the year written on it was 1980. Namjoon was skeptical: “An American coin dated of 1980 on a crime scene? Result of chance, you think?” “Luck does not exist. Everything happened for a reason.” With a tool meant for that purpose, I put it in a transparent bag for the lab. “You’re thinking what I’m thinking?” It took Namjoon a moment of reflection before he had to consider the worst option: “Yep. It’s probably a killer’s signature, meaning…” “That he will soon starts again” I completed severely. We looked once more to the American cent. For the first time in my career, I had the impression that we were about to get engaged in something that surpassed us completely. ***** Faded Mona Lisa ***** Chapter Notes See the end of the chapter for notes 18h17, October 13th, 2010 The vacant lot behind my house in the countryside was our meeting spot during the weekend. When we explored it in our youth, we had the impression of discovering a haven of peace detached from the rest of the earth. The long wheats tickled our faces when we played tag and the cloudless sky, always colored by a powder blue, was like a painting to me: too beautiful to be real. By dint of spending all my free time here with my only friend, I began to associate Mother Nature’s perfection to him. That day, we were following a path through a field that leads to an abandoned barn. When we were younger, we pretended that our favorite hiding place was our secret castle and that we were kings living in it. Another game we used to play was to fight like musketeers for the heart of a non-existent princess, using tree branches as foils. Over the years, I realised that I never won her love nor a single battle against my best friend. Winning had always been his only motivation. “Jimin, look!” I looked down and, frightened, I jumped when I saw a grass-snake in front of us. I stepped back when I saw the reptile’s tongue, but my friend didn’t move a centimeter, fascinated by its yellow robe. “We should go around it, maybe it’s venomous…” Even if his eyes were pitch black, they seemed to darken even more when he contradicted me: “No, let’s keep moving.” I felt cold sweats in my back as he continued to walk towards the animal. He had always liked defying authority, but this time, his dominant tendency went way too far for what I could deal with. My heart pounding, I caught his hand, stopping by the very fact his movement. “Please, stop… I… I don’t wanna see you injured!” Time slowed down as he pressed my hand harder. I couldn’t help myself from blushing. His simple presence was something to handle, but his hand in mine was a whole new excitement level. At fifteen years old, I wasn’t able to control my body’s reactions at all… And let’s say that my best friend was one heck of a charmer! “As you wish” he answered with a haughty air on his perfect face. “But remember that only the weak turn their backs on danger…” I breathed out, relieved to see the snake disappeared in the tall grass. We continued our walk in silence. I also realised, my cheeks still red, that he never let go of my hand. We then entered the barn filled with blocks of straw. The old wooden walls were covered by posters of K-pop groups such as Girls Generation and anime shows. A sticky mattress took place to the left. My best friend often slept there instead of going back to his house after his curfew. His parents were right to assume that he was sleeping at my place anyways. Sometimes I wondered why did he prefer to spend the night alone in the barn rather than in the comfortable guest bed in my house. When I had confronted him on the subject, he replied vaguely that my family atmosphere was too different than his. Embarrassed, I stopped talking about it. “I wanted to give you something.” Curious, I watched him open his bag. Among joints –yes, he was smoking even if he was underage– and his art book, he took a cardboard box and handed it to me. He encouraged me to open the package and, timidly, I did as he said. I didn’t like to be the center of attention when he was around… How could a shadow like me be more important than the sun itself? “Oh my God!” My eyes widened when I fell nose to nose to a real Polaroid camera. I couldn’t believe he was giving me such a gift. At first, I thought he had forgotten about my birthday… Well, I was the one who had underestimated him! He ruffled my hair before mocking my reaction: “Stop looking so damn impressed! It was my father’s…” “You remembered?” Not giving me time to formulate a sentence, he cut me, as if it was nothing: “Of course I did. It’s always gonna be us against the world…” A nice shiver animated me as I took my first picture of him. I laughed as he stared at me, hating to be caught unprepared. After its printing, I pinned the photo to the nearest wall, glad to be surrounded by such a great best friend. With time, those memories faded as colour tints on a poorly preserved paint. Nowadays, I can only feel nostalgia when it comes to them. Let’s say that I was especially naïve to think that things between us would always be so simple… Chapter End Notes Dear readers, We finally have a taste of Jimin’s past :)) Who could be his mysterious best friend…? Yours truly, - Zenzel ***** Butterfly Effect ***** 14h10, February 26th, 2018 On the way back to the Central, we explained briefly the situation to the ten officers who were working with us on the case. We also told them to gather each new clue on the white board in the employee room and to inform us in the second if they found anything which appeared them to be of great importance. Clapping in our hands, we ordered the group to continue their research. I then invited Yoongi in my private office to take our lunch break. Both lost in our own thoughts, a soothing silence had soon hovered the room. I was eating a boring sandwich while he settled for his usual coffee and a single cigarette. I didn’t question the nutritional value of his meal… Unlike me, my black-haired acolyte never had a big appetite. “What have your pals found on the blood splatters?” I asked, mouthful. My acolyte knew that I was referring to the analysts. Normally, an investigator wouldn’t have the right to discuss with one of them so soon, but Yoongi always have some aces in his pockets. He answered with a proud smile: “They said that the type of weapon used was definitely an automatic or semi- automatic gun because of the number of wounds the victims have suffer.” He took a long puff before saying: “D’you have any idea why our patient doesn’t want to talk to us?” It was also a question that was tormenting me. Even if Park Jimin was innocent, the Court will have to refiling him a lawyer if he doesn’t change his state of mind. After all, the fact that he stayed quiet was truly shady since he only had a fake ID card on him. I remembered when I had one too, back in the days, to get out Soju illegally from gas stations. Old days but gold days. “Trust me, he will.” I remained confident about my own abilities, plus, I felt that Yoongi was about to enter the scene too. His special talent was also going to be unveiled… “But I still don’t get it. If he’s a simple dancer, why does he refuse to collaborate?” Park Jimin effectively had no excuse. Before his interrogation, our colleagues brought him to the nearest hospital to evaluate his psychiatric condition, revealing both his stable mental health and his state of shock. After solving the issue related to the stress that had been caused by seeing three corpses, the poor guy was taken to the Central. As soon as the case had been given to us, I met him in the interrogation room. “Maybe he doesn’t want to get involved with the police.” It was often the case with people working in a questionable area, assuming however that he was a dancer. What if he was only a random guy who was accompanying one of them at home to pay for some personalized services? Also known as being in the wrong place at the wrong time since prostitution was illegal… “What about his parents and relatives?” There was no track on that side either. When I read the folder one hour ago, it said that our patient didn’t even want to communicate with anyone since his arrival, justifying himself by saying that no one was waiting for him anyways. When I asked him where he lives, he stopped answering.  “Meh. Many agree that he had ran away.” My acolyte seemed impatient as he took another puff of nicotine. I watched the smoke spread in my office while considering serving myself a shot of tequila, as if to give me luck. Besides, the bottle was perfectly in sight, on the middle of my desk. The scene was ironic considering the numerous times that our boss told us to smoke outside and to not drink during work hours. “So… What do the disappearance services and the youth welfare office have to say about that?”  “Nothing. They’ve let me a message saying that no case in the city bearing his name had been reported in the last five years. Maybe his own parents didn’t care about him or they’re even dead, which brings us back to square one…” I shrugged, exhausted. I rubbed my eyes before putting on my clubmaster glasses. The possibility about this case were infinite: an armed psycho who was just passing by, a crime of vengeance, an organized crime… “To me, it looked more like a settling of accounts because of the signature.” I rather agreed, although it might be a coincidence that the one-cent coin was there. “What if it was just a tourist who slipped his change to the ground?” My theory brought us to another dead-end. The brain boiled, we finished our lunches in silence. After cleaning up our table, someone knocked at the door. I invited the person to enter, revealing a beautiful woman dressed in a suit. I gotta admit that she was truly elegant.  “Sir Kim, Sir Min… I just found a substantial item in connection with the possible crime signature.” I straightened up automatically, even more curious to hear about the case from this divine appearance. I encouraged her to carry on. “It is not the first time in Seoul that an American penny that old was found on a crime scene. Please consult the documents that I now put in your dovecote.” After a few words of politeness, she disappeared, leaving us with a ton of papers to evaluate. When we looked at them, we realized that it was all about unresolved cases which included the same signature: the one-cent coin. Both a fulgurating desire of elucidating this mystery and a bad feeling traversed me and Yoongi frowned when he noticed my unsure expression. My instinct was telling me that a shadow was about to be throw over the city. ***** Go-Go Boy ***** Chapter Notes See the end of the chapter for notes 00h34, September 14th, 2017 The night was cold outside, but inside the cabaret, everyone were warming their hearts by picturing themselves in the same bed as its half-naked employees. Overexcited wasn’t even the word to describe the girls... During my dance, they seemed hysterical, totally crazy about each centimeter of my unveiled skin and they were shouting my stage name like I was some sort of ancient god. Their eyes were full of shining stars, but I could also read lust in them… a dark fire buried only by the ones who had not yet taste the salt within my body. As was my custom, I knew how to make myself desired long enough to bring someone back home effortlessly. At the end of my shifts, I always choose the girl with the most angelic features and invited her to my apartment close by. I had never been disappointed by those angels before… The way they tore my clothes apart the second after they entered my place was an absolute turn-on. One of my favorite pastime was to see them forget everything about good manners while sucking my dick with extra saliva, submissively kneeling in front of their king. They soon left their red lipsticks on my cock, and in my bedsheets, they lost either their floral perfume or their virginity. I smiled at the crowd that was already throwing roses at me before taking my second break. Without wanting to brag, it was obvious that I was the cabaret’s senor, and therefore the most skilled dancer. My popularity had also begun to spread in the community since I was working at two different places, using the same stage name. I could still hear my fans screaming it when I disappeared behind the black curtains, joining by this very fact two of my colleagues in the backstage. There, the noises were fortunately stifled so I could finally hear a bit of the ongoing discussion. “Stop kidding!” “I’m not, I swear!” I took a joint that was making eyes at me on the modest table and sat down on the couch next to my best friend. That night, Jimin was disguised as a sexy firefighter and I took a moment to enjoy the view I had. His back was more muscular than only a few months ago, for that I was sure. Definitely, poll dancing and fucking strangers suited him good. “What would a man of this caliberdo in here?” The conversation suddenly got me interested. High caliber was synonymous of great challenge to me. Was there finally some action going on between the walls of Mad Lounge? “Watcha talking ‘bout?” Finally emerging from his astonishment, my best friend explained that there was a man that seemed important in the stands. Even if he remained anonymous, the lone wolf was probably here to make business. My excitement grew wider and wider. “What type of business?” “We don’t know. But, probably to go unnoticed, he asked for a striptease… so the women around would stop staring dumbly at him.” My enthusiast crumbled. Jealous, I asked sharply: “So, who danced for him? How huge was his tip?” Totally lost, Jimin shook his head before clarifying: “I was the one he asked for. But, you know me… I didn’t accept the dance! I’m way too shy…” He blushed while his last sentence resonated in my skull once or twice before I burst out in a wicked laughter. Luck seemed to finally smile at me! My colleagues were looking at me in complete silence, not getting my rude reaction at all. Recently, my best friend’s lack of openness exasperated me. “Shit, Jimin! Just... Stop acting like a fucking pussy and learn how to be a man!” My voice had been harsher than I planned it to be, but... whatever, his stupidity was driving me crazy! I found it distressing that he didn’t jump on opportunities like that while I was struggling to have some. I read grief in his eyes but it was too late for apologies… I was already running away, abandoning both Jimin and my joint without an ounce of regret. Back on stage, the many spot lights blinded me during an instant before I went down on the same level as the public. I tried to see beyond the wave of fans that was blocking my way when I spotted, at the far end of the cabaret, a man sitting quietly. I was walking towards the businessman’s direction when I felt that my feet instinctively slowed down a bit. I noticed that his attention was fixed on his Rolex watch. A bottle full of the most expensive drink was waiting on his table –because there was no doubt it was from now on his property. He was also wearing a black suit along with a black trouser. Karma had just caught up with me… If I laughed at Jimin’s face for refusing the man in question a striptease, I was suddenly less sure about my own capacities. No wonder why the women didn’t approach the questionable character because another unmistakable detail about him disturbed me. His face was reflecting the lights, or at least, what was covering it was doing so… A silver mask. I blinked several times before coming to the conclusion that maybe my best friend was right to refuse the dance. I swallowed hard, not sure if I was really prepared for the next step, but then, the masked man landed his eyes on me. And I knew that it was too late to retreat. I had no choice but to follow my motto… because only the weak turn their backs on danger, right? Chapter End Notes Aaaaaand again we’re facing a mysterious character's point of view! Just out of curiosity, even if a go-go boy refers to a dancer... Who got the other reference to BTS' song, Go Go? ;-) ***** Five-Leaf Clover ***** Chapter Notes See the end of the chapter for notes 19h56, February 26th, 2018 We were chaperoning the links that our subordinates were adding between the non-solved cases on the white board. About fifteen –or should I say twenty– photos were related to each other’s with red tape and one simply needs to have a head on his shoulder to see that all the murders shared the same signature: an American penny dated of the 80’s. “Good news: we know that these are organized crime… It’s crystal-clear now. But for what purpose… We can’t tell yet.” I approved while hardly ignoring the temptation of getting me an umpteenth cigarette since the boss was prowling around. We were still far from reaching a logical conclusion to that complicated story and I didn’t want to be distracted by a pointless warning. “All the cases happened in Seoul during the past five years. It may be a new street gang that is trying to make its place...” “You think it’s possible considering that the black market is led by the mafia? It would be the riskiest and the stupidest move I’ve heard in a while…” I had to give Namjoon a point. The mafia was overwhelmingly dominant in the shallows of Seoul since the beginning of its existence. Its power was absolute on all the underground activities and its iron hand could crush any competition in a second. How could a little street gang match them that easily? “Forget about the street gang hypothesis… I’m more concerned about what you’ve just said.” My acolyte turned his head to me, not understanding in which way his sentence was so striking. In my head, a mechanism just started to formulate a hypothesis. “If the mafia never intervened, there’s two options: it’s the mafia itself that committed the crimes, which would be feasible, or…” I turned my gaze towards the pictures on the board and the whole thing appeared to me like a cocktail Molotov between cold blood and vendetta.  “Or, the two clans are allies.” Namjoon, while playing absentmindedly with a wick of his ginger hair, considered my theory with precaution. I knew that it was a rudimentary guess, but at least we had something tangible here. Plus, there was a panoply of mafia’s partners on which to look…  We were returning to the interrogation section of the Central while my friend established a possible summary of the shooting: “Broadly speaking, Park Jimin’s a dancer at Mad Lounge. After the cabaret’s closure at 3 a.m., he and three of his colleagues cleaned the place while the last guests left. At 4 a.m., someone was waiting for them outside. Since they were coming out in single file, they used an automatic firearm and the bullets pierced the first guy, then shot the second and even reached the third one. Park Jimin, the luckiest guy on earth, saw the bodies fall right in front of his eyes. Even though he has not even a single scratch, he sank into a state of shock, completely traumatized. The killer let his signature on the scene, an American penny, as the police sirens resound in the distance.” “In the end, Park Jimin is the only survivor so he may have seen some details about the killer...” I concluded.    “I guess we’ll have to say hello to our patient again to be sure.” I wasn’t crazy about having another interview with the young man since I was convinced he was no longer useful for the sake of the investigation, but whatever. In my opinion, it was more important to meet the cabaret’s manager to know who the victims were. In fact, he was waiting for us at the very moment. A few minutes later, we sat down in front of the man who probably weighed more than 300 pounds. With his mustache with rounded ends, he made me think of a fat version of Mario Bros. After shaking hands, he briefly explained that he owned many bars in the district but something like that never happened to one of them. “Because of this insane story, I risk bankruptcy! No one would want to return to my cabaret… And I’m not even the one to complain! The dancers…” He shook his head, outraged by the tragedy. At least, the manager had the decency to look worn out even if deep down he probably wasn’t. For a moment, only the sound of Namjoon’s notes taking was perceptible. Even our breaths had stopped before I had to break the tense atmosphere: “Who exactly were working?” My tone was insistent but respectful. After all, it was the first time that a manager had given us time that quickly, a proof that he cared a minimum. Our patient took out a timecard out of his pocket and said: “The problem is that… they only gave me stage names.” Namjoon scowled before mentioning that it was illegal to pay the dancers in cash, preventing the government from getting its hands on taxes. The double chin man flushed and replied that he came here to help us, not to be judge on his payments method. Not wanting the discussion to degenerate, I demanded the manager the permission to look at the timecard, which he accepted. When I read the first name, it appeared obvious to me that Park Jimin didn’t have much imagination, because he simply used ‘’Jimin’’ as his stage name. But then, a detail grabbed my attention. There were not only four names written on the paper… butfive. “Wait a second… They were five?” “Yes Sir. It’s the usual number of dancers who work during week days.” For some reason, the other first name among strange stage names caught my eye, as if the guy didn’t give a shit if people recognize him or not. I guess I’ll have to talk by tomorrow morning with Park Jimin about his colleague named Jungkook.  Chapter End Notes RIP Jonghyun, Shinee. Thank you for everything, you were one of the most important pilliars of the K-pop world. You'll be missed and forever in our hearts <33 ***** In My Oblivion ***** Chapter Notes See the end of the chapter for notes 11h39, May 18th, 2016 The ambient air was composed of dust and fallen dreams. A unique square of light from the window was illuminating the cracked floor of the living room. The heat was as stifling as inside an oven and the walls were so thin that one could hear the neighbors arguing about their electricity bill. In the adjacent back street, some children were coughing loudly. In those kind of sad places, time seems to be suspended because nothing ever changes. The mechanical sound of the fan that was blowing unnecessarily started to give me a headache. When I was about to go stop it, a hoarse voice grumbled: “Don’t even think about it.” Obeying reluctantly, I sat down again, the jaw contracted. I had more than enough to be told what to do by the awful entity who was sitting on the ground, in front of me. Only by her repulsive thinness, I could tell that it was already too late for her to be saved. At this point, I’ve decided that her medical condition was no longer worth affecting me. Or at least I was trying to. We were separated by the living room table on which lines of white powder and medicines pots blended together in an incomprehensible mess. That ridiculous amount of drugs, which belonged solely to her, added to our obvious disparities. We were as much alike as the colors black and white. Just like shadow and light. Yin versus yang. Gathering my courage, I took the bulls by the horns: “I wanted to talk about some serious stuff with you.” The woman didn’t moved an inch, still looking in the vapes. She seemed to watch her life passed before her eyes, a dreary show that deprived her from all desires. It was horrible to say it, but she was probably dead inside for years now. As if to confirm my theory, a fly landed on her damp hand. A little deconcentrated and disgusted, I carried on: “I’m… I’m going away. Forever.” Nada. She didn’t inquire about anything, as usual. What didn’t concerned either her dose or her dealer were no interest for her anyways. "You’re not gonna say anything, are you?” Dead silence. This time, sadness invaded me. I knew for a long time that she never gave a shit about me, but to have the confirmation was way more painful. Shaken by a myriad of emotions that were destructing my whole, I screamed: "ARE YOU?!” She still had no reaction. I waited, waited and waited... but for what, exactly? I couldn’t put the finger on it since the moment never came. Maybe I would have liked to receive a small word of encouragement or to be hugged for the first time in ages… Although I knew that these fantasies were only making me drown deeper into the beautiful utopia I’d created a long time ago. When I was younger, the fact of not knowing protected me from suffering, but now, I could no longer escape the claws of the cruel reality. Tears began to rise to my eyes but I wiped them savagely. I then grabbed my suitcase and opened the door. I cast a last look in my back, which I immediately regretted. She was bleeding from the nose, meaning that she had just sniffed another line of coke... proving until the very end that she was more interested in her addiction than her own son. I clenched my fists and concluded: “Farewell, mother.”  I went out of my hovel, grabbing my jeans coat as I passed. Guilt didn’t have time to make its way to my heart… It had already turned into stone. Chapter End Notes If the chapter seems pretty dark and serious I need to thank one of my precious friends who corrected one of my mistake before I published, because at first I wrote ‘’I whipped my tears savagely’’ instead of ‘’wiped’’ :’) The perks of not being a native speaker… *sigh dramatically* ***** Hunters Meeting ***** Chapter Notes See the end of the chapter for notes 8h24, February 27th, 2018 I yawned loudly after writing the last sentence of my report. Definitely, I needed a well-deserved rest after working almost two days non-stop on a violation of a manor's property. I inherited the case a couple of days ago and it was a relief to get rid of all that bullshit. It wasn't a big problem to solve but I still got a thief arrested in record time. Anyways, I regretted nothing and the dark bags under my eyes were worth receiving the noble family’s congrats. Helping others was my priority and the main reason why I chose to apply as the third detective of the Central. While putting my files in order, my fingers stuck to something. Confused, it took me a moment to understand that I've been pranked again by some random officers: a chewing-gum had been put between two of my papers. Swearing under my breath, I took a deep breath to calm down. Obviously, my colleagues and I didn't share the same sense of humour, but they have crossed the lines sufficiently now to piss me off. I had to say that I've always been a sensitive person... I never intended to annoy anyone, but maybe the fact that I grew rapidly within the organization got on the nerves of many. Many whom these days would be right to be called my subordinates. My humble office, which was of an impeccable cleanliness, was situated on the same level as the two other detectives whom I've already met during meetings. Sir Min and Sir Kim were my immediate superiors in hierarchy terms and I had to refer to them if anything happened. As usual, nothing ever bothered me... except when it came to my personal life –but, according to my father, a man doesn't talk about that kind of thing. Causing me to jump, someone entered my office without knocking. The man in a suit without tie put something on my white desk and, without a word, left my cubicle. Surprised, I look down and saw a coffee standing still. At first suspicious, I was expecting a time bomb to do its effect. A prank surprisingly never came, but instead, its usual scent tickled my nostrils. Even though I've never liked the bitter taste of caffeine, I took a sip, appreciating greatly Sir Min's attention. Even if his gaze avoided mine, I knew he just wanted to take care of me. He was probably the only one who yet have noticed my low morale. I slipped a glance to the only framed photograph on my desk. Normally, seeing it would have filled my inner self with an unconditional joy and put a stupid grin on my face. But now, the sight of me smiling next to her caused the coffee to taste disgusting on my tongue. I wasn't thirsty anymore and tiredness appeared suddenly heavier on my shoulders. In order to change my mind, I went to the lieutenant's office on the third floor by using the stairs. He asked for the report to be delivered personally. Stepping into the room, I saluted him. “Please, Hoseok, have a seat. We're not in a hurry.” he invited me. Stress gripped me instantly as I hoped that my facial expression didn’t crisp too much by hearing that. I was afraid that he would tell me that my behavior had change since my break up, or worse, that he wanted me to take time off. Of course my lieutenant wasn’t informed about my love problems, but deep down I felt that they truly affected me but I couldn’t guess at what point. The bearded man was sitting in his leather chair, staring at me with his piercing eyes while crossing his arms on his chest. His salt and pepper hair was perfectly combed on the side, showing that he didn’t take physics lightly. Sir Min’s neglected outfit of today had certainly not pleased him –and mainly because it was him in particular. One could translate Sir Min’s careless look by a huge “fuck you” towards the dress code. “Hoseok, I–” “Call me Sir Jung, I’m working.” I told him a little quicker than expected. “Right,Sir Jung.” he made a little pause to smile ironically, revealing the white teeth that we both shared, before continuing: “You know I’ve always put my entire trust in you before and I’ve never been disappointed once by my unique son.” I leaned back in my chair, relieved to know that my father wasn’t informed of my condition, but irritated to see his bad habit, talking to me like I was the baby’s family, resurfacing. “I will join your capacities to the other investigators to work on the same case: the triple murder. You probably heard about it?” Indeed, I heard people talking about it several times. Fifty percent of the police officers at the Central were working on that complicated case, after all. “It’s a great opportunity for you to work on a bigger case, to finally stand out.” Who the fuck said that I wanted to stand out? I’ve never asked to be bullied because my dad was the Central’s lieutenant, and now he was forcing me to cause trouble among the other investigators! “I doubt that the two detectives will agree with this decision” I highlighted recklessly. He seemed to have predicted my annoyed behaviour because he replied without flinching: “I am perfectly aware of that, Hoseok. But these two have a bad tendency to go off the tracks sometimes… and you're the only one I trust to keep me informed.” I found the whole thing strange at the beginning, but then, the first time that I’ve officially met Sir Kim came to my mind: his pencil’s ink fell all over his white shirt during an important assemble. I was exhausted only by seeing him break things. Maybe he was right, after all… My role would be to simply keep my colleagues in the good direction. “Will you do that for me, Ho –Sir Jung?” I didn't feel like it was a question because I didn't feel like I had a choice, but if I could help my acolytes by doing so, why not give it a try? I finally accepted and he seemed content. “See you, then. You’ll pursue the witness’s interview after I informed your colleagues of the change of plan.” I shrugged my shoulders and left the room with firm steps. Feeling lighter, I realised that today was going to be another good day to avoid my personal problems and to resolve a new police investigation. It was easier to follow that schedule anyways! Chapter End Notes Woohoo! I'm finally introducing Hoseok :) What do you guys think about his character yet? Please drop_by_the_archive_and_comment to let the author know if you enjoyed their work!