"We were just... Just..." Yoseob trailed off, not really knowing what to say, and threw a look at Junhyung for help.

The CEO gave a small sigh and scribbled on a piece of paper, passing it to Hongki who took it with his mouth still agape.

As Hongki read, Yoseob did not feel any better as the shocked expression on the man has morphed into something stoic and unreadable. It wasn't one that was emotionless but there was something more that the police officer couldn't quite put a finger on. He peeped at the note and saw that Junhyung had explained that he was developing feelings for Yoseob and although they kissed, they weren't together because right now, things are too complicated. The smaller male suppressed a whoop from receiving confirmation that between him and Junhyung, he wasn't the only one developing feelings for the other party.

For now, he controlled himself and waited patiently for Hongki to give a reaction or a reply. He knew that as Junhyung's childhood friend, he must be surprised to see him kissing someone whom he just knew and based on this afternoon's overheard conversation, Hongki was worried that Yoseob was out to harm Junhyung. 

"What about you, Yoseob?" Hongki finally spoke, darkened eyes boring holes into his own. "Do you have the same feelings as Junhyung?"

The smaller male shot a glance at the CEO, who was looking expectantly and waiting for the reply too, before turning back to Hongki and nodding his head, "Yes, I do like this man too."

"But he's not even talking. You are going to get bored after awhile because you need someone who could respond to you, banter with you or joke about with you."

Yoseob's heart jumped a little at the thought of Junhyung doing all that with him and he smiled confidently at the CEO as he replied Hongki, "He will talk again one day. We are not together now because he have so much sadness and stories in him that he is not ready to tell me. But it's alright, I'll wait." The CEO's lips curled into a smile as Yoseob continued, "I'll wait for the day where I can hear his voice, the day where he is ready to accept me fully." 

Hongki eyeballed Yoseob thoughtfully before giving a curt nod, "I’ll trust you on that for now. Please take good care of Junhyung. He has been through a lot and his parents’ death had been a hard blow on him. So please, don’t hurt him.”


The police officer grinned and patted Hongki on the head, “I’ll be the very last person to do so.”

‘If you knew that I’m the police officer assigned to protect him, you wouldn’t have so much worries about me.’ 

“Good to know. Alright then, I’m here actually just to look for Junhyung but I guess you guys would rather have some time together. I’ll see you all tomorrow at work then. Jun! Lunch tomorrow?”


Junhyung nodded and gave a thumbs up to his friend who very promptly left the room, leaving the two men alone once again. They stared at one another quietly and smiled, knowing that the road ahead wasn’t going to be easy but if they tried, maybe, things might be able to work out just fine. But as of now, they would take things slow and focus on the task at hand first.


A sudden thought surfaced in Yoseob’s head as he dragged the CEO back behind the glass doors, locking it once again. “Hey, I overheard Hongki and Woohyun having a conversation just now. Do you know that they are siblings?”


Yoseob got his answer when he saw Junhyung’s bulging eyes and look of shock.


“Just as I thought since the case file had no such details. Thing is, one is a Lee and another is a Nam. So I have no idea how could they ever be related.”


Junhyung reached for his laptop, flipped it open before typing quickly into it and turning it for the police officer to read. Apparently, Hongki was an adopted child as the Lees were not able to have a child of their own. Therefore, the true bloodline of Hongki was never known, either to Hongki himself or Junhyung.


“So somewhere along your friendship with him, he found out that he was related to Woohyun and chose not to tell you about it. Why would he hide such a big secret from you? There was nothing you could have done and neither would you have reacted badly if you knew of his lineage right?”


The CEO scratched his forehead in weariness and started typing once again into the laptop.
‘Hongki had always felt inferior at home because he was afraid that he would be abandoned one day just like his real parents did to him. He always tells me that even if the whole world pushed him away, he would be alright but if I did, he wouldn’t know what to do. He said that if the Lees ever had second thoughts about him, it was okay because he would then be placed in another family. However, he didn’t want that to happen because I might not want to be friends with him anymore if he wasn’t in a rich family. I have to constantly assure him of our friendship. That was when we were kids though. I’m guessing that even if we may have grown old, he may still have his insecurities.’

Yoseob nodded as he tried to piece the information together, “So that’s why they both do not have their relationship made known to others. Strange enough, Woohyun seemed to be the one who was more uptight about having the relationship being made known to you. Have you all ever offended the Nams while they were working for you guys?”


‘They were like family.’


Stuck.


Yoseob really felt stuck right now. There were too many questions and he had to figure them out the soonest he wanted to arrest the murderer. Turning to look at Junhyung, his frown was etched deeper into his face. As if sensing his worries, the CEO gave a small smile and typed into the laptop again.


‘The murderer would have killed me by now if he or she wanted to. Remember how when my parents was murdered, I was right there in the same place, vulnerable and exposed but nothing happened?’


The police officer would never have forgotten that. It was the most prominent part of the case file and now, it had also become the reason why the three suspects remained as suspects. All three had a reason why Junhyung was needed to remain alive while his parents should be killed to get out of the way. Hara, to marry him. Woohyun’s reason was at first unclear but now they knew it was probably because Hongki was so dependent on his friend. Mir because he couldn’t be the CEO unless Mr and Mrs Yong appointed him. With them gone, Junhyung, the inexperienced son, would naturally replace him and if he fails to do a good job (which many expects that he would), Mir would be one of the potential candidates since he had such good relations with the shareholders.


Junhyung and his parents were in their vacation house, just the three of them, having just finished relaxing and playing by the beach. Junhyung had went to his room to change into a fresh set of clothes while his parents were setting up the table and food for dinner. He was only in his pants when he heard screams from his parents and he had ran out of his room to see what the commotion was about. However, when he saw them, they were already in a bloody mess and before he knew it, he was hit on the back of the head, falling into the dark abyss of unconsciousness.

When he finally regained consciousness, he was in the hospital already and the news of his parents’ death was broken to him. He never spoke and he never cried. All he did was nodded and stared blankly ahead of him for hours and hours before he started forming a plan.

A plan that involved the police.

 

Yoseob stood in silence as he watched Junhyung’s eyes tremble from relieving the painful memories and all he wanted to do was to pull him into his arms right now but he knew the CEO needed his time and space. So he continued standing, continued watching. When the emotionally-charged eyes seemed to calm and simmer down, he asked quietly.


“Why do you not speak then? I know it has nothing to do with the trauma and that you are capable of speaking as and when you wanted. I heard you laugh the first day just before we entered the office. I know you just choose not to speak.”


The CEO’s eyes lost his focus again and Yoseob thought he probably had probed too much and was about to chastised himself for it when he saw the older male reaching for the laptop, typing away again. When the screen was turned to him, Yoseob’s heart felt a vicious, wrenching pull. He always knew the man was lonely in the big house. He always knew the man felt unsafe even in his own home. He always knew the man must have been hurt bad to see the bloodied bodies of his parents with his very own eyes. But this… he never knew.


‘We were at a convenience store near the beach, getting stuff for the planned home movie night after dinner. I saw a newspaper with the winning lotto numbers and exclaimed to my parents that it was the password to our vacation home. I even rearranged them to their correct orders and said it out loud. Mum laughed and told me not to announce the home’s password to the whole world. We didn’t had any worries because we saw no one except the cashier in the store and who would know who we were at that place and actually know where we stayed. But now, I guess we know who else was in the store…’

Yoseob’s blood had turned icy cold as the realization hit him. He had read the case file and there were no notes of a break in and he had not thought much about it, thinking that since the three suspects were close to the family, they probably could slip into the house easily on the pretext of meeting them or somehow, have a way to know how to get into the house.

 

The guilt.

Damn. The guilt that Junhyung must be feeling.
 

Tears started welling up in Yoseob’s eyes. He had so brazenly asked Junhyung when he would start talking at their first meeting. He had allowed so