The butler helped Yoseob in packing his luggage, gazing sadly in his direction once in a while and sighing every now and then. The smaller male had tears running down his face as he removed his clothes that were hanging in the wardrobe and folded them neatly into the luggage.


“Sir, it had been a great joy to have you around.” The butler mumbled quietly as he gathered the shoes of the smaller male, sorting them into shoe bags and placing them in the luggage.


Yoseob forced a sad smile in return, “Thank you for helping me navigate around this huge place and making this stay such a lovely one. Oh and those shoes aren’t mine. I came here only with a pair of work shoes and this pair of sneakers that I’m wearing now.” The butler shook his head and continued placing the shoes into the luggage, “These are yours. Master Yong bought it just for you and you have every right to keep them.”


The police officer choked on his sobs as he stopped folding his clothes, unable to move his fingers anymore. “I don’t want them. They would just remind me that I have lost him.”


Frowning, the butler positioned himself in front of the smaller male, “Master Yong had always been close only to his parents, a bit on the quieter side but very cheeky and all smiles when with his parents. The blow of seeing his parents dead in front of him was really bad. You know he’s all quiet and refusing to talk right? But Mr Yang, ever since you came, things have been so different. Master Yong speaks even more to me than before his parents’ incident. You changed him, so much and in a good way. I just cannot imagine him pushing you away so easily like this.”


Yoseob remained silent as he thought about the butler’s words. In all his tears and hurting heart, his logic and rationality was buried deep within him but now that they were resurfacing, he realised, that the butler had a point. Why had Junhyung pushed him away so easily? Quietly, he resumed packing his clothes into the luggage, allowing the butler to put the shoes given by Junhyung into it now, and his brain started churning as he processed the newfound realisation and tried to piece the information together.

There was something going on and Yoseob had to find out what.


------
 

“How are you holding up?” Hyunseung asked tentatively as he watched the smaller male lay on his bed, staring blankly into the ceiling. He noted that the luggage Yoseob had brought back from Junhyung’s place was still lying at the corner, untouched and unopened. He sighed and settled down next to the man who was still keeping quiet, lying by his side. The younger male was his friend for a while now and when the case was first presented to him, he thought that no one could do a better job than Yoseob. The smaller male always kept to himself after his parents passed away and could even be seen as a loner sometimes. Even in this simple apartment, Hyunseung noticed that other than photos of his parents, there were no other photos of Yoseob with anybody else. Not even with Hyunseung whom he thought was one of Yoseob’s closer friends already. Yes, Yoseob never grew too attached with anybody.


But it seemed like, this time, he was way too attached and Hyunseung couldn’t help but feel a tad guilty about that.


“Yoseob ah, it’s not your fault. Junhyung should have more trust in you.” Hyunseung attempted to comfort the smaller male, hoping that he would start speaking more. The moment Junhyung had called him to say that he wanted another police officer working for him instead of him, Hyunseung had ran to the smaller male’s apartment and saw him with tear stained cheeks, at the front door, not even entering the apartment. He had helped brought him into the apartment as the smaller male struggled to maintain professionalism and explain the reason of being ‘fired’. Till then, he have not uttered a single word.


“It’s not him.”


Hyunseung almost cheered at finally listening to Yoseob’s voice again, albeit it being a little soft and weak. He turned to his side and eyed the smaller male curiously, “What?”


“He didn’t mean what he said. I’m sure there’s a reason why he is doing this.” Yoseob sat up on his bed abruptly and frowned, “Yes, that must be it.” Hyunseung stared at the younger male, trying to figure out what exactly was he mumbling about.


“I’m still not getting you.”


“I’ve been thinking”, Yoseob furrowed his brows more and scratched his chin thoughtfully, “Why, why would Junhyung have such a huge reaction? I mean, he gets jealous over Doojoon being touchy all the time and yet, he never reacts this way. He always listens to my explanation and we would be alright. And Doojoon, he’s touchy and I allowed him to be because I know it was a different kind of touch. It’s all brotherly hugs, warm pats in the back and at times, the uncontrolled ability to restrain himself from pinching my cheeks, nothing more. It’s impossible he would suddenly come on me like this.”


“Are you saying that this is all staged?”


“I’m guessing it is. Just last night, Junhyung and I were in the bed after I returned from the hospital and he started crying. Let me assure that this CEO is one of the toughest man and did not shed a single tear after his parents’ death until I forced him to re-enter his parents’ bedroom. I thought it was because he was too overwhelmed by the fear from seeing me all bloody and stuff, reminding him of his parents. It could be more…”


Hyunseung sat up now and pondered over the words, “But why would Junhyung do this? Is he being threatened by the murderer?”


Yoseob shook his head confidently, “One thing I’m certain about is that the murderer would never harm Junhyung. I’m not sure why Junhyung would do this but he talked about protecting me if he could.”


“So, he’s afraid the murderer would harm you? But why now? Because you have been slashed by the murderer? That’s strange though. You are a police officer, one of the more observant and smart ones in fact, there’s no way the murderer could get to you! Unless! Oh goodness…”


Yoseob nodded his head and his fearful eyes met Hyunseung’s “Unless the murderer is closer than we thought and Junhyung knows. Junhyung had figured out who he was.”


“So it’s not Woohyun? It’s someone even closer?”


“Possibly, but I’m still unsure who. I need to more information.” Yoseob announced as he stood up and grabbed a jacket, throwing it over his shoulders. “I’m going back to the convenience store by the beach. I feel like I’m forgetting something and might have missed it out.”


“I’m coming with you.”


“No! You continue liaising with Junhyung in finding him another police officer. We are going to pretend that I’m too dumb to realise what Junhyung is doing. If the murderer is that near, that close, we have to play our part and keep up the act. Any mistakes and the murderer might do something even more drastic.”


“He wouldn’t harm Junhyung right?”


“For now, I’m sure he won’t. But we never know. Let’s keep it safe.”


Hyunseung nodded and watched as Yoseob hurried out of the apartment, “You be careful yourself!”


------


The petite police officer entered the convenience store and saw the same cashier, smiling brightly at her, “Hello again.”


“Again? You are? Oh, oh! Oh yes, hello! How may I help you?”


“I’m here just to ask you if you might have missed something out when talking to me the other day”, Yoseob asked cautiously as he wandered around the shelves, picking up a packet of cup noodles and heading to the cashier to make payment.


“Hmmm, I’ve told you all that I can remember.”


Yoseob frowned as he tried to run though all the information in his brain and process out his thoughts. He sat at the seating area and looked out into the beach, smiling as he saw a family playing with one another in the sea, swimming and building sandcastles. They were the only family left since the skies had darkened significantly already. He wondered if that was how Junhyung spent his time with his parents and his smile grew as he thought of how Junhyung must have behaved like a child, reliving his childhood innocence while being with his parents. The cashier felt that since it was pretty late and there weren’t any customers anyway, it was okay to leave her spot and sat beside him, watching where his eyes fell.


“Mr Police, what case is this that you are working on that is taking you so long to crack? It seems like a pretty big case.” The cashier crossed her legs, sitting sideways on the chair so that she could give an occasional glance to the entrance of the store.


“Yeah, it is.” Yoseob replied simply, trying to figure out what else he could have missed out and to question


“What kind of a case is it? Theft? Kidnap? Arson? Or is it--- Oh my, that man sure is hot!” The cashier gushed as she stared out into the beach, watching a man whose wet shirt was clinging tightly to his skin, putting his