Author's note : Suddenly had to go out of town from last Wednesday to Sunday. Thus the update delay. My apology.

Chapter 9. Taeyeon & Feelings

“Noona, I heard about what's happened, are you okay?” Bambam rushes to walk with Taeyeon the moment she enters the precinct. NPA headquarter is as busy as ever. People moves efficiently fast to get their job done but Taeyeon has to go against the rhythm and walks slowly.

“I'm fine.” Despite the soreness all over, Taeyeon refuses to rest. Barely twelve hours after the assault, she's already at work, ready to face the recent development of her case. A recent development that brings Jiyong into the equation.

“Are you sure?” Bambam, knowing that Taeyeon hates to be babied yet feels extra worried, awkwardly extends his hands to help.

“Nothing I can't handle, Bammie.” Smiling, Taeyeon keeps on walking.

“The offender, I promise he will gets a taste of hell once we catch him.”

“I'm more worried of how Jiwon is doing at the moment. I can't contact her number.” Taeyeon checks her phone again, the many calls and texts she sent to Jiwon are unreturned. The number is no longer active.

“Have you ask some of our men to search for her?”

“It's Seoul Police's jurisdiction at the moment. I already ask Detective Song from SPA to keep me informed.” Taeyeon pushes the door to the observation chamber open. “He promises me his best.”

“I'm sorry, noona. Let's wrap our case up as fast as possible so we can focus on finding your best friend next.”

Taeyeon nods at Bambam before bowing at Chief Sooman who's already standing behind the one-way glass that separate the interrogation room with the observation chamber. The corner of her eyes catches Jiyong sitting in the other room.

“You okay?” The chief stares Taeyeon from head to toe. “Doctors actually release you?”

“I will be, Chief. Just bruised ribs.” Taeyeon dodges the question.

“Any idea who attacked you?”

“I think it's my flat-mate's coworker. I saw them arguing a few days ago. Local polices are working on it.”

“I hate to call you in when you're injured but our suspect refuse to talk to anybody else.” The chief tilts his head toward the interrogation room. “Has waived his right for lawyer too.”

“He has, hasn't he?” Taeyeon pinches the bridge of her nose, worrying of how things will ravel if Jiyong doesn't get any help from lawyer.

“Bambam said he's your neighbor.”

“He is.”

“Just neighbor?”

Taeyeon sighs. The truth is, whatever feeling she has developed for Jiyong, at this point they are nothing but a neighbor. As hard as it is, she has to keep it that way for the sake of this investigation. “We're friends.”

“Hmmm.” The chief seems to lost in thought for a moment. “Talk to him then. Stay objective. You know the drill.”

“Yes, chief.”

Taeyeon stops to take a deep breath before opening the connecting door. Jiyong looks up but says nothing. His eyes not leaving Taeyeon as she sits on the opposite side of the desk.

“Can I say something to you now?” Jiyong speaks after nearly a minute of silent.

“You should have gotten a lawyer.”

“I'm not guilty.”

Taeyeon pretends to read the file in her hand, ignoring him. It's easy to believe Jiyong for they didn't find the gun that killed Kang Seulgi with him. There's no knife wound on Seulgi's body too. But Jiyong being there at the crime scene with bloodied knife in his hand is not exactly a good defense either.

“You promised to help me, remember?” Jiyong leans forward. He looks like a mess and his eyes show utter frustration. “Help me, Taeyeon. Let me go. I'm not guilty.”

“Explain to me then. What were you doing near a dead body of a woman? How did a bloodied knife end up in your hand?”

“I don't know her. I was there to drink and-”

“Stop right there.” It hurts Taeyeon that Jiyong decides to lie to her face. She sighs, pulling a signed paper from the folder. “This is a testimony from a witness who recognizes you as the man who often met Kang Seulgi in the bar. In this witness' words, I quote, You and Seulgi were a pair of love birds, sitting on the table by the jukebox, kissing and holding hand all night.”

“Were.” Jiyong looks away. “It was in the past.”

It takes Taeyeon's a great deal of self-restraint not to slap the paper onto the desk. The thought of Jiyong kissing other woman burns her heart. Has she had the right to be jealous, she would have stormed out of interrogation room in anger. But she has no right, they are just neighbors. And now that he has lied to her, she doesn't even know if she can consider Jiyong as her friend anymore.

“So tell me again, Kwon Jiyong. Tell me from the start. Your relationship with Kang Seulgi and how she ended up dead in that warehouse.”

“I can't.”

“Did you kill her?”

“No.”

“I know the knife is yours so please refrain from telling me another lie.” Taeyeon takes a deep breath, recalling the moment Jiyong showed the knife to her, all the flirty banter they shared on the trip from Daejeon to Seoul. Her heart hurts but the need to stay professional tells her to ignore the pain. “Whose blood was on that knife, Kwon Jiyong?”

Still refuses to look at Taeyeon, Jiyong keeps his lips sealed.

“Did you see someone hurting Kang Seulgi?” She opens a way for Jiyong to defend himself. “Did you try to safe her?”

“I couldn't save anybody, no matter how hard I tried.”

“From who? Did you see the guy who attacked Seulgi?”

Jiyong looks down, ignoring each and every attempt Taeyeon makes to save him.

“We'll find out ourselves then.” After about ten more questions, Taeyeon stands up, frustrated. “You ask to talked to me but you refuse to tell me anything, this will only end with trouble for both of us.”

“I can't explain it to you, Taeyeon. Not now. Just let me go.”

“That's not how thing works.” Throughout her career, Taeyeon has talked to too many suspects to know that Jiyong isn't the kind who can be forced to talk. “You are a prime suspect to a murder now, Jiyong. A murder that is linked to other murders. If you don't tell me the truth, more people will get hurt.”

“That's why I ask you to let me go!” Jiyong stands up. His handcuff rattles against the foot of the table where it's linked to. The officer guarding the door swiftly moves to Jiyong's side, grabbing him behind the neck to get him back to the chair.

“Let me go, Taeyeon! Arrgh. ” Jiyong tries to break free, the fear in his eyes now clouded with stubbornness. “I'm the only one who can stop this madness!”

“Madness, you said?” Taeyeon comes to Jiyong's side, challenging his stare. “Madness is you know something that might help us find the killer of your girlfriend but you refuse to tell us about it. Don't you care about her at all?”

“She's not my girlfriend.” Looking dejected, Jiyong looks away again. “Not anymore.”

Taeyeon sighs. “Then tell my why did you come to that warehouse. Tell me how the blood got to your knife. Tell me everything.”

“I can't.” Hanging his head low, Jiyong let out a whisper. “I can't.”

“Did someone trap you?” Taeyeon suggest carefully, hop