Key was contemplating for an hour inside his room. He tried to figure out the meaning of the anonymous letter, but his effort seemed to be useless. Jonghyun’s words spun inside his mind, he remembered the last word he said to him this evening. They can do nothing toward the note, and somehow it was annoying for him. How could he ignore such an important note?

A frown adorned the pale skinned man’s face, who was now sitting on the edge of his bed, as he looked at the note again. There was a slight thought that it was only some teenagers who sent it to him just to make fun the two of them, but again, he tried to be more serious in facing this case. Starting to gather things for evidence was not easy as he ever thought when he was young. It was more than just complicated.

“Aigoo…” Key growled. It was too frustrating to solve an anonymous letter’s message which only had ’21-3, die’ on it. It could be anything. Yes, anything. Date, perhaps? Or house’s number. Or seat number in the cinema.

“Get something?” Jonghyun entered his room casually, only wearing a towel around his waist. Covered his manhood in safety.

“No. Not yet. All I need is just some more clues—” Key paused, opened his mouth like a dumb. “WHAT THE HECK! GET DRESS HYUNG!”

Ignoring his protest, Jonghyun walked closer toward him and snatched the paper from Key’s hand. The note was not changed; it was still as the same state when it’s arrived in their mail box. A black ink was used to write it, a blurry, messy word on a piece of paper. It seemed that the writer ripped the paper from a small note book, a school note book, perhaps? He was not sure.

“Hm… listen, Key.” He started.

Here we go again, Key sniffed.

“I don’t know how to react but…” He sighed. “There was another person missing.”

“What?” Key widened his eyes in surprise. “Another victim?” He could not believe there could be another victim.

“Yes, a model. He lives in Seoul too. Well, about twenty minutes from here by subway.” He paused. “His name is… Lee Jinki, uh well, Onew, that is his stage name. He’s missing this morning.”

“How?” Key got closer to his hyung.

“There’s no further report. But he’s there was another guy has been beaten by those strangers, he’s in a very awful condition.” Jonghyun moved away and walked toward the table. He took his cell phone and read the message for his partner. “Ah, the guy’s name is Minsoo. Kang Minsoo.”

“I see…” Key rubbed the back of his neck and nodded. “Do we get the information from him?”

“Yes. I think I’m going to visit him in the hospital now. And I would like you to come with me. So get dress!” said Jonghyun.

The green curtain wrapped the dark transparent window near to Kang Minsoo’s bed. The boy was collapsing when the detective and his partner arrived. Kim Jonghyun covered his hand with black gloves. He looked directly at the boy who was lying in bed while Key just looking around curiously.

“Good evening, Kang Minsoo…?” Jonghyun reaffirmed his name once again. “It’s nice to meet you, I’m detective Kim. Kim Jonghyun.”

“Good evening, detective Kim.” He coughed.

This boy was badly injured. It was clear that his leg has broken, some serious bruises on his face, and some wound made by something sharp on his hands. It must be very difficult for him since he was a model. He needed—at least once or twice plastic surgery to recover from such great injury.

“Ah, don’t force yourself, yes? I’m here just to talk…”

“I know.” He replied. “I don’t care anymore, please save Onew hyung.” He looked at the detective in a sad face. “He’s like… my brother. Yes, he’s very nice. Please save him.”

“So tell us what has happened earlier,” Key butted in the conversation, being indifferent as usual.

“This morning. I was on my way with him to my aunt’s house. Her son was missing last night. There’s nothing strange until… until we arrived there. I got out from the car and walked to her house while Onew hyung was waiting in the car. I was very surprised when there were two people tried to drag Onew hyung from inside the car. It—it was—” He paused, it seemed that whatever had happened was very frightening.

“Easy,” Key said, tapping his pencil on the note he had prepared.

“I believe they use like… poison, or something like that… you know, like in the movie. Because I found—I mean, I saw Onew hyung was unconscious. He was being dragged so I ran to him and tried to take him from them but then one of them hit me with a stick. There,” he pointed at his broken leg. “So I fell to the road and I cried out loud, telling them not to bring him anywhere. But the one… a messy haired man, yes, he hit me on my face so I tried to cover my face with my hand, but this is all that I got…” He paused again, his body quivering. “So… I saw them brought his body inside the car again. And—and they drove the car away. I can do nothing because I’m so… I’m so useless…”

“I see.” Key noted. “So your aunt has a son, and her son is being kidnapped?”

“W-well… she isn’t sure if Taemin is being kidnapped but—”

“Taemin?” Jonghyun’s eyes widened. He remembered the boy who was missing named Lee Taemin. “Lee Taemin?” He asked.

“Oh yes, yes, Lee Taemin. He is my cousin.” He nodded faintly.

“I see… I’m a detective who is responsible to solve your cousin’s case.” Jonghyun nodded and smiled at him.

“Do you remember how they look like?” Key asked.

“I don’t… but the one has brown hair… and his hair is so messy. They wear black outfit, like… um, long coat, glasses… and whatnot. That’s why they can hide their face and stature.”

“Hm. Noted.” Key said and smiled. “Do you know about umh… twenty one dash three?” He casually asked, paid no mind of Jonghyun’s sudden glare at him.

“Twenty one dash three?” He asked back. “Umh… I don’t know…” He mumbled lowly, was unsure what he was talking about.

“Ah… I see. It’s fine then. Thanks. Anything you want to add…?” Key.

“Nothing… but I have a question. Do you think Taemin’s is being kidnapped? And do you think… the culprits are the same persons with those who kidnapped Onew hyung?”

“We cannot tell you at the moment. There is no connection between the two separate cases. Ah, and please tell me your address and also Onew’s car’s license number.” Jonghyun said and quickly added, “You are his roommate, eh?”

The dim light illuminated the living room, where Key sat silently on the sofa. Tonight he was so tired, but he could not go to sleep because his mind was full with a lot of things. The cases he faced, mostly.

The first thing was about Taemin, the boy who was missing yesterday night. There was no clue left about him and he saw Jonghyun did not make any move yet. The second case which suddenly appeared in the surface was Onew’s kidnapping. And there was another boy who was badly injured. The case was seemingly common. But there was something bothered Key’s mind. If those kidnappers bothered hitting Minsoo, why did they not kill him? It would make the situation worse for them because they just let a witness alive.

And the note.

Again, he could not let the note and the cases being in separate condition. Somehow he had a feeling that the cases had something to do with the note. But the question was… What? What kind of connection they had? It was not a mere coincidence that an anonymous letter was sent to his apartment when in the same time, there was a boy missing—who was highly suspected as being kidnapped. And in the morning, another man was missing.

Beep. Beep.

A text message. Key reached at his cell phone on the table as stretched his legs on the sofa and relaxed his neck. Ah, he recalled that he had given his cell number to the boy, Kang Minsoo—in case he needed any help, or he had forgotten anything to tell. So here he was, texting him in almost midnight.

Unbelievable. The text he got just made his heart pounded, faster and faster until he almost lost his breath from his own excitement. He must be right this time.

‘Doctor Key… I remembered about 21-3. It’s so familiar for me, I just couldn’t remember it when you asked me. But I believe, it’s my aunt’s house number.’