“Hey…” Entering a quiet room where only the sound of dripping from the intravenous hydration can be heard, a man closes the door behind him and makes his way over to the patient while the person sits bent over on the bed as if waiting for someone.

Rising his head to meet the visitor, the patient gazed at the tall man who had arrived by his bed. “I’m here again! And I brought you something!” Smiling sweetly, the patient extends both hands out to grab the man by the waist.

“Yoochunnie!!” Giggling like a gleeful idiot, the young patient does not let go while ‘Yoochunnie’ stand still, allowing the boy, Junsu, to rub his pinkish little cheeks into his coat. The detective has purposely changed a coat just for the sake of this visit. “You smell good today!!” The patient squealed.

Buying it from a sale after passing by a window front a few days back, he is feeling self-conscious after the boy refuses to go near him because of the nicotine stink on his usual working coat. He even offered the hug the other time but was rejected. The koala-like patient is not keen on inhaling the remnant of second hand smoke left on his garment.

“Hey you. I thought you might like some Korean food so I bought you this!” Pulling out a takeaway, consisting of rice and a plastic bowl of Kimchi soup, the detective smiled after seeing the younger one beam. He had to drive all the way to some out of the way shop just to get them and his effort is appreciated.

Watching Junsu fiddling with the chopsticks, trying to remember how to use it, Yoochun felt a little sad. Then, functioning on instincts and years of conditioning, the patient managed to handle the chopsticks loosely. Setting aside a share on the lid of the container, the younger one separated the food into two shares clumsily, scalding himself in the process.

Then, before Yoochun can intervene, the younger one hands the man a half of it as well one of the chopsticks, assuming that the chopsticks comes in a pair so they can each have one. This brought long lost laughter to the detective’s face as he chuckles loudly, evilly watching how the boy will eat with just one chopstick.

Pressing the rice against the side of the container to slide it along into his mouth, he succeeds in taking his first bite. The incredibly adorable expression on his face as he tries to recall why he likes the smell and taste of rice so much melted Yoochun’s heart. “I have already eaten. You enjoy yourself alright?” Handing Junsu the other half of the chopsticks as well as his share of the food, the detective patted the boy on the head.

“Share. We share!” The patient spoke and instantly looks as though he is speaking some alien language, not sure where the words come from. Yoochun is already used to this and would always reassure him that he will remember eventually. Taking a mouthful, the patient pushes the chopsticks into Yoochun’s hands and waited for the man to start eating. Yoochun obliges and he smiles.

After the pair is done tasting one another’s saliva, Junsu immediately tries to get off the bed, wobbling as he drags the portable drip stand after him. The detective quickly gets up and follows the boy with an unsteady gait.

“I can!” Slanted to the right as he walks in a skewed line, the stubborn boy only allows Yoochun to hold him by his palm, giving no support at all. “I want. I want to show you. Something.” The smaller person says as he leads the bigger man along.

Walking on their way to the lift, headed for the roof, Junsu suddenly stops. Backing away fearfully, the boy quickly clings onto Yoochun and claws at his coat frantically. The detective can feel the boy’s thin fingers scratching through the thick wool coat, as well as the shudders. “What’s wrong?” The taller man is concerned.

Squeaking as he buries his face in Yoochun’s chest, Junsu’s weak grip on Yoochun felt fearful so the detective turned and saw the only possible thing that might be scaring the big baby. A toddler in Tom and Jerry shirt, tottering around beside the nurse’s counter. There were no one else there and Yoochun is baffled.

“Shhh Shhh!! No need to be scared.” Patting the squirming Junsu on his head, the detective brought him over and approaches the baby. However, before they can reach the drooling babe, Junsu had broken free of Yoochun’s embrace and made a break in the opposite direction.

Running like a drunkard, Junsu even ran into a couple of trolleys at the side of the corridor. Yoochun immediately gives chase. “EVERLAND!! COME BACK!!” Rocketing himself over to the slower Junsu’s side, Yoochun manages to catch the boy as he falls yet again.

“HEY!! Hey!! Calm down!!” Rubbing the boy’s shoulders as the person cries like the toddler just metres away, the detective carries him up with one hand while the other pushes the mobile drip stand. Returning to the room, Junsu would not stop reminding Yoochun to lock the door behind them.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

POV from Yoochun

I have been making countless visits to see Everland over the course of these few days. I even bring my work here so I can do it around him. Apparently, it is only when I come around that he would eat and talk. There are a couple of people who can coax him into answering their questions, but I am the most successful at it.

By the way, if you are wondering why I call him ‘Everland’… well… it’s because of the ticket stub I found on him. I can’t possibly call him by the number on his soccer jacket right? He doesn’t mind me calling him that so I will just address him so.

The cases I am working on seem to be cleared much faster nowadays too. For some reasons, I don’t really feel stressed even though I have him to look after. Maybe it’s because he is rather cooperative… what am I saying? He doesn’t even remember anything!

Plus, with the current medical condition and amnesia thanks to his brain injury, I have one more thing to worry about. What do I do with him when the doctor discharges him tomorrow?

He doesn’t adapt well with random people… and part of the reason I suspect has to do with the language. He speaks Korean to me most of the time. Also, he doesn’t eat well without me watching him. It’s always no appetite or sleepiness. I have no idea since when did I start to feel so responsible for him…

It’s probably because I rescued him… I think. In the worst case scenario, I will just have to bring him home with me. My apartment is big enough anyway…

Anyhow, he seems to be getting bits and pieces of whatever happened to him before he is shot, but it’s all the bad things that are coming back instead of all the vital things. He would tell me that he is scared but can’t really articulate why. I asked the doctors if that is normal and they say that it is probably the trauma. Not enough to cause him his memory loss even though I was hoping it’s just PTSD…

What did a little kid do to scare him so much? Was there a toddler involved? I don’t think so…

If my inferential skills are not yet rusty, I can safely assume that it’s the Tom and Jerry print that scared him. I tested that theory out by showing him a Tom and Jerry cartoon video on Youtube and he isn’t talking to me now…

I can’t believe this… a stupid cat and mouse is involved. Right. I digress. If my inferential skills are still in top conditions, one of the kidnappers was definitely wearing that innocent kid’s cartoon print shirt. Why does he wear such a cheesy thing anyway? Lacking fashion sense? To attract the attention of kids they are going to kidnap?

That is the only clue I have gotten so far… and it is ‘real’ helpful. Where do I even start with this? Mass production is a . Limited edition items shouldn’t be a problem since they probably rip off big bucks from their client right?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Meanwhile…

“YUNHO AH!! ARE YOU ALRIGHT?!” An old man charges into the bedroom of the said man while he younger person talks on his phone, speaking in a silent tone. Acknowledging his grandfather’s presence by standing up from where he is seated and allowing the man to take over, the filial grandson hangs up.

“OMO!! Where is the injury?!” “Lee told me that you are hurt!! WHERE?!” The old man does not sit. Instead, he forces his tall grandson onto the chair and starts combing through his thick black tresses in search of a wound. “Did he do this?!” The old man growled and Yunho rolled his eyes. There is nothing more than a barely visible bump and the young man is alive and well, if not, better.

“No one can hurt me if I don’t allow them to, Haraboji. I knocked my head against the boat by accident.” Yunho speaks the truth though it is only half the fact.

“It’s my fault! He is such a hazard and I allowed him to stay by your side!” The old man fumed and pounded the table nearby. “I swear I will find him and have him pay for hurting you!”

“Haraboji. I will appreciate if you will help me find him but don’t hurt him.” Yunho requested bluntly. “I will deal with him myself.” The man clicked his tongue and tidied up his messed up hair.

“I can’t let him go near you, Yunho ah.” The old man sounded determined, but Yunho is undaunted.

“Haraboji. I want to be the one to make him pay.” “He is still my property for as long as I still want him.” The younger man concluded and the old man sighed in defeat. Yunho can be really stubborn and insistent on having things his way, this side of him is difficult to change. He is too spoilt and taught all the wrong things and there is no one else to blame aside from his elders.

“Very well. I will find him for you, but you must promise me to keep him in that if you want to keep him.” The old man caved and pointed towards the glass enclosure. Yunho shrugged but agreed nonetheless, secretly not liking how his grandfather is referring Jaejoong to an animal.

“You know where to find me.” Yunho concluded and left the room, driving off in his Porsche.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

POV from Yunho

The truth to be told… I am disappointed with myself.

He escaped from right under my nose and I wasn’t even able to stop him.

It’s a mystery how he managed to escape despite being physically weaker and at my mercy. He is a lot wittier and cleverer than I assumed him to be. A beauty with the brains, how exciting!

He even had it in him to drive my yacht back to shore despite being clueless to where we are. I doubt he even have the license or training… so he must have been really desperate and forced up the wall.

I shall not say that he had saved me… since I was implicated when trying to save him at the first place. He is one hell of a stubborn ‘danger-prone’ kitten but I seem to like him better this way. I don’t usually like troublesome people like him, but I have decided to make him an exception.

He made me laugh so hard that it hurts. He is the first one to arouse me and that’s for sure. I have been to stripper clubs of both gender and can’t even stay long enough for them to finish stripping. Their exaggerated acts of seduction disgusts me and I truly thought I was immune until he came along. He has NO idea how I am whenever he does those tiny actions.

That little lip chewing thing. That teary eyes look. That way he tries to cover up his body with whatever he has so subtly. He is so shy that it hurts too.

I had a hard time believing that he would have such a potent effect on me. He is capable of igniting a fire of passion within me and I don’t like that. Period. I have to figure him out and give myself a reason to reject him.

I won’t be kind when I find him. Even if I have to chase him to the edge of the world, I will hunt him down. He is not leaving on his own, as and when he prefers. I get to choose whether he gets to be free. He is mine. I will get to dictate whatever he does and he will accept that whether he likes it or not. Should I just keep him in that tank?