“Thank you for being punctual, detective.” Pulling out the chair and sitting opposite to the doctor, Yoochun places his tumbler beside him and pulls out the stack of papers. Nodding his head before pulling out his pen and filling up the documents, the detective signed them patiently.

“Please make sure that he takes the medication according to the schedule.” “And also, please him back for his check-ups indicated on the appointment cards.” Getting a pile of medications shoved to him in a bag, the detective can only smile bitterly.

Nonetheless, the excited squeal from Junsu never fails to cheer him up. Seeing Junu dressed in the clothes he brought from the mall the other day, Yoochun’s face lit up instantly. “Yoochunnie!!” Wobbling over as he walks like an injured duck, like always, the boy hugs Yoochun from behind and clings on.

“Let’s go home.” Patting Junsu on his head lightly, the detective smiles and carries the bag while the young one follow closely behind him, like a baby duck following the first thing it sees. Yoochun has never had guests lodge with him before so Junsu will be the first.

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Flashback

“Sir! Going home?” The officer situated near the door in the department office spots Yoochun leaving with an unusual smile on his face and asks. It’s been a long time since he smiled and he does not even do that after closing a case.

“Oh! Yup! I will be off a little early today so let me know if there are any problems.” Waving his two fingers as they scissor his cigarette, Yoochun takes one last drag before dumping it into the cigarette bin by the lift. The stick is only barely used, with a burnt tip.

“Really?! I thought you were headed out for field investigation…” The man scratched his head and raised an eyebrow, sceptical.

“What do I get for lying? When I say I am headed home, I am, dummy.” Yoochun chuckled and enters the lift, skipping a little as he smells himself.

“OUR HEAD OF DEPT IS IN LOVE!!!!” As soon as the lift door closes, the officer turns hysterical and runs around the office like a crazed man. All the living dead slumped on their office chair immediately recovers and gathers around the staff restroom, eager to find out what is going on.

Following the man to the trashcan by the bin, the man used his work forceps to lift up the sodden but nearly brand new cigarette. “THIS! This is the one that he was smoking!” “See how unused it is!?”

“And this! This one is the one he smoked yesterday!” Lifting up another cigarette with a barely burnt tip, everyone present gasps and dissects the pile of ‘evidence’ with their various investigation techniques.

“So… he has really been going on dates even though he keeps saying that he is headed to check on the victim in the hospital?” One of the officers suggested and loud gasps can be heard again. Exchanging looks, the team of busybodies ended up debating their superior’s marital status.

“Did you see that coat he bought?” Someone spoke and the rest nodded vigorously. “I asked him about that and he says that it’s because someone told him he stinks of weed.” “And the person wanted him to change his coat before he gets to cuddle!!” The same officer exaggerated and everyone started to laugh, finally splitting and returning to their seats. They all believe that is just a delusional inference.

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Meanwhile…

“Creak.” The door to a cosy spacious apartment opens up and a pair of feet shuffles in, kicking off his shoes and replacing them with a pair of slippers.

Pacing over to his king size bed, the man puts the person in his arms down on the soft mattress and tidies him up. Fitting a pillow snugly under the person’s head and removing his sneakers and socks, the man pulled the thick comforter and blanket over the snoozing person.

Removing his own coat and rolling up his sweater sleeves, the man headed into his bathroom, splashing water all over his tired face. Cold water always perks him.

“HHH!!” “YAH!!” Turning around after drying up his dripping wet face, he is startled by a shorter person standing by the door. He is definitely not used to having someone else at home with him since he is always alone.

“You scared me! Don’t just appear behind me like that!” Yoochun reprimanded Junsu softly while the other eyes him cutely. The person then tilted his pretty little head and smiles endearingly. Pushing Yoochun back into the bathroom and running back to the bed, Junsu re-enacted the scene from earlier.

“Yoochunnie!! Can I come over now?” Yelling happily, he waits by the bed for the detective to nod. Humouring him, Yoochun does whatever Junsu wanted and the boy leaps off the bed happily, just to fall flat on his face.

Sniffling while his chapped lips starts to bleed, Yoochun rushes over and carries him back onto the bed. The poor fella can’t do anything without threatening his own safety and Yoochun is concerned. Examining Junsu’s exquisite full lips and dabbing off the blood on the side, the older man even stuck a finger into his mouth to check for loosened teeth.

“It’s okay. We will patch you right up.” Reassuring Junsu, the detective added some antiseptic to the perfect but slightly marred lips. Somehow, taking care of the younger one took things off Yoochun’s mind and he feels good about it.

Glad that he had the carpet specialist over and fitted his room with the thickest carpet they have, Yoochun gave himself a pat on the shoulder. “Come. Let’s make you something to eat.” The detective rubbed Junsu’s flat epigastrium and earned a cute whimper.

Bustling around in the kitchen, Junsu tried to help out but Yoochun wouldn’t allow him to do anything. Being a stranger to his own kitchen, the detective does not remember where his knives are stored, neither can he recall where he kept his ladles. Hunting around with him for the different kitchen wares, Yoochun enjoyed Junsu’s company.

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POV from Junsu

It’s been rather long since I woke up… but I still can’t remember a thing.

There seem to be this bugging feeling that something important is missing but I just can’t put a finger to what it is. At first, I felt scared for no apparent reasons but after some time, the fear disappeared… nevertheless, the feeling that I have something that I need to do still remains.

As much as I try to remember, I can’t. My name. How many friends or family members I have. What happened before I got shot, since the doctors said there is a bullet in my head. When did I go to Everland and was I really the captain of my school football team. Those things. They just refuse to resurface… not even in dreams or nightmares.

There isn’t any pain in my head after I take the medications, but they don’t help me remember anything. Yoochunnie used to always say that he needs me to help him by thinking harder but he doesn’t do that anymore. I think even he has given up…

One thing is for sure though. I need to find my past and move on, and fast. Being a burden to him isn’t what I want, but I am in a fix. Being thankful that he will take me in isn’t going to make me less of a dead weight. He needs to move on with his life too and he is a really busy person too…

I am scared. What if I were really an illegal immigrant? What if I never find my family again? I can’t stay here forever. Yoochunnie is kind but I can’t take advantage of that. I need to start searching for ways to remember… I want to remember!

There is something I need to do desperately before I lost my memory!! I can’t stop the pressurising feeling that I am running out of time and I can’t stop my heart from pounding whenever that feeling comes. What is it exactly? What has the cat and mouse picture got to do with all this?

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In the middle of the night…

A small figure enters the room next to the one he was sleeping in and closes the door behind him gently. Seeing the man, his benefactor, sleeping uncomfortably on a two-seater couch with both legs dangling off the shorter furniture, blanket already kicked off, the small intruder picks the fabric up and covers him.

Creeping over to the desk nearby, the person searches through the pile of papers strewn across the table using the faint table lamp that remains on at all times. Spotting the file with the word ‘everland’ written in pencil on top, the person picks it up eagerly and tip toes out of the room.

Frustrated since he always end up wandering into another ‘lane’, unable to walk in a straight line and almost walking into a book shelf, the small figure manages to exit without rousing the sleeping detective. Doing blind sweeps around himself in the dark corridor illuminated by the weak moonlight, the person makes it back to the room he was tucked in.

Feeling bad that the detective has to sacrifice his comfortable bed so he can get the entire bed to himself, the person takes one of the pillows and a blanket with him before heading into the living room, where there is also a two-seater couch. This is a protest coming right up.

Switching on the standing lamp after a few failed attempts to latch onto the pull string, the person grin a satisfied grin and huddled up at the edge with both legs pressed against his chest. Flipping through the file, he finds the photos where he was found, the photos of the clothes he was wearing labelled with numbers, and even the ticket stub itself.

Reading the street name that Yoochun found him at, the person, Junsu, does not find anything familiar. Nothing called out to him and he could only sit in a daze, staring blankly at the contents in the file. Hours past and he simply sat in silence, eyes closed.

Finally, giving up after a long wait, like how one would give up waiting through a strenuous constipation, Junsu got up again and made his way back to Yoochun’s study. Placing the file on the table, he was turning to leave when the world around him starts to spin. Losing the muscular control of his legs and hands, Junsu knows what is coming and quickly tries to grasp onto the edge of the table as tightly as he can.

“Clank!” Jolted up from his sleep by the loud thud as Junsu falls, bringing the paper weight with him, Yoochun tumbles off the small couch he was sleeping on as well before scrambling over to a convulsing Junsu.

Doing the steps that the doctors have briefed him on whenever Junsu throws a fit, Yoochun knows he is in for a long journey, before sending Junsu back where he belongs. Being the one responsible for the boy since he signed the custodial papers, the detective is considering working from home. However, that will only add on to Junsu’s guilt.

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Meanwhile… back in Korea

“Yeoboseyo! Hyun Joong ah! I have booked a flight to the states so you tell Joongie to wait there for me alright?!” Weathered manicures on long fingers hid the white nail beds as the owner of the pair of hands handles her receiver with crushing force.

“Yeoboseyo?” The lady was unable to get through to Hyun Joong’s phone since the man had left it in the hostel to search around for Jaejoong. Waiting for her son to call back again after his earlier call, she is already getting impatient. But this call came.

“Hyun Joong! Don’t tell Joongie about Suie first! Let me do the talking when I reach! I don’t want him doing anything stupid!!” The lady does not receive a reply from the other end of the line but simply assumes that Hyun Joong had called her back.

“Yeoboseyo, Umma?” An airy voice threw her into disarray causing her to drop her phone. Scrambling to pick it up as she struggles to start the engine of her car, she forgets the fact that her secretary is still shoving her luggage into the trunk.

“Joongie ah!? IS THAT YOU?!” She cries out as soon as her ear touches the device. “Joongie ah! You wait for me in the hostel! I am already on my way to the airport!” “No wait!! Get Hyun Joong and both of you check into a more secured hotel!!”

“Don’t worry umma… I will find Suie and bring him back…” “I love you…” Jaejoong voice sounded urgent and hushed, making it almost impossible for Mrs Kim to catch whatever is said.

“I have to go!! I will find Suie so don’t worry about me!!” “Click.” The phone went dead, much to Mrs Kim’s dismay.