“Can I speak to the department head?” A lady well-dressed but plain faced, looking like any typical mother of a missing person, knocks on the door of an incredibly clattered and messy office.

“How about you give us the details of the person you are trying to find and we can get the appropriate person to speak to you?” The officer by the door welcomes her with ‘open arms’. Being the most ‘rookie’ of the human trafficking department even though he has worked under Yoochun for years, he is also the poor gatekeeper for visitors. The department does not welcome impromptu guests unless they are desperate.

“Ah… My son, Kim Jaejoong. I am here to ask for information. The police asked me to come here.” The lady askes anxiously, looking like someone who hasn’t slept for days. In fact, she had just arrived all the way from the other side of the world and barely has enough rest before starting the hunt for her sons. She is less hot blooded of course, and a lot more resourceful, playing with the system as much as possible.

“Ma’am? How can I help you?” Yoochun approaches her. He was just entering the office after settling Junsu down at home, being late for the first time in years since he had to ensure that the boy leaves the bathtub alert and conscious after he bathes the dog. Junsu insists on stripping down and jumping into the domain tub since he doesn’t want to make a mess with the spray hose.

“Ah! I was just telling this young man that I need to speak to the in charge about my son, Kim Jaejoong.” The lady repeats herself once and Yoochun immediately remembers the case. He is also able to connect her to the case since she is Korean and looked a lot like the missing young man.

“Yes. I remember his case. I am the in charge. Park Yoochun.” Extending his hand to shake hers, she gladly accepts his friendly gesture, secretly surprised that the department head is a handsome young man instead of a grouchy old fella. “Nice to meet you.” The detective flashed a smile.

“The pleasure is mine.” “I am not imposing am I?” Mrs Kim asks, pale face finally brightening up a little.

“Of course! But your son is certified found by the local police… so I might not be able to give you much information.” The detective clears the way for her and manages to grab a more decent chair from under one of his colleague’s bum, offering it to her while he stands. Removing his coat and dumping it on the pile of papers nearby since he can’t reach the cloth stand from where he is standing, Yoochun did not miss the lady’s small flinch after seeing how messy the ‘conference’ room is.

“He is missing again.” The lady does not give Yoochun any breather before throwing him another piece of news, as if expecting him to expect that.

“Excuse me?” The detective asks, closing the file he just pulled out from the bundled up stack. Only the officers of the department can find what they need from that tomb of papers, ready to bury anyone who comes near it.

“He went searching for his brother and hasn’t returned either. I tried telling the police this and they refuses to hear me out.” “You look like a nice man, detective. Please help me!” The lady’s voice is getting higher and higher as she speaks and her myriad of expressions reminds him of someone he knew.

“Ma’am. You need to tell me the entire story before I can work out a picture.” Pulling out his notebook, a gesture indicating that he is willing to listen, the lady is over the moon that Yoochun is as helpful a person as he looks. “Can we start over?” Knowing that Jaejoong’s kidnap is related to the syndicate, Yoochun can’t let any clue or possibility for progress slip away.

“Okay.” Taking a deep breath, Mrs Kim whips out her phone and searched through the menu page without looking at Yoochun. “I have two sons, the older one being Jaejoong. He came here first and went missing.” The lady remained focused on retrieving the data from her phone while she speaks.

Nodding his head, Yoochun continues for her. “That we know. He went missing and was reported by Kim Hyun Joong, his friend. But there were no records of him since the kidnapper took him… so you sent me his Korean citizenship documents…”

“The thing is, detective. My younger son, Junsu… he came here without my permission because he wanted to find Jaejoong... but he is missing as well.” The lady is starting to tear up a little upon mentioning the younger one. “Hyun Joong told me they were chasing his brother’s kidnappers when he went missing too.” Breaking down, she quickly looks away and wipes her eyes.

“You see, ma’am… I didn’t get the missing person’s case for your younger son…” Yoochun maintains his silence for a while before speaking again. Mrs Kim’s claims sounded rather far-fetched and more like a theory since no kid can find a syndicate that even the police can’t catch after all. Yoochun tells himself to keep an objective mind instead of assuming that there are too many coincidences to make her words believable.

“You see. No one would listen to me or Hyun Joong because of that. They wouldn’t even bother to make a photocopy of my younger son’s passport.” With that, Mrs Kim reaches into her handbag and digs out a green passport, handing the badly damaged booklet to the detective.

Opening it, Yoochun is supposed to get all the information he needs about Junsu, but the picture, or rather, the entire front page, is marred beyond presentable. Apparently, Hyun Joong found it in the alley, a few hundred yards away from Junsu’s cap. The kidnappers have accidentally run over it with their car. This too, is another point adding to any police officer’s scepticism.

“It’s damaged ma’am…” “I will need to run a check in the system…” Yoochun does not know what the most appropriate response is.

“… You do not believe me too right?” The lady sniffles and looks at her hands, down cast. This is cue for Yoochun to step in and offer words of comfort. Going the extra mile is also the thing that always causes him to do extra work and eat into his overtime. “I will try my best to assist you but I can't rule your sons’ case as missing persons or human trafficking victims since it is not official.”

“Really? Can you help me locate their captors?” The lady smiles for the first time in weeks.

“They are the type of bad guys I am trained to catch so I will try to do that as soon as possible…” Yoochun smiled sheepishly. Now, he has an unsubstantiated case of two missing persons, one who was found that went missing again, and a genuinely distraught mother. Sighing at his inability to reject people who need help, Yoochun has no idea where to start.

“Detective! There is one more thing! My older son called me on my phone after he left the police station and he seems to be hiding somewhere… so I was wondering if you can help me track the location of this number.” Showing Yoochun the word ‘unknown’ without a proper tracing ID, the detective’s interest is piqued.

“I will have to take your phone…” “May I?” Yoochun quickly leaves the room after the lady nods, returning with a few forms and asking the lady to fill them up. They are indemnity forms also indicating her willingness to hand over her personal belonging.

“You can call Hyun Joong when you get something. I hope you will have good news for me! Thank you.” Holding the detective’s big hands tightly, she shook it before being ushered out of the office by Yoochun’s colleagues.

Keeping the phone in a Ziploc bag and placing it on his desk, he proceeded to make a few calls, hoping the person on the other end of the line can help him track the terribly private number.

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

POV from Mrs Kim

After the call Joongie made to me, I never saw or heard from him again. This is almost like sending him to the army except there will be no return. I don’t even want to think of that call as his last words.

The two Kim brothers will be the death of me! When did I ever give birth to two such idiots? I am grieving but I am also angry. Angry at those bastards who can’t keep their hands off my son… and at my innocent boys who can’t wait to be one another’s hero. What in the world gave them the confidence that they can find one another? They probably know who they are dealing with right?

I am so disappointed at Joongie for being as immature as Suie. But I did do that too if I were here earlier. I am willing to go into hell even if I have to go and bring them back.

As a mother, I have failed. My poor babies! Yet all I have is a number that I can’t call back and a ruined passport of my baby boy. I have no other ways to find them and no one would help. At least there is finally a kind soul that is willing to hear me out and do something even though his department might not exactly the most suitable one.

Park Yoochun. He is young and looks competent… and I have no complains about having to rely on him to help me. I know I am really shameless to barge in and push everything to him, but he looks like the responsible type. If not him, then who would help? They won’t even give me a whole minute.

I pray to the gods that if no one can help me, at least Joongie can really find Suie… and they can come home together. I won’t be able to stop him from going too so I don’t blame anyone but myself for giving birth to such a headstrong son. Two headstrong sons would be more exact.

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

Meanwhile…

“No sir. There are no records of any Asian male coming in on the given date after being shot dead…” I had the guy check…” Reaching the last morgue known to the town, which is one of the only few, Yunho is confused when told that there is no such corpse matching Junsu’s description.

This can either mean that Junsu is in the hospital, or already deported, which is unlikely since all the dead bodies will got through the local morgues, the most common haunt of the policemen. Yunho is more or less convinced that Junsu is in a coma somewhere, but that also means he has to go through the police to reach the boy.

“We will stop for today.” The tall man takes off his coat and retreats into the black car waiting for him nearby.

Returning to his elder’s lodging, he goes straight into his own room, where Jaejoong is kept. Opening the door and slowly reaching for the switch nearby, the bachelor smiled upon seeing the younger one resting quietly in the bed within the enclosure like extension.

Making his way into Jaejoong’s prison after unlocking it, he sits comfortably beside the other. The younger one’s eyelids immediately splits open and before him, is a gleeful Yunho. This made Jaejoong a little upset but it probably also meant good news so he is hopeful once again.

“Hey there, kitty cat.” Running his fingers along Jaejoong’s neck and gazing into the beautiful person’s gorgeous black orbs, Yunho is a little disappointed that his lovely mate isn’t happy to see him.

“I will tell you what I found out if you can please me.” Turning away from Jaejoong and standing up, Yunho made his way to the door. Then, leaning on the wall at the doorway, he looked back at Jaejoong, who is figuring out what Yunho meant by ‘pleasing’.

“Your brother is alive.” “But do you want to know if he is sold to someone, like you?” This question made Jaejoong tense up as he quickly sits up. Opening his mouth to speak, the bright young man is aware that Yunho will not say another word unless he is appeased. Bargaining with himself about what he should do to make Yunho talk, he is reluctant to go anywhere near the man.

Getting up after a long pause, just as Yunho is about to leave, he runs over and tugs Yunho by the sleeve. This is something he sees those girls do to his friends when they are dating and he assumes it will work. “Please tell me.” “I will do anything you want.”

“That’s more like it.” Pulling Jaejoong into his embrace, Yunho held on tightly to the other’s smaller frame, talking in his scent. The younger one smells great and the smell of formalin lingering in his nostrils are cleared, making way for Jaejoong’s intoxicating scent.

Then, placing both palms on Jaejoong’s shoulders and staring into his face intently, Yunho even leans in a little closer. This causes the younger one to cringe, closing both eyes in anticipation for Yunho’s rather inexperienced French kiss. They are both still learning how to behave around one another but Jaejoong is eventually picking up and catching up with Yunho.

Sliding his hands down Jaejoong’s rear end, Yunho can even hear a barely audible squeak as the younger one tenses up all his muscles, wriggling around uncomfortably. Jaejoong is still in pain but he tells himself that he will accept whatever Yunho wants to do, for now.  “Smile for me.” Yunho demands and Jaejoong does, face twitching and lips parting unnaturally, eyes beseeching Yunho for the truth.