Meanwhile, on the other side of town, things are getting more and more awkward between two people. Namely Yoochun and Junsu. They are nowhere near resolving the tension building up between them.

Leaving the house early in the morning and returning only late at night or not at all, Yoochun still ensured that Junsu is well fed by paying the nice ahjumma next door to deliver food to the apartment for all three meals. However, Junsu is far from well. Sleeping most of the day and failing to answer every of Yoochun’s check in phone calls.

Yoochun is no less worried about the ailing person in his house. Even though he buries himself in the pile of work for every working hour, his mind and soul is still attached to Junsu. Always day dreaming in between meetings and briefings as he constantly frets over how the younger one is doing, if he had eaten or how well he slept. Like a father except with some form of romantic ideations. The detective even ended up installing a monitoring device in his own home to ‘spy’ on the boy whenever he is away from home.

The portraits that Jaejoong drew for Yoochun ended up helping the detective out a fair bit since they already have a name to a few of the faces. The rest still required a hefty amount of investigations as those men were clever enough to stay off the radar.

Yoochun only managed to get a name since one of them had a record. The department is busy and with the progress they are making, the detective is unwilling to slow down. Wishing to push forth as promptly as possible and ending the long draggy search once and for all.

After yet another fruitless day of searching ended, a bushed Yoochun returns home for the first time in two days. He had slept for a total of three hours and is looking forward to the soft bed instead of his stiff office chair. However, he is even more looking forward to seeing a certain someone in the flesh.

Though he still sees Junsu’s every activity through the small camera installed everywhere except in the bathroom, he still misses the boy. Junsu would occasionally wave at the camera when he spots it moving, which indicates that Yoochun is watching, but he never does anything to attract attention or distract the older man.

Choosing to sit quietly on his make-shift bed, reading books, do the household chores or playing with the dog, Junsu ensured he is always within the detective’s range of vision. His playful demeanour is much toned down but he is still energetic when awake. Yoochun loves this person yet there are too many inhibiting factors to pursuing the person he desires.

Junsu was bathing when Yoochun left the office and the detective anticipated that he will be out soon. Yet when the main door clicks open, there was nothing but silence. Even the dog was nowhere to be seen. This instilled widespread panic, or rather, only within Yoochun.

Dashing in with his shoes still on, the man threw his hand carry onto the ground and searched around frantically. Hitting the switch to all the lights, the detective could hear the sound of draining water as he passes the room. This made every hair on his skin stand and he raced over to the closed door as fast as his legs can carry.

Pushing open the unlocked door with a loud slam, the man found himself yelping loudly upon spotting Junsu in the overflowing tub. Being a master of deductions and thinking out of the box like how a professional law enforcer would, the man concluded Junsu had drowned.

The boy’s face is scarily white with the effect of the fluorescent light bulb as he appears to be floating. The detective almost collapsed on the spot, heart weighed down by what feels like a tonne of bricks. “EVERLAND!!!”

Throwing himself onto the ground beside the tub as he kneels there, legs weakened and wobbly, the detective could not stop himself from shivering. “YAH!!! JUNSU!! KIM JUNSU!!” Addressing Junsu by his name for the first time, Yoochun felt his heart clench painfully.

Shakily reaching over to lift up the boy by his head as the body part dangles out from the side of the tub, Yoochun got into the tub. One foot outside while the other holds its ground in the slippery interior filled with foams, the man hauled the boy out with ease.

Noticing that his eyes were tricking him earlier since Junsu’s face wasn’t submerged; Yoochun heaved a sigh of relief. The dismal is much reduced but he still isn’t sure if the boy is still alive. Feeling for a pulse by the carotid, Yoochun quickly places the boy onto the cold flooded bathroom floor and flopped down beside him, panting.

The dog’s barking finally registers itself within his brain and as if finally aware of his surroundings, the detective realised he is drenched like a wet chicken, his black leather shoes are soaked through to the socks, the water is still flowing and the boy is .

Swallowing the lump at his throat, the man reaches over, turns the tap off, kicks off his shoes and grabbed the towel nearby. Covering the almost translucent flawless skin as he tries to unsee what he just saw, Yoochun gathered Junsu into his arms and held him close. Quickly standing up and slipping a couple of times, the man hurriedly exited the bath and transferred them onto the bed.

Patting the unresponsive boy on the face gently, he almost cried out with joy when the boy opens his eyes with much difficulty. Turning slowly as he coughs out some of the water he had ingested earlier, Junsu simply lay on his side, curled up as he grimaces due to the painful throbbing in his head.

“Yoochunnie…” Acknowledging the detective’s presence even though his mind is still whirling, the boy shifted a little and hugged onto the man’s muscular thighs, wrapped in still dripping pants. Yoochun instinctively reaches down and his face, still reeling from the shock he had earlier on.

“Your meds.” Whispering as he rushes to dispense the medications, Yoochun stopped for a moment to cover more of Junsu with the blanket. The boy’s behind is fully exposed and the detective found himself staring at those two pretty rumps and that shapely waist and hip.

Holding Junsu’s head in his arms as the pair of small hands grasps onto his shirt tightly, Yoochun felt extremely conscious about the amount of skin revealed to him. Glancing down dumbly as his eyes follows the outline of Junsu’s exposed upper body, resting on the two cute pink buds on his chest, the longish neck and shapely shoulder blades.

Stirring from time to time, it took two long hours of being in the same position before Junsu jumped up from where he lay on Yoochun. The man is nodding off by now, back of head against the wall. Junsu’s sudden jerking motion wakes him as well and both of them ended up falling off the bed again after Yoochun slides of the side, accidentally pulling Junsu along with him.

“Sorry!” Sliding his body off Yoochun, the detective raised both arms high above his head so he could resist touching the other at all. Lying there in surrender, Junsu quickly got up and stumbled over Yoochun again, dragging only a piece of towel in front of his belly. His is , if not stark , and he does not realise just yet.

Bending down to help the big man up, Junsu is hurt when the man pushes his outstretched hands away in a huff. Tears immediately sprouted from the inner corner of his tear drop shaped eyes and he quickly retreats into a corner by the bed. Yoochun realises his rather rude reaction a tad too late. “Ahh… Uhhh.” Watching the still fully exposed boy huddled up and crying because of the rejection, the detective simply sat and stared, not knowing what to say to salvage the situation.

“I’m sorry.” Hiccupping in between apologies, the boy rubbed his eyes and looked at Yoochun, pleading for forgiveness. “I know I shouldn’t fall asleep in the shower! I won’t do it again next time!” Bawling like a big baby, Junsu continued rambling on and on.

Sighing, the big man stood up and turned his back on the squatting figure. Walking towards the room door, he is about to exit when he feels someone grab onto him from behind. Clinging tightly onto his waist, Yoochun sighed even louder.

“Don’t go Yoochunnie!!” Junsu’s voice made his heart race as his temperature hits an all-time high. Junsu is , that was the only thing running through his mind, making him feel like a ert.

Plucking Junsu off without once looking at the smaller person, Yoochun stalked over to the door stubbornly and was about to turn the door knob when Junsu is stuck to him again. “Yoochunnie you are soaked! You stay!! I will go!!” Junsu sounded really hurt and that is as much as Yoochun can bear. He can no longer bring himself to snub the boy knowing that their rift is widening with every passing minute.

Spinning around, the detective froze as he watches the boy struggle with his underpants, getting the wrong feet into the wrong hole. Junsu has his back facing Yoochun and imagine the sight that met the man. He was close to feeling needy before, but now he is needy.

By the time Junsu is done pulling on his t-shirt, face still teary and obviously upset, Yoochun has made up his mind to leave for the office again. Even if he has to leave the house without a decent shower and change of clothes, he is adamant on escaping the cause of his moral degeneration.

Junsu spots him leaving once more and immediately dashes over unsteadily, throwing himself in front of the door. Now dressed in his underwear and an oversized T-shirt, which is not so bad considering how bare he was earlier, Junsu wore a look of conviction. “You stay!”

Pushing Yoochun away and opening the door just wide enough for himself to exit, Junsu closed the door behind him and stumbled over to the main door. Sitting down as he tries to pull his jeans on, Junsu did not even bother to button or zip up the loose pants. Choosing instead, to put on his sneakers, movements retarded since his hand-eye coordination is almost totally diminished by now.

Sighing upon realisation that he will never get his shoe laces tied correctly, Junsu pushed himself off the ground and was about to exit the house when a strong hand tightens its grip on his thin bicep and spins him around.

“Where the heck do you think you are going!?” A deep voice berated him, sounding rather worried though annoyed.

“This is your house so you can’t leave. I am just giving you more problems by being here so I will leave.” Junsu started weakly. “Yoochunnie please don’t hate me.” “I will go so please don’t be angry at me anymore.” The boy whispered sadly and looks at his messy shoe laces.

“AISH!!” Letting go of Junsu and turning away from the boy, the detective cursed under his breath and kicks the wall beside them. This made Junsu even sadder and more confused. “Thank you for taking care of me!” Bowing deeply, the boy wiped his eyes and left.

“YAHH!!” “COME BACK!!” Only realising that Junsu is gone after finally noticing that the door is slightly ajar and there is nothing but cold wind beating on his wet clothed back, Yoochun slams the door open and gives chase.

Finding Junsu wandering down the staircase exit, panic washes over the detective once more. “YAHH!! NOT THE STAIRS!!! IT’S DANGEROUS!” Running with only his wet socks on, leaving prints all over the cement flooring outside, Yoochun reached Junsu within a blink of an eye.

“AIGOOO!!” Positioning himself on the step in front of Junsu, a step lower, Yoochun grabs the boy’s thin hands and tries to get him into a piggy back position, but the boy isn’t the most willing. Backing up the stairs to get away from Yoochun, Junsu looked away sadly.

“Get on.” Ordering in a not so friendly voice, Yoochun eyed Junsu angrily. Pulling the small frame onto his wet back roughly, Junsu resisted further. This pissed Yoochun off and he swiftly reached down and lifted the boy up by the waist with one arm, dangling him on one side.

Junsu does not thrash around but he knows Yoochun is angry from the way the detective is manhandling him. Throwing the boy into the couch the moment they re-enter the house, Yoochun simply stood there, fuming while Junsu fiddles around with the hem of his shirt.

“You are not going anywhere you hear me?!” “I have you under my custody and there is no way I can answer to your family if you were to go missing you understand?!” Hollering angrily, Yoochun did not miss the flicker of hope lit up in Junsu’s eyes.

“You know my family?” Sounding like a song bird, excited and all, Yoochun felt his heart wrench. “Can I meet them?” Junsu asked, beaming delightedly.

“No.” Yoochun huffed and Junsu’s pretty smile disappeared, replaced by a lost and disappointed face. “They don’t want to see me too?” Junsu asked, tears welling up. “Nobody likes me because I’m troublesome…” “I can work to earn my keep… I can stay away from trouble too…” Junsu started to sob. “I’m scared! Please don’t hate me!”

“Nobody hates you alright! I’m sure they miss you too! It’s just…” Seeing Junsu crying so pitifully again, the man started to stutter little, running his fingers through his hair in an exasperated manner. “Alright! Listen up! I don’t mind taking care of you! And I like you too. It’s just that…”