“The plane will be landing soon, please ensure that you have your seatbelts on.” The loud announcements and rapid blinking lights above on the passenger panel did not wake a sleeping Junsu as the latter’s head dangles over the edge of his seat.

“Excuse me! Excuse me lad! We have landed…” Just as Junsu is stirring, the passenger next to him wakes him with a patient tap on his shoulder. Sleeping throughout the entire flight, Junsu does not wake, in fear of panicking over Jaejoong’s disappearance. He is already in denial.

Leaping up from his seat, Junsu could barely reach the hand luggage which has already slid to the back of the overhead compartment. His neighbour helps him out again before they are ushered out of the plane. Dragging his feet, Junsu shivered a little due to the lower temperature on the outside. He comes with a heavy heart.

Seeing a worried Hyun Joong searching through the crowd for him at the arrival hall, Junsu immediately breaks into a sprint, darting over to the man and hugging him tightly. Crying as tears soak his face, dribbling down to where his dried up drool is still visible, the younger one is inconsolable. The older man could not but pat him on the head, like how Jaejoong would usually do.

“Come. Let’s get you back to the hostel.” The man whispered as Junsu blows his already reddened nose. “Auntie allowed you to come alone?” Hyun Joong asked with a surprised tone and Junsu responded with a guilty grin.

“Aigoo… Jae won’t be happy…” The man sighed. Hyun Joong looked like a wreck as well, with blackened eye bags and tousled hair. Both trudged on to their way back to the hostel, where Jaejoong’s wreckage of a luggage remains standing in one small corner.

“They followed him in as he was coming into through the main hall.” “We found the grocers dumped in our common refuse chute nearby…” “The CCTV footage shows that he was dragged off into the alley…” The man spoke lifelessly and Junsu is already feeling nauseated. It has only been recently confirmed that Jaejoong is kidnapped, but the police couldn’t do much without his identification documents.

“Hyung… Can I see the CCTV footage?” Junsu asked just as they were about to enter Jaejoong’s hostel room. Nodding his head, Hyun Joong agreed to help him get it even though Junsu probably can’t do much with the grainy footage.

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On the other side of town… In another building…

“Sir! There is a body found by the river! The police at the scene believe it’s her…” A flustered policeman runs up to another tall, mysterious looking man as he takes a drag at the balcony. It is the last stick in the pack of cigarettes even though it is only in the late evening.

“… Leave her to the forensics department.” “You head home first.” The man spoke with a low voice and his subordinate nodded. Then, shaking the ashes off the tip revealing only less than a quarter of the cigarette left, the man blew out more smoke before dunking the bud into a small basin of cold water. The basin is situated there especially for him since no one else smokes besides him.

Flipping through the file handed to him by the man who had interrupted his train of thoughts earlier, the man cursed and fumbled in his deep coat pocket for the spare pack of cigarettes. Mumbling gibberish to himself, the man gave up after realising that he hadn’t brought the spare.

Descending the flight of stairs coolly, the high ranking detective took off his coat before entering the crowded and cluttered office. The apparel stinks of smoke and is not allowed into the common work area holding the rest of the staff.

“RING! RING RING!! RING!” Hastening his footsteps as he slips into his office through a small slit by the choked up doorway, the man caught the phone and answered just in time.

“Hello. Park Yoochun speaking.” The man’s y voice is y as he clicks his tongue.

“WHAT?! ANOTHER CASE FOR TODAY?!” “NO CAN’T DO!!” The man’s sudden outburst does not suit his calm and collected image, but he is far from having a peaceful state of mind.

“Look. We have another seven cases on hand and I only just sent one of my man home to his family! He hasn’t gone home to his kid in almost a month!” The man simmered down a little and tried to reason with the speaker at the other end of the line. “Let the other side handle the case! I have to discharge a few more cases under me before we can have this discussion again.” With that said he slammed the phone down and slumped into his worn leather chair.

“RING!! RING RING!!” The phone rings again almost as soon as he exhales a second time. It’s the same caller, but it is policy that one mustn’t ignore an official phone call.

“HELLO!! I ALREADY TOLD YOU I CAN’T!!” The man is not going to put up with the telemarketer ‘phone courteous’ pretence anymore. “DAMN YOU!!” “I HAVEN’T HAD A FRIGGIN SHOWER IN TWO DAYS!!” “YOU WANNA COME AND SMELL ME TOO!?”

“WHAT?! WHY SHOULD I?! JUST CAUSE NO ONE ELSE WILL DO IT?!” The man continued.

“I AM TELLING YOU NOW THAT ONE OF MY VICTIMS IS DIED SO I AM IN A BAD MOOD! STOP PISSING ON ME!!” “It’s thanks to your ing that I can’t even save that poor girl at the first place!!” “You know what?! I still have a pile of report to write so unless you want to come and help me write it, I am not taking this case until tomorrow!! GOOD BYE!!”

“RING!! RING RING!!” The phone rings again just as the line is cut off.

“WHAT?!!” “FINE!!” “Lemme just tell you this. You can send me the files now but I can’t promise you that I will read it until tomorrow morning!” Slamming his receiver down for the third time with a horrid crunching sound, the man rubs his nose bridge briefly before dunking a cup of coffee and continuing with the typing on his computer.

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POV from Yoochun

How long has it been since I graduated from the police academy and joined this department? I don’t remember. Everything has become a blur… especially the process… but you don’t forget the victims you fail to save.

I am not the sentimental type to visit every victim’s graves, and I am a very practical person… which is why they promoted me at the first place. No emotional attachment to anything… or anyone. I live by that motto ever since my parents passed away some years back.

They were killed in a plane crash on their way back to my homeland. I only have a grandma back home a few continents away… and no one else here. I leave fast and free… and do whatever I want now. Work is something I can’t live without, yet I feel drained by it.

The girl that we couldn’t save didn’t stand a chance at the first place and we all knew that. We are not superman or whatever man. There are limitations to what we can do… a lot of limitations to be exact. She is just a grim reminder of that fact. She might be an immigrant but she is still precious to someone so I regret not being able to save her.

She is another dead end to the syndicate we were hunting for too and I am desperate to unearth that dirty little hideout they use to keep all those poor captives. It to work in the human trafficking department since you will always need a body or pray for a lucky escapee to lead you to those bastards. Why can’t those douchebags just die from self-combustion? The whole lot of them!

I know I shouldn’t hope for this, but they will really only know how much pain their victims’ parents go through when their own kids are kidnapped by another syndicate. I have witnessed so much blood and tears… and they actually keep me going. Our department’s aim is to reduce the body count and number of cold cases… and we have been pretty successful so far. We can at least give the family an answer and though handing over a dead body is what I dread, we have to face reality. It’s better than not getting closure after all.

Anyhow, I just received a call to report an ‘unregistered’ student is missing from his hostel, second day into his arrival here. I will take over that one too but can’t promise anything since I won’t be able to start my field investigation until I have submitted this pile of report tomorrow morning. I don’t have enough manpower… and if that is not the most irritating part about working in my department, then there is nothing else!

My poor officers are starved, overworked, beaten and even verbally abused by families and those suspects. We get accustomed to those things somewhere along the way, but today is really NOT a good day! My officers are all catching the flu bug and I have already smoked a whole packet. That is not a good sign.

My cigarettes act an indicator to the level of stress my department is subjected to.

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Meanwhile… at Jaejoong’s hostel room.

Watching the clip for the thousandth time on Hyun Joong’s laptop, the boy hugged himself as he witnesses the scene where his brother is knocked out from behind with a baseball bat and carried out of the main hallway just a few metres from the safety of his room.

Jaejoong had put up quite a fight and Junsu can sense his desperation to stay alive from the video. Getting up onto his feet quickly, the boy exited the room with nothing but the clothes on his back. Dressed in his high school football jacket, with a cap on his head and a pair of skinny jeans on his skinny legs, the boy braved the cold and started his search for witnesses.

Hyun Joong had just left after informing him that the police will hand his brother’s case over to the human trafficking department by tomorrow evening. There will only be an interview from the police the next evening and Junsu cannot tolerate waiting any longer. Acting on an impulse, Junsu plans to search for Jaejoong by himself as well.

Interviewing the personnel working nearby such as beggars or staff at the nearby cafeteria and convenience stores, Junsu does not leave anyone out. Even though he does not speak the language well, he was somehow able to articulate his purpose.

Giving up after a long few hours of racing around fruitlessly, the boy squatted down by the roadside for a rest, preparing to head back for the day. Knowing that it is dangerous to walk around in the dark alone, Hyun Joong had volunteered to come for him.

However, just as he sees Hyun Joong heading towards him from around the corner of the road, a familiar shirt catches his eye. Trying to remember where he saw the shirt before, Junsu realised that he has seen the same Tom and Jerry shirt under the black hoodie that one of the kidnappers were wearing.

Even though it is a gut feeling and that shirt is probably available everywhere, Junsu cannot shake off the feeling that the man entering a car just around the corner is one of the kidnappers. The car is different, but Junsu is almost sure that the kidnapper’s height is roughly the same as the man from the footage. Together with the way he would moves like someone who is high on drugs, there is almost no doubts in Junsu’s mind.

“HYUN JOONG HYUNG!! THE KIDNAPPERS!!” Junsu shouted so loud that Hyung Joong is shocked in to reacting. Eyes scanning the area wildly where Junsu is pointing to, the man does not even question the boy before dashing towards the car.

Junsu too, broke into a run. Reaching the car a little earlier than Hyun Joong, Junsu caught the attention of the kidnappers as they chill in their vehicle. Seeing a hysterical person running towards time while another comes at them from another side of the streets, the driver quickly raved the engines and drove off.

However, not willing to give up, Junsu gave chase. Using his usual speed when he is chasing a soccer ball, the young one managed to catch up with the car as the transport turns just around the corner. Not bothered by the number of burly men seated inside, Junsu tried to open the door, but they remained stuck fast.

Kicking the car as hard as he can, Junsu got the one of the man from rowdy group angry enough to get out and confront him. “GIVE MY HYUNGIE BACK!!!” The boy is screaming at him in both languages and the group only laughed.

Exasperated, Junsu has no idea how much danger he is in. “HE IS THE KIDNAPPER WHO KIDNAPPED MY HYUNGIE!!!” Pointing an accusing finger at the man in Tom and Jerry shirt seated inside, the other man’s expression immediately changes from amused to very concerned.

Seeing Hyun Joong run over to them, the man shoved Junsu as hard as he can and got back into the car. Signalling for his comrades to drive off once more, they almost ran over a passer-by, braking abruptly before making a sharp turn into a smaller alley at the back. Junsu is even more unwilling to give up now.

Scrambling up to his feet, the younger one ignored Hyun Joong’s desperate cries for him to wait for back up. The older man had actually called the police, totally buying Junsu’s story that he had spotted the kidnapper, without doubting the boy’s sanity. Junsu then disappears into the maze like concrete jungle, leaving Hyun Joong horrified and dying of anxiety. He regrets ever being friends with the stubborn Kim brothers.

“YAH!!! KIM JUNSU!!!” The man screamed at the top of his lungs before tripping over an overturned trashcan and falling painfully. “YAH!!! YOU COME BACK!!!”

Junsu can hear the other man’s desperate demands for his return, but he can’t allow the car to escape his sight. Waiving in and out along the scary looking alleys, the young one does not care about the consequences and remained hot on the car’s wheels, not even bothered that they are headed to the area he is unfamiliar to.

The driver suddenly screeches to a halt, just as Junsu is about to jump onto their booth again. Colliding into the bumper of the car, Junsu could not stop himself in time. Landing painfully on his bum, the young one got up as quickly as he could just to ram into a big man staring him down menacingly.

Finally looking around himself, Junsu suddenly realises that he is in the dead end of an alley, shady looking and without a single soul in sight. He is all alone with the group emerging from within the car. There are more people than he had noticed. A total of four. It dawned on him that he is in deep if he does not get out into the open again.

Grabbing a brick from beside him, Junsu hurled it at the car and broke the rear window, distracting the bunch. Taking the chance, Junsu kicked the obstacle for a man in front of him in the shin before darting out of the alley.