Yunho and Kris exchanged a look, the two, along with the rest of the Psychic Research and Investigation Center team, looking on as Sooyoung found herself sandwiched between Jonghyun and Minho, the two visibly and audibly excited to be reunited with their childhood friend. Changmin, Siwon, and Kyuhyun watched from a safe distance, identical looks of amusement on their faces that grew more pronounced when Sooyoung tried to wiggle herself free, Siwon rolling his eyes at the display before he stepped forward to tug on Minho and Jonghyun’s shirts in an attempt to help.

“So, let me get this straight… You, you, you, and you,” Heechul gestured to the twins, Jonghyun and Minho, “are best friends who also happen to be childhood friends with Sooyoung and Siwon?”

Kyuhyun smirked. “Congratulations, Sherlock, do you want a cookie?”

“Dork,” the older man scowled, gesturing to the four best friends and Sooyoung once more, “Is this some kind of like a Meteor Garden thing? You know… F4?”

Changmin rolled his eyes. “In case you’ve gone senile in your old age, Kyuhyun and I are brothers. The F4 members aren’t related to each other.”

“That’s beside the point.” Heechul waved it off. “You know what I mean… four boys, one girl, two of them–”

“If all of you could please?” Kris coughed into his fist, pointedly arching an eyebrow. “Back to the task at hand? We have a weakening spirit we need to pry information from.”

Minho pouted at Sooyoung. “But we need to catch up.”

She patted his cheek gently. “I’m sure we’ll have time later.”

It was with those words that the human sandwich untangled themselves, everyone settling around the long table that Yunho and Siwon pulled into the base once the officer and his two self-declared assistants arrived with the research that was asked of them. The mini reunion had delayed the meeting a few minutes now and while it was an amusing and happy sight, Kris was right. They all had more pressing things to discuss especially if they wanted to get the case over and done with.

Changmin sat on one end of the table next to his brother, the two twins across where Siwon and their best friends were. “What did you guys find out?”

“Well… I’m sure you guys already know that Sogeum is a family restaurant owned by the Kim family, which Kim Ryeowook recently inherited from his deceased father.” Siwon pursed her lips. “The restaurant was put up by Kim Deoksu and his wife, Jang Hyunmi, shortly before World War II. Deoksu and Hyunmi have one biological son, Hyungwon. Hyunmi has a son, Noh Sangjun, from her first husband who died in an accident.”

“But here’s the interesting bit,” Jonghyun continued from his spot to Siwon’s right. “Noh Sangjun might only be Deoksu’s stepson but from documents that we were able to gather, including those Ryeowook provided for us, it seemed like Deoksu favoured him more over his own son.”

“Oh?” Yunho’s eyebrows rose in interest. “Why is that?”

“Hyungwon was a delinquent in school. Typical rowdy boy with a devil-may-care attitude.”

“So Sangjun is the model child.” Seohyun surmised, her eyebrows soon furrowing. “I’m sure, going by logic, that Deoksu would want Sangjun to have this restaurant.”

Minho nodded. “He was actually overseeing Sangjun’s training but as you probably realized by now, the restaurant was passed down Hyungwon’s line, which is how it ended up with Ryeowook in the first place.”

“Is this case of a prodigal son coming home so to speak and an angel falling from grace?” Heechul asked.

Jessica grinned. “The prodigal son and Lucifer… not a bad analogy.”

“I am brilliant.”

The grin disappeared. “Arrogant too.”

“Hey!”

“That’s the mystery.” Minho cut in before Heechul and Jessica could start arguing. “Sangjun suddenly passed away. According to official records, it was ruled as an accident…”

Kyuhyun frowned. “Why am I sensing a ‘but’ in that statement?”

“Personal documents from the family show it was drug-related.”

“Drug-related?” Amber repeated. “The picture perfect son doing drugs?”

“That’s what it seems.” Siwon leaned forward, bracing his arms on the table. “However, the family has refused to subject the body to an official autopsy. Everything was all hush hush. Sangjun was buried the same day he’d been declared dead.”

“If it’s really drug-related, maybe they want to be a fast one to save the family from embarrassment?” Yoona offered.

Changmin shot the officer a questioning look. “Do you think there’s more to that?”

“Definitely.” He nodded grimly. “It’s just a matter of what.”

~*~*~*~*~*~

A heavy frown settled on Seohyun’s beautiful face, the medium standing by the doorway leading into the kitchen. Further into the room, Kris, Heechul, and Jessica were all busy preparing for the séance that was to be conducted any minute from now, Minho and Jonghyun being permitted to stay only after they promised to merely observe from the base with Siwon and Amber. Given all that the two and Siwon reported to the team earlier, there was a hunch that Noh Sangjun was the one haunting the very restaurant that he was supposed to inherit from his stepfather. But it was mere speculation that it was his soul that still lingered, apparently distressed and trying to escape. They needed to do the séance to be sure.

Kris looked from what he was doing and noticed the look on her face. “What’s wrong?”

“The spirits growing weaker.” She sighed. “We need to hurry.”

Changmin, Sooyoung, Kyuhyun, Yunh