~ Part 1 of a double update ~

“The victims all have what in common?” Sungmin asked in surprise, backing Kyuhyun into a wall. “Why would anyone in the world do just exactly that?”

“I don’t know, Min,” Kyuhyun replied, straightening himself up and staring back into the shorter officer’s eyes.

“Geez, so it was true…” Sungmin mumbled under his breath quietly, but the sharp-eared Kyuhyun caught his every word.

“What was true? Did you already know it beforehand?”

Sungmin backed off and hung his head in guilt. “Actually… I’ve heard Hyukjae say something about it last time but I hadn’t really been paying attention to him…”

“What do you mean?” Kyuhyun asked, furrowing his brows and taking a step closer towards the officer. “You knew that Hyukjae knew about it all along? And you didn’t tell any of us?”

“He wasn’t even talking to me at that time, I swear!!” Sungmin’s panicked voice raised a pitch higher as he tried defending himself. “I was just passing by his station and he was talking to himself. I seriously thought he was just planning another prank on someone so naturally I didn’t really heed what he was saying!!”

“What exactly did he say?”

Sungmin scrunched up his eyebrows and pouted, trying his best to remember. “I think he said something along the lines of ‘mysterious jogger’? Honestly I don’t remember…”

Kyuhyun was silent for a while as the wheels in his brains began moving faster than clockwork. Sungmin toyed with his fingers in the silence, waiting for him to at least say something.

“Do you think he could have meant the guy who called us twice about the case?”

“Maybe. Come to think of it, he does look a little familiar to me. Do you think boss knows anything about him?”

Nodding, Kyuhyun started off for Donghae’s office, dragging Sungmin along the way and not noticing the slight blush that appeared on the shorter officer’s face. “Come on, Min. We need to tell him all about it.”

* * *

“Sorry, the number you have dialled is currently not available. Please leave a message after the beep—”

“Dammit Hyukjae, pick up!!” Donghae exclaimed, slamming down his phone into the cradle, nearly breaking it in the process.

“He’s still not picking up?” Kyuhyun asked, over the table.

“No,” the inspector replied, running his hands through his hair in an attempt to calm himself down. “I’ve called him for more than five times already, and it always goes to voicemail. Ugh I’m sick and tired of this already. I’m going to find him.”

“Calm down, it’s not like he’s gone missing or anything. Perhaps he’s just mad at you and refused to take any of your calls.”

Donghae collapsed onto his chair. “You think so?”

Kyuhyun shrugged. “Well, if I was in his shoes, I’d not only have ignored your calls; I’d probably have changed my number and my face and left to live as a hermit for the rest of my life just to avoid you,” he deadpanned, earning a loud disgruntled groan from the inspector.

“Whose side are you on anyway?” the inspector mumbled.

“Nobody. I am my own side.”

Sungmin rolled his eyes at that comment. “Perhaps you can try again later. Maybe he’s tied up at the moment, doing something else. Or maybe his phone was on silent. Anyway, what do you think about the jogger?”

Donghae sat up in his chair and propped an elbow on his desk. “I did think it was funny that he showed up twice in the three murders we’ve come across so far.