They ended up at a Japanese restaurant near their police department.

Minseok had insisted he was on the mood for Shrimp Tempura and was craving it badly. As soon as they settled down at a table for two, it was the first thing the young man ordered, along with some other side dishes and Iced Tea. Jongdae settled for a mini set of different-ingredients makis and a Strawberry-flavored Calpico.

Their drinks arrived first and just when they were being served their dishes, Jongdae's personal phone started ringing.

"Aish... I'm about to eat," he mumbled grumpily and took his phone out. Seeing the caller, he groaned. "Crap."

Minseok arched an eyebrow as he started digging into his dish.

"Yes, dad?" Jongdae answered and looked at his food with empty eyes.

"My dear son," the old man started; the brunette couldn't help but roll his eyes. "I know I keep bothering you with the same... But-"

Jongdae let out an exasperated sigh and Minseok chuckled, knowing where this conversation was leading.

"Dad, no!" The younger insisted. "I don’t need a girlfriend. Stop setting blind dates for me! I'm okay."

"Kim Jongdae," the man demanded. "You will do as I say. Please. Just give it a try, this girl is really pretty and totally your style. Just this one. It's for your own good."

Jongdae sighed and hung his head in surrender. It wasn't even worth the argument. His dad would stand victory – he did every time.

"Okay, dad. Send me the date and the address."

"You won’t regret it, son. You will thank me later," the man said as farewell and hung up.

Jongdae let out another exasperated sigh and returned his phone to his pocket. Then he turned to Minseok with pleading eyes. The older male stopped munching and then rolled his eyes.

"Pretty please?" He begged and pouted.

Minseok swallowed, rolled his eyes again.

"Just tell your dad you're gay and endpoint!"

"I can't lie," the younger pouted again.

"It technically wouldn't be that much of a lie..."

"My dad would have a heart attack. Worse than being gay!"

Minseok closed his eyes and massaged his temples and then looked at the brunette.

"Okay, okay."

Jongdae jumped and smiled in excitement. "Thank you, thank you!"

"Yeah, whatever," the shorter sighed and returned to his meal.

The younger started with his own meal, a smile plastered on his lips.

They were silently eating and enjoying their meals, almost finished when  Minseok's phone started ringing. He fished it out of his pocket and groaned. Jongdae inspected his aura and saw pure annoyance. No one should ever bother the older male when he’s gulfing his sacred food.

The shorter showed Jongdae his phone screen and saw the identity of the caller, one of their team colleague's name displayed on it.

Minseok let out a last sigh and answered. "What is it now?"

Jongdae waited expectantly and observed the different displays on Minseok's aura.

"Okay, we'll be there as soon as possible," Minseok simply replied with a serious tone.

"We can tell them to give us boxes to go..." Jongdae suggested, referring to the food, as if to coax the older man. Minseok simply nodded as he hung up.

"Robbery case," he simply stated.

***

Somnium Agentia was in the works, but it didn’t take them away from their respectful duties. As detectives, they, after all, were still obligated to pay their dues. It could be said they had two full time jobs, but not everyone who suffered came to them through Somnium Agentia. To prevent that suffering, they still worked under the Police Department, operating under the District Attorney. Like many other of Minseok’s rules, there was one condition: homicide investigations were void from their contract.

“It might be best if you slow down,” Jongdae murmured from the passenger’s seat. “I mean, I love thrill and racing, but we could get a ticket from one of our colleagues.”

Stubborn in nature, Minseok exceptionally hated it when anyone tried giving him orders. Leaning over, he flicked on a switch, sent the sirens blaring and continued speeding through the afternoon streets overwhelmed by traffic.

The car came to a halt across the street from one of the largest banks known in Seoul. Its windows were tinted a shade of bronze, protecting whatever went on inside from the public eye. Minseok gave the architect who’d built structure a silent applause as he stepped out of the car. A thickening crowd formed around the front doors barred by security and the standard police tape. The media was in frenzy and he could hear someone giving a live report about the situation.

Following his heels closely, he led Jongdae toward the security guard who struck his arms out to block them. Upon the show of his I.D. they made their way through and toward the person in charge, Chief Kang. He was a big sturdy man, fat shoulders, and a hairy face that told anyone he smoked too much for his own good. His complexion had grown darker over the years. The man, if Minseok recalled correctly, didn’t exercise.

“You’re here,” the Chief greeted, turning away from the young soldier he was just talking to.

“What’s the situation?” Minseok started. Thank goodness for the coffee, sleep had rubbed out of his eyes, but he knew he would need another cup soon if he was to last the day.

“You know, the cliché,” the big man explained, spitting in Minseok’s face. He fought not to let the irritation show on his face. Any kind of wincing or expression of annoyance wouldn’t land him anywhere.

“Someone wanted money, came in, held everyone at gunpoint.”

“No one’s hostage?” Jongdae piped up.

“As of right now, not yet. No injuries accounted for either.”

“Anyone in there?” Minseok meant cops from the team that arrived earlier.

“Put them all on standby,” Chief Kang finally turned to look toward the glass doors, where anyone could see all the bank employees huddled against the walls, all crouched into uncomfortable positions. “You’re going undercover.”

“What?!” Jongdae’s voice went a volume too loud, but the Chief, surprisingly, did not react to it. Minseok took notice of how the Chief eyed his clothing, then clicked his tongue. Waving his hand, signaled another patrol officer over.

“Two of you switch uniforms with them,” he gestured his head toward the duo.

“Really, Sir,” Minseok tried, but was immediately cut off.

“As a bank employee, those outfit are atrocious,” the Chief criticized. Jongdae and Minseok both glanced at their own outfits. In the end, they switched into button-downs and pants – those that once belonged to the men on standby. Highly uncomfortable in clothes that were not his own, Minseok grumbled underneath his breath as they were led around the building.

The security was said to have unsealed the window in the bathroom – exactly where they would enter from outside. A boost of the officer’s hand helped both him and his younger partner into the bathroom that smelled of fresh bathroom cleaners. The tiled walls mirrored the sunlight from the open window as they quietly crept alongside the wall. It was best to keep out of sight in order not to alarm the robber.

With gun tucked part way into his pants from the back, he let his eyes rove around the interior of the building. A golden hallway loomed infinitely down his right. Didn’t seem like anyone was occupying the space there. Then turning to view his left, made a mental note that everyone must have been gathered into the lobby. Golden lights shone down onto the waxed floor, giving the lobby a royal appearance. Bronze seemed to be the company’s theme as the walls were marble brown, the floor beige, the counters a darker shade of brown. Nameplates nailed to the wall, golden.

Waving his hand back to signal for Jongdae to keep low, the two crept out toward the lobby. Their positions crouched. The robber was a man of average height, couldn’t be no taller than Jongdae, he assumed. His body was adjacent to the direction they came from, a black mask pulled over his head to hide his identity. A cliché, but must need for thieves.

The bank tellers and office employees gazed at them curiously. Minseok wished to tell them not to look at them so hard or their presence would be given away. Too late. The robber turned, immediately pointing his gun at them. Forced to a halt, Minseok held his hands up as if to say he wasn’t there to do harm.

“What are you doing?” The thief observed them carefully. His shoulders were buff, but sometimes appearance didn’t mean strength. Judging too quickly would hurt them later. The man was thick in build, his eyes literally narrow slits. “Who are you? I don’t remember seeing you.”

“I…I’m not with him,” Jongdae squeaked from behind, quickly stepped aside to huddle with the other employees by wall. The thief surprisingly let him go, stepped toward Minseok with a heavy gaze. Those dangerous eyes of his spoke of short temper, that he wouldn’t allow anyone to fool with him.

“I…”

“Shut up,” he barked. “You move, I shoot. You hear?” Minseok nodded obediently, then felt the man pat his hand against his body. , he silently swore. If the gun was found, it was trouble for them. Then the movement of white caught his eye. Jongdae was creeping up on the thief, whose hand was reaching around his back just close enough for the gun. Uneasy, he fought not to watch Jongdae as he neared. Minseok’s mind screamed just a second before the gun was pulled out and the thief screamed something incomprehensive to the ears.

“ing bastard! You’re a ing cop!” The strength in his voice nearly deafened Minseok, who watched him raise both guns at him. All at once, Jongdae jumped up from where he was keeping low, head locked the thief, forced him to bend back. Charging forward, Minseok seized his hands, fighting for the guns.

Screams whirled around the room when one of the guns went off. Something exploded from the ceiling and particles fell down like rain. Panicked employees began moving toward the doors, seeking their escape. The gun went off again and Minseok tried to overpower their screams, “Don’t move! Don’t move! Stay down!” Though to no avail.

Tightening his grip on thick hands, Minseok struggled to pull the guns free. Their arms stretched up into the air, to the side, and downward. Both of them biting their teeth to gain an advantage in the struggle. Hold him, just a little more Jongdae, he begged mentally. And finally, when Jongdae managed to knee the man’s shin to force him onto his knees did Minseok pull the malicious weapons from him.

A painful scream bellowed from Jongdae as the thief knuckled him in the face, but still maintaining his strong hold, the two of them fell back onto the floor. Wasting no time, Minseok took a step forward, pointed the gun down at the defeated thief.

Chief Kang, who’d been watching intently, ushered his men in. As the doors burst open, Minseok stepped back. Putting the gun into safety mode, he let the ammunition from the thief’s glock drop to the floor like pellets.

“ing loser,” Minseok cussed. Handing the gun to one of the patrol officers, he extended a hand down to Jongdae. Once he clasped onto his hand, Minseok pulled him up and observed his nose. “Need a doctor?”

“Doesn’t seem broken,” Jongdae muttered, “I’d kill him if it was.”

Minseok snorted under his breath and once back in their own clothes, drove Jongdae home. They were done for the day. If they were needed, the department would call them. They were always on standby on days they weren’t at Somnium Agentia.

The ride was silent. The only noise was the buzzing radio. Something about tonight’s weather. A thunderstorm was being forecasted, but both their minds were wiped out. Jongdae’s, especially, since he hadn’t touched the dear cup of caffeine Minseok offered him that morning. He just realized that now. It was an insult to the precious beans that created the glorious taste of coffee.

Then he remembered all of a sudden, Jongdae hated coffee. A laugh of sarcasm rang throughout his head.

“I’m ing exhausted,” Jongdae spoke up.

“What?”

“That’s what you’re feeling,” Jongdae explained. “You’re always making me feel two-times the moods you go through.”

“Then block it.” Minseok coldheartedly stated. Jongdae tried not to let his eyes roll. Honestly, Minseok knew better. Right now, though, it just couldn’t be helped. He hadn’t properly rested and would, in no time, be even moodier.

“Moody jerk,” Jongdae whispered underneath his breath. Minseok pretended not to hear.

Fights between the two were constant and of the norm. They were brothers in name and while growing up, had been questioned about why they didn’t look the same. To make things simple, Jongdae said he took after their dad, Minseok their mom. He had quite a lot of things to thank Jongdae and his father for, but to repay them – nothing would ever surmount to that. His one job was to lead Jongdae well and well, protect him.

As they pulled up to the curb, he caught sight of the shaggy homeless man huddled in front of Jongdae’s complex. The homeless appeared to be sleeping, his face dark with grime from not having washed it for days. A thick sweater covered his torso and worn down pants were what Minseok saw on him.

“I didn’t know there were homeless people in this area. Is he always here?” Minseok wondered.

Jongdae glanced out the window toward the homeless. “Oh…yea. He’s often here, sometimes not. I give him food sometimes. Poor guy, doesn’t seem to have anywhere to go.”