“Hyung,” Jongdae whined in his chair, lightly swinging from left to right as he watched Minseok go through record after record. For about an hour he’d been forced to watch just like this. He was aware Minseok was punishing him and he’d succeeded in planting the seed of guilt in his stomach. “I said sorry already! That’s supposed to be my job.”

One look from the older man had Jongdae closing his mouth shut, lips pressed firmly together. Instead of doing what had been assigned to him, Minseok was now going through Baeyoung’s files the police had put together, having already requested another officer to bring him the Lee sister’s childhood picture, as well as Baeyoung’s boyfriend’s – Han Seohun.

The man was thirty-four-years-old with an unusually clean record. For some reason Minseok had expected to see a criminal profile with possibly some charges placed against him. The man whose appearance remained blank inside his head was a businessman who worked for the retail department. Naturally successful, upbeat, happy, and a conversationalist who always lent an open ear to all his peers – was what had been described of him by those he was close to. The typical nice guy, Minseok noted. Someone who would seem as if he had his life held together well, even if it wasn’t perfect. The kind of person no one held a grudge against because he was too helpful, too kind.

Han Seohun had parents who lived in Europe, a sister who moved to the countryside with her family. Apparently, he was the only one residing in the city. Definitely a perfect man-holding record with no flaw.

Out of habit, Minseok bit onto the tip of his thumbnail trying find a gap in the findings. The boyfriend was the first suspect, but he’d come off clean. Where was the suspicion in this?

“Did you find something?” the cop under punishment perked up. Minseok shot him a look through his narrowed lids which immediately shut Jongdae up. Returning to the file Minseok reread everything that had been typed up in the police department. He recalled the flaring anger he’d experienced after hearing the male and female voice going at it.

His strained brows twitched very slightly upon thinking the dream over. For sure the woman he first saw was the mother who was no longer around. The little girl she was with…who was she? Boyoung? Baeyoung?

Typically in dreams, one saw from first point of view. Very rarely did anyone see through someone’s eyes and see themselves. Boyoung could have been seeing herself as a child that was a very standard possibility. Or she could have been seeing her kid sister. That would rather make sense too. Once he got a hold of the pictures he would be able to figure everything out, and everything would fall into place until he entered her dream again.

Silence dropped into the room. Minseok could feel Jongdae’s eyes land on him every few seconds, waiting for attention and forgiveness – all of which he didn’t plan on giving for violation of their “no intimacy” pact. Through the open blinds the sun was still at its highest peak in the sky, burning the whole world with its hot rays. Light seeped into the room, casting a yellow shade over the shelves full of dusty binders untouched for months. They were alone in the tiny storage room of documented cases containing confidential information.

Fifteen minutes zipped by before the door sprang open and an officer walked in. He was the man Minseok had passed orders to. He’d come back with a folder tucked at his side.

“Detective?” he greeted walking over.

“Did you find it?”

“Yes, sir,” the thin uniformed man nodded. He was about almost a foot taller, but still maintained respect toward his superior.

“Good job. You can go now.” Minseok took the file from him. Once the door closed Minseok tucked the rest of Han Seohun’s profile and interview beneath the folder he just received. Without word he started toward the door, grabbed the knob, and without turning around said, “Don’t forget to reschedule another appointment with Boyoung. I want it as soon as possible.” Then closing the door he started out of the building.

The roads were clear of rushed traffic, good thing for him. He was hungry and wanted to get home to make something to eat. He couldn’t bear the thought of heading out to some restaurant and running into Jongdae’s blind date chick. Minseok couldn’t forget the way he’d been mocked for their earlier act. He was unnerved by the entire thing. Jongdae should be glad he hadn’t strangled him right then.

Groaning and shaking his head, waved out for a cab and arrived at his comfortable studio just ten minutes later. Placing the folders onto his kitchen table he browsed through his fridge from ingredients, whipped up something spicy, and sat down to enjoy himself. He wanted to relax before jumping into the file the officer had brought him, so grabbing his plate walked over to the window. Leaning against it he stared out toward the sky, admiring the sight of the skyscrapers then the road below. Life was constantly moving, all a buzz of nature.

Once he finished eating and washed his plates, he made himself another cup of coffee. Grabbing the files he finally sat down on his sofa, straightening his legs out with cup set aside on a nearby table just in front of an empty vase. Minseok sunk back into the plump sofa and finally flipped the manila folder open.

As requested, the photos he wanted were there, labeled on the back in black sharpie who was who. Boyoung possessed a horrendous bowl cut while younger Baeyoung had glorious long hair. Both of them had grown up thin, but healthy. Baeyoung, more feminine in appearance, had a sharp chin and long eyes and distinct cheekbones where as Boyoung’s cheekbones appeared flat and her face long.

Minseok’s eyes zoomed in on Baeyoung’s picture, his heart pounding a little faster. Yes, this was her, the kid he’d seen with the mother. He had definitely had been walking through the dream from Boyoung’s point of view. He checked that part down and set the two photos aside. Next, was a photo of Han Seohun.

The typical man, just as Minseok imagined. Lanky but styled hair, a professional smile of a man who greeted customers daily, and kind brown eyes made him look charming and even a flirt. His face was without a mustache – a clean look for work policy maybe. Minseok could tell he was dressed in a tailored suit even though the picture was only shoulders up. He was possibly very tall as well, maybe a little under six feet. A man didn’t need to be big in order to be strong. Any woman could easily be outwitted in the presence of a smart man, and Seohun looked the type to be more intelligent than he showed.

Something about the man made Minseok want to visit him, talk to him one-on-one. Perhaps he’d do that soon with Jongdae. If Jongdae felt his energy, he’d know for certain whether this was the guy who murdered Baeyeong. 

***

As Minseok closed the door, Jongdae flopped onto the desk in front of him huffing. He felt the elder's heavy aura lift from the room and vanish as the latter walked away. Sighing, he rested his head on his arms and looked to the side, gazing at the wall clock they had hung since they first funded the investigation office.

He'll never let it go. Ever.

Sighing and pitying himself for the nth time that day, he stood up and picked his work phone, unlocking it and looking through his recent calls. His finger hovered over Boyoung's phone number and then slid his finger to initiate a call as he sat down back on his chair.

After two beeps into the call, the woman answered and Jongdae set up their next meeting right away, which ended up being scheduled to the next day at the same hour they had been setting their meetings so far. 6PM.

“Perfect then, Ms. Lee! We will be seeing you tomorrow at 6PM as settled. If anything occurs or if there’s any inconvenience, please let us know ahead of time,” he said through the phone.

“Sure, see you tomorrow. And thank you so much, Detective Chen, for not giving up this case... I'm really thankful, it's very important for me,” the woman replied.

“Sure, sure, no problem,” the brunette dismissed. “I apologize for my partner's behavior last time. As you could see, the dream shook him up a little. But that is why we are keeping this case and will diligently work further.”

“Thank you, really; I hope there isn't another inconvenience like that,” Boyoung replied.

“Hopefully there will not be any!” Jongdae reassured. “See you tomorrow, Ms. Lee!” and with that, he hung up his phone and fished it back into his pocket.

He stood up and flexed his limbs, cracking his back a little from the stretch and exertion. He looked around the office, took his belongings and the documents he needed to look through and rearrange and headed out, locking the office and the studio itself.

He walked directly to the parking lot where his car was at and put his things in the trunk. He closed it and locked his car again, opting to first eat at a nearby fast food restaurant before heading home. He had a lot of work and documentation to do that there was no time —nor energy or will— to cook and prepare himself food.

He ate quietly alone thinking and analyzing the events that occurred the past week, worrying a little about Minseok's behavior and wondering what in the world could the elder have seen to have acted out of place; being confused and intrigued leading his aura to become this overwhelming and suffocating.

Minseok was a serious and quiet person with an overwhelming aura, of course, but this time it was tinted and charged with something else. Jongdae himself couldn't really pinpoint what it was, since something like this has never ever happened to them before. Sure, there was that incident from way back from the older's childhood and of course, the reason as to why they met, but it was quite different back then. Heavier, blacker, even more suffocating. It was during those times that the younger had been more perceptive to the flying range of emotions, for he had just discovered his ability. Because of that, everything had been a dozen times more overwhelming.

It was similar but not quite, of that Jongdae was sure. Yet, he had to discover and figure out what exactly it was and the origin or matrix of it or in the given case, the detonator.

He decided to just let it flow and observe a little from afar. Of course, always ready and alert, but just let everything run smoothly. He didn't like leaving things at random and in the hit-and-miss, but there was no other option. Surely, there was the option of asking Minseok himself and talking it out, but sometimes the older would close up into a diamond rock and wouldn't shake. He was already indulging into stress – or more likely, the stress Jongdae was pushing him into. And that, the latter wouldn't ever dare to touch.

Damn, Jongdae felt so confused but it couldn't be helped. Life, Minseok... Everything. Everything was so complicated right now. Why? He had no idea. But it was.

The brunette finished his meal and threw his leftovers into the nearest trashcan. He stood up and went out, heading back to his car.

He returned to his apartment and looked into the direction of the kitchen the moment he got in, leaving the papers he later would revise and analyze on the coffee table in the middle of his living room. Then he turned to his kitchen and checked the fridge, taking a small notepad and a pen, writing down what was needed. Ripping the sheet out, the brunette headed out of his apartment once again.

He walked to the nearest grocery store, and as soon as he was inside, went directly to fill the cart with the listed items. There weren't many things, so the shopping trip was fast. He paid and started out with a handful of plastic bags.

Jongdae liked grocery shopping trips because the walks were sometimes relaxing and mind-freeing. He either thought or pondered over a bunch of things or none at all.

He was a block away from the grocery store and four from his building when he suddenly started feeling a heavy, dark and smoggy vibe, as if something was preying on him. Was someone following him? He didn't like this dark and suffocating aura at all.

Tightening his hold on the bags, he carefully glanced at his sides and then behind him. Strangely, he didn't know where exactly the energy was coming from. The aura was so deeply dark and predatory, huge and it plastered all over its surroundings. He couldn't even block it. Old buildings especially, combined with their own energy, absorbed and adopted this kind of suffocating energy easily. That was one reason why Jongdae always preferred newer buildings, because they were easier to cleanse and adapt to his own energy.

The block that the brunette was walking by was maybe one of the oldest in their sector, so it made it harder for the young man to find the source of said aura. He was sure, however, that this energy came from a person, specifically – and a very evil one at that.

He started walking a little faster, his heart already accelerating and starting to pound erratically, feeling the fear crawling through his veins and running around his body. Sweat glistened across his forehead and neck. It was exasperating. This was the most intriguing kind of energy next to the one Minseok was exuding these days, Jongdae reflected.

He started to suffocate, his breathing becoming strangled and erratic. How was this even possible? Who would have this kind of aura? And why couldn't he find it? The source, the person whose aura was this dark, this overwhelming... This evil.

Turning again in every possible direction, Jongdae started walking even faster and faster until he was running; his hold still tight and strong on the bags.

Passersby looked at him weirdly, as if he had gone nuts. Finally entering a small alley between two buildings he knew by heart he started at a run, quickly making his way through it. It was a shortcut he had learned one day he had felt like walking around; wanting to get to know the area back when he had first moved into the district.

Finally out of the alley he felt the energy start to fade and get away. The brunette could once again breathe evenly with each step forward. Jongdae felt feverish, his damp bangs now glued to his forehead due to the sweat.

By the time he made it to his apartment, he felt like throwing up. The anxiety and almost panic had gotten to him. Once he left the grocery bags onto his kitchen counter, he rushed to the bathroom.

He ended up vomiting. And to say that Jongdae felt confused and agitated, was an understatement.

He took a quick fresh shower and while finally, peacefully accommodating his groceries, he pondered on the previous events of this evening.

Was he really being followed... Scratch that, preyed by this evil person? Or more likely... Why?

Once Jongdae finished arranging everything, he made some chamomile tea to calm his nerves and, with a sigh, he went back to his paperwork; the overwhelming feeling of something he couldn't quite pinpoint nagging at the back of his mind.