SM News Department wasn’t loud as the other day except buzzing with employees’ chatters. Only one time, when the workers were discussing about the clips editing, one particular person’s voice boomed the whole room without a warning.

“I’m-so-BORED!!”

Nearly everybody in the room jumped, while half of them shook their heads. It was soon after that, a well known reporter just finished doing his copy, stormed over the loud guy and didn’t hesitate to smack his head with the papers.

“Shut your pie hole, Chanyeol. This is your fifth warning today. Well, that’s what they told me, and so you know, they will keep complaining until I make my move. Help me out here, please?”

Chanyeol pouted as he rubbed where the papers hit him. While he appreciated that Baekhyun managed to talk to him in the middle of working hours, but it couldn’t compare the emptiness of certain people he usually talked to.

“I miss Baby Soo and Sehunnie. No one’s going to cook for dinner, and no smell of hot chocolate in the office. My life is crumbling, slowly into the ground. I don’t see the light in front of me. Oh, what a disaster!”

Baekhyun smacked his head again to get him back into the reality world. “Don’t be such a baby. They were off just yesterday. If you keep whining for hours, we’ll never get home. About dinner though, I’ll be working on that later. Now pass me that report.”

The taller couldn’t stop being a child as he handed him the report from yesterday. It was about the murder at Poison’s Pub happened days ago. Sehun made the whole report, but it wasn’t completed. He told his seniors that there were missing holes about the case. Baekhyun sat down and read through all the pages until he stopped at the last page, a hand written message on the bottom of the page.

‘Incomplete report, further investigation required, 219412, waiting next order for B.’

“Huh, I wonder what this is all about.” Baekhyun placed the report on the table and leaned on the chair.

Chanyeol frowned. “How is it not complete? It’s almost a week, and it should be wrapped up by now.”

“I was planning to give that kid a call, but he’s not answering since morning.”

“Should we ask Suho-hyung instead?” Chanyeol suggested, and Baekhyun snapped his fingers.

“Good idea. Others can wait. Let’s go.”

Baekhyun took the report with him, and the taller tagged along to the next department. No one was stopping them since they’re in charge of managing news for tomorrow morning instead of doing what they usually did. Since Sehun flew to China, he left some unfinished reports, so they need to contact him. When they arrived in front of the chief’s office, Baekhyun gave a polite knock on the door, waiting for an answer.

“Come in.” Junmyeon while glancing at the door, and he smiled when he saw Kyungsoo’s friends entered.

Both Baekhyun and Chanyeol smiled sheepishly. Even Junmyeon was being nice guy and friendly, they can’t help feeling nervous. It’s all about how different their ranks are. Imagine a prince sitting on the throne and has two servant friends by his side. There’s no way Baekhyun and Chanyeol would talk normally with Junmyeon.

“Hey, Suho. This might sound awkward, but we need help.” Baekhyun began.

“Alright, what’s the problem?” Junmyeon pushed his laptop aside, and placed his hands under his chin.

“I could have asked Sehun instead, but it’s about the murder case few days ago. Although we have established the news to the public, but it was marked as incomplete.” Baekhyun passed the report, and Junmyeon read through.

“Why you didn’t ask the head of your department?”

“I don’t see the point of asking him. We were thinking that you knew the case more than we did. Oh, there’s a note left by Sehun at the end of the report.”

The chief flipped through the pages until he read the message, before he raised an eyebrow. Baekhyun sensed that Junmyeon did know something. Without hesitate, Junmyeon placed the report down, focusing on his laptop before typing on the keyboard. The news team wasn’t sure why Junmyeon didn’t respond to them, but they were in fact curious on Junmyeon was hiding something. Junmyeon glanced between Baakhyun and the laptop screen, until he leaned back as he nodded to the latter.

“Someone will send you a message.” Junmyeon replied, and the other frowned.

“Um... who?”

*Beep!* *Beep!*

Baekhyun excused himself to look at his smart phone. Chanyeol never understood what means ‘personal space’ as he literally stood next to the smaller to read the message. However, as soon Baekhyun read the sender’s name, he blinked. It’s no other than Sehun.

[Click skull icon. Input password bottom note. Just you and the chief. No one else. Very important. Except Chanyeol. - Yehet Boy]

Baekhyun stared at the screen, blinked for multiple times, before he snapped at the police chief. He understood what Sehun meant. The message was for him. He quickly grabbed the note from the chief, who looked half surprised by the action. Chanyeol couldn’t stop Baekhyun in time, as the smaller had closed the door behind him. He then bowed apolitically at Junmyeon and chased Baekhyun all the way to their office. Once he got there, Baekhyun was staring wide at Sehun’s computer.

Chanyeol was curious as he pursed his lips. “So, did Sehun leave a chocolate recipe or what?”

“Much better. Sehun left us a secret here, and it’s classified.”

The taller lowered his head to Baekhyun’s level to watch what he was doing. There’s indeed a skull icon as Sehun mentioned, but when Baekhyun clicked it, it came out a message to input a password. Baekhyun read the number code on the note, which is ‘219412’ and it turned out to be a read only document. Baekhyun and Chanyeol were focusing on the reading, but eventually they realized the document was listed a whole bunch of names that possibly related to the ‘Phantom Crimes’ case.

“How in the world Sehun got those names?!” Chanyeol nearly raised his voice.

“I--I don’t know. But these names... will you look at that. The names are from government, private police and detectives. Are they not supposed to be leaked out by the public?”

“Is that... illegal?” Chanyeol blinked at his friend.

Sehun that they knew somehow got the illegal names from the government. This is serious case where any trespasser enters the block of security walls and steals the classified data. Sehun will get jailed for the rest of his life. While the duo still reading the names in the list, Baekhyun’s phone rang and he immediately picked it up.

“Sehun. What the heck have you done? Are you insane? How did you get these names?” Baekhyun’s voice was alarmed. Any time his voice could burst into angry tone.

“I’m just doing my job, hyung.”

“Your job? By hacking into the government’s database? It’s a major crime! If they knew about you, we’ll get caught!”

He heard Sehun sighed lightly at the end of the line. “I’m aware of it long time ago. I can explain, but not now. As long you don’t spread a word about me, you won’t get caught. But I need your help with the document.”

“No. I’m not doing anything illegal.”

“Just print those names, and pass to Suho-hyung.”

Now Baekhyun started to get annoyed. “Is Suho-hyung also into this? He knew you can hack the data? How much he paid you?”

“Don’t misunderstand this. Suho-hyung never paid me for the work. He recruited me.”

“What? Recruited?!” Baekhyun raised his voice enough to surprise Chanyeol.

“Keep your voice down! Just do the job, and hand it over to the chief. That is all I ask.”

He heard the click at the end of the line, assuming Sehun has hung up. He silently thought that Sehun is more than just article editor. Then again, he always saw Sehun kept spending hours on the laptop and gadgets, which is why he refused to lunch with them. And Sehun said he was ‘recruited’ by Junmyeon, not the head of News Department. Is Sehun working for the police, or crime?

“Baekhyun? What’s going on?” Chanyeol’s question snapped him back into reality.

“I don’t know, but I hate to say this. Suho-hyung is keeping something nasty under his sleeves, and apparently, Sehun is a ‘virus’.”

One table with three people located the very middle of a room, and it was unusually quiet for them to start a conversation. Kyungsoo’s rounded eyes stared directly at his work mate, who has been nervous since the beginning. Meanwhile, the third person was bickering on the phone, presumably with someone he knows. Kyungsoo couldn’t understand one bit since they’re talking in their native language. Once the person ended the call and sighed, Jongdae began to ask in low voice.

“What’s wrong, hyung?”

“I told Luhan many times don’t use my old number. He kept forgetting about it.”

Kyungsoo lifted his head and blinked. They just spoke in Korean.

“Excuse me, are you Korean?” He asked with curiosity.

The third person smiled and nodded. “Indeed, I am. And also, sorry for attacking you earlier. We didn’t get any message that you’re coming by. Oh, I haven’t introduced you about myself yet. My name is Kim Minseok or by codename; Xiumin. I think you heard my name a few days ago. You could say it’s partly my fault that Jongdae abandoned you to locate me. But still, that’s not the way you did to your friend right there, Jongdae-ah.”

“I was worried.” Jongdae replied almost immediately.

Kyungsoo looked back at his friend, not a single smile was given. “You made me and everyone else worried.”

Jongdae was completely shut his mouth, and his gaze dropped down. Minseok saw how his present not comforting them, he decided to give them a private moment. “I need to call someone. If there’s anything please let me know.”

The moment when Minseok left his seat and went somewhere else, Jongdae felt uneasy. And Kyungsoo already placed his arms on the table, ready to scold his stubborn friend.

“I don’t know where to start.” Kyungsoo’s voice was firm. “But one thing I know that I’m very, very disappointed about you. You left at the most crucial time, abandoning me for his safety? Jongdae, did you aware that you’re also their target? What if they caught you on your way here? What if they followed you, and captured Xiumin too? Or worse case, to kill both of you?”

Jongdae stuttered, trying to take a safer route. “B--But we’re fine. We’re safe, right? I kept my head up and made sure no one was following me--“

“Are you stupid or what?!” Kyungsoo yelled, enough to shut Jongdae’s mouth once again. “They’re smart criminals, have you forgotten that?! I would rather drag you back in Korea, but you went to their possible trap, and you’re still saying ‘we’re safe’?! Or you rather wait a bullet went into your thick skull and stuck inside your brain to realize that you’re not actually safe!! What am I going to tell them if anything happens to you?! What about Baekhyun, and Chanyeol?!”

Kyungsoo r