- Yoon Doojoon -

I just finished up the reports that I needed to do when I turned my gaze and saw the light on Aegi’s office was still on. So I guessed that she was still at her office and no one was here except for both of us.

Kyuri and Dongwoon were going for finding more information about Jang Hana from her neighbors. Gikwang and Yoseob were going out to the countryside to investigate about their case. They were asking my permission earlier. So I let them went away. Moon, Junhyung and Hyunseung already left to their own home after reported to me about their mission. They would have an undercover mission tomorrow. I decided to stay behind since I wanted to finish some reports. But I didn’t notice that Aegi was still here too. Probably she was still doing her job to analyze the case.

I exhaled and stood up. I came out from my own office and walked toward Aegi’s office. I opened up the door and peeked inside. Aegi was doing her reading through the case. She even didn’t notice my presence there. I pushed the door opened and leaned on one shoulder as I crossed my hands across my chest.

“Aegi.” I called her.

Aegi looked up from the folder. “Huh?”

“Still here?”

“Ah, yes. I need to finish some stuff first.” She said as she looked back to the case. But then, she seemed to be frustrated. "Argh." She put down her pen and looked up on me. "What are you doing here?"

"I just finished some reports." I lowered my hands and walked toward her desk. “Ya, can I ask something?” I stopped on the front of her desk and put my both hands on my pockets.

“Sure.”

“Why do you put the case on hold?”

Aegi seemed to be confused. Probably she was wondering which case that she put on hold.

“The Park Kyunjong’s case.” I mentioned the specific case.

"Ah." She sounded understood. “It's because I don’t think he’s related to Kang Heejoon.”

“You managed to think about it?”

"I don't handle a specific case right now. So I can see the whole case thorough."

"So what has made you think like that?"

Aegi shrugged her shoulder. “I don't know. I just think that Park Kyunjong is probably rich. But I don’t see how he’s related to Kang Heejoon. Kang Heejoon is not the beneficiary for Park Kyunjong’s fortunes. And Park Kyunjong was not one of Kang Heejoon’s relation either.” She paused for a while. “They were probably linked. But I can’t find the link yet. That’s why I put it on hold.”

"And you're trying to find the link now?"

"Yes."

"It means that you'll be handling the case personally."

A wide fake smile came to her face. "Probably I am." Then the smile disappeared. "Besides, I still wonder where I ever heard Park Kyunjong's name. I'm sure I ever heard it somewhere." She said as she frowned then tilted her head.

I just smiled to hear her. I took out my hands and pressed them against the surface of her desk as I leaned forward.

"And now... it's late already."

"And?"

"Mind to have a dinner with me?" I asked with a smirk on my face. "We can discuss the case. It's better to do it together than you alone."

Aegi gave me a get-real look. "What made you think that I will agree?"

"Because I knew you haven’t eaten since this morning and you skipped lunch because of the case. So I bet that you’re so hungry right now." I said then continued before she could say anything. "And I insist."

Aegi exhaled and rolled her eyes. "Alright." She gave up. "I also need to get out of here and clear up my mind." She said as she closed the folder.

I straightened my body as I smiled with her reply. "I'll drive you home after."

She scoffed. "No, thanks." She replied as she cleaned up her desk and prepared to go home. “I guess having dinner together with you is already too much for me.”

I smiled lopsided when I heard her words. “But you like it, don’t you?”

Aegi rolled her eyes again. “Don’t be ridiculous.” She said.

But I just smiled to her words. I knew that she never meant her cynical words to me. Then, after she had done, we came out from her room while having a small debate. But at least, she had agreed to have a dinner with me.

Probably, should I say that it was a progress for us?

- Shin Aegi -

I didn't know why I agreed to have a dinner with Doojoon. Of course I could refuse. Yet, I agreed to go with him. Well, locigally, it was probably because…

First, I needed to get rid of those cases that made my head ached for a while. I needed to clear up my mind for real. I had been thinking, analyzing and re-analyzing the cases thorough. And I still couldn't find anything that linked the whole cases. And somehow I had a thought that Kang Heejoon wasn't the main mastermind behind of them all. I read his data and made out his profile. And I didn't think he was smart enough to make all of those cases. I had a guess that someone else was behind him, controlling everything.

And second, I was so hungry. I just realized it when I saw Doojoon on my door. And Doojoon was right when he said that I hadn’t eaten since morning plus skipped the lunch today. I was searching more information about the cases on another computer room. Now I almost could feel that my stomach would grumble if I didn't stop and eat right away. I didn't know I managed to survive till this late. It was just a simple reason. But, it was also the strongest reason on why I agreed to have a dinner with him.

Actually there was another reason. Probably it would involve the feeling. But I didn’t want to think about it. I needed to push it aside right now. I just needed to be logical.

“I really don’t know how you can manage not to eat for the whole day.” Doojoon started to talk when we already walked toward the exit door.

I shrugged my shoulders. “I think I just lost the track of time while working.”

“You shouldn’t do that, you know.”

“Why do you care?”

He smiled lopsided. “Of course I care.”

I just looked at him, ready to ask a question. Somehow I felt that he would say that I was his wife or something like that.

“You’re my partner now.” He added.

To hear his answer, somehow I felt my heart sank for a moment. But then, I just scoffed. I should have known the answer.

“Yeah, we work together now.” I dropped my gaze. I guessed his answer was logical.

But why did I feel disappointed?

“Doojoon.”

The call made my heart stopped. I knew that voice and I felt that I didn’t like it. I raised my gaze and saw Jin Eun on the front of the office. She was smiling as she saw us. I turned to look at Doojoon. He was smiling at Jin Eun and waved at her. I looked back at Jin Eun and she was coming at us.

“Are you waiting for us?” Doojoon asked as she stopped on the front of us.

Jin Eun was smiling so brightly. “Yes.” She replied. “And I brought you food. It’s Kimbap.” She raised the lunch box that she brought on her hand to show the food.

“Woo, how do you know that we haven’t eaten yet?”

“Probably because I’m connected with you?" She said jokingly toward Doojoon.

Doojoon was laughing. But somehow I felt a tug in my heart. I felt that I didn't like the words that she said to Doojoon. It made me unable to smile. But for long, I had suspected that Jin Eun had a crush on Doojoon. Probably it had happened ever since I and Doojoon were still together. I exhaled slowly.

But before I could do anything, my phone vibrated. I fished it out from my pocket. I saw Gikwang's name written on the screen. I frowned but I had a feeling that it must have been an urgent matter. So I picked up the phone.

“Yes, Gikwang?”

- Yoon Doojoon -

When I heard Aegi mentioned Gikwang’s name, I quickly turned to look at her. She was talking on the phone and she frowned. But from the change of look on her face, I could know that it must have been something about the case.

“Wait, wait, wait. I’m still outside now.” She turned her back to us and went back to the office while talking on the phone.

I just looked at her. But I knew that I probably had to come with her. So I turned to Jin Eun.

“Jin Eun. Sorry. Sudden matter.” I told her.

I was sure that she would understand. She was once a police agent too. But I could see that she looked disappointed. I couldn’t blame her too.

“Ah, it’s fine.” She said as she lowered her gaze. “It’s my fault too that I come here without telling you beforehand.”

“Probably next time, we can have lunch or dinner together.” I told her, making her raised her gaze to me. “Along with Aegi, probably.” I added.

For a second, I saw a change on her eyes. But then she was smiling.

“Ah, probably we can.” She said as she nodded. Then she raised her lunch box. “Take this for your dinner. You haven’t eaten, right?”

I received the lunch box. “Thank you, Jin Eun.” I told her as I smiled.

She just smiled.

“See you later, okay.” I said then half ran to catch up with Aegi.

I managed to catch up with her when she wanted to open the door to an empty office. I held the door when she pushed it. She went in and I followed her.

“Yes, I’m with Doojoon.” Aegi said as she stopped and turned to see me.

I stopped in the front of her as she asked Gikwang to wait. Aegi lowered her phone and turned it into speaker phone mode. She put the phone on the table.

“Okay, you can talk now.” Aegi said as she sat on the table. “Anything to report?”

“Yes. I and Yoseob went out to investigate about the missing M.E.”

Aegi raised her gaze to look at me. She narrowed her eyes as if she was asking for an explanation about it. I realized that Yoseob and Gikwang were come to me to ask permission and I didn’t tell her about it yet.

“They told me.” I mouthed her as I crossed my hands across my chest.

“And?” Aegi asked to Gikwang with her eyes fixed on me.

“Based on Kyuri’s investigation, we went to an address. It’s a property of Jung Tae-il but listed with someone else’s name.”

“Then?”

“We’re doing surveillance on the house right now. But we found out that Jang Hana is here too.”

I noticed that Aegi frowned when she heard the name.

“Jang Hana?”

“Yes.” Gikwang said. “She’s the missing owner of Yoo Im Taek’s drug factory.”

“Yes, I know. But what is she doing there?”

“I guess she’s kept in here on the countryside for reasons. And, I’m guessing that Jung Tae-il is the one who taking care of her.” This time, Yoseob was the one who talked.

“And, Aegi. She’s not looking good either.” Gikwang said.

Aegi frowned again with the remark. “What do you mean?”

“Just a thought between medical experts, I’m guessing that she’s sick.” Gikwang said.

I could see an acknowledgement gaze on Aegi’s eyes. She went silent for a while then she lowered her gaze to her phone.

“Where are you right now?” Aegi asked.

Gikwang mentioned an area on the countryside.

“Okay, keep watching the house. I’ll be asking the local police to corporate with us.”

“Okay.” Gikwang said.

Aegi took her phone and hung up. She stood up and seemed to look at a number on her phone. Probably she was looking for help from the local police.

“What kind of disease that can stay for 20 years?” I asked.

Aegi diverted her gaze from the phone to me. “Degeneration disease can do.” She paused. “But I don’t think she was sick back then. Probably it occurred on the past years.” She tilted her head. “But when we connect it with Jung Tae-il’s missing time, probably we can get the time when Jang Hana’s sickness symptoms started to develop.”

Then Aegi went silent for a while with frown on her face. She was thinking. And after a minute later, her expression became brighter.

“Ah.” She said.

But I knew from her look that she got an idea. She turned to the door.

“Probably I’ll also need to check on the hospitals.” She said again as she walked toward the door.

But I remembered that she hadn’t eaten. If I let her walked away right now, I was so sure that she would never eat. I stepped forward and grabbed her arm.

“Aegi.” I called her.

She stopped and turned at me.

I took her hand, took her phone away from her hand then handed the lunch box that I brought. She looked confused when I put the lunch box on her hand.

“Just tell me the phone numbers and let me do the work. You. Eat.” I released her hand afterward.

She looked at the lunch box for a while then a smile came to her face. She looked up at me. “Thanks.”

I just nodded then walked to the door. I guessed we would have worked till late again tonight. But somehow, I didn’t mind with the idea. At least, I could have a time together with Aegi.

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