- Yoon Doojoon -

I was walking from the Medical Examiner office with death report folder when I passed the morgue where they kept the bodies. I stopped as I caught a glimpse of someone standing inside the room. I turned and looked at the room. I saw Aegi standing in the front of the cooling chambers where the ME froze the dead bodies. I noticed that one of the doors was opened and it was Jin Eun’s. Aegi was looking at her. I exhaled and approached her.

“She was turning her body.”

It seemed that Aegi knew that I was coming. I stopped beside her as she turned her gaze to me.

“On the last second, she was protecting me from being shot, Doojoon. I would have been shot if she didn’t turn her body.”

“I guess she still wanted you to live.”

“Why?” She questioned. “She hates me. She hated me for having your attention all the time. She wanted to kill me.”

I looked at Jin Eun. Somewhere inside of me, I felt guilty for shooting her. She was my friend and she liked me so much but I barely noticed about her. Aegi was right about her being the center of my attention. But since Jin Eun was always hanging around Aegi back when we were in the Academy, I noticed something different from the way Jin Eun looked at Aegi.

“I guess…” I looked back at Aegi. “…somewhere deep inside her heart she still thought you as her precious friend. Jin Eun ever told me before that she didn’t have much friend. She even got bullied. But you were the one who was nice to her at the academy. You treated people equally and smart. Probably she hated you because of me. But she adored you. You were the one that she looked up to.”

Aegi just nodded and sighed, “Probably you are right.”

She then moved forward to Jin Eun’s head. She looked at her for a moment with her soft gaze and caressed her hair lovingly as if she was saying good bye to her before she pushed the platform back in and closed the door.

I came closer to her, swung my arm across her shoulder, pulled her closer and kissed her temple to comfort her. “Let’s go back to the base. Today is Gikwang’s first day after discharged from the hospital. And I don’t want to miss his arrival.”

Her lips formed a slight smile. I patted her back and pulled her to walk along.

- Yang Yoseob -

I was blowing balloons along with Junhyung for decoration. We wanted to have a little party for welcoming Gikwang back to the team. He was badly injured and we almost lost him. So I guessed a little party wouldn’t do any harm. I tied the lips of the balloon then handed it to Dongwoon. He was the one who in-charged for sticking the balloons on the ceilling.

Then, the door slid open making us to look at it.

At first, I thought it was Gikwang who came. So I was a little afraid since the preparation had not completed yet. But it was Doojoon and Aegi who entering the room. Both of them looked at us in confusion since the room went silent.

“Why are you guys become silent?” Doojoon asked as he walked down the stairs to the lower platform.

“Uwah, you’re making me having a heart attack,” Junhyung complained as I heaved in relief. “I thought you are Gikwang.”

Doojoon was bringing paper bags on his hand while smiling to hear Junhyung’s complain. He went to the table with Aegi following him. I knew that they went to buy cake and food for our little party.

“Don’t worry,” Aegi said as she put the plastic bag that she brought on the table. “Moon is the one who picks him up today. She’ll call me when they already near.”

“That’s good then,” Junhyung said.

I just smiled to hear it. Then my eyes moved to the computer room’s door that was opened. Kyuri stepped out from that room. She was fixing some programs earlier. The virus that Jin Eun planted had forced us to fix our security system.

“Ah, Kyuri-ah.”

I heard Aegi called her, making her stop.

“Help me to prepare these.”

I saw Aegi lifted a plastic bag.

“Alright,” Kyuri answered obediently then came to her boss. She took the plastic bag and went to our pantry.

I just looked at her and the statement that Dongwoon had told me started to bother me again. Somehow I really needed to know whether they were engaged or not. So I followed her.

When I arrived on the pantry, she was standing with her back on me. I walked to her side and pretended to get a drink. I took a glass and filled it with water.

“So…” I tried to have a chat with her as I leaned back to the pantry table. “How’s the system?”

“It’s fine now,” she replied with her cheerful voice.

“So it’s safe for us to use the computer again, right?”

She looked at me and smiled. “Yes.”

Somehow when I saw her smile, I felt like my cheeks were burning and my heart was beating. So I quickly diverted my gaze back to the cup on my hand. I gulped as I felt my throat dry. But somehow it was hard to gulp. I exhaled softly to calm my self. I knew that I needed to ask her about her relation with Dongwoon. But I felt afraid with her answer. So I exhaled again to gather my courage.

“So… Kyuri.”

“Dae?”

“Do you…” I looked at her but then regretted it since I felt my heart beat faster with her innocent eyes. I looked back to the cup again. “Is it true if you’ve engaged?” Finally I dared my self.

“Huh?” She sounded confused. “Me? Engaged? Who said it?”

I didn’t want to sell out my friend so I just said, “Someone,” as I raised my gaze to her.

She was frowning but then her frown disappeared as she realized something. “Ah, it was Dongwoon, right?”

“Ee?”

It suprised me. I didn’t know how she knew it. She chuckled amusingly, probably because seeing my shocking face. I really didn’t expect her to guess it correctly.

“I am right, ain’t I?”

I didn’t know how to answer it. “How do you know?”

“It’s not the first time this thing happened. He has been telling some guys that I’m engaged with him.” She looked at the plate. “I’ll deal with him later. He deserves a punch or two.”

I smiled lopsidedly as I amused with her speech. “Why a punch or two?”

“Because he spreaded false rumor about me. It can make someone misunderstood about me.”

She looked shy as she said it. I couldn’t help but to smile. But somehow I felt relief that she wasn’t engaged.

“So you don’t have any boyfriend right now?”

She dropped her head but I could see pink blush on her cheeks. “Yes.”

I wanted to look cool but her answer was making me really happy. So I pretended to drink from the cup and looked away to hide my smile. I cleared my throat and put my cup on the table.

“Let me help you with the food.”

I do have a chance with her, right?

- Lee Gikwang -

I was annoyed.

I was a little annoyed when a girl picked me up for work and opened the car’s door for me. I often did it for girls. But when Moon did the same for me, it was bothering me. It felt like my pride as a man had been stepped on. But I guessed this time I would have to make an exception since I couldn’t drive on my own with the wound on my back that still hadn’t healed yet.

“How’s the case?” I asked her when we were on our way to the office.

“Case closed. Park Jin Eun was the culprit behind it all. She was the Pink Arjuna.”

Suddenly, I remembered about the thing that Junhyung told me when I was still at the hospital. “Doojoon shot her?”

Moon nodded. “He did.”

I went silent. I understood that Doojoon might feel guilty since he had to shoot his friend. I felt the same way with my father’s involvement on the case. And I didn’t know what my friends would think about it. I didn’t dare to ask though I felt worry. I was afraid if my friends would hate me because of my criminal’s father. And my worry grew bigger as we approached the base’s door.

I straightened my back and winced since I felt a stingy pain as the back of my shirt touched the wound. “You know. Having this wound on my back is annoying,” I told her as we arrived at the base door. “Especially when my shirt touch it.”

She just smiled. “I know,” she said as she took her ID card to open the door.

“And I just wish that they won’t touch my back.”

She looked at me. “They won’t.”

Moon tapped her card on the card scanner and the door slid open. Then…

“Welcome back, Lee Gikwang!”

The sound of party poppers and the cheers from my teammates were heard when the door opened. I saw the papers showering me. I looked up to my friends. They were smiling at me. And I also saw foods and drinks at the table. I didn’t expect that they made a surprise party for me.

“What’s this?” I asked as I approached the table.

“To celebrate your comeback,” Doojoon said then remembered about something. “Well, probably along with Junhyung. Both of you were injured in mission. And with everything that we have been gone through, I think a small party after a case won’t kill us all.”

I smiled thankfully at him. I knew that he was referring to my father’s involvement too. “Thanks, Doojoon.” I looked back to the table and saw a cake. “A cake?”

“It’s a present from me,” Kyuri said. “…for celebrating your comeback.”

I looked at the cake then back to Kyuri. “Did you make this on your own?”

Kyuri nodded and smiled. “Yes. And it’s not chocolate flavour. Yoseobie and Doojoon told me that you don’t like chocolate flavour.”

I just smiled with all of these. Suddenly, my pain, my annoyance and my worries related to my father were gone. I felt touched.

I feel accepted.

“Thank you so much, you all.”

Doojoon just patted me on my shoulder.

“Can we eat now? I’m starving,” Dongwoon suddenly spoke, breaking the touching moment.

I turned my gaze on him. “Sure. Let’s eat.”

He smiled widely. “Great.”

And Dongwoon started to grab some foods, followed by Hyunseung and Junhyung. I joined them afterward.

As I ate, I noticed Yoseob stood closer to Kyuri and joked around with her. I didn’t remember since when they became closed. I didn’t care about Moon and Junhyung because I knew that they were having feeling to each other. But Yoseob had never attached himself with a girl before. And I never remembered about him telling me that he had feeling for Kyuri. Did I miss something here?

“Since when Yoseob and Kyuri become close?” I asked Aegi who leaned on the table beside me.

She looked at the couple for a moment then replied, “They’ve worked together. I think it’s natural for them to become closer.”

It was a wise answer but it didn’t answer my question. Then I saw Doojoon came and handed a plate of kimbab to her.

“Thanks,” she said as she received the plate and handed the glass that she brought to him.

It made me frown to see Aegi accepted Doojoon’s gentleness without bickering with him. And to add my curiosity, Doojoon drank from the glass that Aegi gave him. But I couldn’t ask further since Doojoon looked at me.

“How’s your wound?” he asked.

“It’s fine. But still a little hurt sometimes.”

“How’s your mother?”

“She’s…,” I was thinking on how to describe her condition now. But she was fine though I couldn’t talk about my father in the front of her lately. “I just can’t mention my father in the front of her anymore.”

“I guess she’s still recovering. I’m sure that she’ll be fine in time,” Aegi said, reassuring me.

She had learned psychology before so I trusted her. “I guess so.”

Doojoon just nodded then threw a quick glance at the others. It was his habit before he talked something important and personal. I knew it since I had worked with him for 2 years. He looked back at me with his serious look and I knew that he would say something important.

“About your father in the case…,” he said.

So it was about my father.

“I already discussed with Mr. Hong about it. Both of us has agreed that your father held an important role in the case. So I can’t exempt him from the report.” He crossed his arms on his chest and smiled lopsidedly. “But we also agreed to modify it a little. Your father will still be innocent and we’re the only ones who know the truth.”

I knew that it was hard for Doojoon and Aegi to falsify a report. But I appreciated their effort to clear up my father’s name. “Thank you.”

“Hey, Aegi.”

The call from Moon made us turned. I saw her coming closer and stopped before her leader.

“I was wondering about your place. Have you claimed for the damages and fixed it after that time? ”

“Ah…” Aegi seemed to realize something. “I haven’t done anything about it. But surely it’ll need to be fixed.”

“What?” This time, Kyuri was the one who responsed. Somehow I realized that the team had come to join us. “So where do you stay? Did you move out? Are you coming back to your parents’ house?”

I saw a slight smirk on Doojoon’s face and Aegi was throwing a quick and meaningful glance at him.

“Anniya. She’s moving in with me,” Doojoon replied them.

The words earned surprise looks from the rest of the team.

“What?” Junhyung was the only one who spoke.

Doojoon just smiled and shrugged. “She’s my wife after all,” he said as he put down the glass on his hand.

“Then… how about our team? Did Mr. Hong dismiss us?” Kyuri asked out in worry.

“No. He has decided to put the teams together under our command. It means me and Doojoon are co-captain now.”

Then, the others started to ask questions. I guessed they were worried about the team’s merging. Personally, I didn’t mind to have Aegi as my leader other than Doojoon. And I understood why Mr. Hong decided to keep Aegi. She was a brilliant officer as well as a great leader and had proven her skills in many ways. It would be a waste if she quitted from the force.

In the middle of the ruckus, I noticed the light on the phone was blinking. I came to the table and answered the phone.

“Team 1 & 2 base. It’s Lee Gikwang speaking.”

I went silent as the other side talked. It was Mr. Hong who called. I lowered the phone after he finished talking and looked at my friends.

“Yaa, team leaders,” I called Doojoon and Aegi.

They all went silent and looked at me.

“Mr. Hong called. He wants us to turn on the screen,” I said then put back the phone.

They seemed understand. Aegi quickly put the plate on the table and walked toward computer station. Kyuri quickly slid herself to the chair and typed something on the keyboard. The main monitor on the room and displayed the video call from Mr. Hong.

“New case has come. I want you to handle it. I have sent the brief to your system. Aegi, Doojoon, lead your team well. I expect the best from you.”

Aegi answered, “Yes, sir. We’ll do our best.”

The transmission from Mr. Hong ended and the screen went blank.

“Kyuri, display the briefing,” Aegi asked as she pressed her hands against the table.

“Okay.” Kyuri then typed something and the screen went on again, displaying pictures and data.

I saw a smirk on Doojoon’s face. “Alright, team. We have a case to do.”

And with that, the new beginning of our team has come.

- FIN -