|| That time when she's high and hungover.

 

--------------------

 

 

Seung Hyun cuts the call the fourth time it goes to voicemail. His partner was not answering her phone and there's a crime scene waiting for them to be inspected. She had gone out with the guys last night and apparently went home late after drinking and karaoke. Celebrations like that aren't rare in the station and regardless of activities the previous night, it's not like her to come in so late when work calls. She'd always been the let's-do-this type of person.

 

"Inspector Choi, we need you to look into some evidence we found," a lab technician called from a few feet away, crouched with another staff as they gathered more human remains.

 

A few minutes ago the chief coroner had confirmed the initial presenting evidence to point into murder, hence granting jurisdiction to the Seoul Police to begin gathering evidence for a case. It seemed the body had been decomposing for about two months, and there was evident head trauma that could likely be the cause of death. That only raises more questions, ones that would be answered when they start interrogating witnesses. And to do that he needs his partner. Where was she?

 

The sound of a car pulling up makes him turn, and he finds her hopping from the vehicle before it even stops, one hand holding a can of coffee and another fumbling to clip her I.D. onto her collar.

 

"I'm here! I'm here!" She calls out, sheepishly smiling as she jogs towards him. "I'm sorry." She repeats the apology in a whisper upon stopping in front of him. "My car broke down and I had to wait for the forensics to come by the road, which is just me hoping but as luck would have it they did happen to pass and so--" Elle was distractedly talking to him, still fumbling with the clip that just wouldn't catch on her collar. Coffee was sloshing on her other hand from the still-full canister and he got tired of watching so took the I.D and clipped it on her.

 

"Why didn't you call me?"

 

"Thanks. I--" She looks up from wiping the coffee on her hand and actually stops. He could only interpret the expression that settles on her face as a mix of surprise and confusion. "I forgot! I had my phone all this time and I could have called you!"

 

Then she proceeds to show him said device and laughs, looking down on it like it's a never-before-been gadget. The lab technician from earlier passes by and he understands the weirded-out look thrown to his partner.

 

"Well, next time you call me. Right now, we gotta work."

 

An hour later they've interrogated the man who found the body and the team had packed the rest of the evidence to be sent to the coroner's lab. Elle seemed more enthusiastic for some reason, jumping into the questioning when he usually takes over. Even her usual organized scribbling on her colored notepad was hurried and not at all in her preferred organized and well-aligned format.

 

She hitches a ride with him, and though quiet kept moving around and fumbling with her phone and his glove compartment that he's eventually forced to call her out.

 

"What is wrong with you?"

 

"It's the coffee, I think." She smiles at him. "Can you pull over? I need to go to the bathroom."

 

"Wha-- Now?" They were practically in the middle of nowhere. The only hope of privacy for her, should he really decide to pull over, is the sparse number of trees along the road.

 

"Well yeah, unless you want me to do it in here."

 

His You're unbelievable was only answered by her Hurry, hurry and some squirming into the seat. He finally pulls over and a second later she's out of the car hollering for him not to dare a peek. Seung Hyun rolls his eyes, estimating the distance from here until the next decent car stop and groans when he realizes they may have to make a couple more pull overs if her bladder becomes demanding again. She's beaming when she returns and god forbid even giddy as she tells him they could again go now.

 

 

 

 

Their drive to the station is temporarily waylaid when a call comes from the coroner regarding new evidence. They're in the middle of an update when she brings a hand up and sheepishly excuses herself yet again. Even the exasperated look Seung Hyun shoots her is waved away but only because she's already halfway through the door. Jung Ryeo Won, the head coroner, nods after her.

 

"What's up with the partner today?"

 

"Coffee." He sighs. "Apparently she's trying a new brand and it's not agreeing with her."

 

"Depends on what effec