The hustle and bustle of city life was unfamiliar to Dongwan, as he stood in the middle with all the high-rise buildings surrounding him. Looking at those cold and uninviting faces of office workers that walked past him with hurried steps, Dongwan felt out of place.

Not that it was the first time. He always felt out of place, it was always the case whenever he was in the city. He never liked it. There were too many things to face, too many memories he wanted to forget but couldn’t; the city was always the place he wanted to avoid. Yet now he was back.

With heavy steps he headed towards that particular place which was ever so familiar to him, but as he stepped into the building, all he could feel was his heart once again ripping into two. Taking in a deep breath, he walked in with such confidence that anyone would have assumed he belonged to the place.

“Dongwan hyung? What brings you here?” A pair of eyes widened with astonishment upon seeing the man. Clad in just a simple black shirt and khaki pants, the man who had spoken seemed to have just graduated from college a while ago. However, contrary to popular belief, this young looking man had been in the industry for at least a good 10 years.

“Andy?” Dongwan gave a warm smile and reached out to give the man a hug, “How have you been doing? It’s been a long time since I came here again.”

“Well, just the usual. There hasn’t been much changes to this place.” Andy smiled sweetly and shrugged his shoulders in response to Dongwan’s question.

“I see.” Dongwan gave a small nod and looked around the place in scrutiny. Indeed, as Andy had mentioned, the place hasn’t changed much; the wooden doors bought at an extremely low price due to the lack of funds were still intact, the exact same window panes that collected dust so easily, even the arrangement of the desks which always left Dongwan frustrated due to the lack of walking space was still there.

“How…is he?” Dongwan turned backed to Andy and cleared his throat in hesitation, before deciding to ask the question.

“Oh, well, the usual as well. You know, the same old grumpy fella, ever so strict and never smiling. God knows how many interns he scared away with his attitude, but at least we get the best people working here in the end.” Andy replied, and Dongwan gave a small chuckle in reply.

“Sounds exactly like him. Is he already in the office?”

“Yup.” Andy smiled, his eyes forming in a thin line while popping the ‘p’ sound, “Always in the office by 7am, no matter rain or shine.” Reaching out to grab Dongwan by the elbow, Andy seemed more than enthusiastic to push Dongwan towards the other office at the end of the small place.

“Hyung!”Andy knocked on the office door excitedly, and raised his voice a little while conveying his message, “You will never believe who is here!”

“Yah! Are you trying to break my door down or something? How many times have I told you not to knock on the door so hard! This door is antique!” An irritated voice boomed throughout the small office and entered both of their ears. The both of them flinched and rubbed their ears subconsciously, before Andy meekly pushed the door opened and stuck his head inside.

“Hyung! I will buy you a new door if it really break down! Now this is not the time, someone is here!” Andy’s eyes shone with glee before opening the door wide and pushing Dongwan inside the office. Dongwan didn’t know whether to laugh or cry at Andy’s funny antics, yet he felt a little warmth enveloping his heart.

Andy hasn’t changed much. Dongwan remembered the first day he met Andy as vividly as day one. Apart from being a little much more matured in terms of looks, his character and personality hasn’t changed much. He was still like a child, a non-blood related brother in which he will always treasure.

“What brings you here?” The voice which drips with coldness softened upon seeing Dongwan. Breaking out of his trance, Dongwan took a good look at the man in front of him. With a chiseled jawline and a sharp nose, the man was clearly the ‘princely type’ with his features, yet he looked haggard in a way one couldn’t seem to put a finger on.

“I need your help with a case.” Dongwan didn’t beat around the bush and went straight to the point. Sitting down, he looked at the small office cluttered with so many files, and frowned a bit, “Do you even clean up this place at all?”

“What’s there to clean up? There’s no use at all.” The man shrugged and plopped down on his seat. Clasping his hands together and leaning forward, he stared into Dongwan’s eyes before saying, “So, what is it that is so important, that you can return to the city and come here, just to ask me for help.”

“15 years ago, a man called Lee Minwoo died to unknown causes. I need to find out who the murderer is. I need your help.” Dongwan sighed before summarising the entire case. Hearing what Dongwan had said, the man raised his eyebrows.

“Lee Minwoo? Hyung, are you talking about the global star Lee Minwoo? It was made into a big issue when the news reported him dead. I remember walking on the streets to find many girls crying…” Andy asked in confusion, “But why are you looking into the case?”

“I have my own reasons.” Dongwan shook his head, refusing to reveal anything. He couldn’t possibly say that he just wanted to get rid of that particular ghost in his home, could he? Looking at the man, he asked simply, “So, Hyesung, are you going to help me or not?”

Hyesung stayed silent for a moment, before smiling sadly, “Do I have a choice?”

“You could always say no. We are a democratic society, everyone can voice their own opinions.” Dongwan offered.

“Forget it. I will look it up for you to see what is already on the table. Then, we can proceed from there.” Hyesung said and gestured to the door, “You might want to have breakfast downstairs first while waiting. It must have been a long ride. For you to travel so far back here, I really wonder how important this is to you.”

“It’s fine. I can wait here.” Dongwan closed his eyes momentarily, taking into notice that Andy had left the office quietly.

“Up to you.” Hyesung returned to his usual cold tone and shrugged, going back to his own work. Silence ensued as the the both of them continued to be immersed in their own world, throwing everything aside to just hear the rapid typing on the keyboard.

It was going to be a long day ahead.