“Youngjae.”

Hearing the unexpected voice, he snaps his head up in surprise. Breathlessly, Haru comes to a stop in front of his desk. While ignoring that strange expression on her face for now, he had something he needed to ask first.  

“Haru, aren’t you supposed to be heading to school?” He looks over her shoulder to see the time on the clock hanging on the wall. “You better not be skipping.”

It was almost 8 AM.

“School hasn’t started.” She plants both of her hands on his desk. “I have a question and you better not go all mute on me – the drawing I gave you, whose gang?”

The thought did cross his mind. In fact, from the way Haru was appearing, it wouldn’t be a good idea to tell her – 

“Geomi.” Sungwon walks by and answers in place of the detective. Noticing Youngjae’s stare on him, he goes on to explain. “I might have saw the drawing that one time.” Quickly getting out of Youngjae’s presence, he shuffled towards his own cubicle to avoid the heat his reveal would bring him. 

The answer nearly knocks her backwards. Composing herself, she holds back and sticks her hand in the pocket of her school’s blazer and takes out her phone before shoving it into his face. The curiosity was killing her slowly. 

Confused, Youngjae looks down to decipher the photo on her screen. It was of a small red bulb, merely the size of an erase. 

“What is that?” Haru taps her finger against the screen impatiently. 

It was really hard to tell from the photo initially but a single answer nagged at him. “Why are you asking?”

“Just tell me what it is.” She was so close to ripping it out of the plastic pot and crushing it but her better sense of judgment pushed through before she could do any damage. “Please.”

Please? She must be desperate. “…Most likely a tracking device.” Upon closer inspection, Youngjae confirms it was definitely a photo taken by her. 

Tracking? Absorbing the information, Haru decides she needs to make sure. “How do you know?”

“You see how these cords bend here –“ What was he doing? That isn’t important right now. “Haru, why do you have something like that?” If he answered her question, it is only right she did the same. 

Taking the phone from his hands, she steps back. “Sorry, Youngjae. I should leave now if I want to get to school on time.” Without another glance, she walks away before he could stop her. 

***

Stepping into class, Haru’s eyes immediately seek out one person. And, from across the room, their eyes meet and she’s greeted by a gentle smile. 

It is the same smile that she always earns.

Except now, it almost makes Haru laugh out loud. It wasn’t the kind of laugh that would follow some corny joke. No, this one has some disbelief mixed in it.  

But, for now, she’ll just have to play nice. 

That is, if she didn’t want to speed up the enviable. Because honestly, there was something else she needed to take care of first.

One revolt at a time – that’s what she reminded herself.

***

Staring down at his phone, Yongguk is left sitting there with a dampened mood. His days of patrolling have become ten times more exciting with his little partner with him. But, today, it seems she had too much homework to come in.

“Is Haru showing up?” Youngjae questions from his seat at his desk. Normally, she would have arrived by now. 

Yongguk sat in the chairs beside the desk and shook his head to answer. 

A sigh leaves the detective’s lips. And, he really wanted to see her today also. “…I was supposed to tell her she has three days left of volunteering so, let her know when you can.”

“I didn’t know 70 hours would be so short.”

“It must have felt like a lifetime to her.”

A smile appears on Yongguk’s lips as he silently agrees with Youngjae’s comment.

***

So, if anyone knew, they would say this was a bad idea.

But, no one did so she can’t be stopped.

Drawing closer, Haru peered up from underneath her dark cap to see Beogeu Street etched on the sign at the corner of the sidewalk. Hoping to remain discreet while she’s here – which shouldn’t be hard considering anyone here at this time is just as shady – she kept her attention down on her phone. Her fingers continue to move carelessly over its screen even when she already made it inside the bar – the same bar she saw those fools coming out of last time. They wouldn’t have been out and about in this area if it wasn’t for a good reason. So, taking it as a sign, Haru came back. Obviously. 

The dark atmosphere was enough to cloak her from the other patrons while she tried to