They had just got into Mina's car when Jihyo's phone rang.

'Hello? Oh, so do we go back now? Okay, we'll be there in about 20. Bye.' Jihyo pouted and hung up. 'Seems like we'll be partying another day. We just received an urgent case that needs to be cracked ASAP.'

'No problem. Then it would be double the celebration.' Mina grinned and started towards the firm.

They came in to see Sana and Jeongyeon talking to a man in a suit.

'Just in time. These are my members; Jihyo who is in charge of IT and Mina who is in charge of the photography.' Sana introduced and gestured at the two girls who bowed.

'It's a pleasure to meet you two. I have received word that there are branded items sold illegally in the black market. The luxury items are not copies but rather rejected stocks that were deemed unfit for sale. Somehow these illegal street dealers have got their hands on them and are selling them for their own profit. Sana-ssi will give you more information but I just need you to crack them down as soon as you can.' The man said and the two nodded.

'Sure thing Sir, we'll get the job done.'

'Thank you. If you don't mind, I will be taking my leave.' He bowed before leaving.

'Illegal dealers huh. Sounds like something only the underworld is capable of.' Mina said philosophically.

‘We’ll have to get to the bottom of this soon.’ Jeongyeon said and looked at Mina.

‘I think I know where to look.’ Mina nodded with a knowing grin.

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‘The classic sketchy alley?’ Jeongyeon asked as Mina rolled down the windows.

‘Yep. I’ll just take a walk down and see what I can find. Stay here. If I don’t come back in twenty, go find help.’ Mina laughed and got out. It was bright daylight and the sun was scorching the ground but still, anything can happen in a back alley.

Mina walked by a few empty crates and chairs that the workers would sit on during their break. It didn’t take long before she felt the presence of someone following her. She walked normally out to a three-way intersection and lost her stalker. Mina was hiding behind a pillar and saw that he was looking around. Sneaking up behind him, she patted his shoulder and he jumped.

‘Who are you looking for?’ Mina asked and crossed her arms.

‘Hey beautiful, I was looking for you!’

‘And why would you be following me?’

‘I have some interesting deals to offer you of course! A pretty lady like you should be using exquisite and classy items right? Let me show you this.’ He said and pulled out a folded piece of paper from his back pocket.

‘Hmm… I don’t use such low grade items.’ Mina gave him an unamused expression but his grin stayed on his face.

‘I have more!’ he pulled out another slip of paper and Mina appeared to be more interested.

‘I’ll take a look.’ Mina nodded and his grin grew even wider than before.

He led her to a small shop and there were two racks lining each side of the narrow space.

‘Feel free to pick and choose!’ He nodded and gestured for Mina to look around. The photographer looked around, taking in every detail of the shop as well as his face. Mina was no stranger to designer items and bags since she did photograph many of such luxury goods so she could definitely tell why some of these are rejected by the factory. The sewing on some of the bags were not perfect and some had faulty zips but still, brands will be brands and who doesn’t like to strut around in designer items?

She took a random bag and handed it to the guy.

‘I’ll take this one.’ Mina said. The transaction was made and she left. As she walked away, she took note of the exterior and where it was located.

‘Here. Present for you.’ Mina got into the car and tossed the bag at Jeongyeon who caught it before it hit her face.

‘You sure are something, finding that crack hole in less than twenty minutes.’

‘The crack hole found me. I got all the evidence here.’ Mina took her phone out of the hanky pocket of her blazer.

‘You recorded the whole thing?’ Jeongyeon’s mouth was agape.

‘Saves time for going back with a camera. I got 4 k resolutions in this phone so I’m making my money’s worth here.’ Mina waved her phone.

‘You’re really awesome. Now all we have to do is to nab them!’ Jeongyeon exclaimed. ‘The client would be happy to know we made such progress in one day.’ She said in glee.

‘Let’s get back.’ Mina started the engine and they returned to the firm.

Sana was surprised to say the least. She viewed the video that Mina had recorded on the sly and was very impressed. Mina had looked at all the rejected goods and got a clear shot of most of them to confirm that these are indeed the ones and she even captured the store and the man who tailed her.

‘You sure are something Mina. You’re making progress so fast for us we’re going to have to adjust to your speed.’ Jihyo chuckled when the video recording stopped.

‘You flatter me too much. I was just trained to get things done quick and efficiently but I’m handing all of this to my quick thinking.

‘I’ll notify Mr. Kwon now and see what he says.’ Sana said and sat down.

‘Let’s keep quiet for now.’ Jeongyeon clapped Mina on the back as they returned to their work stations. ‘Way to go man.’

‘Thanks.’ Mina gave a lopsided grin.

She busied herself with a puzzle game while Sana engaged in a call with the client. Since Mina’s desk was right beside Sana’s, she could see and hear the girl with her phone on her ear as she clicked her mouse, probably going through the information. Mina was leaning into her seat with her legs resting on her desk, a bad habit she always had. Her phone was raised in front of her head but her line of sight was focused on Sana instead.

Sana didn’t look too bad actually. She was pretty, cute, and overall a sweet person even though she has a serious demeanour sometimes. Mina noticed that she would always tilt her head to one side whenever she was listening to the client over the phone and how she would occasionally furrow her eyebrows or pout slightly. Mina concluded that Sana belongs to the class of people who look attractive when they’re serious or working.

‘Okay, I got it. Thank you. Bye.’ Sana said with a smile before hanging up.

‘Did we bust it?’ Mina asked and placed her phone down on the table,

‘Unfortunately, that was only a sales outlet. There’s a main warehouse that has yet to be busted.’ Sana turned to face Mina who noticed how her eyes flickered to Mina’s position. The photographer quickly kicked her legs off the table top and let them drop to the floor.

‘Bad habit. Shall we go hunt for the warehouse?’ Mina asked, standing up.

‘Not yet. Jihyo, can you run a check to see where they’re storing the goods?’ Sana asked Jihyo and Mina sat back down.

‘I’ll try but it won’t be quick. It might take me longer than expected.’ Jihyo said.

‘Don’t worry; we made a huge leap in progress today. We can afford to drag another day or two.’ Sana patted the girl’s shoulder and she nodded, getting to work.

Jihyo wasn’t able to get their info by the end of the day so Sana decided to wrap up and continue tomorrow instead.

‘These are the shipping records and it seems like these containers have been there for quite some time but there’s no absolute confirmation that these hold the gods. They could be empty but let’s just have some faith.’ Jihyo said and handed Sana a printed map with a couple of circles the moment she arrived at the firm the next morning.

‘Thanks. I’ll be going now.’ Sana announced and turned around only to bump into Mina.

‘G’morning boss. Need a lift?’ Mina smiled and Sana patted her shoulder with a smile as they walked back out.

The pair hopped into Mina’s car.

‘I think we need to make a short pit stop.’ Mina scratched the back of her neck when she started the engine.

‘Low fuel?’

‘Yeah.’

‘No problem. Let’s go.’ Sana smiled and buckled up. They drove to a nearby petrol station and grabbed a drink while they filled the tank before going to their destination.

‘Our only option would be to follow them to whoever they’re going to restock their sales outlet.’ Sana explained and instructed Mina to park just outside the main entrance of the shop.

‘So uh… Have you always been a PI?’ Mina asked.

‘Yea. More so after… An incident.’ Sana sighed.

‘Is it a gas explosion?’ Mina asked carefully and Sana snapped her head to face Mina. ‘Jihyo told me. But before you go say anything, I was the one that asked her about it. I could tell there was something off about you when you called me yesterday so I just asked Jihyo when we met up for lunch.’ She explained and Sana’s expression seemed to soften.

‘I guess we all have our own past demons.’ Mina said as she rested her head on the window.

‘Would you tell me about yourself? You know my secret. It’s only fair if I know yours as well.’ Sana said and Mina could see that she was looking at her in her peripherals.

‘If I told you what the magazines said was false, would you believe me?’ Mina asked without turning her vision away from the entrance of the shop.

‘I would. The media told us one side but I’m sure the victim has another story that is lesser known to the public.’ Sana said in an assertive tone and Mina nodded slowly.

‘It’s good to know you’ll believe me, but my story can wait. He’s coming out.’ Mina tapped the window and Sana looked in the direction which Mina was pointing and saw a tall guy in shades looking around by the kerb. As Sana readied her camera, a white van pulled up and another man stepped out. They seemed to have a brief conversation with more gestures exchanged than words before both men got into the van and drove off.

Mina quickly drove in pursuit, keeping a safe distance from the van. Their target pulled up in the loading/unloading area of a mall and Mina stopped across the road.

‘I thought they were going to their warehouse?’ Mina asked as she watched them get out.

‘Who knows? Maybe they’re stopping over for something else.’ Sana shrugged. The two men seemed to disappear for a while and Sana had taken out her phone to send a few texts. Mina was looking out of the window and saw the man that took her to their shop. Her eyes widened when he began to walk towards their direction and Mina turned to Sana, grabbing her shoulder and pulling the girl towards herself.

‘What are yo-’ Sana asked but Mina had placed her thumb on Sana’s lip and leaned in to place her own lips against her thumb in a very convincing kiss. Sana’s eyes were wide open in shock and Mina was avoiding her gaze. The man walked by the car and made a face at them before walking over to the white van. Mina saw that he had passed and quickly pulled away.

‘You can hit me if you want, I know your girlfriend isn’t going to like that but I had no choice the guy was coming and that was the only way to not get our cover blown.’ Mina raised her hand in surrender and leaned back against the door. Sana was composing herself as she tried to calm her racing heart.

‘It’s fine. They’re leaving.’ Sana nodded towards the white van and picked up her phone which had fell between the seats with shaky hands.

They followed the van to a slightly deserted area and saw that it entered some sort of warehouse which had a gate. Mina drove by slowly and rolled the windows down for Sana to snap a few pictures before pulling up in an empty lot nearby.

‘How do we get in?’ Mina asked and slung her camera bag over her shoulder.

‘The front would be impossible. We’ll have to sneak in from the back.’ Sana said and looked at a wall. She jumped up and caught the ledge, pulling her weight up and swinging over the concrete and kneeling down. Mina looked up at Sana with a slightly apprehensive look and took a step back. She jumped up and caught the ledge but her left knee accidentally bumped against the concrete and she bit back a curse, dropping back to the floor and stumbling back into her car.

‘Are you okay?’ Sana asked, looking highly concerned.

‘Just give me a moment.’ Mina winced and rubbed her knee. She looked around and saw a few slabs of broken concrete and rocks. She began to bring them over to Sana, piling them up to make a short step. With the extra boost, she managed to push herself carefully over the wall and Sana grabbed her hand to haul her to her feet.

‘Thanks and sorry.’ Mina dusted her hands.

‘No worries. Let’s go.’

They treaded through the vegetation and found the back gate. They must have been in luck for the gate wasn’t locked and swung open silently with a gentle nudge. Walking with light steps over to a back door, Sana tried twisting the doorknob but their luck must have run out there. The door was locked.

‘Let me try.’ Mina whispered and took out tension wrench and a paperclip. She twisted the paperclip straight and inserted them both into the keyhole. Shifting and poking the paperclip around, there were five soft clicks and the door opened.

Sana raised an eyebrow in approval as they snuck in. The warehouse was dark and crates were stacked up at least a thousand feet high. Creeping through the stocks, there seemed to be no one around. Then, they heard the sound of talking.

‘Office.’ Sana mouthed at Mina who nodded. They slowly walked towards the voices and slipped through a door. Sana cautiously peeked out from behind a stack of cardboard boxes and saw several guys there, two of which were the ones they followed earlier.

Judging the distance and lighting, Mina chose the 50mm f/1.4G lens and positioned her camera. A burst shot of them exchanging money for the goods were taken as well as the men checking and packing the items into boxes. Mina stopped when she felt something tickling her fingers. She had expected to see a strand of hair but instead, found a grasshopper of some sort resting on her fingers. She lowered her camera and Sana looked over to get a shock as well. Mina flicked it off but it flew in Sana’s direction and the girl almost let out a yelp but the photographer quickly placed a hand over the girl’s mouth to prevent her from screaming. Sana took a deep breath and gave the ok sign before Mina pulled her hand away.

She raised her camera and captured a few more shots of them shaking hands. The deal was sealed.

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‘The longest running business in the smuggling industry has finally been shut down after the police were tipped off by a private investigating firm. Authorities immediately jumped into action and nabbed the members involves as well as confiscating the illegal items.’ Jeongyeon read off the newspaper.

‘That’s how it’s done.’ Mina smirked as she rested her hands on her stomach, leaning back into her chair with her legs on the table top.

‘I guess we can finally have our celebratory feast?’ Sana said from her chair and smiled at Mina.

‘Why of course! Gather around people, I’ll give you a list of the best bars I know.’ Mina laughed as Jihyo and Jeongyeon walked over to her table. Sana smiled as she arranged the documents before sliding them into a folder. Another case to add to the cabinet. Maybe it’s time to throw out some of the old ones.

She looked at the photos taken and remembered how Mina had pulled her in for that fake kiss and how her soft hands covered . It was odd to say the least, remembering these weird scenes from their case. Sana took a deep breath before placing the folder into her cabinet.

‘Cheers to our second consecutive case cracked!’ Mina raised her glass and everyone followed suit. They clinked their shot glasses before downing it in one go.

‘So this is what you do for a living now?’ Tzuyu smiled as she polished a tumbler behind the counter.

‘I hope you don’t mean the drinking part. I’m still a photographer but with a little change in nature I guess.’ Mina tapped the rim of her shot glass with her nails.

‘So you’re her what again? Girlfriend?’ Jeongyeon teased as she leaned on the counter.

‘I’m her housemate and best friend. I already have a girlfriend.’ Tzuyu chuckled.

‘Aw Mina, that’s okay, there are plenty of fishes in the sea.’ Jeongyeon laughed and Mina punched her arm.

‘I’m not looking for any fishes right now. I just want to get my life back on track.’ She scoffed.

‘You sure? Or are you looking for sharks?’ Jihyo chimed in and Mina rolled her eyes, earning laughter from everyone.

‘Oh, Nayeon is here.’ Jeongyeon nudged Jihyo who turned around.

‘Who’s that?’ Mina asked Sana.

‘Jihyo’s girlfriend.’

‘Hello everyone.’ Nayeon smiled and dipped her head slightly.

‘Another shot?’ Tzuyu asked.

‘No thanks, I’m in charge of driving their drunken asses’ home.’ Nayeon snickered. She walked over to Jihyo and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek.

‘I think this is the fastest case we ever solved. Two and a half days and it’s all thanks to Mina.’ Jeongyeon clapped her friend on the back.

‘Come on, it’s team effort. If Jihyo didn’t get the locations we wouldn’t know anything either. Your girlfriend was awesome, Nayeon-ssi.’ Mina grinned at the taller girl.

‘Really?’ Nayeon asked and Jihyo rubbed her hands on her jeans nervously.

‘I guess?’

‘You’re amazing.’ Nayeon beamed and gave Jihyo another kiss.

‘What a sweet couple. Are you like that?’ Mina asked Sana who scoffed.

‘Mind your own business.’ Sana stuck out her tongue playfully and Mina chuckled.