“I apologize, I’m not exactly a great chef.”

“It’s okay, it looks great, let's hope it tastes great too.”

Wendy cracked a smile. She had prepared a simple meal, fried rice with an egg on top. A childhood classic for her, and for Yerim as well. She set down the plates, an extra big one for the youngest, Sooyoung got an average sized one. Wendy gave herself the smallest. She wasn’t much of an eater, especially not recently.

“Why not introduce yourself a little to Auntie Joy, Yerim-ah.” A very noticeable tsk was heard from Wendy’s left.

“Please, I’m only 21.”

Yerim was rather upbeat, Sooyoung was not expecting such energy from Wendy's little sister, who she assumed would be much like her sister, stoic and moody.

“Hmm… let’s see I’m 14 this year… my name is Yerim but you can call me Katy… and I am the cutest thing on the planet.” This statement was followed with an act of cuteness that invoked many squeals.

“Yes, yes you are.” Wendy affectionately pinched her younger sister’s cheek, getting a smile of pleasure in return. She now turned her attention to her ‘apprentice’, so to speak.

“Spend some time with Yerim here okay? I need to go take a shower.”

“Please do, you smell awful!”

Sooyoung laughed Yerim’s snarky comment that was very quickly turned into whimpers when her food was threatened to be taken away. Wendy retreated to her room, and left Sooyoung and Yerim to their own.

“This is good…” Sooyoung had just taken her first bite of Wendy’s rice. She was admittedly a little surprised, Wendy didn’t seem to be the cooking type at all.

“It’s good because sis cooked it with the best ingredient ever, love. So if you think it tastes good, she must love you too.”

Sooyoung felt her chest constrict a little. She looked towards a rather jubilant Yerim, who was going through her servings very quickly. She loved the radioactive… Joy that Yerim was able to bring to people.

“Joy…” Sooyoung smiled. She didn’t think she would ever tell Wendy, but she really liked that name.

“Hey, Yerim, do you mind if I ask… does your sister have any relationships outside of work and you?”

Yerim paused her eating, putting her spoon down and started to think. “Not that I know of. Are you interested?”

Yerim gave a playful nudge towards Sooyoung, who chuckled and shook her head. “No, not at all. I was just curious is all.”

The younger hummed, grabbing her spoon and starting to eat her food again. Sooyoung followed suit, the two enjoying a quiet meal for a good minute before a soft sound of metal hitting against ceramic punctured it.

“Auntie Joy…” Sooyoung flinched a little but let it go.

“Yes?”

“Please protect sis for me.”

Sooyoung froze. Yerim was staring at her, with puppy eyes. They were pleading, a look very different from the ones that she had seen from her thus far.

Sooyoung didn’t even have to think twice.

“You have my word.”

Yerim gave an appreciative smile, finishing the last of her rice and setting her plate aside. She moved to the seat next to Sooyoung, leaning herself on Sooyoung’s side, which the older more than willingly allowed.

“I need my sis to be safe…Her job is dangerous, even someone like me understands that. I’m always scared that one day… she’s just not going to come back home.”

Yerim bit her lip, looking down at her fingers that were twiddling together. Sooyoung put an arm around her junior and let out a sigh, “Your sister has helped me tremendously too. I will keep my promise to you.”

“Pinky promise?”

Sooyoung wrapped her finger around Yerim’s.

“Pinky promise.”

*

“Why not stay overnight? Then we can head on over to Irene’s place straight away tomorrow morning.”

Sooyoung shook her head. “Perhaps next time, but I appreciate the offer. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

The partners waved their goodbyes, and Yerim gave a hug to her new friend. The door closed, and soon a barrier was between them.

Sooyoung checked the time. “9 pm…” Still rather early. She decided she would head to a bar for a quick drink, she was feeling up for a bit of alcohol.

Google Maps showed a couple of nearby bars. Fantastic.

*

“This place .” Sooyoung cursed under her breath. The bar she had chosen had to be the one bustling with people today. Noisy, drunk people. She abhorred such places. She slithered her way past rowdy men and women, trying to get to the bartender. Eventually, she did, and she found herself sitting next to a familiar person.

“Didn’t expect to see you here, Lieutenant Kang. You look like crap by the way.”

Seulgi broke out in slurred laughter, downing another shot of whatever she was drinking.

“Ahh, the rookie…” Vodka. Sooyoung could smell it. “How’s the job so far?”

“Could be worse honestly, luckily Wendy is pretty nice.”

“Hmm… nice indeed.” Another shot.

“Well, she was nicer when she was like you, a rookie. Always looking to help, stuck her neck in every case she could fit her head into. Then she went to Vice.” Another shot, Seulgi was getting redder and redder.

Sooyoung’s interest peaked. She recalled how Wendy had reacted to Vice when Seulgi had mentioned it earlier, very noticeably flinching and…

“No way in hell am I going back there.”

Sooyoung ordered herself a drink too, that was the whole point of herself being there anyway. “A martini please.” She flashed a quick, obligatory smile at the bartender before turning all her attention to Seulgi once again, who was becoming ditzier by the second.

“I may not be in a position to ask… but what exactly transpired there?”

Seulgi hummed, a smile much like a cat’s forming on her face. She finally made eye contact with Sooyoung, though her own eyes were half closed.

“She saw some . that troubled her a little.” Seulgi laughed, grabbing another shot and downing it once more. This one was the one that did it, Seulgi collapsed to the ground, falling off her chair and becoming a mess on the floor.

No one reacted. Everyone kept dancing and chatting amongst themselves, not a care in the world for Seulgi. Sooyoung looked at the bartender, who was mildly amused by the looks of it.

“How many shots did she have?”

“Nearing the fifteen mark I’d say.”

“And you didn’t stop her?”

“Why would I? That’s just more tips for me.”

Sooyoung was taken aback. Selfish people, another thing she hated. Giving a glare to the barkeeper, she lifted Seulgi up, carrying her almost unconscious superior out the club, bumping over a few glasses and causing some crashes in the tedious process. Sooyoung couldn’t care less, the place anyway.

“Do you have a car, Lieutenant Kang?”

“Urgh… carpark… fifth floor… K0102S…”

“Your own initials and birthday? How egoistical.”

Seulgi gave no reply, she was out cold. Sooyoung groaned. The carpark was across the street, and she had to lug Seulgi all the way up to the fifth floor by herself. This wasn’t going to be easy.

“Oh, that’s quite a situation you found yourself in.”

No mistaking that voice. The one that had spilled out her past for Wendy to hear. The short girl, Taeyeon, no longer in her heels, smiling right at her, clearly amused by Sooyoung’s current plight.

“Let me help.”

“No.”

Taeyeon didn’t listen. She put Seulgi’s other arm around her own shoulder and gestured for Sooyoung to move. Though her pride didn’t want to allow it, she really didn’t want to be stuck carrying Seulgi out here by herself. So, she listened, and the two of them brought Seulgi up to the carpark.

*

Oh god… no no no… not again…

*

“She was way heavier then I thought…”

Sooyoung dumped Seulgi into the passenger seat of her own car. Taeyeon had helped fish out her keys from her bag on the way up, and now the two were leaning against the door of the car, catching their breaths after a tough climb.

“You know, I went trekking once, and I think I was less tired then I am now.” Taeyeon said, giving Seulgi a glance from head to toe. “She doesn’t look like she weighs much though…”

Sooyoung nodded, remaining silent.

Taeyeon knew why, she could read the air. She didn’t want any bad blood between herself and someone she barely knew. She turned to look at Sooyoung, timidly tugging on Sooyoung’s jacket sleeve.

“I’m sorry for what I said when we first met.”

Sooyoung turned her attention to Taeyeon, who gave off similar vibes to Yerim from earlier. Just a small girl, making a humble request from her. Yerim had asked for promises, while Taeyeon was asking for-

“Forgiveness? Is that what you want?”

Taeyeon nodded.

Sooyoung sighed. She wanted to remain angry at Taeyeon, but the way she was acting… it was strange. People she had just met today were vastly different from her first impressions… don’t judge a book by its cover they say, and Sooyoung was starting to see how that idiom came about, first hand.

“At least explain why-“

“For Irene. She wanted you there, and you were being a little rebellious. I thought you would cause trouble if I left you unchecked, so that was like… let’s say a taser. It would put you down for a bit.”

“You are excellent at interrupting people, you know that?”

Taeyeon laughed, a hearty and boisterous one, one very similar to Wendy’s. Sooyoung was in disbelief.

“I have heard that before, believe it or not?”

“From who?”

“From Irene of cour-“

There was an alarm out of nowhere, a loud blaring, ringing sound. Taeyeon yanked out her phone. She gasped.

“Oh , I have to go.”

Without even looking back at Sooyoung, Taeyeon dashed off, her small figure disappearing in a sea of metal and concrete. Sooyoung was surprised at first, though she didn’t think much of it after a bit. She was in a rush and had to get somewhere, relatable. She headed to the car, sitting in the drivers’ seat and starting up the car. Seulgi was still unconscious. Sooyoung took out Seulgi’s driver’s license and checked her address.

“She doesn’t live too far away from the station…”

When she shifted the gear to drive, Sooyoung felt something in her heart twitch.

“I got a bad feeling about tonight…”

*

“Sis, you have a call.”

Wendy put away the case file, which she was meticulously studying after Irene’s ‘advise’ of focusing on what she already knows. She thanked Yerim, sending her sister to bed before putting the phone to her ear.

“Hello?”

“Ma’am… there’s been another one…”

“… Text me the details. I’m on my way.”

Author Notes:

Hey all you lovely peeps :D this chapter was a little more focused on Sooyoung and the people around her as you all can probably tell. She’s warmed up to Yerim now too 😊 another body though :/ I’ve got my next chapter I my head already, and I’ll get to writing it tomorrow! I’ll see you all then :D