The warehouse was huge, dark, and most awfully, packed with sweaty men who smell like cigarettes. The hide-out was massive but sparsely furnished with suspicious packages occupying the majority of the space. In the middle of the room, right below the flickering fluorescent light, was a sleek, black desk with a glass of alcohol, an open notebook with a pen, an ashtray, and a pile of thick bundles of cash on top. On the leather seat was a big, bulky man with an ugly scar across his frowning face, a smoking tobacco stuck between his big, stubby fingers.

Detective Bae Joohyun wants nothing more but to get out of there as soon as possible.

it up, she told herself as she follows her man, notorious drug lord Jang Youngjae, toward the table all the while keeping the poise of an elegant woman, purposively swaying her hips and making her heels clack rhythmically. She hates this part of the job; the heavy makeup is literally heavy, the hair extensions are itchy, the hairspray makes her head hurt, the dangling earrings seems to weigh a ton, the powerful perfume gives her a migraine, and she hates wearing heels.

She hates that she’s always the one playing the role of seductress in undercover operations especially when she’s terrible at it. She dislikes nothing more than getting all chummy with a man and sometimes cannot control her outward reaction of disgust. Fortunately, the big oafs have been—quoted from Detective Heo—distracted by her beauty.

But work is work and she has to it up if she wants to arrest the bad guy. She tried hard not to scowl when the bastard Jang Youngjae wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her close. His strong, manly perfume mixed with the odour of alcohol and tobacco, making Joohyun want to gag. She smiles instead, hoping it doesn’t look like a grimace.

The men make their transactions and Joohyun focuses her mind on the familiar weight of her SIG P-250 strapped on her right thigh just above the slit of her long, black off-shoulder dress. She blinks rapidly, thinking about how her team would be waiting outside for the arrest, and she would finally be free of this little roleplaying game of theirs.

Everything was going smoothly—the men shook each other’s hand, a sign of a closed deal—until the door suddenly explodes with a loud bang. Everyone ducks for cover and reached for their weapons, squinting at the cloud of thick dust.

A familiar car spectacularly burst through the dust and sped around the warehouse, making the thugs tumble out of the way and making the dirt create a murky fog, effectively blinding everyone for a moment before drifting to a screeching halt right in front of the desk. Joohyun coughed along with everyone else, eyeing the vehicle with suspicion. She wanted to give it the benefit of a doubt but when the dust settled and she can clearly read its plate number, she can’t help but inwardly groan in disbelief.

Like a scene straight from an action movie, the doors opened as though in slow motion before shiny dress shoes stepped out on the ground with an ominous clack.

Joohyun couldn’t believe it.

“Oppa!” she calls to the guy exiting from the driver’s seat, running her fingers through her meticulously styled hair in exasperation, ruining her do in the process, “Why are you here?”

“Sending back up.” Detective Lee Junki answers, coolly closing the door with a slam and peeking from behind the sunglasses resting on his nose for heaven knows what for. It’s dark in the warehouse. Or at least it used to be before they decided to crash through the door, leaving a huge, gaping hole that let the sunlight in. “We told you to blink twice if you need help.” he winks.

Joohyun huffs, irritated. “I told you that’s not our signal, oppa!”

“Well, we’re here now.” Spitting his stale gum, Detective Heo Jungdo said, “Let’s get down to business, shall we? You can thank us later, Ice Queen.”

“Irene,” a gruff voice behind Joohyun calls. She turns and saw Jang Youngjae giving her a dumbfounded look, still stunned by the car. “What is this?”

Joohyun sighs and gives the man an apologetic smile, “I’m sorry but you’re under arrest.”

“Wha—”

Before he can finish his sentence, Joohyun swiftly hit the side of his neck, instantly knocking him out cold.

“You have the right to remain silent and refuse to answer questions. Anything you say may be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to consult an attorney before speaking to the police and to have an attorney present during questioning now or in the future.” she said in one breath as she takes out her handcuffs from her clutch, cuffing the man, “But for now, you also have the right to sleep. Sweet dreams, Jang Youngjerk.”

Around her, hell has broken loose. Police had rushed inside and it’s become quite a party. Grunts and yells filled the air along with the bullets that flew everywhere. There’s a fight wherever she looked.

Not wasting any more time, she took out her pistol, promptly ripped her long dress short, and took off her stilettos, wielding it like a weapon.

Blowing a lock of stray hair off her face, Bae Joohyun went into battle.

Joohyun sat on her swivel chair, looks at the paperwork on her desk and the piling emails she needs to read and never thought she’d miss them until now. She would choose boring office work over pretending to be a seductress, though she can be quite charming if she wanted to. Thing is, she didn’t.

She stretched on her seat and yawned like a fat, lazy cat would and realized that she missed this place more than she realized. She had taken a hot shower, changed into comfy plain white tee and jeans, and tied her hair up in a bun. It feels nice to be back in her nest, in her comfort zone without a bunch of makeup on her face and having her feet on solid ground. Ah, finally.

“Hey, Bae.” Detective Yang Jaehwa from the narcotics department greets, placing a cup of hot coffee on her desk, “Long time no see. I heard the operation went well?”

“Yes, sunbae.” she gave him an appreciative nod and takes a sip from the drink. Joohyun never fancied coffee but through the years, she’s learned to deal with it as it’s one of the few things that can help her awake in her line of work. “The boys played around at the last minute but thankfully, that went well too. They’re interrogating the bastards right now.”

“Aren’t you going to go in?”

Joohyun shakes her head, “I’d like to take a little rest and breathe in smoke-free air.”

“Well, alright. Good job. You did well.” he pats her shoulder as farewell before walking back to their office.

Joohyun closed her eyes and thought of what she’d do once she got home. She haven’t been home for a long while. Maybe she’ll visit her family and catch up on things. But first, she’d go to her apartment, sleep like the dead, and do her laundry. Yes, that does sound like a stress relieving plan.

“Joohyun-ah,” she turned at the familiar voice and saw their Team Leader Kim Hee Ae approaching. She got to her feet. “Why are you still here? Didn’t I tell you to go home already? It’s almost 4AM.”

“Ah, yes. I was about to go.” Joohyun replies, “What about the interrogation, Team Leader?”

“I just went out to use the restroom.” the woman says, going to the comfort room, “The boys got everything in control anyway. You know how Junki gets in the interrogation room.”

Joohyun nods, knowing about the man’s gift in irking people out to telling the truth.

“I saw the little parting gift you gave our man, by the way.” Hee Ae raised her brows at her. “Those stilettos sure created quite a bump on his forehead.”

Joohyun shrugged, “He deserves it.”

Hee Ae chuckled, “You know, maybe you deserve a bigger break. What do you say about taking three months off?”

Joohyun blinks, her workaholic self stunned by the sudden offer. “Why?”

Hee Ae laughs, “Come on. What do you mean ‘why’? You worked harder than the rest of us for this case. Going undercover isn’t easy. You deserve the rest.”

“…I don’t know. I’ll think about it, maam.”

Nodding, Hee Ae entered the comfort room.

Joohyun processed this. A break does sound nice but she hates being idle. She bet the vacation would be fun only at first and in the middle she’d be running out of things to do, out of clothes to wash and iron. All she can think of is spending time with family and paying a visit to her friend from high school, Kang Minhyuk, at Pyeonghae since it’s only three hours away from Daegu, more or less.

She had somehow been mixed up with the young priest by being in the same circle of friends and they had been, still are, quite close. Usually, Joohyun doesn’t like being near men but Minhyuk have been downright righteous, though the guy did have his moments (he’s still human after all) and he was a good friend to have.

The last time she paid their town a visit had been about two years ago as things have become quite hectic lately she can barely even go and see her family. She wonders if his little sister, Kang Seulgi has been well. They’ve met and have grown quite close too. They also introduced her to another family member Son Seungwan and Joohyun admired the way they referred to her as though they were blood-related siblings. She’s never met the girl but has seen photos of her from their childhood. The Kang Siblings put those everywhere in their living room. Son Seungwan was such a cute kid with fluffy cheeks and mischievous smiles.

Joohyun starts packing her things. If the team leader sees her outside, she’d definitely be kicking her out. She put on her coat and set off, playing with her car keys. She was waiting for the elevator to arrive when a man scrambles up from the stairs, calling her name and making her jump in surprise.

“Detective Bae! Detective Bae!” the young man scurries to her, panting and sweating.

“Calm down.” she told him, “What is it?”

“Theres—There’s a package downstairs. We didn’t see him leave it because the place was filled with rowdy boys taken in for starting a fist fight in a restaurant but it’s there. They’re listening to it downstairs now. We should’ve paid attention but we didn’t and now—”

“Slow down and talk properly.” Joohyun interrupts firmly. “So you’re saying there’s a package? What’s in that package?”

The guy meekly hands her a piece of paper. A note.

Listen and be blessed.
 - Seducer
P.S
    Send my regards to pretty Detective Bae Joohyun, will you? I have a feeling we’ll be seeing each other a lot soon.

Wendy was in the middle of grocery shopping in the local mart when her phone rang. Minhyuk is calling. She answered the call and put the device between her shoulder and ear as she walked through the baking aisle, deciding which brand of flour to take.

“Hello, oppa?” she greets, “Why are you calling? It’s Sunday. Don’t you have mass today?”

“We just finished.” something in Minhyuk’s voice sounds odd. “Where are you?”

She decides on a brand and puts the bag in her cart, “I’m at the grocer. Why?”

“Which grocer? Park’s? or Lee’s?” Wendy figured out what’s wrong: he sounds quite frantic and a lot worried.

“Park’s. They sell their goods at a more reasonable price.” Wendy replies, pushing her cart to move on to the next aisle, “What’s wrong, oppa? Why do you sound so anxious?”

“Nothing.” Minhyuk almost immediately said. “Just…can you get over here at the monastery? I have to tell you something.”

Wendy hums, “Sure thing. But can you give me a few minutes? I’ll just finish this and I’ll head over there.”

“Actually, can you go now? It’s pretty urgent. You can continue shopping next time. I’ll accompany you.”

He sounds so desperate Wendy’s curiosity is peaked. She stops walking. “Minhyuk-oppa. There’s something wrong, isn’t there?”

“I…”

“What is it?” she goads.

He sighs, “You’ll find out when you get here.”

“Alright.” she relented, “I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

“Okay. Thank you.” he sounds relieved, “Be careful.”

“Yes, I will. See you.” Wendy hums and ends the call. She makes her way to the cashier to pay for her groceries. After she loaded the bags in the trunk of her car, she got on the driver’s seat and drove to the monastery, stepping on the gas.

The way Minhyuk’s voice trembled bothers her. It was as though he’s truly terrified of something. Throughout the drive, she worried about what it could be that scared the guy so much and hoped that it isn’t too serious.

She soon arrived at the monastery and parked her car at the chapel’s parking area. It seemed like mass really have just ended as church goers still littered the grounds, chatting and going around with their family. She checked her outfit one last time to make sure she looked decent by church standards. Thankfully, she’s wearing her white knitted sweater and black jeans. She grabbed her beige trench coat, put it on, and stepped out of her car, greeting everyone she passed by with a smile. At the chapel’s doorway, she spotted the monsignor and jogs up to him.

“Good morning, Monsignor.” she greeted, “Where’s Minhyuk-oppa? He called me over.”

The old man nodded his head. He, Wendy then noticed, looked quite antsy. Monsignor wringed his hands and answers almost distractedly, “Yes, yes, well, they’ve been waiting for you. Follow me.”

The pronoun use didn’t go past Wendy. She silently cocked her head to the side as she followed the elder past the stage and through the changing room and in to the holding room located behind the chapel, wondering who else was there with Minhyuk. Maybe it’s Seulgi? Or is it another person? Are they connected as to why the guy sounded so nervous?

Monsignor was leading her to the salon when she decides to speak her thoughts aloud.

“You said ‘they’, monsignor. May I ask who else—”

Wendy stopped at the doorway, her thoughts coming to a screeching halt as well. Her jaw fell when her eyes landed on the woman sitting across Minhyuk. She has medium length dark tresses spilling off her black blazer and a side profile that is a work of art. They stand when they notice Wendy enter the room and the woman’s beautiful brown eyes meet hers in an enchanting moment.

Wendy’s breath caught on . She’s captivated.

How can someone be so beautiful?

“Minhyuk-oppa,” her eyes couldn’t seem to leave the woman’s even as she addresses the young priest, “What did you want to talk to me about?”

“Come in and have a seat first.”

She complied, slowly entering with her gaze still locked with the woman’s. She’s aware she’s staring but she didn’t care. The other woman was staring back at her after all with equal amount of interest in her eyes. Beautiful doe-like eyes.

“Hello. Nice to finally meet you, President Son.” the woman said with a glint in her eyes. Her voice was quiet and low, like thick honey. She offered a hand and Wendy shook it. Her grip was firm, she noted. And her hands are soft, she added as an afterthought.

Wendy’s brows furrowed, still not letting go of her hand, “I’m sorry but who..?”

“Oh. This is Detective Bae Joohyun. I believe I’ve told you about her.” Minhyuk helped out.

Wendy’s surprise showed on her face—everything she felt always showed on her face. “What? That Bae Joohyun?” she finally turned to Minhyuk, eyes wide as plates, “The one from high school that you talked about?”

Minhyuk simply nodded, used to the young woman’s exaggerated reactions.

Wendy’s jaw dropped and she eyed the girl from head to toe, in complete disbelief. Bae Joohyun squeezed her hand and her gaze went back to meet the other’s.

“The way you’re reacting makes me worried.” Joohyun wasn’t smiling but she might as well have because it was apparent in her voice, “Did Minhyuk tell you something he shouldn’t have?”

“N-No. It’s just…” Wendy cleared , trying to compose herself. “I didn’t expect you to be so…”

“So?”

“So…”

“Yes?”

“You know, so…” Beautiful, she wanted to say but instead, Wendy let go of Joohyun’s hand and dumbly started making random gestures on the air. Minhyuk had talked about his friends in some of his mails to her back then. She remembered Bae Joohyun being mentioned quite frequently but what really left an impression in her mind was when they were drinking at a street food stall, a random man had apparently approached Joohyun, trying to hit on her. The girl tried to brush him off but he just wouldn’t budge. In the end, the man ended up with a bleeding nose and Joohyun drawling, I’m only hitting him back. Minhyuk had died of laughter then. So was Wendy when she read the letter.

And she had become a detective. How fitting, Wendy thought. However, it was difficult picturing out such a pretty woman bashing heads and shooting guns. She immediately shook it off as soon as she thought it. She shouldn’t be so prejudiced.

“Well, I didn’t expect you’d turn out to be such a woman either.” Joohyun said, most probably dismissing her weird hand motions, “The only pictures I ever saw of you were when you were seven years old.”

Wendy’s face burned up like inferno. She turned to Minhyuk and demanded with her hands planted on her waist, “You let people see my childhood photos?”

Minhyuk raised his hands in surrender, “I didn’t. It’s the photos of us we displayed in our old flat in Seoul. The one Seulgi and I used when we were studying there.”

Wendy narrowed her eyes at the priest and was about to interrogate him to make sure he’s telling the truth when monsignor cleared his throat, suggesting they should sit and begin discussing more important matters before leaving to give them privacy. As soon as he gave the reminder, Minhyuk’s expression dimmed and he started shaking his leg. There weren’t any changes in Joohyun’s expression, however. She merely picked up her cup and took a sip.

“Okay. What’s going on?” Wendy asked when everyone remained silent.

Joohyun and Minhyuk exchanged looks before the latter finally sighed, his breath shaky. “I…”

“Maybe you can let her listen to the tape first.” Joohyun recommended since he’s clearly having a hard time.

The man immediately shook his head, “No. It might be too…surprising.”

Joohyun scoffed, “That’s putting it mildly.” she commented dryly.

Minhyuk turned to Wendy and took a deep breath, “Seungwan, there’s this man who came into the confessional. He…said something very disturbing and while he was talking to me, he recorded the entire conversation with a tape recorder.”

Wendy’s brows lifted in surprise. She knew little of Catholic stuff but she was aware that confessions are confidential. “He recorded his confession? Why would he do that?”

“Probably wanted a souvenir.” Joohyun suggested.

Minhyuk was wringing his hands now, “He must’ve went and made a copy. We know it isn’t original because of the whirling in the background. And he…he dropped it off at the police station. Just like that.”

“O-kay.” Wendy drawled out, unsure of where they were going with this and why Minhyuk looked and sounded so tense. “So what’s in the tape?” she waited for him to answer and when he hesitated, she goaded, placing a comforting hand on his knee, the one he was shaking restlessly. “Oppa. Come on, tell me. It’s okay. It can’t be that bad. I promise I won’t be surprised or anything. What did he say that’s so upsetting?”

Minhyuk held her hand on her knee with both of his cold, clammy ones and stared at them, trying to gather his thoughts. “He…”

“Yes?”

Minhyuk looked up, gazing straight into her eyes. “He’s going to kill you.”

Joohyun didn’t expect Wendy Son Seungwan to react like this.

She expected a horrified expression or maybe a laugh along with a ‘you’re kidding, right?’ anything, really, but Wendy had done none of the above. Instead, she merely blinked thrice, muttered an ‘oh.’ and got to her feet, excusing herself. True to her word, Wendy didn’t show any outward sign of shock.

Minhyuk was about to go after her but Joohyun stopped him. At the rattled state he’s in, he might just make things worse.

“I’ll go talk to her.” Joohyun pushed him back to his seat, “Stay here and try to calm down, okay?”

“Yeah,” Minhyuk nodded, still looking out of it, “Okay.”

Joohyun set off to look for Wendy. Fortunately, finding her wasn’t too difficult. She got out of the salon and immediately saw the woman in the kitchen, rummaging the refrigerator. Joohyun tilted her head to the side as she watched. What is she doing now? Is she hungry?

“President Son?” Joohyun called as she approached. The woman barely gave her a glance. “What are you doing?”

“Baking cookies. I know they have the ingredients since I often stock them up here because I usually come and bake everyone pastries. I thought you guys might be hungry so I decided to bake some cookies. And please, call me Wendy.” she added.

“What? Why? What’s wrong with calling you Seungwan? Everybody else is calling you that.”

“Seungwan is such a…unique name for a girl –”

“Yes, it’s quite masculine.”

“–yes, it’s such a masculine name I have no idea where they got it from. Besides, Wendy is still my name. I consider it as my name as much as I consider Seungwan. I mean, you wouldn’t want to get involved with someone called ‘Seungwan’, would you?”

“Sorry?” Joohyun’s brows shot up. Maybe she heard it wrong. “Wait, are you saying you want me to be involved with—”

Wendy immediately cut her off.  “Sorry. I don’t know what I’m saying.”

Joohyun couldn’t see her face as almost half of her upper torso was in the refrigerator. It actually looked like she was trying to get swallowed in. But still, she could tell the woman was flustered.

She sat on the stool by the island and propped her cheek on her knuckle, “I think I’ll be much comfortable calling you ‘Seungwan’ though.” she said, “I don’t mind getting involved with someone called ‘Seungwan’.”

Wendy loudly bumped her head into something inside the appliance and Joohyun couldn’t help but crack a small, amused smile. She continued watching the woman as she finally finished her business inside the refrigerator. Rolling the sleeves of her sweater to her elbow, she washed her hands. Wendy had discarded her coat and had placed it on the counter leaving only her white knitted sweater on.

“What exactly happened?” Wendy suddenly asked while pouring flour into a bowl.

The woman sounded so casual Joohyun almost didn’t understand what she was talking about. When she did, she didn’t mince her words. “A madman came into the confessional yesterday and told Minhyuk he’s going to kill you.” unlike the priest, there wasn’t an ounce of hesitation in her voice, “He told him to tell the police – someone, anyone about his confession but you know he can’t do that. He must’ve seen it coming because the bastard got the entire conversation on tape. He left it in the police station just when we arrived from an operation. Probably because he wants me to be there. He mentioned me to Minhyuk too. To rile him up, maybe but he told him to call me for help. But of course, he didn’t.”

“He personally left it in the station and yet no one noticed?”

“The place was busy that time. It was filled with a bunch of men involved in a fist fight. He could have easily blended in.”

“Don’t you think it’s just a sick, elaborate joke?”

Joohyun shook her head, “No. No, I don’t think so.”

“Why?”

“I just don’t. My instincts are telling me it’s not.”

Wendy looked at her, “So you’re telling me you don’t have an objective reason.”

Joohyun crossed her arms, “Instincts are a vital part of my job.

“I see.” Wendy blended the mixture with her own hand, expertly wielding the whisk expertly. Joohyun eyed the spills she made on the countertop and waited for her to ask more but nothing came. She decided it’s her time to ask questions then.

“Don’t you think it’s weird that we’ve never met before today?

Wendy seemed taken aback by the switch of topics but nodded nevertheless. “Yes, it is a bit odd.” she agreed. “But it does make sense too, doesn’t it? I’ve been away at Canada after all.” she chuckled drily. “It’s weirder that we first meet under these circumstances.”

“I know a lot about you. Minhyuk had pictures up on the wall when you were little.”

“I was very homely.”

“I think you were cute.” Joohyun begged to differ. “Are you comfortable with me?”

The sudden swerve of the conversation jarred Wendy. “Yes, up to a certain point, I guess. Why?”

“We’re going to be spending a lot of time together and it’s important that you feel you can relax around me.”

“How much time will we be spending together?”

“Every minute of every day and every night until this is over. You’re not going to get rid of me anytime soon, Seungwan.” Without pausing to give her time to process that, Joohyun commented, “Minhyuk was very disappointed he couldn’t attend your graduations.”

Wendy briefly turned to give her a smile. “Yeah. There were teardrops on his letters, though I suspect those were water and not actual tears.”

“How was Canada? You studied high school and finished college there, right? University of Toronto, was it?”

Her memory was impressive. “Yes. Canada’s okay, I guess? I didn’t really think about it since I pretty much grew up there.”

“I heard you graduated at the top of your class. Minhyuk bragged about it for quite some time.”

Wendy turned again to send her a resigned look over her shoulder. “He’s impossible. Do we spend every minute together, detective?”

Joohyun didn’t miss a beat. “When you brush your teeth, I’ll squeeze the toothpaste.” she said. “You advanced a few years ahead, didn’t you? And even got a master’s degree so early. When Minhyuk broke the news, we were sceptical because it sounded too good to be true.”

Wendy didn’t know how to respond and so she said nothing at all. Her school performance was always a topic she wanted to avoid. It was a bit embarrassing in her part, though she didn’t know why.

“You and I are going to be inseparable.” Joohyun said.

“Do you mean the first thing in the morning you’ll be at my doorstep before I’ve even gotten dressed for the day?”

“No, that’s not what I mean. I’ll be getting dressed with you. Which side of the bed do you sleep on?”

“I beg your pardon?”

“Which side of the bed do you sleep on?”

“The right side.”

“Then I’m on the left.”

The look on Wendy’s face was comical. “Are you joking?”

“About the bed? Yeah, I am. But I’m going to do whatever is necessary to keep you safe. I’m going to blatantly invade your privacy and you’re going to let me.”

Wendy thought about it for a while. “What happens when I take a shower?”

“I’ll hand you the soap.”

“You have got to be kidding.”

“Seungwan, I’m going to be close enough to scrub your back. That’s just how it has to be. You need to understand that I’m going to be the first thing you see in the morning and the last thing you look at before you close your eyes at night.”

Well, Wendy personally thinks it isn’t too bad. Seeing Joohyun first thing in the morning and last thing at night definitely wasn’t bad. “But if you’re spending all your time with me, how are you going to catch the criminal?”

“Investigating would be my teammates’ job. And I have to be the one to look after you.” thinking about giving Wendy’s safety to the men in her team made Joohyun shiver. Yes, they were good cops but they’re still what they are: men. “Leave it to us to catch him. It’s what we’re trained to do.”

Wendy put down her whisk and turned to face Joohyun. “I want to help. I don’t want to let him scare me.” she said. “This man…he could have killed Minhyuk-oppa.”

“He would have killed him if he wanted to.” Joohyun said. “He’s using Minhyuk as his messenger now. Don’t worry about him. We’re going to keep him safe too.”

“Night and day.” she demanded.

“Of course.”

“Minhyuk-oppa’s going to hide me. He’ll want to ship me away somewhere. That’s just how he is.” Wendy said, sounding every bit frustrated.

“But?”

“I’m not running away. Running away isn’t an option.” Wendy firmly said. “I’m not going to let anyone have that power over me. I won’t be scared.”

Joohyun eyed her hands tightly gripping the edge of the counter and quietly sighed. “We’ll talk about that later. Do you have a suspect in mind?” she asked, “Is there anyone who hates you?”

“I imagine there would be quite a lot.”

“Why would you think that?”

Wendy shrugged, “I’m part of the business world; a dirty place, I’m telling you. It’s where people would be willing to kill just to steal a position.”

“If I’m not wrong, you’re an heiress to a conglomerate, aren’t you?” Joohyun recalled what she had read from the news a few days ago.

“It’s not yet a fixed matter.” the way Wendy dismissed it told Joohyun that the woman wanted nothing of the corporation.

“No one really comes to mind?” Joohyun chose to switch subjects, “At least specifically?”

Wendy started shaking her head only to stop halfway. Joohyun perked up.

“What is it?”

Wendy put her whisk down, “Now that I think about it, I know one person who might want to kill me.”

“Who?”

“Park Sooyoung.”

Joohyun furrowed her brows in confusion. She recognized the name. She’s read it in numerous newspapers. “Why do you think that?”

Wendy continued whisking as though they weren’t discussing her life and death. “She’s an ambitious kid and she wants the company more than I do. I’d make way for her, really, but she’d be offended then. Her pride would surely take a hit, alright. Does that make her a suspect?”

“Of course.”

“But she’s a woman.” with the way Wendy’s defending Park Sooyoung, Joohyun found that the she cared for the latter much more than she seemed.

“Everyone’s a suspect.” Joohyun replied. “When are you going to listen to the tape? It will help you understand the situation better and maybe you’ll recognize the man’s voice.”

“Later.” Wendy almost immediately replied, “After I finish baking.”

Which reminds Joohyun – “Why are you baking?”

Wendy shrugged, “I thought you guys might be hungry.” she repeated her previous answer.

Joohyun would have thought Wendy got it all together if she didn’t notice her hands trembling when she was pouring the batter into the pan. She shook so much that some of the mixture spilled on to the counter. Wanting to let the woman calm down in her own pace, Joohyun chose to stay silent and leave her be. Until she finished baking, that is.

She silently watched as she put the pan into the oven and started cleaning up, trying to find a match with the pictures in her memory and now that she thought of it, there really wasn’t much change other than the fact that Wendy had matured and had become much, much more prettier than she already was. There was also the bout of elegance around her, no doubt from having to grow up in a sophisticated environment. Nevertheless, Wendy Son Seungwan had turned into one hell of a beautiful lady.

Wendy finished cleaning up, wiped her hands on a towel before sitting on a stool adjacent to Joohyun’s and lacing her fingers on the countertop. “Okay. Let’s listen to it, shall we.”

Nodding, Joohyun took out the device, pushed the play button, and placed it on the counter. The entire conversation started rolling, echoing in the quiet space. Joohyun intently watched Wendy’s reaction but the woman stayed completely still the entire duration of the recording. Hmm, how curious. What happened to the expressive kid Minhyuk and Seulgi always talked about?

Joohyun pocketed the tape after the conversation was over. Silence filled the space between them and she watched Wendy’s face for any signs of reaction but saw none. Her hands, however, were tightly intertwined together on the countertop. She was about to ask her if she’s okay when the woman suddenly spoke up.

“This man. His only target is me, right?” Wendy did a fine job keeping the tremble out of her voice but Joohyun could tell.

“According to the recording, yes, his main target – and obsession – is you.”

“So there’s no reason for him to attack my family, right?”

“If they stay away from you then yes, perhaps.”

Wendy’s relief was short-lived, however, when she realized that two of her loved ones are there with her, closely by her side; Minhyuk-oppa and Seulgi. Concern was written all over her face when she made the suggestion.

“We should move Seulgi and Minhyuk-oppa somewhere far away then. That way, they’ll be safe.”

The detective narrowed her eyes at her. “You’re worried. About everyone else.” everyone else except yourself, Joohyun held her tongue, incredulous at the woman’s display of foolish and misplaced selflessness.

“Of course.”

“Why?”

Wendy gave her a confused frown, “Why not?”

Joohyun was about to retort to the woman’s baffling answer and stopped herself. She shook her head. They should focus on important matters for now. “Okay. Does his voice sound familiar?

She’s disappointed when Wendy slowly shook her head, frowning in frustration. “No.”  

Just then, Minhyuk entered the kitchen. He seemed to have gathered his wits together and have calmed himself down. He definitely looked sure of himself when he stood beside Joohyun and said, “Seungwan-ah, how about you fly back to Canada for a while, hm? Go back there and the police will catch the assh – I mean, the lunatic while you’re away, how’s that?”

Wendy started shaking their head.

“No, oppa. If I run away, he might avert his attention to all of you. I can’t let that happen.” she firmly said. Joohyun admired how the woman got a strong hold of herself. Besides the small but telling signs of anxiety she’s seen, Wendy seemed to be far from breaking down.  

Minhyuk ran his fingers through his hair. He sighed heavily, looking twice as troubled now, “Then what are we going to do?” he asked no one in particular, his voice dripping with concern and stress.

Joohyun pat his back, “You should rest. I bet you haven’t gotten sleep since you received the bastard’s confession.”

“She’s right, oppa.” Wendy chimed in, “You need a break.”

“But–”

“We need you to be clearheaded if you want to help. You’re obviously too tired right now.” Joohyun cut him off sternly. “I’ll be guarding Seungwan so there’s no need to be anxious. Go to bed now, father. Police’s orders.”

The fight drained out of him and his shoulders drooped. Wendy only noticed the dark circles around his eyes then. The poor man had been worrying himself to death.

“Alright. Assuming that I’ll be able to sleep, that is.” he gravely said before bidding them good bye and retiring to the dormitories.

It was once again silent in the kitchen until the oven made a dinging sound, indicating that the cookies were done. Wendy immediately got to her feet and attended to her pastries. The aroma filled the air and intensified when the woman placed a tray on the island right in front of Joohyun.

“Help yourself, detective.” she scurried off to another tray, “I’ll just put these in a bowl to distribute around.”

Joohyun looked at the freshly baked goodies and relented, trying to pick one only to flinch at the hot temperature and tried again. She was able to get a piece by the third try and caught herself in time before she let out a moan of satisfaction. The cookie melted in with the perfect balance of flavours. Wendy sure was good at baking.

Wendy focused on the snack, diverting all of her attention to the cookies just to avoid the bigger problems at hand. This was baking. It’s her home ground. It’s something she can control. Nothing can–

From the corner of her eye, she saw something flutter outside the glass window by the sink and flinched, her heart shooting up to . She almost broke her neck when she turned so fast to the window only to see a bird perched on the windowsill. She let out a relieved sigh. This is crazy. She must be going hysterical.

But looking at the transparent glass, she couldn’t help but wonder…is he still watching? Is he somewhere out there, keeping an eye on her? A cold rush ran down her spine at the thought. Someone had been watching her every move. After listening to the tape, everything suddenly felt so real.

Wendy was this close to breaking down.

Joohyun moved so silently Wendy didn’t hear her coming. Suddenly, the woman was by the sink, reaching out to pull down the blinds.

“Better?” Wendy didn’t realize she’d been staring until Joohyun suddenly spoke.

“Y-Yeah.” she stammered out her reply. “Thanks.”

Joohyun nodded at her before turning around, leaning back against the sink. Wendy tore her eyes away and forced herself to refocus on her task. Suddenly, someone was holding her hair back for her and she realized it was Joohyun.

“How do you do that?”

“Do what?”

“That – moving without making a noise like a freaking ninja.”

Joohyun actually smiled. “It’s a secret technique.” she finished tying the woman’s hair back to a low ponytail so it wouldn’t interrupt her and returned to her spot by the sink.

They stand in silence, the sound of cookies dropping in the bowl and Joohyun chewing filled the empty air. When Wendy was finished, she took off her gloves and stared at the blinds. She could almost imagine a mysterious silhouette appearing, making her hair stand on end.

“I know you must have some theories. I want to hear them. I need information. I don’t want to feel powerless and right now that’s exactly how I feel.”

Joohyun studied her for several seconds before making up her mind. “Alright. I’ll tell you what we know. First, our team has already sent a copy of the tape to Son Hyunjoo. He’s a profiler and he’s the best there is.”

“I see.”

“Now, let’s talk about facts. The most important fact is that this wasn’t random. You were specifically chosen.”

Wendy was baffled by this. “Why?”

“We know he chose you because he’s…dedicated to you.” Joohyun struggled to find the right word. “It means you’ve got a fan. That’s what we call them. Fans.”

“That doesn’t make any sense. I’m no celebrity. I’m just an average person.”

Joohyun regarded her with deadpanned eyes. “Do you even look at the mirror? There isn’t anything average about you. You’re beautiful. He thinks you’re beautiful. He knows everything about you. Everything. He knows what kind of perfume you wear, what your favourite foods are, what your favourite colour is, what music you listen to, what books you read, what you do every minute of every day. He wants us to know he’s been inside your house at least a couple of times, probably more. He lay on your bed, ate your food, washed in your shower, and went through your drawers. It’s his way of getting to know you. He’s probably taken something from your underwear drawer to keep, something you won’t notice missing. Think about it and you’ll remember some old nightgown or pajamas you haven’t been able to find lately. Something you wear close to your skin.”

Wendy visibly shivered, “That’s sick.”

Joohyun shrugged, “That’s obsession.”

“Why?” Wendy asked, appalled. The thought of a stranger going around The Red uninvited and using and searching through her things made her skin crawl. “Wait. Seulgi’s safe, right? She lives with me.”

“I told you, you were chosen. There was probably something about you that Seulgi doesn’t have. And to answer your first question, it’s because it has to have your scent in it.” Joohyun explained. “Whatever it is, he’s sleeping with it.”

“Anything else?” Wendy asked and surprised herself at how normal she sounded, as though they weren’t talking about a murderous stalker with serious obsession problems.

“Yeah. He’s watched you sleep.”

Wendy suddenly felt nauseous. “…He’s been watching me sleep all this time?”

“Yes. The chances are high.”

“You don’t think that was just a joke or something?”

“That’s unlikely. He’s bragging of what he’s achieved.”

Wendy could feel her face slowly heating up. She knew it was both in embarrassment and fury. She treasured her privacy. She turned to Joohyun, face real serious and real red. “I—He—It’s—” she sputtered out, having no words to express her rage, “Detective, I don’t always sleep with clothes on. Are you saying that he…”

“Yes.”

“Jesus Christ.” Wendy spat and Joohyun was relieved nobody was around. The Catholics would not have approved of her choice of words. If someone heard her, the woman would have received a long sermon about using the name of the Lord in vain. “What are we going to do now, detective?”

“First, you’re gonna have to start dropping the formalities and call me ‘unnie’.” Joohyun smiled when Wendy nodded, “And if you still want to be involved with me, I can still switch to calling you ‘Wendy’ instead.”

Wendy blushed, this time in pure humiliation. “I didn’t know what I was talking about. Please forget about that.” however, the twinkle in Joohyun’s eyes let her know she’s not going to hear the end of it.

Wendy hated how Joohyun was so calm and collected when here she was, in complete turmoil deep inside. She did a good job of hiding it though. She knew she did. She better. Her years of practicing how to hide her emotions would be in vain if she didn’t. She’s a businesswoman. She’s level-headed and rational.

But here she was with anxiety and nerves gnawing her insides and eating her whole. A madman was out there, watching her every move and who knows he might be watching her now. She sent a nervous glance to the window again but the blinds were still down and there were no spooky silhouettes around.

Her first worry, however, were her family and friends. Will they be okay or will the lunatic hunt them down as well? Wendy sure hoped not. She wouldn’t know what she’d do if that happens. Maybe they should be the ones that should hide away in another country. Thinking about their safety drove her to near madness.

She looked at the detective seated across her, nibbling on a cookie, and briefly wondered how the hell such a tiny woman could be a law enforcer before she mentally shook the thought off, reminding herself not to be judgmental. If any of Minhyuk’s stories in his letters were true, then Bae Joohyun’s more than qualified.

“What?” Joohyun suddenly spoke, snapping her out of her reveries.

“Huh?”

“You’re staring.” Joohyun pointed out. “Something on my face?”

Wendy seriously pointed around her face, “You got a lot of beauty smudged around there.”

The woman blankly stared at her for a moment before snorting. “You’re greasy.”

“I am.” Wendy acknowledged with a nod. She rested her chin on top of her folded arms and looked up at the woman. “Seriously, unnie. What are we going to do now?” she asked again. She’s lost. Everything was happening too fast and she’s just there, baffled. One second she’s buying groceries and the next, a madman was out for her blood with reasons she could not quite understand. She desperately wanted to do something but she didn’t know what.

“For now, you should rest. Take some time to think. I know it’s difficult but you’ve got to hang in there. We’ll catch the and put him behind the bars so he couldn’t bother anyone else anymore.” Joohyun promised, looking into her eyes. “I’ve informed our captain so my team will be here tomorrow. They’re settling a case in Daegu right now. When they arrive, we can start formulating a plan. Until then, let’s just hold out for a little bit, okay? You’ll be fine. I’ll protect you.”

They stared at each other for seconds too long until Wendy scoffed, shifting to bury her face in her arms. “And she said I’m greasy.”

Wendy, it seemed, didn’t plan on resting and thinking. She busied around baking more pastries and giving them out to everybody in the monastery including the volunteers working on the venue of the incoming spring party. Joohyun had followed her around the entire day, not letting the woman out of sight even just for a second. It proved to be helpful. Before the sun set, she had already imprinted in her head a rough map of the place after having to roam around countless times while following Wendy.

Joohyun understood what the woman was doing. She’s trying not to think about the issue, distracting herself with work. She must really be stressed out. Who wouldn’t be?

The woman was an angel. How could someone be so considerate, selfless, and caring? She also looked the part. Even though the smiles were not directed at her, Joohyun was still left breathless every time Wendy flashed her crooked grins, the left corner of her lips, she noticed, lifting higher than the right. If sunshine had a sound, it would be like Wendy’s laugh. How could someone want to kill such a kind soul? It baffled Joohyun and nailed her resolve of not letting anyone harm the woman no matter what.

There’s something about Wendy that makes Joohyun want to protect her. She stared at the woman sitting beside her on a long couch in the dormitory’s common room and tried to figure it out. After they’ve had dinner and just when Joohyun thought Wendy would start relaxing, the woman went and sat herself on the couch, pulling out her phones and started reading emails in one while making business calls with the other.

Joohyun made several calls herself, filling Team Leader Kim in about the current situation. The woman told her the team would be driving to Pyeonghae as soon as possible. They could pass Wendy’s case to a different, more vacant team but Joohyun wouldn’t hear the end of it.

Minhyuk had told them to stay the night in the monastery. He reasoned that staying in the guesthouse wasn’t safe and reminded them of the cameras. It would be better if they sleep over even just for today. Joohyun relented, all because the madman might be watching or even be lingering around The Red.

“What are you looking at?” Wendy asked as soon as she finished her nth call for the night. Adjusting her reading glasses, she turned to Joohyun. “You look bored. Are you bored?”

No, Joohyun answered in her mind. Watching Wendy was fun. The woman had a wide array of facial expressions and she especially thought that a pissed off Wendy was hot. The way she furrowed her brows and glared laser beams were unexpected. She never thought the seemingly soft woman had it in her but hell if it wasn’t attractive.

“Aren’t you?” Joohyun asked instead. Wendy didn’t need to know what went on in her mind. She might get creeped out. “It’s almost eleven.”

Wendy watched Joohyun slightly rub her cheek against the backrest of the couch and mentally squealed. She’s adorable. “Are you tired?” she asked and the woman blinked up at her. “Of course. You should be. Let’s call it a day. I can finish this tomorrow.” she stood but Joohyun stopped her, pulling her back.

“It’s okay.” Joohyun told her. She scooted closer, curling up against Wendy. “You finish that. Don’t mind me.”

Wendy stared at her as though she had lost her head. “Are all detectives this clingy?”

“I hope not.”

“Are you always this clingy then?”

“No.” Joohyun answered without missing a beat. “Only when I’m comfortable.”

“I make you feel comfortable?” Wendy sounded incredulous.

Joohyun chuckled at her comical expression. “Believe me. I don’t have any idea why either.”

“I’m comfortable around you too.” Wendy resumed tapping on her phone. “Maybe it’s because we’ve technically known each other way back.”

“Maybe.”

Wendy turned to look at the woman but Joohyun already had her eyes closed so she let her be, assuming that she’s already asleep. She continued on with her work, replying to emails and listening to voice messages. One voice message came from Park Sooyoung, threatening that she’d be charging into her little town and flip all the houses upside down in order to find her and make her sign the papers so she could go ahead with her plans of expanding her business. Wendy thought her warning was cute. A year ago, Park Sooyoung bought a dying construction company and saved it from bankruptcy. Now, it’s rising higher and higher in a stable pace, an impressive feat for such a young entrepreneur.

Behind her, the front door opened and before she could even turn to look at the newcomer, Joohyun had jumped up to her feet, shoving Wendy down and swiftly taking out her gun, aiming at the door.

“Whoa!” Seulgi dropped her bag, flying back against the closed door in surprise, “What the—Joohyun-unnie?”

Joohyun lowered her weapon and put the safety back on before tucking it in her holster hidden beneath her black blazer. She ignored Wendy’s glare and mutterings about broken necks and met the newcomer halfway, giving her a hug.

“Unnie! You didn’t tell me you were in town!” Seulgi complained, frowning as they parted.

Joohyun smiled. “Sorry. I got busy.”

“Yeah and the first thing you do when you finally see me after years is hold me on gunpoint?” Seulgi crossed her arms and shook her head disapprovingly. “Not cool, unnie. Not cool at all. I understand you’re a little jumpy but you’re usually not this paranoid. What’s with all the action, by the way?”

Wendy had just reached Joohyun’s side when the latter said, “You don’t know?”

Seulgi blinked. “Don’t know what?”

Wendy turned to her as well. “What’s going on?”

Seulgi’s eyes bounced back from one woman to another. “Wait. You know each other?”

Joohyun ignored her and told Wendy, “I think Minhyuk haven’t informed her yet.”

“Oh.” with the way she’s looking at her, Wendy knew Joohyun wanted her to break the news to her best friend. Taking a deep breath, she looked into Seulgi’s clueless eyes. “Someone wants to kill me.”

Seulgi gave the standard reaction. Her eyes went as wide as they can be, a loud gasp escaping her wide agape mouth that she soon covered with her hands. And then she started rambling and fussing and seeing to it Wendy had no scratch on her body. The poor girl looked like she was about to cry.

“Oh dear God…” Seulgi did the sign of the cross after making sure Wendy’s not hurt anywhere. “Is this why Minhyuk-oppa wants us to stay here for the night? I’m sleeping here because he told me to and he’s not telling me why. I brought you clothes as well since he said you didn’t bring any.”

Joohyun frowned and nudged Seulgi to get her attention. “You’re telling me you came all the way from the guesthouse?”

“Yes, unnie. Why? It’s only fifteen minutes away.”

Before Joohyun could start scolding her, Wendy beat her to it, landing a reprimanding slap on Seulgi’s arm. “It’s already late! What were you thinking? Oh, wait. I forgot. You never think, do you?”

“I didn’t know there’s a killer on loose. I only heard about this, okay? Pyeonghae’s a safe town. I’m used to walking around late at night. And will you please stop shaking me? My arm sockets are gonna pop out.”

Wendy let go of her and went back to sit on the couch. Joohyun took the overnight bags from Seulgi and put it on the center table. “I’m afraid Pyeonghae’s not safe anymore, Seulgi-ah. At least until we catch the bastard. And we will. Don’t worry.” she added firmly.

On the couch, Wendy let out a heavy sigh, tilting her head back to stare at the ceiling. “This is all my fault.”

“Don’t say that.” Joohyun instantly snapped at her. “It’s not your fault he has a loose screw in his head.”

“But…”

“Unnie’s right, Seungwan-ah.” Seulgi sat beside her, smiling softly. “None of this is your fault. Now, tell me. What’s the full story?”

As Wendy launched retelling everything that had happened that day, Joohyun went around checking the front door, windows, and back door, making sure everything was locked. Satisfied, she returned to the couch and settled on Wendy’s other side, turning on the TV to watch the late night news.

Seulgi wasn’t taking Wendy’s story well. She was beyond herself with worry. The expression on her face was of pure concern and fear and she was clutching Wendy’s hand tight. Wendy, on the other hand, sounded calm and collected as she recounted the day’s events. Joohyun’s impressed she’s able to keep her emotions in check.

“The Lord is with you, Seungwan-ah. You’ll be safe.” Seulgi solemnly said after Wendy finished talking, making yet another sign of the cross. “I’ll pray for you.”

Wendy chuckled drily. “Right. Thanks.”

Joohyun glanced at her watch, the news she was watching already long finished.  “Seungwan-ah,” she nudged the girl with her elbow, “You should go upstairs and rest. You too, Seulgi. It’s late.”

That’s right. They have a long day tomorrow. Wendy stood and stretched. She was more exhausted than she thought. felt sore from all the talking and her body felt weary. Today’s happenings were finally taking a toll on her.

“I’ll be going first then.” Seulgi shouldered one of the overnight bags, “You guys know where your rooms are?”

“Yes, Minhyuk has taken care of it.” Joohyun answered, picking up Wendy’s coat from the armrest of the couch.

Seulgi started climbing the stairs and gave Joohyun one last look over her shoulder. “I’m still expecting to catch up with you, Joohyun-unnie.” she narrowed her eyes.

Joohyun smiled. “Yes, yes, we’ll do that soon.” she watched Seulgi leave until they could no longer see her before turning to Wendy. “Let’s go.”

They climb up the stairs with Joohyun taking the lead and Wendy following close behind her, lugging her bag. She refused to let the detective carry it for her. Joohyun’s defences never went down even as they walked through dim hallways, her body language making it clear that her main priority was protecting Wendy. She’s thankful for that, of course. Being with Joohyun made her feel safe, though she still didn’t look like a detective. A cosmetics model, maybe, but a detective? She looked far from it.

They entered a bedroom at the end of the hallway. It was quaint but neat and smelled like Lysol. The floor was polished hardwood with a huge colourful circular rug in the middle. The walls were painted a pristine white, a crucifix hanging on the left wall. A single bed with clean white sheets and a fluffy pillow took up the left side. A lamp and a picture of the mother were on the bedside table.  On the right side of the room was a wooden desk.

While Joohyun went and checked the windows and bathroom, Wendy plopped herself down on the bed, closing her eyes. The soft mattress felt good. Maybe she’d be able to sleep easily tonight after all. The door closed and she sat up, expecting that Joohyun had gone out to her own room only to be surprised at the woman sitting on the desk, watching her.

“Well? Are you not going to wash up yet?” Joohyun asked when Wendy continued to stare at her. “If you’re not, I’ll go first.”

“N-No, I…” Wendy tried to find words. “What are you doing here? I mean, don’t you have a separate room?”

Joohyun shook her head. “I’m staying here and I’m not letting you out of my sight. Whether you like it or not.” she announced with a tone of finality.

Wendy knew she wouldn’t be able to argue but she still did anyway. “...but there’s only one bed…” she weakly protested, her voice coming out meeker by the end of her sentence.

“I can see that.” Joohyun drawled, eyes sparkling. What’s so funny?

“Then where…”

“I’ll give you time to think.” Joohyun stood and entered the bathroom, purposely leaving the door open by a crack so she could hear if anything occurred.

Wendy sat on the bed, quite dazed. No way. Were they going to share such tiny space? Not that Wendy’s got a problem about that. They were both women and she definitely doesn’t mind sharing a bed with a pretty one. But did the bed have to be so small? They’d have to be cuddled together to fit in. Oh lord.

She stood and paced, trying to keep her eyes away from the little crack leading to the bathroom. Maybe she should go and ask for a futon. Yes, she could do that. But it’s already past midnight. She’d hate to disturb the kind nuns. How about the common room? She could sleep on the couch.

Suddenly, the bathroom door opened and Joohyun walked out looking fresh in a green tracksuit, wiping her hair dry with a purple towel. She noticed her staring and lifted her brows. Damn, why did the detective have to be so attractive? Very few people can pull off green tracksuits but Joohyun didn’t seem to have any trouble looking good in it.

“I’m done. Your turn.” Joohyun sat on the chair by the desk and continued drying her hair.

Am I the one feeling uncomfortable? Wendy briefly wondered before opening her overnight bag. Now, what did Seulgi pack for her? There was a bag of toiletries, a dozen of fresh underwear, a towel, and a couple of clothes. When she found the only sleepwear the girl brought, however, she couldn’t help but groan.

Of all things, Seulgi brought her nightgown? And of all her nightgowns, she chose the skimpiest, silky, lacy one?

“Is everything okay?” Joohyun asked, noticing her distress.

“Yeah, yeah, everything’s fine.” she absently replied, desperately digging in her bag until she found the familiar fluffy material. She immediately pulled it out. Thank goodness Seulgi packed her bathrobe.

She took her time washing up, soaking in the hot shower that helped relax her frayed nerves and tense muscles. It’s been a long, long day. In less than twenty-four hours, she found out someone was out for her blood, met Minhyuk’s high school friend who happened to be a drop-dead gorgeous detective, and was now about to share her bed with said woman. Needless to say, it was more than she could take.

It would have been less stressful if her problems were something she could actually solve. Give her a company issue and she could come up with a solution, no problem. But having a murderer hot on her heels was different. The choices were either run and survive or die.

When she came out of the bathroom, Joohyun was still on the chair, reading a religious magazine she found on the desk’s drawer. The detective didn’t bother starting a conversation. She merely gave her a glance and returned to her reading so Wendy decided not to mind her either and settled on the bed.

Since Wendy came out of the bathroom, Joohyun failed to understand a word she was reading. The woman made the air smell like vanilla; probably her shower gel or her lotion or maybe shampoo? When she dared look at her, she immediately felt guilty for having less-than-holy thoughts while reading a parable. Wendy wore a silky nightgown and a white fluffy bathrobe concealing her arms and figure but the woman didn’t bother tying it and therefore had her legs exposed in all its flawless milky white glory.

“Which side of the bed do you prefer?”

Joohyun visibly jumped and looked at the woman with a jolt. Great. Her robe was starting to slip off her creamy shoulder. “What?”

“I said, which side of the bed do you prefer?” Wendy asked again. Joohyun seemed out of it and she had no idea why. Did something in the magazine appal her? “The right side or the left side?”

Joohyun blinked, “The one nearest to the wall.” she dumbly replied.

Wendy scooted to the right, near the lamp, “Alright then.” she fluffed up her pillow and laid down, pulling the covers up to her chest. “Aren’t you joining me yet?”

“Joining you where?”

Wendy patted the space beside her, “Here. On the bed.”

“Oh.” Joohyun lifted the magazine to cover her flushed face and berated herself for being so distracted. “You can have the bed all to yourself. I’m staying here on this chair. To watch out for things.”

“Are you sure you don’t want the bed?”

“Yes, I’m sure.”

“Do you mind if I turn off the light?”

Joohyun put the magazine she wasn’t really reading back inside the drawer. “Go ahead.” she shifted and tried to get comfortable. When she found the right position, she crossed her arms and ankles before closing her eyes.

Wendy was watching her. “How are you going to watch out for things when you’re asleep?” she wondered.

“Don’t worry,” Joohyun’s voice came out as a low and lazy drawl and Wendy’s sure she’s this close to falling asleep. “I’m a light-sleeper.”

Wendy decided to let her be and turned off the lamp before lying on her back, staring up at the ceiling. Moonlight filtered in through the gap between the curtains. The bed felt more comfy than usual after such a taxing day but Wendy couldn’t find sleep. Her thoughts wandered from negative to hysterical. Was she going to die? What if the killer was out there, waiting for his chance to strike?

She couldn’t help but wonder how many more lives did the madman take before her? Were they also doing their own thing and was suddenly targeted like her? If she dies, will there be another victim to this crazy obsession of his? If he’s not put into prison, how many more will die in his hands? Wendy didn’t like the thought of putting others’ lives into jeopardy. This lunacy has to be stopped.

She tossed and turned, letting out sighs of worry every now and again. The mattress was comfortable but she couldn’t seem to relax herself. She rolled this way and that, making the bed creak and groan in protest. Eventually, she settled on her side, her eyes landing on the detective. Joohyun was such a beautiful woman. The soft moonlight illuminated her figure, making her look surreal.

“Can’t sleep?”

Wendy flinched in surprise, instantly rolling on her back so she won’t get caught staring. When she peeked, however, Joohyun still had her eyes closed.

“I thought you were asleep?” she quietly asked, returning to her side to stare at the woman again.

Joohyun scoffed. “How can I sleep with all your shuffling and sighing? I told you I’m a light-sleeper.” she slowly opened her eyes and their gazes met, a clash of brown under the starlight. It felt weird. Intimate.

“How can you sleep in that uncomfortable seat?” Wendy scooted and pats the empty space. “Come.”

Joohyun didn’t move a muscle. “No, thank you. I’m on duty. I shouldn’t really be sleeping.”

Wendy scoffed. “Nonsense. How could you do your job well if you lack sleep? It’s making me feel bad, you know?”

She watched as Joohyun closed her eyes again, “Don’t worry.” she said. “I’m used to it.”

Wendy decided to let her be. Rolling on her back, she closed her eyes and clasped her hands over her chest and started counting sheep.

One, two, three…

Wendy didn’t fall asleep counting sheep. Slumber found her in the middle of formulating a plan. It must’ve been pretty late because when she woke up the next morning, the sun was already up and shining, the wall clock reading 10:34.

She got up at once upon reading the digits, tidying her bed with her eyes half closed. Only when she spotted the empty chair did she realize that she’s alone in the room, the detective nowhere in sight. Memories of yesterday’s events woke her up like cold water splashed on one’s face.

A wave of panic came over her and she immediately looked at the window, relieved that the curtains were down. But still, she felt uneasy. The bastard didn’t plant any hidden cameras in there, did he?

Just then, the door opened and Wendy jumped in both surprise and fear, a squeal escaping her lips.

“What’s wrong? Are you okay?”

Wendy fell to the bed in relief. It’s only Joohyun. She’s slowly becoming more and more paranoid.

“Y-Yeah…just…”

“Team Leader Kim called but I didn’t want to interrupt your sleep so I went out for a bit to answer it.” Joohyun explained, fully aware of Wendy’s panic. “They’ll be arriving in a while.” she entered the room, locking the door behind her and sitting on her chair. “Wash up. I’ll wait for you here.”

Wendy stared at her. The detective had already changed into a black blazer over black t-shirt tucked into black pants. She looked good, amazing even, but not exactly police material. Wendy still had a hard time wrapping her mind around it. Yet even so, Joohyun’s presence made her feel safe.

She finally stood and picked out decent clothes from her overnight bag, taking a few minutes before deciding on a white pinstriped blouse and black pants. She wanted to leave a good impression to the team so she wanted to look presentable at the very least. She was about to enter the bathroom when Joohyun stopped her.

“I’ll iron those for you.” the woman took her clothes and put them on the ironing board Wendy never noticed was there. Did she ask for it early in the morning? “I’ll leave it hanging by the door so you can get it when you’re done.”

Wendy watched for a bit as Joohyun worked and felt a motherly vibe surrounding the woman. She smiled and shook her head at the thought before heading inside the bathroom.

Team Leader Kim and the rest of her team were waiting in the chapel’s holding room. Monsignor had closed off the place to give them privacy. When Joohyun and Wendy arrived, they stood and made introductions. They immediately set to work, scribbling notes while asking Wendy questions she dutifully answered.

“I’m afraid you will have to lay low for a while, President Son.” Team Leader Kim told her, closing her notepad. “It’s an inconvenience but it’s the best we can do for this situation.”

Wendy nodded. “I’m on vacation so I don’t think it’s much of a hassle.” she fiddled with her fingers, no doubt emitting nervous energy. “Um, actually, Detective, can I tell you something? Preferably alone.” she looked at the others, hoping they would get the hint.

They didn’t. They stubbornly sat still.

“Well?” Team Leader Kim raised a brow, “Don’t you have anything to do?”

“Right.” Detective Lee Junki got to his feet. “I still have to talk to Father Kang. Detective Heo, why don’t you go with me?” he dragged the other detective out of the room. That left Joohyun, who currently received both Team Leader Kim and Wendy’s stare.

“I’m not going anywhere.”

“Can’t you spare us a few minutes?” Wendy asked.

Joohyun’s jaw was set. “Nope.” she said. “Didn’t we talk about this already? We’re going to have to stick together, you and I.”

Wendy huffed exasperatedly. “Alright. But promise me one thing. Whatever we talk about, please do not interrupt.”

Joohyun shrugged and gestured for them to start with their discussion.

Wendy tried to ignore the woman’s presence and focus on the team leader instead. She took a deep breath and tried to recollect her thoughts yet she couldn’t seem to sit still and was tapping her foot against the tiled floor so vigorously her knee was making the table wobble. When she realized what she was doing, she forced herself to stop. It was impossible to relax so she sat straight as a pole, stiff as a corpse.

Although she had requested the meeting, she was overcome with dread because she knew what she wanted to recommend and admittedly, a part of her was worried sick she would agree.

“How are you holding up?” Team Leader Kim asked after a moment of silence. She didn’t seem to be in a rush and was rather patient with her difficulty of finding the right words to say.

“I’m doing okay.” she answered, though she knew the tapping of her foot was a telling sign of her actual mental state.

Silence followed her answer. Team Leader Kim patiently waited for her to gather her thoughts and Wendy felt like a fool for not knowing what to say. As always, her supposedly brilliant mind always left her during crisis. What she thought was a perfect plan last night was now in shambles. Fear made her think like a simpleton.

“I think I should start by being completely honest.” Wendy finally spoke. “I told you I was holding up just fine but actually…I’m not. I’m distraught and I have trouble keeping focused. I’m a mess. A complete mess.”

“That’s understandable.”

“All I can think about is…him.” Wendy lowered her head. “I feel so...guilty.”

She tried to ignore Joohyun’s quiet stare beside her.

“Guilty?” Team Leader Kim echoed. “May I ask why?”

“I’m scared.” she admitted. “To be honest, I feel like running away and hide until he’s gone. And that’s not right. I don’t like it one bit.”

“That’s normal.” Joohyun interrupted then. “I’d feel the same way if I were you. There’s no need to feel guilty.”

“Detective Bae is right.” Team Leader Kim said. “Fear is a safety defence mechanism, President Son. It’s natural for you to feel that way.”

“No.” Wendy shook her head. “It’s selfish and cowardly for me to react this way.” she took a deep breath before meeting the woman’s eyes. “I have a plan.” before any of the women could react, she continued, “I still want to run away but I’m not going to do that. Maam, are we sure that he won’t have another victim before he goes after me?”

The woman shook her head. “It’s highly likely that he’ll be attacking another woman soon. Something to quench the thirst, even just for a while.”

Wendy felt the colour drain from her face. “Then people are in danger.”

She must’ve sounded on edge because a warm palm had cupped the small of her back, drawing comforting circles. “We’ll get him, Seungwan.”

“But I can help you.” Wendy returned, meeting Joohyun’s gaze. “And I have to help. For a lot of reasons. There are clueless women out there who could die just to satiate him. There are the people I care around me that might get the brunt of his rage if I go hiding.”

When Team Leader Kim started to frown and shake her head, Wendy knew she had guessed what she wanted to do and so hurried on to explain.

“All my life, other people have controlled what I do. They did all the decisions for me and even if that made sense when I was young, it didn’t feel right when I got older, though I understand their intentions. But now I’m slowly starting to hold the reigns of my life. I put up a charity foundation everyone was up against and am now back in the place where I feel I really belong. Now this monster is trying to take that away from me. I’m not going to let myself be controlled. Not by that lunatic. I’m not running away. I’m going to fight back.” she affirmed her statement with a nod. “Yes, I am.”

Team Leader Kim processed this for a while. “So what do you want to do?”

“Use me.” Wendy blurted. “Set a trap and use me to get him.”

“Are you out of your mind?” Joohyun exploded, sitting up straight. “That’s out of the question.” she insisted.

“No, it isn’t out of the question.” Wendy argued and turned to the other woman seated across. “Help me convince Minhyuk-oppa to let me return to The Red. That’s the first step. He threatened him and expects him to hide me away and keep me safe, right? If I go back despite that, won’t he be challenged?”

“Yes, he will.” she agreed. “This is a game to him which is why he mentioned Joohyun. He knows Joohyun’s with the police and he wants to prove that he’s way smarter than any of us.”

“If I go back, he’ll think he’s got me in his trap.” Wendy said. “And you can get into his mind, figure out which buttons to push and make him come after me and if I make him angry enough, he’ll leave those other women alone. You could set a trap. Pyeonghae’s a small place. It won’t be hard to close the town if you needed to.”

“There’s no way in hell you’re going to be a bait, Seungwan.” Joohyun argued, glowering now.

“Didn’t I ask you not to interrupt our conversation?” Wendy fired back.

“I never agreed.”

“Then why don’t’ you step out and give us some space if you don’t want to agree to my terms?”

“President Son.” Team Leader Kim interrupted. The two young women had started to scowl at each other real fierce. “You do realize—”

“Yes, I know and I assure you I won’t take any chances. I’ll cooperate and do whatever you want me to do. I promise. Just let me help you catch him before he kills again.”

“Using you as bait.”

“Yes.”

“You’re out of your mind.”

“Joohyun,” Team Leader Kim interrupted again. “Calm down.”

The detective runs her fingers through her hair in agitation. “Maam, how can I possibly calm down when we’re talking about putting my close friend’s little sister into a dangerous situation—”

“Maybe you should stop thinking of me as Minhyuk-oppa’s little sister and start thinking like a detective.” Wendy told her.

Joohyun glared at her and began to pace around the room, visibly fuming.

“I’m not going to spend the rest of my life hiding. If I do, this case would be dragged out. You can’t always come running here every time there’s a threat. Your time’s valuable and he’s not the only criminal you need to catch.” Wendy told the team leader. “So I thought that maybe we could speed up this man’s agenda. To end this once and for all. That way it would prevent more killings and would save you the time.”

Team Leader Kim narrowed her eyes suspiciously at her. “What are you proposing?”

“Let’s make him go crazy.”

Joohyun abruptly halted her pacing and gave her an incredulous look. “He’s already crazy and so are you if you think Minhyuk and I are going to let you put yourself in the middle of his playground.”

Wendy turned back to the team leader. “What would push him over the edge? Something that would make him so angry he’ll get careless?”

Team Leader Kim flipped through her papers. “Our profiler noted that this man has quite an ego and it’s important to him that the world believe he’s intelligent. If he heard any criticism at all, it would infuriate him.” she started, warming up to the idea. “If you were to tell everyone in town about this fool of a man, then I believe he would move faster. He’d want to get you quickly just to shut you up. Mock him and he’ll be provoked.”

“What else could I do?”

“Make him jealous.” she said. “If he thought you were romantically and intimately involved with anyone else, then he would view that as a betrayal.”

“Team leader!” Joohyun demanded. “You can’t seriously be considering this insanity—”

“I can make him jealous.” Wendy interrupted. “I can flirt with everyone in town.”

Team Leader Kim shook her head. “No, I believe it would be effective if there’s just one person, and to make our suspect think you’re in love.” she drummed her fingers on the table, mind racing with possibilities. “Let’s play into his hand until we see where it leads.”

“What do you mean?”

“I wonder how he would feel if he thought his confession brought you and Joohyun together. His carefully thought-out game would backfire. And the fact that you chose a woman over him would definitely be a huge hit to his ego. He’d certainly feel like a fool. This is an interesting idea.” she nodded and added, “You and Joohyun should behave like a couple in love. That would no doubt push him over the edge.”

“There’s no way he’s going to buy it.” Joohyun said, looking displeased. “He brings us together and we fall in love overnight? This ain’t a sappy chick flick, captain.”

“We don’t care if he believes it or not.” Team Leader Kim explained. “The goal is to taunt him. If you act like lovers, he’ll believe you’re mocking him and he won’t like it one bit.”

Still, Joohyun shook her head. “No. It’s too risky.”

Wendy frowned at her. “You’re not being reasonable.”

“I’m not being reasonable? You don’t have a clue what these creeps can do.”

“But you know what they can do and you could make it safe for me.”

“Interesting.” Team Leader Kim muttered as she watched the exchange.

Joohyun turned to her, misunderstanding her comment. “You can’t possibly think her idea has merit.”

“No, I think your reaction is interesting.” the woman told her. Through the years of working together with Joohyun, she was sure on one thing about the woman: she was almost always rational and did anything to catch the criminal, even risking her own life by going undercover. But now she was being very contradicting. It was apparent that she cared about Wendy and she thought that was a first. Joohyun rarely showed affection to anyone and had a hard time opening up. For her to be this protective and comfortable with someone she just met was indeed interesting.

“President Son is right about one thing.” she continued, trying to force the woman to be logical. “You need to start thinking like a detective. This is a golden opportunity.”

Joohyun started to shake her head when the telephone rang from the kitchen. Wendy got up to answer it.

“Let it ring three times before you pick it up.” Joohyun told her before she got out.

She got to the device, waited for the third ring, and put the receiver to her ear. “Our Lady of Fatima.” she said, “How can I help you?”

She heard a series of giggles before a little boy’s voice spoke, “A man was hit in the head with a can of Sprite.”

Wendy could feel the edges of her lips twitching up. She knew the joke and played along. “Yeah? How is he?”

“He’s okay.” another set of giggles. “It was a soft drink.” childish laughter erupted before the line was cut. Wendy put down the receiver, smiling and shaking her head.

“Who was that?” Joohyun walked up to her.

“A cute prank call from the neighbourhood kids.”

The telephone rang again and Wendy gave Joohyun an exasperated look. “I’ll tell him off properly this time.” she waited for the third ring before picking up the call. “Our Lady of Fatima. How can I help you?”

“Wendy.” her name was said in a low whisper. “Hide and seek, it’s just a game with me,” he started singing. Wendy recognized the song. She had purchased the LP of it and had been playing it occasionally. “Hide and seek, swear I’m gonna find you, sneaking up behind you, hide and seek.”

She met Joohyun’s gaze and hoped she could read the agitation in hers. “Who’s this?”

“A seducer.” he snickered. “I’m going to seduce you, Wendy, and you’re going to be mine. Dead or alive. Are you scared?”

“No.” Wendy swiftly answered. Beside her, Joohyun was rapidly typing away on her phone. Team Manager Kim now stood by the doorway of the salon, watching her. She gripped the phone tight, her fingers feeling cold against her skin.

“Do you want to hear another song?” he asked. “You like music, don’t you?”

Joohyun gestured to keep the conversation going and Wendy realized that someone must have been tracking or recording the call which was why she had to answer the phone only after it rings three times.

“Is the next song just as stupid as the last one?” she surprised herself at how calm and collected she sounded, though her hands were definitely shaking now.

His laughter sounded horrible. And downright creepy. It sent chills all over her body she actually grimaced. “Oh, no. This one is pure, high quality music, I assure you. It’s pure and…original. I personally prefer this masterpiece than Mozart’s. Here, listen carefully…”

A woman’s bloodcurdling scream exploded in her ear so loud she had to pull the receiver away. It was the most horrible sound she had ever heard in her life. If Joohyun wasn’t holding her up, her knees would’ve given up. Tortured screams continued to assault her ear, shaking her up to the core.

The sound was gone and Wendy sagged into Joohyun’s arms, strength no longer in her knees. What she heard was downright traumatic. Bile rose up to she could taste it.

“This one was a poor substitute for you, Wendy. Are you ready to play yet?”

Wendy took a shaky breath. It took everything in her not to let her voice tremble. “I’m not playing any game with you.”

“Yes, you are.” he argued. “We’re playing hide and seek. Just like the song you like to listen to when you’re cleaning the guesthouse. You hide, and I’ll find you. Isn’t it pretty simple? Oh, it should be simple. You’re a brilliant girl, after all.”

Taking a deep breath of determination, Wendy gathered herself and stood properly on her own feet. “I’m not going anywhere.” she firmly declared. “Come and get me if you can.”