7:49:15 AM

May 4, Tuesday

Words aren’t enough to describe how badly Minnie wants to strangle the giant right now.

Not only had Yuqi invaded her personal space and privacy both in public and in the comforts of her own home, she had also spun up a convenient lie (for her own benefit, really) to serve as a cover-up for their arrangement. And now, Minnie has to parade around this murderous psychopath as her ing girlfriend of all things.

This has to be some insane nightmare.

“You’re welcome, officer.” Yuqi, the audacious bastard, doesn’t even glance her way as she goes to grab a new shirt from her bag after throwing her stained one into the laundry basket.

Minnie does a slow clap of her hands as she spoke with biting sarcasm. “Yeah. Thank you, thanks a whole lot—for constantly infuriating the out of me and confusing me, you goddamn !” She shouted furiously.

“Ah, don’t be so upset now. I had to lie about your dog and our relationship so that we can proceed with the next step in our plan.” Yuqi’s flippant attitude makes the urge to just deck her in the face all the more tempting. “Your ‘dog’ is actually Officer Lee. I bundled him up nicely inside a trash bag and then buried him in the yard. Chaeryeong and the rest were none the wiser.”

Her shoulders bounce with quiet laughter as Yuqi smiled to herself. Like she was hiding a dark secret.

Even while aggravated, a shudder goes down Minnie’s spine at the cheery callousness of Yuqi’s words. “But why didn’t you just bury him in the cemetery?” She reasoned.

Yuqi rubs her chin thoughtfully. “Well, I was planning on putting his body in like a shredder and throwing his liquified remains into the Han River. But since you wanted me to get rid of him in a more humane way, I had to scrap that idea.”

She picks out a red sweater from the bunch and slips it on. “Plus, he’s already buried in the yard, so why even bother?”

“Because he’s still a human being…” Minnie quietly answered, although Yuqi didn’t seem to hear it. And even if she did, the giant made no comment. “Alright, so there’s a dead man buried outside. But what’s the point of the relationship thing?”

Yuqi simply replies by whipping out her phone and waving it in the air.

“I need a place in here.” She unlocks the device, taps on the screen a few times, then hands it over for Minnie to scroll through. “Since I’m not a registered citizen, I opted to just disguise myself as your girlfriend so I can be added into their human market.”

“Human market…?” Hesitantly, Minnie takes the phone and looks down at the screen—only to feel like her heart has stopped.

She’s staring at a fairly old photo of herself, one that was taken a couple years ago during her first week as a rookie cop, wearing the traditional police uniform and with her hair still black. Minnie was smiling at the camera too, young and naïve to the corruption that’s ingrained within the guts and sinews of the police department.

But this isn’t the only thing she has noticed.

“This is everyone in our district, including…” Her eyes widen as she thumbs down the list, finding a section full of monochrome pictures that have been crossed-out in red. Below them are the words “OUT OF STOCK” printed in thick, black letters. “… all of the missing people.”

“Not everyone,” Yuqi takes the phone back from Minnie. “The police fellas aren’t here because the po-po are the ones running this application.”

“I’m listed there, though. Wait.” Minnie runs a hand through her bangs, tense and anxious. “B-But I’m a cop too!”

“Yes, but you’re still considered one of the rookies.” Yuqi enters the kitchen with an antsy Minnie tagging behind her, and the giant starts cleaning up the burnt mess she had left behind from her dissociative episode. “So, basically, you’re also a stock in their human market unless they decide to invite you into their business.”

A notification ping goes off, and Yuqi puts down the dirty skillet to check her phone.

“Would you look at that? I’m processed in already.” Yuqi shows the screen to Minnie again with a notification window saying: “A new stock has been added to the market!”

The Thai is shocked. “That fast?! How?”

“It only takes around two to three hours on average to process a stock. Chaeryeong and I were talking loudly about our relationship a while ago when we came here, and it seems like someone heard us.” Yuqi elaborates. “It couldn’t have been Chae since she was unsure and skeptical about me, so she can’t verify me as part of your ‘mutual’.”

“Mutual?” Minnie repeats, thoroughly confused.

“Someone who is linked or affiliated with another stock in their market.” The giant supplied helpfully. “In some cases, mutual stocks can be sold together at a significant auction cost. In others, a mutual can pose as a hindrance or threat to the collectors who would be sent to acquire the stock. Especially if they’re often seen around that person, like a close friend or a partner, or even a private .”

With a couple more taps, Yuqi brings up Minnie’s profile and the mutual she has been linked to. This one doesn’t have a picture, but the cop can still read the name and other details listed below in the information card.

Kim Minnie Yontararak

STOCK NO. 0372

Age: 24

Weight: 99 lbs

Height: 5’5

Blood Type: O

Nationality: Thai

Mutual: Yuqi [N/A] / IN STOCK

Yuqi [N/A]

STOCK NO. 0449

Age: 21

Weight: 157 lbs

Height: 6’2 ¾

Blood Type: O

Nationality: Chinese

Mutual: Kim Minnie Yontararak / IN STOCK

“When someone wants to buy you, an auction invitation will be sent to them. A starting price is then settled first and would change depending on certain factors, such as the number of buyers under your name and whether or not you have an existing mutual. Of course, the highest bidder gets the stock.”

A conceited smile appears on Yuqi’s face as she goes to pat Minnie on the cheek, which is received with a look of dissatisfaction and unease.

“You should be thanking me, sweetheart.” She grasps Minnie’s face between her fingers when the latter tries to inch away, urging her close in spite of the cop’s growing discomfort. “The ‘mutual’ shows the difficulty of collecting the stock. If the mutual is too hard for the collector to deal with, the bidder will have to pay higher and higher to send more collectors. The more collectors they send—”

Minnie wants to squirm under those piercing grey eyes that have darkened like storm clouds, wild and unpredictable.

“—the more fun I have hunting them down.” Then Yuqi releases her.

Suddenly, Minnie feels the air around them grow colder as she slowly digests everything.

“So, all the missing people in that application are really dead…” She couldn’t believe it. After so much time and effort dedicated to searching for these victims, it was all just for naught. A lost cause. Minnie feels like she had been punched in the gut and slapped in the face altogether. “And this whole time, I-I’ve been working with the ones responsible for their disappearances.”

Yuqi confirms it by nodding. Now she’s finally getting it. “Why yes, my dear officer. That’s what I’ve been telling you.”

Minnie snaps her head up. “This can’t be! It’s—It’s impossible! There are also people in the department who’ve lost their friends and relatives the same way!” She shouts in defiance. “G-Give me two months to figure out who’s really behind this! We can’t be so brash yet!”

Yuqi cradles a cheek in her palm. “Two months? But sweetheart, we don’t have much time.” She patiently said. “We can’t let these rats get away and continue preying on the mice.”

Minnie’s eyebrows meet into a frown as Yuqi picks up the skillet again.

“So, I suggest you stop defending your little ‘pals’.”

“I’m just trying to prevent you from hurting innocent people with your methods.” She stubbornly reasoned, to which Yuqi responds by leaning in so their faces would be inches apart. The animosity in her presence alone was enough to put Minnie’s nerves on the edge.

“Then tell me… Who else went missing within the department aside from you and Officer Lee, hm?”

The Thai falls silent, her expressions changing as she counts the heads of all her missing co-workers and feeling like she had ingested a rock. The discovery left a very bad taste in as she grows increasingly agitated.

“Just admit that I’m right.” Yuqi pats her head when she notices her inner conflict.

“But it can’t be the whole department!” Minnie argued, her frazzledness masked as aggression. “That wouldn’t make much sense!”

Now Yuqi is starting to feel frustrated as well, but she covers it up with a passive smile that twitched around the edges. Oh, what an irritatingly foolish mouse she is! Minnie’s still so vehemently in denial, and Yuqi has to work her way around that in order for her original plan to fall right into place.

“Fine, I’ll give you two weeks to sort out the good mice from the filthy rats.” Twisting on her heel, Yuqi points the pan right at Minnie’s face. “But you better hurry, sweetheart. They can start bidding anytime. We need to act fast.”

She turns back to the sink and resumes scrubbing the gunk off the pan while Minnie stays rooted on her spot. Fighting an internal debate between her reason and doubt.

“You know what?...” Yuqi starts in an even tone. “You will soon find out who your ‘friends’ really are. I won’t say anything about them anymore. You’ll have to see it for yourself.”

The cop balled her fists as her jaw tightens, just as a new notification pinged on Yuqi’s phone. Ding! Ding!

“Isn’t that a coincidence?” With an air of aloofness, she sets aside the clean skillet on a rack before washing her hands and drying them off with a towel. “A bidding has already begun.”

She goes to leave the kitchen, but is cut short by Minnie rushing forward to grab her wrist.

“Yuqi, you can’t solve anything with murder!” She reproached, knowing Yuqi’s intentions. The giant tries to pull her hand free, but Minnie refuses to budge even when it spurs Yuqi to grasp her by the forearm. Gentle, yet unyieldingly firm.

“Let me go, Minnie.” Yuqi sounds awfully calm. Too calm, in fact, like the silence before a storm.

Indifferent as she seems, Minnie can tell she’s being serious when Yuqi doesn’t call her by any nicknames. She can feel Yuqi’s hand clenching hard around her arm, warning Minnie not to test her patience lest she ends up getting hurt.

“No! You let go!” Minnie roughly broke her grip with a jerk of the arm, glaring at Yuqi square in the eye when she leers down with an antagonistic glint in her stormy irises.

“Why are you being so difficult, officer?” This time, the calmness sounds a lot more forced. Like a taut string that’s been pulled to its limit, ready to snap any second. But Minnie still dared to oppose her.

“Why are you being such a colossal prick?” She snaps back while sizing Yuqi up with a livid gaze. “If you so much as try to lay your hands on anyone, I’ll beat your into a pulp!”

Unexpectedly, Yuqi cackles at the daft threat. Finding it more humorous instead of frightening.

“What’s so funny?” Minnie demands, schooling her face into a scowl when she feels her confidence drop at Yuqi’s offhand reaction. It was the opposite of what she had assumed would happen. Then again, this is Yuqi she’s dealing with here. Her mercurial temperaments and deviant behavior are something Minnie still hasn’t figured out yet—along with many others.

“Ah, you’re driving me nuts.” Yuqi gives her a condescending smirk. “I honestly find you cute rather than threatening.”

Minnie squints at her. “Cute?” She deadpans. Oh, now she just feels insulted. “Okay. First, I take offense to that. Second!” A finger is pointed right below Yuqi’s nose. “I find you very annoying than scary!”

“Is that so?” A haughty smile weaseled itself onto Yuqi’s features. “Then let me give you a reason why—”

She encroaches on Minnie’s space, shadowing her entirely.

“—you should be afraid of me.”

This time, Minnie doesn’t hold herself back from launching her fist right against Yuqi’s jaw. Knocking her back a few steps before Yuqi managed to balance herself, a hand to her face as she touched the spot Minnie had hit. The force was hard enough for the inside of her cheek to split open—possibly from her teeth cutting into it as well—and she can taste the copper on her tongue.

However, Yuqi recovers within seconds and maintains her composure as she faces Minnie with a neutral expression. She looks blankly inscrutable, though an enigmatic smile has settled on her lips. A precursor for what was about to happen next.

“I’m waiting.” Minnie challenged, squaring her shoulders as she raised her fists into fighting stance.

A wicked laugh falls from Yuqi’s bleeding mouth that sends goosebumps on Minnie’s skin, and the giant drags her tongue along her chapped lips before grinning at the cop with blood-stained teeth.

“You asked for it, little mouse.”

Three floors down, Lee Chaeryeong was peacefully tending to the flowerbeds across the lawn when she heard a raucous noise coming from Minnie’s apartment. And Chaeryeong peels away from the seedlings she was watering to stare up at the balcony in confusion.

“What the what?” A bewildered expression crossed her face, just as a voice calls out from the side.

“Yo, Chae!” One of her other tenants and close friends, Hwang Yeji, walks up in her pajama robes and slip-ons. She must’ve gotten out of bed recently to assist Lia in opening their shop for today.

“Sup, unnie.” Chaeryeong waved as she came over.

“Who the Hell is making all that ruckus?” Yeji complained while scratching the inside of her ear with a pinkie. “Lia’s freaking out, and it’s scaring away our patrons.”

Chaeryeong nodded her head upwards. “It’s Minnie-unnie and her girlfriend.” She looks back at the balcony with Yeji following her gaze.

“Aish… What is with these new couples nowadays?” The older Korean clicks her tongue, shoving her hands into the pockets of her robe as they wonder what was going on up there. “They’re gonna wake up the whole neighborhood at this rate, and you know how crabby Mr. Choi gets when he’s woken up too early.”

“Yeah, but I don’t understand. They were so sweet this morning.” Chaeryeong appears clueless as her expression changes into one of concern.

Yeji just shrugged. “Who knows? They’re probably—” She taps her chin a few times before a coquettish smile forms on her lips. “—making out.”

The younger pulled a face. “Gross, unnie.”

A sudden crash from the balcony startles them. Followed by glass shards flying in the air as a barstool was hurled out, and it promptly shattered into pieces upon hitting the ground.

Chaeryeong stood frozen in shock while Yeji blinks repeatedly.

“Huh. Rough.” The latter smirked to herself.

“Hurry! Go check on them!” Chaeryeong panicked, worried about Minnie’s well-being unlike Yeji who just stares on with a knowing gleam in her eyes.

“Don’t worry so much, Chae. Lia threw out my Nespresso machine when we had in the kitchen once.” Yeji coolly assured, to which Chaeryeong responds with a grimace.

“I did not wanna know that.” She cringed. “Just make sure Minnie-unnie is okay, please!”

“Yeah, yeah.” Yeji allows herself to get shooed away by the landlord’s frantic hands as she stretched her arms above her head, chill and laidback as ever. “I’m sure she’s fine, though. Trust me.”

Minnie lost count of all the hits she had endured from Yuqi as they grappled each other into the living room. Her apartment is trashed with scattered cushions, upturned furniture and broken, misplaced belongings. Most of which, she had thrown at the taller girl in a desperate effort to halt her advances.

And yet, Yuqi did not waver in the slightest. She was relentless and alert. Nothing could hinder her nor keep her at bay long enough for Minnie to recuperate before Yuqi’s next attack.

“Still haven’t had enough, sweetheart?” Yuqi taunts arrogantly. “You seem quite battered up already.”

Minnie pants with exhaustion as she takes a moment to catch her breath, pain flaring through different parts of her body as she glares up at the cocky giant. Anger coursed through her veins at the sight of Yuqi’s -eating grin. Mocking her, belittling her capabilities just like that night in the warehouse.

“Go to Hell.” She growled, clenching her fist as she lashes forward to swing it at Yuqi’s face.

Yuqi was faster, though, and reflexively dodged it by swerving to the side. Minnie loses her footing and staggers forward enough for Yuqi to then drive her elbow hard against the back of Minnie’s neck—which quite literally knocked the wind right out of her lungs—before seizing the cop’s throat with one hand and slamming her back against the wall in rapid succession.

Thud!

A strangled noise gets trapped in Minnie’s larynx from the impact, and she hacks up what little air is left through her windpipe as her hands go up to claw at the near-death grip that’s clasped around her neck like a vice.

“Perhaps I should be more physical this way so you would be a good girl, my dear Minnie.”

Yuqi’s tone is viscerally hostile now. The heels of her palms pressed further onto the small bump of Minnie’s throat as she bares her teeth into a wolfish smile, those stone-grey eyes staring deep into Minnie’s russet ones like a hunter going in for the kill.

“However, I can’t.” She eases up the pressure on Minnie’s neck. Eyes growing tamer as her voice softens along with it. “I need you and your trust, but it seems that I still lack evidence.”

And with that, Yuqi releases her completely. Minnie stumbles on her feet, leaning against the wall for support while coughing into her hand and rubbing the spot on her neck. Yuqi takes out her phone again, taps on something, then shows the screen to Minnie when she looks up.

“This is their victim catalogue.”

In a split second, all the color drains from Minnie’s face as her expression morphs into one of insurmountable horror.

The tab that’s been opened to her reveals an entire archive of graphic images full of body mutilation and dissection. Cadavers are grotesquely cut open on operation tables like science experiments to reveal the coils of muscle underneath, some of which have been gutted clean with their organs on display or hacked apart at the torso with their guts spilling out in a puddle of blood, and the bones sticking out prominently beneath the mangled pieces of flesh and meat.

Her stomach churns violently in repulsion.

“These are the records of their disposables.”

Yuqi then swipes to another tab, which featured a different section of numerous corpses wrapped up in black body bags with number tags attached to their necks. But the brutality doesn’t just end there.

“Here are the materials, the product, the procedure…”

She swipes further and further down the Hell hole Minnie is spiraling into. Bodies upon bodies are racked up by the dozens. Either slaughtered like animals or used as test subjects with tubes hooked to them by needles inserted into their vein-protruding skin, which are littered with multiple puncture wounds that are badly inflamed from infection, and restrained by leather straps or even nails impaled into their hands.

“… and these are the collectors.”

Sliding to the last tab, Minnie finds herself staring at a masked man wearing her uniform and standing to the left of what appears to be a young male—possibly no older than her—with bound wrists and a burlap sack tied over his head. The man’s arm is draped around his shoulders, while a woman in a black mini-dress stood by the right with her face covered by the same white mask the officer was wearing. The only exception being the black lips that was scrawled onto it.

NEW COLLECTOR – NO. 0081

Status: Available for Hire

“This is your uniform, right?” It sounded more of an affirmation than a question, as if Yuqi had merely stated a fact and wanted Minnie to confirm it herself.

That was the breaking point for her. Minnie couldn’t stay ignorant anymore. The truth is right in front of her with cold, hard evidence to back it up, and she must acknowledge it. So, with a hard gulp, her shoulders sag in defeat as she weakly answered.

“Yes.”

Her quiet admittance made Yuqi smile in satisfaction. Now she’s finally cooperating.

“Will you help me now?” The giant asked with a slight tilt of her head.

Minnie buries her face in trembling hands, her bangs sticking to her forehead in a cold sweat. And in a quivering voice, she replies. “Y-Yes…”

A hand on her head spurs Minnie to peer up from her fingers and meet Yuqi’s gentler gaze with her teary, shaken one. But there was nothing patronizing nor pitying about the way Yuqi looks at her in that moment as she rubs the top of Minnie’s head in a seemingly consoling manner. It’s… a strange gesture coming from someone like Yuqi, very unexpected even.

The cop doesn’t know what to make or feel about it, but she doesn’t shy away from her touch this time. Perhaps, deep down, a subtle part of Minnie appreciates this more human side to Yuqi. Seldom as it is.

“That’s all I wanted to hear, officer.”

Unbeknownst to Minnie, Yuqi knows what it’s like to be in her position. To be so helpless and lost, and led astray because of unfortunate circumstances that forced them to do questionable, immoral things under the pretense of justice and the sake of survival.

But most of all, she knows what it’s like to be truly afraid. And thus, whether or not she realizes it herself, Yuqi can still empathize with whatever sort of emotion Minnie is experiencing to some extent. No matter how messed-up and detached she has become since the “accident”.

She can’t tell Minnie about that, though. At least, not yet.

“But it’s just the two of us against a community full of dangerous criminals.” Minnie pointed out, feeling powerless and adrift in a heinous world that targets the innocent and does unspeakable things far beyond moral comprehension.

Yuqi shakes her head determinedly.

“First step of our agreement,” She takes one of Minnie’s hands between her own and gives it a light squeeze. “I’ll have to start training you today.”

Minnie looks conflicted and unsure, but she nods regardless.

“I’ll teach you how to improvise and use any object as weapons,” Then, in a flash of movement, Yuqi snags the Thai by the collar of her shirt and yanks her forward as she yelped. “Learn how to escape grasps like this.”

And just as quickly, the giant lets go of her. “Learn how to handle any situation.”

If it weren’t for Yuqi steadying her by the shoulders, Minnie would’ve lost her balance and tripped over. “And I’ll help you get into shape, my little munchkin.” Yuqi beamed, slapping Minnie a bit too hard on the back for good measure.

There’s still one last question eating away at Minnie’s conscience, however.

“Does that mean I have to… kill?” She sounds scared of the answer already.

“Oh no, no, sweetheart.” Yuqi takes her by the chin and tips her head back so they could look at each other. “That’s my job.” She smiled deviously. “I can’t just share the fun now, can I?”

Just hearing the abrasiveness in her orotund voice makes Minnie’s hair stand on end, but it doesn’t last very long.

“Am I interrupting something?”

The two whipped their hands to see Yeji patting herself down as she stood on the trashed balcony before sauntering inside Minnie’s apartment in a relaxed manner. She doesn’t seem all that bothered by the glass shards crunching beneath her slippers with each step, nor is she overly concerned about how wrecked the place is when her cat-eyes dart around to assess the damages.

“Damn, unnie. Did a hurricane drop by for a visit, or what?” Yeji nudged at the splintered pieces of what used to be a chair’s leg with her foot. “This makes that one time Lia and I broke our bed while ‘doing the do’ look more like a pillow fight.”

Minnie was too stunned by Yeji’s presence to even scold the girl for her crass choice of words. “Yeji? What the… What are you doing here?”

Her neighbor just shrugged. Hands tucked into her pockets as she traverses around the mess they’ve made.

“You guys scared the heck out of Chae and Lia with your roughhousing, so I came by to check on you.” Yeji said casually. “But it looked like you two were about to kiss when I intruded on it. Sorry ‘bout that.”

Yuqi breaks into a giggling fit as Minnie grew flustered.

“No, we weren’t!” She hastily denied, pushing herself away from Yuqi. “And how did you even get inside anyway?!”

“Through your balcony, obviously.” Yeji points to the remains of the shattered glass door behind them. “It’s a good thing Chae had the fire escape repaired last month, but that window damage is going to your rent. And you might get a noise complaint or two from the other neighbors.”

With a loaded sigh, Minnie massages her temples to ease the incoming headache that’s squeezing her brain.

Great, just ing peachy.

“By the way, unnie, you’re not going to work today?” Yeji asked. “Still recovering from the kidnap shenanigan last night? Or is it because you’re trying to skip work for your lovey-dovey?”

It takes everything in Minnie not to groan out loud at Yeji’s blatant teasing, while Yuqi acted all coy as she brightens up like a lightbulb.

“Oh no, my Minnie Mousey is simply recovering. It’s our first time living together, after all!”

The giant takes on a blushy persona with her signature smile on full-blast. By this point, Minnie is far too exhausted—both physically and psychologically—to even care about nicknames or their whole “relationship” ruse anymore. So, instead, she just resigns to it by taking a long, needed breath to gather her bearings first before sighing once more.

“Whatever. Shouldn’t you be at the café helping Lia out with orders or something?”

Yeji feigns hurt. “Getting rid of me so soon, unnie? Geez, your temper is as high as your girlfriend’s height!” She dramatically places a hand over her heart. “You shouldn’t treat guests this way. Lighten up like big smiley over here!”

Minnie rolls her eyes, unconvinced.

“You just let yourself in, you clown.” She muttered, mostly to herself.

Yuqi drapes a lazy arm around Minnie’s shoulders and pressed their heads together, invading her personal space as usual.

“Don’t be fooled, Hwang Yeji-ssi.” She read the girl’s name off her phone in hand, which doesn’t go unnoticed by Minnie who looks uncomfortable seeing her neighbor’s face in that godforsaken app. “Minnie dearest can be really sweet too. She just hides it under a tough exterior.”

Unsurprisingly, Yeji isn’t intrigued to know how Yuqi figured out her name. Perhaps she assumed that either Minnie or Chaeryeong told her about it.

“Oh, I know she has a soft spot! If you want, I can tell you more so you can enhance your life together.” Her fingers form a heart as she winks at the fake couple.

Minnie shoots Yeji the most poker-faced expression to have ever graced her visuals.

“How does that even work?” She deadpanned.

Yuqi, however, regards the offer with interest. “I’m listening.”

The cop decides then that she doesn’t want to be part of this conversation anymore.

“Alright. You guys talk—” Minnie swats aside the invasive hand that tried to pinch her cheek. “—while I prepare for work.”

Yeji looks mildly disappointed. “Aw, unnie. You always bail whenever I start talking about love advices!” She whined. “Still bitter as always. Even in a relationship.”

“I just want to show up at the station, okay?!” Minnie shoved Yuqi’s arm off her, visibly annoyed at the both of them. “It’s better to let them know I’m alive and not killed by some twisted douche with a mental debility!”

She directs that last bite towards Yuqi before spinning on her heel and marching out of the room with exaggerated steps, but not before the giant tells her one last thing.

“Sweetheart!” The Thai glanced at Yuqi. “Don’t forget to say hi to good ol’ captain Soyeon and the gang for me, yeah?”

Minnie frowned as she looks away.

“Sure. Whatever.”

Retreating to her room quickly, Minnie shuts the door behind her and slumps back against it. Eyes screwed shut as she pushed the heels of her palms to her forehead with a groan. You ed up again, Min… And it’s only eight in the morning!

She runs a hand through her hair and takes another deep breath before exhaling loudly, then pushes herself from the door to start getting ready for work.

“At least no one has to deal with Yuqi’s creepy , for now…” She grumbled, heading for her open closet to grab a new uniform while undoing the buttons on her soiled one. But her mind is still restless and buzzing with thoughts about everything she had learned this morning.

Yuqi is determined to hunt people, but only the masked criminals. It can’t be Soyeon, Ryujin, and Shuhua. She would’ve killed them last night if it were them.

But then Yuqi gave her two weeks to find out who the real rats are. Even if they’re Minnie’s friends, they need to be justified for their actions before Yuqi takes the matter into her own hands. She can’t allow that, not with murder. Surely, there’s still a way to put a stop to this human market by destroying the source.

Minnie swipes her uniform off the rack with a huff. I can think properly without ‘her’ around!

She pauses shortly at the bright orange sticky note attached to the clothes-hanger with a message scrawled onto it in clean print.

Sweetheart,

I did a little thing in your bathroom.

Be sure to check on it when you have the time. Love ya!

 – Your big bby <3

Those last two lines almost gave Minnie a brain reading them.

“My bathroom?” She furrowed her eyebrows suspiciously at the odd request, but does what was told of her as she tosses her uniform onto the bed and goes straight to the adjacent bathroom. After switching on the light, her eyes automatically land on another orange sticky note attached to the shower curtain this time. Sticking out like a sore thumb in an otherwise bland space.

Sweetheart,

Don’t let anyone know about this!

I made sure that you can remove it, so keep it close and hidden somewhere. Like under your bed.

 – Your honey bby <3

“This scheming planned the whole relationship bull!” Feeling pissed now, Minnie rips the note off and crumples it in her fist before sliding the curtain aside. “This better be important.”

Her voice dies out immediately upon seeing what was hidden right behind it.

Stuck to the tiled wall by scotch tape is a large illustration board crammed with scraps of paper, explicit pictures, newspaper clippings, and printed maps. Many of which have been pinned by red thumbtacks that are connected by a crimson web of strings threading them together and scribbled on with extra notes. But these aren’t what caught her attention the most.

Of the five polaroids taped in the center—four of which have been marked “DEAD” in thick, red sharpie—one of them stood out. “FIND HIM”, it read in that same blaring color.

Minnie’s eyes widen as she subconsciously touches the photo with a faltering hand.

“Yuqi’s brother is still alive?...”