"I think Seokjin-hyung is hiding something from us."
With these words Hoseok greeted me on a cold spring day. He had two coffee cups in his hands and carefully placed them on my desk. I gave him a short smile, which he returned.
"And what should he hide from us?" I asked more out of politeness than out of interest.
"I don't know ... but he seldom meets us for dinner and keeps making up excuses why he has to leave earlier."
“Maybe he's just got a lot on his mind at the moment, Hoseok. And even if he's hiding something, we should respect it ... after all, we're his friends.” I said, turning away from my computer screen to really look at him.
I liked the way his face brightened when he noticed he had my full attention. I had also noticed that Seokjin seemed to have less time lately, so I was spending more and more time with Hoseok. It wasn't as if I had no other friends apart from the two of them, but they had left Daegu and to see them I would have to drive the long way home. I also liked it the way it was and only marginally noticed that Seokjin excused himself more often and was absent.
"Don't you miss him?", Hoseok asked and sat down next to me.
I laughed softly. “Wouldn't that be a little childish? Besides, you're there."
I shrugged, not overlooking the grin on his face. I was most certain that Hoseok liked me more than it might be good for him and the reason for that was an absolute mystery to me. Not that I was going to complain, no, after all it was flattering to be liked ... and, quite possibly, I was more interested in the younger than in anyone else myself.
“Hyung, by the way, forensics sent the report you asked for. I put it under the files”, Hoseok distracted from the previous topic.
Because even if Hoseok showed that he liked me, he never said so, and on the rare occasion I mentioned our ‘relationship’ with one another, he just smiled and most of the time changed the subject. If we were younger I might assume that he was not at peace with his uality but Hoseok did not make that impression. Even so, it seemed like he was holding back for some reason.
"Have you recently been my secretary?" I asked mockingly.
Hoseok smiled mildly again and didn't answer. He was completely immune to me. I watched him openly as he sorted some papers on my desk and let my head roll to one side in thought. I was proud of the fact that I figured people out quickly, after all, that was somehow my job and I was even more proud of the fact that I had never been caught by anyone before. I had the upper hand. I knew how far I could go, what I could and what I shouldn’t do.
"Why are you staring at me like that?" Hoseok asked without looking up from the papers in his hand.
"I'm thinking about you," I said straight out. I was in no mood today for our ordinary game of indicated interest.
He looked up and there was a twinkle in his eyes. "Oh?"
"Yes." I sighed, leaning forward a little. "I am just wondering whether I am correct in assuming that your intention is not purely for friendship."
Contrary to my actual assumption that it would be uncomfortable for him to be confronted with it so directly, Hoseok laughed softly and put the papers back on the desk.
“That’s what you’re concerned about? I thought you were the omniscient Min Yoongi who saw through everyone.”, he teased me with a grin.
I smiled. “Since when do you dare to talk to me like that? I miss your stuttering ... it was cute."
"Really? I was under the impression that it was getting on your nerves."
I shrugged my shoulders and leaned a little forward in my chair to look at him.
"And?" I finally asked.
"What?"
"Will you answer my indirect question or-"
He interrupted me by leaning over and only briefly pressing his lips to mine. I was surprised to see his grinning face, which was only a few inches away from mine.
"Satisfied?" He asked.
I stared into his pretty face and slowly a grin spread over mine too.

It got warmer and work got easier again. Hollan had been quiet for quite a while, and there had been no significant cases in a long time. Seokjin still disappeared every now and then without saying anything, but I hardly noticed.
"Why did you buy green peppers?" Hoseok called from my kitchen. "You hate green peppers!"
"Because you like them!" I called back without looking up from the book in my hands.
A giggle made me look up and I noticed an amused Hoseok standing in the door frame. I loved having him in my apartment and I very rarely got tired of him. Most of the time I liked his company and that in itself was a small miracle. I usually preferred to be alone. Hoseok seemed to enjoy my apartment too, because he spent most of his free time at my home.
"But I have nothing for you," he said, clapping his hand over his mouth in mock desperation.
I made a sound that was half a laugh and half a snort and laid my head back on the arm of the chair.
"Then give me the peppers back!" I demanded in a serious tone.
Grinning, he tossed it into my lap and I frowned in confusion.
"The only thing left are green peppers, so let's go shopping," he said while turning around again.
"Wow, now you're not just my secretary, you're also my housekeeper," I scoffed.
But Hoseok didn't have to strain to lure me out of my chair. He promised me to take me out to dinner before we went shopping, so that only a little later I was walking next to him in the lukewarm air of the evening.
We were only a few hundred meters from my apartment when someone next to us called my name in surprise.
"Yoongi-hyung?"
I glanced back at the person we had just passed and who was now standing there with wide eyes looking at me.
"Taehyung!" I called when I recognized the tall, lanky boy.
He grinned at me happily and showed me a row of white teeth before giving a slight bow.
"We haven't seen each other in a long time," I stated and examined his face, which looked more grown up than I remembered.
"That's true! I think Hyung prefers me to stay away from his friends ... " he grumbled.
I laughed. “More likely from his work. You know, things are always mixed up with us. I'm sure he just wants to protect you from that."
Taehyung nodded, but didn't seem convinced. His gaze slid to Hoseok, who was waiting with a friendly smile on his face.
"Hello! Sorry for not introducing myself!” He shouted and immediately bowed to Hoseok.
"This is Kim Taehyung, Seokjin's little brother whom he told us about before." I introduced the boy.
Hoseok nodded as it seemed to dawn on him. "Oh, the one who lives with him?" I nodded. "Nice to meet you, Taehyung."
Hoseok also bowed slightly to the now blushing boy who looked at me questioningly.
"Hoseok works with me and your brother." I told him.
He looked back and forth between me and Hoseok in disbelief, as if he didn't quite believe that we both had the same job ... and he wasn't entirely wrong about that. Sometimes I couldn't believe it myself that someone so easily scared as Hoseok had chosen a profession like ours. Even more incredible, however, was the fact that he was good at what he was doing ... well, except for the crime scene visits ... he still skipped them as often as possible. I giggled softly and got a swipe from Hoseok, as if he knew why I was laughing and maybe he really did.
"I know I look way too young to be friends with old men like your brother and Yoongi-hyung." Hoseok said suddenly and stretched himself to emphasize the few centimeters that he towered above me.
"I didn't mean to say that at all!" Taehyung hurried to say and shook his head wildly.
I gave him a reassuring smile and then looked at Hoseok, who met my gaze and nodded.
“We have to move on, Taehyung. We wanted to go out to eat.” I said.
"I was really happy to meet you," added Hoseok and gave the boy in front of us a big smile that made him blush again.
"Oh ... um, yes. Sorry for stopping you! I was really happy too ... Hyung.” Taehyung mumbled.
I could feel his curious look on us as we walked on and suppressed a grin.
"Do you think he noticed something?", Hoseok asked quietly and moved a little closer to me.
"Certainly ... at least he suspects something," I replied calmly. "He's not stupid and it's not like we're hiding something."
Now Hoseok laughed and covered his mouth with his hand. "What exactly should we be secretive about, Hyung?"
"Mhm", I pretended to think, "maybe the fact that you're madly in love with me?"
He raised an eyebrow and looked down at me disapprovingly. "Look, Mr. Min, I never said anything like that."
I grinned at his bad acting and raised my hand to pinch his nose for a moment. "It's not like it's one-sided."
He stopped abruptly, and so did I. Big surprised eyes looked at me and Hoseok's mouth opened and closed. My brow furrowed in confusion before I realized what I had said and implied. With a red face, I avoided his gaze and my head rattled, because the embarrassing silence between us became unbearable. Even if Hoseok and I spent a lot of time together and it could not be overlooked that I loved him, I had never said anything in that direction ... nor did Hoseok. The kisses or the occasional , we left uncommented and in my opinion, that was okay so far.
"Are you serious?" Hoseok interrupted my thoughts.
I bit my lip and forced myself to look at him. I could lie now and say it was all part of the joke, but I really didn't mean to. Finally, I indicated a quick nod.
"Is it really that surprising?", I asked and looked at the floor, "I mean ... well, at least I spend my time with you and ... and I don't sleep with anyone I don't like."
I felt like a pubescent teenager confessing his love to someone for the first time. This feeling was not entirely wrong, although I had already had several relationships, but they had always been with women and I had never taken the first step either. I glanced at Hoseok inconspicuously. He was still staring at me, but he no longer looked surprised. He smiled.
"Are you sure ... well, that you like me that way?" He finally asked.
I lifted my head and just looked at him for a while. His brown hair was shorter than last month and his eyes were watching me carefully. I finally nodded and casually took his hand in mine.
"Why shouldn't I?" I asked a little snuggly and finally pulled him on.
He let himself be dragged along by me.
The meal was thankfully not awkward and Hoseok seemed to be himself again. When we went shopping he was back to completely normal again and I felt a sense of relief.
"Hyung," he whispered as he lay next to me in bed at night and I looked up from my book and looked at him questioningly. "I like you ... well, I really like you."
I smiled and put the book on the covers. "I really like you too, Jung Hoseok."