Soonbok inhaled deeply through her nose before exhaling slowly from . She stared at her reflection in the toilet mirror, grimacing at how rugged her skin looked. Her eyes were still puffy from how much she cried but there was newfound clarity and strength blooming behind her glistening pupils. She may be physically exhausted, but mentally she had been rejuvenated. She poked and pushed the corners of her lips to form the shape of a smile. She stared at her reflection for a few moments longer before exiting, making her way towards the psychiatry unit where Renjun was currently admitted.

Although earlier Renjun willingly left with Junmyeon, it turned out that the young male was anything but cooperative. He merely got a free meal out of the police officer. It did not go unnoticed by Junmyeon that throughout Renjun’s seemingly mischievous and cheeky behaviour, he was constantly on high alert and guarded. Knowing how delicate the situation was, Junmyeon decided against forcing his way to get information out of Renjun and requested for Soonbok’s assistance instead. Of course, the patient in question specifically stating that he would only talk to the nurse was reason enough for Soonbok to step in and work her magic.

That was how Soonbok found herself sitting in a chair by Renjun’s bed — a reversal from their positions just a few hours prior. Renjun was quietly snacking on a strawberry jelly while Soonbok fidgeted with her  hospital ID lanyard. Neither appeared to be nervous or weary, and merely minded their own business. In the end it was Soonbok who broke the silence first.

“To what do I owe this honour?” Soonbok queried, leaning her body back in a relaxed manner. “I heard you would only speak to me but, you know very well that everything you tell me I will tell the police. As long as it is pertinent to the investigation that is.”

Renjun’s attention was focused solely on the jelly, frowning in disappointment when he gulped down the last spoonful. He then repositioned himself in the bed, smoothening the creases on the blanket absentmindedly. Despite his actions, his eyes remained clouded, trapped in his deep thoughts as he contemplated on his current predicament.

“He said you would listen,” Renjun whispered suddenly. “He said that you were a safe place.”

Soonbok blinked once, twice, three times. She cocked her head to the side looking pensive and thoughtful. She then locked gazes with Renjun, refusing to let him go now that she had found an opening.

“He... Jaemin?”

“He was just too scared, felt that he didn’t deserve the help,” Renjun continued, his voice now growing louder and firmer. “You helped Jaemin and it seems like you helped Jungwoo. You helped me too — heck you saved my life. So I want to help. But first I need to confirm for myself whether I can trust you with our livelihood. Can I trust you with our only chance of survival and freedom?”

There was an unexpected passion blazing from within Renjun. The feeble-looking boy’s breathing was shallow but heavy. His shoulders were steadily sagging down as if he was carrying the whole weight of the world by himself. In contrast, Soonbok seemed as though she was floating in her chair. Her back was straight, her muscle relaxed, her breathing steady.

“Thank you Renjun,” Soonbok smiled gently, “for surviving and for seeking help. Now tell me, what brought you here?”

・・・

The lights of the meeting room flickered, creating the sense of a glitch in the matrix as Soonbok sat at the centre of the table surrounded by team 3 of the narcotics department. Soonbok recalled the time she had to provide naloxone training at the police academy. At that time, she had a myriad of fresh and ambitious youths staring straight at her, absorbing every piece of information that trickled out of . This time too, she had the full attention of the room. However the stakes were at a whole other level. Realising that the livelihood of countless people rested on the very words she was uttering in this moment, Soonbok made sure that she was able to provide all the details that Renjun had disclosed to her back in the hospital.

“The day of Renjun’s assassination attempt was the first time he had come into contact with any professional services. Despite that, he was the one the organisation was after. It’s likely they were tracking his movements and that’s how they found him so fast. At first I thought it was because he is in regular contact with Jaemin who seems to have gone rogue, or even Jungwoo who is now in a safehouse. The real reason however…” Soonbol’s words faded as she took a sip of water to soothe her increasingly aching throat. “It’s because out of the boys involved in the operation, Renjun is the only one who knows what the drug supplier looks like. Him and those in the immediate inner circle.”

“The drug supplier?” Junmyeon frowned.

“By immediate inner circle, you mean Lee Taeyong and Kim Heechul?” Kyungsoo queried, quickly catching on.

Soonbok nodded firmly at both males before resuming her speech.

“Lee Taeyong is the networker and contact amongst the elite. Kim Heechul is the gateway to addiction, the contact in the medical field. Leeteuk is the supplier and underground contact.”

“They really got this worked out, covering all their bases,” Yuri sneered, appalled by what she was hearing.

Hyoyeon echoed her partner’s sentiments while Soonbok could only smile bitterly in agreement.

“I’m presuming Leeteuk is not his real name?” Yunho raised a knowing eyebrow. “And more importantly, what is his connection to Renjun?”

“Unfortunately Renjun does not know his real name,” Soonbok sighed. “As for their connection, Renjun was amongst the group of Chinese youths seeking job opportunities abroad to sustain their families back home. They were brought into the country illegally under false promises of success and consequently got hooked onto drugs. Most commonly by prescribing them painkillers such as oxy and fentanyl after sustaining injuries from labour-intensive jobs, which quickly escalated to dependence and ultimately needing