“Ah, hyung, wait up!”

“Hurry up, HyungRok! The train’s about to leave!”

JaeJoong watched as the two guys recklessly rushed across the street. They were blatantly jaywalking, but even though JaeJoong was basically on the clock, he didn’t bother reprimanding them. He sighed and continued his trudge along the sidewalk.

“What kind of murderer would go on his killing spree in the middle of the afternoon?” he muttered to himself. “Someday, ChoongJae. Someday…”

Using JaeJoong’s hunch, JunJin told him to patrol the streets of Mapo all day. The idea was alright at first. But by the second hour, he was thinking otherwise.

JaeJoong flipped open his phone as a text message popped up on the screen.

< What the heck is ‘gnihton’ supposed to be?! >

Sighing, JaeJoong tapped out a reply. < It’s ‘nothing’ backwards, obviously. I was hoping you would have noticed that, but I guess I overestimated you, ChoongJae. >

Another text message arrived while he was typing. He sent off that message and opened the new one.

< Hyung! There’s a cat outside! I’m gonna give him your leftovers, okay? >

< Yah! I was planning on eating that when I got home! Don’t give him my food! It’ll start hanging around the studio! >

He flipped his phone closed and heaved another sigh. If things continued the way they were, JaeJoong wasn’t sure if he’d be able to stand it. He began trudging again, pausing to let a car ease out of a parking garage.

A piercing scream cut through the air, and a second later something collapsed with a sickening crack a few feet ahead of where JaeJoong stood. Another second to register what was happening. Another second to swing his head upwards just as a dark figure vanished from sight from the fourth floor.

Various people saw the crumpled body on the sidewalk and screamed as well. Cars were starting to slow down on the street with pedestrians stopping as well.

JaeJoong shouted at the people nearest him. “119! Call 119 for her!”

Without seeing if anyone responded, he turned and bolted into the garage, yanking out his phone.

JunJin’s voice roared at the first ring. “Who do you think you’re calling Choong – ?!”

“JunJin-sshi!” JaeJoong shouted. “I’m pursuing the murderer right now!”

“What?! Where are you?!”

JaeJoong told him the location, and they hung up. He pushed himself to run faster on the mild incline, skipping between cars every so often. He could only hope the murderer wasn’t planning on going to the roof.

At that moment, the dark figure appeared around the corner across the lot. He spotted JaeJoong and instantly spun around to run back where he came from.

“Stop!!”

He rounded the next set of cars, still running at full speed. However, the dark figure kept a great distance between them. For a second, it seemed as if he slowed down; the gap decimated and JaeJoong probably would be able to identify him if he turned his head.

The figure lunged towards an enclosed stairwell. JaeJoong followed suit swiftly. A deafening slam rang in front of him, and JaeJoong found himself knocked backwards.

“You know, this would’ve been a cooler scenario if the murderer had bashed your head with a crowbar. Actually, I think even if just the door were locked, this would be a cooler scenario.”

JaeJoong opened his eyes, but his vision was distorted. Confused, he rolled around a bit to attempt to get his bearings. There was cold cement beneath him and JunJin leaning over him.

“…eh? When did you get here?” JaeJoong asked.

“Probably a minute ago. How long have you been out cold?”

“Eh?” JaeJoong felt a swollen point on his forehead. “I was knocked out?”

“Obviously.” JunJin sighed. “Which means the murderer could be anywhere now.”

Rocking to his feet, JaeJoong got up and dusted himself off. However, he swayed and grabbed the door handle to steady himself.

JunJin snorted. “Do you want to… get your head examined? You know, in case you got a concussion from playing chicken with the door?”

JaeJoong would have rolled his eyes but decided against it. He poked his head into the stairwell and looked up and down. “No prints?”

“None, as always. But here’s something interesting. After you went chasing after the guy, the people that were around the girl said she was still slightly conscious.”

“Eh? She was?” JaeJoong turned. “Did she say anything?”

“Yeah. She only managed to say one thing, though. Dong.”

“…Dong?”

“Yeah. Maybe it was the guy’s name or something.”

Falling silent, JaeJoong processed the new information. He thought back to when he was chasing the dark figure, when he came close enough that he could have seen the guy’s face. JunJin became distracted with a phone call; likewise, JaeJoong pulled out his phone, planning on contacting JunSu, but there were unread messages flashing on his screen.

< Just kidding ^^ I’m not even at home right now, but I did see a cat. I was buying some ddukboki for us… but I gave your share to him. Sorry! >

And the other message.

< Hyung, I just got home. All of DBSK’s stuff is gone from the studio. I think they left… >

“ChoongJae,” JaeJoong said suddenly. “I need to go home first. I’ll see you at the station.”

JunJin’s eyes flared, but he didn’t respond for he was still on the phone. JaeJoong rushed down the stairwell, bursting through the ground-floor door. There were still plenty of civilians crowded around the scene, murmuring to each other.

Trotting over to a patrol car, JaeJoong motioned to the nearest officer. “Hey. I’m borrowing this, alright?”

“Eh?!”

He got in swiftly and shut the door before he could hear any protests. The engine was still running. He gunned carelessly into the street, glancing down at his phone as he began dialing.

JunSu picked up on the third ring. “Hello?”

“Yo JunSu.”

“Oh, hyung! Did you get my message?”

“Yeah. When did they leave?”

“I don’t know. I’ve been out all day, so it could’ve been anytime.”

JaeJoong jerked the wheel as a car honked at him for slowly shifting into another lane. “Hm… You didn’t – ”

“Ah, hyung, wait! There’s someone on the other line! I’ll be right back!”

The other side of the line went silent for a while. As he waited, JaeJoong focused on not running people over on the road.

He heard as JunSu fumbled with coming back on the line. “Hyung! It was HyukJae.”

“It was? What did he say?”

“He said he’s coming back. It was only the dancers that were picking up the stuff, but they left behind some CDs and he’ll be coming by to get them.”

“When, right now?”

“Yeah, because they have to leave tonight for Japan.”

JaeJoong pressed harder on the gas. “Don’t let him leave before I get there. Tell him I need to talk to him.”

“Okay… But what if YunHo and DongHae come with him? Ah, hyung, I’m scared now!” he whined.

“What?! Why?!”

“Someone’s bound to be the murderer, right?! That’s what you said!”

“Yah, it can’t be HyukJae. He was with you when another batch of murders happened. And I doubt he’d sit back and watch as one of the others decides to strangle you.”

“But what if it isn’t one of the others?! What if it’s actually been HyukJae all this time?! He could’ve been telling the other two to – ”

“Ahhh JunSu, I’m gonna strangle you myself when I get there!”

“I’m sorry!!”

“Anyway, I’m thinking it might be DongHae.”

“DongHae? Why?”

“I’ll tell you when I get there. That is, if I can make it there without getting run over. I’ll be about ten minutes, alright?”

“Okay… Hurry up!”

“Aish, stop worrying!”