My eyes stared at the glowing computer screen, not retaining a single word on the page. My mind was still buzzing from my encounter with UKnow from the previous day. That man was seriously becoming a problem—not that he hadn't been before. Civilians were starting to question the law enforcement in Seoul. Could I really blame them. The infamous “UKnow” had been stealing the most expensive possessions and assassinating his given targets for over two years and we still couldn't put a stop to it even with his identity. It was so damn infuriating!

A coffee cup was suddenly set forcefully down on my desk and I started. “You look like you need it,” Changmin said as he sat down at his desk across from mine. I looked at the cup blankly. “Come on, Jin Ae. Don't let this get you down, alright?”

“How can I not?” I demanded, eyes snapping to his. “I've been responsible for this bastard since he first came on the radar. My record was perfect until he came along.” I fell back in my seat. “I've hardly scratched the surface with his cases.”

Changmin quirked an eyebrow at me. “Are you kidding me?” he asked. He grabbed a folder from his desk and presented a paper to me. It was a well-done sketch of the man I hated the most. Big, almond-shaped eyes that were soft looking for such a man in his line of work. A strong jaw line and oval face was framed by clean cut, dark hair. “Without you, we still wouldn't know what the guy looked like. You're the only one that's actually seen his face in person.”

“And it haunts me every night,” I growled, boring a hole with my eyes into the sketch that I had helped to create. The department had tried to match the face with someone in the system, match it with anyone. But it was like his existence was completely false. Only the trail of assassinations and missing millions were a sign that he was alive. And my constant sightings of him at his crime scenes. It was like was purposefully waiting for me to show up at his crimes so we could run around Seoul like a stupid game of tag.

“Yeah, well, you've done more for this case than you give yourself credit for,” Changmin told me, leaning back in his seat.

I rolled my eyes and went back to my computer screen, smiling inwardly at my partner's comment. Changmin and I had been working together for three years and during a majority of those three years, we acted like we despised the others' existence. He had been a rookie and I had had only two years experience under my belt. But we were both good at what we were hired for.

Changmin was so stubborn he put a donkey to shame. All the girls—and selective guys—in the precinct drooled over him. He was the first to complain about my slightly aggressive attitude and—as he called it—“reckless” behavior. Not that he was any better; more than once I'd had to bale him out of a situation caused by his thick-headedness.

The incident at the bar on 24^th was still hanging over his head a year later.

However, there was another side to him besides the one that questioned every move I made and played my last nerve. He got me flowers on my birthday, brought my specific coffee to me every morning(because the coffee machine in the precinct was God awful!), and even made an emergency delivery of cat litter to my house when I was confined to the bathroom with food poisoning.

Of course he grouched about it, but deep down I knew he enjoyed being my personal slave. Tall, dark, and lean, he was like a boyfriend, but without all that lovey-touchy crap.

“You know...” he began and I braced myself. I knew that tone of voice; he was about to “suggest something. “Suggesting” to him was telling me what I was doing and not letting me back out of it. “When was the last time you actually did something fun?”

“College,” I answered and took a sip of my coffee.

Changmin smirked. “I would have liked to have seen you back then.”

“Ha,” I snorted. “You're talking about high school. Those were my wild days.”

“Oh, I know,” he said and turned that growing smirk to me. “I've read your file.” I pulled a face and took a packet from my consistent growing pile of paperwork. “But seriously. You're letting your job take up way too much precedence over your life. Especially with this UKnow case. When was the last time you actually hung out with that friend of yours...?”

“Junsu.”

“Junsu, yeah. Or talked to your family?”

I sighed; he'd hit that spot I'd told him not to. “You know I don't talk to them anymore.”

“Not your brother or your mother, but when was the last time you called up your dad?”

My eyes looked up at him from under my lashes. He had that expression going on. He knew what the answer was, but was a sadist enough to force the answer. “Two—”

“Two years,” Changmin cut in triumphantly, slapping a folder down on his desk. “Two years since you've spoken to the only family member that doesn't hate you and two years since you started chasing after an assassin that's practically a ghost.”

“Changmin...” I groaned. I hated it when he did this.

“No,” he replied brusquely and pointed an accusing finger at me. “Bowling. Tonight. Seven. I'll pick you up.” He got out of his seat. “And I'll invite that dude of yours.”

“Junsu.”

“Junsu, yeah, him. And don't even think about trying to leave before I get there,” he said, eying me evilly. “Because I've got your under surveillance.”

“Oh, do you now?” I smirked.

“I do,” he said, giving that 'y' eyebrow wiggle. “Its Kim Jin Ae in my house all day, all the time...”

I smacked him with my folders as he passed and he danced away. “Go take a piss before I arrest you for stalker charges,” I shot back with a smile and turned back to my paperwork.

There he went; being a total , but making me forget about my problems. Temporarily.

–

I slid the key from the lock and opened the door to my tin can sized apartment. Immediately, a flash a black leaped onto the counter, mewing softly to welcome me home.

“Hey, Min,” I greeted with a weary smile and scratched the cat behind her black ears. “Do anything fun today?”

She responded with a loud roar of content purring as she pressed her head into my hand. I smiled slightly before a wave a goosebumps brushed over my skin at the unusual chill in temperature. “Man, its cold,” I breathed, walking to the living room with my little, black shadow on my heels.

Entering the living room, I froze. One of the windows was open, the autumn night breeze billowing the white curtains. My gun was in my hand as my eyes scanned the dark room. I moved silently to the hallway. The end of it was illuminated by my bedside lamp. Keeping my eye on the lit doorway, I quickly checked the bathroom and hallway closet before moving to the bedroom, heart beating heavily in my ears.

Standing outside the door, I took a deep breathe and stepped inside the room, gun at the ready. Nothing. I checked the closet and knelt to look under the bed. The mattress suddenly moved and I jerked up, coming face to face with Min's bright green eyes. I inhaled shakily and glared at the cat before getting to my feet. That's when I noticed what was laying on top of the pale duvet.

It was a rose and a torn piece of paper. Grabbing a tissue from the bedside table so as not to disrupt any evidence, I picked up the note. Scrawled across the surface in beautiful handwriting was:

Your cat is quite welcoming, Detective... with that first sentence, I could almost hear UKnow's voice hissing in my ear. ...and your apartment is kinda small. I just stopped to tell you that I really enjoy this game we're playing. I haven't had this much fun in years. I hope we see each other again very soon.

Sincerely yours,

UKnow

I swallowed the lump in my throat and let the paper fall to the bed. I stood there several moments before walking back to the living room. All the windows were locked and shades lowered. Then, I sat down on one of the kitchen chairs, back to wall. One hand occupied with my gun, the other with Min—who didn't seem to have a care in the world—and waited for Changmin to come.

The minutes ticked by, but I didn't move. My ears picked up every little sound that was out of place in the quiet apartment. The sound of traffic on the backstreet outside my apartment was barely used in that hour and a half as I sat there, motionless. Every fiber tensed.

I wasn't scared—or maybe I was. My work had never followed me home before. Not only had he followed me home, he'd been in my apartment and left that creepy- letter. And a rose? I mean, come on, could the guy get any more theatrical? All I knew was that UKnow now knew where I lived and no doubt he'd come back. The very thought sent shivers down my body.

A knock sounded at the door and I had to cover my mouth to hinder the scream. I was more tense than I thought.

“Jin Ae! You better be in there!” Changmin's voice called from the other side.

I got up, regaining my calm composure with every step, and opened the door. “I thought you had me under surveillance?” I asked with a smirk.

“I do,” he answered, pushing past me to get inside. I rolled my eyes at his blunt behavior. He picked up a welcoming Min and turned back to me. His eyes studied my clothes for a few seconds. “Why haven't you changed?” Then, he looked at my face and his eyebrows furrowed together. “You okay?”

“Yeah, I'm fine,” I said, closing the door. He continued to study me, unconvinced. I sighed. “No, Changmin, I'm not okay.” I began to walk down the hallway. “Come here.” He followed after me.

I picked up the note and handed it to him. He read over it and his face turned about three different colors in a second. He looked up at me, eyes burning. “He was in here?”

“Apparently,” I said, crossing my arms, confident and cool facade depleting again. “The window in the living room was open. You know I always lock everything.” My personality was naturally paranoid, but it'd increased with my years in the law enforcement.

Changmin's eyes scanned over the note again and again, jaw clenching tighter. Min sprang from his arm, feeling his tension. Finally, my partner let out a long breathe and he turned and walked out. “Pack a bag, you're staying with me.”

“Changmin, I'm sure—” I went to argue, even though I was grateful for his offer.

“Pack a bag,” he interjected from the hallway. “And this isn't going to get you out of bowling!”

I groaned and laughed lightly. He was such a joke sometimes.

Essentials packed a couple minutes later, I met Changmin in the kitchen. He was running his hand down Min's obsidian-colored fur, a thoughtful look on his face.

“I really don't want to leave her...” I said lightly.

Changmin suddenly snorted and smiled. “You know, if you treated human beings as well as you treated this cat, you might have a lot less people that hated you.”

“Thanks,” I answered bluntly. “But can she come? Please?” The doe eyes were saved only when Min was included. Changmin was right; I treated that cat way too nice for my image.

Changmin barely held in against my pleading look. “Fine!” he said, rolling his neck to look at the ceiling, “but she's not coming bowling.”

“But she loves to bowl!” I exclaimed, picking Min up and holding her close.

“Leave her here,” Changmin commanded. “We'll come get her when we're done.”

Sighing in mock defeat, I put on a show for Changmin by kissing Min on the head and telling her I loved her and would be back as soon as I could.

As I walked out of the apartment in front of Changmin, he said, “Seriously, try treating me like that sometime. You might get somewhere.”

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