Kyuhyun slung the bag over his shoulder, hurrying out of the room and into the early evening. People were busily chattering and walking, headed for the dining hall. No one paid any mind to him as he slipped through the throngs, that is, until he felt a hand grasp his wrist.

Cursing under his breath, Kyuhyun turned around to see Jungmo eyeing him with some amount of wariness. “What are you doing?” he sighed.

“I caught wind of Ryeowook,” he responded quickly, “I need to get going.”

“You sound absolutely crazy right now,” Jungmo grunted, tightening his hold on the agent. “There’s no way you’re abandoning this after what we found last night. Aren’t in the least curious as to what the boy will say when he wakes up?”

Kyuhyun thought for a second and then shrugged, tearing out of the grip. “You’re probably going crazy if you think I am ever going to prioritize the lives of millions over Ryeowook. I didn’t join this agency to be a hero. All I want is to save him. That’s my only goal. You’re not going to get in my way.”

“After all this time, you haven’t changed?” Jungmo demanded. “There could be a crazy killer out there and you’re not even going to try and stick around.”

“Yeah, no,” he deadpanned. “I wish I was a justice seeker and a goodie-two-shoes or whatever, but I’m really not. The agency always knew they would be taking a risk when bringing me in.”

“You’re going rogue just like that?” he asked.

Kyuhyun thought for a moment, and then he shrugged. “I’ve lived to die. I’ve seen the world. I’ve played the game. Even if it’s only for a few seconds, I want to be happy again.” He shrugged his bag higher up his shoulder. “Bye. Good luck.”

Jungmo watched him leave, unable to do anything to stop him. For a split second, he considered contacting Donghae to warn him, but what was the point? He was probably with Ryeowook. They would find out soon enough. He would never admit to having a soft spot for Kyuhyun, though.

“Where is he going?” Henry asked, appearing behind Jungmo.

The latter shook his head. “Doesn’t matter. We have more important things to worry about now.” He slung an arm around the younger boy, leading him away from the departing figure.

The flight was bearable, but only because of his wandering mind and a very fine glass of wine. Kyuhyun peered out the window at the night, sighing as he tried to quell the fire and clenching of his stomach.

It had all been an accident. The email had come without notice and from a foreign address, but the information was all he had going for him. When he considered the factors leading up to his sudden decision, it probably didn’t make sense.

After all, it was a very cryptic message. The photo attachment and recording were very convincing, though. Kyuhyun smiled humorlessly. It was clear why he had taken the anonymous tip. Anything that had to do with Ryeowook was worth checking out. Perhaps it was just a ploy to get him away from the missing student investigation at the school, but either way, it hardly mattered. All he knew was that Ryeowook was very possibly in the Middle East alone.

Upon arrival, Kyuhyun hailed a taxi, giving them the address of a countryside estate. They drove by dry lands and moonlit huts. There were wild animals grazing and howling, but none crossed or disturbed the journey.

A large, gated estate rolled into view some one hour later, and Kyuhyun tossed a handful of bills to the man – not bothering to check for the amount. He slammed the door, immediately coming face to face with a pair of security guards.

“What business do you have at this hour?” they demanded.

Kyuhyun raised his hands up in surrender, widening his eyes in feigned meekness. “I…I heard of a servant opening…I need the money…,” he dropped to his knees, beginning to sob.

“Hmm…,” the guards exchanged a look.

Clearly they aren’t incredibly bright… Kyuhyun internalized his thoughts, continuing to whimper and cower in their presence.

Finally, he heard one of the guards muttering orders into a communicator. The next second, Kyuhyun was being ushered into the estate, through the gardens, and into the main building. He hid his smirk, not surprised to find how easy it was to get in. The information in that email hadn’t been a hoax thus far. Hopefully it continued on well.

A short, curt interview proceeded and Kyuhyun was positive he had passed with flying colors. The servants lived in a separate building, somewhere past the main gardens and just within the estate limits. He breezed through the dressing and orientation, eyes traveling around in hopes of spotting Ryeowook.

“You will begin work tomorrow morning,” the head servant stated, pointing at his cot.

“Tomorrow? That’s great,” Kyuhyun nodded, smiling without feeling as he impatiently studied the people walking in and out of the house. There were both male and female servants, making it that much harder to locate Ryeowook. Furthermore, the uniforms were uni. Internalizing a groan, Kyuhyun flopped down on his cot, deciding that perhaps he was a bit tired after all.

Rolling onto his side, he drowned out the voices around him with thoughts of Jungmo and the abandoned mission and the missing students. It wasn’t his business anymore, but it wasn’t actually that easy to let it all go.

Who’s responsible…? He sighed, shaking his head and burying his face in the pillow. It was surreal being there. Hell, he barely knew if Ryeowook was actually there. For all he knew, it might end up being a wild goose chase.

***

Sunggyu gazed down at Henry, eyes widening slowly. “I…are you alright?” His brows drew together as he studied the cringing boy. “That was a bad fall.” The older student peered up the stairs, wondering how that had happened. “Someone pushed you?”

“Maybe,” Henry wheezed, rolling over and coughing. “Can…you help me up?” He reached for Sunggyu, who immediately wrapped an arm around him, lifting the light body up. “Thanks.”

“It’s nothing,” he assured, helping him to the infirmary, “Why do you think someone would shove you?”

Hopefully I’m the next target. “I don’t know…,” he frowned, “it might be someone who’s jealous of you…spending so much time with the new kid.”

He stumbled, laughing nervously. “That’s nice of you…but I really hope that’s not the reason.”

“Henry?” Jungmo strode towards them quickly, arms coming out to take Henry from Sunggyu in one fluid motion. He hefted the boy up, holding him with ease. “Hey, what happened?” he demanded, looking to Sunggyu.

The latter shook his head. “I…I just found him at the bottom of the stairs. Someone pushed him, I think.”

“Okay…,” the oldest of the trio nodded, turning and heading off. “Thanks, I’ll take it from here.” Jungmo walked off without waiting for a response, whispering into Henry’s ear, “Did you see who it was?”

“A guy,” he mumbled, “dark hair…,” Henry pulled a folded slip of paper from his pocket, “they passed me this.”

Jungmo pushed the door to the infirmary open. “That’s something,” he said softly, laying the boy down and brushing the hair out of his face. “I’ll check it out. Don’t leave this place.” He exited the room, punching a number into his phone.

“What did you learn?” Changmin prompted immediately.

“It was a good idea to watch the new student, Henry Lau. He was indeed targeted. I just found a note in his pocket. He said it was given to him before someone shoved him down the stairs. It contains a location and time. I think they’re getting sloppy after how close Kyuhyun and I got some days ago.”

“Good. You might finish this case faster than expected,” he remarked, “Make sure to keep an eye on all the possibilities. Check out that location at the designated time. Sound the alarm if you need assistance.”

“Got it,” Jungmo murmured, “Bye.”