Jaejoong’s conversation with G, otherwise known as Jiyong as the MBA graduate certificate in his office indicated, hadn’t been particularly enlightening.  It was entertaining to be sure, but the businessman, eccentric as he appeared, was also remarkably good at guiding the conversation in the way he wanted.  Granted, Jaejoong hadn’t been there on official business, as both of them were well aware.  Dropping Kyuhyun’s name as a friend of his had done very little to loosen the other’s lips, except to ask about who he was.  Not exactly helpful for him…   And really, it had probably further limited just how much clout he had but he’d seen a few things to give him more to work with.

                On the wall, he’d noticed a picture of Jiyong and Seunghyun, their arms slung over each other’s shoulders.  He was fortunate neither male seemed to age particularly quickly as they both appeared rather identical to the pictures Kyuhyun had pulled up when they were looking at their possible contact sources; except their hair had changed since at the time it had been black on both of them.  They were friends at the very least, or had been at some point in time before the present so there was definitely some sort of connection there.  Now… if only he could reveal it without actually playing the private investigator card.

                Not that he could anyway.  Kyuhyun would kill him for trying anything after having banished him from the office right now.  Unfortunately, he was little more than a civilian currently; one wandering around a second hand goods store with remarkably good taste and surprisingly well trained employees.  Victoria was keeping a keen eye on him, unobtrusively of course, and there was nothing to indicate it was because she was even remotely interested in him.  He’d seen that look often enough to recognize it.  She wasn’t wearing it.

                What had Kyuhyun said about Jiyong anyway?  Wasn’t he the go-to person when it came to supplies?  Or something like that…  “Aish,” he sighed, pretending to lament the item he was distractedly inspecting in his hand to give the appearance of being interested. At least that strange fellow from earlier was gone.  Had he mentioned his name?

                Now that he looked back on it, he had been acting a little bit strange.  Well, everyone had their quirks but that was a bit excessive.  It was almost like he’d wanted to keep him focused on him but for what reason was still beyond his understanding.  Nibbling on his lip thoughtfully, he set the item down and approached Victoria who smiled at him brightly.  “Is there something I can help you with, sir?” she asked, hands clasped demurely in front of her.

                “Actually.  I was wondering where the restrooms are?” he asked with a relaxed smiled, taking a confused look around.  “I didn’t see a sign…” he trailed off.

                “Oh.  Just back through there and to the right,” she pointed at the same doors that Jiyong had come through when he stepped out to meet him.

                “Ah.  Thank you,” he nodded his head appreciatively and made his way casually towards the doors, catching sight of her reflection in the glass of the swinging doors.  She was still watching him…

                Pretending he hadn’t noticed, he stepped through and took a few steps forward, locating the requested restrooms easily to his right, but he did a full sweep.  Not unlike the restrooms in the Ddangkoma restaurant he’d seen, there was another door near the back that wasn’t labeled, a sliding bay door with a chain pulley sitting in front of it and a couple large stacking pallets leaning against the wall on the right hand side further down.  It seemed rather plain actually and he wondered where they stored their additional products at.  There had to be a doorway nearby, if the one ahead wasn’t it already.

                To help avoid suspicion, he actually ducked into the restroom, a small two urinal and single stall room that was surprisingly well kept.  It even smelled nice with the lingering scent of lemon and mint; just enough to lighten the air but not overpower the senses.  Another scan showed very little out of the ordinary; regular vents above and two sinks with nice clean mirrors and the standard soap dispenser with electric hand dryers.

                “Nothing about this guy is second hand,” Jaejoong whispered to himself with a shake of his head.  There was definitely more to this Jiyong than initially met the eye.

                Carefully, he peeked back into the hallway, making sure the coast was clear before he edged near the doors to get a bead on Victoria.  He very nearly panicked when he saw Jiyong himself returning, pausing briefly to speak to his employee, giving Jaejoong just enough time to duck back into the restroom.

                Holding his breath, he listened near the door, prepared to pretend he was just heading out if he needed to.  Fortunately, he heard Jiyong actually humming as he went by, the shadow of his passing flickering through the slatted vents at the bottom of the door.  Very carefully this time, he cracked the door and tried to follow where the owner was headed without being seen himself.

                Jiyong didn’t actually do more than glance behind him but then headed straight to the back of the hallway, ignoring the blank door entirely.  Instead, he pulled the circular chain pulley that looked like it was for the sliding bay door at the very back.  Whistling in satisfaction, the owner promptly disappeared behind the pallets…

                “What the…?” Jaejoong murmured, looking at the back with a crease furrowing his brow.  Was there a hallway back there?  He opened the door to step out and froze again when the door to the left opened, admitting a pair of men carrying a nicely restored but narrow sofa between them.  They looked normal enough in light navy blue coveralls, gloves and baseball caps pulled down to help keep the outside sun out of their eyes.

                “Scuse me,” the lead male commented, shuffling backwards as his companion tilted the couch to help steer them.  “Mind getting the door for us, buddy?” he asked with an easy smile, nodding towards the barrier ahead of them.

                “Oh.  Sure,” Jaejoong agreed, stepping over to pull the door open, briefly distracted by them as they ambled through, calling a greeting to Victoria who instructed them on where to go.

                Jaejoong couldn’t help one final look back at the unknown hallway and tilted his head to the side when he spotted a third figure emerge from the left side door.  He was relatively tall and thin with dark brown hair pulled into a short pony-tail at the back of his head, his messy bangs framing a very attractive face.  Unlike the other two, despite the fact that he was carrying a slender but long wooden crate over his shoulder, he looked considerably more fashionable with something akin to what Victoria would be wearing, only masculine.

                He paused when he noticed Jaejoong at the entrance, waving once and then cursing to himself before he rolled his eyes and turned back around, disappearing into the room he’d just stepped out of.  Baffled by the maneuver, Jaejoong was tempted to follow him but then jumped when he heard a voice at his side.  “Are you alright, sir?” Victoria asked, placing a tentative hand on his shoulder.

                “Oh!” Jaejoong laughed nervously, tearing his attention and curiosity away from the back.  “I’m fine.  Just… off in my own little world,” he assured her with a wave, taking a step back towards the main floor and away from the back rooms.

                “You looked it,” she smiled in return, her calm expression giving nothing away, though her eyes measured him where he stood, very clearly judging him.

                “Yes well.  Thanks again,” he waved, stuffing his hands in his pockets and ambling towards the front, letting his gaze sweep across the room once more.  Lingering near some of the knick knacks at the entrance, he waited until he finally saw Victoria head into the back, relatively easy to follow through the small windows that allowed him to see in.  Out of the corner of his eye, he thought he saw her at the door on the left, his interest rising when he know he saw the other male, package in hand, step out, speaking quietly to her.

                By the time she made her way back to the front again, Jaejoong made sure that he wasn’t in the store anymore.

                Changmin glared at Kevin over the counter as he regarded the younger male who was steadfastly pretending to be very obsessed with the accessories under the counter.  “Kevin…” he warned lightly, his fingers dancing over his arms folded across his chest as he ignored the closed envelope on the counter.

                “Oh don’t look at me like that, Min.  I’m just the messenger,” Kevin whined, clearly not exactly happy about it either.

                Disgruntled, Changmin snatched up the envelope and stepped into the back with an unpleasant barrage of words passing through his lips.  There were three slips of paper in the sealed packet and he stepped into Key’s currently unoccupied but private office to read them.  Since his friend and contact had turned his phone off, he had no way of getting up with him when he ‘stepped’ out but at least he’d been thoughtful enough to leave a message packet behind.

                “Stupid, secretive, irritating…” his voice trailed off while his eyes narrowed at the first letter.  It was a plain white piece of paper with nothing to indicate who it belonged to but it was a scanned or faxed copy written in quick and careless script; not at all like Key’s handwriting.

                Be careful.  Another player has been confirmed.

                “,” Changmin muttered, setting it to the back of the stack carefully.  The second page was an obvious copy, the original text the same consistency of something printed more than once.  He was surprised to recognize it as what he suspected was Seunghyun’s handwriting, having glimpsed the style earlier this morning.

                This one could get ugly.  They’re all in again.  Lay low and stay out of their way.  If you need help, don’t be afraid to ask.

                Written in that same quick and careless script as the first note, there was another line hastily written in under the second note.

                Thought you should see this.  Not that I know where it came from or anything.  J

                “What the hell?” Changmin frowned at it.  Who wrote smiley faces in their notes?  Especially ones that weren’t supposed to be read anyway.  With a stifled sigh, he pulled out the third note, instantly recognizing the meticulous and tight handwriting of Key.

                He’s getting impatient.  I’ve gone to see if I can’t buy you more time for now.

                You need to hurry though.  We can’t afford a repeat of last time.

                Be careful.

                “Tch.  Last time wasn’t my fault,” he grumbled under his breath, inhaling deeply as he slid the pages back into the envelope and dropped it in the shredder by Key’s desk.  In seconds, the notes were little more than illegible fragments that would be burned shortly anyway.  “Hey Kevin!” he called, pausing and waving shyly when he noticed there was an actual customer discussing business at the front.

                “Just a minute,” Kevin called back as if he did it all the time, his attention never wavering from the young woman in front of him clearly enchanted by the accessories that were on the pricier end of the spectrum behind the glass panes at the front.

                Bemused, Changmin wandered out from the back and listened in without appearing to.  He certainly had a bit of a silver tongue and he was laying it on thick too.  Fortunately, it was working with the young woman who was practically hanging on his every word, more than a little bit taken by him.  Mentally whistling at just how much he managed to ‘convince’ her to buy, Changmin waited until he’d finished his transaction, placing out inventory to replace what had been sold.

                “Why didn’t Key let me now there was a shipment in today?” he asked nonchalantly, approaching the slender male who blinked in surprise.

                “That’s easy, Minnie.  You’re always prepared,” he smiled confidently, placing the palms of his hands on the edge of the counter.  At Changmin’s skeptical look, he scoffed, “Well you are!  But he did figure that Seunghyunnie might mention something like it,” he shrugged, looking away.

                “I wouldn’t call him that,” Changmin shook his head.  “Ever actually,” he gave the other male a rather concerned look.  That was definitely dangerous ground.  Kevin waved him off with a carefree grin and he sighed.

                “Key knew you’d go speak with him and he also knows that Seunghyun actually likes you.  Sort of anyway.  As much as he likes anybody outside of his circle,” he explained.

                Dumbfounded, Changmin frowned at the explanation.  If that was him actually being nice, he shuddered to think what he would do if he was in a bad mood; or heaven forbid you made him angry.  “But he didn’t know for sure.”  It was a statement, not a question.

                Kevin maintained that carefree grin and gestured at the counter, “Have you seen our newest goods, Minnie?”

                The taller male’s shoulders slumped visibly as he sighed with a frustrated expression.  “If I didn’t like you…” he shook his finger at the completely harmless looking young man.  “Just let him know I’ll be around.  I’ll be in my apartment if he’s curious.”

                “See you around, Minnie!  Good luck!” he cheered, waving enthusiastically.

                Not particularly eager to head home yet, Changmin poked around briefly, swinging by the Ddangkoma main office and casino to see if perhaps good old Yunho was in the area, but when both proved fruitless, he settled for lunch instead.  Sunny’s Diner never failed to disappoint and he finally tried their lunch menu with the end result of liking breakfast better anyway.  It reminded him of Jaejoong…

                The sound of his palm meeting his forehead as he sat over his mostly finished plate of food was louder than he intended and he laughed sheepishly when he drew some attention.  “Pabo,” he murmured quietly, leaving enough to cover the fare and a generous tip before he headed out quickly, not wanting to draw any more notice.  He was probably still at work anyway.  Idly, he wondered what the raven haired young man was working on.  What sort of clues had he managed to uncover lately?  Did he have any other leads on the break-in?  Did he suspect…?

                “Stop that,” he told himself with a shake of his head, hailing a cab to head back.

                His apartment was untouched when he made it home, everything just the way he’d left it.  He was settling in when he heard sound coming from the headset on his desk, positioned very much like the one in Jaejoong’s apartment.  Curiously, he made his way over and sat down, slipping the padded coverings over his ears, turning up the volume on the dial to hear better, his eyes lingering on the cord that trailed behind his desk and into the hole he’d made in the floor.  Immediately, he heard the quiet sound of someone talking under their breath in a focused chant accompanied by the sound of keys typing.

                “I just need something.  Some sort of direction.  The bylaws would have cut smuggling profits by over fifty percent, if not better and that would have affected the AFFA for sure.  Probably.  If they’re as dirty as Kyu thinks, they would have the most to lose… or gain from having the contract themselves.”

                Changmin frowned when he realized that Jaejoong was actually home and what he was talking about.  Why wasn’t he at work?

                “But the cargo manifests show that he’s carried products for both Azgard and Ddangkoma on more than one occasion so it would hurt all of them.  So are they all in it together maybe?  No.  Can’t be.  They’d never cooperate enough.  Would they?  Dammit!” he growled, obviously sliding back when silence fell and he heard something rustling over the floor.

                He didn’t hear the footsteps but it didn’t take a genius to know the sounds of someone rummaging around in the kitchen.  “Time to move,” he told himself, setting the headphones down and touching himself up briefly.  He ruffled his hair but smoothed down his shirt, taking a hasty breath as he peered at himself in the mirror.  “Aish.  What are you doing?  Just go already,” he rolled his eyes, wondering when it mattered what he looked like when he was going to see Jaejoong.

                With just the faint tendrils of nerves edging in on him, he knocked on the door and waited for his downstairs neighbor to appear.  Jaejoong looked surprised and uncertain when he slowly opened the door, clearly just finished with debating whether to greet him or not.  “Min.  Hi,” he forced a smile.

                “Hey Jae,” Changmin waved, stepping to the side to get a slightly better view of him.

                “Now’s not… really a good time, Min,” Jaejoong spoke slowly, feeling his way with the words.

                “I’m sorry,” Changmin looked aghast, taking a hesitant step back and glancing up and down the hallway.  “I just heard you moving around, you know.  I didn’t expect you to be home so I thought I’d see how you were doing,” he explained, biting his bottom lip nervously, fingers clasped in front of him like a child.

                Jaejoong winced at the expression and pushed the door open a bit more.  Of course he was probably just a bit scared about everything too.  A break-in was never fun and it was just below his apartment after all.  “I’m… okay,” he nodded reluctantly.  As well as he was going to be anyway.  “How are you, Min?”

                The taller male took a hesitant step forward, keeping his eyes locked on Jaejoong’s.  “I’m worried for you,” he admitted after a long pause, holding steady where he was, waiting for a response from the other first.

                He couldn’t deny his heart melted just a bit when he said that.  Trying to buy himself just a fraction of time, he rubbed his forehead with his fingers, eyes narrowed in an uncertain frown.  “It’s alright, Minnie,” he finally assured him, placing a hand on the other’s arm, giving it a light squeeze.  “Nothing’s going to happen to me.”  His smile was bright, brave and utterly forced.

                “You promise?” Changmin forced a laugh, a half-smile appearing on his face.  Jaejoong nodded and chuckled in the back of his throat.  When he moved to take his hand away though, Changmin caught it, curling his fingers around gently but firmly.  “I know you’re probably really busy, but… could we maybe talk?” he asked, expression painfully hopeful.

                Jaejoong felt heat around his hand, soothing and comfortable, and he couldn’t quite seem to pull his gaze away.  His head kept saying, ‘No, no, no,’ but the when he opened his mouth, it betrayed him.  “Sure, Minnie.  But just for a little while, neh?” he asked, pulling the taller male inside before he closed the door quietly behind him.

(a/n: First off, sorry for the delay.  ;u;  I did not mean for this update to take as long as it did.  *sigh*  I can only hope that the content at least partially makes up for it.  I had meant for it to be longer but I think I'll just push the segment I was toying with into the next update instead since I don't know how long it would take to finish it and it's already almost 2am here.  lol  I wanted to at least finish this one before it got too much later!

I also want to send a special thanks to JessaAndHerAddiction for the awesome and kind gesture of advertising and to those newest subbies who joined the story as a likely result.  If you haven't already checked out her work, take a gander at her fic The Calm.  The foreward and description does a damn good job of catching your attention and the first chapter draws you in.  ;)

Thanks again and please look forward to the next update!)