Jongin currently has a knee pressed into his thigh and Luhan’s elbow jammed into his shoulder as the elder leans against him to get a better look at the map they’ve got spread out across the shiny tabletop of their booth at the back of Club Espresso.

“Get your elbow out of my crotch,” Chanyeol complains to Sehun from across the table.

“They really need to get bigger booths,” Victoria comments mildly, sipping her coffee. She’s squeezed onto the side that Jongin and Luhan are sitting on, but they’ve given her enough room that she’s the only one not crowded, which means that Luhan and Jongin are even closer than they normally would be.

“Maybe we should find a coffee shop that has booths for more than two people,” Sehun suggests.

Chanyeol growls at him. “Don’t even think about it. Club Espresso is our place and that’s not going to change.”

“Once you get in Baekhyun’s pants, we won’t need to come here anymore,” Sehun cracks. “Once he finds out how crappy you are in bed, you’ll never show your face here again.”

“Shut up!” Chanyeol all but wails. “He’s coming over here!”

“Wait,” Luhan says suddenly. “How does Sehun know what Chanyeol is like in bed?”

Victoria snorts so loudly she nearly chokes on her coffee.

Baekhyun saunters up to their table then, carrying two iced Americanos and wearing a bright smile. “Here you go,” he says, setting the drinks down on either side of the map. He lets out a low whistle as he takes in the paper unrolled on the tabletop. “Looks like you guys are working hard over here. Is this some big, important cop case? Or is that classified information?” He chuckles.

Jongin sort of feels like it is classified information, but none of the others really feel the same sense of secrecy that he does.

“It’s a cold case,” Sehun answers. “We’ve got a cryptic message from an old English poem telling us about a particular place somewhere in Korea, but we’ve got no idea where it is.”

Baekhyun purses his lips. “I know I’m not a cop, but I am something of a literature buff. That’s what I studied in university. Fat lot of good it did me,” he adds with a laugh, gesturing to the coffee shop. “But I know a bit about it. I wouldn’t mind helping you if you need it.”

Jongin feels a flicker of gratitude and that ever-present explosion of hope that he can’t seem to put a lid on no matter how hard he tries.

Everyone looks at Chanyeol expectantly but, as usual when Baekhyun is involved, the jolly giant seems to have lost his ability to form coherent words. He’s just staring at the table with very red cheeks.

Luhan rolls his eyes in fond exasperation. “That would be fantastic, Baekhyun. None of us really know much about literature, so we’re at something of a standstill.”

“Great,” Baekhyun beams. “I can’t really do much now since I’m at work and we’re kind of busy, but why don’t you all come over to my place after you get off tonight?”

Chanyeol knocks his drink over and Victoria hisses at him, leaping up before spilled coffee can get on her designer skirt.

“That would be awesome,” Sehun deadpans, grabbing a handful of napkins and mopping up the mess his clumsy partner had made.

Baekhyun quickly scribbles his address onto a clean napkin and hands it directly to Chanyeol. “Great. I’ll see you guys tonight. I get off work at five.”

Chanyeol accepts the napkin with trembling hands.

“I can’t go,” he announces once they’re safely back at the precinct. “Just tell Baekhyun I’m sick or something.”

Sehun regards him with the closest thing Jongin has ever seen to emotion on his face. “Are you ing crazy, Park Chanyeol? That guy likes you. I can’t for the life of me tell why, but he obviously does. And he invited you to his house. You have to go. If you don’t, you’re going to ruin your chances with him forever.”

“I have to agree with Sehun on this,” Victoria says, chewing on the end of her straw thoughtfully. “I think this might be your chance, oh tall one. Go for it. What’s the worst that can happen?”

Chanyeol’s face goes dark. “There are a million terrible things that could happen! What if-”

“Chanyeol,” Luhan interrupts him calmly. “As your friend, I’m telling you to shut up and go. Trust me.”

So, when they get off work that evening, they all head over to the address that Baekhyun had written down. Jongin texts Sunyoung to let her know that he’s going to be coming home late – again – but she doesn’t even bother to answer. Jongin hadn’t really expected her to.

When Luhan knocks on the door – because Chanyeol had been too nervous to do so himself – Baekhyun opens the door wearing casual clothes and a huge smile. “Come on in,” he offers generously, standing aside. “My roommate is out right now, so we’ve got the place to ourselves.”

Baekhyun’s apartment is surprisingly neat and tidy, decorated with a post-modernist feel. There are framed paintings on the wall and a stack of Wushu DVDs stacked next to the television.

“Wushu?” Luhan says in some surprise. “No offense, but I didn’t peg you for a martial arts kind of guy.”

Baekhyun’s smile turns kind of wry. “I’m totally not. That stuff belongs to my roommate. He’s all about it.” He glances at Chanyeol and his smile brightens again. “Have a seat. Tell me about your cryptic clue and I’ll see if I can help any.”

They all dutifully crowd around the glass and chrome coffee table and Sehun unrolls the map, using candles to weigh down the four corners. While he does that, Luhan pulls the laminated copy of the letter out of his briefcase and hands it to Baekhyun.

They’re all quiet as Baekhyun reads the letter. Even though it’s Jongin’s personal mission to solve the case, everyone else has gotten involved and they’re eager to hear what Baekhyun has to say – or, in Chanyeol’s case, he’s eager to hear anything that Baekhyun might say.

“It’s Tennyson,” Baekhyun says when he finishes, looking up from the letter. “It’s quoting from ‘In Memoriam.’”

“We’d worked out that bit for ourselves,” Sehun says flatly. “We think the letter is talking about a specific place.”

Baekhyun nods thoughtfully, looking down at the map of Korea. “Are you thinking this person stayed in the country, then?”

They all look to Jongin for an answer. He swallows thickly. “I think he would’ve stayed in the country – at least initially. He was only fifteen when he disappeared, and he didn’t have a lot of money. I think it would’ve been difficult for him to leave the country at that time.”

“Which means that the clue in this letter is most likely talking about a place in Korea,” Baekhyun muses. He taps the letter. “I think this part is really important: ‘My love has talk’d with rocks and trees; He finds on misty mountain-ground; His own vast shadow glory-crown’d; He sees himself in all he sees.’ I think this is where your clue lies.”

Victoria her head to the side. “It sounds like he’s talking about someplace rural. Someplace with a lot of mountains.”

“We’re in Korea, Victoria,” Sehun says flatly. “There are mountains literally everywhere.”

She flicks him on the forehead with her long, crimson nail. “But think about the part where he says his own vast shadow glory-crown’d. I think he’s talking about somewhere in the south, because of the shadow part.”

“I think Victoria is right,” Baekhyun agrees. “And what’s the most famous mountain in the south?”

“Hallasan,” Chanyeol blurts out eagerly, even though the answer had been more than obvious.

Baekhyun smiles at him and winks.

But Jongin isn’t paying attention to their little flirtations. His heart has managed to lodge itself somewhere in the vicinity of his throat once more. “Y-you think he went to Jeju?” he asks.

Baekhyun nods, the smile slipping off his face. “I think so. I think that’s what this letter is saying. I think Jeju might be your best place to start looking.” 

So first of all, I have to apologize for my lack of updates! I have been SO busy you guys have no idea! It's been crazy lately! But I'm back now!

Secondly, I got featured! Woohoo!! 

Thank you so much for your upvotes and comments! Seriously, I hadn't been on in a while and when I finally logged on I saw this and it made me so happy! 

Thanks so much and I promise it won't be so long between updated again! But I'm getting married in 10 months and there is so much to do!! 

I love you guys!!

lol jk <3