Some things, Jaebum just can't let go of.

Some things, on the other hand, he just can't accept.

He wonders what he's done wrong when he takes to the stairs two at a time up to their supervisor's office, Youngjae's cryptic (but then again, Youngjae’s always cryptic) words still hanging above his head.

JYP wants to see you. Don't ask.

He tries to reason that there are a lot of reasons he could want to see him. New traffic division trainees, another case in the arson series that'd been plaguing the quieter neighbourhoods, though none of these would quite warrant a meeting with him. Maybe another sadistic streak? He tends to have a lot of those.

Jaebum knocks twice, knuckles stiff against the heavy wood door, like his tendons have become rusty with disuse of that action. He hasn't done it in quite a while. Not since-...

He steels himself, inhaling steadily. He's not supposed to think about that, not anymore.

At the smart come in that sounds from within, he pushes the door open, blinking at the light pouring in from the windows opposite. Jaebum wonders why he doesn't install a set of blinds or curtains or something to prevent his eyeballs from getting scorched. Maybe to show how absolutely transparent he is with his work ethics and morals?

Jaebum considers it for a split second. Nah. It's probably to blind everyone who comes in so they can't see what he's doing anyway.

"Ah, Jaebum," JYP says, like it's a pleasant surprise. "Why don't you sit? You look incredibly stiff in the doorway."

"Thank you sir," Jaebum says cautiously, before walking up to slide cautiously into the stiff backed wooden chair in front of his desk. There's a file in front of him alright, but his hands are folded neatly on top of the label so he can't see it, by purpose or accident, he doesn't know. Knowing him though, it's probably on purpose. His stomach tightens a little in apprehension. "You wanted to see me, sir?"

"Indeed," he's still got that pleasant smile on his face, which sort of gets on Jaebum's nerves. Maybe it's because that's the face he's seen him use when he’s about to tell a particularly insufferable perp they’ve got enough evidence to slam him behind bars for a few lifetimes. "How’s Traffic and Arson been lately?"

"Good, sir," Jaebum says slowly, wondering where he's getting at. "Seoul's a quiet city, sir. We've been having a little trouble lately with the recycle bin bombings but there hasn't been a case in a fortnight. And we closed that fatal accident with the truck case a couple days back."

"Oh? Wonderful," JYP continues deftly, though Jaebum's quite sure he's well aware of those two facts. He's usually well aware of everything. "And good job with the implementation of the new roster system with the peak traffic rounds, it was ah, pretty ingenious, if you don't mind me saying."

"Thank you sir," Jaebum's seriously starting to have doubts about this conversation now. Did he seriously call him up here just to congratulate him on that new protocol? Sure it'd taken some work, but nothing like what the higher-ups in Criminal Investigation and Commercial Affairs do. He'd know, of course, he was-...

Jaebum almost grimaces visibly, then, but JYP doesn't seem to have noticed. He's still wearing that deceptively light smile when he speaks next.

"So ingenious, I'm a little sad to take you out of there."

Jaebum blinks, wondering if he's heard right.

"What?" he doesn't quite yet believe what he's implying.

"You’re getting re-promoted. Again. Don't look so down," he finally pushes the file across, and Jaebum's heart sinks when he reads the label. “About time you returned to Criminal Investigation finally, don’t you think?"

"But sir-..."

“You start next week- just enough time for you to say goodbye to your friends in Traffic, I’d say? And maybe finish training up those rookies that came in last month?”

“Sir-…”

“Your new desk is just by your old one- back when you were, ah, still there? Lovely place, really, lots of light. Better than those stuffy cubicles down in Traffic.”

“Sir,” Jaebum emphasizes the word, more firmly this time, and his supervisor has the audacity to look surprised at the insistence. “I can’t accept this.”

“Well, why not?” JYP picks up a couple of pens from his desk and drops them neatly back in their holder, before turning to beam with an awfully plastic pleasantness at him. “You’ve built yourself a rather stellar portfolio in Traffic- twice, now that I mention it, and your record during your stay in Criminal Investigation still proves to be one of the best in the force, other than the Embassy Incident.”

Jaebum winces, this time more visibly, at the mention of it. He wonders how his supervisor can mention it so easily- how it doesn’t seem to take an ounce of toll on his shoulders, when he’d worked himself in and out of countless depressions and episodes of grief trying to get it off his mind.

“Yes, the incident,” Jaebum says stiffly. “I don’t think I’m fit for Criminal Investigation again, sir.”

JYP makes The Face, the one that clearly says yeah, uh, so? I don’t care, shrugging slightly. “Uh, other than the fact that just about everyone in the force disagrees with you, how do I say this tactfully? You ah, need to get over it, Jaebum.”

Jaebum blinks patiently.

“The Embassy Incident was seventeen months ago, Jaebum. We’ve managed to crack down on some of the smaller secret societies but when it comes to the important geondal, the ones like the Ssang Yong Pa and the Seven Star Mob, it’s common knowledge that you’re the most experienced of all our officers in this area,” his hands are folded neatly on the desk again, and he recites the facts like they’re off the top of his head. “I understand you’ve carried some scars away from that but you should also understand that we need officers in Criminal Investigation. Good officers,” he raises an eyebrow. “Everyone makes mistakes. And ah, about all of us have moved on, so uhm,” he shrugs again. “What are you still doing stuck in the past?”

“I don’t think I’m having the hardest time moving on, sir,” Jaebum grits out. There’s a moment of silence, before something lights in realization in his supervisor’s eyes.

“Ah, your ex-partner, wasn’t it?” JYP leans back in his comfortable swivel chair, tapping a finger against his chin. “Unforgettable name, even if I do say so myself. Park Jinyoung?”

Jaebum doesn’t realize he’s clenching his hands into fists until he feels the pain from blunt nails digging crescents into his flesh, and wills himself to relax.

“Yes,” he replies shortly.

“How is he now? Last I heard, he was doing pretty alright in Home Affairs and Counsel, wasn’t he?” JYP says pleasantly.

“Yes sir.”

“If my observations serve me well, then,” he shrugs. “I’d have to disagree with you, then, Jaebum. You’re making this a lot harder on yourself than everyone’s making it on you.”

Jaebum doesn’t know what to say to that, what to say that could possibly change anything then, so he stays silent.

"Well then, since we all agree," JYP claps his hands together, pulling a thin manila file from behind him. “Your new assignment’s there, and this is your new partner’s file.”

Jaebum only realizes what he’s said a few moments after he’s done so, and frowns slightly.

“My new partner’s file, sir? You never gave me Jinyoung’s file.”

“Ah, well, let’s just say your new partner’s ah…” JYP peels a little at the corner of the file. “A bit of a turbulent case, shall we say?”

“He’s a freshie?” Jaebum sounds dubious even to himself, but who can blame him? A freshie getting paired up with someone who just got re-invited after getting kicked out of the department a year ago? It’s a recipe for disaster.

“I wouldn’t say that, he’s been doing a rather spectacular job in the joint projects with Busan for the serial arson cases,” His supervisor pushes the file across. “Just got transferred to Seoul upon special request after his promotion.”

“Whose special request?” Jaebum can’t help but ask. JYP doesn’t avert his gaze, replying openly.

“His.”

“Oh,” Jaebum’s confused, and still extremely reluctant, and that makes him mute (much like many other things), so JYP seems to take the opportunity.

“Now shoo. Ah, go,” he gestures towards the door, and Jaebum stands stiffly, taking both files from the table. “Ah, get started reading up on that new case, won’t you? And finish up with those trainees, phew, people won’t get off my back about it.”

Jaebum’s tempted not to dignify that with a response, but the respect that’s been drilled into him since he got here overrides all immature impulses.

“Yes sir,” he mutters, before exiting moodily, the weight of the two files in his hands making every step along the way heavier.

a/n: omg i'll do better next chapter i promise