Jungkook's POV

We were crossing the wooden bridge which was 200-300 metre long. The planks creaked as we burdened it with our weight but thank goodness it remained steady. After reaching the other side of the bridge, I took in the surroundings.

The house was simple with its sloping roofs. The veranda had a teapoy, surrounded by two chairs. I noticed a bright red car parked in front of the house. It was a Swift Dzire, but was too old, almost unusable.

Unlike the village, where every second there was chatter or sounds of livestock, this area seemed quiet, almost peaceful. The only sounds were of birds chirping and leaves rustling.

I stepped on the porch and knocked on the door, hoping someone would open it. Haerin and I stood in silence, not sure if we can expect someone living here.

Seconds. Minutes. No one opened the door yet.

Just as I was about to raise my hand to knock again, the door opened slowly. A woman, around our age, with long red hair and sharp yet curious eyes, looked at us.

Without waiting for her response, I started my usual monologue. "Detective Jeon Jungkook," I introduced myself. "We're here regarding Soobin's case."

I couldn't help but notice the change in her expression when I mentioned Soobin. A flicker of sadness crossed her face. I was sure Haerin noticed it too. That reaction alone was enough to tell me that she would be able to give us clues, hopefully. 

She nodded her head before stepping aside, making way for us to enter.

The house was calm with simple decor, wooden furniture, white walls and a faint aroma of herbal tea. She gestured for us to sit on the wooden couch with red cushions, an odd combination. She sat across from us and put one of her legs on the other, looking all sophisticated.

I wondered if she loved red, but then my eyes landed on her wrist, which had a red coloured tattoo. This made it clear that she was in love with red. The tattoo was a red butterfly, something I personally didn't like.

I pushed the unnecessary thoughts back and came back to the work I came here for. "Do you know Soobin?"

She nodded. The thing I hate about people I interrogate is them nodding their head without making the effort to open their mouth.

"What's your name?" I asked.

"Kim Jennie," she replied. I noted it down in my book...not mine but Haerin's.

I gave her a small nod. "What was your relationship with Soobin?"

She took a long breath, as if deciding the most appropriate answer. "He was a friend. We were just getting to know each other." Her fingers fidgeted slightly with the hem of her shirt. "A few days ago, I heard he went missing."

That was all she offered. No additional emotions. No desperation for answers. Just a plain statement.

I studied her for a moment before continuing. I kept my tone neutral. "Did you see anyone suspicious near your house the night he went missing?"

She frowned her eyebrows and started thinking. Then slowly, she shook her head. "No, I didn't."

"Where were you that night?"

Jennie leaned back slightly and crossed her arms. "I was coming back from work in my car. I got home, went inside, and slept like I do every night. Nothing unusual."

"What do you do for a living?"

"I work for a marketing company in Seoul."

I was about to ask her why she lived so far from the city when suddenly—

A noise.

A faint thud, followed by a dragging sound. The sound came from somewhere below us.

Haerin and I immediately exchanged looks. My sharp senses became alert. But when I looked at Jennie, she was calm. Too calm, as if this was a routine.

Haerin spoke first. "What was that?"

Jennie answered with her poker face. "Rats."

"Rats?" Haerin repeated, clearly unconvinced.

Jennie nodded. "There are a lot of them in the basement."

I didn't say anything, but something about this felt off.

Haerin and I shared another glance. Something was definitely not right.

Just then, something caught my eyes at the corner of the room. Something small.

A rat.

It remained at the corner of the room, moving its whiskers, deciding where to go. Then without any warning, it charged straight towards where we were sitting.

Haerin and I immediately jumped out of our seats, trying to run away from the rat

Now, I wasn't particularly fond of rats, but I could tolerate them. Haerin, on the other hand? That was an entirely different story.

She shrieked as loudly as possible, bolting toward the farthest corner of the room. But the rat didn't leave her and followed her, as if it had some personal grudges against her.

Haerin, was now in full panic mode and started running towards me. Before I could even process what was happening, she leaped at me with no warning whatsoever. Instinctively, I caught her, my hands grasping under her thighs to keep us both from crashing to the floor.

She locked her arms around my shoulder, trembling with fear.

Jennie gave us a disgusted look before reaching out for a broomstick, placed beside the main door. With practiced ease, she kicked the rat out of the house, as if this was another Tuesday for her.

The room fell silent.

Then I realized the position Hearin and I were in.

Her face was still buried in my shoulder. Her faint floral perfume hit my nose like the cool breeze in summer. My face burned with embarrassment or nervousness or...I didn't know.

Jennie's amused gaze flickered between us, waiting for the drama to end, so that she could have her warm herbal tea after we leave.

Haerin finally lifted her head, checking the ground and the surrounding for any traces of rats. After she made sure that the coast was clear, she got down and heaved a heavy sigh of relief.

Her gaze met mine and I saw it...a faint blush.

I quickly cleared my throat and turned to Jennie. "Thank you for your time. We'll be leaving now, Miss Kim." I wanted to leave this place as soon as possible.

She nodded, her lips pressing into a small, forced smile.

Without waiting for Haerin, I stepped out of the house. Haerin scrambled after me, trying to match my pace.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Jeon," she blurted behind me. "I didn't mean to create a scene back there, but you know I have a fear of rats!"

But then. Thud. A loud sound echoed. I looked back and there she was, lying on the ground with her face kissing the grass.

But before I could give a helping hand, she stood up immediately, brushing away the dust on her dress. I bet her face couldn't get any redder.

I chuckled and shook my head. "You're Doraemon for being scared of rats, do you know that?"

Her jaw dropped in offense. "Excuse me?!"

I smirked and resumed walking before she could argue, leaving her behind.

From behind me, I heard her huff. "Well, if I'm Doraemon, then you're Gian!"

That only made me chuckle more.

For a moment, I forgot that we had a serious case to deal with. Not only one but two, which we were not even sure if they were linked.

I continued my way to my car, this time Haerin walking beside me. I opened the car door for her, and she got in, giving me a small smile. It would be a lie if I said that it didn't flatter me.

I was staring shamelessly. Haerin didn't smile often. Then a thought crossed me. Maybe she used to smile, but maybe Jimin's death had taken away all her charm. Maybe she was once as bright as her brother, a smiling sunshine.

I shook off the thought before taking my seat in the car. Turning toward Haerin, I asked, "Give me the plane tickets and documents."

She nodded and reached into her sling bag and pulled them out. I tried to connect the dots as I flipped through the pages. But the puzzle kept getting complicated.

Soobin went missing the same night Jimin was declared dead. That much was clear. And if there was one thing I was sure of—it wasn't a coincidence. It can't be.

Haerin's POV

The car was too silent. Jungkook was busy checking out the documents, which didn't make sense at all. I was in my own thoughts, trying to make sense of the situation.

Outside, the darkness has started taking over as the sun started dipping down. The dim street lights of the village were turned on.

I was pulled back to reality when Jungkook broke the silence.

"Miss Jung, are you sure Jimin never mentioned anything about leaving this place or buying a house in Palawan?"

I tried my best to recollect him saying anything like that to me. Had Jimin ever told me? Absolutely not. Had he ever given any hints? No, I was sure of that. I would have known, if he had given me the hints.

I shook my head. "No, never."

Jungkook groaned in frustration while handing me back the papers. Before he could murder the papers, I shoved them inside my bag. He let out a deep sigh and leaned his head on the steering wheel.

"It looks like an escape," I murmured, almost to myself.

Jungkook straightened on listening to that and turned towards me. "What?"

I continued. "It looks like he knew someone would kill him and planned an escape." A chill ran down my spine as I voiced the thought aloud.

Jungkook was silent for a long moment and then he spoke. "You're right. I'm sure Jimin knew he was in danger. Hence he might have planned an escape but..... he was too late."

I nodded. Exhaustion was creeping up on me.

Junkook, who looked like he was going through the same as me, let out a sigh and said. "Let's talk about this tomorrow. My mind is too fucked up right now."

I nodded as I was on the same page.

He started the engine and turned to me. "Where's your house? I'll drop you off."

I shook my head. "Just drop me at my office. I left my car there in the parking lot."

He nodded without an argument and started driving.

The ride was silent. We were lost in our own thoughts. The only sound was coming from the radio

....And with Christmas just two weeks away, the city is already glowing with festive lights! Don't forget to check out—"

I didn't bother to listen to the rest of the announcement as my chest tightened.

Jimin wasn't a Christian, but he loved the Christmas holiday more than anyone could. Though he barely knew the traditions, he would celebrate it grandly. He would invite us over every year and bake a cake, which used to be suspiciously too good but we used to pretend it tasted bad just to see him being worked up about it. I could still see his angry face as he would scream at us and threaten to never bake a cake for us only to do it all over again the next year.

A sharp snap of fingers pulled me back to reality.

I flinched and turned to see Jungkook looking at me with his dark eyes.

"We're here," he said.

I blinked as I realized we reached my office.

I forced a laugh and quickly unbuckled my seat. "Oh. Right. Thanks for the ride, Mr. Jeon."

Jungkook gave me a small smile. The kind of smile that made butterflies dance in my stomach.

I stepped out of the door. I weirdly wanted to spend more time with him and that realization was terrifying.

I turned and waved at him. He returned the gesture before driving off into the night.

Taking a deep breath, I faced the building.

The first three floors were lit with lights where usually the late night broadcasts goes on. But the upper floor, where the journalists sit, was completely dark.

I walked towards the parking lot and rummaged my pockets for the keys.

They were not there. A sinking feeling settled in my stomach.

I checked my coat pockets, every compartment of the bag and then finally realized that I left the keys in my office.

I groaned as I had no choice but to go upstairs.

I wasn't exactly scared of the dark but when it comes to empty dark office floors, that's creepy.

I stepped into the elevator while trying to shut negative thoughts from creeping in. The ride up felt longer than usual.

A cold wave of air greeted me the moment the doors opened. The floor was completely silent. The only source of light was the dim emergency light above my head, which hardly provided any illumination.

I stepped forward. My footsteps were unusually loud.

It's simple Haerin. Go to the office, get your keys, and then come back. Yes it's simpl—

Thud.

I stopped. A chill travelled down my spine.

It sounded like the thud of a cupboard slamming close.

I turned my eyes slowly towards the room, where the sound came from while a drop of sweat trickled down my face.

It was.... Jimin's office.

The lights were on. I couldn't move. My breath was becoming irregular.

No one was supposed to be here. No one. Right?

Then I heard footsteps in the room. I was sure that someone or something was inside.

My brain screamed at me to run away, take the elevator and get the hell out of here. But my feet had other plans. It stayed glued to the ground.

I swallowed with great difficulty, the sound of the gulp clearly audible.

Do I go in and find out?

Or do I run away before getting into any danger?

To be continued..

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Author's note: Sorry for the late update😭. Are you planning on staying till the end of this journey?