Chapter 8

Yunho and Mingi sat facing each other at a café table, surrounded by papers and a laptop. Yunho leaned in, his expression earnest.

"I think we should tell Wooyoung now," Yunho suggested, breaking the focused silence.

Mingi glanced up from the file he was poring over, meeting Yunho's eyes briefly before giving a slight nod.

The nod seemed almost hesitant, like Mingi was silently saying, 'Go ahead if you think it's best.' Yunho noticed the hesitation immediately.

"Mingi, what's wrong? Is there something you're not telling me?" Yunho asked, concern evident in his voice.

Mingi paused, placing the file down on the table. He took a deep breath, his brow furrowing slightly. "It's just... I'm not sure if now is the right time," Mingi admitted, his voice tinged with uncertainty.

Mingi let out a sigh and leaned back in his chair, folding his arms as he spoke.

"You know, five years ago when we were working on this case, someone was feeding lies to Wooyoung. There's a person who was involved back then, and I suspect they might still be involved now. Y/N and I had our doubts about the sudden killing of Ju Kyung and Wooyoung's uncanny presence at all the wrong places. There's someone out there, and they're still in the shadows. That's why I'm hesitant to share our findings with Wooyoung just yet."

"I get where you're coming from, Mingi, but he really should know about all this," Yunho reasoned, earning a nod from Mingi—this time, an accepting one.

Yunho reached for his phone to call Wooyoung, but it went straight to voicemail.

"Strange," Yunho muttered, trying again with the same result.

"Okay, we'll try contacting him later, I guess."

"There's another reason I'm hesitant to tell him just yet," Mingi blurted out, grabbing Yunho's undivided attention. Yunho slipped his phone back into his pocket.

"I... I want to do this for Wooyoung. Even though it was the situation at the time, part of me still feels like I made a mistake knowingly, and I need to make up for it."

"What mistake?"

"I let my intrusive thoughts win for once and…" Mingi started.

"Hey, Y/N, what's wrong?" Mingi asked, spotting Y/N sitting at her desk with her hand pressed to her forehead as if she had a headache.

"Already sick of living with the chief? Come on, it's only been two months," Mingi teased, and Y/N playfully slapped his arm, chuckling. "By the way, where's the chief?" he continued.

"Oh, he's in the general's office, talking about the Lee's case again. This Lee guy is a real headache," Y/N groaned, resting her head on the desk.

"Don't worry, we'll catch him," Mingi reassured her. "But seriously, you look more like a cop than a linguist right now." Mingi lightly nudged her elbow, noticing that she felt warm.

He gently touched the back of his hand to Y/N's neck, earning a disapproving groan from her.

"Y/N, you're burning up, what the hell? Did you tell Wooyoung?" Mingi asked, concerned, and Y/N shook her head no. "I knew it."

"Seriously, Mingi, he's already stressed about this case," Y/N said with a sigh, watching her friend hover anxiously.

"Are you kidding? Just tell him and take a break, Y/N." Mingi pressed his hand to Y/N's forehead, and she playfully batted him away. "I can't believe he hasn't noticed. You two practically live together. It's obvious you're not feeling great," Mingi remarked with concern etched on his face.

"It's not his fault. When he's locked into something, he's completely zoned in," Y/N explained, trying to defend her partner. Mingi couldn't help but scoff at that.

Mingi was adamant. "If you won't tell him, I will."

Y/N shook her head. "No, Mingi, please don't."

Just then, Wooyoung appeared in front of them, looking slightly concerned.

He had caught sight of their exchange from the general's cabin, even if he hadn't heard what was said.

"What's going on?" Wooyoung asked, his brow furrowing.

Mingi didn't hesitate. "Your girlfriend is sick, and she's refusing to tell you because she doesn't want to bother you."

Y/N shot Mingi a glare, but Wooyoung wasted no time. He moved beside Y/N and gently touched her forehead, assessing her.

"And she's refusing to take any time off," Mingi added.

Y/N attempted to reassure Wooyoung. "It's nothing, Woo, really. I'm fine, I promise." Wooyoung raised an eyebrow, clearly not impressed by Y/N's attempt to downplay her illness.

"You're going home right now," Wooyoung insisted.

"No, Woo, I'm fine," Y/N protested but Wooyoung wasn't having it.

"I'm not asking Y/N, you are coming with me right now." Wooyoung declared as he picked up Y/N's bag from her desk and reached for her hand. "Mingi, make sure to look after the team and let me know if anything comes up."

With that, Wooyoung headed towards the exit of the police station, Y/N in tow, after sharing instructions with Mingi, who nodded in acknowledgment.

Mingi watched as they left the station, Wooyoung holding Y/N's hand gently yet possessively, as if declaring to the world that she was his and no one else's.

As Mingi observed them, he couldn't help but imagine himself in Wooyoung's shoes, wishing he could be the one holding Y/N's hand and proudly showing everyone that she belonged to him.

Mingi found himself falling for Y/N without even realizing it.

There was something about her, a magnetic confidence that drew him in.

She carried herself like she owned the world, and Mingi couldn't help but admire that.

But Y/N wasn't his to love. She belonged to someone else, and it pained Mingi to know this.

Fate seemed to have a cruel sense of humor.

That day, neither Y/N nor Wooyoung return to the station.

Mingi's mind immediately went to the worst-case scenario—was Y/N in trouble? Was she hurt?

He waited anxiously, hoping for a call or news that would ease his worries, but nothing came.

Unable to shake off his concern, Mingi's curiosity got the better of him.

As soon as his shift ended, he headed towards Y/N and Wooyoung's apartment.

The clock struck 8:30 pm when Mingi set out, and after navigating through some traffic, he arrived at their apartment by 9:10 pm.

Mingi's heart raced as he knocked on the door, uncertain of what he would find on the other side.

He rang the bell a few times—once, twice, three times—but there was no response. Mingi stood there, puzzled.

The door wasn't locked, so he figured someone must be home. Maybe they were just caught up in something, he thought, possibly having a private moment.

Deciding not to intrude, he turned to leave, but then he heard some shuffling inside.

"Y/N?" Mingi called out. He waited, hearing light footsteps approaching.

The door creaked open, revealing Y/N holding a fox plushie that Wooyoung had gifted her.

She looked even sicker than earlier in the day, with a cloth wrapped around her forehead.

"Oh my god, are you okay? You look worse than this morning," Mingi blurted out, concerned.

"What are you doing here, Mingi? It's so late. I was sleeping," Y/N replied, her voice sounding heavy, likely from sickness and sleepiness combined.

Mingi quickly apologized and then held up a carry bag—it was from Y/N's favorite restaurant.

"I brought you some soup," Mingi said, a wide smile on his face, earning a chuckle from Y/N. She opened the door wider, allowing Mingi to enter.

"Hey, Mingi, by the way, where's Wooyoung?" Mingi looked around, noticing his friend was missing.

He set down the carry bag and pulled out a plastic bowl filled with chicken soup.

"He headed out to Seoul this afternoon. Remember that Kang guy who got killed?" Y/N responded, and Mingi nodded in recollection. "Well, his wife reached out. She's got some info to share about Lee's shady dealings, but she's too scared to come to Incheon, especially after what happened to her husband."

"Ah, that's tough," Mingi murmured, feeling for the woman. "She's all alone now, with her son living abroad and losing her husband like that. I heard her son's back in town now. I hope they find the strength to get through this."

Y/N noticed the soup was cooling with its lid off and mentioned she'd grab some spoons.

"Wait, I'll grab the spoons," Mingi said, rising from his seat and heading into the kitchen in search of utensils.

As he rummaged through drawers, he casually asked, "When was the last time you ate?"

"This afternoon. Wooyoung made lunch and even cleaned up before he left," Y/N replied, unaware of the twinge of jealousy creeping into Mingi's thoughts.

Mingi finally found the spoons and gripped them tightly.

He wanted to take care of Y/N, but he couldn't help feeling like he was competing against Wooyoung, which stirred up envy within him.

"Did you find the spoons? Should I come?" Y/N called out.

"No, got 'em," Mingi replied, emerging from the kitchen and taking a seat across from Y/N.

He handed her a spoon, and they began eating the soup together.

Y/N let out a satisfied sound after the first spoonful, and Mingi couldn't help but smile, feeling content that he could make Y/N happy, even if just for a little while.

In that moment, Mingi felt like Y/N was his, if only for a few hours.

As the hours slipped by surprisingly quickly, it was suddenly 11:00 pm, and Mingi found himself reluctant to leave Y/N's side.

He wished he could stay longer, just to look after her.

With a sigh, he got up from the chair, but then a thought struck him, and he reached into his back pocket.

Y/N looked up, surprised, as Mingi produced a lollipop, earning a chuckle from her.

"Thank you, Mingi," she said, taking the lollipop. "Not just for this, but also for the soup and for coming over."

Her gratitude was genuine.

"Are you kidding? I'll always be here for you," Mingi replied, slipping on his shoes hesitantly. "Well, sleep well, okay?" With that, he said his goodbyes and left.

The very next day, Y/N was feeling a bit better, but she was still a little under the weather, so she decided to skip going to the station.

Cooking seemed like a chore, so she opted to order food instead, knowing Wooyoung was due to arrive in the evening.

The day dragged on slowly for her, spent entirely in bed.

Mingi checked in with her from time to time through texts, making sure she was alright, and she responded with the same level of enthusiasm.

"I wonder what Wooyoung is up to right now," Y/N murmured to herself, attempting to call him, only to be directed to voicemail.

Glancing at the clock showing 6:30 pm, she thought about preparing something special for Wooyoung's return in an hour or two.

With some effort, she pushed herself to get out of bed and be a little productive, all for Wooyoung's sake.

Wooyoung trudged in at 8:00 pm, looking completely worn out.

The moment he spotted Y/N bustling away in the kitchen, he couldn't help but start complaining.

"What are you doing? Leave it, I'll cook. I'm still alive," he grumbled with a mix of exhaustion and irritation.

"I wanted to cook for you. You must be tired," Y/N countered gently as Wooyoung reached for the ladle in her hand.

Wooyoung dropped his bag with a thud and gently pushed Y/N aside, guiding her to the nearest stool.

He then checked her forehead, relieved that the fever had finally broken.

"Cook all you want, but only after you've fully recovered. Your fever's gone, but you still look weak," Wooyoung insisted before taking over the cooking duties.

He leaned in and planted a tender kiss on her head.

"How did the meeting go?" Y/N inquired.

"It went okay. We didn't get much, but we did pinpoint one of his bases," Wooyoung replied, skillfully adding ingredients to the pot. "Did you sleep well last night?" he added.

Y/N responded with a contented hum. "Okay, it's done. I'm starving. Let's eat and then hit the sack," Wooyoung declared, dividing up the beef noodles he'd prepared and setting the table.

Once he finished setting everything up, he went back to Y/N, scooped her up despite her protests, and settled her on his lap.

"I'll feed my baby tonight," he announced with a soft smile.

Wooyoung and Y/N had been enjoying a cozy evening together, relishing each other's company over a home-cooked meal.

Wooyoung was playfully feeding Y/N little bites of food, and she couldn't help but express how much she had missed him during his absence.

However, in the midst of this tender moment, there was something she forgot to mention—a small slip of her mind about Mingi's unexpected visit the previous night.

Wooyoung and Y/N had just finished a lovely dinner together.

Wooyoung couldn't resist teasing Y/N, playfully feeding her bites of food between their sweet conversations.

Y/N, feeling warm and content, confessed, "I really missed you. It's been hard without you around."

As they cleared the table, Wooyoung spotted something near the edge—a wallet.

He picked it up, a puzzled expression forming on his face.

"Hey, did someone stop by while I was out?" he asked, holding up the wallet for Y/N to see.

Y/N, engrossed in her phone, barely looked up. "Hmm?" she murmured, distracted. Before she could respond, the doorbell chimed.

"I'll get it," Wooyoung said, setting the wallet down on the table. Y/N still hadn't noticed it, her attention fixed on her phone screen.

"I'm going upstairs," Y/N announced, already heading towards the staircase.

"I'll join you in a bit," Wooyoung replied, watching Y/N disappear up the stairs before turning back to the front door.

Wooyoung swung open the door to find Mingi standing there with a carry bag slung over his shoulder.

"Oh hey, Mingi! What's up? Didn't expect to see you at this hour," Wooyoung greeted him, raising an eyebrow in curiosity.

Mingi, looking a bit sheepish, hesitated before responding.

It seemed like Wooyoung's mere presence was making him feel like he'd been caught doing something wrong.

After a moment, Mingi managed to stammer out, "Um, I couldn't find my wallet, and I thought maybe I dropped it here, last night."

"You came here last night?" Wooyoung asked.

"Yeah, Y/N was sick so I came to check on her." Mingi replied.

Wooyoung grinned, motioning for Mingi to come inside. "Come on in. Let's see if it's around."

Mingi cautiously stepped inside and Wooyoung, acted to search for the wallet even though he found it just a moment ago. "Is this the one you're looking for?" he asked, holding it up for Mingi to see.

Mingi's face lit up with relief. "Yes, that's it! Thanks, man," he replied gratefully.

"Hey, no problem. Just be more careful with this thing, alright? It's not like losing your keys," Wooyoung advised with a chuckle.

Mingi nodded, glancing at the time. "I should head out now. It's getting late," he said, earning another nod from Wooyoung.

After Mingi left, Wooyoung found himself lost in thought. Why hadn't Y/N mentioned that Mingi had stopped by?

He wandered over to the room he shared with Y/N, his mind racing with all sorts of questions and scenarios.

What was Mingi doing here when he wasn't home?

Suddenly, all those rumors he'd brushed off before started to resurface, and he couldn't help but scrutinize Mingi and Y/N's interactions more than ever.

"Did you leave your wallet intentionally?" Yunho asked, curious, as Mingi finished recounting the story.

Mingi hesitated briefly before nodding in response.

Yunho sighed quietly but didn't press further.

"I wanted a reason to go back to her place to see her, but I didn't expect Wooyoung to show up so soon. I never meant for any misunderstandings, but it ended up making Wooyoung doubt me and Y/N," Mingi explained with a tinge of sadness in his voice.

"That's why I want to make it up to him. I want to ease his burden." Yunho slouched in his chair, phone in hand, staring at the ceiling.

Mingi, sitting nearby, seemed to tense up for a split second.

"So, how'd you manage to get such a long break from the police department anyway?" Yunho asked casually, shifting his attention to Mingi.

Mingi cleared his throat, looking slightly uncomfortable. "Well, it's kind of a long story. I'm actually suspended."

"What? No way," Yunho exclaimed, eyebrows shooting up.

"Yeah," Mingi sighed. "When I heard about Y/N going missing, I... I panicked, you know? I wanted to do everything I could to help find them. But my boss told me to stay out of it, and I couldn't just sit back and do nothing."

"You're crazy, man," Yunho chuckled, shaking his head.

Mingi managed a tight smile. "Maybe so. But I don't regret it. All I want is to find Y/N as soon as possible." The determination in Mingi's eyes was unmistakable, even as he spoke softly.

Yunho nodded in understanding. "We'll find them, Mingi. Don't worry."

"Hey, that's got me wondering—how did you find out Y/N was missing when the details were kept strictly between the Jeju and Seoul police stations?" Yunho asked curiously.

Mingi leaned back, considering his response. "Well, I've distanced myself from my old team, but Yongbok still keeps in touch with them regularly. He's one of the officers who was involved in Mr. Lee's case."

"Ah, Yongbok, the blond guy, right?" Yunho clarified, and Mingi nodded.

"Yeah, that's him," Mingi confirmed.

Yunho scratched his head thoughtfully. "I haven't had a chance to talk to him yet. Maybe we should plan to interrogate Mr. Yongbok soon, since he's just as tied to the Lee's case as you are." Yunho took out his phone once again in an attempt to call Wooyoung. "Okay, let's try to connect Wooyoung first then we'll go to Busan, to have a chat with Mr. Yongbok." Mingi got tensed again and he stopped Yunho.

"Wait, let's talk to Yongbok first, and then we'll tell Wooyoung everything, I promise," Mingi replied urgently.

Yunho sighed a bit but agreed with him. "Thank you, Yunho. Let's not waste time; let's head to Busan. It'll take almost 5 hours," Mingi said, already starting to rise from his seat.

Mingi and Yunho opted to drive to Busan.

This way, they could discuss a few things related to the case without interruptions or drawing attention.

They were halfway to Daegu when Yunho glanced at his phone again, which didn't go unnoticed by Mingi.

"What's wrong?" Mingi asked.

"Wooyoung. It's already 3 in the afternoon, and he hasn't answered my calls. I wonder what's going on there," Yunho said.

Wooyoung hadn't gotten back to him, even though Yunho wasn't planning to tell him about their findings.

This had never happened before.

Wooyoung always picked up his phone or got back in an instant.

"He must be really wrapped up in that Yun Hee case," Mingi remarked, keeping his eyes fixed on the road.

They were only an hour and a half away from Busan. Mingi felt relieved that Wooyoung hadn't answered the phone.

Despite having a lead, Mingi knew they needed 100% certainty before making any moves—after all, they hadn't even identified the culprit yet.

Mingi couldn't shake the feeling of urgency to find Y/N soon. It was always like this when Wooyoung wasn't around;

Mingi felt compelled to protect Y/N, even though she never asked him to do so. He just wanted to ensure her safety, especially in times like these.

Mingi couldn't shake Y/N from his mind, no matter how hard he tried. It had been tough ever since that incident five years ago.

When Mingi reached out to Y/N after the breakup with Wooyoung, he was met with a heartbreaking sight—Y/N, curled up by her bed, tears flowing freely, surrounded by scattered reports.

Mingi discovered Y/N was pregnant with Wooyoung's child.

Despite his efforts, contacting Wooyoung was futile; calls went unanswered and visits to his apartment revealed he had vanished.

"I've been trying to reach him every day," Y/N had confided in Mingi. "I even went to his place, but he's gone."

Her voice was shattered, and Mingi blamed himself.

Each night, he replayed the scenario, wondering if he could have prevented it all by being more responsible and not visiting Wooyoung's apartment, losing his wallet in the process.

"Don't worry," Mingi reassured Y/N. "I'll find him. I'll make him understand."

Y/N didn't respond, but Mingi sensed her silent plea.

However, despite his best efforts, Mingi couldn't locate Wooyoung until fate intervened—he stumbled upon Wooyoung at the Seoul police department.

Mingi was overjoyed, eager to relay everything to Wooyoung, but his attempts to meet were met with refusal.

Rushing back to inform Y/N of the discovery, Mingi was met with an empty home.

Panic set in as he tried calling her repeatedly, only to find a text message waiting:

"Mingi, thank you for all you've done. But you don't need to find Wooyoung for me anymore. Wherever he is, I hope he's happy. We've tried everything. It's time to let go. I'm leaving, Mingi. It's been great having you as a friend, but please promise me—promise you won't look for me. I need to be alone. Maybe that's how I'll heal. Thank you for everything. Goodbye."

Mingi stared at the screen, a sinking feeling in his chest. He had failed to fix what was broken.

Reluctantly, he honored Y/N's request, hoping that time and space would eventually mend the wounds left by Wooyoung's departure.

So there he was, knowing exactly where Wooyoung was all along, yet he chose to keep quiet.

Mingi could have easily reached out and spilled the beans, but he stayed tight-lipped.

After a month, they transferred Mingi to the Busan department, whisking him away from Incheon without so much as a goodbye.

He had half a mind to search for Y/N, but he remembered the promise she made him.

Then one day, Yongbok dropped a bombshell: Wooyoung was desperately seeking both Mingi and Y/N to make amends for his mistake.

This time, Mingi decided he wouldn't show up. He could have revealed everything about Y/N's pregnancy to Wooyoung, but he chose not to and he swore on his friendship with Y/N that this secret will go with him in his grave.

"We're here," Mingi announced as he pulled up to his apartment building. "Let's take a break. It's my place. We can either continue later tonight or maybe pick it up tomorrow."

"Sounds good to me. I'm starving," Yunho admitted, his stomach rumbling right on cue, and they both chuckled.

"Let's order something."

They got out of the car and headed towards the cherry blossom enclave.

Mingi's apartment was on the third floor—a cozy space, well-furnished and big enough for at least three people.

"So, have you figured out what you're going to do now?" Yunho asked, referring to Mingi's suspension.

Mingi sighed as the elevator dinged at the third floor.

"I'll probably plead my case," Mingi replied with a chuckle.

"Hey, what about you? You're here working this case solo without your team," Mingi asked, curious why Yunho had sent his team away and opted for handling this isolation case alone, only asking for help if he really needed it.

Yunho shrugged as they entered Mingi's flat. "Well, sometimes fewer people mean clearer solutions," he replied.

The following day, Yunho tried calling Wooyoung again, but there was still no response.

It was odd, but he decided to let it go for now. Mingi and Yunho were off to a café near the Busan police station.

Mingi had been suspended, so he'd been avoiding the area until they cracked the case together. They settled into the café, waiting for Yongbok.

When he arrived, Yunho was taken aback — Yongbok looked much younger than expected.

Yunho had assumed he'd be a year older than them. With his perfectly blonde hair, Yongbok greeted them warmly before taking a seat at their table.

Yongbok's deep voice resonated, reminding Yunho of Mingi's rugged tone.

For a moment, Yunho wondered how this kid could sound like a wild wolf.

"Sir, the chief's been asking about you since you left," Yongbok continued, introducing himself with a nod.

"Hello, I'm Yongbok," he said, meeting Yunho's gaze, who promptly returned the introduction.

"Tell the chief it'll take a bit longer than expected. He can rest until then," Mingi instructed, then turned to Yunho with a questioning look. "By the way, what took you so long?" he asked, curious.

"There was this lady who's been coming for two weeks now, filing a missing son report," Yongbok grumbled in frustration.

Mingi acknowledged this with a nod, signaling Yunho to proceed.

"Yongbok, we wanted to ask you something," Yunho said, pausing for a moment as Yongbok nodded slightly in response.

"About Y/N."