ʟᴜᴘɪɴ│ᴛᴋ [complete]

.15. ɪɴ ᴡʜɪᴄʜ ɴᴏᴛ ᴍᴜᴄʜ ʜᴀᴘᴘᴇɴs ᴀɴᴅ ɪᴛ's ᴛʜᴇ ʟᴏɴɢᴇsᴛ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ʏᴇᴛ (ɢᴏ ғɪɢᴜʀᴇ)

"Lizbeth? I'm home!"

The old woman trotted towards the front door, hands full of paper slips.

"What are those?"

"Messages, Sir. Mostly from Chief Rieken, asking when you are planning on showing up at the station to update them on the case you are currently on."

Jungkook sighed (something he had been doing a lot more these days). "Any calls from Kim Taehyung?"

"No Sir. These are all I have."

The young detective wasn't sure what to make of Tae's silence. He knew he'd seen the papers. What would he think of the fact that Park Jimin's article basically portrayed Jungkook as willing to share information regarding a case with the press while at the same time, being reluctant to discuss any of it with his closest friend?

Friend?

He kept calling Taehyung his friend but his recent dates with the bachelor had proven they were a little more than that. What were they? If he was to be honest with himself, he had to admit he had no clue how to define the nature of their relationship. He reckoned this was something to determine rapidly, seeing how fast their interactions had escalated last time they met.

"Sir?" Lizbeth's voice pulled him out of his reverie.

"Yes? You were saying?"

"I was asking you whether you were planning to have dinner here tonight. Because if you are, I shall need to shop for groceries."

"I don't think that will be necessary. But let me make a few calls first."

Jungkook's long day was in fact just beginning.

♠

The sun had set when he arrived in front of the familiar gates. As night fell, so did an unpredicted rainfall. Jungkook suddenly felt rather silly, standing there under the stormy skies, before Taehyung's mansion, uninvited. And why weren't the gates opening? He scoffed at himself for thinking he was at all welcome here. He was going to turn around when he heard the unmistakable buzz-and-click sound indicating someone had granted him access to the grounds. Unconcerned about the puddles which splashed in his wake, he ran towards the front steps on top of which stood a very confused Claude. "Inspector Jeon? Were we expecting you?"

"Good evening Claude. No, no one is expecting me since I was unable to reach Taehyung all day."

"Sir, I did deliver all of your messages."

"Oh I trust you did."

Jungkook took a look at the butler's garment, a dressing gown. "I'm guessing your shift is over."

"Indeed. Lord Kim dismissed me early."

"I'm sorry for barging in like that, but I just really need to see him."

"But Sir, Lord Kim is — busy at the moment."

There was a pang in Jungkook's chest. Busy doing what? With whom? "It's past dinner time. What could keep him busy at this late hour?"

"Lord Kim hasn't left his workshop since this morning."

The detective was almost relieved. "Well, in that case, I'll just show myself in."

Claude wasn't sure what to do.

"Don't worry," said the guest. "I know my way around."

♠

To say that Jungkook had not been ready for what he saw was an understatement. As he made his way into the castle's long corridors, he could hear the bustle of the workshop from a ways down the hall. Peeking inside, his eyes grew wide. The large room looked and sounded like a firecracker festival, with machinery huffing white steam at steady paces while sparks from some soldering activity flew left and right, giving the place a somewhat warm and inviting vibe. A man, wearing leather pants and a matching gilet that showed off his arms and shoulders which glistened with sweat, was wielding a blowtorch, eyes hidden behind a pair of goggles. The fluffy brown locks, albeit a little dishevelled, gave Taehyung away.