Now With U (Living In The Past - Book 2) (WheeByul)

AFTER 7 YEARS (Part 10)

Tae Hyung turned his head when he sensed someone approaching and smiled. "Hey, Hyung. Welcome back."

"Hey," Xiumin replied then looked around. "So this is where the guy lives? Quite nice."

"No. This is where his parole officer lives. I'm waiting for him."

"What have you found out so far?"

"Well, Kim Go-eun's little brother was ten when his father sent his sister away and got killed shortly after. He didn't have a mother to take care of him so Ji-sub's people took him in."

"Hence his little drug dealing stunt at the university?"

Tae Hyung nodded. "I'm pretty sure he had started selling even while he was in high school but we can't prove it, unfortunately. His name indeed popped up in the list of Ji-sub's old crew who were released from prison just this year. He spent five years there."

"That's quite quick for dealing drugs," said Xiumin in surprise.

"He didn't serve time for dealing, technically speaking. I asked around and apparently, they couldn't find enough drugs on him to bring him down for dealing. They knew he was doing that, of course, because of his ties to Ji-sub and because they caught him in the act, but he denied the accusations and they just couldn't prove it. His lawyer used this to bring the charges down to mere possession. Hence the reduced sentencing."

"They knew he was dealing but they couldn't pin it on him?"

"Yeah."

"Shoddy work," grumbled Xiumin.

"You'll be glad to know that I've read through his prison records as well. Guess what I found listed among his personal belongings?"

"A Yonsei varsity jacket and his soccer club membership card?"

"You got half of it right, Hyung." Tae Hyung chuckled. "Yes to the varsity jacket but no to the soccer club membership card."

"So the jacket was kept for him until he was released?"

Tae Hyung nodded. "He must be very proud of his alma mater."

"So proud that he decided to corrupt his fellow students with drugs?"

Tae Hyung could only shrug. His eyes then caught sight of a man walking towards them. "I'll brief you more later. There's his PO. Let's go talk to him."

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Ha-eun went straight to the bathroom then to her room once they arrived back at the apartment.

"At least she showered and brushed her teeth first before bed," Byul joked, trying to make the frowning WheeIn smile. "Even though it's not even her bed time yet."

"I don't like this. It's been going on for too long."

"What do you want to do? Interrogate her? I liked the idea but now that I think of it, it might just drive her back further into her shell. Just let her be, for now. She'll talk to us when she's ready."

"What if she never does?"

"She will. She knows we love her so she will talk to us sooner or later." Byul wrapped her arms around WheeIn and pulled her into a hug. "Don't worry about it. It's just a phase. We've all been there. Parents do get annoying at some point."

"I know that but there has to be a trigger to all this moping around."

"We'll find out soon enough, okay? Give her some space. She'll come around." Byul loosened her hold and smiled when she saw WheeIn still pouting. "You still look surprisingly cute when you do that."