Apartment Fire Case [Seventeen]

Chapter 2

9 𝙮𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙨 𝙡𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙧

It's been 9 years since the Seoul's apartment fire, where all 13 who called themselves "Seventeen". Jeonghan, who's unable to find the others, is still with Seungcheol and Chan. Living together, hoping to pass an exam to become a detective to look back at the case. Seungcheol still attending the police academy with Jeonghan, with Chan still finishing his high school career.

While the two are leaving to go to the academy, Chan followed behind from a distance but to noticed someone was following them. It wasn't no other students living in the same providence as them that also go to the academy. Chan ran up behind the unknown man and took the guy's hat off to reveal Jihoon.

"Jihoon?!" Chan said out loud, causing Jeonghan and Seungcheol to look back to see the two from the distance.

"Aish, that's one way to ruin my cover" Jihoon said punching Chan slightly.

"Jihoon, where have you been?" Seungcheol said running back to the two with Jeonghan.

"Nice to see you too Seungcheol, Jeonghan, and Chan, I was busy working with other cases back in Busan, but I'm going to transfer back to here." Jihoon answered.

"Really? Well then, we need to hurry up and pass the exam in order to be officers or be like Jihoon" Seungcheol said looking at Jeonghan.

"I'll get going, let's talk more afterwards okay?" Jeonghan said, turning his back and headed to the academy, leaving Seungcheol behind.

"Hey! Come on man!" Seungcheol yelled at Jeonghan, catching up to Jeonghan, leaving Chan and Jihoon alone.

"Well, it's nice to see you, Jihoon. I'll get to school now before being late for the 5th time." Chan said, walking towards the nearest bus stop.

"Let me walk you over to school, we got a lot to catch up on since that fire at Jeonghan's." Jihoon said, walking behind Chan.

While waiting for the bus, Chan and Jihoon was sitting on the edge of the bench far from each other filling their surroundings with awkward silence. After not seeing Jihoon since that incident, Chan doesn't know what to say to break the awkward silence.

"Since I was transferred here, I'm going to request to reinvestigate that apartment fire from 9 years ago." Jihoon said, breaking the silence and looked over to Chan.

"What if they denied that request? Don't they have the killer in prison already?" Chan said, looking at Jihoon.

"Well, you don't know if that guy is actual killer, I have a feeling it's someone else that started the fire instead of Mingyu's father." Jihoon responded, shocking Chan, that apartment's security guard was Mingyu's father.

The bus finally came to the stop, grabbing both Jihoon and Chan's attention. The two got on the bus, heading to Chan's school. Jihoon looked over at Chan, to see him texting someone.

"Who are you texting to?" Jihoon asked wanting to fix the friendship they have together.

"Jeonghan hyung, why?" Chan responded, still looking at phone.

"No reason, just want to break the silence." Jihoon said, taking his phone out. "May I have yours and the hyungs' number?"

Chan grabbed Jihoon's phone and put his and the other two's number in. Handing Jihoon his phone back, Chan got a message from Jeonghan about the two about to start their exams in order to graduate the academy and become an officer or a detective. Chan pressed a button on the side of the bus, knowing he's near school.

"Don't text Jeonghan nor Seungcheol, they're taking their exams." Chan said to Jihoon before the bus comes to a stop.

"Oh.. uh okay." Jihoon responded, getting out of his seat letting Chan get out the bus first.

"Okay so back to what I said before we got on the bus." Jihoon said, getting Chan's attention.

"Mingyu's father wouldn't do such thing, we all know that, don't you think Jeonghan hiding something?" Jihoon said coldly looking at Chan.

"What do you mean by Jeonghan hiding something?" Chan said out of curiosity.

"Remember when there was a door knock before the fire happened?" Jihoon said, starting to walk towards Chan's school, with Chan following.

"What's about the sudden door knock? How can that be related to the fire?" Chan started to ask, in mind, he got a lot more questions for both Jihoon and Jeonghan hyung.

"Remember how Jeonghan's parents reacted and let Jeonghan answered the door, wouldn't it be the parents answering the door other than Jeonghan himself." Jihoon said. "So Jeonghan hyung is hiding something, he probably knew who the actual killer is before this whole incident even happened."

Chan was just shocked about all of this information he hearing from Jihoon hyung. While Chan was thinking about the information he recieved, Jihoon stopped in front of him causing Chan to run into him.

"Watch who you run into." Jihoon said, turning around ready to punch Chan.

"Sorry hyung, all of this info you gave me, it's a lot to take in." Chan said flinching away from Jihoon.

"Well, this is your stop right? What I just said could be fake but that's my theories for the case." Jihoon said while looking at Chan's school.

Chan looked up and noticed they already arrived at school, he started to sigh already wanted to get the day over with.

"Yeah, thank you for walking with me to here hyung, you don't really need to do that." Chan said.

"No worries, I don't start working 'till tomorrow. I just wanted to see Seungcheol and Jeonghan hyung." Jihoon said, walking away.

"How do you know where we live and where they would go to school?" Chan asked, grabbing Jihoon's arm.

"I'm a detective, I can just look through the computer of mines and look where you guys are at. Don't tell Seungcheol or Jeonghan hyung." Jihoon said, causing Chan to laugh at the last part, making Jihoon himself smiling to see Chan laughing. "I'll see you after school alright?"

"Okay, see you hyung." Chan said running into the school property.

Jihoon started walking back to the nearest convenience store, where they walked by. Jihoon started to text someone as he entered the store.

Jihoon: I found them.

???: Really?

????: When are we going to see them?

Jihoon: Soon, you'll see.