1, 2, 3 → LEE HEESEUNG

Episode 9

『Present,  Warehouse』

"Where is he?" Jina mutters under her breath as she scans the building for any sign of Heeseung. In her time as a detective, she'd seen her fair share of sketchy places. Most of them looked the same. Old worn down structures with walls on the verge of giving into the weight of the roof. They're all tucked away somewhere, behind a couple of alleyways, on the less affluent sides of town, in open country with nothing within a ten-mile radius. After being called in for kidnappings, murders, and other violent messes on a daily basis, none of these structures give her the same trepidation and suspicion that they used to. No more thrill or anticipation. Frankly, this is no different. 

Instead, there's waiting for him, the person who called her here in the middle of the night. Punctuality does not seem to be a priority to her case partner but with each ticking minute, she has to remind herself to breathe. She finds herself thinking about his tone on the call, the most emotional she'd ever him. Not that it's saying much, as emotion has radiated off of him in almost all of their conversations. Intense frustration with dead ends, speculation, happiness, and everything in between. Still, she can't shake the new level of intensity present in his voice. She's heard plenty of people like that before. Most of the time it's a grieving family member asking for updates on a case. It's not like she cares much about Heeseung's personal life. She doesn't even want anything to do with his work life despite it being an obligation. Rather, she worries about the suddenness of this call and what it means for their safety. 

"You came?" he asks in surprise as he runs over to the front and stands beside her, looking at the doors. So much for subtlety. His voice comes out shaky, but she can't distinguish whether it's fear or exhaustion. Perhaps it's a combination of both. Judging by his appearance, his own decision to come had not been made too long before hers. Unlike his usual style, slightly unruly and barely passable for the formal office setting, he's dressed in a hoodie and sweats. So casual he looks more like he's on a leisurely outing than a criminal investigation. 

 He nods towards the door, a sign for her to open and walk in first. His eyes are dulled slightly. She wonders if that would be enough to repell the lines of girls crushing on him. Pulling the handle, she passes the door to him and slides in as quietly as she can, unsure of whether or not it's okay for them to be there. Heeseung's sudden declaration didn't give her the time to ask for a proper warrant or grant to search the property legally. But as he pushes her in the door gently, she doesn't really have the chance to ask. Especially when in searches like this, even a slight noise can chase away all evidence. 

"I didn't come for you," she casually says, looking at her watch to check the time. Each second sends an itch through her at the thought of being late. Not that she has any appointments at this hour, but she can't help the anxiousness of the thought. She checks the dusty surfaces and makes a mental note of all the objects in the room. Heeseung goes to the opposite side of the room, presumably to do the same."But you proposed you found a lead, and I care about my job and clients." 

"Suit yourself," he shrugs, giving himself a small smile she almost mistakes as a sign of friendship. The mood between them feels different, unlike the usual awkwardness and underlying hostility. She goes to make a comment until the two of them hear a light thumping sound. Footsteps, with a particularly light tread and careful footing in each step. Almost as if someone knew they'd be there right at that moment and intended to catch them in action. The moonlight that creeps through the glass door is enough to frame both of their figures and make out the fact that they're walking on someone else's property. Inhaling deeply, she continues looking around. He must've gotten some kind of permit, right? But Heeseung looks out the door like a deer caught in headlights and gives her a questioning look.