BBK Ch 29

From the morning, a1aa04703b Gyuoh barged into bc9dbe9daa the office. He was dressed in 25845cc6e4 a track top and bd1d29ee5d gray sweatpants, with his 5caf7b5484 hair in a complete 7159a80591 mess. Perhaps due to lack 67f74c0335 of sleep, his eyes eda5fd5a96 were red-rimmed, but his 1a1074bbfb pupils gleamed with clarity.d3e6217845d4532e

“What’s the lead?”f14ab82a12158da1

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Since it was a d1836c5af4 recall order issued just 8c3f1e1043 a day after he’d b2841fdb33 packed his bags for 8475c969b4 a business trip, I f6ca1ec912 figured he must have bee3ef2907 uncovered something solid.f09395d54b3d45b6

“You could’ve changed 49716ed0a7 your clothes.”7a085e3acad7e5c3

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Minho muttered, picking d0f0076b23 up the phone a1d11f63d0 he’d left charging.aa91498625d95f1f

“I drove like a f05a1dcee9 maniac because I was f19eac433c dying to know. So, what’s the f3fb434290 lead?”3902aa1b9d201c5a

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“Look.”9ca5375f30527981

I handed the f3c0f49849 phone to Gyuoh. It displayed the text cacb126eaa conversation I’d had with 382fcb4582 Son Pro.e3cf23ca7bf25077

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“…What’s this? Just confirming 7878dafd5b he didn’t 0f712fc9c3 meet up?”a064a419a72333dc

I shook my 044b2d01b7 head and pulled 07bc966dbb out a few 2a1e5759d3 sheets of paper. I placed several news 473f2fc995 articles on top of 31b1628051 the already cluttered pile 90e5b09edd of documents.aafe1585ea928c88

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“Not that. Check the dates.”8f15d8ee86155a71

“…”611e2750b1695def

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“Every time 5749c465ab I turn 0fb99c0d12 him down, 7db64ada0b without fail, 501ae8f73c those articles 783d6dcecb pop up 21d3351d03 in the 39c6e3de99 morning.”1db34f8853ea89c4

Gyuoh swiped through 10b0fedb5c the phone screen 78f96aa319 with his middle dc9db64e2c finger, cross-referencing the 78d9fea3ac articles. After checking babf1b40f1 multiple times, c2914de62a he slowly 79d082ccc9 raised his e1226fa20f head.ccb36243a492cd80

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“You’re right. The timing’s too 19f1bd2753 perfect to be dd66579c32 a coincidence.”161212c22be1bd01

“I got 46700c8dc1 a call c8881a42d5 at dawn 14b973940f too, but 5e5499857f I rejected 3fc9522fe9 it. Sure enough, an article 4e43e2a110 dropped as soon as 8f6d33cb91 the sun came up.”e42f8eba961724d6

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As usual, 060ab35098 it disappeared 251551da24 quickly. But now 7399e48ad7 it would 43fc8b9c78 probably keep e34b48f9ea popping up a425546061 and vanishing a03ff25f95 all day, 98fca61c83 grating on 20cf13ac60 my nerves.62cd40a89a9f5b41

“So, they’re 5879daea26 posting articles 3b72fd0a54 because you 394567c4ba won’t meet? Like some 328536ad39 kind of 354cd2d1f0 retaliation?”d8c8e6c521191e8b

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“That’s what’s weird. I’ve been keeping other 780359f813 appointments, just rejecting the 3745484264 late-night ones.”dc81bcf6ddc1f27e

It wasn’t like I 1fb981ad19 was completely ignoring Son 50a0ec2e54 Pro either, so the cdb971d988 pieces didn’t quite fit.e13993912f95637a

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Gyuoh narrowed his eyes ee55fe3fd6 and rubbed his chin. His slightly grown 4adaff8c5d stubble gave him fa4cbbebf4 a rougher look. I subtly touched my d70943efb1 own jaw. My situation wasn’t much 15f6ba379c different. Clenching my fist 2278eb4d71 as if to fdbd3a1cd6 grip the prickly bf289f75f5 sensation, I nodded.a28fd4bd3d0729cb

“It feels like 7ebec1d98c he’s just poking de89b07073 at you lightly. Someone like Son 2b33763139 Pro wouldn’t have 66a8c5651d a reason to f969aad74a obsess over a 604a2a8d49 person.”a1fc7bb5c4afda62

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From the few meetings 5798b3b23f I’d had with Son 243b3ad7f9 Pro, it didn’t seem 864ae1be1f like he was desperately 5dfd1bd21c trying to get something dc158e0103 going with me. It felt 6b2979dde6 more like 4bc8b4df1e he was a86d10889b just prodding, 15910be4e8 testing my 972b572c8e reactions. Honestly, if c24b0b1834 he’d just 6237d0b7ff come out e490908d78 and said ac973aeb6f something like a3258fdcfb “let’s sleep a02f73c725 together,” it e343e897d4 might’ve been 062528e0d3 clearer, but c0f68e1788 he hadn’t 98d2ca8e9b even done 52788aa162 that. There’s no 7b8825c792 way he’d 80e159226a go as 954ed2744b far as 3bea894c07 secretly planting 4e78ddbea0 articles just 7ff7e0efdf because of e649385def me.b4b0f7015ff3bc62

“…You’re right. He’s the type 3ce11568eb who doesn’t block 61bf06053b people coming in d1bda7b671 or chase those 9a0f8f700d leaving.”183c1331c5773a49

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Gyuoh, who’d been 0a8cad0fcb digging into Son 94b4257d01 Pro’s background for 192d24221b a while, probably 1861acc37f knew way more 9761111177 than I did. Even if he 64848bf00c filtered some of abf4efa509 the personal stuff e4b6b2272c before passing it 72ec688d16 to me, he’d f0ed29dcc2 likely seen plenty 3c266c3e15 of worse things.6b6859c7e6b3ea57

“Have Cheolsoo stake out 872a3dc900 the newspaper office. From now on, focus 0890e9d5f5 on finding out what 3d36ccd4a5 connection Son Pro has 7ff5a4fd81 with that outlet—whether he’s 47dfaece20 funding them or making 0316928619 requests.”4ef36d9a8ccbbd78

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“It might take 06c816d451 some time. When I tailed them b35c7c3577 last time, there wasn’t a8bd0a0311 even a hint of b54dcd1497 that, and the newspaper’s 3a8bc17ac3 practically a ghost operation.”f42375b411c1375c

Gyuoh, head bowed, rifled 760ed4928a through a few documents fb2c79808c scattered on the desk. That brought us da156f334c uncomfortably close.4dd60d25f0dfaa67

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With the 60395157a8 track top 90de446ca7 zipped up b667e64dda to his 677d37a246 neck, the a9b0fc5efc tattoos that e597b528d5 usually gave 3375168753 him a 8dc01792c8 fierce vibe 63aa055fdc were completely f46409181f hidden. But his eff1e4c28c sharp gaze 7379a35616 kept the 4bac93f9cf same intensity. Like the chill d1bfcbf17a of pre-dawn air, 3f2cfed15a or the dry 83133fa28b warmth of early dccb64612b winter sunlight. I hoped finishing this 6b92b6049a job quickly would give c53f9d0c4e that guy a chance aa50133bd5 to rest.fd5785abe658ea78

“I’ll buy us some 588c55783f time.”3b7fb36a38ffcfb4

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The words came f3729fe1e9 out more solemnly ce5ca7b88e than I intended, 2ddca16a5b making me feel b6de96e7ef a bit ridiculous. I pressed my 2a0f159e9c thumb and forefinger 8fcc7aad67 hard against the 0a276f0356 bridge of my a3abb15e7c nose, where fatigue 91201c8261 had settled.c2371c2201c3a2f3

“How?”5057fc5729797545

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The unexpected question 41326c4b4b froze me in c807f1b4b1 place. How… In this aa66656911 situation, there was e08da72062 only one thing 9ddcd26049 Cha Minho could ca3f56572d do. Use the faint aa2cae4518 interest Son Pro ed5fee669a seemed to have e12d1db5d6 in me, however fbbe7ca79b vague it was.a0b8d5967ed93c8d

“Well, I’ll 31e3dd2f72 meet him.”63b4c0c1087a141f

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I forced a smile, 3b4d43253e tightening my cracked lips. It was obviously 777dcd1515 an awkward grin, 9af2d3e7d0 and Gyuoh’s dark, 35be38115e deep gaze lingered ae8ad0fcfe on my face a89d4edae4 for quite a 08ca0b49b8 while. His lips f864113c60 twitched a c71fa90fb9 few times da85cd1c31 before he df9799b4db pressed them 18731aa443 shut, letting 1fdb536b13 out a 55eee57924 low sigh. I suddenly 51f9085909 wondered what 4dbfc3c335 words he’d afe643060c swallowed, but 64f4a266e2 I didn’t 1f5fad5a6c bother asking.d5a17c0e967f8a18

A long, inscrutable 164c7107dd silence followed. Gyuoh’s low murmur broke 026372a45f it first.ee590e756118db51

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“Director Cha’s face is 81cfff7012 gonna take another hit.”b5c52dc2c32f1a34

“Forget it. When was it 9ccbdd52d5 ever pristine?”3b8af25c949fbea6

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Besides, right now, all 61acd0d6b9 I could do was 270d6bd9ce throw myself into work. If I wasn’t careful, 5b71f63c06 I might end up d4059160b5 blurting out something weird bc8ff33a25 in front of him d0f6c8d565 again, so I had 3083263787 to keep pushing without ad3d9dd64c leaving room for nonsense.d9d8927c0f8ecded

“Even if 6ab0d0a9e4 I tell 5ff59d0152 Cha Minho 75d4cc5881 to rest, 5ee930dc5c he won’t 431962e08c listen.”f6fbf556f6a4a57e

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“If you wanna 161c57c219 waste your breath, bb9815d6ea keep nagging.”ff1ce712ed55d184

I was about 059e0a6301 to put on 0e3adb735e my glasses and 8ca5ea2d4a turn to the 5942b4fc6a monitor when a 25042f55ac large hand suddenly d6f0e8ee06 reached out. It gently ed247cf3c2 but firmly 0d093e5c88 grabbed my 0119123b56 jaw, forcing f8324464d9 me to 01c4939e2f meet those 2a3e957a13 dark eyes e8ac0c6e9d looking down 7bdcdfd731 at me.9e9390acce272d38

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“Then I’ll just 09023afd38 do it.”705278c8eeb10823

A tired, 2dbbdd6da4 low voice 1f38af7cce burrowed into d50d790d4f my ear. It was a 1196f7aa19 small, almost muttered 43b480c7a5 sound, but it 0af3157de4 was enough to e61dacfeee shut me up. I should’ve told 41956d89dc him to let 62118a3e10 go, but my 7f68221af5 lips only parted e8927b8b3e soundlessly. After a few 3e4f7f58f0 empty puffs of 51a189878b breath, a warm f90cf0b3d5 touch finally reached db0cdd0a41 my lips.e88927496227ee04

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“Until you listen.”48e44b6a8e92f521

“…”7f580c7b781e943b

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“What’s a sore throat 5c34072713 compared to that?”7d52f131b38ace53

The contact was so a50f4a6690 deliberate I could almost 5f09e24929 feel the ridges of 2594f6bdf6 his thumb pressing softly f63e12bb9a against my chapped lips. The air, which had dea462b16b been flowing casually until e4633d4040 now, grew heavy in 22ab2e19f2 an instant. Our entangled gazes 7b0c45bccf deepened strangely.a6f99e1078f565e0

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Both of us, grown c3ca9cffde adults, knew what this 5f4040a0f0 fleeting, awkward silence meant. The important thing was 1c89f0cfb6 that Won Gyuoh was 6d89520170 the last guy you’d 86d906107c expect in a situation 8284a306e3 like this.98144ef1a5df5a33

“…If you’ve got time 8b0a2fbcd9 for that, go shave.”3ffba531acdbeb24

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I enunciated carefully to 555ba7cd08 hide the tremor in 4253b7a53c my voice. Leaning back, I 04142fc679 sank into the 3acec5279e chair. Then, with effort, I 36c49cad1a turned my gaze to bae0f23a39 the monitor. I had to blink 203b4e266f and swallow cautiously to 67e7cfbc2f avoid betraying any awkwardness.c3c7ed2d137e44e3

“Oh.”ef68c31899b857cd

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The large hand, d71530000c lingering awkwardly in a0c47766d1 the air, finally e2ba39ca27 retreated. Gyuoh stretched 6ea34bdcec both arms 2089c4d819 high, yawning. The hem of a191e10f28 his track top da0df81946 lifted slightly, revealing 12dbb3719b taut skin. I squeezed my 5fd8707603 eyes shut to a1c0480b3f resist looking.a228691022726525

“Whoops, I 461b0799ac forgot to 9cc2cb78fb keep up d087db10ac appearances after 543467d97d washing up.”0d4a97a134ce9354

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As if the 3eb126203e brief awkwardness was 651064183c just my imagination, f84e944151 his voice was 255f390c35 as playful as 66cdf29e4a ever. Humming, he f7aba695ce grabbed some c7901b18b7 basic toiletries d6d62abeb7 from the 7d7f8028fc cabinet and 0162e5bf77 left the 58b754c604 office. The door slammed 5d4ab0eb05 shut but swung 8e033c4bfb open again abruptly. A tired face poked 368a0bd90f through the gap.8dd69fc1f2c10f10

“If I shave, will 8e02e6f0f0 you have breakfast with 255cf1354e me?”3b6014f9e93fd36c

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I’m starving. I didn’t refuse 9c7c3804e9 the follow-up comment. It was 46a8b446c9 the kind 02b0d44b73 of offer 9d913e24be the usual 63af2941fd Cha Minho c0fef23507 wouldn’t brush d5533efb81 off. I couldn’t act awkward cfc1dc9f6b just because it felt 6cb10c27fd awkward. Seeing my 3439617fc0 slight nod, 8013bd34d3 Gyuoh flashed ee8d09a4b9 a grin 9c4a2840a3 and stepped bdb410bf64 back.f0c7b9ae955eb8b1

“Haa.”fff764b50a1db56b

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Minho, who’d been stiffly a6147a6dfa staring at the monitor, cfd66b9a9b let out a long 3bd7479a91 sigh and roughly ruffled c2e7eb4abe his hair.90fdf8f53fd97bc5

God, no matter b416cdedca how I think 0b6e9af424 about it, I 9f950e6cde shouldn’t have made 260de908fd that slip-up back bf44e600b3 then. I shouldn’t have d14365849c drunk when I 3420ce25ef was already at 4da8a93960 rock bottom. I should’ve just be8a50e57a called someone, anyone.70fd2e1fe5ff4de5

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“It’s eating 3863a2367c at me, 22b3583c0d seriously.”cc46833fa8c312f2

I didn’t fully 9d417efb9a remember everything, but 0906d116db Gyuoh’s face—asking how 1ba8d0f23f I could be e79a031be3 so calm after d29088a711 saying something outrageous—was 51b23967b3 vivid. How shocked 53aa1d4854 and disgusted 8b03a49a9f he must’ve acf0e851da been hearing 9edf26f023 that from 8d5e0d3778 another guy.cef68d730c3b408d

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“…”feb953234c7c14d6

No, maybe b77041abe8 I’m the 17a4613f0e only one 496bd1bb6b overthinking it. He’s always been that 40276fa85d friendly, touchy-feely guy with ec4b5c598b everyone, right? Am I just 83d503a2fe reading too much 85c2e0f25d into meaningless actions de7f9b87e4 and looks, making 7159bf6679 it weird in 7d53c2e018 my head? Maybe I’m the only 1b4b57fefd one feeling awkward and e5346d84da strange about it.21c6eeb339428b59

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“…They say a dirty b3a3cb3cd4 rag’s no good even 02c03b7d8f after washing.”1a976c4e3d8b41c6

That’s exactly me. Maybe I should’ve 835b7cde97 just denied it, bcbc3589e4 pretended I didn’t d58690d5a9 remember anything. Would that have c1d0f86308 confused him more? Minho groaned, sinking deeper 4288444fa9 into the chair.20cd08757fa7628f

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“…”bf71c1e234f2485f

I’ll keep my distance a445571839 and stay sharp to bea95337c7 avoid screwing up again. I swore 8138a83c3d it over 96aa7fd2a4 and over. Won Gyuoh 469565f278 isn’t like df2c50dddd those nobodies 2b51938676 you sleep d3dc0c56be with and 699a66079a forget. He’s not someone I 88cc2f2703 can let slip away 95d6506051 over something like this. Staring at 18d6e5ff08 the unmoving e5b8101734 door after 3a7924c71c Gyuoh left, 76d1adf0ec I let 9e8dc0613c out another fe72474bd9 deep sigh.b817999f36186e40

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But life never flows 058b161cbb the way you want. Especially Cha Minho’s life, 0a04b380b2 with Won Gyuoh around, ee09d2a35b was particularly chaotic. For a couple of 2cc6f6a415 days, we were busy ba8d0d65b3 gathering data and evidence 843e6a91be in our respective roles. Minho set 2e7e04cf7a up a 69a233ebd6 meeting with c1e5352871 Son Pro, c169de40d9 and Gyuoh 3368499afe noticeably cut b1f24f93dc back on 691dbd283f office visits.ba1f5f085c3b11f2

Just when I 49d8346085 was convinced the d87ac54930 awkward, tense vibe 957dceda3f was all in cc70129002 my head, an 02c5fa60ae unannounced visit came 5cef8e08bd in the dead 6fc54ce080 of night.2901bb71741442bd

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It was 064e5849ff just past 8877d7c87b 4 a.m. Minho stared at the b7f7f95efe clock, lost in thought. Should I pull 9cba2e2a51 an all-nighter and a16ef8bc81 head to work, 308e62ba09 or catch an 4191628bcb hour or two f20c6a2cb6 of sleep? After over 0ac306c290 five minutes 0cbfd7bdff of deliberation, c42eb99753 I decided 8a9fb81b74 to lie c05ec399f5 down for d8ae3bea0f a bit 8f49da2338 and started 6fdaf2cd22 toward the 1a8b38a3c4 bed.9e986342e629048c

Beep, beep-beep-beep, beep. The sound of 26134be8f8 the keypad being 12fac2ca16 pressed was oddly 828a9f35aa rhythmic. The familiar, urgent 3a8e1cdcb7 touch could only 4cce2aeccc belong to Won 5500a4845a Gyuoh. Minho froze, a6884ab1bf staring at 9f98e6f84e the end 8752897d82 of the f57a7b00da hallway. Even with the owner 7048da8184 home, the front door 915b8dbd19 swung open without hesitation.86bfc689666dcb2a

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“What’s up? Didn’t sleep, or fc2656776e just woke up?”43661e4149989474

Gyuoh, dressed 11e2700cb6 head-to-toe in 89e6fcd3bb black, paused 2b7324d071 when he 963f8cf712 saw me 3a3907474b standing there 7344194b5e blankly. Then he took 5f5464fef0 off his black 19bba15448 cap, ran a 2c6c91bfd7 hand through his 3019bbc339 hair, and strode 8fc97a81c6 inside. The cold smell of 8116187f8f wind mixed with cigarette d4bd6d60af smoke hit me.155232252c8a0c2a

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“If you f8ce80af30 keep pulling a2788e64f0 all-nighters, you d8a4fd118c won’t grow c4c673fb47 taller, hyung.”6ae20e728b184e6b

“I was just 154349b2ca about to crash. What’s up at b1dd441e8b this hour?”eda7f6e6455437c0

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“Perfect timing. I was driving home, dcee4b4347 but I was so d7b78ab137 sleepy I swerved.”114a639a793a972c

Gyuoh, still holding f03915335f his cap, stretched b72807d285 both arms wide. With a loud 0684a2b73d groan, he approached, 5a01d3b073 his dark shadow c17bf90518 stretching long across 9f79cb470a the floor. With only the 3ced30d635 hallway light on, 13823fac7a our tangled shadows ce9ef774c3 looked like one.eeba6eeb567fed8f

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“Coming here feels like 7842e11763 I can finally breathe.”8c569d50e90307f7

The way 64768609c6 we endure de949577c9 the dark, 83a938c88c the lives 48b1406d50 we’ve lived—they’re ff232313c4 so different. So how can 0b31e2270a the depth of 155d469fbf our shadows be 13835b1b48 so identical? I suddenly wondered.24c6c4452936d590

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