"He's..." the brunet began, but then paused.

He was silent, wondering what word he should use to describe him.

Special?

Can someone who breaks the law be called "special"? Someone who is doing something that goes against all of your existing beliefs?

"I've never met anyone like this before..." he confessed finally. "He's extraordinary. I think I'm starting to understand him a little, but he's so damn hard to figure out. He's like a Rubik's cube. For now, I'm moving the walls, trying to put it together in a logical whole, but I'm just going around and not much comes of it..." he continued, staring straight ahead with a slightly distant gaze. "He's smart," he added after a moment, then let a small snort escape his lips. "Scary smart. I don't think I've ever faced such a challenge before..." He stopped and looked at his parents' names engraved in the cold grave. "But I like challenges..." he said again, the corners of his mouth turning up into a gentle smile. "I think he might be some ex-military. He is extremely strong and physically fit, and he is like a precision killing machine. He leaves no traces, makes no mistakes. In the last recording..."

Taehyung paused and fell into thought. He recalled a recording in his head that he had listened to so many times that he knew it by heart. He could recite every word, he remembered every breath the tape recorded. He clearly remembered the timbre and every vibrato that echoed off his eardrums, gliding along his spine. But certain words stuck in his mind.

'You know... I have a gift...'

What gift was the killer talking about? Was he referring to some kind of elaborate torture that could break even the toughest convicts without leaving a mark on their bodies?

As he said this, Byung's moans could be heard on the recording. The man sounded like he was in pain, but no analysis showed he was tortured before he died. At least not physically... But what could cause such a reaction?

The stranger forced him to confess the truth. He broke him. And he had no idea how he did it. It haunted him, and he knew he wouldn't know it until he discovered the truth.

He felt like a reader of a good detective story — he was damn fascinated. Fascinated to the point that he couldn't tear himself away from this reading. It was for such characters that one read books. No one liked bland, vague characters. It was characters with strong personalities and compelling reasons for doing all these things that attracted readers. Crime fiction readers liked dark characters and wanted to understand why they were like that. What happened in their lives that made them decide to take justice into their own hands?

This murderer was one big mystery. And he loved solving mysteries. They still knew virtually nothing about him. Taehyung was convinced that this man was hiding a secret. He was intriguing, with a dark past, hiding more than a shadow of danger. And he was damn intrigued by him.

He didn't know who this stranger was, but for some inexplicable reason, he was sure he wasn't evil in the pure sense of the word. He reminded him of those dark villain heroes from the comic books he loved to read as a child. He balanced the line between what was good and what was bad. He didn't seek applause or the spotlight, he didn't need recognition for his actions, but he didn't act according to the law either. He lived above it and did so with incredible ease, as if he had no fear of the punishment that might befall him if he was caught. He was an avenger who lived by his own rules and had his own moral and ethical code. He did not wait for justice to finally reach the criminals.

He was the judge, the jury and the executioner.

"I don't know," he said after a while. "Maybe he was bitten by some radioactive spider and really has some kind of gift..." he added, shrugging his shoulders. "Or maybe he's just a madman who escaped from a mental hospital."

He drew a breath of air into his lungs and moved his hand through his dark hair, combing through the curls with his fingers. These disobediently fell on his forehead, obscuring his left eye.

"But enough about work... You, Mom, would probably like to know how my love life is, hm?" he puzzled, shifting his gaze to his parent's name carved in marble. He laughed softly, involuntarily, and shook his head. "He is also special," he admitted. "Yes, I met someone... Although it's probably not quite what you were hoping for... He's not my boyfriend and probably never will be. What we have in common... Well..." he fell silent, returning his thoughts to the loft apartment in the Itaewon district.

At the memory of the musician's strong, broad shoulders and his black, impenetrable eyes, he felt a pleasant twitch in the pit of his stomach. Never before had his body reacted in such a way. Of course, he liked different men. He wasn't made of stone and had his own needs too, but what he felt being with him was something completely different. He couldn't figure out why his body reacted to Jeongguk as if he was the air he needed to fill his lungs with. Was it because the musician was so damn handsome and sexy at the same time? Or was it because he was funny and intriguing?

"We just hang out together...," he said, however, although the words had a strangely bitter taste, like the lies one tells a friend when one is not ready to confess the truth out loud. "But... It's better this way...," he added quickly, feeling that he should explain himself somehow. He knew his parents wouldn't start asking uncomfortable questions, but he had a sense that they knew full well he wasn't telling the whole truth. "After what Soohyun did, I have no desire to get involved with anyone. You know that I took it quite hard," he said.

Taehyung thought back to his former partner. When he found out about his infidelity, it seemed to him that his whole life was in shambles in an instant. It seemed to him that their relationship was solid, that he could trust him. Perhaps his feelings for his former partner clouded his correct judgment. He was usually a good observer, so how did he overlook his infidelity? Perhaps he just didn't want to see it? When he caught his partner in the act, he knew it was over. And even though it seemed to take forever to heal from the feeling, he would not be able to go back to him. He hadn't seen him since the breakup, and he didn't know how he would feel if he saw him again. Would his heart start beating harder again at the sight of him? Would he feel anger and have an urge to hurt him, just as he had done to him? Or would he be jealous of his new partner?

After the breakup, he thought about him for a long time. He spent many sleepless nights thinking about what his former partner was doing now. Is he lying in bed with his lover? Or is he with his lover, and still thinking about him... Does he regret letting him go? If they met again, would he want to return to him?

These thoughts did not give him peace of mind. Since he met Jeongguk, he thought about him less and less, and he really liked it. The young musician did a pretty good job of occupying his thoughts, and he had to admit that the way he did it was pretty damn enjoyable.

"I think you would like Jeongguk," he continued, turning to his mother again. "He is a musician. A guitarist. He has a talent for playing and an incredibly beautiful voice. Oh, and yes... He is handsome," he admitted. "Damn handsome..."

He laughed quietly, then bit his lower lip, trying to hold back the smile pressing on his beautifully carved lips, but not really succeeding. He again felt that distinctive pressure in the pit of his stomach that he felt every time the image of a handsome musician with raven-black hair and equally dark eyes popped into his head. He had seen him yesterday, and felt like seeing him again.

He wasn't sure if he should feel this way, so he kept this confession to himself.

He cleared his throat and shifted his gaze to the bouquet of white roses he still clutched in his hands.

"I've been sitting too long here again," he said, forming his lips into a gentle smile, and lifted himself from his knees, straightening his slim figure. A gust of wind tousled his hair, combing it with invisible fingers, and a few disobedient strands fell softly on his forehead. "I have to go to the office," this being said, he reached out his hand and moved his fingertips over the names carved in the marble. "I miss you guys so damn much," he whispered. "I wish so much that you were here... Especially on Friday..."

Taehyung parted his lips, letting out a shuddering breath from his lungs. He felt a familiar sting in his chest. He felt it every time he thought of his parents. He would give anything to have them here with him. And he knew that on a day like this he would feel their absence more strongly than usual.

He didn't want to be alone.

Or rather...

He didn't want to feel lonely again...

"I know I have good friends," he said quickly, as if to reassure his parents not to worry about him. "Hoseok is a freak, but I know he would give his life for me. Yoongi too... I just wonder if..." he paused. He swiped his tongue across his bottom lip, wetting the soft skin and leaving a glistening layer of saliva on it. "Never mind," he retorted, however.

He shifted his gaze to the bouquet of white roses he had brought here with him. Curving the corners of his mouth into a gentle bow, he slipped the flowers into a small vase. He unfolded them and took a step back to make sure they looked good, then bowed and moved his fingertips one last time over the letters carved into the marble, looking at them with longing and love.

"I miss you," he whispered, and quickly withdrew his hand, as if upon contact with the cold marble, something pierced his body with unimaginable pain.

He drew a breath of air into his lungs and turned on his heel. He took only one step, and something told him to stop. He turned his head and looked over his shoulder toward the bouquet of white roses. Pushed by some strange impulse, he reached out and grasped one of the flowers in his slender fingers, and took it out of the vase a moment later. He lifted it and rotated it in his fingers for a moment, looking at it carefully, before finally lifting his gaze and looking deep into one of the alleys. His lips formed a soft smile.

***

Jeongguk pulled his hood over his head tighter and, without even looking around, ran across the street. He didn't know why, but he felt a slight nervousness, as if he was about to do something indecent, even though he had nothing of the sort planned. Without lifting his head, he covered the last meters separating him from the slightly rusted, ornate gate, finally crossing the threshold. Only when his long legs clad in heavy black boots took a few steps on the cracked sidewalk did he lift his gaze and look around cautiously. He didn't know what he expected to find here, but when he noticed that he was practically alone, he breathed a sigh of relief. He hadn't been here since that evening, when he woke up naked, lying on a hard grave. His body was shivering from the cold, dirty from the mud and frigid from the drizzling rain.

At this memory, an unpleasant shiver ran down his strong back. He hunched his shoulders gently and pulled the cuffs of his black hoodie over his hands, slipping his fingers into the pockets of his equally black jeans. He was wearing a sweatshirt and a black leather jacket. The same one he stole from one of the unknown men he encountered on his way after his — as he liked to call it — rebirth.

Perhaps it wasn't the smartest idea to show up here again, much less wearing a stolen jacket. Especially considering that the men he assaulted and robbed that night lived nearby. He didn't care one bit. Perhaps along with his new skills he also gained additional courage, perhaps he was driven by his rebellious nature, or perhaps he just liked living on the edge. Maybe it was stupid and reckless of him. He didn't care. When you live on the edge, you want to be close to the fire, and he loved staring those vibrant orange tongues in the eye.

As any mom would say, when you play with fire, you can get burned...

Oh, well...

He shrugged at the thought, his lips stretching into a cocky smile. He lifted his hands and with a nimble pull pulled the hood off his head. Lifting his chin proudly, he took a bold step forward.

If anyone were to recognize him — let it be.

He was ready.

He flew nimbly through the narrow streets, past well-kept tombstones, and finally came to the part of the cemetery where the older graves were located. They weren't that neat anymore. Some of them are clearly forgotten. Like this grave, he approached after a while. He crouched down and reached out a hand to push away the vines that were growing on a nearby tree, their vines wrapping around the cracked grave. Before he could touch his own name, engraved in the worn stone, he saw something strange out of the corner of his eye. He glanced down quickly and saw something he definitely hadn't expected — there was a white rose under a dilapidated tombstone.

The flower was fresh. He noticed a few drops of water on its leaves. It looked like someone had just put it there. He jumped to his feet and looked around. It seemed to him that he was completely alone, but after a while he noticed an old woman standing over one of the graves a few meters from him.

"I'm sorry!" He called to her, and when she turned her gaze to him, he bowed to her and took two long steps towards her so as not to have to shout from so far away. "I'm sorry to bother you," he added quickly. "I noticed someone put a white rose on my parents' grave... Was that you?" he asked hopefully, while looking at her carefully, as if trying to recognize her as someone familiar. The woman smiled softly at him and chuckled quietly. Her laugh was incredibly warm and hearty, but also unknown. He was practically one hundred percent sure that he had never seen her before.

"No, hunny. It wasn't me," the old woman replied.

"Oh," he sighed in disappointment. He wanted to know why someone had put that flower here. "Thank you," he said in thanks, and turned to his parents' grave. Before he had taken a single step, the woman spoke again.

"When I came, there was this handsome young man here..." she began, and Jeongguk turned his face towards her again. "He helped me clean up my husband's grave. He said he came to visit his parents... I didn't pay attention to where he went after that, but... I'm pretty sure he had a bunch of white roses in his hand..."

Hearing her words, Jeongguk held his breath. He felt his heart begin to beat harder and faster in his chest. Who could this unknown man be? Why did he put a flower on his parents' grave? On his grave?

"He was here a while ago?" he repeated as he realized what the woman had said and instinctively looked around carefully, wanting to see even the silhouette of a young man in the distance. There seemed to be no one else here but him and the old woman.

"It seems that he left a few or maybe several minutes ago," the woman confirmed, and Jeongguk let out the air loudly from his lungs, feeling the bitter taste of disappointment on his tongue.

He thanked the woman and returned to his parents' grave. He bent down and slowly reached out to pick up the flower. He had only to touch the velvety white petals with his fingertips, and the image of a little brown-haired boy standing barefoot on the grass in front of a small house flashed before his eyes. The boy might have been six or seven years old. His small body was hidden in thin pajamas, imitating a Spiderman costume. His face was wet with tears, light flashed across it every now and then. Alternating red and blue. At first, he wasn't sure what it was. It took him a few seconds to realize it was the headlights of a police car. And then his emotions hit him. Sadness and pain so intense that he instinctively unclenched his fingers, and the white rose slipped from his hand, falling onto the tombstone. He squeezed his eyes shut and parted his lips, trying to control his shaky breath. He didn't even know how much time passed before he was able to breathe normally again. When he finally managed to catch his breath, he opened his eyes and shifted his gaze to the white flower.

"Who are you?" He asked in a whisper, hoping someone would answer him, but only silence and a whistling gust of wind answered him.

He didn't know who this boy could be, but his feelings were indistinguishably similar to his own, as if they were a reflection of his emotions, and he felt such a damned need to find him and look him straight in the eye. If the woman was telling the truth, the boy had already left some time ago. So there was no point in running around looking for a stranger. On a strange impulse, he turned on his heel and started walking. He wandered the narrow paths for a while, looking around at the nearby graves, and finally caught sight of something out of the corner of his eye. Turning his face in that direction to get a better look at what his eye caught, he saw that on one of the graves down the alley, there was a bouquet of white roses in a small vase. Without thinking, he moved forward. He walked with a rather quick, determined step. With every second that passed, his heart pounded harder in his chest. When he reached the grave where the flowers had been placed, he stopped. He stood there for a few more moments with his head down. He stared down at his heavy black boots as if afraid of what he might see if he looked ahead. Finally, he drew a gulp of air into his lungs and looked up.

The tombstone was already somewhat damaged by time, but still it was obvious that someone cared for it and visited it constantly. There was a candle next to a fresh bouquet of white roses. The wick was still burning, and the orange-yellow flame danced in the wind. He could smell sulfur and melted wax in the air. It took a moment to summon up the courage to look up and look at the beautiful letters carved into the marble: Kim Taehwan and Kim Hoyeon.

He saw at once that they both died on the same day. His first thought was that perhaps it was some kind of accident, the date of death of these people caught his attention — twenty years ago, the same year as his family, and only two days after his parents died... He looked again at the names of the victims.

"Kim Taehwan..." he whispered.

He didn't know why, but the man's name seemed oddly familiar to him. He lowered his eyes and parted his lips, releasing the air he had been holding in his lungs.

"Kim Taehwan..." he repeated, searching the recesses of his memory for any clues that might lead him to some closure.

He was sure he had heard the name before, but he couldn't remember where. He had almost given up hope of being able to remember when he suddenly caught a glimpse of a piece of an article he had read a few days ago under his eyelids.

"Police officer," he said confidently as the sudden realization of who this man was hit him. It couldn't be a coincidence.

His eyes flew open, and when he opened them, he was no longer alone — there sat a crow on the grave opposite him. When their eyes met, he saw in his black irises the reflection of his face white as chalk and black lips twisted in a victorious smile.

***

Taehyung walked inside the building and nodded to several officers who were near the door, then walked past them and headed down the narrow corridor towards his office. He had wireless headphones in his ears, the music still caressing his senses, the words of the song settling softly on his tongue as he hummed to himself, moving his head rhythmically. Walking the length of the corridor, he twirled his car keys on his forefinger from time to time before slipping them into the pocket of his black bomber jacket and replacing them with his wallet. He stopped at the candy machine and scanned the insides for a moment, trying to find a good candy bar. When he spotted the Twix, he immediately punched in the dialed number to extract a caramel bar from the merciless machine.

"Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday..." he hummed to himself as he waited for the machine to spit out his coveted order. As soon as the candy bar flew into the pocket of the slot machine, he bent down and took it out. "Seven days..." he continued, hastily tearing off a piece of packaging. Putting the candy bar to his lips, he turned on his heel. "Oh! Fuck!" He shouted suddenly as Hoseok literally appeared in front of him. His hand instinctively went to his chest, where his heart, frightened by the newcomer, galloped. "God, Hobi! Don't ever do that again!" He chided, taking one of the headphones out of his ear.

"I take it you're listening to that obscene song that's topping all the charts?" he asked, obviously teasing him.

"It has a catchy melody and... lyrics," Kim brushed him off, and Hoseok laughed out loud, throwing his head back, exposing his slender neck.

He looked great as usual. His skin was radiant, his eyes sparkled brightly, and his mouth was graced with a captivating smile. The impeccable, slim figure was emphasized by a black V-neck top, exposing golden skin, slightly caressed by the sun.

"It's a sex song," he teased, his mouth stretching into a cocky grin.

"Everyone can interpret music in their own way," the younger replied, not giving up. Hoseok saw the corners of his lips twitch upwards.

"Right," Jung snorted. "I think it's a song about your life. That rockstar of yours must be humming that line in your ear every time you see him, huh?" He joked, nudging him with his elbow. "Night after night, I'll be fuckin' you right... Seven days a..." he began to sing in his ear, but before he could finish the line, he received a hard punch in the stomach. "Ah!!" He moaned and began to massage the sore spot with a slightly too theatrical gesture. "It hurt," he added, grimacing as he did so.

Taehyung rolled his eyes and, without saying anything, bit into his candy bar. When he tasted the sweet taste of chocolate mixed with caramel in his mouth, a grunt of satisfaction escaped his lips. This was what he needed. Trying to ignore his partner, he headed towards their office. Jung clearly had no intention of letting go so easily and quickly followed suit, catching up with him in a few nimble steps. When they reached the door, Hoseok pushed it, pushing his body against it, then approached his desk and reached for two mugs of steaming coffee.

"I came early to make you coffee, and you treat me like this," he groaned, placing his hand over his heart in a theatrical gesture. After a moment, however, he held out a cup of coffee to his friend. Taehyung pulled out his hand to take it, but before his fingers could touch the red pottery, Hoseok withdrew his hand. "I don't know if you deserved it," he grumbled, pretending to be offended.

"Give it to me, silly boy," the younger one simply took the cup from his hand and immediately put it to his lips to take a few sips of the hot drink. It wasn't the best coffee he'd ever had, but it tasted decent. For several months, they persuaded Yoongi to have the old coffee machine replaced with a new one, and they finally succeeded.

"Oh, yes! Just what I needed." He sighed, taking another bite of the sweet bar. He was about to perch on the edge of his friend's desk when suddenly the door behind him opened, and he froze in mid-step.

"Don't sit down, because we have to go," Yoongi threw from the threshold, and Taehyung wrinkled his nose and moved his gaze to him.

"I haven't even had time to sit down yet," he groaned, shoving the Twix into his mouth.

"I know, but we might have a new lead," Min explained, and Taehyung nearly choked. He hastily set his coffee mug down on the desk and coughed several times while slapping his open palm against his chest.

"About..." he began.

"Yes. It's about Byung," Min interrupted, confirming his suspicions. "A buddy I used to work with before I went undercover just called. Chang works in prevention, but his cousin is a pediatrician at Kyung Hee University Medical Center. The woman contacted him because they had a rather strange case, and Chang had heard about our investigation and thought it might be related to Byung. His cousin has agreed to meet us, but we have to go there," he explained quickly. He didn't go into details, but as they guessed, he probably didn't know much else. "Now," Min added, shifting his gaze to Hoseok, who was hurriedly finishing his coffee.

"Okay, okay," Jung agreed, reluctantly setting his half-finished drink on his desk.

He pulled his jacket off the back of the chair and approached the door. Taehyung watched both men for a brief moment, looking from his boss to his partner and back again. When he finally came to his senses and realized that the two men were waiting only for him, he stuffed the last bite of the candy bar into his mouth and ran towards them, quickly grabbing one of Byung's printed photos from the desk.

Min walked ahead, leading them down the narrow corridor toward the exit. They didn't talk, they walked quickly, intently dodging the agents hanging around the building. As they passed the photographs of fallen officers adorning one of the walls, Taehyung looked up and met his father's dark eyes. For a few seconds, time seemed to slow down, and he stopped involuntarily. When he realized that his friends were almost at the exit, he looked away and continued walking. He couldn't be distracted now. He shoved his hands into the pockets of his black bomber jacket and ran the rest of the way to his car. Reaching the car, he saw that Yoongi had already taken the driver's seat and Hoseok sat next to him. Without a word of protest, he opened the door and slid into the back of the unmarked car while his boss started the engine.

They were silent most of the way. From time to time, Hoseok and Yoongi exchanged some remarks, mainly about the faster way to get to the designated place, and the rest of the time was filled with the sounds of one of the most popular radio stations. Taehyung was so deep in thought that he couldn't even register the words coming out of the speakers. Hoseok, on the other hand, nodded his head rhythmically, from time to time singing a familiar verse or beating the rhythm on his slim thighs clad in jeans.

"What are we going there for? Do you know anything else?" He finally asked. Instead of looking at his boss, he glanced back furtively, as if to check if Taehyung hadn't wandered off too far into the recesses of his mind. The younger one did not look at him, but it was enough that he saw his beautiful profile to know that his thoughts were far away.

"No. Chang didn't want to talk too much on the phone. He said his cousin would explain everything to us. All I know is that it's about some kid who ended up there," Min replied. "We should be there in a few minutes," he added.

Min was driving with one hand, the other resting on the door. His fingers involuntarily glided over his lower lip. His gaze was focused on the road in front of him. The gusts of wind entering the car through the slightly opened window blew his dark hair, which every now and then rose gently to fall again on his forehead and dark eyes, covering the scar that cut across his eye and cheek.

Hoseok shifted his gaze to the other of his friends. His partner sat directly behind Yoongi, equally immersed in thoughts. The window on his side was also open, and his beautiful face turned towards the road. The boy did not look ahead. Now his eyes were closed. The sun's rays flickered over the caramel skin, creating rectangular streaks on it and coloring it with a golden glow. Hoseok wanted to ask what was on his mind. He knew that his friend had been repressing some emotions for some time, but apparently he wasn't ready to share them with anyone. Now that he knew the truth about his parents, he understood him much better. He only guessed that it was the anniversary of the death of his loved ones that made Taehyung think a lot lately, and he wasn't surprised at all. He couldn't even imagine what it would feel like to spend his life chasing murderers and not being able to catch those who hurt his family.

However, he had noticed another change in him recently — he smiled more often.

They always got along great and loved to tease each other. They made good contact from the very beginning, and mutual teasing became an inseparable part of their relationship. They joked often and laughed a lot. After parting with Soohyun, his friend became visibly sad, and despite the constant jokes, he knew that he carried some kind of sadness after breaking up with someone he had been with for so long. More than once he tried to persuade him to try to date someone, but he quickly extinguished all new relationships, explaining that he was not ready to get close to someone again.

Something has changed recently.

Since the handsome musician came into his life, the situation seemed to take a completely different track. It was no longer some pathetic spark he was trying to make into something that might resemble a flimsy flame. What connected Tae with this musician was like a wild, unbridled fire that he allowed himself to be carried away. He didn't know if something more could come of this relationship, but he was convinced that such a stepping stone would do him good. Especially since the boy has been going through a difficult period recently. When he was with Jeongguk, he certainly didn't have time to mortify himself.

As he watched his friend, he felt the car slowly slowing down. The brunet raised his eyelids and looked at him with his dark eyes. Still, no one spoke. They let Yoongi pull into the small parking lot that was in front of the hospital building and park the car. The oldest of the men turned off the engine and got out of the car without a word, closing the door behind him with a little too much force. Hoseok and Taehyung exchanged quick glances and followed him.

They only had a few meters to go, but Hoseok still pushed his sunglasses over his eyes. The sun was shining very brightly today. Still, Taehyung forced himself to move his eyes around the parking lot. There weren't many people here at this hour. He saw only a couple with a small child and a woman holding a Mickey Mouse balloon filled with helium in her right hand. It occurred to him that it was probably a gift for some sick child in this hospital, but he quickly dismissed the unpleasant thought.

As they crossed the threshold of the building, he scanned the surroundings. Now they were in the lobby, where the registration desk and a small waiting room were located. He didn't like hospitals. They were unpleasant to him, but he had to admit that this place wasn't as cold and impersonal as most hospitals he'd been to over the years. Perhaps this was due to the fact that it was mainly a children's hospital. Therefore, the management of the hospital made sure that the furnishings and appearance were more cozy, which had a calming effect on the little patients. The walls were a peach shade, and the couches in the waiting room were upholstered in eco-leather like a ripe red Sicilian orange. In the corner to the right of the reception desk stood a large, almost one-meter ficus, and on the counter he saw a rather large bowl of candy.

Taehyung thought they must have looked funny standing in the doorway of the hospital in their heavy boots and dark clothes because all the people gathered in the waiting room as well as the nurses behind the registration counter looked surprised at them. Feeling their eyes on each other, they approached one of the nurses, and Yoongi gave her a slightly awkward, gummy smile.

"I bet I don't even need to explain who we are anymore," he joked, pulling out his badge. "Detective Min, and these are my subordinates, Detective Kim and Jung," he explained, to complete the formalities.

The woman behind the counter opened her mouth to say something but closed it again, sending a warm smile to whoever must have appeared behind Yoongi's back. Before he could turn around, a melodious female voice crept into his ears.

"You're probably looking for me."

The three of them turned around, and a young woman appeared before their eyes. Her petite figure was hidden behind a blue V-neck doctor's suit, over which she wore a white doctor's coat. The blue complimented her honey-golden skin beautifully. Her long, shiny black hair was tied in a messy ponytail. She was certainly in her early thirties, but the haircut made her look much younger. She looked more like an intern than a full-time doctor. A stethoscope hung around her slender neck, and a small name tag was worn on her left breast. Taehyung immediately noticed that her pass was pinned to the right pocket of her coat at about hip height, which was probably a basic mistake of many employees. With just a moment of inattention, he could easily have stolen it. He also noticed that despite her incredibly neat clothes, she had some dirty and worn sneakers on her feet. He had to admit that the doctor looked spectacular. Which certainly did not escape the attention of his two friends, who stared at her for a moment, speechless.

"Park Yoojun," she greeted, extending her hand towards Yoongi, and her warm chocolate eyes with golden reflections moved to the policeman's face.

"Min," the elder gasped, then cleared his throat, as if he didn't want to reveal what impression the doctor had made on him. Taehyung noticed it right away. Just like Hoseok, who exchanged knowing glances with him. "I mean... Detective Min Yoongi," he corrected and shook her hand, bowing slightly. "Sorry, I didn't expect Chang's cousin to look like that," he admitted after a moment, before he could bite his tongue.

A smile lit up her heart-shaped face at these words, and a faint blush crept onto her cheeks.

"We're not much alike," she admitted, and laughed softly. As she threw her head back, strands of her hair swayed gently, then fell loosely around her face like a spun black silk.

"I see you got all the best genes," Yoongi said as he smiled back at her.

Hoseok and Taehyung exchanged glances again, and when Yoongi saw their smiles out of the corner of his eye, he straightened up and assumed a more professional expression. He had to admit that Yoojun was incredibly attractive. No one had ever made such an impression on him before. He wasn't here to flirt or get the numbers of ambitious female doctors. They had more important things on their mind.

"Chang didn't want to tell me much over the phone," he began, sounding professional. "He just mentioned that it was some kind of...patient?"

"Yes," the doctor replied, gesturing for the policemen to follow her. "We had a new patient come to us yesterday. A six-year-old boy. His mother called an ambulance because the little one suddenly began to lose consciousness..." she explained, leading them down a narrow corridor.

Here and there, too, the same orange chairs were placed, and pictures hung on the walls. Most looked as if they had been drawn by small children. From the walls, funny clumsy creatures or stick men watched them. Taehyung guessed that it was probably work done by the patients of this hospital and thought it was really cute. He smiled slightly as he saw one of them. It depicts a clumsy purple dinosaur holding a yellow sun-shaped balloon in its paw.

"The little one showed symptoms of alcohol intoxication, with impaired balance and motor coordination. He had headaches and dizziness. He was accompanied by nausea and loss of consciousness. At first, I thought it was some kind of neurological disorder, but after some tests, it turned out that the boy was drugged. The exact toxicology hasn't come back yet, but I think someone gave him chloroform or a derivative of it. Its effect doesn't last long, but the little one was dizzy, passed out, then struggled with vomiting."

"Did the boy have any other injuries?" Taehyung asked, unable to resist, and Yoojun shifted her gaze to him and curved her soft lips into a gentle smile.

"Fortunately not. The boy seems to be fine. Just to be sure, we decided to keep him for observation, but it's weird enough that I called my cousin, and he told me about the case you're working on."

"I take it the boy is still with you?" Yoongi asked.

"Yes. I already spoke to his mother. She's agreed to talk to you," she nodded, pausing at one of the doors numbered 205. "She's already waiting for you," she added.

"Okay," Jung interjected suddenly. "Then me and Kim will go talk to her, and you can stay with Dr. Park."

Yoongi shot him a surprised look and parted his lips to protest, but Taehyung took a step forward, standing next to his partner.

"Yes. Jung is right," he said quickly. "We'll take care of everything while you discuss the rest with the doctor. I'm sure you have a million more questions."

Yoongi snorted, amused by their attitude, but didn't protest, he pointed towards the door, thus showing that he was giving them free rein. Taehyung raised the corners of his mouth in a beautiful smile and nodded to the young doctor, then knocked on the door and, without waiting for an answer, went inside. Hoseok slid in behind him. Before closing the door behind him, he waved flirtatiously at the pediatrician, and Yoojun laughed, throwing her head back, easily reading the intentions of both men.

"Hello," Kim greeted from the doorway, turning to a woman standing at the back of the room by the window. The dark-haired turned at the sound of his voice and shifted her gaze to him. "Agent Kim, and this is my partner, Agent Jung. We came..."

"Yes, I know," the woman said.

Her right hand came up, and her fingers nervously tucked a stray strand behind her ear. After a moment, she folded her arms across her chest and turned harder towards them.

"Will you tell us what actually happened that day?" Kim asked, not bothering with unnecessary explanations.

"My son and I went to a playground near Itaewon. We often stop there when I pick him up from kindergarten. I work a lot. He's having fun and I can finish my business. I was talking on the phone when I suddenly realized he wasn't there," the dark-haired explained.

There was a kind of reproach in her voice. As if she was punishing herself for her carelessness. Taehyung didn't say anything, but he was sure it wasn't the first time something like this had happened. That's probably why she felt guilty. Even as they entered the room, she held her cell phone in her hand as if she had just finished talking on the phone or was waiting for an incoming call.

"I started looking for him and spotted him a bit further down one of the side streets. He was unsteady on his feet, staggering as if he was drunk, and mumbling some strange things. I got scared, so I called an ambulance." Instinctively, she wrapped her arms around the body, cringing slightly. "They told me it looked like someone tried to drug him... The doctor said some kind of chlori... something..."

"Chloroform," Taehyung finished for her. "We have reason to believe that this event may be related to the case we are currently investigating. Have you seen anyone suspicious around? Has anyone harassed your son or other children?"

"I-I don't think so," she replied after a moment of silence, clearly hesitating. Taehyung was convinced that the woman was so absorbed in work that she probably wouldn't even notice if a spaceship landed in the middle of the playground. "We've been coming there for a long time," she added, as if that excused her inattention.

"And on this day..." he began. "You said you realized your son was missing... why? Did something strange happen? Did anything catch your attention?"

"N-no," she replied, stuttering a bit.

The young detective immediately sensed that the woman was not telling him the truth. Why was she lying? He narrowed his eyes and studied her face carefully. There was a strange tension in her. It wasn't at all out of worry that her baby was in the hospital, or even that the police had just questioned her about the suspected kidnapping of her son.

"Are you sure?" he asked, even though he knew he probably wouldn't hear the truth. The woman nodded, avoiding his inquisitive gaze. Taehyung straightened his slim figure and was silent for a moment, as if thinking about something. His right hand slipped into his jacket pocket, and he pulled out a slightly crumpled photo of Byung, which they would hastily sweep off their desk as they rushed out of the office. He unfolded it and held it out to the woman. "Have you seen this man before?"

The woman looked at the photo and then at him. Taehyung immediately noticed that her pupils dilated and her cheeks, which had been ruddy up to that point, turned pale. Her right hand went to the nape of her neck, which she began to nervously massage.

"I'm not a hundred percent sure, but I think I've seen him a few times..." she admitted. "He was hanging around the playground. He had this little dog... Who is that?" she asked, but the brunet ignored her question.

He folded Byung's photo in his slender hands and slipped it into the pocket of his black bomber jacket. He lifted his head and gave his partner a knowing look. He was silent for a moment, staring at one of the windows. Finally, he turned on his heel and turned his face towards the bed where the dark-haired boy was sitting. The toddler seemed to be playing with some toy cars, driving them over the white hospital sheets.

"Is that your son?" he finally asked.

He didn't need an answer to that question. He just knew that asking these kinds of questions was reassuring. He wanted the woman to feel more relaxed. They didn't need to cause her any more stress, and he hoped it would inspire her confidence, and perhaps she'd finally decide to say what she'd decided to hide before.

"Do you mind if I talk to him for a while?" With that, he shifted his gaze to her face, but as expected, she nodded, giving him a free hand.

So he turned on his heel. Putting his lips into a beaming smile, he took a few steps towards the boy. Only when he came closer, stopping a step away from him, did the little boy look up and look directly at him.

"Hi," he greeted, and boldly held out his hand to him. "My name is Taehyung. And what's your name?" He asked.

"Beomie," the toddler replied.

"Oh, beautiful name," he said. "Can I sit here?" he asked, pointing to the edge of the bed, and the boy nodded vigorously. With permission, he sat down on the soft mattress and shifted his gaze to the boy's mother, who had also approached the bed. "You know, I'd like to talk to you for a moment..." he began. "Your mother said that you often play in the playground in the park near Itaewon..."

"Yes! There are such big ladders!" the boy exclaimed, visibly perking up. As his face lit up, Taehyung couldn't help but notice the striking resemblance to Sijul, Byung's last victim, and felt an unpleasant tightness in his chest.

"Oh, yes, I've seen them," he admitted, wanting to encourage the toddler to continue talking. "Do you like climbing them?"

"Very! I finally made it to the top!"

"Oh, that's great! You must have been very proud..."

"Yes! I wanted to show my mom, but she wasn't looking. She never looks," the toddler admitted, making a sad face. However, he quickly came to life again, bouncing on the soft mattress. "But my friend Sam did! And Bo saw!"

Taehyung drew his perfect eyebrows together at those words. He slipped his tongue out of his mouth and ran it over his lower lip, leaving a thin layer of saliva on it. His right hand went into the pocket of his bomber jacket, his slender fingers tracing the smooth surface of a slightly worn photograph.

"Sam and Bo?" he repeated. "Are these your friends from the playground? Are you having fun together?"

"No. Sam comes in sometimes and watches me climb," he explained.

Out of the corner of his eye, Taehyung saw the child's mother move nervously, shifting from foot to foot. She looked like she was about to scoop the baby into her arms and run away. Perhaps a sudden realization of what had happened hit her.

"And Bo?" He asked, playing with the photo.

The toddler laughed, filling the hospital room with his baby laugh. His laugh was melodious, innocent, light.

"Bo is a dog," the little boy explained. "Sam said he had more of these!"

The young detective unfolded the photograph and pulled it towards the little one. Before showing him the photo, he was sure that the man Beomie was talking about was Byung. It made him sick to think of what might have happened.

"Beomie, is that Sam?" He asked.

"Yes! It's him!" The boy confirmed. "Do you know him too? Will he come visit me? I'd like to see Bo and the other dogs!"

Taehyung gave Hoseok a knowing look. Ever since they found food and a dog bed at Byung's house, and learned that the man was hurting children, they guessed that perhaps this was how he lured his victims. Now their suspicions have been confirmed.

"No, Beomie. I don't think Sam will visit you anymore," he admitted. "Will you tell me what happened the last time you were at the playground?" he asked. "Did Sam visit you then?"

"Yes, Sam has come. He said I was very talented, that I had climbed so high, and Bo liked it too. Then I played with Bo and Sam told me he had other dogs. He was supposed to show them to me, and we went together to his car..." The boy paused and shifted nervously, as if he had suddenly remembered something unpleasant.

"Don't worry," Kim reassured him. "You're safe here, and you can tell me anything you want, hm?" he added in a gentle voice.

"Then all of a sudden Sam put a cloth over my mouth and I couldn't breathe... I wanted to get away, but I couldn't..." the boy confessed.

"What happened then?"

"I wanted to sleep. Very much. But then this man showed up..."

"What man?" Taehyung asked, feeling his heart beating faster in his chest. He knew exactly who the boy was talking about.

"A man jumped on Sam and put a rag to his mouth, and when he fell down, he dragged him into a white car... and took Bo too," the boy explained. "And then I don't know... I think I fell asleep, and when I woke up, I was already here. I don't remember anything else. Sorry."

"Oh, Beomie. You don't have to apologize," the young agent protested in a protective voice. "You did great," he complimented. "And tell me, have you seen this gentleman?" he asked, and the boy nodded. Taehyung ran his tongue over his lips and drew in a gulp of air. His heart was beating like crazy now. "Can you describe him for me?" he asked, and in response, he received another energetic nod from the little one.

"He was very tall!" the boy began to describe, while showing with his hands how tall the unknown man was. "Veeery tall," he repeated.

Taehyung hurriedly took a small notebook out of his pocket to jot down what the boy would give them. He had a great memory, but he didn't want to miss anything.

"Was he as tall as me?" He asked, standing up, so the boy could compare his height, but the boy denied it.

"No. He was much taller. He was twice like you!" He replied, and the young detective laughed involuntarily and wrote 'tall' on a piece of paper.

"Do you remember the color of his skin? His hair? Did he have eyes like ours?"

"No. He had big eyes! Sooo big." He raised his hands and made big circles in the air. "But he had skin like the man who was at my friend's birthday," the toddler continued to describe, and Taehyung drew his eyebrows together, not understanding what the boy wanted to convey to him.

Wasn't their killer Asian?

"What was his skin like?" he asked curiously. "Was he black?"

"No. He was like a ghost. He looked like the man who did funny things at Seong's birthday..."

"T-there was a mime at one of his friends' birthdays recently," the boy's mother interjected suddenly. "Beomie, are you talking about the gentleman who twisted balloon animals for you?" she asked, turning to her son. Her right hand rested on the boy's shoulder, and he squealed with delight at the memory.

"Yes! He looked just like this man."

Mime? Taehyung wrote on a piece of paper.

"And how was he dressed? Do you remember what he was wearing?"

"He was wearing black clothes. Glowing," the boy continued, and Taehyung pulled his eyebrows together once again. He hadn't expected that, either.

"Glowing?" He repeated in surprise. "His clothes shone like that lamp?" he asked, and the boy giggled, covering his chubby face with his hands and shaking his head vigorously, denying his words.

"No, silly," he protested. "Not like a lamp. It shone like Mom's scarf." He gestured with his hands to the scarf that was resting on the woman's shoulders, and the young agent turned his gaze to her.

"Sequins?" He said, looking over the boy's shoulder in the direction where Hoseok was, and the boy answered him the same and shrugged.

He likes sequins? He noted with a large, bold question mark at the end.

"And he had big boots!" Beomie called, gaining his attention.

"Big? You mean high? Mid-calf or knee-length?" He asked, tilting his head slightly to the side.

"The one with the big tip. Like that clown I saw at the circus."

"Oh, okay," Taehyung snorted, looking at the notebook where he jotted down a few words. He hastily scribbled another sentence and closed it.

The clown who escaped from the circus?

Knowing that he would learn nothing more, he smiled at the boy and ruffled his dark hair with his fingers.

"You've done well, Beomie," he praised, then stood up and looked at the boy's mother. "That's enough for now," he said, holding out his business card to her. "If you remember anything important, or if the little one says anything, please feel free to call us."

With that said, he nodded to her and headed for the door. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the woman turn his card over in her manicured hands, thinking about something, then followed him to see them to the exit. He stole a glance at her. Her lips were pressed into a tight line, her eyebrows drawn together as if she was thinking hard about something. Hoseok opened the door and stepped out into the hallway, and Taehyung followed suit. He had only to cross the threshold to hear Beomi's mother's voice behind him.

"M-Mr. Detective!"

Taehyung stopped mid-step and turned to the woman. She looked around as if to make sure no one was watching. For a few moments, her gaze wandered towards Hoseok, and he, sensing her uncertainty, moved on, leaving his partner alone. The dark-haired woman left her son's room and closed the door behind her, then looked around again, and only after making sure once again that there was no one in the immediate vicinity, she looked at the young policeman. She looked nervous. Taehyung could have sworn he saw her chest twitch in a labored breath. She played with her hands for a moment, then ran them over her pencil skirt, wiping away the sweat that had gathered on her skin.

"Perhaps something else happened that I didn't mention before..." she finally admitted.

Her voice was lowered to a whisper to the point that Taehyung had to get closer to understand her words. He was curious what she wanted to tell him, but bit his tongue, holding back his urges. He didn't want to interrupt her lest she back out.

"While Beomie was playing in the playground, I was on the phone. I was doing business. I work in a large company. There's still work to be done there," she began cautiously. Her voice was hesitant, occasionally glancing to the side to make sure Hoseok wasn't looking at them. "I didn't notice he was gone," she admitted after a short pause. "You asked if anything happened that caught my attention... While I was talking on the phone, suddenly someone rang on the other line... I looked at the screen because I thought it was another call from work, but I saw that it was Beomie who was calling me..." the woman paused again. Wetting her lips, she continued, "We gave my son a phone, so he could play games and watch cartoons, but I also gave him my speed dial number. Yes, just in case."

"Did he call you?" he asked, intrigued. The toddler didn't mention anything about calling his mother.

"When I saw him calling me, I realized he wasn't at the playground. At first, I thought he might be fooling around. That he's hidden somewhere and is calling me to find him... But when I answered, a man spoke up..."

Taehyung thought maybe it was Byung who decided to call her for some reason. He wasn't the type to play cat and mouse, though. If that were the case, he'd be sending letters to the press or leaving clues. He didn't kidnap and murder these boys for the applause. He didn't want to show off. He only did it for his own pleasure.

In this way, he wanted to feed the monster he kept inside him.

"He had such an oddly low voice," the woman said suddenly, and that was enough for him to know who had called her. He remembered that voice so well. He listened to the recordings they had so many times that he knew their contents by heart. "He sounded angry, but... His voice was strangely... soothing... I don't know how to explain it."

"What did he tell you?"

"He told me to stop the fucking conversation and find my son..." she confessed, styling her voice much lower, as if she was pretending to be her interlocutor.

Taehyung guessed that was probably an exact quote from what the man had told her. Their avenger didn't mince words, but given the circumstances, he wasn't surprised one bit.

"Did he say anything else?" he asked, clearly interested.

"He just said he was in a side street, and I'd better take him to the ER, then hung up. When I ran there, Beomie was lying practically unconscious on one of the benches," having said that, the woman fell silent, and scanned the surroundings again with a searching gaze. Making sure they were still alone, she took a step towards him and leaned in slightly towards him. "I've told you all this, but... you're not going to call Social Services on me, are you? I love Beomie, I just work a lot and..."

"I won't call social services because I know you love your son. Even if you don't show it properly..." he replied, looking her straight in the eye. "But I'm going to tell you something, and I hope you'll take it to heart. Sam, that man your son called his friend... He's a pedophile and a serial killer. He killed eight boys, aged between five and eight, and stuffed their bodies into barrels and dumped them in the lake. If it wasn't for this ridiculous mime in clown shoes and sequins, your son would be his ninth victim... So I would advise you to take his advice, put this phone down and finally start being a mother to your own child..."

The woman opened her mouth and moved it a few times like a fish, but no words came out of her throat. Taehyung bowed to her and without saying anything else, he walked down the corridor towards his partner. Perhaps his behavior was very unprofessional. He probably should have bitten his tongue. The woman was rich, and it was very likely she might want to file a complaint against him, but he didn't care.

He almost felt like one of the comic book superheroes, being able to say it all out loud.

***

Taehyung led them ahead, heading towards the hospital exit. When they returned to the lobby where the reception was located, they saw Yoongi saying goodbye to the young doctor. They both stopped within two steps of them and waited for their boss to finish talking to her.

"Thank you for all the information. We'll definitely need them." The elder said, and Hoseok, standing with his back to Min, rolled his eyes, mocking him, thus making Taehyung smile involuntarily.

"You're welcome," the doctor replied, smiling brightly. "If there's anything else I can help you with, or if you have any other questions, you know where to find me."

"Yes, thank you," Yoongi nodded and was about to move on, but he visibly hesitated and shifted his gaze to her again. He raised his right hand and scratched his temple with a finger, laughing to himself. "Actually..." he began cautiously. "I was wondering... Would you like to go out to dinner with me?" he suggested uncertainly. "I'll probably have some more questions about the case or... you know. All that medical terminology... I might need you to explain something to me again..." he explained a bit clumsily.

It had been a long time since he'd asked someone out on a date, and he could feel his friends' eyes on him, and he knew they'd probably make fun of him as soon as they walked through the hospital door. Yoojun watched him silently, but the smile did not leave her lips. She seemed to be enjoying herself watching his embarrassing actions as well.

"If you want to invite me to dinner to discuss the matter..." she said, finally saving him from this clumsy speech, and Yoongi held his breath, hoping to hear those wonderful three letters announcing that the girl also wants to meet him. "Then my answer is: no," she said, though, and Yoongi's smile faded a bit and his shoulders drooped. "But if you want to ask me out, and you're going to talk to me about anything but work..." she added and looked him straight in the eye. Her voice trailing off, she bit her lower lip to keep back the smile that spread across her raspberry-colored lips. "I'm finishing today at eight, and I'd love to go eat something good," she finished, and Yoongi grinned at her words.

"Okay," he agreed hastily. "Not a word about work. I swear," he said, placing his hand over his heart, and the doctor laughed softly before adjusting the stethoscope around her neck and nodding to the other men.

"See you later, gentlemen," she said goodbye and, turning on her heel, started down one of the narrow corridors.

Yoongi watched her until she was out of his sight. He didn't have time to look at his friends yet, and Hoseok's giggle crept into his ears, and literally after a few seconds his neck was surrounded by a thin man's arm.

"Uuu, our boss has a date tonight," he exclaimed, excitement in his voice.

"It's nothing," Min pacified him hastily, and, leaning forward, freed himself from his friend's grip and hurried towards the exit.

"Taehyung also keeps saying it's nothing, and he hasn't left the sexy guitarist's bed for weeks," he joked, giving his partner a wink, and Taehyung just rolled his eyes. "Oh, but you are!" he scolded them, crossing his arms over his chest in an overly theatrical gesture. "I'll see who begs me first to walk him down the aisle..." he added, pretending to be offended.

"You'd better tell me what new you've learned," Min put in, changing the subject.

"The little one recognized Byung. He was the one who approached him," Jung said, immediately becoming serious.

"That's true," Taehyung agreed. "I think Beomie was going to be the next victim. It seems that Byung has been watching him for some time. Mother said she saw him hanging around with the dog."

"And what happened there? Has his mother seen anyone?" Min asked, and two of his subordinates shook their heads.

"Mother didn't even notice when he was gone," Kim snorted, hands on his narrow hips. "If it wasn't for our little avenger, Byung would have abducted and harmed another child. From what the boy said, Byung introduced himself as Sam and lured him with a dog named Bo. We will need to check out the hostels nearby. The boy said that Byung put something in his mouth, but before he lost consciousness, he saw our murderer..."

At his last words, Min straightened up like a string.

"Has he seen him?" he asked with clear excitement in his voice, and Hoseok laughed softly under his breath at the mere mention of the boy's testimony.

"Oh, yes!" he confirmed. "The kid saw him and gave us a full description."

"Description?" Min repeated, shifting his gaze to Taehyung. "I guess that's good, isn't it?" he asked rhetorically. "Why does Kim look like that?" Saying this, he pointed his chin at the younger of the men.

Taehyung sighed loudly, then raised his hand and ran his fingers through the dark curls, which again fell in a soft wave on his forehead.

"All we found out was that our vigilante is about three meters tall and wears make-up like a mime. To top it all off, he's wearing a sexy black sequin costume with clown shoes on his feet," he described hastily. When he finished, he grinned in anticipation of their boss's reaction. Yoongi's expression dropped immediately.

"O-okay," he finally choked out. "I guess he really ran away from the circus after all..."

***

Ayashee:

The investigation on the unknown avenger doesn't seem to be going quite as Taehyung had expected...

Instead of slowly picking up the missing puzzles to this jigsaw puzzle, our young detective has more and more questions. Will he finally be able to find some answer that will lead him to the Crow's trail?

Instead, Jeongguk has learned something new...

Will he be able to figure out who left the rose on his parents' grave? Or will he soon learn something he definitely doesn't expect?

xoxo