Chapter 1

"Sir...

"Yes, Mr. Byeon, just wrapping up," Deputy Commissioner General Min Hoseok replied, closing the file with a smile. The relief on his face offered a sliver of hope to the inspector standing before him.

"Sir, there's some bad news," Inspector Byeon Woo-Seok said, sliding his mobile into his pocket as he stepped into Hoseok's office at the Korean National Police Agency (KNPA).

Hoseok's brow furrowed. "What is it?"

"Sir, we need to get to Lee Do-kyun quickly. He lied to us. He said there was no way out of his house except the main and back doors, but in reality..." Woo-Seok trailed off, nervously licking his lips as Hoseok's confusion morphed into a furious glare.

"What in reality?!" Hoseok roared, leaping from his chair. "Why are you talking in bits and pieces? Tell me everything clearly! How did you not know this earlier, and how did you find out now? Speak!"

"Sir, he's not in his room. The truth is, there's a third exit in Do-kyun's bedroom, behind the dressing mirror," Woo-Seok explained, watching Hoseok's face turn crimson. "He mentioned the empty house next door casually, just to mislead us. And... his wife claims the lights suddenly went out in the room. Before she could comprehend anything, they came back on, but Do-kyun was gone. The dressing mirror was moved away from the wall like a door, indicating a way out..."

"Sir, it's not our fault! Lee Do-kyun didn't trust us. If he had told us, would this have happened?" Woo-Seok tried to defend himself, but Hoseok's glare silenced him.

"What do you mean he didn't trust us?! Nonsense! It's our fault we couldn't figure it out, even while inside the house, and he still managed to escape!" Hoseok roared, slamming his hand on the table. "Now why are you standing there staring at me? Get lost!"

"Sir, won't you go there?" Woo-Seok asked hesitantly as he turned to leave. Hoseok felt like smashing everything.

"Should I go there now for what to kill mosquitoes? We couldn't save a person's life should we go console his wife, you stupid fool?" he snarled, his eyes red with anger.

"He seems to have lost his mind," Woo-Seok muttered under his breath, observing Hoseok's frantic state as he exited the office.

Hoseok collapsed into his chair, staring at the ceiling. "Ahh, beast... Your time has come. Do your worst," he muttered. His phone suddenly rang. He took a deep breath, straightened, and seeing his brother Yoongi, he answered.

"What is it, Yoongi?"

"Brother, do you remember what time is it now? It's eleven o'clock, and only an hour left until midnight!" Yoongi exclaimed.

"Oh man, my brain is fried," Hoseok said, running his fingers through his hair and closing his eyes.

"Oh, so it's like every other time?" Yoongi laughed.

"Yes, just like every other time. And by the way, are you asking or making fun of me?"

"Haha... hyung, why would I make fun of you? Just asking, that's all."

"Okay, tell me, how's the weather over there?" Hoseok asked with a smile, his mind lost in the thought of a beloved face.

"The weather's the same as always," Yoongi said, reclining against the back of the sofa. Hoseok bit his lip and stood up from his chair.

"Okay, try waking up Jimin. I'll go buy something special in the meantime."

"Hyung, you'll waste a lot of time on that tiny marvel. Let's do it tomorrow," Yoongi tried to delay, scratching his head, but Hoseok was not to be deterred.

"Yoongi..." Hoseok's authoritative voice warned as he exited his office.

"I'm on it. In fact, I'm at the door, no need to call again," Yoongi muttered, heading toward Jimin's room.

"Good job, gummy," Hoseok laughed, hanging up and instructing his driver to head to the shopping mall. As they placed the shopping bags in the car outside the mall, Hoseok's phone rang again. He already knew who it was. As expected, Commissioner General (CG) of the Korean National Police Agency (KNPA) Hyun Bin's name flashed on the screen.

"Go check if any flower shops are open, and be quick."

"Okay, sir," the driver replied and drove off, while Hoseok answered the call.

"Annyeonghasimnikka, Sir."

"DCG Min Hoseok, I want Lee Do-kyun alive. You understand? Not a scratch on him. You have ten hours to do this," the CG ordered. "A rising politician was kidnapped despite tight police security. It's a shameful situation."

Listening to the CG, Hoseok felt like smashing his phone against the wall. "Sir, but Lee Do-kyun..."

"No excuses, Deputy Commissioner Min Hoseok. We have to answer to our superiors too. The media doesn't know yet, but if they find out, they will tarnish the reputation of the police department," the CG angrily hung up, leaving Hoseok fuming.

"Sorry, sir, but there's no flower shop open. There's one, but it closes after eight," the driver said respectfully.

"Take me to that shop," Hoseok instructed. Half an hour had already passed, and he had missed thirty calls from Dad.

"Right this way, sir."

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Yoongi quietly approached his parents' room. "Oh God, what kind of trouble have you sent to us poor souls?" he muttered, moving hesitantly toward Jimin’s room while complaining.

The biggest problem now was that the room shouldn't be locked. If he knocked, he'd get thirty slaps from his father, and if he didn't, he'd get them from his older brother. Being the youngest, everyone treated him like a tool to use as they pleased.

"Shorty... shorty..." he called softly, hiding his face in the wall, too afraid someone might hear him.

"Hyy shorty..." he whispered again, looking around nervously.

"Ugh, how will this work, Min Yoongi?" He swallowed and stiffened his neck.

"Oh God, this moochi, he's still sleeping like a queen," he muttered, staring at the closed door and gently banging his head against the wall.

"I told you to wake up Jimin, not to talk with the wall like an idiot!" Hoseok's heavy voice startled him from behind. Yoongi almost screamed, but Hoseok quickly covered his mouth.

"Why are you screaming like this?" Hoseok scolded as he removed his hand.

"Bro, I've been shouting for the past half hour my throat is completely dry," Yoongi said breathlessly.

"If you had used that energy to open the door, your throat wouldn't be dry," Hoseok said, slowly opening the door while giving him a reproachful look. Yoongi just scratched his head and muttered, "I was trying."

"I'm going to change. In the meantime, try to win the third world war," Hoseok said, pushing him toward the door and heading to his own room.

"Ahhhhh, my life is a mess, Min Yoongi. You can't even open a room door," he muttered, grinding his teeth as he looked at the pink-colored bed with a pink blanket-wrapped figure on it.

"Anyway, it's not my fault it's called manners. You don't just barge into someone's room, stupid people," he muttered to himself.

"Hey, shorty, wake up, you cursed one! You've made my life hell," he grumbled, noticing light-brown hair peeking out from under the pillow.

"Jimin, wake up," he said, shaking the corner of the blanket, but there was no response.

"Moochi, I'm calling you for the last time. Don't blame me in the morning," he said, looking around before pulling at Jimin's hair strands.

"What is it? Let me sleep, Yoongi," Jimin murmured as he stirred from the pull on his hair.

"Jimin, please wake up. Hoseok is here," Yoongi said softly, his voice tender as he checked his watch. "If you don't wake up in five minutes, you'll miss it. We only have fifteen minutes until midnight." He smiled gently as he left the room, taking something that would definitely shock his moochi, casting one last, affectionate glance at the sleeping figure, a playful grin spreading across his face.

"You think I'm a fool, Mr. Yoongi?" Jimin muttered as Yoongi left the room. He pushed the blanket off his face and brushed a stray lock of brown hair from his rosy cheek.

"I had my sleep, and everything is ready. Good job, Kim Jimin," he murmured. He moved to pick up his dress from the table, but the empty table only mocked him.

"Are you coming or are you going to keep sleeping? As usual, you're late for everything. Even Yoongi is ready on time, but you..." Seeing him standing there, Hoseok said angrily in a subdued voice, causing Jimin to lower his gaze.

"Now just stand here like a statue. I absolutely despise lazy people like you." Hoseok shut the door behind him, and sadness settled over the heart of the person left inside.

"You only seem to like me when I'm perfect, Hoseok hyung. Everything for you starts and ends with your fairy." Jimin mumbled, wiping the pearls of tears from his rosy cheeks with the back of his hand.

"Hey, is our little one crying?" Peeking through the door, Yoongi asked innocently upon seeing him cry.

Jimin quickly raised his eyes at the sound and found two dark, mischievous eyes fixed on him. "Get lost, you bastard. This is all your fault!"

He took off his slipper and aimed it at the door. He had thought so much about going there, despite not wanting to his mood was already spoiled. But he got ready quickly, hoping to appear better in Hoseok's eyes. But...

"Huh, what have I done? Looks like I made the shorty cry." Yoongi came back into the room with a slipper in one hand and a bubble in his mouth, looking at Jimin's tear-streaked cheeks.

"Fool, who cries over such a small thing? Here, take your slipper, and your dress is under the bed. Hurry up." He threw the slipper back and chided him.

"And here, take this bubblegum. Good boy, now come quickly, my little one." As he left, Jimin threw the bubblegum he had in his mouth in Yoongi's direction, closing the bedroom door.

"Damn you, Yoongi. I wish you die miserably." He cursed, but his anger wasn't directed at Yoongi. He was angry at himself, his soul mourning how his heart had betrayed him.

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