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Mingi wondered if the Seoul Gangnam Police was destined to have chaebol heirs for employees.
Apparently, it was.
Both Kang Dongho and Kwak Aaron were heirs to their respective conglomerate-owning families. Both were also working as police detectives — his partner and supervisor, respectively — the thought of which pisses Mingi off sometimes.
Most of the time.
After all, solving crimes and bringing forth justice while being heir to the biggest conglomerate in all of South Korea was Choi Mingi’s original, life-long dream. He’d dreamed of it since he was five; not his fault it had to take him years to achieve.
“Sure you don’t want me to drop you off this time?” Dongho asked. He had pulled up in front of the station building in his Lamborghini Diablo VT that the officer always used to get to and from the station. For the rest of their working day, Dongho drove the black sedan assigned to him and Mingi to get them to places.
“I’m good, thanks, Dongho,” Mingi answered, giving his partner a little wave before Dongho nodded, rolling the window up and driving off to whichever estate he lived in.
For an heir, Dongho was kind and thoughtful. He rarely minced words but, at the same time, he was far from being offensive or sounding arrogant like most people who were born with everything they need already at their feet. He was diligent, too, and Mingi liked working with him.
He was pretty sure Dongho had kept on asking him if he needed a ride only out of the pureness of his heart, not wanting his partner of two months to walk home in the cold while Dongho drove himself around in luxury.
Endearing and sweet — but completely unnecessary. Mingi almost felt bad about keeping Dongho in the dark about his identity but having Kwak Aaron as their direct supervisor gave him the resolve to remain silent. Plus, if neither of them had put two and two together and figured out that Detective Choi Mingi of Seoul Gangnam Police and Choi Mingi the only son of the president of the Choi Group of Companies are one and the same — then they don’t deserve to be told.
Mingi had walked up until the station gate when a stretch limousine pulled up in front of him. A man in a black suit, bow tie, and a pair of rounded glasses stepped out and faced him.
“Good evening, young master,” the chauffeur greeted, giving Mingi a brief but deferential smile.
“Ah, you must be the new guy,” Mingi raised an eyebrow, eyeing the chauffeur from head to toe. Well-groomed and dapper, Mingi thought approvingly, and very much like his old butler if it weren’t for the obvious fact that he looked rather young.
“Yes, sir. I’m Kim Jonghyun, at your service,” the chauffeur — and Mingi’s new butler, responded with a bow.
“Jonghyun, huh…” the heir nodded. “Perfect timing.”
Jonghyun’s pleasure was evident but discreetly so. “I figured once Mr. Kang’s vehicle exited the premises, you’d soon be walking out of the gate afterwards, sir,” he confided.
“Very good deduction,” Mingi commended. “And investigation, too, it seems — since you’re aware of who Dongho is and what car he’s driving. You almost sound like a detective.”
Jonghyun smiled at the praise from his master. It was very much like that of how a puppy would wag his tail, Mingi thought, and the heir was only mildly apologetic for ever comparing his new servant to that of a pet. After all, Mingi wouldn’t be treating Jonghyun like one — he expected the butler to do his job, not beg for his approval.
“Certainly not, sir, I am merely a butler,” Jonghyun returned. “I could only ever dream of being compared to someone as clever and perceptive as a true detective such as yourself, young master.”
Mingi laughed, pleased. “What a charmer you are,” he said, shaking his head before taking a few steps to the side and letting Jonghyun open the car door for him.
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Dinner was always an affair Mingi looked forward to, for he loved dressing up and discovering the many ways he could improve upon his looks and fashion.
His previous butler, Sangcheol, a dear old thing who had to retire just recently, often spent his evenings indulging Mingi in his impromptu fashion shows. He was rather good at it, too, and knew Mingi’s wardrobe from top to bottom by heart, often suggesting key accessory combinations that proved effective in enhancing the whole ensemble.
The successor, Jonghyun, appears to be of the same caliber. Mingi absently wondered at how butlers manage to commit a lot of things into memory, impressed he was by the short time the new butler seemed to have taken all of his preferences into account. Jonghyun even knew which clip he liked best with what tie.
That evening, Mingi shucked off his plain detective suit and everyday loafers, changing into a dark navy pinstripe Armani and matching shiny black oxfords — a recent gift from his parents currently having the time of their lives touring Europe.
The food he was served at dinner was also unmistakably to Mingi’s specifications. From the appetizer to the soup, and now to the main course that Jonghyun was carving up for him — all of them were Mingi’s favorites and complementing the mood that he was in.
And what a mood it was. The food lifted his troubled spirits but, all the same, Mingi was baffled over a case. No matter how much he turned it over his head, it looked like a puzzle that seemed more and more unsolvable.
“You seem troubled, young master,” Jonghyun opened carefully, ever so politely, after Mingi’s third sigh. He was uncorking a wine bottle to serve for the main course once his young master was done with soup.
“Today’s case is odd,” Mingi answered offhandedly, putting down his soup spoon in contemplation.
“Odd?”
“The victim was still wearing her boots when she was murdered inside her apartment. There weren’t any signs of the body being moved but even if the culprit did, for what reason?”
Jonghyun momentarily paused in his movements to think on it before resuming his work.
“Do you have an idea, Jonghyun?” Mingi asked.
“Not at all, sir,” Jonghyun replied.
“Quite so, isn’t it?” Mingi agreed. “It would be foolish of me to ask you.”
“But if you would give a more detailed account of the case then I could possibly tell you my opinion on it, sir,” Jonghyun continued.
“What do you mean by, ‘a detailed account?’” Mingi asked, his eyes narrowing.
“Surely you have spoken with several people related to the case today, haven’t you, young master?”
“Right… And?”
“If you could possibly give me details of their testimony, as it was rather difficult to actually pick up the content of your conversations—”
“Wait a minute,” Mingi interrupted, his throat drying with the realization. “Were you there… the whole time I was investigating with Dongho?”
“Of course, young master,” Jonghyun answered quite easily. “In fact, our eyes did meet earlier when you were looking out by the veranda of the crime scene,” the butler added shyly.
Mingi blinked, looking up at the butler who stood by his side. He tried looking back in the day and remembered a bespectacled person looking up at him from a balcony on the next building. He gasped.
“What were you doing over there? You were dressed as a janitor!”
“I was watching over you, sir,” Jonghyun answered, with wide puppy eyes as if it were the most obvious thing.
“You were what ?”
“Watching over you, sir,” the butler repeated.
“Why?”
Jonghyun pushed up his glasses and cleared his throat. “Young master, do you know what the greatest mission of a butler is?”
Mingi paused to consider. “Managing the household… preparing my meals… helping me dress up… driving me to places?”
“Among other things, my mission is to protect you, my young master,” Jonghyun replied gravely.
“Sounds like a bodyguard to me,” Mingi argued. “But still… to loiter near the crime scene and follow me around—? I’m a police officer; I don’t need a bodyguard.”
“Your father, the master, is very worried,” Jonghyun added in an undertone. “Your crime-fighting career could easily get you into dangerous situations — shootouts with gangsters, highway car chases, and the like.”
“Unbelievable,” Mingi huffed indignantly. “I’m two months into my job — nothing has happened! Don’t tell me this is why I had to get a new butler—?”
“Of course not, sir. Sangcheol-sunbaenim is truly of the age of retirement,” Jonghyun explained. “I am merely taking over his main duties of watching over you since the day you were born.”
Mingi choked, mouth gaping soundlessly at this new information. “Ever since the day I—” he struggled, his mind going over a lifetime of memories in growing panic. He started spotting the instances where a seemingly invisible force would often lend him a helping hand in tricky situations. It all made sense now, how he’s gotten out of tough spots in the past… from childhood until —
Mingi allowed himself to hope for just one thing. “Jonghyun, tell me. Was Santa Claus Sangcheol-hyung the whole time—?” he asked painedly, feeling his whole world start to crumble before him.
Jonghyun looked at his master in sympathy. The truth was often hard to bear. “Sunbaenim was many things and had your best interests at heart, sir… but, fortunately, he never had to be Santa Claus.”
Mingi reeled in his seat, the relief was so intense that it rushed all the way to his brain. “Give me that wine, Jonghyun. I need to celebrate this brush with death via heart failure.”
“Of course, sir.”
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Mingi was a young man of many talents, the ability to quickly recover from shock being one of them. Dinner would’ve commenced like usual if it weren’t for his decision to take up Jonghyun’s offer of listening to accounts of eyewitnesses and persons of interest in the case
After all, he could use a sounding board of his reasonings. Jonghyun could even potentially provide some helpful outsider’s insight that could help him solve the case.
Mingi’s outlining of the testimonies from the close friend, the next-door neighbor, the landlord, and the ex-boyfriend with the spare key was riddled with revelations of eccentric spots where Jonghyun was situated while watching over him.
“You were having tea and scones while your master was hard at work,” Mingi deadpanned at one point.
“It couldn’t be helped, sir. It was already tea time by then and you were in a cafe,” said Jonghyun with nary a hint of remorse.
“And? Now that I’ve given you the detailed accounts, do you have anything to give me?” Mingi imposed.
“I—” Jonghyun hesitated.
Mingi shook his head, a little disappointed that he had expected more from his butler. At the very least, for all his trouble, he learned a little bit more about his new servant and how exactly he’s doing his job. It also helped to review the details by narrating it. Mingi felt he’d be ready to tackle the case again over in his mind tonight and probably solve it all tomorrow with Dongho.
“Is it really all right for me to speak my mind, young master?” Jonghyun then said.
“Don’t hold back, Jonghyun, and I promise I won’t laugh if your deductions are incorrect,” Mingi assured him quite generously. For a moment, Mingi felt a bit of sympathy for his butler, understanding how it could be daunting for an amateur like Jonghyun to present one’s inferences to a professional like Mingi.
It truly was only for a moment, for Jonghyun’s next words deserved something else entirely.
Jonghyun cleared his throat. “Very well, sir, I shall speak plainly.”
“Go ahead.”
“Sir… if you haven’t figured out the truth behind this case, then you must be an idiot… sir,” Jonghyun said.
And everything fell silent.
Mingi was… stunned. An idiot, he got called. Him.
Choi Mingi, heir to the Choi Group of Companies, was called an idiot… by his butler.
Choi Mingi rose to his feet and, in his crisp suit, walked over by the open French windows to breathe in the fresh evening air. He then turned back towards Jonghyun.
“You’re fired,” he said in a low voice.
“Sir?”
“YOU’RE FIRED!!!” Mingi then bellowed, stomping over and giving the rude butler an angry shove.
“Young master,” Jonghyun said, bewildered. “Please… calm down.”
“Calm down??” Mingi growled. “You’re asking me to calm down? After making a fool out of me?”
“I didn't mean to make a fool out of you, sir, it’s just—”
“Oh, yes, certainly!” Mingi interjected. “You didn’t make a fool out of me, you just called me an idiot to my face! Hah!” The heir laughed, eyes bright with pure rage. “Oh, this is unheard of — a butler disrespecting his master like this — hence! Therefore! You! Are! FIRED! Get out! Right now!”
Jonghyun sighed and nodded dejectedly. “Very well, I shall pack my bags, sir,” he said, bowing to Mingi and heading towards the direction that his master was pointing at — the exit.
Mingi fumed as he watched Jonghyun’s retreating back — until he realized something.
“Hold it, wait a minute!” he called out.
Jonghyun whirled to face him, looking hopeful. “Sir?”
“You called me an idiot, correct?”
“Certainly, sir,” said Jonghyun matter-of-factly.
“Does that mean you’ve easily deduced the culprit behind the murder?”
“I certainly have, sir.”
“Then tell me who it is,” Mingi demanded, having stomped over to where the butler stood and grabbed at the lapels of his jacket.
Jonghyun looked at him in concern. “I can’t possibly do that, sir.”
“Excuse me?”
“At this point, even if I did tell you, sir, you wouldn’t be able to understand the truth behind your own case,” Jonghyun explained patiently.
Mingi’s nose flared in rising anger once more. He pushed Jonghyun away and turned his back on him — the butler’s gaze not unlike a kicked puppy’s was infuriating him further. How dare he look like that when he’s in fact a rabid canine who just bit his master’s hand? And still biting it, with that fresh statement implying that Mingi was incapable of understanding his own case—?
Then again, he needed to calm down. Jonghyun said he had figured out everything. Mingi needed to solve the case not because he wanted the accolade (Inspector Kwak would easily take credit for himself, certainly) but because a woman was murdered and the culprit needed to be brought to justice.
Mingi took deep, calming breaths as two forces battled within him.
On the one hand, he was a police detective, a law enforcer, a man with a big responsibility. He had to give it all in solving his case — how was he supposed to turn away the key to the mystery? He may have just met Jonghyun today but for some reason, he knew the man wasn’t bluffing when he said he had solved it. There was a fire in his eyes that was not unlike the glowing brand of justice — or something.
On the other hand, he was Choi Mingi, the richest and most eligible bachelor in all of South Korea. He was not an idiot and no one can get away with the merest slight to his intellect. Especially not his butler! Even Kang Dongho spoke to him with utmost politeness — and he was an heir like him! Who was this Kim Jonghyun — who does he think he is — how dare he imply that Mingi was—
“Sir, you seem… unwell,” Jonghyun spoke after a while, interrupting even Mingi’s furious but silent debate.
In the end, the law enforcer within him won the battle — he had a gun and had used it to shoot down the indignant chaebol heir demanding respect that he deserved.
“Kim Jonghyun,” Mingi breathed through his nose, eventually the fight in him dying down and making way for enlightenment. “Kindly explain the case so that even someone such as myself could understand it,” he said in a hollow voice, utterly humiliated.
Jonghyun placed a hand upon his heart and bowed briefly. He then went over to Mingi’s abandoned place at the dining table, pulling the chair back for his young master to reclaim.
“Certainly, sir,” he said, his eyes twinkling with wisdom. “However, since you are in the middle of a meal, let’s solve this mystery after dinner.”
Mingi mustered the dregs of his dignity and sauntered over, chin held high, to where Jonghyun held his seat for him. Choi Mingi the detective may have won the argument that day but Choi Mingi the heir will have his dinner first either way. And maybe some more wine.
Smiling benignly, Jonghyun placed a plate of beautifully carved roast beef before him.
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