Chapter Text
For a brief moment, the silence in Jaehyun's office was interrupted by a knock at the door. He lost track, but he guessed it was the seventh time today his office door had opened. It reveals his friend, a criminal defense lawyer, and his partner in investigating some of the cases they handle, Johnny Suh.
He frowned as he turned to face Johnny and said, "I thought I already said no?" Jaehyun sighed and leaned back against his seat. He massaged his temple, in an attempt to lessen the tension of a headache building up. "I don’t want to work with those kinds of people." He continued.
"Plus, I’m a lawyer, not a criminal investigator." He added and let out another sigh. A slight pout followed soon after. A habit he developed whenever he is frustrated.
"I know," Johnny said, laughing a little over Jaehyun. You see, every time Jaehyun is frustrated, he acts like a little kid not being able to play his favorite video game because his mother said no. Johnny almost cooed at the sight and wanted to tease the younger. But he restrained himself, knowing Jaehyun would get sulkier. If that were to happen, it would take time to appease a sulking Jae.
"Even though you're a lawyer, we can’t deny the fact how good your investigation skills are." Johnny sat on the couch, placing his long legs over the coffee table. He closed his eyes and continued, "He won’t leave and wants your help with the case. He claims you know him."
Confusion was written all over Jaehyun’s face. He tried to rummage through his brain for a memory of someone in the political field he knew. But to no avail, there was none. "Isn’t that what they all say?" He answered back as he continued to read the case files he had on his table.
"Point taken." Johnny agreed, laughing.
After a few minutes of silence, Johnny continued, "The case is about Lee." Which made Jaehyun halt reading. Lee, according to the higher-ups and almost everyone claiming to be a criminal, is known for stealing from people of high social standing. Everyone has been on his neck since his first steal. "Thought you might want to know, knowing you look very interested in "Lee" these days." Johnny emphasized the word "Lee."
It is true, though. He has been reading and searching for the infamous Lee. It’s not that he wanted to put him behind bars for stealing. But it was something else that made him drawn to the said guy, and he couldn’t pinpoint exactly why.
Maybe it was because, according to what he has gathered, Lee steals from powerful people. Which Jaehyun loathes so much and he thinks they deserve it in a way. Maybe not. I don’t know anymore.
"They have a hunch who his next target is," Johnny stood up and did a little stretching. He went through the door, his hand rested on the knob. Before opening the door, "Just leave me a message if you want to partake in this one. See you later." With that, Johnny left the room, leaving Jaehyun to ponder it.
Lee. Hmm.
After days of carefully planning and observing his next target, Ten Lee finally set his plans into action. Getting inside the mansion wasn’t that hard; it was rather easy compared to the past tasks he had done. Partly because he thinks the security guards hired as lookouts are stupid. For someone who is a high profile, the owner of the mansion got the poorest security. Security alarms were also nowhere in sight when he was studying the layout of the mansion. He had also already hacked into their system, shutting down the surveillance camera.
So what is Ten doing in the middle of the night, wandering around the mansion? Instead of being cuddled up by his soft blanket, laying in the middle of his bed, in the comfort of his small, wound up apartment. Or he could be catching up on some sleep after a whole day of working non-stop. But here he is, on a mission to steal.
He is currently at Prime Minister Song's mansion. And nope, Mr. Song doesn't even know that a random guy named "Ten" is inside of his home. Why is he stealing from him? Technically, Ten wasn't stealing Mr. Song's money since that money wasn't the prime minister's in the first place.
Yes, even this Song's mansion wasn't built from his own money, but rather from the citizens. Sick and pathetic if you asked Ten.
In pitch black darkness, Ten can barely see a thing or two in this mansion. Luckily, the moon up in the deep blue sky shines ever so brightly tonight, its light serving as his guide. When he reached in front of the master’s suite of his target tonight, he stood still for a moment. He let out a breath before placing his hand on the knob.
After a thousand experiences of doing this, Ten has no problem opening up the door of Prime Minister Song's room, slowly and void of noise. He was greeted by the sight of the Prime Minister sleeping soundly in his king-sized bed. He walked slowly onto the vault beside the side table, close to where the minister was sleeping.
Slowly, he crouched and reached for the vault to type in the code.
A six-digit code. Hmm.
After a few buttons are pressed. Click.
Predictable. Ten thought and smirked.
He quietly opened his duffel bag and began to transfer the money into it.
Suddenly, a loud snore resonated in the room, making Ten freeze from picking up the money. He stayed still for a moment, reading the room. After making sure the prime minister was still sound asleep, he continued where he left off.
After putting in the last stack of cash, he quickly zipped up the bag. He stood up and was ready to leave when he stopped in his tracks. Ten sensed something wrong.
Suddenly, the once white light brightening the room changed into a dark shade of red. But it was only for a split second. Police siren lights. They must have turned it on by mistake, Ten thought. Well then, they are dumb for giving themselves away.
It seems like only a few officers are here. A wild guess. But there could be more. Any minute now, the guards will be notified of the break in. He needs to move fast. Fuck. This is the first time this has happened.
It's a good thing he had planned a lot of second option escapes, although the plans still depend on how many officers are present. Not to mention the security guards. As he got out of the room, Ten laid out all the best choices he had in mind. The main gate is a big no for sure, so is the back where the pool is located. Should he jump off the side of the wall? Risky. But it’ll be worth a try.
With that in mind, Ten headed straight to the outdoor living when suddenly a man appeared in front of him. Heart beating fast. Reacting quickly, he was about to make a run when the guy grabbed him by the arm and motioned him to keep quiet.
The mysterious man pulled him and started to walk in a different direction. Shit. Did I get caught?
Ten tried to pull away his arms from the grasp of the man, "Let go of me." He said in a hushed whisper. But the man didn’t budge and continued walking.
Not long after he finally spoke, "There are people stationed near the outdoor living. We are taking another route. Much safer. "
If it wasn’t for the man helping him right now, he would already be caught. But what if he is only deceiving him and luring him? He can’t be trusted. "I said, let me go."
He was then led to a small hallway-like area near the pools. It wasn’t visible; it was carefully hidden as if it was solely made to be a secret passage. "We are almost out," and true to his words, after a few more steps, they had escaped. Ten scanned his surroundings. No signs of police officers or guards. They’re safe. "Go straight to that forest. At the end of it, you’ll see a black sedan parked. Wait for me there. " The man suddenly said and lightly pushed him forward. "I’ll distract them for a while. I’ll be back in 10 minutes."
"Why are you helping me?" Ten can’t help but ask. The guy seemed sincere and honest, though. He is still skeptical. Why would a robber be helped? He clearly knows what Ten is doing, not to mention the presence of the police surrounding the mansion gives a clue.
The man looked him straight in the eyes and said, "Just trust me. Now, go."
Wasting no time, Ten ran into the forest, hoping he wouldn’t regret trusting the guy.
Did I do the right thing? Yes, I did. But it feels wrong. Nah, it’s not. Fuck. I’m going crazy.
Jaehyun can’t stop pacing around his place. He accepted it. He agreed to help them piece up the evidence together. Why? Jaehyun doesn’t know why he helped them. Even the one writing doesn’t know why. He just found himself in front of Johnny, saying, "I’ll help."
While he was deep in his thoughts, he was startled by the sudden flash of light from the police car's siren outside.
That means one thing. Any minute now, Lee will be arrested. He had done his part. He should be leaving now. Heck, he isn’t even needed here in the first place, but here he is, spying. Is spying even the right term? I mean, he is hiding behind an old tree from afar, observing. But that’s beside the point. He should be reading about the cases he is handling at his office right now. So he doesn’t get why he is running and goes inside the mansion in search of him.
For sure, Lee would be aware of the presence of the police by now. Or not. Maybe that’s why he went inside. But it’s Lee we are talking about. He is probably already taking an alternative exit. Though Jaehyun helped the police and investigators in this case, he didn’t say anything about the possible exits Lee might take. Even the secret pathway he discovered. He just let them figure it out on their own.
As he got inside the mansion, he noticed Lee hurriedly walking towards the outdoor living. He quickly ran after him and blocked his way. Shock was evident in the face of Lee. Even in the dark and with the mask covering half of Lee’s face, Jaehyun was stunned for a split second by the beauty in front of him.
He snapped out of his daze when Lee was about to run. Acting quickly, he grabbed him by the arm and placed his index finger in front of his lips, motioning the older to keep quiet. He dragged him in another direction.
Lee tried to break free from his grasp, "Let go of me." He heard him say it in a hushed tone, but he didn’t pay any mind and kept walking.
"There are people stationed near the outdoor living. We are taking another route. Much safer." That made Lee stop from wriggling out of his hold. Probably taking in what he said. But not long after Lee made another protest, "I said let me go."
"We are almost out."
They were finally out of the mansion. He quickly scanned his surroundings, which he noticed Lee did the same. After making sure the coast was clear, he quickly went over to Lee and said, "Go straight to that forest. At the end of it, you’ll see a black sedan parked. Wait for me there." He lightly pushed Lee towards the trail to the forest, "I’ll distract them for a while. I’ll be back in ten minutes."
"Why are you helping me?" Lee suddenly asked. He can clearly see the confusion taking over his face. If he were in his shoes, he would be confused too. A guy you barely knew suddenly popped out of nowhere and offered to help you escape. You can’t help but be suspicious then. He looked him straight in the eyes, hoping it could help convince Lee to believe him, "Just trust me on this. Now, go."
With that, Ten quickly ran in the direction he had given. After one last look, he ran to the right side of the mansion and quickly made a turn at the corner. He saw a few officers with their backs facing him. He ran straight to them, shouting, "Hey! Hey! I think someone ran over there." and he pointed out a completely different direction Ten took.
"Mr. Jeong? It's fancy seeing you here. I thought you don’t like doing field work?" He was greeted with a series of questions that were laced with sarcasm by the criminal lead investigator, Lee Taeyong. The very same investigator who is scowling at him, face and mood darkening, every time they meet. He made it clear he hated Jaehyun every chance he got. Maybe because they used to be a thing. Well, in Taeyong's eyes, they were really together, but to Jaehyun, it was nothing more than pleasing the wishes of their parents for them to be together.
He made it clear at first that there was nothing really going on between them and offered friendship instead. Taeyong agreed. Everything was fine. But after months, the latter fell unknowingly, admitting his feelings. Jaehyun ended up rejecting him. However, Taeyong asked and pleaded with him to just try. So he did try. Loving Taeyong. But nothing.
Taeyong, feeling lost and heartbroken, needs someone to blame for feeling that way. So he blamed Jaehyun, even though he knew blaming Jaehyun was wrong and wouldn’t change a thing.
"I did say that, but as you can see, I changed my mind." He replied formally. Not wanting to waste any more time, "As I said, someone ran that way. We better hurry before he escapes."
After Taeyong gave one last glance at Jaehyun, he directed his team to the location Jaehyun mentioned, with the latter following shortly.
They were barely inside the forest, while Jaehyun was thinking of an excuse to leave, when Jaehyun's phone rang. Perfect.
He quickly answered the call, "Yes? This is Jeong speaking. Right now?... Ok. I'm on my way." After ending it, he looked at Taeyong and his team. He tried to put on his best apologetic face, and without a word, Taeyong motioned him to go, dismissing him.
He left, silently thanking the heavens.
As he reached the end of the opposite side of the forest, he saw the black sedan car parked by the side of the road the guy mentioned. After deciding to stop at the first rows of trees hiding, he dropped the duffel bag between his feet and contemplated. Whether to just go and leave without a word or stay and wait for him. Minutes later, he decided to do the latter. I mean, it won’t hurt to trust him a little bit, right? And I could use a ride. Right... I need a ride…. Right Ten Lee.
Almost ten minutes have passed, but there is still no sign of the said guy. This is making Ten anxious. He was growing restless as each minute passed. He couldn’t stop tapping his right foot. Maybe I shouldn't have followed what he said.
Fuck this.
Ten quickly picked up the duffel bag and swung it over his shoulders. Not even taking his first step to leave when someone stopped him. "I thought I clearly told you to wait for me?" He then pulled Ten over the other side of the car and opened the door for him. He placed his hand over the roof rail of the car before ushering Ten to go inside, "Quickly now." Ten gave him one last glance before entering the car.
Closing the door, he ran over the other side, swiftly into the driver’s seat. Wasting no more time, they set off, "Let’s go."
They were already miles away from the Song Mansion, and the lights from the tall buildings of the city that shone beautifully in the night started to welcome them from a distance. Silence. Complete silence filled the car. Not even the radio was turned on. To Ten, it seemed like Jaehyun paid no mind. But actually, Jaehyun is really nervous and he can feel his palms starting to sweat. He doesn’t know why, but he reckons it’s because of the presence of Lee. You could say he has this ability to act composed even though his mind is going haywire right now.
But on the other hand, Ten didn’t like the silence consuming the vehicle. It is making his inner thoughts grow louder and louder by the second. Just like how it is telling him right now, that seating in the vehicle of a stranger is wrong, very wrong. He started fidgeting with his fingers while drowning himself in his thoughts.
I should have left by myself when I had the chance to. Yup, this is wrong. Wrong in every aspect. Just what was I thinking a while ago.
"You can drop me off at the first corner of the street when we reach the city." Ten suddenly spoke, breaking the silence. He looks at the window, still fidgeting with his fingers together. He was silently hoping he would let him off without questions.
Jaehyun was startled by the sudden statement Ten dropped. His mind was taking in what Ten said, and it took him a few seconds to respond back. "Ok."
"Thanks-OK?!" Ten can’t help but ask, flabbergasted by how the other just agreed. He was expecting him to ask many questions before letting him go. But it was the opposite of what he had in mind. The gods up in the dark sky definitely heard his silent plea.
"Uhm yes... Is there something wrong with what I said? "
"No. It’s just that I wasn't expecting you to agree quickly. Especially how persistent you were a while ago."
Jaehyun can feel his cheek heating up, "Oh that... I just feel like I need… to help you." he said in a small voice. He tightened his grip on the steering wheel and cleared his throat.
"How did you even know I was there?" Curiosity is getting the best of Ten. He knows he should shut up right now, and that’s for the best, but he still has a lot of questions.
"I helped with their investigation." With that, Ten became silent. Questions after another started to flood his mind.
"Then why?"
"I only did that because they kept pestering me to help them with every case, so they will stop." Jaehyun said, and paused for a second. He quickly glanced at Lee, who was staring ahead, listening. So he continued. "But it was not my intention to catch you or what. So I followed them there even though I told them I don’t do field work. When the colors of the sirens flashed for a second, I just found myself inside the mansion looking for you."
Ten didn’t say a word back, and that’s how the silence that once filled the car came back again. That was a lot to take in, which made Ten more confused than he was a while ago.
He returned to fidgeting with his fingers and looked out the window, where the buildings were growing larger and clearer than they had been minutes before. They have reached the boundary of the city.
A moment later, Jaehyun stopped the car at the first street, just like what Ten had asked for. The latter doesn’t seem to notice this as he was still deep in his thoughts. Jaehyun tapped Ten’s shoulder lightly, intending to get his attention, which it did. No one said a word as Ten fixed his things while Jaehyun watched him do so.
Ten muttered a quick ‘thanks’ and got out of the car. But before slamming the door shut, he bent a little to get a sight of Jaehyun and said, "Don’t you dare say something, anything about me, okay?"
"You have my word. Take care." Jaehyun smiled, his dimple showing.
"Thank you, again." Ten then shut down the car door and quickly walked away without looking back. Jaehyun hoped he’d look back though, to get a glimpse of his face one last time. Who knows when he will see him next? Or maybe there will be no next time. He felt dejected at the thought of not seeing him again.