"Sunbae, what can you get?" said Jae Hoon, who had just arrived at her apartment.
Mi Rae, struggling with her keyboard, was trying to find the last bright spot in why Jin Dong became a victim. "Okay, I found it. Listen carefully," Mi Rae said across the phone.
"It turns out that he has a part-time job at a supermarket. However, she often went to the pharmacy near the convenience store where she worked. And after buying medicine, he left the neighborhood and came back with nothing." Mi Rae explained.
Jae Hoon, sitting at the dining table, furrowed his brows while still holding a piece of paper containing Jin Dong's identity. "Then, can't Sunbae find out what he did when he left?" Jae Hoon asked later.
"I'm sorry, but there was no CCTV recording of Jin Dong leaving the pharmacy." Mi Rae said, lowering her voice.
Jae Hoon could only sigh. "Okay, send me the address of the convenience store and I'll be there." Jae Hoon immediately turned off his phone and prepared to go to the address Mi Rae had sent.
**
"Excuse me, can I ask you something?" said Jae Hoon when he arrived at the supermarket where Jin Dong worked.
The cashier turned around to see who was talking to him. "Why, are you looking for Jin Dong too?"
Jae Hoon, who heard the cashier's words, widened his eyes. "How did you know?"
"You went to school with him, and someone keeps looking for him," said the cashier.
Jae Hoon then looked at the uniform that was still on his body. "So, have you heard from Jin Dong lately?" Jae Hoon asked later.
"You also said the same thing to the previous student. I don't know where he is, I'm also having trouble for the three days he's been missing without any news. Is he underestimating me now?" said the cashier, a little annoyed.
"Was there anything strange before Jin Dong suddenly disappeared?" asked Jae Hoon again.
"Nothing," the cashier replied curtly. "Someone before you also asked the same question. Since you went to the same school, ask him. I already told him what I know. I'm busy," the cashier continued and went back to the work she was doing before.
"But, who are you talking about?" said Jae Hoon as the cashier left the counter.
Jae Hoon left the convenience store after finding out who kept asking Jin Dong to his coworker. He walked towards the pharmacy that his sunbae had mentioned while looking around, hoping to get more clues. The pharmacy was located in three buildings from the convenience store where Jin Dong worked.
"Oh!" Jae Hoon was surprised by someone in front of him who had just walked out of the pharmacy. "I guess we'll meet tomorrow. It's too soon, hehe." Jae Hoon grinned as he stroked the back of his neck.
The girl just looks at Jae Hoon flatly, who then turns his gaze to where Jae Hoon is standing. "Isn't that Do Hyun?" said Soo Ji flatly.
Jae Hoon raised one eyebrow. "Do... Do Hyun?" He turned his body back and found Do Hyun surrounded by some thugs, and cornered him.
"No, no, I'm not his friend. Really," came Do Hyun's voice from the outskirts of the alley.
With a smirk on the thugs' faces, Do Hyun was even more cornered. "You think we don't know that you know him. Stop acting so much and tell us quickly, or you won't be able to go home today."
The increasingly scared Do Hyun only continued to convince the thugs that he didn't recognize the person they were looking for.
"Yaa!!!" Jae Hoon shouted from the other side as he walked up to Do Hyun.
Do Hyun, who saw the shout, turned his head towards the source of the voice.
"Hyung!" greeted Do Hyun with relief in his heart.
Soo Ji, who heard Do Hyun calling 'Hyung' for Jae Hoon, furrowed her brows and kept looking at the people's movements without moving from her place.
The thugs then turned their attention to Jae Hoon, who was getting closer to their crowd.
"What is this? You guys go to the same school. Interesting," one of the thugs piped up as Jae Hoon stopped right in front of him.
"Aren't you guys in the wrong place?" Jae Hoon said later, looking at the CCTV above him.
The thugs just grimaced as if they were looking down on Jae Hoon. "CCTV? You think we don't know this area. Only that one works," while still chuckling, the thug pointed at the CCTV on the lamppost between the supermarket and the pharmacy.
"Therefore, better tell me where he is now?" the thug continued with a serious look.
Jae Hoon, who had no idea who they were looking for, just frowned. "We don't know who you're talking about, so let him go," said Jae Hoon seriously now. "Let's go!" Jae Hoon invited Do Hyun, who was still standing against the wall.
However, one of the thugs grabbed Jae Hoon's arm as he was about to leave. Quickly, Jae Hoon punched the thug right in the nose.
Then, the other three thugs were shocked by Jae Hoon's resistance. They ended up in a four-to-two fight. Do Hyun, who had been standing idly by, decided to help Jae Hoon, not because Jae Hoon was overwhelmed, but because Do Hyun wanted to be of some use. The fight ended with the four thugs lying unconscious on the ground, Do Hyun with a bleeding cut on his lip, and Jae Hoon with only a bruise on his right cheek.
Panting, the two of them walked away from the thugs. As they were about to leave the place, Jae Hoon looked toward where he had been standing earlier. He didn't see Soo Ji there anymore, and he wondered when she had left. They walked off to find a convenience store a bit farther from where they were.
"Aren't you good at fighting?" said Jae Hoon as Do Hyun returned after buying the eggs. They were now sitting in front of the convenience store.
Do Hyun took one egg and handed the rest to Jae Hoon, then began gently rubbing the egg on his cheek. "Hyung, I was just preventing any possibilities."
"Like maybe my dad suddenly passing by while I was beating them up," said Do Hyun with a grin. Jae Hoon, sitting across from him, just frowned.
"Who were they looking for?" Jae Hoon finally asked. Do Hyun thought for a moment. "Jin Dong. They were after him, too."
Jae Hoon paused, searching his thoughts. "You too?"
"What? No way. I have nothing to do with him. This is the way home for me every day. Doesn't Hyung know?" Do Hyun said with a hint of sarcasm. Hearing that, Jae Hoon narrowed his eyes slightly.
"Wait," Jae Hoon paused. "Have you been calling me hyung this whole time?" Jae Hoon said, glaring at Do Hyun.
"Eung," Do Hyun replied nonchalantly, not paying attention to Jae Hoon's gaze as he ate the egg he had used for his bruise.
"Aisshh," Jae Hoon muttered, his glare growing sharper toward Do Hyun. Do Hyun, confused, just raised both his eyebrows while chewing his egg.
***