#know thy enemy

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"I-I'll come"

my trembling lips murmured a response as I ended the call, placing the phone in my bag. my mind still playing the phone's words again and again.

‎"the biggest politician of South Korea has died. Kim Boseok has been murdered. The medical forces have taken him under ICU but the chances of him surviving are slim."

I gulped down the fat lump that formed in my throat.there was no way.‎

I had just met him yesterday night. he had eight bodyguards on either sides, kept everyone at arm's length. ‎how is it even possible to murder him?‎

the terror dilated my pupils, shaking.‎

there was no way-‎

"are you okay, love?"

‎Riki's deep voice rasped as he pulled me into a back hug, nuzzling his face in the crook of my neck.

that seemed to calm my anxious mind as I eased in his grip. resting my head on his chest. ‎

"not at all"

‎"I have to go to his house Riki, he was murdered, we don't even know if he will survive considering how much blood he lost" my eyes squinted in confusion.‎

"but I wonder who did tha-"‎

"okayy enough of this detective talk..eat this first" Ni-ki said caressing my face and then pulled out his favorite protein bar that I loathed. Ni-ki raised his brows at me.

"you have to eat my love.. please?" ‎I chuckled.

"you know I'm weak for you, Ki right?" he chuckled low.

"how weak?" I pulled my face closer to his.

"tooo weak" he looked deep into my eyes.

‎"weak enough to forgive my flaws?"

‎silence scattered around the room.‎my breath hitched, but before I could say anything, my phone buzzed with a notification from my colleague.

‎"We're outside. come fast"

Ni-ki also looked at the text from one of your colleagues, Soobin. he clicked his tongue. he didn't like the guy a bit.

you smoothened the fabric of your shirt, soon cupping Ni-ki's face in both of your hands.‎

"you have no flaws to forgive, Ki" you kissed the line of his jawline.

"and even if you did, I'll forgive your flaws. every single time."‎

you kissed his cheek. this time, it was Ni-ki's breath that hitched. he wasted no time attaching your lips to his. he kissed you hard.

you soon parted your lips away from him, hitting his chest.

"awhh.. I'll get going now Ki" he pecked your lips, pulling you in a fast embrace.

"please go safe and take care, yeah?" you smiled nodding and shut the front door tight.

letting the silence ring in Riki' ears and drive him into an edge he didn't wanna acknowledge yet.‎

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‎‎"DO NOT CROSS THE LINE"‎

‎you sighed as you saw the tapes all around Kim Boseok's penthouse. the flash of cameras increasing per minute as more reporters arrived at the crime scene.

"oh you're here" your senior came from where he was searching. you bowed at him.

"yeah I'm here.." he looked at you and gave a sad smile.

"I know..what you must be feeling.." you furrowed your brows in agony. "we..we just met him yesterday"

"I know..but there's nothing we can do..other than finding who did it....." ‎his eyes suddenly became determined.‎

"we can do this Yn-ah..we can find the killer" ‎that lit some hope in you too.‎ you nodded your head.

"yes we can." ‎he suddenly got a call.

‎you looked around. Kim Boseok's bathroom. that was where his murder took place. you heard the nearby reporter speaking on her microphone.‎

"as you can see..!...Kim Boseok was brutally murdered! He was first stabbed in his stomach with a knife and then he was forcibly drowned in his own bathtub!‎but what is the government doing?!‎are they going to speak on it or just cover it up?!?"

‎you felt a nudge on your shoulder and looked back to see your senior. he was talking to someone.

"okay.. we'll arrive there then" he looked at you already moving his feet now.

"let's go..Mr. Boseok's in City Hospital"

‎‎────୨ৎ────────୨ৎ────────୨ৎ────

"HOW DO YOU PLAN TO FIND THE KILLER?"‎"ARE THERE ANY TRACES OF HIM?"‎

as soon we stepped out of the car, we were bombared with a thousand questions with cameras in our face. ‎the senior trying to answer as best as he can.‎

"We're trying our best..but there's no solid evidences as of now, also the cctv footages of his residence are broken so we'll look into it...please no more questions now" he said as we started taking steps towards the entrance of the city hospital.

Suddenly I felt a microphone near my lips.

the man, unusual aura, black mask, asked a question.

‎"who do you think is the suspect?"

‎the world stopped moving. there was something about his voice. almost as if I've heard it before. ‎I was about to answer before one of the colleagues pulled me inside the hospital. ‎

Chaewon.

"they're so annoying man!!!" she said with an irritated tone before her eyes turned into one of concern.

"are you okay tho Yn? that guy was getting too close to you, didn't even look familiar!"

‎"ye-yeah I'm okay.." you assured her.‎ we then walked where Kim Boseok was admitted.

"how is he??" Chaewon asked the senior.

"well he's unconscious and chances of surviving are very low..but let's hope he wakes up soon"

The senior's face then turned serious as he turned himself to my side. he lightly held my shoulders. my eyes widening slightly from surprise.‎

"Y/N..what I'm about to say now is going to be very important..so tell me something first" you raised your brows in anticipation.

"would u ever lie to your job?" ‎I widened my eyes.

"N-No way! I would never sunbae" he relaxed his shoulders.

‎"okay then..I want you to lead this investigation of Kim Boseok's murder case" my shoulders dropped by a slight weight.

"we're forming a team of 33 people which will include the cops, detectives, prosecutors and even doctors" ‎he looked at you then slouching down a little to your height.

"if I was here.. I would've proudly done that job..but my shoulder.." he looked at his left shoulder.

‎"Its getting worse.. I have a flight tomorrow to Switzerland for my shoulder surgery...I should've been in bed but I came to tell you this..are you willing to take the lead of this investigation???" you looked at your side.

Chaewon mumbling a "do it! do it!" before you smiled a little at him, nervously.

"Yes I will" he squinted his eyes with happiness.‎

"great..this is a nice chance for you to show your potential too and get promoted" he patted both your and Chaewon's shoulders.

"go home now rest.."

‎‎────୨ৎ────────୨ৎ────────୨ৎ

"so Yn? or should I say Senior Yn?"

Sobbin teased as you hit his shoulder while Chaewon just laughed. you three were finally driving back home. you guys lived near so it was easier to go together in Soobin's car..but that came with a lot of complications, like right now.‎

"Come on Soobin-ah.. I'm just leading.‎I'm not a senior yet" he just smiled.

"but trust me miss, you'll be one soon"‎

"he's right Yn-ah..you don't slack off at work like he does..you have potential"‎ Soobin scoffed.

"you mean how we both slack off at work right?"‎

"okay enemies to lovers..fight later.. my home's here"‎

"bye babygirl" Chaewon hugged you tight.‎

"I'm sure your boyfriend's still awake..waiting for you there"

Soobin's comment made you blush thinking of Ni-ki.‎

"okay guys..good night..see you around"‎‎

----

you kicked your shoes off, getting inside the house. it was dark. oh..he must've slept. you pouted.

it was 3:55 A.M afterall.‎

you started walking towards your bedroom in the dark before you felt someone hold your wrist. tight. soon the lights turned on. you smiled to see your boyfriend.

messy hair, white tanktop and warm hands. like he just woke up. "cute" you said squeezing his cheeks‎ as he pulled you in an embrace.

"so..how did it go? found the murderer or his weapon or not????" ‎you pouted rubbing your cheeks gently on his warm hard chest.

"not at all..no traces of evidence, cctv, footprints at ALL..‎whoever it was.. he's smart"

at that Riki chuckled.

"I'm sure he was" ‎

"okay..I'll change my clothes..you go back to sleep, Ki"‎

"yeah just let me eat one scoop of the chocolate icecream more.." he said turning towards the fridge. you shook your head. such a baby he is. ‎suddenly you remembered. oh yeah.

‎"Riki I forgot to tell you something.." you looked at him with exciting eyes.‎

"hm yeah? shoot" he said nonchalantly, eyes on his icecream.‎

"you know how they form teams for murder investigation.. right?"‎

"yeah.."

‎"I'm the one leading that team this time"‎ you said proudly. you saw the color drain from his face. almost choking on the sweet icecream. before he finally composed himself and asked low.‎

"......why?"

‎"because Senior told me to" you said shrugging your shoulders. ‎

"and why not him?" he raised one brow.

‎"he's going to Switzerland"

"for WHAT!!??? marrying his old daughter!!???"

‎"Riki! he's going for his shoulder surgery!" you widened your eyes at him. how can he?‎

he sighed, massaging his temples.

‎"I'm sorry love.. I'm just concerned for you.. it's dangerous" he shrugged his shoulders.

‎"I'll be okay Ki" you sent a flying kiss to him, smiling.‎ suddenly your phone rang. you frowned at it.‎

"who's it?" Ni-ki asked leaning back on the counter.‎

"its an unknown number" you pouted showing him the screen. his ears perked up. face getting paler.

‎"pick it up" "yeah"‎

"hello?" you said in low tone, already cautious.‎

"do not warn your boyfriend Riki anything. if he's near you..call me chaewon"

your movements stopped. he looked at you with a questionable face, urging you to answer.

‎"who's it?"

‎"oh it's chaewon..her n-new number" you felt your heart twist at the white lie. I'm such a bad girlfriend. you thought.‎he nodded going back to scooping his choclate icecream.

‎"what....is it......Chaewon....?"

the other line laughed a little, then spoke.‎

"let me ask you the most important question"

‎"do you want to know who killed Kim Boseok???....do you want to know who caused all this??...do you want to know who is the murderer?????"

‎you held a sharp breath. slapping yourself internally to form an answer.‎

"y-yes...I want to know" the other line went quite, then said.‎

"the darkness you're tying to find lies in your very own home" ‎

"what do you mea-" ‎

you knitted your brows together, confused for the nth time. but what was said next, made your phone fall straight on the floor.‎

"the murderer is Nishimura Riki"

your body picked the information before your mind did and there you lost your balance. slipping off your feet unconsciously.

all that stagnant work stress, pressure, the sudden assassination news, being appointed to lead and the most terrifying news of your boyfriend being the killer all came down on you and your body.

but the speed of your boyfriend marching towards you was fast enough to catch you than the speed of your body dropping, and you fell straight into his arms.

"Y/N!!????" He screamed out your name at your face at the lack of response and closed eyes.

He quickly carried you bridal style into the room and checked for your pulses. It was fine. but he was still worried so he called Chaewon. it was late to call a doctor and he didn't even know if it was serious or not.

But Chaewon knew a thing or two about medics. She also lived in the same neighborhood.

"Hello?" the woman spoke in her high-pitched tone.

"Hey Chaewon!— can you come to my house right now!!??—Yn has passed out—! and I don't know....! if it's serious— or should I worry!!?? or—"

"Hey! hey! calm down... I'll come"

"thank you...thank you so much"

––––

you woke up in your silky duvet, your head banging itself on some imaginary wood inside. you held the back of your head and tried to get up.

"No! no! you stay there!" Chaewon said lowkey running to you with a glass of water in her hands.

"Here take this.." she gave you the medicine and the glass of water, meanwhile also rubbed your back slowly. soothing and calming you gently.

"Did I—?"

"Yes..you did pass out..but nothing's to worry.." you hugged her as she hugged you back.

"but... hey? what caused a sudden passout???? are you ill or dehydrated something????"

"I—"

you were about to speak as you saw Riki walk into the room. and the memory of that phonecall with that stranger gave you a hard slap, making you remember everything in the span of one second.

"the darkness you're tying to find lies in your very own home"

"the murderer is Nishimura Riki"

as if on cue, you grabbed Chaewon's sleeves tight, diverting your attention from him to her. Luckily Riki didn't notice that, as he was busy balancing the coffee cup on tray for Chaewon.

Chaewon knitted her brows together, confused as fuck.

"Hey— what happened???" she saw your eyes, the ones that did not look quite convincing for a normal passing out.

"Hey Y/n-ah..I'm asking for real..are you okay???" you just gave a smile weakly.

"Yeah I'm good....work pressure... you know?"

Ni-ki crossed his hands while he looked at you both. he bought the excuse. she bought it too.

"Okay...I'll get going now.." Chaewon said getting up from the bed and hugged you... as you hugged back, snuggling your face in her shoulders, still not wanting to meet eyes with Riki.

––––

"Thank you for coming" Riki said meanwhile Chaewon put on her slippers.

"No problem.."

"I figured you were awake, since Yn was talking to you.."

at that Chaewon stood still.

"Wait..what do you mean.... talking to me??"

"I mean that Yn was talking to you on your new number and suddenly she lost consciousness..so I knew you were awake and called for aid..you were awake, right?"

Chaewon nodded. She for sure was definitely awake, but she was taking a shower, and definitely not talking or even tried to call Y/N.

She gave a nervous smile to Riki and bid her byes.

————

she closed her apartment's door but the door to the confusion was still open.

Why did Riki say Y/N was talking to me?

Why did Y/N lie with my name about the call?

Why did she lie to Riki?

She froze when she realized. you talked to a person but lied about their identity infront of your own boyfriend.

There was only one way and one question that surrounded Chaewon's mind.

Is Y/N cheating on Riki?

––––

Riki closed the door to both of your bedroom and chuckled when he saw you on your phone. Doing something you're pretty much addicted to

"Social media...again??" he said with his tired and sleepy voice.

that made you flinch. a little. You didn't say anything. Didn't know what to say. So you just looked down, scrolling the reels on ig while every of them went past you, not even registering any of them at this point.

His tired smile dropped and his brows slightly raised at the sudden cold shoulder. He fully remembered not doing anything to upset you today...so why?

"Love?" he called out again hoping for a response.

your eyes almost got teary at that but you controlled yourself. if you suddenly act suspicious, he would take no time to notice it. your boyfriend was a pro-observer. Specially when it came to you.

"I'm tired baby..I just wanna rest..please"

you answered while still looking down at your phone. putting the phone on the nightstand and getting in your covers, laying on your right side.

you didn't know if he'll buy that lie, but he did.

Reassuring smile came up to his face again, he just sighed and crawled on the bed beside you laying.

"It's okay love..rest all you want" He whispered hugging you from behind and digged his face in your back, sleeping soundly after a few minutes.

while you laid there, fully awake and aware and tears trickled down your face.

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you dabbed the concealer to hide the dark circles that formed on your eyes due to the lack of sleep. you did everything with no sound. Doing your best to not wake Riki up in the process.

freezing dead when your comb fell on the floor. you looked at him from the mirror and well...surprisingly..he made a rumbling sound and tossed on the other side, still asleep.

taking a sigh of relief you closed the door to your bedroom and went to your car, starting the engine.

And you drove for the headquarters to find the proof, details..and the real killer.

————

"You're early..Y/N..ah?" Soobin said drinking his flat white.

"So are you..and It's half past nine a.m. anyway.." you said practically ignoring him and went straight for the files of the murder case.

"Hmm..true that..wait!..getting serious already??? come on...let everyone come first!!" you realised how fast you were flipping the pages and stopped immediately..giving a nervous smile.

"Hah..yeah..I'm leading this..so I'm nervous"

Soobin nodded giving you a thumbs up. You carefully looked through each and every piece of information of the report in this case.

• Victim : Kim Boseok • Suspect : None (currently) • Approach : allegedly stabbed with a knife and then forcibly drowned in the bathtub. • Any drugs found: none • Place : Kim Boseok's permanent residence • Time : 10 : 05

The wind got stuck in your throat when you read the timing of the case...and then remembered yesterday night

..Oh fuck..you remembered it all too well.

۶ৎflashback۶ৎ

"Riki No!" you said tugging at his tee and tried to stop him.

"No love.. whatever you want.. you get" he said wearing his sneakers. "but I wanted to eat dubai chocolate like one week ago..why are you just getting reminded to fulfill my wish suddenly today????"

you said raising brows and pouting.

"because today is the perfect day.." he said looking into your eyes with enigmatic intentions.you looked at the display of his phone.

"9:20"

"Riki it's too late...go tomorrow..rest today..please—"

"I love you, bye" he said closing the front door hurriedly, winking at you and giving an air kiss.

your eyes widened when you realised his phone was in your hands.

"But Riki your phone—" but your boyfriend was long gone by that time, already hearing the starting of engines.

۶ৎback to present۶ৎ

everything fit together like a set of puzzle specially crafted for you.

Riki left at 9:20. The distance from your residence to Kim Boseok's was barely 30 minutes. People found him in the bathtub at aprrox 10:05.

A large drop of cold sweat went down your back. It can't be.

It can NEVER be.

No. No. No. No. No?

Your boyfriend, your own boyfriend, Riki, the man you love, the one that can't hurt a soul, is a murderer?

You chuckled at the nonsense words and how much they riled you up.

"So detective Yn? How's it going?" You flinched when you felt Chaewon's cold hand pressing onto your back. She smiled at you but it was different.

Her eyes looked different, fake...and most of all...disappointed. your brows raised in confusion. Chaewon never looked at you like that..to say the least.

Still you shrugged it off when the haunting memory of your boyfriend being the potential killer came back in.

"Hey Chaewon..how's..what's up?" Chaewon sarcastically chuckled..not knowing whether to play along or ask you directly what she's been waiting to ask the whole ride to office.

"You tell me" she questioned, folding her arms.

"what do you mean?" you tilted your head towards her.

Soobin stopped sipping the beverage when he felt the tension thicken in the air. It was unlikely of Chaewon....very much. Chaewon too noticed Soobin and a few other pair of eyes that were now looking in their direction, catching the attention. She quickly laughed it off then.

"Hah..I mean..you're the one who passed out yesterday!..not me!..so you tell me!" Soobin widened his eyes.

"W-What??? How?? When?? and why the fuck nobody told me that?????"

"Are you okay Yn-ah???" He came towards you holding your shoulder. "I'm totally fine-"

"Hello Everyone"

a man came in the hall, dressed in formal black, parted slicked back hair, bunch of files in hand and looked straight towards you. He gave a cunning smile...grabbing everyone's attention.

"I'm Kwak Byung Gyun..I'm a prosecutor..and I will also be working on this case along you"

He pointed a finger at you.

"In case..you lack in leading this mission..I'll be there to handle"

He gave a nasty overconfident smirk that made you clench your jaws. yeah..you knew who he was.

A misogynistic jerk.

Everyone knew how bad of a person and how good of a prosecutor he was.

Which only meant one thing.....you were doomed.

————

"So as we all know.... that the cctvs were all crashed of that day of the front entrance...but here's the twist...." he smiled at everyone.

About to prove why he was called a good prosecutor.

"I got the cctv footage of the back entrance of the penthouse..from a far pole.. and well.... let's say we gathered something"

Your breath hitched in your throat. Did he finally find the killer and was it Riki?

"Play it." you commanded which Soobin followed and it played on the laptop for you all to see.

At 9:50 p.m. , it showed a black porsche 911 GT3... stop right close to the back entrance and a figure walked out.

A figure..tall figure, built shoulders, powerful steps. your whole body screamed danger...and familiarity when you looked at it. the figure soon slowly disappeared inside the building. and there were no signs of the figure in between.

At 10:00 p.m. , again the figure got out and drove away.

You held the chair tight in your grip.

That was minutes away from everyone found out that Kim Boseok was murdered. The video got stopped by Kwak Byung Gyun, the prosecutor then.

"So..as far as we can see..this person's time of arrival and departure seems to align the most with the case..so we'll have to figure out who he is and his car plate number"

the junior cops noted the things on their to-do list while Chaewon just brushed her nails. She didn't like the prosecutor a bit. None of them did. Knowing how terrible of a person he was and is still.

"Maybe he's not the killer.." your eyes widened when you realised that you just blurted out your thoughts out loud. Everyone looked at you while Kwak just chuckled.

"Miss...Y/N...right?.." he laughed.

"You're right...on one side of the coin....maybe he's not the killer....but on the other side..."

He started walking close towards you and whispered. "maybe he is...even more than a killer"

————

You sighed looking at all the text messages that kept piling up, one by one. It's not that you wanted to ignore him, or hate him....or....well..you honestly didn't even know..what you felt about this whole situation that just seemed to be getting complicated by each passing second.

Sliding your phone into your purse, you were about to walk towards where Chaewon and Soobin were..when you felt your phone buzz again.

You sighed again thinking that maybe it was Riki again.But it was a strange number. Or maybe a number that you kinda recognised.

"Come to the outside of Fell bar at 7. I have some more evidences regarding Riki."

"Don't. Bring. Backup."

your heart raced when you heard what the other person spoke. What was it supposed to mean??...were you going to meet the person who outed the truth to you? Was it really a truth or were you just getting played???

Questions a thousand, answers none.

But you still decided to go, as not going would just leave you with more.

———

Riki closed the door to his Mercedes benz...soon as he walked inside your office with the practised ease of a man who owed nothing to nobody.

He passed a few smiles here and there, to your colleagues who recognised him and waved.but he was met with a frown from Chaewon who was holding her stuff about to just walk out of work.

"Hey...Riki??? You here??"

"Yeah..I'm here to pick Yn up, she usually gets off this time...."

"About that..." Chaewon bit her lips...Riki just chuckled.

"Ohhh is she still working...??" He raised one brow with a smile which started to disappear when Chaewon said nothing.

"Y/N...she said she was going home..and walked out.....an hour ago"

now it was Riki's smile to drop. the atmosphere tensed a bit..then a lot.

"W-What Really? But..I—..She—Wait—Where is she—" Riki babbled, confused of your whereabouts.

if Chaewon was doubtful of you cheating on Riki before...now she was 110% sure of it..and as much as she's a girl's girl....she hates a cheater the most.

and call her a bad friend for it...but she was gonna out this secret to Riki.

"Riki, I have something to tell you."

But poor Chaewon had no idea...that you..right now were playing a much more dangerous game than cheating on your boyfriend..

Trying to protect him.

Trying to protect a potential killer.

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You parked your car while putting your phone on the do-not-disturb mode for the night. this was most probably your only chance to get this person, and make him spill everything he knew..before he tells anyone else..

Since you were still not sure if he was being honest or if that was just a misinfo to ruin your mission. sliding your loaded gun in the back pocket, you slowly stepped out of the car. Trying to drink in the surrounding.

The Fell Bar.

It was a famous and luxurious bar led by the Fell club, So obviously people also lingered outside. Drinking, laughing, getting caught, kissing.

walking through the crowd, you tried to spot anyone that looked suspicious or unusual... most likely to be the owner of that strange number. minutes passed, you leaned on the bark of a tree eyeing everyone..probably looking some sort of creep for this..but you could really care less if anything.and then the person you expected the least to come to you...did.

A kid.

A girl around 7-8 years old wearing glasses came to you holding a gift box in her hand.

"Hey..Miss?" You frowned at her. Leaning down to her level.

"Yes?"

"That guy wanted me to hand you this"

She pointed at a black SUV. from far you could only see a silhouette inside..but you weren't sure how many were in there...or what they were capable of. you couldn't take on them alone. If there were more than one.

"Okay I got this! you go away now and don't go near that car again ever okay?" The kid nodded and then went away to play with her friends.

You walked near your car and put the gift box on its exterior, opening it up. A small gasp tore through you when you saw what was inside.

A ring covered in blood inside plastic ziplock bag.

But it was not just any ring. It was a silver ring that had eagle carved out with.....his initials.

Your boyfriend...his fucking intials...NR carved onto it.

that you gifted him on his birthday.

you felt like someone punched the air out of you. you asked Riki where his ring was once..and he said..it was inside his car.. stuck between the backseat.

Claiming you rode him "too hard" in the backseat..that it fell and got stuck somewhere....and you...you bought the lie.

A scoff along with some tears came out of you. Were you really this clueless all along ?

Were you really this dumb?

With your teary eyes, you saw a letter inside it. You opened it.

"Guess it's enough proof to make you believe in us?"

Us

So it was definitely not one guy...but rather a group of them....just like how you assumed.

you looked in the direction of the SUV to see it...Gone..great...now you were left with a thousand more questions..wow. You felt like laughing, rather the tears came. from a distance you saw a couple..a girl who was mad and a guy who brought flowers and kissed her...taking her inside the Fell bar.

Oh..yes...You need a drink. Now.

────୨ৎ────────୨ৎ────────୨ৎ────

your head pounced at you with the overstimulation of all that loud music, sex-smell, flickering lights and all of it. It was a bar cum club. Nevertheless you went to the drinks counter ignoring the chaos.

You sat down..your mascara a bit stained down from your tears..apart from that..you looked... fine.

"A bourbon please" you murmured to the bartender who just nodded.

"That'll be on me" a voice said from behind. your eyebrows knitted together but before you could turn around, the figure came and sat beside you.

His woody cologne already occupying half your space...and to top it off....he was handsome...like ridiculously handsome. He just gave a side smile at you, leaning on the chair a bit and looked at you...with bedroom eyes.

Wait, bedroom eyes?

Your eyes widened a little when you realised he looked tipsy.

"Hello beautiful" you rolled your eyes, diverting attention back on your glass.

"I'm spoken for.."

"Aren't we all.. in some way??"

you just gave a glare. He raised both his hands in air surrendering.

"Oh well..my bad..but you can't blame me."

"if you're really not single..then where's the man's hand around your waist?" You scoffed.

"You're crazy"

"Well..God forbid a man sees a gorgeous woman..and wants to ask her out??!!?" he said it in a humorous tone which made you chuckle.

"you're drunk gentleman"

"I fancy you..is it that hard to believe?"

"this is the first time we've met"

"Love at first sight exists"

"Except for the fact that I already love someone else"

His breath hitched at that..then he spoke low, almost breathless.

"But do you trust him?"

That made you stop in your tracks. you just broke the eye contact and chugged the alcohol down in one go.

"that's not for you to decide."

He chuckled cockily at that.

"I think I got my answer...I'm Sunghoon by the way...see you again"

"Or maybe never" you shrugged your shoulders at him to which he just winked at you..and went away.

Good. One more headache.

────୨ৎ────────୨ৎ────────୨ৎ────

Riki stopped punching the sandbag when he heard you unlock the front door. He scoffed and quickly went near you, slamming you onto the wall, protecting the back of your head from the wall with one hand..while with the other, he strangled your throat.

"Where the FUCK have you been!?" He glared at you while you glared back, scoffing.

"you really think..you should ask me that? Huh!!?" Riki just knitted his eyebrows together, visibly confused and angry as fuck.

"What the fuck are you talking about—wait—are you..drunk??" he stopped when he came closer and smelled the alcohol on you.

"Oh my..God..Y/N! what is WRONG with YOU—why the fuck have you been behaving like this for GOD'S SAKE????"

"Hahahha..NO RIKI!..you TELL ME" your drunk self giggled then you hit hard on his chest which made him go back as you wiped your tears.

"You tEll me oNe thInG...where the fuck is your ring?"

He squinted his eyes. "What do you mean?"

"The eagle ring motherfucker..where is it???" You saw Riki's face pale up at that

"Hah..I knew it you're a fucking bitch..you don't deserve to be called my boyfriend..all this time— I— and then—"

you tried to form words but your drunk self wasn't letting you do that due to somehow the stranger's word proving themselves right.

He walked away from the argument and went inside your shared bedroom. You started laughing.

"What happened baby?!! finally got caught so you're walking away now !!? huh! such a pussy—"

but your mocking stopped when you saw him come out of the room with the ring. The eagle ring.

That atleast sobered half of you. If not the whole you

Standing still you tried to process if you were hallucinating this scene....... or..... that scene where the stranger gave you the eagle ring because there was no way...there were two of them.

He looked at you and sighed, throwing the eagle ring in your hands. "Huh here you go what about it hah?"

blush crept on your cheeks from embarrassment. maybe digging up a hole and making it consume you wasn't really a bad idea...but even then you'd have been embarrassed by what you did.

Calling him sorts of names, cursing at him, accusing him...only to get proven wrong..the lover girl inside you screamed all sorts of things at you.

Bad girlfriend bad girlfriend bad girlfriend

You don't deserve him. You don't deserve him. You don't deserve him.

"I—" words were refusing to form in your mind...like a total blackout.

He couldn't get inside your head...so he didn't really know what you were thinking...but what he did know..was that your body language gave away how tired and torn you were.

And he knew of one way to get rid of that.

you looked down at the eagle ring..twisting it...still not knowing what to do..then you felt warm hands hold your cheeks from both sides. He lifted your head to make you look at him.

"Love...I dont know what you're going through...but...let me make you feel better" you didn't get much time to respond before he crashed his lips onto yours. You mind fully sobering the slight bourbon that was left in your system.

"Jump baby" he whispered on your lips as you slightly jumped which made you carry him. around your legs around his torso, he held your back firm with one hand and with the other held the back of your face, trying to deepen the kiss.

you felt your body and face heat up at the action and you started rubbing yourself against him, grabbing his locks between your fingers. He carried you into the bedroom and threw you on the bed, soon getting on top of you.

he looked deep into your eyes, trying to search something...something untold..but got nothing.

You grabbed his collar and pulled him down joining your lips together..

"Hmh..I love you Riki.." you said licking the side of his face. He slightly moaned at that.

rubbing one bite after another..he trailed his lips down all the way to your body..undressing you..leaving kisses...leaving his saliva....drinking the body, worshipping it.

you tugged at his shirt to take it off and he did, ripping away everything that came between you two.

Outside..the night kept going in its usual routine..but on this bed.. a fire was ignited...the one with dangerous smoke..the one that could kill you.

He fully empowered your body...making you shiver, shake, moan, and bite the inside of your cheek.

You felt the change in his gaze when it shifted from lovey dovey to something much more primal...

He grabbed at your neck..choking you with one hand and with the other he held both your hands above your head..

You knew this side of him in bed, the insane one.

"you thought I'd recklessly lose the ring that you gave me??" he murmured deep looking into your eyes.

"AWGHH!" you moaned when you felt the grab on your neck get tighter. He attached his lips to your jawline, sliding up and down. Occasionally licking you. Then he went down to your neck.

And gave a bite like a vampire starved.

"AHHH!" you felt the sharp sensation of his teeth on your fragile neck skin.

"This is for doubting my love"

then he kissed you, going into depth and hardness , not stopping to even take some air.

*"Click"* you felt your hands get cuffed with your own cop cuffs above your head by your loving boyfriend, Riki

"you're under arrest for doubting my love..and your sentence is that I'll fuck you hard."

────୨ৎ────────୨ৎ────────୨ৎ────

The sunlight peaked through the blinds waking you up. You rubbed your eyes..and soon found the adorable presence of your man sleeping beside you.

Oh God.. the contrary...last night Riki was...and now he's like a baby..

You chuckled at the contrast and got up to take a shower and get ready for work..you were in your robe when you saw Riki wake up, looking like a maxxx adorable duck.

"Morning Love..can you drop me at my office today? My car's in carwash??" He said itching the back of his head.

"Sure thing.. Ki yah!"

The car ride went smooth..something inside you was at peace..ever since the stranger's claims were proven false..by Riki's ring..

Ofcourse it was stupid..Riki woule never do that...and that stranger was maybe a decoy to distract you from the actual murderer. You nodded inisde your head thinking of the possibilities. And stopped the car when his office came.

You looked at his work building. He worked in finance.

You mentally scoffed at the possibility even...how would a finance guy like Riki..even be into something such as crimes..??

U were the real fool to believe it. The stranger's words.

Ni-ki pecked you on your lips and then gave a peck on your cheek and the side of your neck.

"Bye Love..take care of yourself yeah???"

"Yesss ki... you toooo.. see you sooonn" you said hugging him and bid him byes.

He got out of the car and smiled at the manager's kid who came and hugged his knees, he bent down at their level, ruffling their hair and gave you a wink before getting inside.

He was such an angel.

You were the paranoid one.

────୨ৎ────────୨ৎ────────୨ৎ────

Inside your headquarter though Chaewon paced around...biting her nails..and going crazy as Soobin would say.

"Yah! Chaewon-Ah! what's the matter!!???"

"just shut the fuck up! you don't know anything!" Chaewon glared at him to which Soobin glared back with the same frequency.

"ofcourse! if you don't tell me! how would I know!—"

"Helloo guys...is everything...okay ??" You gave a half cheesy smile when you saw Chaewon all furious at God knows what. She then came closer to you, grabbing your wrist in a firm grip.

"Look Y/N..I want you to be honest with me...I didn't tell Riki about it..cause I want to hear from you first.."

Your eyes squinted from confusion. what was she on about?

"What do you mean—"

"Attention Everyone!" just then Kwak Byung Gyun came in between the conversation again...grabbing everyone's attention like implied.

He smiled at you.

"I'm better at your job...than you are" You raised your brows, not giving him any smile, he wasn't worthy of any.

"what are you trying to say, Kwak?"

"That we may have found the killer or... oops..I may have found the killer" he chuckled out emphasising the "I".

the air struck out of you. Somewhere in the back of your mind...even if everything was clear...you still worried for Riki...to be what you didn't want him to be.

"The guy that we saw in CCTV....we have him now..bring him!" He smiled and then shouted at the junior cops to bring the alleged guy in.

Your heartbeat started fastening as the steps came closer. No.

You trusted him, alot...he wasn't like that...you were worrying for nothing.

"And HAH! here he is!" Byung gyun smiled at the person who came behind you with the junior cops.

OH Lord...you felt like dying...but before that you turned around...and your doubts were proven wrong.

It was not Riki

You took the heaviest exhale known to mankind, and grabbed the table stabilising yourself which noone thankfully seemed to notice.

"This is Kim Chung, 21, has a past history of being a theif..and many more allegations...we think it's him"

Byung Gyun spoke out loud informing everyone and also flexing himself.

"I didn't murder anyone! trust me!!!!! I have not!!!! please— please— believe me— I swear to God!!!!!"

"Now now...that...will be for the further evidences to decide...but! for now!...you are the prime suspect!" Byung Gyun said, laughing, looking at the guy and dragged him out.

You felt wetness on your cheeks, before you realised that you were fucking crying infact..

You hugged Chaewon and Soobin, both startled but not surprised, guessing that having a suspect made the case easier for you.

But, Lord what did they even know about your relief...

"Soobin Ah! It's oH My God! I'm so so so happy! we've found the killer !yay! we've found it!!!!"

"Yeah Yn but we still need to get evidence—"

"Wohhooo!!!.... so who wants a drink tonight????" you said smiling sheepishly and asked everyone to which different responses came.

"Okay!!! it's all on me todayyyyy enjoyyyy!!"

you said practically dancing and looked out the window. Suddenly everything seemed so vibrant and warm and colorful and lively..full of life...

It was the best day of your life.

────୨ৎ────────୨ৎ────────୨ৎ────

Riki started stacking the papers one on top of the other when he saw the evening hit through the glass windows. The Italian Classic Opera music surrounded the four walls of his cabin..almost everyone left today...early..

He was about to wear his blazer when a figure walked inside without knocking, he raised one brow but smiled when he saw the person.

They both shared a hug...and Riki gave the lighter to the person who was grabbing a cigarette. He pressed down on Riki's chair..and then sighed...finally speaking.

"you know I made quite an effort to get you what you asked me for"

Riki just chuckled, grabbing the man's cigarette and started smoking it himself. He blew the puff out.

"thank you for making the duplicate eagle ring....I owe you one"

"Owe me one? Pfft.." the man snatched his cigarette back from Riki.

"Think of what we will do next...Kim Chung will ask for money again"

the man spoke but then stopped as if he was contemplating a decision.

"What's the matter?" Riki raised one brow at him.

"How about we....invite them from Europe?"

Riki stopped the foot he was shaking at the response. He looked at the man, smirked and then nodded in agreement, looking out the window he said,

"Il momento è finalmente arrivato."

the moment has finally arrived.

────୨ৎ────────୨ৎ────────୨ৎ────

۶ৎPart 2 coming soon۶ৎ

A/N : the next part will be longer as there are many things to write in those, stay tuned!!

Thirsty?

Finally the camp is quiet. After dying of embarrassment thanks to Lae'zel and Astarion, Shadowheart retreated to her tent, but her eyes and ears have remained open, alert, waiting for the right time.

She must retrieve the artifact by any means necessary. Loathe as she is to admit it, even in this body made for battle, the only way to best Lae'zel and survive, is by sneaking into her tent while she's sleeping.

Surprise attack. No shame in that. It's the Sharran way.

Once she's completely sure that everyone is asleep – the absence of the crackling fire and the presence of Wyll's snoring are unmistakable signs – she grabs one of Lae'zel's many daggers. As a precaution, she slips her shoes off and goes barefoot; tiptoeing to be as quiet as possible. Oh how she misses her ability to see in the dark. It would be handy right now.

She won't kill the gith, of course. That would be the stupid whilst they’re in the wrong bodies. But hopefully, if Lae'zel finds herself scared and helpless, she'll be more receptive to her demands.

Looks like someone has beaten her to it.

The instant she steps out of her tent, she bumps into Lae'zel. The cold edge of a knife is immediately pressed against her neck.

“Why did you have an heirloom of my people?” Lae'zel hisses.

“Don't you dare to touch me!” Shadowheart growls back, keeping her voice low. “This is your body, remember? If you kill me, you die.”

“Speak, or I will take the risk.”

“Are you really that thick?! We don't know how this will affect us! How can you be sure your soul won't fade away the minute your body stops breathing?”

The improvised theory seems to convince her. Or, at the very least, make her hesitate. Shadowheart has always been quick of her feet. Unfortunately, the blade at her throat remains.

“If I die for my queen, so be it. How many of my people did you slay for the artifact?”

“Will you just stop and listen?” Shadowheart insists, patience fraying. “Forget about the bloody artifact. I have the solution to get us back to normal.”

Now that does catch Lae'zel's attention. Lae’zel’s hand drops to her side, the knife along with it. Breathing out a sigh of relief, Shadowheart backs into her tent and motions for Lae’zel to follow.

“Karlach helped me get the book from the library,” Shadowheart explains, fumbling for a match to light a candle.

“What did you discover?” Lae'zel questions.

“I haven't had a chance to read it yet. But-”

“Chk. So it is another dead end!”

“Is being bleak and negative a part of your so-called culture?” Shadowheart challenges.

“I am not negative. I am pragmatic.”

“Well can you be pragmatic at a lower volume? Else you’ll wake the whole camp. Honestly, it’s bad enough that Karlach knows about us, we don’t need anyone-”

“Karlach knows?!” Lae’zel roars. “You fool! How could you be so-”

Shadowheart clamps a hand over Lae’zel’s mouth, silencing her. They both look equally surprised by the bold decision.

“What did I just say?” Shadowheart hisses. She glares as she slowly removes her hand. “Yes, Karlach figured it out, but you don’t need to lose your head over it. She’s not going to tell anyone. She offered to help us…after she finished laughing.”

Lae’zel doesn’t respond, but Shadowheart can practically see the unspoken insults racing through her mind. She takes the silence as her cue to continue, reaching into her bag and pulling out the copy of “All You Need To Know About Ceremorphosis And Never Dared To Ask.”

Shadowheart turns the tome over in her hands as she takes a seat on her bedroll, leaving ample room for Lae’zel to sit at the other end. Lae’zel, who doesn’t seem to grasp the concept of personal space, it seems, sits right beside her anyway – so close that their thighs are practically touching.

Rolling her eyes to herself, Shadowheart opens the clasp on the book. Then very nearly drops it.

Some imbecile has carved through most of the pages, leaving a hollow in the centre. Within that hollow is a polished steel flash.

Shadowheart stares at it blankly for a long moment. Then she picks up the flask and unscrews the stopper, sniffing the contents within. Disappointment settles heavily in her chest. She doesn’t know whether to laugh of cry. Lae’zel would probably kill her for the latter, for committing such an act of weakness in this body.

Lae’zel’s breath tickles her cheek when she leans over. “Do you think that is the cure?”

“No,” Shadowheart says flatly. “I think its whisky.”

She raises the flask to her lips and tips her head back, gulping down the amber liquid, ignoring the way it burns her throat.

“What are you doing?!” Lae'zel scolds.

“What does it look like? I think I've earned it after all of this shit.”

She might as well get drunk. The whisky will certainly not cure ceremorphosis or solve any of her problems, but at least it will help her see them in a different light.

A few long gulps later, Lae'zel manages to snatch the bottle from her. Shadowheart glares; who does she think she is?

“Stop it!” Lae'zel warns, keeping the flask as far from her reach as possible.

“Leave me alone. I don't need you babysitting me.”

“My body is not as accustomed to alcohol as yours. I will not let you ruin it with your excesses.”

Shadowheart scoffs. Excess? Hardly. Still, now that she mentions, Shadowheart feels a little dizzy. Her body feels warm, almost unpleasantly so, and an artificial sense of calm invades her. Sounds like the alcohol is serving its purpose.

It'd usually take a lot more alcohol to start feeling these effects. But this is whisky, not wine. Not the biggest fan. And come to think of it, she rarely sees Lae'zel drinking anything other than water. No wonder her body is reacting like this.

Shadowheart snorts out a loud guffaw.

“Quiet!” Lae'zel hisses, covering Shadowheart's mouth. “The others can hear everything!”

Shadowheart bends forward, her belly exploding with laughter. Good to have a not-so-bad ending to such a dreadful day.

“What is your problem?” Lae'zel frowns. “What is there to laugh about?”

Another fit of giggles racks through Shadowheart, leaving her unable to respond. And Lae'zel's exasperated face doesn't make it any easier to contain – she looks like an angry raccoon with her smudged eyeliner.

Finally, after testing Lae'zel's patience to the brink, Shadowheart manages to calm herself and take a deep breath.

“I'm just laughing at what a cheap date you are,” she explains.

Lae’zel’s eyes narrow. “What did you just call me?”

Shadowheart is unsure if the fact that Lae'zel doesn't know the phrase makes the joke fall flat or if it makes it funnier. In the end, she – or perhaps it's the whisky – decides it's the latter.

“A cheap date,” she repeats, voice breaking with a chuckle, tears streaming down her cheeks. “You see, when you meet someone with romantic intentions, it's common to buy them drinks so that they will... loosen up. I see it wouldn't take much money to get you there.”

“Why is intoxicating someone a part of courtship? And why would you wish to court me?”

That last question knocks all breath out of her. In spite of the alcohol in her system, Shadowheart sobers up immediately.

“Ew! No!” she grimaces. “I meant it in a purely hypothetical situation. You should be so lucky, gith.”

The noise Lae’zel makes isn’t quite a laugh – more a snort of indignation. “Lucky? Bah. I would never lower my standards in such a way.”

Shadowheart stares at her. And perhaps it’s the alcohol, perhaps it’s her pride, perhaps it’s her Sharran training – whatever it is, something within her takes that statement as a challenge.

“Is that so?” Shadowheart questions. The words don’t quite have the flirtatious edge they would if she were speaking in her own voice. “Because you have quite the wandering eye. Don’t think I haven’t noticed.”

And Shadowheart has noticed. She’s seen Lae’zel gawking at various “istiks” over the past few weeks, despite her claims that they’re inferior to her in every way. And Lae’zel is not subtle about it – nothing she does is subtle.

“Noticed what?” Lae’zel frowns. “Whatever you think you witnessed, I-”

Shadowheart places her hand on Lae’zel’s thigh, just above the knee. She waits for Lae’zel’s eyes to lock with hers, which they do, and feels a thrum of gratification when she sees them widen in surprise.

Her hand remains still for a long moment and the atmosphere in the tent seems to shift perceptibly; the air suddenly feeling charged and heavy. Shadowheart doesn’t take her eyes off Lae’zel as she slowly slides her hand up a couple of inches. And squeezes.

The quiet gasp that escapes Lae’zel is an affirmation. She’s still got it. Even in this alien body, she’s still got it.

There’s something else dancing in the depth’s of Lae’zel’s eyes now. Desire. It’s strange, she thinks, to be on the receiving end of her own lustful gaze. That thought quickly vacates her mind as Lae’zel’s focus drops to her lips.

Shadowheart can’t be sure who moves first. Later, she’ll tell herself that she did – that she was fully in control in that moment. She’ll convince herself that she was the first to lean in with the sole purpose of proving her point.

Part of her thinks that Lae’zel is calling her bluff, even as Lae’zel’s eye flutter closed. When a soft hand cups the back of her neck, she wonders whether this would technically count as kissing herself. Does that make it ok…or is that even weirder?

It’s not the familiar scent of her own perfume that throws her off course. It’s what she catches beneath that with Lae’zel’s keen sense of smell. Arousal. There’s no mistake. Lae’zel is into this.

This is real.

Fuck.

Out of the corner of her eye, candlelight light gleams off the flask still clutched in Lae’zel’s hand. That’s it. That’s her out.

Slowly, her gaze still on Lae'zel's face, she slides her fingertips – she made sure to trim those claws, no matter how much Lae'zel protested – all the way down Lae'zel's arm. She ignores the quiet hum that makes its way through Lae'zel's lips, those lips that are inching closer and closer to hers, and caresses the back of Lae'zel's hand with feigned tenderness.

Only to force her fingers to let go of the bottle and grab it herself.

“Ha!” she exclaims triumphantly as she moves away from Lae'zel, watching her almost lose her balance comically.

She allows herself a smirk as she takes the flask to her lips and downs the rest of its content. Deep down, her heartbeat is deafening, an uncomfortable heat rushing through her veins. She truly needs the alcohol. A lot of it, to forget what has just almost happened.

At least Lae'zel's frustrated grumble reminds her that she hasn't lost her ability to seduce, to deceive, to use her charms as a weapon. The Dark Lady would be proud of her.

“K'chakhi!”

The foreign word sounds even stranger in her own voice. Shadowheart has no idea what it means, but she assumes it must be some sort of insult or swear word, like the vast majority of phrases coming from Lae'zel's mouth.

It doesn't matter. With a teasing grin, she bows mockingly at Lae'zel, like a bard finishing a performance. Astarion's attitude must be rubbing off on her. That seems to anger the gith even more, propelling her up to her feet like a spring.

“I will leave you to your self-destructive urges, then,” Lae'zel growls as she storms out of the tent.

With the canvas still shaking after Lae'zel, Shadowheart sighs in relief. Whatever that was, something tells her she has just dodged a bolt.

Yet even with the comforting, familiar numbness that comes with liqueur, even with the satisfaction of having fooled Lae'zel, she can't escape a much more disturbing certainty. Just like she could catch the scent of Lae'zel's arousal, she can catch her own right now. The intense tingle between her thighs doesn't lie.

And, more annoyingly, it's been there since Lae'zel mentioned courting.

What is wrong with her? This has to be a side-effect of whatever curse has put her in the wrong body. Yes, that must be it. She's feeling Lae'zel's lust for her and not the other way around. Admittedly, it doesn't seem to take the gith much to get horny.

She's so lost in her thoughts that she hasn't realized the flap of her tent is open. Only when the night wind covers her skin in goosebumps does she return to reality.

Wither is standing across the camp, looking more eerie than ever in the pale moonlight. He stares at her, expressionless.

If she didn't know better, she'd think he's judging her. Whatever. It's getting late and she really needs to sleep it off.