Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

A boy woke up in an unfamiliar room.

Four walls, one door, no windows. The paint that used to be white was peeling,  the floorboards were torned up and the only thing in the room that was out of place was the new foam mattress the boy woke up on. 

He reached for the door, tried to turn the handle and was not surprised to find that it was locked.

He sat back on the mattress and waited. 

His father told him that something like this would happen if he wandered on his own. But he didn’t heed the warning.

The door opened and a scary man carrying a scary gun walked in.

He held a phone to the boy's ear and instructed him to talk.

The boy heard his mother’s voice. He can hear her crying. He held back his own tears and answered their questions. 

His father's voice came after and then the scary guy took the phone away from him, walked out and left him all alone again.

Finally, he allowed himself to cry. He wanted to go home.

Seconds, minutes, hours, he didn’t know how much time had passed. It felt like days already. 

The door opened and the boy expected the scary guy to come.

But another boy walked in instead.

“The Phantom Thief Returns”

Jeno pins the newspaper clipping on his wall that is already filled with articles, files and photos related to the infamous thief. Jisung called it his wall of crazy when he first saw it, Mark calls it his “Phantom Thief shrine”. They both asked him why he hadn't taken it down yet, when the Phantom Thief went missing and was presumed dead two years ago. 

It’s because Jeno didn’t believe he was dead and knows that he will come back someday. And he is right.

The jewel thief showed up at an auction last night and had stolen a large diamond.

Jeno waited for him for two years, and now he’s finally back.

Sherlock Holmes has Moriarty as his archenemy, Jeno’s is the Phantom thief. The one criminal that he kept on chasing and kept on escaping him.

Jeno runs his hand along the string on the wall that connects the cases of the Phantom Thief he encountered. He traces their long history until his hand hovers over the very first case where he met his nemesis.

Jeno’s future was set in stone. He only had to graduate from business school and take over his father’s company and he will be set for life. As simple as that.

But Jeno didn’t like travelling on an already paved road. He wanted to make his own.

And ever since that incident when he was a child, ever since he received that book, he knew what he was supposed to do in life.

He wanted to be someone like that policeman who made him feel safe that night. He wanted to be a detective like Sherlock Holmes and solve mysteries for a living. He wanted to protect the people and rid the world of some bad guys.

His father wanted a different path for him so he had no choice but to leave.

Jeno gave it his all in order to get accepted to the National Police University where the tuition was free but the competition was fierce. So fierce that he made a few enemies when he graduated top of the class. One of those was Seo Dae Hyun who was also assigned to the same precinct as Jeno when they graduated. And with Jeno’s luck, they were also together for their very first case. 

Kang Mina, former beauty queen, now the founder of Queen Cares foundation organized a one week exhibit to celebrate her fiftieth birthday and the twentieth anniversary of her foundation. She displayed her most iconic gowns and the crown that she won in a prestigious pageant 25 years prior. The exhibit passed uneventfully, but on the last day, the day of the masquerade ball, she informed the police that she received a suspicious delivery. Jeno tagged along with his senior officer to check her report. (Dae Hyun, of course, also came with them) She was staying at the hotel where the ball was held and was already preparing for the said event.

"I received so many flowers today to congratulate me, but the note from this one doesn't make any sense." She gestured at a bouquet of calla lilies separated from the other flowers she received. "That's why I called you." She handed them a small greeting card.

ME FTQ RGXX YAAZ DUEQE, FTQ ODAIZ IUXX PUEMBBQMD

"Do you know Caesar's cipher, Detective Lee?" His sunbae asked him and Jeno nodded, cheeks heating up from being called detective.

He was very much familiar with the cipher. He spent almost his entire life reading detective stories and watching crime documentaries.

"Good, solve this then." Jeno whipped out his pen and notebook. He needed to know how many times he would shift the alphabet so he looked at the only other clue they sent; the flowers. Jeno counted the calla lilies. There were twelve of them so he shifted the alphabet twelve places down.

"As the full moon rises, the crown will disappear." Jeno read the message he managed to decode. “Show-off.” Dae Hyun whispered and Jeno chose to ignore him.

"When's the full moon?" He asked.

"Tonight." His senior answered after looking it up on his phone. "Miss Kang, I believe you should reconsider displaying your crown at the masquerade ball tonight and keep it somewhere safe instead. It's the Phantom Thief’s next target." He explained to the beauty queen.

The Phantom Thief. Jeno thought. The thief started showing up when Jeno was still in the academy. He managed to steal millions worth of pieces of jewelry and no one was successful in catching him.

No one yet .

Because Jeno made it his mission to capture the elusive thief. Maybe if he managed  to succeed where no one else can, his father might finally accept that being a detective was what he was supposed to be.

Kang Mina laughed as if the warning was a joke to her. "Let him try. I promise he can never steal my crown."

Jeno wondered where she got the confidence that the Phantom Thief would never be able to get her crown.

"Then allow us to post more of our people inside the party in order to guard the crown." His sunbae tried to compromise.

"Sure. But don't dress up as detectives." She warned them. "Don't forget to wear a mask and a crown, or I won't let you inside. It’s part of the dress code for tonight and I don’t want you all to stick out like a sore thumb."

That was how Jeno and his team ended up standing in front of two large ornate doors. The staff members who were standing on either side of it were wearing white masks that completely covered their face. They were also wearing a simple gold crown. Jeno became aware of his outfit that the police station managed to rent from a costume shop. He picked the simplest one, a black satin shirt tucked into a black slacks and a black vest and suit jacket with matching golden embroidery. He’s also wearing a gold crown that Lee Minhyung or Mark as he asked everyone to call him, a detective one year his senior and his closest colleague, tossed him earlier. “This will complete your outfit, Jeno. Now you look like a Victorian royalty.” He said earlier. Jeno looked at Mark who picked a black and red ensemble. His crown, sitting atop his slightly long hair that was braided on the side, was decorated with fake rubies. While Jeno felt ridiculous in his outfit, Mark looked very much like a king.

“Remember to blend in and do not take your eyes off of the crown no matter what happens. Got that?” Their team leader reminded them before going inside.

“Yes, sir!” They answered and walked towards the door.

Mark sidled up to Jeno. “Are you ready to party, Jeno-yah?”

“Hyung, we’re here to protect the crown.” Jeno looked at him and saw the older’s eyes twinkling with excitement, underneath the matching black domino masks they were both wearing.

“Come on, when will we ever get the chance to be invited to these kinds of parties? I am going to dance at least once, how about you?” Mark bumped Jeno’s shoulder playfully. He ignored the question and continued walking. He didn't come here to dance.

The staff pushed the heavy doors into the ballroom and they stepped inside. His jaw dropped as soon as his foot crossed the threshold. The function hall of Emerald hotel was transformed into a great ballroom full of golden decorations, thick golden drapes over large French windows, golden tablecloths and even the flower centerpieces are dusted with gold. The circular tables were placed around the side of the room to make way for the dance floor. Jeno said goodbye to Mark and chose to stand on the left side of the stage. A small orchestra situated there was playing soft music. Jeno chose the spot so that he could keep an eye on the pearl encrusted crown displayed in front of the stage along with the gowns from the exhibit. Jeno watched the guests swirling on the black and white marble floor that reminded him of a chessboard. He observed everyone as they danced, talked and walked in their respective expensive outfits. Jeno noted the extravagant clothes, some are beautiful and some are over the top and downright ridiculous. Minutes passed and he didn’t budge from his place, his gaze kept on darting back to the crown to make sure that it was still there, not until--

"They look ridiculous, don't they?" Jeno slightly jumped at the sudden interruption to his duty and turned to the stranger who seemed to read what he was thinking earlier.

While Jeno was wearing an all black ensemble, his new companion was wearing an all white outfit. A flowy white suit jacket cropped to his waist. It was simple enough except for the frills sewn on the shoulders and collar. His dress shirt had a very low neckline and was exposing a considerable amount of his chest. Jeno tried so hard not to linger on that fact. It was tucked into a white pants gathered on his small waist. Among all of the outfits he had seen tonight, his’ was the simplest outfit, lacking all of the shiny jewelries and accessories everyone else donned. He wore only one piece of jewelry which was a choker necklace. But Jeno was not fooled, it might look simple but he was sure it was made of diamonds and his entire outfit was much more expensive than Jeno's borrowed costume and it might probably cost him months or years of his salary. The stranger’s hair was silver blond and Jeno wondered if he dyed it just for the party tonight. It matched his outfit and made him look unreal. Ethereal .

But there was something wrong with what the stranger was wearing, and Jeno tried to figure it out.

"Where is your crown?" Jeno asked when he finally pieced together what was bothering him with the other's outfit. The stranger turned to him. He was wearing a simple white mask that covered the upper half of his face. His head was bare without any headpiece, his silver hair styled in what they call a comma hairstyle. He shrugged. "I'll get it later.”

“I thought it was a requirement.” Jeno frowned, he could feel his own golden crown digging into his scalp. Kang Mina’s instructions were clear: everyone should wear a crown and a mask if they want to attend the party.

"Do you plan to stand here all evening?" He ignored Jeno’s last statement.

“And if I do, what is it to you?” Jeno has had enough with the silver haired stranger. The latter lifted his drink to his lips and downed his champagne in one go. Jeno could only stare at the stranger’s lips and then to his throat bobbing as he finished his drink. He smiled at Jeno.

He was blinded, temporarily stunned because of the most beautiful smile he had ever seen.

"He's beautiful." Jeno thought.

“Dance with me.”

It was not an invitation. He was not asking for permission. It was a command and Jeno couldn’t do anything but obey.

The white-clad man placed his empty flute on a tray carried by a passing server, his gloved hand circled around Jeno’s right wrist and he led him to the dance floor. As they wound along the other couples, searching for an empty space, Jeno wondered what he was doing right now. Why did he agree to this? He could feel Mark’s stare boring at the back of his head and he didn’t dare look back. He remembered what Mark said that he should dance at least once tonight. He completely dismissed his suggestion earlier but his friend was probably happy that he was doing what he wanted, right? Jeno tried to convince himself that what he was doing was for the sake of their case after all, dancing with a beautiful man is considered blending in, right? Jeno tried to assure himself that he’s doing the right thing.

The other stopped when they reached a spot somewhere near the middle of the dance floor. He grinned and spun to face Jeno. They were standing so close to each other. Too close that Jeno can count the number of his eyelashes that were impossibly long. It brushed his cheeks every time he blinked. He placed both of Jeno’s hands on either side of his waist and then proceeded to put his own pair on Jeno’s shoulder.

“I don’t really know how to do this.” Jeno admitted.

“Do what?” His dance partner cocked his head, not understanding what he just said.

“Dance.” Jeno clarified and the other let out an amused laugh.

“Just follow my lead.”

Jeno let himself be led around the dance floor. They weren’t really dancing, they were just swaying along to the music, like a bow in an expert violinist’s hand, swaying back and forth to produce a beautiful sound. Jeno's heart raced because of how close they were  and wished that his sweaty palms would not ruin the other's expensive clothes. He looked at the other guests dancing, he looked at the golden chandeliers hanging from the ceiling, he looked at the crown that he was supposed to be guarding, he looked everywhere but at his partner.

"So what do you think about all of this?"

“About what?” Jeno reflexively turned to the sound of his voice and was met by large brown doe eyes. Jeno averted his gaze, again. "What are you talking about?"

The stranger lifted one hand and gestured towards the room. “This. I can tell from your expression that you’re not fond of these kinds of events. I can see your brows furrow while looking around the room."

“It’s a waste of money.” Jeno’s simple answer.

“They’re doing this to raise some money.” He countered.

“I know…” Jeno trailed off.

“But?” The other bent his head trying to catch Jeno’s gaze. “I know there’s a but there in your sentence.”

He finally met his partner’s eyes and decided to tell what was on his mind. “But look around you, look at the decorations, the clothes, the jewelry they’re wearing, it’s a huge waste of money. They should have donated what they spent instead of organizing a party like this.”

"Then why are you here?" He asked, his brown eyes searching Jeno’s for an answer. Jeno almost forgot that he's supposed to be acting like one of the rich people here.

"It’s part of my job to be here." He replied not wanting to completely lie and luckily his dance partner didn't ask him to clarify. They continued dancing; flitting around the room like two chess pieces moving on a board.

Jeno suddenly bumped into another pair of dancers and he turned to them to apologize. To his horror, it was Kang Mina herself. She looked absolutely gorgeous with her green satin gown that hugged her perfectly maintained body. Her crown was decorated with pearls and emeralds that matched her pearl necklace which reminded Jeno of the crown he was supposed to be guarding. She was the only one not wearing a mask.

“I’m so sorry, my lady.” Jeno apologized.

“It’s okay.” She replied. But Jeno still wanted the ground to swallow him. Of all the people they could bump into, they managed to crash on the most important person of the night.

“We're so sorry. I guess we got too lost in our own world.” His dance partner added.

“I get what you mean.” She gave them a smile which soon faded when she noticed his partner’s bare head. “But, young man, where is your crown? I thought I told everyone to wear a crown.” 

“I’m afraid it was too heavy for me so I put it down for a while.” He replied and Jeno was amazed by his confidence to make up an excuse in front of their host.

“Qui fert pondus coronae velit.” Kang Mina muttered.

“The one who wants to wear the crown must bear its weight.” He translated and Kang Mina's eyes widened along with Jeno’s. She didn't expect him to understand what she just said. Jeno didn’t expect him to understand what she just said.

"You know Latin?" She said, clearly amused.

He just smiled back at her. A new song started playing and everyone around them resumed dancing. Kang Mina dismissed her dance partner and turned to Jeno's. "How about we dance to this new song?" She asked him.

"Of course, my lady." He replied and took her hand. “I really love your necklace.”

“Thank you. You have a very good eye." She complimented him. "It’s my favorite and a very special one.” It was the last thing Jeno heard as they walked away from him. He was left there in the middle of the dance floor, without a partner. He felt shame creep up on his face, his former partner didn’t even say goodbye to him. Jeno snapped out of it and saw Dae Hyun smirking as he walked back to his post. He felt Mark coming up beside him.

“What was that?” He asked and Jeno decided to play dumb. “What?”

“You. There. Dancing.” He said, stressing every word.

“You told me to dance at least once, so I followed your advice.”

“I know but I didn’t think you’d actually do it. You of all people.”

He was right. Jeno was not the type to dance around with a stranger. He was not the type to forget about his work. He loved the rules and order, and what he did was against all that.

“So, did you get his name?” Mark inquired.

“Whose name?”

“Your partner, duh.” Mark rolled his eyes so hard, Jeno swore even he felt the motion.

“I didn’t.”

“That’s a shame. You looked really good together.”

Jeno ignored what Mark said and focused on guarding the crown, but he couldn’t stop his eyes from wandering, searching for the only person who was not wearing a crown tonight. 

They looked so good together. Kang Mina and his former dance partner swirled around the middle of the room gracefully. She smiled at whatever he whispered in her ear. Jeno thought that he should’ve been the one smiling back at him and quickly dismissed it. He didn’t belong here. 

He was an impostor.

If he chose to stay on the path his father wanted for him, then he will definitely belong here. He was sure his parents were in the room somewhere. But he was happy from where he is right now. He will not trade his detective badge for some fake gold crown and invitation to a lavish party.

He watched them until the song ended. His former dance partner bowed, bidding goodbye to the host of the party. Jeno followed him with his gaze, curious about what he was going to do next, until he lost sight of him among the crowd. Suddenly everything went pitch black and a collective gasp echoed inside the ballroom.

“Calm down. We’re the police and we’ll check what went wrong.” Jeno recognized his team leader’s voice, he remembered their mission for tonight. Jeno took out his phone, opened his flashlight and hurried towards the crown. 

Mark beat him there by a few seconds and turned to Jeno, his face stricken. There was no crown inside the glass case. 

“Shit.”

The electricity has not yet returned, flashlights from the guests’ phones illuminated the room. Jeno looked for his team leader and found him standing next to Kang Mina. A flash of white caught Jeno’s eye.

“Hyung, tell the team leader about the crown. I have to check on something.”

Mark didn’t question him further and went to deliver the bad news.

Jeno ran towards the door on the side of the room that led to the hallway where he thought he saw someone pass by earlier. The hallway was empty but his intuition led him to the nearest fire exit. Jeno went down three flights of stairs and spotted someone else going down ahead of him.

“Stop!” Jeno yelled and his former dance partner turned his head toward him. “Where do you think you’re going?”

“Home. The party’s over, isn’t it?” He said and continued to go down.

“I said stop.” Jeno said with more force this time. The other still ignored him so he had no choice but to take out his gun and point it at him. He cocked the gun and the resounding sound stopped the other from walking further. Jeno ran until he was in front of him, blocking his way down.

“The crown is missing, so I’m gonna have to check you first before you can go home.” Jeno explained.

“Does it look like I have the crown with me?”

Jeno kept the gun pointing at him and proceeded to pat him down. He did not find any crown, but found a pearl necklace instead.

"Oops." He deadpanned.

Jeno reached for his handcuffs and cuffed the other's right hand, but before he could secure his other hand, he ran away. Jeno reacted quickly and managed to catch up to him. He fastened the handcuff on his own right hand, tying them together, in that way he wouldn't escape Jeno again.

"You're coming with me." Jeno stated as he dragged him up the stairs. They managed to go up two flights of stairs when his companion didn't budge and Jeno was pulled back, forced to stop. Jeno turned to him to ask the other what his problem was when he was shoved against the railing. The metal was digging against Jeno’s back, his assailant’s left forearm pushing his chest back. He brought his face close to Jeno’s and he instinctively leaned backwards. 

He was too close, his face only a few centimeters from him. He drew even closer, bringing his lips right next to Jeno’s ear.

“As much as I loved it when you handcuffed me, I’m afraid I have to go now.” Hot breath whispered against Jeno’s neck. “Maybe I’ll let you do it next time. In an entirely different setting though.” He added with a wink as he stepped back.

He reached for the crown on Jeno’s head. Jeno tried to swat his arm when-

clang! 

The sound of metal hitting against metal pierced the air around them. Jeno realized that his right arm was bound to the metal railing of the stairs. The handcuffs that connected him to the thief earlier prevented him from moving further. Not only did the thief manage to break free but with his fast hands he also got Jeno’s phone, the handcuff’s key and the pearl necklace from his suit pocket.

He put on Jeno’s crown, the gold striking against his silver hair and his all white outfit.

“Checkmate.” He said before descending the stairs and leaving Jeno there. He stopped and bent down to leave the key and Jeno’s phone a few steps down, out of his reach. He turned to Jeno one last time, “see you around, Detective.” He was smiling and Jeno hated it so much.

The fire exit door closed with a bang and Jeno couldn’t believe he was bested by a petty thief.

Ten minutes later, Mark appeared and found him. Jeno thanked God that it was him who arrived and not Dae Hyun, or else he would never live out this incident.

“What the hell happened to you?” He asked as he went to pick up the key and Jeno’s phone from the floor.

“A thief did this to me.” Jeno explained while Mark unlocked the handcuff. Once freed he massaged his wrist that had been rubbed raw from his attempts of pulling free. He knew that he wouldn’t be able to break free without dislocating his left thumb but he tried anyway.

“The Phantom Thief?” Mark asked.

“No. An entirely different thief. He doesn’t have the crown with him.” Jeno noticed the change in Mark’s expression, as if he just found the missing piece to a very difficult puzzle. “ What is it?” Asked Jeno.

“We found the crown a few minutes ago.” Mark stated but he didn’t look too happy.

“Isn’t that great news?” Jeno said and Mark shook his head.

“No. Because according to Kang Mina, the crown was a fake and she had the real crown transformed into a necklace a few years ago because she wanted to wear it wherever she goes. She wore it tonight.” Understanding hit Jeno like an incoming truck.

“The thief who did this to me had the necklace.” He whispers in disbelief.

“The Phantom Thief did that to you.” Said Mark.

Jeno felt like a fool. He had the Phantom Thief earlier and he let him escape from his grasp.

Jeno stares at the newest addition on his wall, and an alarm rings out inside his apartment. He checks his watch, it’s time to go to work. He will catch the Phantom Thief no matter what this time.

Jeno arrives at the police station and finds that the only person inside their office is Mrs. Jang, mopping the floors.

“Good morning, Mrs Jang. Do you know where the others are?” Jeno asks her.

"The captain asked everyone to go to the briefing room.” She answers, never looking up from her work.

Jeno thanks her and runs towards the briefing room. He swipes his ID card to open the electric door and finds that everyone else has already settled on their seats.

“You’re late.” Says Dae Hyun, keen on ruining Jeno’s day so early in the morning. 

“He’s right on time. The captain isn’t even here yet.” Mark defends him, gesturing to Jeno to sit on the chair that he reserved for him. 

“Thanks, hyung. You really are the best partner.” Says Jeno, as he takes the seat beside him.

“Where’s my coffee?”

“If I stopped for your coffee then I really am going to be late.”

“Jeno-yah, you are the worst partner ever.” Mark jokes.

“Too bad you’re stuck with me.” Jeno fires back.

“Not for long.” Mark says, and Jeno’s smile fades. Right. His long-time partner is leaving  their precinct within this month. He recently passed the lieutenant’s exam and was assigned to a precinct in another city. Jeno is happy for his partner, it’s a great promotion, but he can’t help but feel sad since they’ve been through so much for the past four years. Mark notices the change in Jeno’s expression. “Hey, at least we’re going to catch the Phantom Thief before I leave. Right?”

“Of course we will. This will be the greatest case we’ll solve together.”

“As if you will be the one who’ll catch the Phantom Thief.” Dae Hyun interrupts their conversation.

“Are we talking to you?” says Jeno. Dae Hyun is about to answer back but the door opens and their captain, Lee Taeyong comes in.

“You know why I called you here, right?”

“Yes, captain.” They answer.

“Last night, a diamond worth 300 million dollars was stolen during the auction at Stella Gallery. It’s a 45 carat blue teardrop shaped diamond that they named Andromeda’s Tear. But before they could unveil it, the entire room went dark and when the lights returned, only a note and flowers were left on the display. We believe it’s the work of the Phantom Thief.” Their captain explains.

“But isn’t he supposed to be dead?” Yangyang, one of his fellow detectives, asks.

“They never found a body two years ago so his death was never confirmed.” says Jeno.

“A note and flower. So it is the Phantom Thief, that’s his modus operandi.” Dae Hyun adds.

Jeno hates to agree with Dae Hyun, but he has a point. The police didn’t reveal to the public all of the details regarding the Phantom Thief.

“Yes, we think so too. But the thing is, he also left an officer injured.”

“What? Who?” This is news to Jeno, the Phantom Thief didn’t harm anyone before.

“Kun got shot while running after him. Good thing that the bullet only grazed his shoulder. You will go and talk to him later.”

“But he never hurt anyone before. And as far as I know, he never used a gun. Ever. What about the possibility of a copycat?” Asks Jeno.

“Possible but highly unlikely. Since we never disclosed the phantom thief’s M.O to the public. We told everyone about the note and the flowers, but we never revealed that he uses Caesar’s cipher when writing his message.” Taeyong flashes the photo of the note on the screen in front of them.

INI DTZ RNXX RJ

“Did you miss me.” Dae Hyun says, sending a smug look at Jeno.

“Show off.” Jeno mutters.

“That’s right. I sent it to the cipher team earlier just to be sure and they decoded it easily.” says Taeyong and shows them the next photo of five white flowers.

“Do you know what kind of flower they are?” Jeno asks.

“Yes. It’s snowdrops.”

Jeno is not well versed in the language of flowers so he takes out his phone, opens Naver and searches for the meaning of snowdrops.

“It says here that a snowdrop is a symbol of rebirth.” Jeno says, showing his phone screen to Mark.

“So it’s his way of announcing his return?” His partner asks him.

“Yes, the Phantom Thief is back and it seems like he’s become dangerous now." Jeno whispers back to Mark.

“Dae Hyun and his team will go back to the crime scene and interview the employees there.” Says Taeyong. Jeno is about to protest, he wants to investigate the crime scene but the captain cuts him off.

“Jeno and Mark, go talk to Kun. Doyoung,” He turns to the forensic expert, “take your team and lift as many prints as you can from the crime scene. Yangyang, I want the ballistics report by the end of the day. Where’s Jisung?”

As if on cue, the youngest enters the room. 

“I’m here.” He yells.

“You’re late.”

“And I’ve got coffee for everyone.” Jisung says and starts distributing iced americanos around the room. Taeyong can’t do anything but shake his head at their youngest detective.

“That’s it. You can go now.” He announces.

“ I am going to catch the Phantom Thief.” Dae Hyun tells Jeno before leaving the room.

“Captain.” Jeno is the last one to leave, Mark is waiting for him at the door. “Why didn’t you assign us to the crime scene?”

“Because you are friends with Kun, aren’t you?” Jeno nods. “Don’t you want to check on him first? You can go to the crime scene after talking to him.”

“Okay.”

Mark is not the only one waiting for him outside the room. Jisung is there too.

“Thanks for the coffee, Ji.” Jeno says.

“Thanks Jisung, I always knew that I could trust you.” Mark says, taking a sip of his coffee. “Unlike this guy.” He adds, while  pointing to Jeno.

“I got you, sunbae.” The youngest replies with a bright smile on his face.

They walk past the holding cells and Jeno spots a familiar face behind bars.

“Chenle is here again?” He asks his two companions.

As if he heard him, the said man raises his head and notices Jeno looking at him. Chenle gives him a big grin and starts waving.

“The night patrol caught him in the act writing vulgar words on the wall of Little Sun Bank, so he spent the night here. He’ll be out soon, as always.” Jisung explains, a disapproving frown etching on his face.

“Chenle-yah, don’t come back here.” Jeno walks toward his cell.

“But I missed you, hyung.” The younger man jokes.

“If you missed me, then let’s meet outside and have a meal together. Do not come here." Jeno replies and Chenle just smiles back at him.

"I'm serious. The next time I see you here, I won't let you get out, even if your lawyer comes to bail you out, I'll find a way to keep you in." He warns and Chenle's smile never fades even from what he heard.

"That's great then, it means I will get to see you everyday."

Jeno shakes his head and walks back to his fellow detectives.

“Kids these days.” Mark mutters, frowning at his cup.

"I think he just wants some attention." Says Jeno.

“So, are you working on the Phantom Thief case?” Jisung asks when they reached their office.

“Yeah.” Mark answers, he's already halfway through his coffee.

“Can I tag along?”

Jeno glances at Jisung's desk. It is littered with papers and folders stacked one after another. "I don't think you have the luxury to leave the station right now."

"Why?" Jisung asks and Jeno points at his desk. The youngest pouts. “But chasing the Phantom Thief is much more exciting than sitting here doing the paperworks. Besides, it’s been two years since he last showed up, right? I remember following his case when I was still inside the police university.” Jisung looks at them with his puppy eyes and Jeno remembers how much he wanted to work on the Phantom Thief case himself when he was still at the university.

"Fine." He resigns and Mark looks like he wants to protest.

"Jeno sunbae, you are the best!" Jisung shouts while jumping up and down. Jeno throws Mark an apologetic look and mouths “how can you say no to that". Mark sighs for the nth time today, "But you have to stay overtime to finish your paperworks." His partner reminds Jisung.

"Of course, sunbae."

Kun is already discharged from the hospital so they interview him at his apartment.

"Sunbae, are you okay?"  Jisung asks as soon as Kun opens his door. His right arm is placed in a sling.

"I'm okay. The bullet just grazed me. They only made me wear a sling so that I won't use my arm for a few days and make it worse."

Kun leads them to his living room. "Do you want some drinks?"

"Do you have mango juice?" Jisung asks and Jeno elbows him. They are not here for a casual visit, but Kun just smiles at the youngest.

"Yeah I have. Wait here I'll go get it."

"Hyung, I'll help you." Says Mark and follows him to the kitchen.

They come back, Mark carrying four glasses of mango juice in a tray.

"Hyung, what happened last night?" Jeno asks Kun when they were all settled on their seats.

"I was stationed to guard the back exit. I was just standing there when someone came running towards me. So I blocked his way and told him to stop. I didn't expect him to shoot me, you know?" Jeno nods. "Because the Phantom Thief never hurt anyone before. So I stood before him and tried to stop him. But he took out a gun and shot me."

"Did you see his face? What does he look like?" Mark asks.

"No, I couldn't see his face since he's wearing a face mask and his black hoodie is pulled over his head." Kun seems to think of something and adds, "I think he has the same height and build as Jeno. That's it. That is all I can tell you."

Kun sees them out.

"Hyung, I'm really glad you're okay." Jeno tells him.

"When are you coming back to work?" Asks Jisung.

"I'll just rest for today and come back to work tomorrow. I'll help you capture the Phantom Thief."

They bid their goodbye and go to the crime scene next. 

They see Doyoung and his team busy scouring the scene for some fingerprints or any DNA that hopefully belongs to the culprit. 

Jeno goes to the security room to check out the CCTV footage of the gallery. But the security tells him that Dae Hyun and his team already collected all the copies of the videos captured by their surveillance cameras.

"How did Dae Hyun sunbae get the warrant to collect the CCTV footage that fast? Not even a day has passed." Jisung says over his bowl of jajjangmyeon . They decided to get some lunch before returning to the police station.

"The city's chief prosecutor is a close relative of him. That's why." Mark explains.

"But that's unfair."

"It really is but it has always been that way." Jeno sighs. 

Dae Hyun will have a huge head start ahead of them in the investigation.

The three of them arrive at the police station. Jisung bids his goodbye, "I have to start working on my paperworks or I won't be able to go home tonight." He says.

Jeno looks at the stacks of folders on Jisung's desk and gives him a sympathetic nod.

Jeno and Mark make their way to Yangyang.

"What did you find out?" asks Mark.

"The bullet that grazed Detective Qian came from a 9mm handgun, a G19 to be exact."

"That's why he managed to sneak it inside," says Jeno.

"Yeah. It's small so he can easily conceal it inside his clothes. The bad news is, it didn’t match any registered gun in our database. It must’ve been purchased illegally. I'm afraid this information won't be of any help to the case." Yangyang replies, frowning. Jeno gives him a reassuring pat on the shoulder.

"No worries, Yangyang. Thank you for your hard work."

Jeno slumps on his desk feeling defeated. After a whole day of investigating, they didn’t manage to find a single clue that would bring them closer to capturing the Phantom Thief.

Jeno gets home, cleans up and locks himself inside the extra room in his apartment that he made into his makeshift office. He stares at his wall of evidence for the second time today. He’s been given another chance to chase after the elusive Phantom Thief, he will not waste it this time.

Jeno takes out the letter he received three days ago from his desk drawer. Someone warned him that the Phantom Thief would show up on the last day of the exhibit, during the auction.

Jeno thought that the reason why the thief keeps on escaping his grasp is because he is thinking like a detective. So he tried to put himself in the Phantom Thief’s shoes.

He went to the gallery after his work to survey the venue and tried to think of ways how he would be able to steal any of the items there. He studied the blueprints of the building in order to determine where he would enter and exit if he was the Phantom Thief.

Jeno couldn’t go to the auction last night because someone called him and told him that he was the one who sent the letter. He asked Jeno to meet up with him because he had more information about the Phantom Thief. Jeno waited for him at the location they agreed upon, but no one came. By the time Jeno realized that the call was made in order to keep him away from the auction, the diamond was already stolen.

Jeno pads through the plans he made that were wasted because he chose to believe that phone call.

Jeno is getting ready to go to work when his phone rings and Mark’s name flashes on the screen.

"Jeno-yah…" Mark starts, his tone serious.

"What is it, hyung?"

"Is your Phantom Thief shrine still up?"

"I never took it down. Why?"

"Dae Hyun is out to get you."

"What do you mean?"

"Take it down now. I'm on my way there."

The doorbell of his apartment rings.

"Wait, hyung. I'll go see who that is."

Jeno looks at his intercom and sees Dae Hyun and his team standing outside his apartment door.

"Hyung, Dae Hyun is here." Jeno says.

"Shit." Mark curses on the other end of the line. "I just arrived too. I'm coming up now." The call ends and Jeno opens the door.

"To what do I owe this pleasure?" Jeno asks his old classmate who can't seem to wipe the smug look on his face.

"Lee Jeno, you are under arrest under the suspicion of aiding the Phantom Thief in stealing the Andromeda's Tear."

One of his team members handcuffs Jeno’s hand in front of him.

"What?! What is happening?" Jeno exclaims once he recovers from his initial shock.

"You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney…" Dae Hyun continues speaking but Jeno drones out his words. He knows the Miranda Rights by heart. Mark appears in his peripheral vision and Jeno cries out for him.

"Hyung, what is happening?" Jeno asks, feeling lost. 

"Dae Hyun, do you even have a warrant of arrest?" His partner demands.

"Of course." He passes an envelope to Mark. "I also have a search warrant for his apartment." With that, Dae Hyun instructs his companions to search Jeno’s apartment.

"Do you even have evidence against Jeno?" Mark asks him.

"I watched the CCTV footage during the robbery, and found a suspicious person that looks like Jeno."

"You're not even sure if that was me. Detective Qian said that the person who shot him has the same build as me. So you must’ve been mistaken." Jeno explains.

"That's not all. I watched the surveillance video a few days before and found you lurking around the gallery for two straight days. I also asked for the CCTV footage of this building and saw you leaving the apartment the same night the diamond was stolen. You were also wearing a black hoodie." says Dae Hyun, his voice challenging them.

"That's not enough evidence." Mark argues.

"Where did you go that night?" Dae Hyun asks.

"I went out to meet someone." Jeno replies.

"Can that person confirm your alibi?"

Jeno shakes his head. "He didn't show up." Dae Hyun’s lips quirks at that.

"Is there someone who can swear that you are not at the gallery that night? From the surveillance footage in your building, you came back here one hour after the diamond was stolen. Explain that."

Jeno is about to explain about the letter he received that warned him of the Phantom Thief’s plan and about the phone call asking him to meet that night, but one of the officers who searched Jeno’s apartment interrupts them.

"Detective, we found these on his desk."

Dae Hyun sifts through the papers handed to him. "Wow, if these aren't the plans to rob the gallery?" He says, he's not even hiding the smile on his face.

Jeno realizes that whatever he will say in his defense, Dae Hyun will never listen to him because he already believes that Jeno is a criminal. He's so hell bent on destroying Jeno, he will never choose to believe his explanation.

But there is someone who will believe him, Jeno looks at his partner.

Jeno lets them take him away and on their way down to his building, Jeno walks closer to Mark.

"Hyung, I didn’t do it. I swear." He says.

"I know, Jeno-yah. I'm sorry I couldn't warn you sooner."

Jeno shakes his head. A plan springs into his mind.

"You've done enough, hyung. But there's one more thing I need from you."

"What is it?"

He gestures for Mark to get closer and the older brings down his face near Jeno’s.

"Let me escape." He whispers in his ear.

Mark looks at him, thinking.

They arrive at the basement parking area where the police cars are waiting.

"I'll drive him to the station." Dae Hyun announces. He probably wants to goad Jeno more, to rub salt in his wound during the car ride.

"Wait." Mark says and proceeds to hug Jeno. Dae Hyun rolls his eyes at the sudden display of affection.

"Come back soon, okay?" whispers Mark. Jeno can feel him slipping something on the pocket of his jeans. 

He nods and his partner finally steps away from him.

Dae Hyun drags him away and sits him on the backseat of his car.

"So that's why you were never able to catch the Phantom Thief. You were working with him." He says as he stares at Jeno through the rear view mirror.

Jeno ignores him and reaches for his pockets. He feels the shape of a key and grabs it. It's the key for his handcuffs! 

Jeno silently applauds his partner for successfully pickpocketting the key from Dae Hyun’s minion. He lets himself free from the handcuffs without drawing the attention of the other detective, who is still not done talking to Jeno. Jeno tunes out every word that comes out of his mouth. 

They are passing through a narrow alley that leads to the highway and Jeno deems that this is the right timing if he wants to escape.

Jeno suddenly grabs the steering wheel and veers the car to the right towards the pile of garbage the city hasn't collected yet. Thankfully, Dae Hyun hits the brake before they hit something solid. Jeno uses Dae Hyun’s surprise to his advantage and cuffs the latter's right hand to the steering wheel. He unlocks the door on the backseat and runs away. 

"Lee Jeno, you're dead when I catch you." Dae Hyun screams.

" If you can catch me." Jeno mutters and runs further away from him.

He navigates through the narrow alleys hoping to lose anyone following his trail. He stops once he decides that he's far enough from them. 

He reaches for his pocket and finds that not only Mark gave him the key, he also gave him some cash.

Jeno uses the money to check-in into an inconspicuous hotel. After booking a room, he walks outside to find a payphone a few streets away from the hotel as an extra precaution. He calls Mark’s number that he’s thankfully memorized. 

"Hyung." Jeno starts.

"Is that you, Jeno-yah?"

"Yes, hyung. I checked-in at Hera Hotel." He informs the older.

"Okay. But I can't go there so I'm going to send Jisung instead."

"I'm staying in room 903."

"Got it. I'll tell him to bring you some change of clothes and extra cash too. I know you won't be able to use any credit cards or they will be able to track you." Says Mark.

"Thanks, hyung. I owe you so much."

"It’s no big deal, Jeno-yah. You're my partner, remember?"

Jeno can only nod before ending the call. He’s so thankful for Mark. For believing in him even though the evidence is not in his favor.

Jeno goes back to his hotel room. He opens the television and finds his own face staring at him. 

He already made it on the news.

"The Phantom Thief’s accomplice, revealed." Says the headline. Jeno turns it off.

How did this happen?

Why would someone set him up?

Jisung shows up in his room in the evening carrying multiple paper bags of clothes.

Jeno lays out the contents on his room's queen sized bed and counts about ten pairs of clothes and undergarments.

"Isn't this too much?" Jeno asks Jisung while folding his new clothes and placing them in the closet. "You didn’t even put much thought into choosing the clothes." He complains as he stares at the shirts and hoodies Jisung chose. They are all from the same brand with a variation of cat designs. Some shirts and hoodies have the same "I love cats" design on it and in different colors too.

"I didn’t have time to shop, okay. So I just grabbed anything from the first shop I saw. Plus they're cute, I'm gonna buy some for myself and wear them." Jisung defends himself.

Jeno inspects the price tag worried about the money he has to pay back. "The brand where you bought it from is a bit expensive too." He complains. He should have sent Jisung to get clothes from his apartment instead even if it's risky thinking about how much this is going to hurt his savings.

"You can pay me after you clear your name." Jisung says while munching on the fried chicken that he also brought for Jeno.

"I don't have that much money." Jeno says, frowning.

"Sunbae, come on" replies Jisung, giving him a look of disbelief. 

"What?"

"I know your family owns three five-star hotels here in Korea."

"Four." Jeno corrects him and Jisung laughs. "My father owns four hotels. Not me. He wouldn't even talk to me after I chose to be a detective."

Jisung's expression softens and he brings down the drumstick he's eating. "Oh. That sucks." 

"Yeah."

"Anyway. Mark sunbae can't go here because they're watching his every move. They know that you will contact him. So you're stuck with me."

"That sucks." Jeno jokes and Jisung whines like a baby. He always has fun teasing the younger detective.

"Right, I almost forgot. Earlier at the precinct, I was getting my parcel."

"You ordered something again?" Jeno interrupts his storytelling.

"A bungeoppang maker." Jisung says defensively. The younger one has an online shopping addiction, and they are all trying to help him stop it.

"Didn't you buy a waffle maker last week isn't that enough? What about the bungeoppang maker I gave you for your birthday?" Jeno scolds him. 

"Sunbae it's different from waffles, I like the fish shaped ones better." Jisung protests.

"They taste the same. I asked you about my gift."

"That's not the point of the story." Jisung didn't answer his question and knowing the youngest he probable managed to destroy his gift. Jeno lets it go and gestures for him to continue his story. "I went to receive my parcel but they also have something for you. So I took it before Dae Hyun and his gang saw it."

"Oh. What is it?"

Jisung takes out a rose and a white envelope from his bag. "Here."

Jeno takes the letter and tears it open.

rose

to proove my thrrilling affecttion

-p

Jeno stares at the letter, it doesn’t make any sense.

"What does it say?" He looks up to see Jisung peering over his shoulder trying to take a peek at the letter. Jeno hands it to him.

"Oh. You have a secret admirer. This is so cute." Jisung says and Jeno snatches the letter back.

"I don't have time for this kind of prank." says Jeno as he tries to throw it into the trash but Jisung stops him.

"Wait, sunbae. I'm sure the sender was very nervous when they wrote this letter to you. It probably took them so much courage to even send it to you."

He is about to ignore what Jisung said when he realizes something from the younger's words.

"How did you know that the sender was nervous while writing the letter?"

Jisung shrugs. "Because of the typos. They must’ve been so nervous, they misspelled some words in there."

Jisung’s words float  around Jeno’s mind. He didn’t notice the typos when he read it for the first time, but now that Jisung mentioned it, Jeno checks the note one more time.

The spelling errors are very obvious; he couldn't believe that he didn’t catch them earlier. His mind must’ve automatically corrected the spellings as he read it. 

The misspelled words are easy words too and are not that difficult to spell. Jeno decides that the error in writing was deliberate and must be sending him a message. 

Jeno wracked his brain on what kind of code it is since the message makes sense while reading it but also does not, since he’s sure that no one will ever send him a love letter at the station. 

He eliminates the possibility of it being a Caesar cipher since it obviously doesn’t look like one. Jeno figures that it is an anagram and that if he rearranges the letters they will form words that will hopefully lead him to the secret message. He grabs the pen and the notepad from his bedside table.

“Sunbae, what are you doing?” Jisung asks him.

“Shhhhh.” Jeno silences the younger, not wanting to be distracted while he tries to decode the message. “Just go watch or play something on your phone.” He says and the younger does what he says.

Fifteen minutes of shuffling and scrambling the letters, Jeno decodes a place. Film center. He borrows Jisung’s phone and looks up all the film centers from Naver map and finds five of them in the city. Jeno matches the name he managed to search to the remaining letters and gets a match. Ivory Film Center. Once he was certain of the location, the rest of the message came easily. Jeno successfully arranges the note and the secret message turns out to be:

IVORY PEARL FILM CENTER’S ROOFTOP TONIGHT

Jeno suddenly stands up, startling Jisung. “Let’s go.” He says, grabbing a denim jacket on his way to the door.

“Where are we going?” Jisung asks, following in his heels.

“I need you to drive me to this address.”

They arrive in front of the film center, forty five minutes later. It’s already 9PM and most of the people are leaving the place already.

Jeno gets out of the car and Jisung tries to follow suit. Jeno stops him.

“Jisung, you can go home now. Thank you for driving me here.”

“But, sunbae.” He tries to protest but Jeno shakes his head.

“I don’t want you to get more deeply involved in whatever this is if anything goes wrong.”

Jisung wants to protest but Jeno gives him a stern look.

“Okay. I understand. Call me if you need anything else. I will come to you.”

Jeno nods. “Thanks, Jisung. Tell Mark hyung not to worry about me. I will catch this person who wants to bring me down.”

Jisung climbs back on his car and drives away, leaving Jeno to face whoever sent him the message this time.

Jeno enters the film center and sees that there are still some people lined up for the last movie of the night. He heads straight to the fire exit and takes the stairs two steps at a time. The film center only has four floors, so Jeno arrives at the rooftop without exhausting his breath. He pushes the door open and steps outside. The cool air greets him. It’s dark, only the marquee of the next building is illuminating the rooftop. Jeno looks around and finds no one else there. He decides to wait. The message only said "tonight" and didn't specify an exact time. Jeno hopes that the sender is still waiting for him. 

He approaches the edge of the building and leans over the railing. He looks down on the people and the cars passing down below. It’s much quieter up on the rooftop, only the faint sounds of the restless city reaching his ears. So when the door of the rooftop opens, he hears it crystal clear.

Jeno turns around and sees a figure standing in front of the door.

“Hi, Detective. Did you miss me?”

Jeno freezes. It’s been two years since the last time he heard him being called like that.

Detective.

In a playful and sometimes mocking way.

“Detective, we meet again.” He said.

"I really like your name Detective Lee Jeno. Perhaps I'm gonna borrow it one day."

“See you next time, Detective.” He told Jeno as he rappelled down the building with a ten million dollars emerald necklace in his bag.

“Detective, you’re late again.” He shouted as he hopped on an incoming motorcycle and sped away from Jeno.

“Goodbye, Detective.” He said before he went over the railing, leaving Jeno there standing at the deck with his blood in his hands.

“You look like you’ve seen a ghost.” He says and Jeno hears him laugh when he doesn't give him an answer. 

“Are you that happy to see me? Did you miss me, Detective?” Jeno can’t see his face in the dark with his black mask covering the lower half of his face and his matching black hoodie pulled over his head, but he’s certain that he’s smiling right now. 

He doesn’t know how, but he’s sure that the real Phantom Thief is standing in front of him now. His last statement and the message left when the diamond was stolen wakes Jeno up.

“Are you here to turn yourself in?” Jeno finally finds his voice.

“No, I’m not. I didn’t do anything wrong.” He replies.

“You didn’t do anything wrong?” Jeno repeats, shaking his head. “What about the crimes you committed in the past? You have to pay for them.”

“I know I’ve done some bad things in the past but-“

“Some?” Jeno cries out in disbelief. “You stole millions worth of precious stones.”

“And that is not why I am here. I stopped okay. And I am trying to live a peaceful life. But someone used my name to steal a huge ass diamond and I can’t let that go.” The Phantom Thief replies, his voice rising.

“Why should I believe you?”

“Because I’m not lying. I will not lie to you, Detective.”

Jeno goes silent. He’s had enough. He can’t bear to hear what the other is going to say anymore so he rushes into him. Jeno grabs a fistful of the Phantom Thief’s hoodie and shoves him against the door. Hard. He throws his weight at him so that he can't escape and yanks off his mask.

Jeno stares at the face of the person who has been haunting him for years now. 

He knows that the Phantom Thief is beautiful. He knows this from the very first time he met him, when they danced together. 

But nothing prepared Jeno for this.

His face radiates innocence and with those large doe eyes, no one will ever think that this face belongs to the notorious Phantom Thief. And his smile. Jeno still remembers the first time he saw his smile.

He’s beautiful. Jeno thought.

But as the Phantom Thief smiles at him now all Jeno can think of are those times when the criminal managed to run away from him.

His smile is not beautiful. He tells himself. He's mocking me.

He's dangerous. The sane part of Jeno’s brain supplies.

“Like what you see, Detective?” The Phantom Thief says, still smiling, and that brings Jeno back to his senses. He wants to wipe off that smug expression on his face.

“Shut up.” He grits through his teeth. 

“Help me.” He says softly, his demeanor changing. “And I can help you.”

Jeno sneers at him. “You know what I am going to do? I am going to march you to the police station and lock you up for good.”

The Phantom Thief smiles sweetly in return. “Do that, and I will tell them that you’ve been helping me all this time.”

“They won’t believe you.”

“Are you sure?” He raises his eyebrow, daring Jeno to answer.

The truth is, Jeno is not sure anymore. He knows that his friends will believe him, their captain might believe him too, but the evidence Dae Hyun has against him is too glaring and puts Jeno at the disadvantage.

“That’s what I thought.” The Phantom Thief says when he doesn’t reply. He pushes him away, and Jeno, surprised by the sudden shove, staggers backwards.

“I can help you find out who set you up. I just want to clear my name too.” He says, his tone serious this time. Jeno still doesn’t answer him.

“If you decide to help me, meet me at HAE's tomorrow at 5PM.”

“What if I don’t show up?” asks Jeno.

“If you don’t show up, then this will be the last time you’ll ever see me.”

“Shut up. I will find a way to capture you somehow.” Jeno argues.

“Have you succeeded, even once? Huh, Detective?” He taunts.

The Phantom Thief turns and heads for the exit. He stops just before pushing the door open.

“And I saved your life, didn’t I? It’s time you save mine.”

The Phantom Thief’s last words don't leave Jeno’s mind even after he falls asleep. In his dream, he is back to two years ago, when everyone thought that the thief met his demise.

Jeno attended the wedding of an old friend from his old life. It also meant that his parents were invited too. The wedding was held in his friend's enormous yacht. It was a beautiful ceremony, the couple exchanged vows in the upper deck while they sailed towards the sunset.

The reception was in the ship’s main deck and he was seated on the same table as his parents. Jeno and his father were still not on speaking terms so he excused himself once they finished serving the seven course meal. His mother tried to stop him from leaving but Jeno wanted nothing else than to escape the suffocating atmosphere that surrounded them.

He was heading towards the upper deck to catch some fresh air when he collided with someone. Jeno apologized to the person he bumped into and offered his hand to help him stand up. "I'm sorry. Are you okay?"

Jeno retracted his hand when he saw the person he knocked to the ground. Black mask covering the lower half of his face up to the bridge of his nose, black hooded jacket that covers his head. It was the Phantom Thief.

"Detective. What are you doing here?" The thief asked, his eyes widened when he recognized Jeno.

"What are you doing here?" Jeno snaps back. "You're the one who doesn't belong here."

The Phantom Thief looks over his shoulder. "I love to chat with you more, but I'm pretty busy at the moment." He ran towards the edge of the ship and Jeno followed him. He didn’t bring handcuffs or his gun to the wedding, but he swore he would capture the Phantom Thief tonight.

He was preparing to jump over the railing but Jeno grabbed his shoulder and whirled him around to face him.

"What did you steal this time?" Jeno asked as he shoved the Phantom Thief against the railing.

"Check it out on the news later." He said.

"I got you this time." Jeno whispered, he pulled down the hood of his jacket revealing his hair that was dyed dark blue that time. He was about to tear the Phantom Thief’s mask off when he heard a bullet whizzing through the air near their heads. Jeno turned around to face the shooter and saw a masked man holding a gun, with a silencer attached to it, aimed at them. The next thing Jeno knew he was on the ground, the Phantom Thief pushed him off. He can only watch as the Phantom Thief was shot five times across the chest, his body slowly backing up from the force of the bullet. The shooter, satisfied, ran away, leaving Jeno shell-shocked.

The Phantom Thief toppled over the railing, Jeno reacted fast and managed to grab the front of his jacket with one hand, while his left hand held on to the metal railing for support.

"Hold on to me." Jeno shouted.

He shook his head. "Goodbye, Detective." He softly said before prying Jeno’s hand from his jacket.

The Phantom Thief fell, his hair flowing freely was the same color as the deep blue ocean. Jeno looked down at his hands painted scarlet. There was nothing he could do to save him.