c028

Seokga is watching the interactions between the young gumiho and the awkward jeoseung saja with a fair bit of amusement.

The jeoseung saja is clearly in love. The gumiho is arguably not. They sit side by side across from him as he drinks his second coffee of the morning. The gumiho—Somi—is clearly a youngster. A nervous youngster, at that. She is studiously avoiding both Seokga's and Hyun-tae's gazes, bouncing her knee up and down as Hyun-tae gazes at her with what can best be described as a dreamy expression. Somi goes red when she accidentally meets Seokga's gaze. By the blush staining her cheeks, he tags her as the type to read Godly Gossip and mull over which brother—Hottie Hwanin or Sexy Seokga—is hotter. Ridiculous.

He snorts under his breath. Somi jumps and again averts her gaze. Hyun-tae's lovesick stare doesn't falter. Jeoseung saja are strange creatures, so detached from the world of the living that when they fall, they fall quickly—and they fall hard. It's probable that despite his lovesick expression, Hyun-tae has only known Somi for a week, or two, at most.

He is growing bored without Hani. There is no conversation, nothing but the sipping of his coffee and mulling over the morning's events. No eoduksini attacks yet, but the Scarlet Fox, on the other hand…

Chunbun is coming soon. Seokga ignores the twist of anxiety within his stomach as he sets down his coffee. If he has not succeeded in fulfilling Hwanin's orders by then…He does not want to even think of it.

"Ms. Somi," Hyun-tae is saying eagerly. "Yesterday we spoke of possibly asking Minji for more stylish aprons. You will be pleased to know that I have drawn up various sketches of ideas in between collecting souls. If you would like to see them, I have them here, in my briefcase." He taps his black briefcase briskly, his expression alert and keen to please.

Somi blinks at him. "You did?"

"I did. Yes." Hyun-tae nods. "Four variations, all different in color. I recall that you said in passing you like the color pink…"

Somi gapes at him, still jittering her leg. The table has begun to shake. Seokga scowls in annoyance as Hyun-tae continues.

"…so I took that into mind while preparing these designs for you."

The table is practically vibrating at this point.

Seokga has had quite enough. Leaning forward, narrowing his eyes to slits, he snaps, "You're shaking the table."

Somi flinches back as if struck; her eyes are wide and teary, her lips tremble. Immediately, Hyun-tae whips around to Seokga. The grim reaper looks appalled, as if he cannot believe that Seokga has dared speak to Somi in this way. "Apologize," he demands, and Seokga laughs quietly. It's impressive, the nerve that one possesses while in love.

"No," he replies coldly. Somi has gone white.

Hyun-tae straightens in clear offense. "You—"

But then the door to the washroom around the corner opens, and Hani is striding out, her hair disheveled as she hurries over to the table, a strange gleam in her eyes as she takes her seat next to Seokga's. "What did I miss?" She is slightly out of breath, and before Seokga can stop her, she snatches his coffee and takes a long sip.

She's back. Seokga fights down a smile as his mood brightens considerably. "I thought you didn't like coffee."

Hani makes a face as she sets down the cup and wipes her mouth with the back of her wrist. "I don't." She glances at Somi. "You'll be fine here for the rest of the day?" It is phrased like a question, but something in her tone dips, and it sounds more like a statement than anything. Seokga tilts his head as Somi nods her head.

"I-I will. Thank you, Hani."

Hani smiles, and Seokga watches as her eyes go to Hyun-tae. "Hey. Part-timer."

Hyun-tae straightens. "Yes?"

"Still keep to your promise." Hani's gaze moves back to Somi, who seems visibly confused. "Protect this one here—from the dangers of broken ice machines." She rises to her feet and tugs Seokga upward with her. "The café will open soon. We should head out."

Seokga drains the rest of his iced coffee and tosses it in the waste bin before following Hani into the early morning outside. She waits for him to catch up before they begin the walk to his Jaguar, side by side. "What's the plan for today?"

In the sunlight, her eyes are molten pools of chocolate and wine. Seokga's heart stutters—and not from the caffeine. He mentally slaps himself across the face.

He is no better than Hyun-tae.

As he opens the door to the Jaguar's passenger seat, allowing Hani to duck inside, he says, "We'll head to the precinct. We'll start the hunt for the Scarlet Fox and plan our next move with the eoduksini." Seokga gently shuts the car door before sliding into his own seat. "The footage," he says, starting the engine, "should give us a lead on the Unruly gumiho. DNA evidence on the body may, as well." All creatures living in New Sinsi have their DNA in the haetae database. "We may kill her today."

"Mm," says Hani, smoothing down her hair. "That would be—" She is cut off by Seokga's phone ringing shrilly in his pocket. Seokga sighs, not bothering to hide the haggard exhalation as he answers. Shim's voice reaches his ears.

"Seokga." The old haetae sounds panicked. "Where are you?"

"What happened?" Seokga demands, hand tightening around the wheel and heart beginning to pound in his chest. "I'm driving. I can get to you right now—"

"I'm fine, I'm fine. It's the footage from last night," the chief pants. "The cameras, the computers…They're all destroyed."

Seokga's mind empties out until there is nothing but roaring silence. "And the bodies?"

"Gone," Chief Shim rasps. "The bodies are gone."

"How," Seokga demands furiously, standing before Shim's desk with his arms folded, "did this happen? How did you lose the bodies?"

The precinct is entirely silent save for his cold, commanding voice. All other officers filed out of the room once Seokga had entered, his cane thudding against the tile floor as he'd stalked over to Shim. Before driving to the precinct, they'd stopped by Hani's apartment to grab the tapes she hadn't yet gone through from the first attack, leaving behind the ones she said yielded nothing. Hani sets them quietly on the chief's desk, but the haetae doesn't even seem to notice.

Besides the aura of grief hovering in the precinct's air, there is no sign of the eoduksini's attack. The bodies of the nightwatch haetae have been given to their families for burial, and the bloodstains have been scrubbed from the floor. Yet there is a smell in the air, something sour and bitter all at once. Terror. Seokga tries to breathe in only through his mouth.

"I don't know," Chief Shim whispers. He is slumped at his chair, dark purple circles underneath his eyes, his face haggard and beyond exhausted. He does not look like the city's most powerful haetae in these moments—he looks like a very upset old man on the brink of collapsing. Seokga blinks and bites his tongue.

Once, perhaps, he wouldn't have cared. But now, looking at the old chief, he's careful to gentle his voice as he continues to speak to the haetae. He even uncrosses his arms. "I just don't understand how the bodies, camera, and footage could have disappeared."

"I have officers scouring the city for them," Shim says hoarsely. "I'll contact you when something comes up. I'm sorry, Seokga. I know what this investigation means to you."

Seokga swallows an acerbic retort. It's not Shim's fault. "Let me know if you find the bodies," he manages to say, before giving a hasty farewell and striding out of the precinct with Hani on his heels, frustration thrumming in his blood.