"Eonnie, I'm home!" I let out a slight call-which the elders of the family considered howls-for the ruler of the house. I slowly climbed up the flight of stairs to my room, with Soobin adhering to the path I trailed.

It was only when I was on the third storey that I realised none of the rest of my family were in my house.

Addressing Soobin, I said, "Wait a while, okay? I'll just come back."

I hopped over the railings of the stairs and slid down them. If Eonnie where around, I could have been as dead as a doornail but neither did I have time for looking for some nails, nor was I interested.

I turned towards the kitchen in the left of the drawing room on the ground floor. Just as I had expected, with an unconventionally bad handwriting, Dami had left me a message. She never considered texting me or calling me to inform the same but that small sticky note would always be affixed to that very location of the fridge.

It wasn't like she had no idea that there were easier methods of contacting me but the fact that she completely took care of every single thing that could make me feel valued... Just how my mum used to.

______________________________

Bub,
Your brother had a sudden wish to take your niece out for a treat and of course, I tagged along. But, I made you your favourite fried chicken. Also, I left some store bought galbi because I suck at that. Could you do me a favour by heating them up? And! I thought you might have your other two detective friends over so I made extra. You already know where the ice-cream is. Anyways, take care.

Yours,
Dami

______________________________

"Soobin-ssi," I called out as loud as I could. My brother and his family wasn't here and that meant I had to cook (or heat up) the chicken myself. She didn't write favour in bold for no reason. She was well aware of how I was anything but good-or okay-with cooking.

"Yes?" I could hear his footsteps calmly approach me from the quarter space landing of the staircase.

"So... My family is out." I boldly took a deep breath, trying to understand all that I would tell him to insist him to cook.

"And? You don't have to worry. I'm not hungry or anything."

"Well, food was never a problem in my house," I smiled, my chest inflating with pride, "But the problem is... We have to cook the chicken Eonnie left for us."

"Alright...?" He raised his eyebrows, trying to guess what I was about to say next. My breath hitched at it. I was known to be the most independent girl of the campus... But I didn't know how to do the basic thing for survival, Cook. I didn't want to come off as stupid to him.

"I would be glad if you could like..." I hesitated while I braced myself for the probable outcomes: fit of laughter, heavy awkwardness or a simple and straightforward rejection.

"She asked you to heat those up. Like... Microwave, right?" He inquired.

"I mean... Don't ask me. I absolutely never exactly entered the kitchen unless I wanted to sneak some food." I blatantly confessed.

"Fine. I'll do it for you." He pulled out the paper bucket of fried chicken and turned on the microwave for 5 minutes. I watched him patiently but soon was bored when he started pouring the sauce, galbi, and mixing it. Everything felt so dry. Usually when Eonnie cooked, she would always have music playing to get into the vibe.

"Hey, Soobin-ssi!"

"Mhm?"

"Do you think we can play some music? It's so dry. Will you be disturbed?"

"Aah, that would be great of you. However, there's nothing really I'm doing other than making the already scrumptious delicacy into something of our taste." I laughed at his comment, reaching out for my phone and played a random upbeat song from my Eonnie's HUGE playlist.

I took an instant vibe to the song, not noticing that the food was already ready and Soobin was dancing on his own. Soobin was the popular boy of the campus and everyone's eyecandy, the dearest. All the girls were head over heels for him and I could see the reason why.

His swift yet elegant and powerful moves, gracefully cut through the air and danced rhythmically to the melody. Had my Dami eonnie been here and I'm sure, she'd finally get a dear dance partner.

"Yum. Y/n, come and have a seat."

"Let's go to my room, then." He doesn't give much reaction in general but seeing a lit smile-somewhat like a bunny-on his face, made me feel better about being friends with him. Maybe, I had been actually missing out the company.

We came back to my room and I was suddenly feeling party like. For some reason, today was an extremely overwhelming day and my mother always told, "Remember, your youth would be hard and sometimes suck. But that's also the only time you enjoy and it's no sin to enjoy."

Some old hits of the 2010's started playing and I realised those songs were from when Dami was as old as me. Must have been fun for nightlife. Gangnam Style played at the highest volume of my small Samsung speaker.

Soobin was in a sick mood. His body missed no beats and although I had learned tap dancing and a little contemporary as a child, I struggled to match with him.

We finally stopped as the playlist played a softer and calmer tone of some 90's retro love. We panted and launched our bodies on my bed to take a rest.

"It was fun." I said in between my breaths.

"It was. I don't remember when was the last time I did freestyle." He was still smiling and I liked that look on his porcelain skin.

"Anyways, what had we planned?" Our breaths had slowed down by then and we were already eating, when Soobin made me remember that we had a purpose to sort out along with doing nothing.

"Oh right! Yeah, well I'm completely blank how to proceed further. The thing is that my case is going ahead with no ways."

"Then let me help you out. Our case could be much easier if Yohan's death matched the time series as the other two-"

"Or if we could recognise the lucid man from the footage." I interrupted.

"Hmm. Well that fellow is the one who killed Anhyun and that has no questions. But the time difference... Why..." If my Dami eonnie was here, I am certain that she would have something in her head to propose to satisfy both our doubts.

Just when I was about to announce my thoughts, I felt the doorknob unlocking and my natural instinct said that the woman I named of, was already at the door for me.

"I hope I didn't interrupt anything too grave here. I apologize for if I have." She peeped inside from a slight opening, looking just like her daughter, Sena.

"What a pleasure to see you! I was just thinking of you. Can you, maybe, help us two with some of your criminal brain?" I had an involuntary reaction of pulling her closer to where we were seated. Soobin greeted her with his enchanting smile which however, would always be shining on Dami's face.

"How may I help?" She asked as she pulled my chair from the study table and sat next to me. I took out my notebook, again going through all that we had discovered in two days. Soobin proceeded to explain the case with Jaechan on the tree house and that how deliberately we failed to find anything from him.

Dami remained silent, paying her utmost attention to all the deliberately unpredictable situations we've been through in less than a week. But nothing really surprises her. If anything could give her a minor heart attack now then that would only be my first stolen kiss. Even a hand-in-hand fight with the Devil is too less to generate any impact.

"So... You can say Jaechan is clear. And... That Lee Yohan didn't die in a same pattern as the other two children." She pressed her lips tight and I looked at her with expecting eyes. Soobin was more patient and understanding than me. He tried reading her mind but it was impossible.

"What do you think?" Dami asked, her eyes directing the question to Soobin. Her sudden reaction made him flinch but he was quick to gather his composure, immediately answering what he thought.

"See, we were told the times. We were not present, neither of us. For Anhyun, both of us and Jimin sunbae was present at the crime scene. For Bumjoon, Y/n and Jimin sunbae was present. But for Yohan, we only got to know it through sources. One time was told by the Mayor and the other by his personal assistant."

"I have heard that. Tell me what exactly do you think and not what is directly stated. Sometimes what's the matter of importance is visible to plain sight and we disregard it as trivial." Dami clearly stated on his face, wanting to hear no explanation other than what's asked. The fierce look in her eyes was back and her smiled had dropped.

"I think somebody is telling us the wrong time." Soobin answered.

"Whom do you suspect?" Dami asked, but this time the question directed to me.

"The Mayor."

"Why?"

"Yohan's PA, Kim Yuki, said it was found at 6:00 or 7:00 am. We reached there at 7:30 pm and no press had arrived then. That means the news hadn't spread yet. If according to the Mayor, the body was found at 9:40 pm, why was it not on news?"

"Good point. Let's say even if the Mayor lied..."

"The mayor may not because he has business with the victim." Soobin interrupted.

"I'll not see anything emotionally. Even I'm well acquainted with the Mayor's wife and the Mayor himself. But law doesn't see sentiments. It only sees proofs or rationality and legitimacy of conspiracies: corruption." Soobin and I silently nodded and watched Dami scribble with her pencil on my notebook, circling around the aforementioned time of deaths.

Dami was never wrong when it came to the games of lie that law played. Law was axiomatic, changing time to time, person to person. Law was supposed to be a set of rules enforced to prevent corruption but as people advanced, law became the mother of corruption. Just how necessity is the mother of inventions.

"See, although it may not necessarily comply to your situation; I have a possible theory to propose." Dami broke the silence. I nodded again as an affirmation for her to proceed.

"What I want to propose is, if there are two different sets of time-one of which is irregular-it is possible that it's not a part of the serial killing. Like say, that maths boy and that girl, what if they were murdered by the same person and that's why they have the save time gap, and the business man was killed by someone else."

Hearing her, I took a deep breath in and spoke again. "Let's consider that. But Yohan and Anhyun are connected. And Anhyun and Bumjoon are connected. Which implies, Bumjoon and Yohan are also connected even if that's indirectly."

"I like that idea. But what I mean is, maybe they are connected but you have two offenders and not one. What you're trying to do is connect all with one offender. What if, even if for the same reason, it was executed by two people?" Dami proposed another conflicting but rather logical opinion.

"On a second thought, she isn't wrong as well, Y/n. Let's plan it for two offenders and lead the case slightly differently. Like Fergus and Tudor in Veronica." Dami smiled at him. I was uncertain whether she smiled because he agreed to her notions or wether she was content to know that Soobin knew about Fergus and Tudor.

"I was exactly thinking of Fergus and Tudor when I proposed my theory." Said Dami, clearing my uncertainty.

"You've read Veronica, too?" Soobin asked eagerly.

"Absolutely, I had to. I am the author..."

♪♫•*¨*•.¸¸♡¸¸.•*¨*•♫♪

Hey Rosairises!
Sorry for the late update but I can hope for faster and more consistent updates now because my messed up life is almost sorted.

Anyways, I think this chapter didn't disappoint you and maybe... You'll get to know about Dami and her history soon too.

Maybe... That is a help.

Kay Bye~