I'm not some loser.. atleast not now..and I always prove it no matter what..
I picked it up with gloved hands and held it to the light.
"Let's look closer."
The paper was darker on the edges--almost burnt. I noticed faint traces of circles, invisible lines.
"What, Soakjin was doing origami while hiding his dirty money?" I mocked, half disbelief, half fury. "I'll kill him next time."
"Watch… we'll definitely find something this time," Jae-hyun whispered.
He brought the lighter's flame closer. Slowly, faint brown words bled through the paper's wings-- thin and shaky, like someone wrote it while trembling.
Nothing. Found. Yet.
"Did he really trick us? The words should've gone visible if it was written with lemon," Jae-hyun muttered tiredly, his voice sagging with hopelessness as he took the paper , started at each sides.
I rubbed my forehead, wiping away sweat.
Then it hit me. An idea.
I snatched the paper from his hand and moved toward my table, searching for a pen.
"I've got an idea… that guy thought I couldn't sense it? Please. I've mastered this trick while teaching lessons to those North Korean citizens."
"What are you searching for?" Jae-hyun asked, stepping beside me and casually placing a hand on my shoulder.
I held up a small pen, a smirk curling on my lips.
"Magic pen , bro~"
He gave me a weird look. "Seriously? Those we used to play with when little?"
"Yes, seriously. I think he used one of these to write the message. Spies are too familiar with lemon juice or chemical ink. But this…" I pointed at the pen's pale yellow light. "This is different."
Jae-hyun nodded, his tired eyes sharpening. "Then what are we waiting for? Let's reveal it."
I turned off the room's main light and held the pen close.
And then… the words appeared-- faint at first, then clear as crystal.
"She's pregnant. In London right now. The address is 5br/43, White Garden Road, A24, building number RT477."
The air in the room froze. Even the clock seemed to stop ticking.
I stared at the message, my heartbeat syncing with the flicker of the penlight.
"Pregnant… London… what does that even mean?" I whispered.
"Welcome to our world , bro.." Jae-hyun muttered dryly. "Even stupidity wears a mask."
I nodded slowly.
Everything was beginning to make sense now--at least the outline of who was behind it. I carefully placed the paper back into the suitcase, my mind already running wild with possibilities.
"Exactly," I said under my breath. "If Soakjin was carrying this, then he wasn't the mastermind. He really was just the delivery man as suspected.The real one's still out there." I exhaled sharply. "And the stupidest move… turns out to be the smartest."
"Spill it," Jae-hyun said, leaning against the desk. "No point keeping ideas trapped in your head."
I stared at the suitcase one more time.
"Track Soakjin's phone number. I'll explain everything once I get all the routes clear."
Then I added softly, "And tell Dad. Maybe now he'll finally sleep peacefully."
"Fine," Jae-hyun replied, taking out his phone. "Start tracking Soakjin's number. He's wanted for the case--yeah. On it. Operation starts tomorrow."
He tucked his phone away and said, "Done. We just need the right timing."
I nodded, feeling the exhaustion finally creeping into my eyes.
We had found the message that had been hiding under our noses all along.
Sometimes, the most dangerous shards end up being the safest shield.
"First," I muttered, "we need to find out why Soakjin took such a risk, living with that kind of anger. And second, who wanted that address… and why."
My brows furrowed. "It's a woman they're after. Pregnant. She's not some random drug deal or bribe. There's more."
"Same question, bro…" Jae-hyun yawned softly, rubbing his eyes. My heart softened a little at his tiredness.
"Rain itself is a question," I said with a faint smile. "I'll find the answer. You go rest. Your health matters too."
"You know we're not done yet…"
"Yeah, but why do you think this rain exists? To make me run, while you sleep peacefully. Go rest."
He hesitated, then sighed. "Alright… a bit."
"That's a good brother."
The door closed behind him.
I turned back toward the office. My team was already gathered, faces lit by the glow of monitors.
"Sir, we found it," one of them said, eyes glued to the screen.
"Good. Check if it's real or fake," I ordered, my voice calm but sharp.
"Yes, sir." Number 45 grabbed a burner phone and dialed the number.
The ringtone echoed-- once, twice…
Then a familiar voice picked up.
"Hello? Who is this?"
Soakjin.
His tone was annoyed, weak--probably still aching from my bullets.
I raised a hand, signaling everyone to stay silent.
"Turn on the AI voice changer," I whispered. "I'll talk."
Number 44 nodded, tweaking the tone-- deeper than mine, just enough to disguise it.
"Hello?? Is this a prank?" Soakjin's voice sharpened, suspicion flaring.
I smirked. Oh, this is going to be fun.
Clearing my throat, I began,
"Hello. Is this Mr. Soakjin?"
Silence stretched.
My teammates gave me a thumbs-up-- the connection was stable, and the voice modulation perfect.
"May I know if I'm speaking to Mr. Soakjin?" I repeated.
"Y…yes. Who are you? How do you know me? Why are you calling this late?" he demanded, voice shaky but wary.
An idea slid into my mind.
One of my men mouthed the word: Bodyguard.
Perfect.
"Actually, sir," I said smoothly, "your father recently interviewed a few men to hire as your bodyguard. I was the one selected. He told me to contact you."
There was a pause. Then I added,
"I also heard you got injured tonight, sir. He said to be cautious."
"My father?" he muttered bitterly. "Since when does he care about my life more than his policies?"
His tone cracked-- suspicious, but laced with something close to sadness.
I kept my voice low.
"Don't feel bad, sir. A father never truly hates his child."
A flicker of something tugged at me—nostalgia, maybe. But I shoved it away.
"May I know which hospital you're in, sir?" I asked.
Another silence. Longer this time.
Was he hesitant… or just fading?
"Why?" he asked finally, voice softer. Sleepy.
Chapter 5 (spoiler)
"Your time starts now!"
The shout cracked through the phone so loud my ears rang like a cursed bell.
I didn't move. Neither did my team. The whole room felt like it forgot how to breathe.
Tch.
Damn it. I just wanted one night off. One single peaceful night.
But of course--
my life doesn't believe in peace.
It only believes in timing, blood, and running after ghosts like some loyal sniffing dog…
And looks like the hunt just started again.