Dohyun ran out of the house—not with fear, but with exhilaration. Every vein buzzed with the thrill of piecing together new clues. The elevator was too slow, so instead of waiting like any sane man, he bolted for the stairs, pounding down step after step as if he could outpace his own thoughts.
By the time he reached his apartment door, his hands shook. He fumbled for his keys, patting every pocket, only to realize—he'd left them behind when he ran out to the convenience store.
The mistake didn't even dull his excitement. He was drunk on both obsession and alcohol. His jaw tightened, and with a grunt, he twisted the handle until the lock gave way under sheer force. The door cracked open. He stumbled inside.
The storm began. He covered his board with notes, arrows, half-legible scribbles, circling "Sof" and "Kil" over and over. Pinning, unpinning, tearing pages apart. He even forgot about the original criminal who had led him here. All he saw now were two names orbiting the same sun.
Hours blurred. His pen scratched through the night until sleep took him, face pressed into his notes, head pounding with alcohol and theories.
He woke to the faint light seeping through his curtains, to the smell of stale beer, to his skull cracking from its own heartbeat. His throat was dry, but his obsession was not.
Dohyun craved details—he was a pervert for them. He needed more. If he wanted to unravel Sof and Kil, he'd have to start with Sof—the only one who existed in daylight, smiling gently among flowers.
By the time he stepped out, he was dressed in a crisp white shirt, denim pants, and a silver chain that glinted at his collarbone. Casual, but sharp. Even while planning how to corner Sof, he made sure to look disarming.
Two schoolgirls passed him on the street. They slowed. One nudged the other.
"Hey, look at that man. Isn't he hot?"
"Yeah right. I'm gonna ask for his number."
"Excuse me, oppa," one of them piped up, cheeks flushed. "You're handsome. Can I get your number?"
Dohyun turned, blinking at them. Despite his smooth skin, he was already in his mid-twenties, while they couldn't have been past high school. He gave them a crooked smile.
"Sorry, kids. I'm old enough to be your dad."
The girls squeaked in embarrassment and fled. He chuckled under his breath and continued on.
The Bloom Flower Shop gleamed like a greenhouse of glass and green. Vines curled on shelves, petals glistened with dew, and the air smelled like earth after rain. Sof stood among the plants, carefully misting leaves, his gentle presence glowing in the morning light.
"Morning, Sof."
Sof turned, smiling warmly. "Good morning too, Dohyun. How was your mother?"
"She loved it—especially since I added cash to the bouquet."
They laughed together. A brief silence followed, broken only by the hum of the misters. They both chuckled awkwardly, caught staring.
"So," Sof asked lightly, "who are the flowers for this time?"
"Oh, my brother. Says he wants to confess to someone."
"Ahh, roses then. Budget?"
"Same as before."
As Sof prepared the bouquet, Dohyun wandered through the shop. He stopped at a glass enclosure filled with caterpillars, some already cocooning. Details. Always details. Nothing connected to Kil—until his eyes fell on something small.
A crayon drawing, half-hidden behind a flower pot.
Four stick-figure boys. One tall adult stickman.
He knew Sof. He knew Kil. He knew the criminal. That left… two more boys. Who were they?
His lips parted. His cheeks flushed. Drool gleamed at the corner of his mouth as a creepy smile stretched. His whole body trembled with feverish joy. This wasn't a case anymore—it was ecstasy. The more he searched, the more it unraveled, and the more tangled he became.
He was spiraling. He was obsessed. He was hard.
Dohyun realized too late, heat rushing down to his legs, a fatal mistake showing through his pants like a dented cylinder. His ears burned. He forced his voice steady.
"Uh—Sof, can I use your bathroom real quick?"
"Of course. Back there."
Dohyun kept his back turned, rushing to the bathroom with stiff, deliberate strides, muttering under his breath.
"Damn it…"