The ticking of the office clock echoed in steady rhythm as Detective R leaned back in his chair, his narrow eyes drifting far away. He had been like this for days—ever since Reya vanished.
The boy had disappeared without a word. No quarrel, no misunderstanding, no reason to leave—yet he was simply gone.
"Detective R, want to grab a drink after work?"
"…"
"Detective…"
His face remained expressionless, gaze fixed on the window as though he hadn' t heard. Lieutenant Yuu, his brow furrowing, raised his voice.
"Detective R!"
"Yes? …What is it, Lieutenant Yuu?"
"You' ve seemed absent-minded lately. Something bothering you?"
The deep voice broke the silence of the dimly lit office. R immediately straightened, but denied it at once.
"No… What were you saying, about money?" His voice was even, but his eyes flickered.
"I' ve got a lead," Yuu said, arms crossed, his expression grim.
"A lead? From where?" R frowned, the pen in his hand stilled.
"First I need to clarify something. The reason I' m a member of the dark web… is because of our special investigation unit. We have to get intel from these places." Yuu' s voice was heavy, sincere.
"I understand."
"There' s a game trending right now in the dark web." Yuu pulled out his phone, scrolling before handing it over.
"Here."
R took the phone and immediately frowned.
" 'Pet of the Rich' …?"
"Yes." Yuu' s face twisted with disgust.
"Not actual pets. Teenagers—attractive ones—made to behave like dogs, like cats. Forced to obey the twisted orders of wealthy perverts." The room fell silent, heavy with suffocating tension.
"How is it played?" R asked, voice flat, eyes fixed on the screen in Yuu' s hand.
"My guess…" Yuu drew in a sharp breath, weighing his words. "I don' t know all the details yet. The site owner is like some cult leader—damn near impossible to reach."
R' s brows knitted tighter. "Go on."
"That recent scandal about the MPs… the orgy with underaged boys…" Yuu paused, locking eyes with him. "It' s tied to this."
"…What?"
"Four MPs had their darkest secrets exposed and sold on the dark web two months ago. Next month, new MPs are taking their place—because of this very scandal."
He held the phone closer for R to see.
"One member bragged about making five million. Said it wasn' t easy—implied he went through something extreme. From the way he wrote, he' s clearly a pain-addict."
R said nothing, but his sharp gaze grew heavier by the second. Finally he spoke with deliberate clarity.
"And how do you know that money was stolen?"
"Serial numbers," Yuu answered at once. "The bills had specific sequences. You saw it yourself—it matched exactly what that kid flaunted online."
R' s eyes sharpened further, weighing every detail, while Yuu' s grip on his phone tightened. The truth revealed so far was only the tip of the iceberg.
"Who would want dirt on those MPs?" R asked, his calm voice pressing down like steel.
"I don' t know…" Yuu shook his head slowly, fingers tightening around his phone. "But the name Mr. R is big on the site—known for high-risk contracts. I' ve been trying to reach that kid, but the system blocks access to high-profile members."
R' s brow furrowed deeper. "Could we… hire someone ourselves?"
"I doubt it," Yuu exhaled sharply. "If we mimic their jobs, they' ll turn on us. We' d be kicked out—or worse."
"So what do we do?" R' s low voice tested Yuu' s confidence.
"…I still can' t figure out how to bypass their surveillance network," Yuu muttered, eyes downcast. "That damn Mr. R has layers of protection."
"And this 'Mr. R' —how does he operate?"
"He' s a ghost. No photos, no name. Just posts the positions of people he wants info on."
"Meaning…" R leaned forward slightly, voice cool and cutting. "Only one person ever gets the job."
Yuu nodded slowly. "That' s what it looks like."
The air thickened, silence broken only by their heavy breaths.
Ding!
A notification lit up Yuu' s phone. Both men glanced down at once.
"The guy we' re talking about… he just posted a new name," Yuu said, expanding the screen, his eyes widening. "A new MP of the Siam Unity Party."
R' s brows drew together sharply. "That party already has a new MP?"
Yuu scrolled rapidly, voice rising. "Next month… they' ll swear in four new MPs from that party."
"…And how do you know this?" Yuu asked, startled.
R exhaled slowly, unable to hide his unease. "I' ve seen the leaked voting results."
"But… there haven' t been any public photos of them."
"They' ll be revealed at the inauguration," R replied firmly. His deep voice carried weight. "A new policy bans showing their faces until then… for reasons unknown. But it' s official."
Yuu froze, eyes trembling. "That' s insane. Electing people just by name? It' s no different from the dark web itself. The whole country' s turning opaque—next thing, we' ll be communists."
The silence returned, pressing in on both men as they exchanged grim looks. The connections forming were terrifying.
Later, Detective R drove away from the riverside bar, his taillights fading into the dark.
Lieutenant Yuu stayed behind on the wooden deck, alone with the water' s shimmer. The river lapped against the shore, reflecting the scattered lights in wavering lines. He lifted his beer glass, staring blankly into the distance as though letting his spirit drift away.
Bzzz… Bzzz…
His phone lit up. Just one letter appeared: R.
Not the detective.
A call from abroad.
Yuu answered, eyes still fixed on the river.
"How is it?" The low, cool voice came through.
"All settled."
"Anything unusual?"
"None yet."
"…Good. I' ll leave it to you."
"Yes."
The call ended.
Yuu swirled the liquor in his glass, the reflection of the rippling water glinting in his eyes—eyes no one could read.
Whose side was he truly on?