ʟᴜᴘɪɴ│ᴛᴋ [complete]

.19. ɪɴ ᴡʜɪᴄʜ ᴡᴇ ʟᴇᴀʀɴ sᴜɴᴅᴀʏ ᴍᴏʀɴɪɴɢs ᴀʀᴇɴ'ᴛ ᴀʟᴡᴀʏs ᴘᴇᴀᴄᴇғᴜʟ

The unidentified noises that could be heard down the hall had poor Lizbeth shake in her floral cotton night gown. She could tell, from the faint light coming through the closed blinds, that the sun had already risen. However, she could not get herself to leave the safety of her bedroom. All this racket was bound to wake Mr. Jeon sooner or later, and when he'd come down, she'd let him deal with the burglar who was presently wreaking havoc in the kitchen.

But why wasn't he coming down?

Sighing heavily, she finally mustered enough courage to put on her slippers and step out of her room, grabbing on her way the first object she could find that could be used for hitting, throwing, or simply repelling purposes, and which happened to be the novel sitting on her bedside table.

The walk down the hall took long enough for her to hear crockery breaking and a string of colorful curses uttered in a deep angry voice. She was about to turn around and flee when a nagging feeling stopped her dead in her tracks. She knew that voice. "Sir?"

Lizbeth's jaw dropped as she identified the intruder as non-other than Detective Jeon Jungkook himself, partly dressed, on all fours on the kitchen floor, struggling with broken tableware while charcoaled remains of what once must have been bacon sizzled in the forgotten pan on the stove.

Jungkook had never seemed more pleased to see her. "Lizbeth! You've come to save the day!"

She quickly ran to turn off the still burning stove and looked around to assess the damage. "Sir, if I may ask — what in the world are you doing in the kitchen on a Sunday morning?"

Jungkook felt like a child being scolded for his bad behavior. "I'm sorry but, well, I have a guest you see — and I really wanted to surprise him."

The old woman placed a hand on her heart. "Him?"

And just as she was trying to wrap her mind around that idea, the silhouette of a stranger appeared in the door frame. She jumped and shrieked, dropping her book inside the burnt frying pan.

"NOOOO!!! Not The Spark and the Hunter!!"

The young detective leaped to retrieve the novel which was now dripping with oil. "Not my favorite book of the Fiery Sky series!!"

He sobbed as he attempted to soak out the grease which was already fattening the pages, while the color on Lizbeth's face all but vanished. A soft chuckle had both of them turn their heads. "You read romance novels?"

Taehyung was leaning on the door frame, arms crossed on his bare chest, which had Lizbeth avert her eyes to the ceiling.

"Don't mock my reading preferences. Where do you think I got all those moves I used on you last night from?"

That was too much information for the poor housekeeper who wished the ground would just open and swallow her up because she felt like she had already died from embarrassment ten times over.

"No wonder you seemed so well versed in the art of lovemaking," Tae responded with a wink.

"Enough!"

The imperious tone had both men widen their eyes in shock as Lizbeth reached for a cupboard, pulled out a bottle of schnapps, and poured herself a shot glass which she drank on the spot, bottoms up. "I don't mean no disrespect but you boys need to get out my kitchen at once. And do not think of coming back unless you're decent."

That's when the doorbell rang. "I'll get that," said Taehyung who had at least trousers on.

"Fine," grumbled Jungkook who went back to his room to put on the missing clothing items.

♠

It seemed Tae had decided to make jaws drop all morning, given the reaction of the visitor currently standing on the threshold. "Well, if it isn't the Thames Herald's star reporter Park Jimin," he greeted with a smirk.

"Well, if it isn't London's infamous bachelor Kim Taehyung," the other retorted with an equally knowing grin, causing Tae's brow to raise.

"What brings you here on a Sunday morning, Park?"

"I could just take a snapshot of topless Kim Taehyung and call it day — these sell really well on the black market — but I'm actually here to see Detective Jeon."

Tae showed him the way to Jungkook's study and sat on the couch, wondering what was so important that it couldn't be discussed on the phone but required a visit in person.

"Don't take this the wrong way, but I'd like to talk to him in private."

Taehyung scoffed at that just as Jungkook walked in, buckling his pants. "Good morning, Jimin! What brings you here?"

The first-name greeting did not go unnoticed. "You gave me a mission, remember?"

"Of course I do. I reckon you have found something of interest, seeing as you took the time to visit on a Sunday morning."

"I did, but my findings aren't meant for the public."

Two pairs of eyes turned to Taehyung who gathered all the grace he could spare to walk out the door without seeming offended by the imposed exclusion. It pained Jungkook to have to do so, which is why he sounded a little aggravated when he addressed the reporter. "Why would you have Taehyung leave when you know very well how close he and I are?"

"Because after you hear what I have to say, you might consider him a prime suspect in this case."

—

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