LK / DETECTIVE JEON ✔

06.

lalisa lived with her aunt for as long as she can remember.

with no recollection of her parents whatsoever. they were brutally murdered when she was still an infant, her aunt said, the news spread fast along the neighbourhood and those closest to her parents mourned their demise for a whole month. 

her father was an attorney from other province and her mother a designer. and their murderer, a ruthless criminal seeking revenge. an act of justice traded for two innocent lives. lalisa didn't put much thought to it at first since she never got the chance to deepen the bonds. but then reality struck her.

her fifth anniversary came with primary school. with no parents to show up during every parent-student reunion and a teacher that provided her with special treatment out of pity, the other kids hated her. they played around with her as if she was a puppet. 

and she felt like one. 

devoid of emotions, she couldn't stand up for herself. 

by the time lalisa entered high school, things calmed down. with higher grades, a tight circle of close friends and a caring aunt, she finally felt integrated in what they called a society. but her life wasn't perfect and she had a few—no—inumerous flaws. 

uncapable of trusting herself, it also reflected onto her friends. those that offered a hand were now the first ones pulling it away. so far, it slipped through her grasp. sanghoon, her first boyfriend, became her safe place and abyss altogether. easily influenced after joining the football team. 

everyone hates me, sixteen year old lalisa cried, cradled on her aunt's lap. gentle hands rubbed her back but it did nothing to easy the sobs that rippled from the back of her throat. she meant it as every word sliced through her flesh and pierced her lungs. scant of oxygen, lalisa struggled to breath while blinking through her tears.

you have her eyes, the barest of touches wiped away her tears and her head rose to gaze at her aunt. she had a smile plastered on her face and tucked a strand of hair behind lalisa's ear. the same ambition to strive glinting in them.

you're as strong as your mother. 

some of lalisa's parents passions were deeply rooted in her. as she enrolled into orpheus training programme, resolute to follow her father's steps and claim justice for every innocent victim. as daring as it sounded, she finally had a passion and was determined to follow through it. 

orpheus was a wide base, sheltering over a thousand officers and investigators. some with a much longer, and admirable, career than others, but they had one thing in common. they all knew kang-dae, her father, and went as far as to praise all of his achievements during the years he worked as an attorney. 

even hyun-tae, her assigned partner. 

he was a respected man, not to mess with. the glimpse of hyun-tae's smile still vivid in her mind as they went over their self defence lessons. she didn't really expect it, but they grew closer as years went by and lalisa looked up to him. 

after all he, unlike every other person in her life, stayed by her side. despite her breakdowns and complex personality. he stormed it all, not complaining once. even when she finally mustered the courage to ask about it.

about her parent's murderer. 

his name curled around hyun-tae's tongue with distaste and his eyes softened. he knew how hard it must have been even if she was too young to remember. at first, she was hesitant to dug into the case. orpheus had the access to every case but why bother with the past? it's not like it would change anything.

but she never wavered when her feet stepped past the room's front door. hyun-tae had his back turned, a box set in both hands, before laying it down on the table for lalisa to open. she inhaled, a shaky breath slipping past her lips, and took the opposite seat in front of him. 

you don't have to do it. she gazed at him when his hand covered hers in a tight grip. her lips were pursed in a thin line and she slowly pulled the lid from the box. a few pictures of the crime scene and a stack of papers were scattered around but her eyes fixed on a crumpled piece of paper underneath it. 

trembling fingers took hold of it and unfolded it into a thin piece of paper. 

along with the mugshot of the murderer was his name. written down in a neat calligraphy and small enough for it to be imperceptible. but her sharp glance didn't miss it and since that day, his name was weaved into the back of her mind. as a cruel reminder she'd never forget. 

ji-tae.

-

"ji-tae." her lips trembled and every inch of her body went stiff. she let him jump off the balcony and watched him with a gun gripped around her fingers. she was numb, oblivious even, because she didn't fight against it when jungkook hurled her body into his embrace.

"lalisa." his voice was muffled into a whisper and her eyes fluttered shut, with tears streaming down her cheeks. the faint touch of his fingertips against her skin enough to snap her out of her reverie and force her hands against his chest. "let me go."

he didn't budge and his eyes desperately searched hers when she turned her face to the other side.

"let me go." she spat, harsher this time and shoved him away. even though jungkook's strength overpowered hers, he still allowed her to push him away but his hand wrapped around her wrist to pull her close once again. he saw it too. the pity smouldered in his eyes reminded her of it. 

"i don't need your help." she tugged at her wrist before stepping back to leave some distance between them. her features contorted into a frown and a laugh slipped past her lips. a bitter one as jungkook stared at her before inching closer to where she stood. 

"you're afraid." his voice was low, barely above a whisper and his fingertips trailed up her arm to her shoulder. her body trembled and her lips parted to stare at him with confusion glinting in her eyes. his lips stretched into a smile at the sight of her vulnerable and rendered speechless and his arms went around her waist to embrace her. 

something in the way he held lalisa assured her that he wasn't referring to what happened a few minutes ago and it caused her forehead to crease. 

"you're afraid of getting yourself involved with me." he held her chin between his fingers and tilted her head back to force her gaze on him. she'd never seen him stare at her like that before. with soft eyes and something else she couldn't quite point out. 

for a brief second, she forgot how to breathe. 

"because you'll end up relying on me and the notion of trust scares you."