Boss Complex

45. Thief

"Did you check your bags?"

Chanyeol glances to Junmyeon and confirms that they're ready to start back towards security. He whips open his briefcase and slides in his ipad, page tabbed on the news article he's reading.

"Excited to be heading home? I know this place is always a little stressful and sad considering the past."

There's something to be said for people who insist on bringing up bad memories whilst knowing how deep those scars run. There's a strong argument for desensitizing yourself to the emotion connected with repeated mention, a numbing that takes place like a callous built from painful, hard, ware. But the other end of the spectrum might protest that a wound needs time to heal rather than being a continuously picked scab with no ability to even scar over. He didn't exactly know where he fell on this spectrum but he was pretty sure it would be the weepy-still-obsessed-with-my-ex-but-married-to-someone-else part and it looks to be a pretty exclusive contract. Surely other people decide to be gay with the twin of their betrothed... Somewhere...

"I need to get back to Baekhee. She and I have a busy schedule this week." He states with as much composure as he can muster.

"Yes, of course, you do keep a tight schedule."

Junmyeon flips through the passport and stops an attendant about the boarding times for platinum members and she pulls up her tablet's flight tracker.

"Oh, speaking of which, I need my watch back please."

"Sure, one second." Junmyeon mumbles, looking over the woman's shoulder and then looking out over the airport's dense crowds for a visual map.

Chanyeol scans faces, a new habit of his, a search for a ghost that he should set free. No small body comes up as a match but he still visually surveys. He twists his hand over the empty wrist anxiously and clears his throat.

"Duty Free is that way Chanyeol. You can go up there ahead of me." Junmyeon mumbles, jotting down something on his notepad while continuing his conversation with the airport attendee.

"No, not to buy a new wrist watch, Junmyeon, where is my gold Cartier watch from the ryokan?"

Junmyeon stops what he's doing and furrows his brows.

"At the ryokan...?"

"My gold watch, Junmyeon!"

"What are you--ohh... that watch you left last time! You didn't go get it?"

Chanyeol stops breathing, feeling suddenly as if the world had stopped on it's axis.

"What do you mean? Don't you have it?"

"No. I thought you were going to get it this trip?"

Chanyeol stares at the man until his skin crawls.

"You didn't get it."

"Clearly."

Junmyeon gives a nervous chuckle.

"Right. Right. Well I'll call--"

"They don't have it. They said it was already picked up by a polite, well dressed man who had all of my information. Was I wrong in assuming it was you? Who is doing what I ask without asking? Who is this mysterious punctual individual and can he replace you?"

Junmyeon starts tapping on his phone quickly.

"Oh, okay. That's okay. That's fine. This is fine. I'll find--"

Chanyeol narrows his eyes with anger streaking through his composure now.

"Who the hell would it be, Kim Junmyeon?"